Is binding spirits a Biblical concept?

michael1 · March 9, 2023, 1:52pm

Hello, I would like to comment on this part of the conversation.

Both
Matthew 18:18
Mark 3:27 speak to this truth.

I understand this to mean we must bind the spirit to cast it out which Jesus did during His ministry. It as well happened in a previous ministry, I was involved with.

When young men or women would enter the program they would be bound by addictions and mainly from ignorance believed curses.

We believed that faith in Christ broke all curses and many experienced salvation, then discipling them brought them to freedom from the powerful hurtful words spoken to them all their lives along with the family lifestyle, which was passed down.

They came to understand that faith in the Lordship of Christ freed them from the inherited addictions and traits that bound them for many years.

Genuine faith in Christ was hindered and could not be experienced for some due to spiritual possesion or oppression which needed to be dealt with on occasion.

In essence in the world apart from the knowledge of Christ and His word generational curses do exist until they are truly broken by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit exercising faith in Christ.

Orthodox Jewsish religion still believe because they dont believe that Christ was the Messiah, which is what a Messianic Jew shared with me in the past.

I am so grateful for all that everyone has shared by looking at the many aspects of this topic. Blessings blossom as well as flowers in the spring for each.

Michael

alison · March 9, 2023, 7:22pm

Hi @michael1
Thank you so much for taking time to address this issue of binding spirits. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experiences. It is an area of confusion for me which is why I raised it. I’m greatly encouraged by your response.

I was actually raised in a Christian home that taught that binding spirits was a normal part of spiritual warfare. It was a step before commanding spirits to leave altogether. I was taught you could bind a spirit from being active, even if it was still present. Close family members have been involved in healing and deliverance ministries for decades, so this was the understanding I have always had. Matt 18:18 has been regularly used to explain the need for binding spirits, and I never looked into it any further, but accepted this interpretation of the passage.

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.

It was actually a Justin Peters video that got me thinking. I must confess that at first I found his videos and viewpoint hard to listen to, because he came from a cessationist point of view, whereas I did, and still hold to the continuation of all the gifts. However, I’ve learned to really appreciate his exegesis and teaching of many Bible passages.

One of the things he drew my attention to was that Matthew 18:15-20 outlines the stages of church discipline when a brother sins against you:

go to him privately
if he doesn’t listen, take one or two others to help resolve the issue
if he still doesn’t listen, tell the church
if he still doesn’t listen, treat him as an outsider to the church

Whenever the church follows this proceedure of discipline, as taught and approved by Jesus, then whatever this church has bound/loosed (made a judgement on the brother) will be bound/loosed in heaven (approved by God). I realised, that no where in this passage does it refer to spiritual warfare and the practice of handling spirits or demons. Given that this is the go to passage from my entire upbringing in supporting the practice of binding, I’ve been left with little to base this belief on.

Do you think this interpretation of the passage is fair? Could it be taken a different way? I’m really eager to know, since I struggle with handling these sorts of conversations with loved ones at the moment.

I will look into the Mark 3:27 passage and then get back to you on that

Again, I’ve seen this practised a lot in my life. I can’t remember where in scripture I saw Jesus bind the spirit first before commanding it to leave. Any thoughts?

Thanks so much - I really appreciate your comments!