A PROTESTANT WHO HAS A BIG HANG UP WITH AUTHORITY
QUESTION?
I have recently seen you on the Taylor Marshall show and Rules for Retrogrades, great job! During those podcasts you reference who does and does not have authority to cast out demons. I recently came across an old friend from many years ago who hates the Catholic church, yet respects me and the fact that I hold to my beliefs as a Catholic. She is a protestant and is starting a ministry to help people that are oppressed with demonic activity and believes she has the power to cast out demons, so I am trying to convince her that she does not have the authority and could be opening herself up to oppression/possession from the demons and could getting herself into a lot of trouble. There are a few places in scripture she is quoting that she believes gives her the authority, such as Luke 9:49-50 and Luke 10 where Christ commissioned the 70 and they return stating that even demons are subject to them; she believes these passages apply to anyone who has true faith in Christ, just as many protestants do.
How do I address this?
Any passages I can quote?
And tell her that only Catholic priests have authority? (like I mentioned, she doesn't believe in the Catholic Church or the priesthood)
I am trying to help her as soon as I can before she gets too far down this path. She recently found out her husband of several years is still drug addicted and still is into a lot of bad things. I guess maybe she would have authority because it is her husband but she told me she tried to cast out demons from him but with no avail, and he was foaming at the mouth while she was trying to do this. And I am not sure if the demon spoke to them or not but somehow she mentioned the demon made known to them know that they were not powerful enough to do anything about this, or something along those lines. She was really listening to me at first and what I had to say as we were discussing this issue; and I was using a lot of your arguments from those podcasts. For a while I thought I had her convinced as she backed away and was thinking of not doing this ministry anymore, but then here tone changed all of a sudden and she started quoting the scripture passages that I mentioned above and doesn't appear to listen to me anymore?
I would appreciate any thoughts you have?
ANSWER!
She is a protestant so she already has a big hangup with "authority." In those verses she cites Our Lord Jesus was speaking to male disciples about another male (closet believer in Christ). The power in our prayer comes from the name of Jesus, not from the person. however, the authority issue is where she goes off the rails. Since she wants to be "bible only" which is (by the way) unbiblical, where does the Bible show any woman casting out demons and setting up a deliverance ministry? She is way out of her league and demons will retaliate against her and her family as a result of her acting like a male Priest (whom has the lawful authority) by delegation of the one true Church. In fact, much of her husbands problems may have result of her stepping out of her lane of authority. Demons see disorder in a relationship (man is faithless and the woman is an alpha male) and they will retaliate because disorder gives them permission to attack.
She could pray for her husband plain intercessory prayers, do penance and fasting (cf. Matt 17:21) for his liberation, that would be more effective in driving out the demon. All that said, spouses do have authority over each others body (cf. 1 Cor 7:4), she can pray deliverance prayers for her husband, but to set up a deliverance ministry - where's that in the Bible? (As she would say)
Regarding the laying on of hands over another lay person - read these short essays:
https://jesseromero.com/blog/who-touched-me
https://jesseromero.com/blog/raise-your-hands
https://jesseromero.com/blog/are-my-hands-holy-no-sacramental-sure
https://jesseromero.com/blog/admonish-sin-charity
Under "laying on of hands" in Strong’s Bible Concordance you will never find one equal (lay person) laying hands upon another equal (lay person). The one’s that will lay hands in both Testaments over someone in prayer are those in spiritual authority either by being directly appointed by God or by delegation from those who have Gods authority (such as the Prophets or Apostles).