Can a person have the gift of recognizing and casting out evil spirits today?
Question:
I came across your website and have been encouraged by your biblical answers. Thank you for having it available.
My friend professes to have the spiritual blessing of recognizing evil spirits in others and casting them out. He has mentioned examples of this.
I was unsure about that, so it seems possible after searching and studying according to Mark 16:17.
Your thoughts?
Thank you so much.
Answer:
Making claims about things that other people cannot verify is easy. This doesn't mean the claims are true. It is also entirely possible that your friend is convinced that he has this gift. But this is not evidence either. "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (II Thessalonians 2:11). If someone wants to believe a lie, God will not stop them.
Remember that two or more independent witnesses establish the truth. So far, you have only your friend's word, which, as Jesus pointed out, proves nothing. "If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true" (John 5:31).
We have God's statement that the miraculous gifts ended when the Bible was completed. "Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away" (I Corinthians 13:8-10). The gifts of casting out spirits and discerning spirits were not specifically mentioned, but Paul picked three examples from three categories of spiritual gifts to state that all these miraculous gifts would end. See "The Age of Miracles" and "Miracles, Signs, and Wonders".
At this same period, it was foretold that unclean spirits would be driven out. "It will come about in that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land" (Zechariah 13:2). Alluding to this, Jesus stated that he would not recognize those who claim to cast out spirits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:21-23).
Response:
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. May our God continue to bless you.
