Freedom from Demons: Aligning with Jesus’ Authority to Cast Out Spirits

To do something in the name of Jesus is to do something by His authority, on His behalf, for His glory, and very importantly, according to His will.

If we want to act in Christ’s authority, we must align ourselves with His will. If you want godly authority, you must have a godly lifestyle.

Granted, it’s certainly possible to walk in a measure of power and still live in sin. This isn’t an encouragement for anyone to sin. This is just an acknowledgment of the biblical reality that even hypocrites can operate in a degree of power.

Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.” But I will reply, “I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws” (Matthew 7:21-23 NLT).

What a frightening reality. Fully confident that they would be accepted, these people strut up to the Lord. Yet they are rejected. Interestingly, the Lord doesn’t deny that they moved in power. He denies that He ever knew them. There we see the proof that God will use you even if He doesn’t know you.

Of course, that portion of Scripture is not about born-again believers. We know this because the Lord made it clear that He never knew them. Additionally, it’s clear that they were relying upon their own works, so their faith was not in Christ’s sacrifice.

The point I’m making here is that they prophesied, did miracles, and even drove out demons. Still, they were wicked people—“you who break God’s laws.” So there we see that it’s possible to move in power and be a hypocrite. The Word of God and the name of Jesus are so powerful that they work, to some degree, even when a hypocrite uses them.

The seven sons of Sceva serve as another example of this.

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered (Acts 19:13-16 NLT).

Thus, we know that even those who don’t know the Lord and who live wicked lives can operate in at least a small measure of power.

However, it’s still true that the more aligned we are with God’s will and Word, the more accessible His authority becomes. The more consecrated we become, the more effectively His authority can flow through us. Again, it’s not as though God needs us, but that is the order to the world He created. He wants us to be His vessels. While there are always exceptions, generally speaking, God has chosen, in His own wisdom, to work through us.

Only those aligned under God’s authority can walk fully in God’s authority. Only those who live by the Word can walk fully in the authority of the Word.

This actually explains why demons sometimes resist your commands to leave or to be silent. Rest assured, they’re never resisting the Holy Spirit, and they’re never resisting Christ’s authority. They’re resisting you. Sin takes us out of alignment with God’s authority. Compromise takes us out of alignment with God’s authority. But when you are living according to God’s Word and you give a command, the demon has to immediately obey when you command it to stop lying to you, distracting you, or otherwise attacking you. When you live in Christ, you live in His authority.

Other than sinful disobedience, the only other limitation to the flow of divine authority through you is a lack of faith. When some of Jesus’ disciples were unable to expel a demonic being from a little boy, Jesus expressed His frustration with their lack of faith:

One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me” (Mark 9:17-19 NLT).

The story then continues with Jesus expelling the demonic being from the boy’s body. Later, when the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the demon, He revealed this truth to them:

Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29 NLT).

Some manuscripts include the phrase “and fasting” in Mark 9:29. I believe it’s correct to add that phrase, so that it reads, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting.” Even so, the point I’m making here can stand in either case, with or without the phrase “and fasting.”

Jesus made it clear that there were certain kinds of demons that could only be expelled by means of prayer (and fasting). Why is that the case? Jesus already gave us the answer: “You faithless people!” It was the lack of faith that made it difficult to confront that level of demonic power. Nothing in God’s authority was lacking. The problem was the disciples’ faith.

The solution Jesus gave was simply to go and pray (and fast). Why? Because prayer and fasting increase your faith. All demons are stubborn. The problem is never stubborn demons but doubtful Christians. So how do you deal with “stubborn” demons or demons that don’t leave the instant you tell them to leave? Through special prayers? Through studying family bloodlines? Through finding out the demon’s name, type, and point of entry? Through renouncing a list of generational sin or interrogation of the demon? No. You deal with stubborn demons through a simple increase in faith. This works because it’s by faith that we access divine authority.

Costa Mesa, California. It was a Sunday evening service. Standing on the platform leading God’s people in worship, I felt the wind of the Holy Spirit at my back. I could feel His mighty power pulsing up and down my body. As the congregation and I sang simple songs of worship, I sensed a divine boldness come over me. The Holy Spirit quickened me, and I spoke, “That’s the presence of the Holy Ghost. He’s here. Something has shifted in the heavenly realm.” Then I was led to speak a simple prayer, “Every demonic power must go.” Within seconds of that short and softly spoken prayer being released, screams could be heard from all over the packed venue. Demons had begun to manifest. Tempted to continue rebuking the demons, I raised the microphone to my mouth.

The Holy Spirit stopped me. “Just worship. I’ll take care of it.” So I obeyed Him. The people and I just continued to worship. Soon, the screams around the room stopped, and a great peace came over the atmosphere. The people had been delivered. The demonic powers had been forced out of the room, instantly.

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you (Luke 10:19 NLT).

