The context in this chapter shows that this promise is related to our Lord's second coming. Obviously, these are the principalities and powers in the heavenlies against which we wrestle in prayer in our prayer warfare (Eph. 6:10-18). (Google image, Satan is done for)
In Revelation 22, one angel will be sent from heaven and will bind Satan, and he will remain bound for a thousand years. It will take only one angel to do it!
Evidently Jesus intends for us to share in some way in binding Satan. While on earth Jesus to some extent had bound Satan's influence. In explaining his casting out demons in His ministry, Jesus said that what He did was by the power of the Spirit (Matt. 12:28).
We will have to bind Satan in exactly the same manner. He explained further, "How can anyone enter a strong man's house
and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?" (v. 29).
Jesus was saying, in other words, "I have bound the strong man." We know these are figurative words, but they are very significant for us in prayer warfare.
Satan is the enemy. His "power" includes all his strategies, all his superhuman might, and all his forces. Jesus wants us to confront and defeat all that Satan tries to marshal against us.
Let Satan do his worst. Let him throw against the church or against you and me his full might. Through Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and through the authority of the name of Jesus, we can trample his forces down like snakes. We can overcome.
The power of binding and loosing, the power of the keys of the kingdom, and the power of agreeing in prayer are all interrelated and are guaranteed because Jesus Himself joins in this agreement in payer and in binding and loosing. (See Matt. 16:18; 18:19, 20).
He is present with them as they agree. Can we agree in prayer against Satan? We certainly can! Does this include binding in some way the power of Satan? Indeed it does! God's people have done so again and again.
But in what we do we bind Satan? "Bind" is the normal Greek verb deo. Satan bound and kept bound for eighteen years a woman who was bent over. That was a literal binding. Jesus said that a spirit did this (Luke 13:11-13).
So the binding can be literal or figurative. It is a restraint or compulsion. To bind Satan is to restrain Satan, to compel him to do or not to do something. It is to restrain, hold back, or prevent his power from being used and his evil work accomplished.
Has Jesus enough authority to do this? He certainly has. He chose while on earth to meet Satan again and again. In the beginning of His ministry during the forty days in the desert to the last final confrontation in Gethsemane, He chose to meet Satan on the same level that we do.
He resisted him as we must resist him—in prayer. He rebuked him to his face. He defeated him in the power of the Spirit. Now He has delegated to us the authority to act on His behalf, to use the authority of his name.
Today, by mighty prevailing prayer, by using the authority Jesus has give us—the authority of His name, His cross, and His resurrection—we can restrain Satan's activities in many significant ways.
We can bind and restrain his demon cohorts, back them off from the places they claim for Satan, and help the Spirit set Satan's captives free. How shall we do this? (Read Thursday's posting, Recognize Satan's Activity).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. (Jean's emphasis added).
Mighty Prevailing Prayer
#135 How to Bind Satan, Part 1
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 263-266) Zondervan
Prayer-
 |
| Praying the Psalms |
Father, Jesus instructed us that what He did by Your Spirit, we can do too.
He chose to meet Satan on the same level that we do today, giving us an example to resist him in prayer.
Jesus rebuked Satan to his face and defeated him in the power of the Holy Spirit; which has also been given to us.
We are now delegated to use the authority of Jesus, to act on His behalf, to use His name, to resist Satan.
This enables us to bind and restrain his demon cohorts from places he claims, and to set his captives free.
Help us learn more about this in the successive posts from Dr. Duewel's book, MIGHTY PREVAILING PRAYER.
I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Bible verses-
(Neh. 4:14 b (KJV) "Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
Ps. 79:9 (KJV) "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake."
Tom Elliff, from his book: A PASSION for PRAYER- "Looking carefully at your life, can you identify Satan's temptations in these three arenas of body, soul and spirit? Can you identify the arena in which you find yourself most often experiencing failure before Satan's clever inducements? You have determined to become mighty in prayer. The result is that Satan has now declared an all-out war against you in these three arenas. But, dear friend, there is a road to victory. (See 1 Cor. 10:13)
Today's question-
~ Charles Spurgeon- "In shunning a trial we are seeking to avoid a blessing." (Warren Wiersbe, Why Us? When Bad Things Happen to God's People (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1984), page 13.) [quote found in Michael Catt's book, Prepare for RAIN]
Are you willing to step into a situation if it would glorify God? What if it entails some sacrifice of your time and effort? Can you see that He wants you to accomplish something that seems "too big" for you?
It may very well be that you're the best suited, or even the only one who can perform this special task for the kingdom of Christ. A difficult situation may be a challenge that will actually strengthen your faith. Prayerfully submit to the Lord's leading, and find out!
Today's guest link:
Am I Vigilant Enough, Lord? (By Debbie McEwen)
"Am I careful enough when I drive down the road?
Do I watch my finances carefully enough so the money stretches as far as it needs to?
Am I conscientious about the way I treat friends and family?"
Today's popular post:
The Legend of the Circle Maker. (I challenge and encourage you to watch the video by Mark on his link for his book, the Circle Maker. Maybe you'll take his challenge . . . God greatly blessed him, so why not you?)
Do I watch my finances carefully enough so the money stretches as far as it needs to?
Am I conscientious about the way I treat friends and family?"
The Legend of the Circle Maker. (I challenge and encourage you to watch the video by Mark on his link for his book, the Circle Maker. Maybe you'll take his challenge . . . God greatly blessed him, so why not you?)
Mark Batterson: “Young children danced in the downpour like it was the first rainfall they’d ever seen.
And it was.
Parents threw back their heads, opened their mouths, and caught raindrops like they were libations . . ."
And it was.
Parents threw back their heads, opened their mouths, and caught raindrops like they were libations . . ."
Upcoming posts-
#136 (1)-Recognizing Satan's Activity, (2, 3)
24th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
How Are You?
26th- Saturday's post by Kim Damon
#137 How to Bind Satan, Part 2, (4)
29th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#138 Use Your Mighty Spiritual Weapons, (5, 6)
31st- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
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