Most of my articles are written about people I know or conversations I have with friends. A lot have to do with being an outspoken Christian and one time bible teacher. And so this one is about a conversation I had with a passenger on a flight from Atlanta to San Francisco. He wanted to know why Catholic priest had so much power and how they could do exorcisms and if these exorcisms were real?
When I told him that Catholic priest had no power and that he had more power at his finger tips then they would ever have, his eyes lit up. I pointed out that Jesus never went through a ritual when casting out demons, he just ordered them to leave and they obeyed him. I also told him that we who believe in Jesus could do the same thing he did because he had left us his name for that very purpose. He seemed confused when I told him this so I showed him in the bible and after this he seemed to understand.
Mark 16:15-18 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
Luke 10:17-20 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." NIV
Then I told him a story I had heard from the cousin of a man who worked in a bank in Medellin Colombia. It seems this man met a lovely young woman who he fell in love with. They married and soon the wife was asking for more and better things for their home. In order to please his wife he started to steal from the bank. Soon he was stealing tens of thousands of dollars a year which were disappearing into his wife's bank account. When he was caught his wife left him and he was put in prison.
His family petitioned the judge and he was released while his case was reconsidered. While at his family's home a priest was called to see if the man could be helped. The priest convinced the family that the man was possessed by a demon which was working for his ex-wife who was a witch, that's why he was stealing. The priest did his mumbo jumbo and supposedly freed the man of the demon who had possessed him and made him steal. The bank took him back after he had been freed by the judge and promised to repay all the money he had taken.
After a year more money came up missing and again he was put in prison. Again his family went in search of answers and found an old man who spent his time praying and reading the bible. He went to see the man and told the family that the priest had indeed freed the man from his demon spirit only to exchange him for another demon who worked for the priest. So now he was stealing for the priest. The old man cast out the demon in the name of Jesus and the man was free until his death.
Only in the name of Jesus will a demon leave a body which he has taken over. No amount of rituals or sayings have the power to make a demon leave. Sometimes a demon might leave only to be exchange for another more powerful demon. When the casting out is done without the name of Jesus the one doing the ritual is just exchanging one demon for another. Spiritist as well as voodoo and santeria priest love this sort of thing but they cannot use the name of Jesus because their master would never allow it. Never permit anyone who is unclean or that you don't know lay hands on you. They could be transferring an unclean spirit or a controlling spirit into your body.
Matthew 12:43 "When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.

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