Demonology

20. When we cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ, can we send them into the everlasting fire?

No, we can’t command them to go into the everlasting fire because the Scripture does not authorize us to give them such a command. When Jesus cast out demons, He commanded them just to come out of the body where they were; on one occasion - when He delivered a boy who had a dumb spirit - He commanded the spirit to come out of the boy and to enter no more into him, as it is written: “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. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead’. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose” (Mark 9:25-27 – NKJV); on another occasion He gave the demons permission to enter into a great herd of swine because the demons begged Jesus to send them into the swine, I refer to the case of the demoniac of Gadara, as it is written: “So all the demons begged Him, saying, ‘Send us to the swine, that we may enter them’. And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea” (Mark 5:12-13 – NKJV) and also: “Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, ‘If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine’ And He said to them, ‘Go’. So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water” (Matthew 8:30-32 – NKJV).

However, Jesus never commanded the demons to go into Hades or into Gehenna. Therefore if Jesus, who was the Son of God who came from the Father, acted in that way when He cast out evil spirits, how could we take the liberty of ordering the demons to go into Hades or into the everlasting fire? Let us just rebuke the demons in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, commanding them to come out in the name of Jesus Christ, and they will surely obey us as they obeyed our Lord Jesus Christ (in the days of His flesh) and Paul of Tarsus as well, who while was at Philippi in the name of Jesus Christ commanded an evil spirit to come out of the body of a slave girl and that spirit immediately came out of her (Acts 16:18). Demons will obey us when we rebuke them in the name of Jesus Christ and will come out because Jesus said that those who believe in Him, in His name will cast out demons (Mark 16:17) and we trust in His promise.

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