Another Perspective
In the last few years, HaSatan has been “bound” repeatedly by sincere Christians. Yet, he has obviously become increasingly active.
Large meetings have been held in a number of cities across the United States, where as many as 10,000 Christians have been led in “binding” various spirits such as crime, murder, homosexuality, etc.. Yet, police records show that in most cases there have been significant increases in these activities. Even in this county, there are groups of people who in the name of G-d who have rushed around the county driving stakes in the ground presumably binding HaSatan from entry.
What is wrong with this activity? Can we “bind” and stop the activity of Satan in our cities; in our nation? Is this Scriptural?
Let us examine the Scripture that is used to support this “binding”.
Matthew 18:18 – “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
First, note that this says that we can bind “whatsoever”, not whosoever.
The context of this passage actually starts at verse 15, and it is talking about discipline in the assemblies. How to deal with a person who is out of line in his actions and his relationship with the believing body (See my other paper on Binding and Loosing). It states that if he does not respond to proper discipline, then he is bound to his sin, but if he does respond to discipline, he is loosed from his sin.
It feeds our ego to think that we have the power to stop haSatan’s work in a city, county or nation, but this passage is not talking about us binding or limiting the activity of the devil or his demons. It is about us instituting what G-d has already ordained to be right in His Assemblies, among His People.
Matthew 16:19 – “And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Note again that it says we can bind “whatsoever”, not whosoever, and that the context is talking about the building of His believing ecclesia “the called out ones,” and the administration of local assemblies. The keys are for the building and the operation of the “Kingdom of Heaven”, and the devil is not in that Kingdom!
Matthew 12:29 – “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.”
Here, where it speaks of binding the strong man, Yahshua was specifically talking about casting demons out of an individual, a very legitimate ministry for us. He was not talking about stopping all the activity of HaSatan or his demons by merely saying over and over again, “I bind you satan”.
The “house” is the devil’s world. We invade his territory and bind his activity not by merely saying, “I bind Satan, ” but by preaching and teaching the Word of G-d, his Torah. We need to know how to deal with HaSatan, and G-d’s Torah tells us how and all we need to know on how to deal with HaSatan.
4 SCRIPTURAL WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
1. STAND AGAINST! – Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the whole armor of G-d, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (See my paper on “The Whole Amour of G-d)
It is not just in saying words against HaSatan, but by being clothed in the whole armor of G-d that we are victorious.
Eph. 14-17 continues on to tell us what the whole armor of G-d is: His truth, His righteousness, the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of His full salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of G-d.
2. RESIST! – James 4:7-8 – “Submit yourselves therefore to G-d. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to G-d and He will draw nigh to you.”
Our most effective resistance against the devil is by submitting fully to G-d and drawing close to Him. When we are walking close to Him, fully surrendered to His will and His Lordship, then we can resist the enemy, and the L-rd will “rebuke the devourer”.
3. RESIST STEADFAST – 1 Peter 5:8-9 – “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour; resist steadfast in the faith…”
We must resist the devil steadfast in our faith in G-d and in His Word. We “persevere” and “endure”, standing on the L-rd and His Torah, on His authority and faithfulness, until the victory is won.
4. REBUKE – Jude 9 – “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moshe, dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, ‘The L-rd rebuke thee'”.
Effective rebuke against our enemy is in the L-rd, not just in us. It is only His authority that can rebuke and defeat HaSatan. We must he careful to stand under G-d’s authority, neither in our own nor in some occultist invocation of Yahshua’s name.
SUMMARY
Today, unfortunately, many prayer meetings or occasions of assemblies have become a running battle with the HaSatan, instead of a time seeking G-d and communicating with Him.
The lives of many Believers are taken up far too much with fighting and arguing with HaSatan. Our focus must he on YHVH Elohim, His Torah, the Living, Yahshua HaMashiach, and the Written. We must walk close with Him. Then when HaSatan attacks us we are ready to deal with him in the strength of the L-rd’s might.
Our victory is not by concentrating on the devil, but on G-d. It is a fact that the thing we give attention to, and expend energy on will control our lives. Concentrating too much on the devil gives him control, and keeps us from concentrating on our G-d. Our concentration must be on His Torah and His will for our lives. We resist by standing on Holy Ground, in His Presence.
We hear a lot about fighting HaSatan by “pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), but note that this is by casting down imaginations – by lifting G-d’s Word above everything else! — “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through G-d to the pulling down of strongholds: casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of G-d, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah.
To say, Hallelujah, “Praise the Lord” once, has more power than to say “I bind the devil” ten thousand times!
— REMEMBER —
If it is possible to “bind” and stop the activity of Satan in a city, by merely saying, “I bind you Satan,” why didn’t the Apostle Sha’ul bind the devil’s activity in the places where he went to preach? Instead of suffering all the attacks and abuse, which he had to endure wherever he went; instead of being run out of town after town; why didn’t Sha’ul just “bind” the forces that opposed him and prevented him from freely preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom?
We are deceived when we think we can bind and stop the activity of Satan in our society; in his kingdom; by the mere repetition of words such as “I bind you devil,” no matter how sincerely, loudly, or enthusiastically they are uttered. We do have G-d’s authority over haSatan’s work in our own lives for YHVH Elohim has given us the Torah and the power of choice, and although we can influence a society through much prayer and proper teaching, we cannot totally prevent people or a society from choosing to follow HaSatan if they so choose. All we can do is give that society the Gospel of the Kingdom and soak that society in prayer. Only by turning to Yahshua HaMashiach, the Living Torah and G-d’s Written Torah can HaSatan be defeated in their lives.
Christians are often told by their pastors that there are ancestral curses in their lives, which must be broken. Yes, ancestral curses are real, but This is WRONG in essence! Why, because when we truly come to Yahshua and are born from above, the power of His Blood cleanses us from all past sin including ancestral curses. Yahshua’s faithfulness destroys the curse of sin ” if we truly come into the Kingdom” and then obey G-d’s Torah. (See my paper on definition of a True Believer) We are “new creatures” in Messiah. “Old things have passed away”, we are made whole in Yahshua, and the proof of this is our obedience to G-d’s Torah, His standards and His will for our lives.
If you know Yahshua as your L-rd and Reconciler to G-d, you do not let HaSatan put the fear of some “ancestral curse” on you. You have been set free by the finality of Yahshua’s work on the execution stake! To be victorious over HaSatan walk with Yahshua; abide in the Father’s Word as He did, abide in prayer; praise Him and allow His Spirit to fill you. Study Torah; learn G-d’s will by applying it to your lives.
Amein