The Great Physician

"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: 'Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!' Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him." Mark 9:25-26 What would be your reaction if you brought your child who was deaf and mute to a specialist doctor and the doctor said he could do nothing until the unclean spirit was cast out? Think on this a bit. Can you picture the doctor's office? Can you picture yourself sitting there with your child and the door opens and in comes the doctor -- who takes a look at your child and says his/her affliction is a demon spirit? I dare say YOU would be speechless, wouldn't you? We live in the generation of pride. There have been many scientific discoveries in this generation, and we've become so "modern" that we think we have the answer to just about anything. We look at our doctors with awe. We trust every word they say to us as though it were absolute truth. But ...if a doctor correctly diagnosed a condition as being demonic in nature, we would be absolutely aghast, because those things are never discussed in our modern times. Demons? Are you kidding? We don't deal with such ancient concepts, good grief, this is the post-modern era! But … But if it were true that your child's condition was demonic in nature, you can rest assured that "modern science" could only do what it can to help. It could never cure, because the source is not taken care of. Your child would be fitted with hearing aids and would be sent to speech therapists. But he/she would never be cured. The audacity of our modern, scientific world! It dares laugh at things that the Word of God clearly shows as truth. The child in the passage above was brought to Jesus and Jesus diagnosed the condition immediately and CAST OUT the demon causing it. And the child was cured. Not helped, cured. The Scriptures have a whole lot to say about the spiritual realm which modern science pooh-poohs. There are many conditions that are demonic in nature. Not all of them, but many of them. And if the underlying cause is not dealt with, then the most that "modern science" can do is find ways to make the person more comfortable and better able to function. How does one know whether an affliction is demonic in nature? In short, the only way to know is to take the affliction to the One who knows every detail of our body and soul, and who alone can uncover the root cause of our suffering. And of course it follows that he is also the only one who can make the way for the cure. Does the cure take place immediately as soon as it's source is discovered? Not necessarily. Sometimes the person has to first deal with what caused it. For example, a person may have reacted with hatred toward someone who hurt him. In such a case, forgiveness has to come before the affliction can be cured. Hatred is an entry way for demonic oppression. Always. As I've watched this thing over many years, I've noted that before the Lord sets a person free, he oftentimes has to set up circumstances that will enable the afflicted one to remain free. If the Lord set a person free from his affliction without dealing with the unforgiveness wherein it is rooted, then the spirit would come back and bring seven more worse than itself and that person's end state would be worse than at the first (Matthew 12:43-45). In fact, I personally witnessed this exact thing happen to someone I knew. So what should we do if we have an affliction of ANY KIND that has not responded to normal treatment? Clearly, the afflicted person must present himself before the Lord as one would before a physician and ask for the remedy. The remedy could actually be painful, as remedies in the natural realm are often painful. If in the natural realm your doctor tells you you need surgery, you know that it's going to be painful, but you go along with him because you trust him. In like manner, the remedy the Lord prescribes may incur pain. I've cited the need to deal with hatred or unforgiveness as examples, but there are many other situations that could have caused it. Until the correct remedy is applied, there will be no change. Best to follow the Lord's directions, knowing that he knows more than all the physicians in the world, and what's more, he truly CARES for you. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:12-13 Notice in this passage how Jesus links sickness to a spiritual source, that sinners are sick and repentance must come first. Does that mean that every person who is sick is unrepentant? No. There are a myriad of reasons for sickness. But because the Great Physician made this link, we would be wise to consider it if we have a condition that has not responded to natural remedies. If you find yourself in such a condition, go to the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) and ask the Lord to be Lord over your condition and to guide you into the cure; ask for grace to follow through with whatever he shows you. It could change everything.
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