Luke 10:19 describes the Power to tread on serpents and scorpions! How do you describe the power of prayer?

Question

Luke 10:19 says: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

I read a few comments here on Yahoo Answers, by people who say since Christians can be physically hurt, this scripture is false. This is taking scripture out of context, something Satan uses OFTEN to trip up and confuse Believers and Non-Believers.

Of course we feel pain and can be hurt. However, if you read the verses directly before Luke 10:19 it clearly reveals Jesus is referring to spiritual forces of wickedness.

Satan or demons may oppress, tempt, mock, or spiritually attack Believers, but they can not bring harm to a Believer from the spirit realm if they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and function with the authority and power of God. Luke 10:19 is not referring to physical hurt!

Christians how do you describe the power of prayer? Have you personally witnessed demonic oppression stop after prayer?

Also, Saved Believers can NOT be demon POSESSED as the Holy Spirit and demonic spirits can not dwell in the same temple as revealed in scripture.

Obi-wan if you re-read the story of Job, you will find that Satan and his demons had tried to physically attack Job many times before WITHOUT success.

They could not cause Job physical illness, because like all Believers, was protected by God. As a result, Satan began to mock God saying the only reason Job was faithful is because of the protection which PREVENTED these attacks.

So Satan did not demon posess Job to cause him physical boils and sores, nor did he have the authority to do so at his pleasing. It was ONLY when God CHOSE to remove his protection for a limited time(as an example) that Satan could do those things.

I'd like to add, any time a Christian willingly chooses spiritual rebellion, they open themselves to demonic attacks from the spirit realm, and no longer have the covering of God's protection.

So although there may be individuals in the Church who say they were Christians and demon posessed, it does not mean they were Saved Christians.

1 Samuel 15:23 says: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Hi Dunie33, Believers can not be demon possessed. You stated when "we give into their requests we are allowing them in". That is an excellent point.

Sin gives Satan a foothold into our lives. When that happens, the Lord uses those opportunities to teach and humble us.

Many focus on the hardship Job endured, and it WAS tremendously great. However, Christians rarely mention that in Job 33:1-9 we are reminded that before Job's problems began he boasted "I am pure without sin, clean and free of guilt". Wow! What a statement for any Child of God to make.

The only person who walked the earth in the flesh who was without sin was Jesus.

It's very possible the Lord allowed Satan to enter Job's life, because despite the protection and blessings the Lord had given Job, he had become self-righteous which is a serious sin that eventually leads to worse sins. Remember, God can see the future, and knows more than we do. We can only look from the outside with human eyes.

Answer 1

Certainly we should not be testing God. But the Bible is clear that there is a need for prayer in our daily lives and that God is nor "normal" but supernatural. I have seen so many miracles in my lifetime. That is why I go to Pentecostal type churches. I love seeing the Spirit at work in our daily lives. God Speed!

Answer 2

You may want to research that again. Christians can be physically afflicted by demonic forces. Demons work through the flesh of believers to bring physical injury to them. Remember, Job was a anointed man of God yet the devil went out an afflicted him with boils and sores. The bible said the devil did it. Also, read Luke 12. The Lord says, that if the good man had watched his house he would not have suffered the thief to break in. And what does the thief do? Kill, steal, and destroy. And this is what the devil is also called the "thief". Jesus said he gave us authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, but no every believer exercises their authority and some are ignorant to know how to use their authority. Prayer is powerful. I have seen demonic activity stop after prayer many times and through God I have cast out demons many times. The Word of God is not the problem. It's people not knowing their authority in God, including prayer.

Answer 3

Yes. A few times I have witnessed children playing with their invisible/imaginary friend. I believe imaginary friends are a healthy expression of a child's creative talents. Yet, on the safe side, I silently pray from a distance, "if this 'friend' is really a demon then send the demonic 'friend' to the hell from which it cannot return, in Jesus name". (The hell that humans can go to, demons can return from, there is another hell for fallen angels that they can't return from, but I just can't remember the original Greek word.) The invisible friend always vanishes. The child always questions their parent, "My friend is gone, where did he/she go?". In cases where the child is not a stranger I am able to ask, on occasion, about the invisible friend. The friends never came back.

I hope that some day, I will find a child with an invisible friend that is truly imaginary. Unfortunately, demonic 'friends' are more than just oppressive.

Answer 4

I describe the power of prayer like this.
We have absolute free will. Also GOD has a plan for our lives. When we pray we are using our free will to surrender to GOD so that we can align ourselves with his will. As we continue to do this we get specific answers to specific prayers that are in tune with GOD's will. All demonic oppression will go away sooner or later. Then the last chance anything demonic has to do anything contrary to GOD's will, is to use people that are not filled with the Holy Spirit or not connected with GOD through prayer to try and bring down those who are.

Answer 5

I was praying for a housegroup leader one morning, when my telephone rung. I shared with a friend that I felt that we should both then pray for this person. She had a dream regarding him the night before, and I was in the dream with her praying. My friend came to my home, and when she arrived at the door, she was amazed to see that I had the very same clothes on, which she had seen in her dream. We did not know anything of what he was going through at that time, just an urgent sense that he needed prayer. We sat together and prayed, it was about 12 midday. We later found out that it was at that exact time, that he was released from oppression.

Prayer is powerful.

More things are wrought through prayer, than this world dreams of.

Answer 6

Demons suck our life energy in many differnet ways. When we give into their requests we are allowing them in. Addictions are possessions. Abortions are as well, satanic rites.Where do you think that energy goes if you believe that energy can neither be created or destroyed?
For these reasons, yes I have seen prayer move out demons. AA is a good place for it to happen.

Answer 7

The Bible makes it clear that Satan is not “an aspect of God” but an enemy of God. (Luke 10:18, 19.)

Answer 8

The power you mention is directly in relationship to the authority we have in Christ. That authority in turn is strong or weak depending on our intimate relationship with Christ and His Word. Job's situation was not so much for Job as it was for us. God used His servant Job (whom He knew He could trust) to open visual lessons to all of mankind to follow, showing them spiritual realities and principles that they would not have known otherwise. Even Peter talks about how the Old Testament Prophets ministered things that were not for themselves but for US (see 1 Peter the 1st chapter). God sees far into eternity - we see only ourselves. God's love is vast and encompassing - we define love by our here and now "answers" or lack thereof. God has granted us power and authority but it is based in HIM not in ourselves.

Answer 9

That replaced right into a present for the early Church, it fairly befell to Paul Act 28:a million-6 And at the same time as they were escaped, then they knew that the island replaced into stated as Melita. (2) And the barbarous human beings shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fireplace, and received us all and sundry, via present day rain, and thanks to chilly. (3) And at the same time as Paul had accumulated a equipment of sticks, and laid them on the fireplace, there got here a viper out of the nice and cozy temperature, and fixed on his hand. (4) And at the same time as the barbarians talked about the venomous beast draw close on his hand, they stated between themselves, little question this guy is a assassin, whom, although he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth now to not stay. (5) And he shook off the beast into the fireplace, and felt no damage. (6) Howbeit they regarded at the same time as he must have swollen, or fallen down useless by surprise: yet once that they had regarded an outstanding at the same time as, and talked about no damage come to him, they replaced their minds, and stated that he replaced right into a god. besides the undeniable fact that that is not a present for as we talk. many human beings have died via the undeniable fact that they had this present.

Answer 10

Prayer is to lift me up to YAHOSHUA, not to bring Him down to me. Yes it does work. I have not witnessed much of prayer stopping demonic oppression, (A little, but not much) but have heard some thrilling stories from a couple of people I know well and respect.