You Can't Debate with Satan
The devil will try to tempt you in any way that he can. That is one of the reasons why we must put on the whole armor of God. It’s not just mentioned in Scripture for looks or for a reaction. It’s a command that we must put it on so we can become more like Christ. It’s also impossible to do deliverance ministry in a God-intended way without sticking to the biblical actions God has given us to do.
During His temptation by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus responded the same way every time—and He showed us how to resist the devil through His example (James 4:7). What He did not do was carry on a psychological evaluation of the devil. He did not come to him with all types of educated jargon. And He did not waste his time arguing or debating with him. Jesus simply said, “It is written… it is written… it is written…” There is still power in the Word of the living God. The anointing is upon the Word, and if you stay in the Word the anointing will be upon you. This is something I discussed in great detail in my book, Weapons of Our Warfare.
The devil simply can’t stand up to the Word because it exposes him for who he is.
Deliverance is not a methodology. It all starts and ends with His sword—the Word of God. Know the Word, speak the Word, and take authority in Jesus’ name as taught in the Word, and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. If you are a born-again believer, you can and will do what Jesus did once you know His ways as detailed in His Word. When Jesus battled Satan in the wilderness, He didn’t battle in the flesh but in the Spirit, and all He needed was the piercing power of the Word of God. So when you speak the Word in His name—in His authority—you can expect the same results (Mark 16:17). For this we know there are no shortcuts to spiritual power. Jesus came back from His test in the wilderness with greater power, and everybody knew it. If you want to get hooked into that power, stop trying to run or evacuate every time God allows problems to come into your life, because those problems can mold and prepare you for the power.
Luke goes on to tell us, “And there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all” (vv. 14-15). The Gospel of Mark tells us that He cast out demons most everywhere He preached, and this one-two punch of teaching the good news and casting out unclean spirits brought Him instant fame throughout all Galilee (Mark 1:27-28). Likewise, wherever Jesus went, nine times out of ten He taught in such a way that the common people received it with joy and the religious people got mad. The same was true when
He cast out demons—
the common folks were amazed and the pharisees were enraged. That’s still true today. It’s something I’ve personally seen as Global Vision is becoming a leader for deliverance ministry. Some people might not like that, but we’re going after the heart of God, mimicking Jesus, not the modern-day Pharisees. Whose ministry will you model yourself after?
To learn more about Greg Locke’s new book, Cast It Out, visit MyCharismaShop.com