Thunderstruck! The Deliverance Ministry of John Wesley, Part 3

Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

In part one and part two of this series, I distinguished between John Wesley’s ordinary and extraordinary means of deliverance. He identified ordinary means, such as the Word of God, prayer, repentance, faith, and worship, in contrast to the extraordinary, or charismatic, means. Another distinction occurs between indirect and direct means. Wesley’s ordinary means were indirect (Jude 9), meaning that he usually did not directly address the devil and cast out demons with a first-person formula or command, using the name of Jesus, such as, “I cast you out spirit of fear, in the name of Jesus!” Instead, Wesley’s ordinary means indirectly addressed the demonic by directly addressing God through prayer, faith, and worship. 

I believe that Wesley’s ordinary and indirect means are vital components of a deliverance ministry. I have found them effective as did Wesley. However, I would like to add that there are also ordinary-direct means, such as using the authority in the name of Jesus. And there are extraordinary-direct means, such as utilizing the gifts of healing and discerning of spirits. Wesley did not employ the ordinary-direct means of authority in the name of Jesus. Nor did he claim an extraordinary gift for deliverance, such as faith, which Wesley considered a gift that could be used for exorcism. 

The Ordinary-Direct and Extraordinary-Direct Means

In this article, I want to present the full scope of deliverance approaches available for believers today and touch on the methodologies that Wesley normally did not use, such as the ordinary-direct method and the extraordinary-direct method. First, the ordinary-direct method is one that directly confronts the devil and is available to all believers. This method for casting out demons was established by Christ and the disciples in the scriptures. For example, in Luke 10:18-20, Jesus gives his disciples “authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.” In that same passage, he promises them “nothing will harm you,” and he describes the demons as submitting to the disciples. Jesus commissioned his disciples to confront demonic powers directly and to expel them using his authority. 

In Mark 16:17, Jesus said, “In my name you shall cast out devils.” At the beginning of the verse, Mark identifies who “you” refers to, the “believer.” In Matthew 10:1,8, the disciples are authorized to “drive out devils” with the authority that Christ delegated to them. Simply, Jesus directly cast out demons by his own authority, and the disciples directly cast out demons by the authority given to them in the name of Jesus. And all who believe have been granted that same authority, as witnessed by the disciples, the saints throughout the Christian tradition, and deliverance ministries today. (See G. Twelftree, In the Name of Jesus: Exorcism Amongst Early Christians).

Is using the name of Jesus odd to us? Jesus has given us his name for other Christian practices, such as prayer. We pray to the Father “in the name of Jesus.” Utilizing his name is not unfamiliar. Furthermore, we are also given the name of Jesus to cast out demons directly – “In my name you will drive out demons” (Mk. 16:17). Of course, it is Jesus who casts out the demons, not our name or authority. But since Christ gave us authority to cast out demons, we can use the authority of his name as a power of attorney, if you will, to act on behalf of Christ and deliver the oppressed. 

Wesley usually did not use the name of Jesus to confront the devil directly as part of his ordinary arsenal , though there is questionably some evidence that he may have done so on rare occasions.  However, scripture is clear that we can confront demons and are commanded to do so. Because of the authority given to us in the name of Jesus, demons will submit to us, and we can drive them out. Many do not use the ordinary-direct method because they do not know or believe the authority that is given to them. Every believer, simply by exercising faith in God’s promise (Lk. 10:19), can use the name and authority of Jesus to cast out demons and heal the oppressed. In this sense, the normative practice of deliverance through faith in the name of Christ is given to all believers; no special gift is necessary. Note that there are other ordinary-direct ways that can accompany the use of Jesus’ name, such as the use of the blood of Christ, the armor of God, the keys of the kingdom, and even humility. 

