Triumphant Life Church

By Apostle Isidore Agoha

The encounter between Jesus Christ and the demon possessed man at Capernaum was also primarily a spiritual confrontation. On the physical, sensory level, it would seem that Jesus was directly dealing with the man. However, in spiritual reality, Jesus, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit was dealing with the demons in the man. It was a confrontation between the sovereign Holy Spirit and the evil spirits (demons) in that man.
This is the basis of spiritual warfare. In its very nature, spiritual warfare is not of flesh and blood (human entities), but against "spiritual forces of wickedness" among other evil supernatural entities. Ephesians 6:12.

However, we must also recognize that human entities do get involved as channels of expression of the desires or activities of these unseen spiritual forces.

The most important lessons about spiritual confrontation brought out in this passage is that evil forces do not aspire to engage in any form of combat with the Lord Jesus Christ. On the basis of biblical revelation and personal ministry experience, it seems that any time they do not come into direct spiritual contact with the Lord, they always express some form of shock and panic. Their confessions during this encounter typically reveal their helplessness in the Lord’s presence, "What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth?" Mark 1:24

In other words, they do not expect to come close to Jesus Christ, the holiness of God personified. They know that the holiness of Jesus is absolutely contrary to their unholy and evil nature. In this example, the demons reasoned further that since the holiness of God revealed in Jesus would not tolerate the iniquity and wickedness in them, they had only one prospect: their sudden, non-negotiable expulsion from the man and some form of subsequent judgment.

This reasoning by those demons gave rise to their follow-up question: "Have you come to destroy us? Mark 1:24. It is a fact that the presence of Jesus already spells one expectation for them - expulsion! And one destiny - destruction! Often, the expulsion is in the present time and the destruction is in the future.
Very clearly, demons understand the holiness of and anointing in Jesus. Satan and his forces never assail this holiness and anointing. All evil forces, including Satan bow and surrender when the holiness and anointing of Jesus are made manifest. The holiness, anointing, glory and all of God’s fullness in the Son are encapsulated in the same Jesus. This is the name above all names to which every knee must bow and which every tongue must confess Philippines 2:8-10. Through God’s grace, those who talk in His holiness and anointing are also able in this day and age to challenge Satan and his forces in any form of spiritual combat, effectively pulling down Satan’s stronghold.

When a Christian fully comes under the holiness and anointing of the Lord Jesus Christ, walking in the discipline of character, prayer, praise, testimony of the power of His blood, faith in the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit with proclamation through evangelism, demons will be subjected to the sane harassment and defeat that they received in the hand of Jesus. This is the will and purpose of the Lord in the Great Commission - Mark 16:14-18.

Apostle Isidore Agoha is the Senior Pastor at Triumphant Life Church in the Bronx, N.Y.

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