It was as though a strong wind had blown leaves by the wayside, as though an ocean wave had dissolved a child’s sand castle. It was that easy. The people had wanted freedom, and the Holy Spirit gave it to them. After a simple command, the work was done. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think back to many years prior, to the old religious ways I had attempted to help people be free. What a difference!

We have the tendency to complicate spiritual warfare and then refer to that complication as “depth” or “special insight.” However, true depth and power does not come and is not demonstrated in our ability to detail what we think we know about the spiritual realm or by inventing protocols never endorsed by the Holy Spirit. True depth is simple faith. It’s strongly rooted, childlike, unshakable faith.

When a Spirit-filled believer gives a simple command against a demonic being, the demon has to obey it. That’s truth. That’s Bible. Powerful signs follow those who believe. Those who believe what? Those who believe the gospel. So if you believe the gospel, if you are a born-again Christian, then you’ve been given the ability to walk in these signs. I’m not saying that these signs are a demonstration of your salvation or that you can’t be saved unless you perform miraculous signs. I’m simply saying that if you are born again, these abilities have been made available to you, though some born-again believers leave these abilities dormant and untouched.

Demons have to obey the commands of the born-again believer and instantly so, period. So the question should not be, “What gives a demon the legal right to disobey Christ’s authority and stay in my life?” They can’t disobey His authority. The question should be, “What prevents me from walking in the authority that Christ gave to me?” I promise you that it’s never because the correct ritual wasn’t performed or because the correct deliverance technique wasn’t used or even because your “spiritual rank” wasn’t high enough. It’s simple. The only factors that can misalign you from God’s flow of authority are sinful compromise and doubt. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you with these and then you’re perfectly positioned to command the forces of darkness. Demons absolutely, positively, without exception, listen to what you command in Christ’s authority.

Biblically speaking, we are given a clear revelation on how we ought to deal with demonic powers. Demons respond to the authority of Christ in us. When they don’t respond, it isn’t because the demon has overpowered Christ’s authority or the Holy Spirit—it’s simply because we’re not walking in the authority that Christ gave to us. If the demon doesn’t obey, it’s not resisting Christ’s authority; it’s resisting you, because you’re not aligned with Christ’s authority. How do we walk in this authority? It’s by simple obedience. It’s by simple faith. That’s why the disciples were told to fast and pray, to help their unbelief.

When we walk in faith, we walk in Christ’s authority. When we walk in Christ’s authority, demons must obey. It really is that simple. This isn’t about using man’s techniques but walking in God’s truths. God’s ways are better than our ways.

Even if the demon returns, as they’re known to do, don’t panic over the fact that it’s trying to deceive you again. Just use the authority of Christ again.

What If the Demon Still Doesn’t Listen?

Your success when confronting a demonic being depends upon the lifestyle you’ve been living long before the confrontation. You can’t make up with rituals and incantations what you lack in lifestyle.

You can silence and take authority over a demon by commanding the demon to be silent, to stop harassing your mind, and to leave you alone. That’s it. If you’re properly aligned with Christ’s authority, there will be no issue there. The demon has to obey and instantaneously so. That’s the power of faith and obedience. Anyone who tells you there’s more to it is either unaware of what the Bible teaches or has other motives, likely to sell a solution to a problem they invented.

So what should you do if the demon doesn’t seem to stop lying to and harassing you after all of that? Here’s the biblical way to think about and approach the situation.

One: Be rid of sin and compromise. Sinful living pulls you out of alignment with Christ’s authority.

Two: After you’ve ensured there’s no sinful compromise in your life, you need to fast and pray. Fasting increases your faith. This is what Jesus said to do if the demon doesn’t obey. This may need to be done a few times until your faith is strong. Keep in mind, this doesn’t need to be perfected faith—just some faith.

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead” (Mark 9:23-26 NLT).

Faith aligns you with divine authority.

Three: And this one is difficult for some to accept—it’s possible you’ve already properly and successfully defeated the demonic being, and now you need to deal with the mental and emotional aspects of the stronghold. It may not feel like it, but you’d be amazed at what our minds and emotions are capable of doing to us.

So let’s summarize:

• Address the demonic aspects of the stronghold.

• Align with God’s authority through faith and obedience. In doing so, you rely on the Holy Spirit’s power, instead of man’s powerless protocols.

• Then exercise that authority through a simple command.

• If the problem continues, fast and pray until you know your faith is strong. Strong faith is key to accessing Christ’s authority. It’s not that demons can resist the Holy Spirit’s power and authority. Rather, it’s that we aren’t actually using the Holy Spirit’s power and authority until we’re properly aligned.

• If the problem still persists after you’ve taken this simple biblical approach, recognize that the answer will not be found in strange superstitions or Christian myths about the spiritual realm.

So if after all of this the problem still persists, then you’re no longer dealing with the demonic aspect but rather with the mental and emotional aspects of the stronghold.