In this piece, Bud Ahlheim of Pulpit & Pen tackles the propensity some Christians have to “bind Satan.” As if that’s even possible. Ahlheim reminds us that “a simple reading of Scripture and the application of just a bit of common sense would do much to aid believers in avoiding the pitfalls of spiritually toxic teachings, particularly those within the realm of spiritual warfare.” He includes Justin Peters’ and Jim Osman’s teaching on Spiritual Warfare. Here’s our Research Paper on this controversial topic. Now listen to what Bud has to say:
The most widely known – and the most widely misunderstood – concept of spiritual warfare.” Justin Peters
“It sounds like hocus-pocus because it is hocus-pocus.” Jim Osman
The modern church’s belief about what constitutes spiritual warfare is, as Justin Peters remarked, perhaps no better exemplified than by the almost universal, though Scripturally absent, practice of believers “binding Satan” or “binding demons.” A Google inquiry for the phrase “binding Satan” returns over 564,000 hits. A search with the prefatory “how to,” as in “how to bind Satan,” results in over 501,000 digital links. Since the implementation of this maneuver requires prayer, searches for “binding Satan prayers” or “binding demons prayers” yields 420,000 hits for the former and 346,000 for the latter.
Popular interest in this maneuver is clearly impressive and, sadly, it reflects the biblical ignorance that itself is the modern church’s most pervasive malady. The notion of binding Satan exudes a pernicious presumption of the Devil’s ubiquity, attributing to him an omnipresent characteristic exclusive to
God. The perception is given that his powers, particularly over the blood-bought chosen and redeemed of Christ, are nearly insurmountable, save for the mystical incantations and presumed authority of believers this false form of spiritual warfare teaches.
While it helps fill pews, sell books, and provides an appealing mystique of spiritual and mystical melodrama, this false teaching of spiritual warfare is something few believers seem to recognize as erroneous. Apparently few pastors, churches, and denominations bother to teach the actual Biblical responsibilities and engagement believers are to use in authentic spiritual warfare. It’s just much simpler to let fallacies persist than to do the hard job of rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) and obediently feeding Christ’s sheep. (John 21:17)
Yet a simple reading of Scripture and the application of just a bit of common sense would do much to aid believers in avoiding the pitfalls of spiritually toxic teachings, particularly those within the realm of spiritual warfare.
“Common sense goes a long way in dispelling a lot of these myths, aside from the theology.” Justin Peters View article →
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