Another method is the extraordinary-direct means of deliverance. Wesley never claimed any such gift; nonetheless, it is given by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7). The Spirit  often couples one or more gifts with the ordinary means of the name of Jesus, the Word of God, prayer, repentance, and/or worship to equip the saints with a holy arsenal to storm the gates of hell. In my deliverance ministry, the Holy Spirit often manifests discerning of spirits and gifts of healing, among others. He combines these gifts with the use of the name of Jesus to accomplish the work of deliverance. The discerning of spirits helps me to know with which spirits the person is bound so that I can address them directly and cast them out. The Spirit also uses the gifts of healing to release and restore broken souls from the power of the devil. For example, in Luke 6:18, 8:2, and Acts 10:38 Jesus healed those who were oppressed by the devil. Consonant with the eastern Christian tradition, these passages suggest that deliverance is a type of healing. In the ministry of Christ, deliverance ministry went hand-in-hand with his healing ministry. It should be so for us today as well. 

Thus it is clear that there is a variety of ways in which believers can cast out demons. The ordinary means, both indirect and especially direct, are the normative ways in which the church has ministered deliverance. In my nearly 40 years of deliverance ministry, simply using the authority of the name of Jesus is the primary way that God has used me to set captives free. Authority in Jesus’ name has been given to every believer. Further, the Spirit will also frequently give us extraordinary gifts to be used alongside of the name of Jesus, such as prophecy or discerning of spirits. Of course, these gifts are given as the Spirit wills and chooses. Not everyone has every gift. I am encouraging all believers to use every means available to be equipped for deliverance ministry. So many are bound in sin and addiction and need to be set free, while others have been battered through abuse and trauma and need healing. We have been given all the gifts and resources of the Spirit needed to do the same works as Christ and even greater, if you can believe that (Jn. 14:12).

The Four Laws of Deliverance

In this section, I will briefly highlight “Four Laws of Deliverance” that I have crafted and used in deliverance ministry over the years. I have found these to be essential to successful deliverance: the Law of the Cross, the Law of the Will, the Law of Repentance, and the Law of Authority.  

The Law of the Cross 

 Training people for deliverance, I discovered that many are fearful of casting out demons because they do not know where or how to begin. They assume that they are going into a battle alone against one of the most powerful agents in the created universe. However, they have begun with a faulty premise. The battle is not ours, but it belongs to the Lord. The battle was already fought and won on our behalf at the cross of Calvary. My use of the term, “the cross” in this context is shorthand for the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, and all that these events theologically entail. 

 The cross is the place where sin, death, and Satan have been defeated and is our ground, basis, power, and authority for deliverance (e.g., Rom. 6:1-7, 8:3; Heb. 2:14; and 1 Jn. 3:8). As Jesus declared on the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). What Christ meant: sin is finished! Death is finished! Satan is finished! And the work of salvation is finished! Deliverance begins here with the finished work of the cross. Sin, Satan, and his demonic hordes have been vanquished. We are working from this objective fact that needs to be applied and implemented subjectively when we face the enemy in warfare or in deliverance. We are merely enforcing Christ’s victory with the authority he has given us in his name. 

 It is imperative when casting out demons that one does not trust in do-it-yourself strategies, methods, spiritual experience, thoughts, or feelings. Our faith and confidence must be in the completed work of the cross alone. We are not “defeating” Satan in the deliverance encounter. If we think victory depends on us, then Satan has already won the battle. He will convince us to look at ourselves, our lack of faith, our fear, evil manifestations, or any intimidating or distracting tactic that will keep us from ministering in Christ’s authority based on the work of the cross. The grounds for an effective deliverance ministry begin at the cross where evil has been dealt a death blow. If we are to be effective in spiritual warfare and deliverance ministry, we must forever settle this fact in our hearts and minds. 

The Law of the Will (Agency)

 If someone is bound by the devil, it is imperative that the person comes to a place where he or she wants to be set free. People who are bound may not be able to free themselves, but they can desire and commit to recovering their will or agency where it has been enslaved. A desire to recover one’s will is the first step toward deliverance. 

