Casting Out Demons, Then and Now

Introduction

In Matthew 8:28-34, Jesus confronts two men possessed by demons in the region of the Gadarenes. The demons plead with Him not to destroy them but instead ask to be cast into a nearby herd of swine. When Jesus consents, the pigs rush into the sea and drown. This episode is among the most dramatic accounts of exorcism in the Gospels and demonstrates Christ's authority over both the physical and spiritual worlds. It also raises a question that continues to divide Christians today: are exorcisms still a valid practice for the church, or did they belong only to the age of Jesus and the apostles? The debate generally falls into two camps: the cessationist view, which holds that such miracles ceased after the apostolic age, and the continuationist or charismatic view, which maintains that exorcisms and other miraculous gifts remain operative in the church.

The Cessationist View

Cessationists argue that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit–including exorcism–were temporary signs designed to confirm the divine authority of Jesus and His apostles. Once the church was firmly established and the New Testament completed, these signs were no longer necessary.

Key Beliefs:

- Miracles were primarily a witness to authenticate the apostolic message (Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:20).

- The faith was "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3), making additional confirmation unnecessary.

- While Satan remains active, demon possession as described in the Gospels is not normative today. Instead, believers face spiritual warfare in the form of temptation, false doctrine, and persecution (Ephesians 6:10-17).

- Apostolic authority, which undergirded the miraculous works, no longer exists in the church. Doctrinal Support: Cessationists point to I Corinthians 13:8-10, interpreting the "perfect" as the completion of Scripture, at which time partial gifts like prophecy, tongues, and knowledge ceased. They also cite II Timothy 3:16-17, which affirms that Scripture is sufficient to equip believers for every good work–including overcoming the schemes of Satan. From this perspective, exorcism is not a prescribed practice for the church today. Instead, Christians are called to resist the devil (James 4:7), remain steadfast in faith (I Peter 5:9), and rely on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18).

The Continuationist / Charismatic View

Continuationists, however, believe that the gifts of the Spirit–including exorcism–continue to the present. They argue that Jesus' commission to cast out demons (Mark 16:17; Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:17) was given to the church without any stated expiration.

Key Beliefs:

- The command to cast out demons applies to believers throughout the church age. - The book of Acts provides examples of exorcism beyond Jesus' earthly ministry (Acts 16:16-18; Acts 19:11-12).

- Demonic forces continue to oppose the kingdom of God, and believers are called to confront them directly.

- Deliverance ministry remains an essential expression of spiritual authority in Christ. Doctrinal Support: Continuationists highlight Ephesians 6:12, which teaches that Christians wrestle "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." They also appeal to James 4:7 and I Peter 5:8-9, which urge Christians to resist the devil actively. Furthermore, missionaries in many parts of the world testify to encounters with demonic manifestations that were resolved through prayer and the authority of Christ's name. For them, the absence of a clear biblical statement that exorcisms would cease is itself significant. They believe that experiences of oppression or possession continue today, and that the church has the authority to minister deliverance through the Spirit.

Historical Perspective

The early church fathers testify to ongoing reports of exorcisms after the apostolic period. Writers like Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and Origen all claimed that Christians continued to cast out demons in Christ's name during the second and third centuries. This historical evidence is often used by continuationists to argue that the practice extended beyond the apostles. Cessationists, however, respond that these accounts lack the apostolic consistency and reliability described in Scripture. They caution that many such claims are anecdotal and influenced by cultural understandings of illness, superstition, and pagan practices.

Scriptural Analysis and Commentary

The New Testament clearly demonstrates that exorcisms were a sign of Christ's authority and the arrival of God's kingdom (Matthew 12:28). However, the intensity of demonic manifestations appears unique to the period of Christ's ministry and the early spread of the gospel, when Satan's kingdom faced a direct and unprecedented challenge. The epistles, which provide instruction for the ongoing life of the church, do not prescribe exorcisms as a normative practice. Instead, they emphasize vigilance, resistance, holiness, and reliance on God's Word. Believers are repeatedly called to stand firm rather than perform dramatic rituals of deliverance. This silence is significant. If exorcisms were intended as a regular feature of church life, the apostles would have surely instructed the churches in how to carry them out.

Conclusion: A Balanced Position

The most biblically grounded position is a modified cessationist view. Demonic influence is real and remains a threat to believers, but the extraordinary possessions and authoritative exorcisms of the first century are not normative today. The Christian's defense against Satan is not the performance of exorcisms but the faithful use of the Word, prayer, and a life of holiness. Claims of modern exorcisms should be approached with caution and discernment, measured against the sufficiency of Scripture (II Timothy 3:16-17). Christians need not fear demonic forces, for Christ has triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15). Our task is to remain steadfast in Him, clothed with the armor of God, resisting the devil until the final victory of Christ is revealed. Thus, while Jesus' victory over demons remains timeless, the church's mission is not to replicate the apostolic signs but to proclaim the gospel, resist the devil, and live faithfully under the authority of Christ.