I believe these people may be confused about casting out demons in that they perhaps were dealing with the deception of thinking they had cast them out.
Hi HammerStone,
You may be partly correct, but I offer an alternative perspective, from my own experience. There are those who can move demons around just by commanding them. They do not bring full or lasting deliverance to the person who is demonised. They may even deliberately not cast out every demon, to keep the person in bondage, or, invite new demons into the person's life.
And, some demons will move if they are commanded in the name of Jesus Christ - which we know is the most powerful name, the name above all names in heaven and on earth - although some will not:
Acts 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. 14 And there were seven sons of [one] Sceva, a Jew, [and] chief of the priests, which did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Bill Schnoebelen, referring to his days in the occult, quotes, 'Sometimes the magic works. Sometimes the magic doesn't work'.
Scripture has given many proofs of God's working according to holiness and truth. It is up to us to press into the fulness of what has been made available through Christ's life and sacrifice. We will not have an excuse on the last day, if we have refused Him to use us as He desires.
The situation you mention, where people conform to an outward standard judged by others to be 'spiritual', is specifically spoken
against in the NT. 1 Cor 2:14, 15. But therefore, no-one who really wants to know the Lord and be in right relationship with Him, has an excuse for
remaining deceived or confused.
Acknowledgement of truth is the key to breaking out of deceptions, including self-deception. Rom 1:17, 18, 19, 28.
2 Thessalonians 2:'... after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivable-ness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever makes manifest is light. 1
4 Wherefore he says, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is].
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be being filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God
.
When Jesus states that some will have cast out demons in His name, there is no reason to disbelieve Him. He was not mistaken. He is, therefore, emphasising the need to be in right relationship with the Father through Him, obeying the Father's will. Matt 7:21, John 6:39.
John 14:13 And whatever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 16:23 . And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
Jesus is giving us a key - obey, obedience. This is the antedote to Adam's disobedience. Acts 5:32.
John 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. 1
8 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hates me hates my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
We
must be living and walking in the Holy Spirit - and therefore speaking 'in the name' of Jesus Christ - when we ask God to do something for us.
