Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

The kingdom of heaven is at hand

I did not know the authority that I had in Jesus until I started to use it and freely give it to others. One of the most life-changing experiences of my life took place 8,000 miles away in a beautiful and vibrant country called Uganda. The Ugandan church shifted my perspective on the power of God and the authority of Jesus on believers. I witnessed a vibrant church filled with authentic and lively praise that firmly believed in the power of Jesus. I remember one instance of entering a small Muslim-dominated village with a church building that was in the middle of that small village. But the power of God was not small in that place. The church had no cushioned pews, and no air conditioning on a hot summer day, but they were determined to ensure that the word of God was proclaimed. They put out multiple megaphones outside the church that projected what was preached to the entire village. When my team and I entered the small church building, the entire village began to crowd inside the building and overflow to the outside. Each person from my team took turns preaching the word, and just before I thought that we were finished, a young teenage girl walked up to the stage and asked for prayer for healing over her headache. We prayed for her headache, I was thinking that her headache would go away some other time, and she started smiling and said it was healed. I was surprised, and then those who had illnesses and physical pains started to line up. And one by one they were healed. I couldn’t believe my eyes. One woman who asked for healing for her stomach, I felt the organs in her stomach physically move underneath my hand. And I felt another woman’s ligaments move in her legs as we asked for healing in Jesus’ name. Jesus there showed me that there is authority in HIS name. And now I am telling you that there is authority in His name, and He is calling you to use that authority He has given you to preach His word and heal the sick.  

What if I told you that because of the authority He has given you, you also have the authority to cast out demons in Jesus’ name? I did not believe in the realness of the spiritual realm until that trip to Uganda. I thought that believers were only able to heal the sick and cast out demons in the Bible, but that they could no longer do so in the modern age. But guess what! Demons are real, and you can cast them out in His name too. The enemy likes to hide and make American Christians believe that healing the sick and casting out demons is either only possible in the bible or on the other side of the world. But some of my friends in Hawaii can tell you differently. A group of us went out to share the gospel on the shores of Kona where there was the most hippie and aesthetic beachy stores, bars, restaurants, and the coolest jeeps with surfboards. To follow that, the buildings had open windows where the birds were free to go in and out of, and the sound of the roaring ocean was faintly present as pleasant background noise. However, in the midst of the beauty, they encountered a drunk young man who looked to be in his 20s. They stopped to share the gospel with him, but he kept laughing and mocking them. When that was happening, my friend looked him directly in the eyes and told him “Spirit of drunkenness come out in the name of Jesus.” Immediately, his composure changed to being alert, and he became attentive to listening to the gospel. He began to cry because of the love of Jesus that encountered Him through what was shared. 

My friend, boyfriend and I also were interested in how people could cast out demons. We would watch countless videos on YouTube of people getting delivered, and one day I just asked God to give me the opportunity to cast out a demon. I really wanted to be used in that way. And God is faithful to allow you to get the wisdom when you ask for it. He was faithful to use me in that way in Chicago. I was visiting Michael in Chicago, and he was about to drop me off at the airport. And then in the midst of a busy street, Michael and I saw a woman at a bus stop who was in an unusual body position with her head and hands bent over. This woman was about 20 feet away, and there were multiple lanes on this street. When we saw her, Michael exclaimed, “whoa! That woman looks possessed!” At that short moment, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what I asked Him for and I simply said with firm confidence, “leave her in the name of Jesus.” And Immediately, her head went up, and she opened her mouth for a solid 10 seconds. And the traffic started moving, and we began to intercede for this woman. I sadly couldn’t get out of my car to talk to her because of the traffic conditions, but I firmly believe that God delivered her at that bus stop and I will see her in heaven one day. That day, I learned that the name of Jesus has so much authority, that even demons flee at the mention of His name. His name is so strong, that demons flee when they are 20 feet away in busy traffic. And you my friend, have the authority to cast out demons too. The only two steps you need to take are to believe in the authority He has given you, and use it to freely share with others. Be bold to the name of Jesus, the mention of His name makes darkness flee.