 What I am calling ‘the law of the will’ or agency is simple. The authority that sin and the devil have in one’s life is proportional to one’s submission to sin and the enemy. The same is true with Christ’s manifest authority in our life. It is proportional to our submission to his Lordship. By God’s prevenient grace, a measure of freedom has been restored so we can respond to God’s will by obeying or disobeying. Whatever we submit to has a degree of authority or control over us (John 8:34; Rom 6:16–18; 2 Peter 2:19). We can submit to sin and Satan, or we can submit to the Lordship of Christ. To the degree one submits to sin and the demonic or to Christ, sin and the demonic or Christ has authority over that person. By degree, I mean the relative duration, frequency, and intensity of submission. Rarely will one encounter someone who is “possessed.”  Rather, one will find that the enemy has a certain degree of influence over an area(s) of a person’s life. The degree of bondage determined by these three factors has been a useful gauge to determine the nature and difficulty of the battle that lies ahead when entering into a deliverance session. 

 In deliverance, Christ has come to set the person free from sin and recover his or her agency to serve righteousness (Rom. 6:15-23). However, Christ will not violate a person’s will. The bound person must desire and want to be set free. Even if bound, there must be some willingness to turn to Christ and yield to the process of deliverance. 

The Law of Repentance

 Repentance is an essential practice that must precede deliverance if the power of sin and Satan are to be broken in an individual’s life. The basis for victory is at the cross, but the victory of the cross must be received subjectively in one’s life, beginning with repentance. The word “repentance” means a radical change of mind that involves a radical change of life. It implies turning from a life governed by self and turning to God and a God-centered life.  Repentance means that we have decided to cease from sin and give it no more permission to enter our lives. We will no longer compromise with sin’s insidious ways and fall into the endless cycle of repent and repeat. We allow the Spirit to lay the ax to the roots of sin. Repentance and forgiveness of sin break Satan’s “legal right” and enslaving power to keep us chained to his influence. 

 John the Baptist preached that repentance means to straighten out our crooked ways (Matt. 3:3). Christ wants to live in us, but we must first repent. Repentance prepares the way for Christ and deliverance.  In repentance, our ways are measured by the standard of God’s holy Word (Matt 7:13-14). The high places of pride need to be leveled. The low places of brokenness need to be built up (Luke 3:5). When we repent, we also confess our sins. The New Testament word for “confession” means to say the same thing (that God says about our sin). A repentant heart will see sin as God sees it and call it as God calls it, without excuse. It is imperative to know that the unrepentant heart cannot be delivered from the demonic. A kingdom divided will not stand. Satan will not cast out Satan. 

 The Law of Authority

 Christ gives us his authority and his name to defeat and cast out devils (Mark 16:17; Luke 10:19). Using a figure of speech, Christ has given us a power of attorney to use his authority and name to cast out demons. Jesus cast out demons by his own authority. His disciples cast out demons in his name, and we are to cast out demons in the same manner. No excuses! Preaching and teaching the Kingdom, healing the sick, and casting out devils (Matt. 10:7–8) is a missional formula that one finds throughout the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). It defines Jesus’ ministry. These core practices were identified with “fully preaching the gospel” (Rom 15:19, Heb 2:4), not just in word but in demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor 2:4, 4:20). If we are not casting out devils, we are not fully preaching the gospel. 

 Conclusion

 Deliverance is a sign that the Kingdom has come! Casting out demons was central to the core non-verbal practices of ministering the Kingdom. Deliverance is a demonstration that the Kingdom has indeed come (Luke 11:20). Just as Yahweh judged Pharaoh with the “finger of God” by sending plagues to deliver the Hebrews (Ex 8:19), so also Jesus came with the “finger of God” to point out and judge the works of the devil and deliver his people from sin and death.

 Without deliverance and exorcism, so many people would still be bound in sin by the devil. Many still suffer needlessly, however, because of the church’s unbelief, fear, and lack of understanding regarding our authority in Christ and the healing practice of deliverance. I encourage you to pray and ask Christ to fill you with his power and authority to minister healing and deliverance to those who are broken and in captivity.   

Peter J. Bellini is Professor of Church Renewal and Evangelization in the Heisel Chair at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and serves on Firebrand’s editorial board. 

For more teaching on deliverance, see The X-Manual: A Comprehensive Handbook on Deliverance Exorcism, by Peter J. Bellini, coming in Fall 2022 from Wipf and Stock.