Taking Authority

The Book of Mark chapter 1 verses 23-26 reads: And there was a man in their assembly in whom was an unclean spirit, and he cried out, and said, What have we to do with you Yeshua the Nasraya? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you are the Set Apart One of Elohim. And Yeshua rebuked him and said, "Shut your mouth and come out from him!" And the unclean spirit threw him down and cried out in a loud voice and came out of him. First, notice that Yeshua recognized the existence of the unseen spirit world. Today, many have become too educated and have forgotten the reality of demons. Demons are real and they torment human beings. Spirits can influence people and create physical manifestations as are evident in this passage. Second, notice Yeshua'slack of fear in dealing with the unclean spirits. His response was to rebuke the spirit. The word "rebuke" in Greek is epitimao and it means to punish, rebuke, or charge. Yeshua took immediate authority over the unclean spirit. Third, notice Yeshua's method of removing the spirit from the afflicted one. He simply told it to shut up and come out. Fourth, notice the power of Yeshua's words. Yeshua spoke and the results were immediate. From this passage, we learn Yeshua's understanding of the spirit world and how to deal with it.

How does Yeshua's method compare to some approaches we see today? There was no big work up, no spitting, no continual screaming, no discussion with the demon, and no gradual removal. It was instantaneous. There was no process of recovery; there was complete deliverance to the afflicted at the spoken word of Yeshua. The Greek text expresses the total domination over the unclean spirit by Yeshua. The words, "Shut your mouth," is the Greek word phimoo and it means to muzzle, as an ox. It is in the aorist imperative passive. This means that Yeshua did a specific work of muzzling the unclean spirit which the spirit passively received. Picture a farmer placing a muzzle on a farm animal and you have the picture. The unclean spirit had no choice but to receive the command to shut up and obey it. We see that Yeshua taught a complete domination over demons through the spoken word.

Today, if you are a follower of Yeshua, then He has given this same authority to you. If you encounter the forces of darkness, you need not be afraid or confused. You simply speak what Yeshua spoke and have faith in His words. Unclean spirits will have to passively receive the spoken word over them and obey. We are to set the captives free and speak words of deliverance in the name of Yeshua. It is time to take authority.