Online Reporter
Nelson Vhukani
Many African churches place significant emphasis in their services on casting out demons and other demonstrations of power.
These super Sunday services include healing and prophetic ministries, sometimes even the raising of the dead. In my opinion, this emphasis on powerful demonstrations stems from deeply rooted traditional beliefs about evil spirits, death, sickness, and witchcraft. African culture is almost inseparable from the spiritual realm.
On the one hand, this is a good thing. For we inhabit a spiritual world. On the other hand, however, it can result in a pervasive fear of those forces and moving our focus moves from the gospel towards them.
Broadly speaking, there are two prevailing viewpoints on this matter. There are those who claim that casting out the above demonstrations of power is essential to our gatherings, citing Jesus’ or the apostles’ miracles. Conversely, others argue that all such practices and the miraculous ceased with Jesus and the apostles (Hebrews 2:3-4; Ephesians 2:20).
In this article, I will share a few biblical insights on how we might approach the issues of demons, healing, and death in a way that is both faithful to scripture and relevant to our cultural context. I’ll start by developing the biblical teaching on death and demons (or evil spirits). Then we’ll consider miracles, especially their purpose and how they point beyond this world. Finally, I’ll propose how we should approach sickness, death and demons in God’s power.
Sickness and death: Evidence of a fallen world
Death and sickness serve as evidence of a world under judgment. To effectively confront these enemies, it’s important to understand their origins and the context in which they exist. In many African cultures, there is a prevalent belief that every illness has a specific cause, often attributed to malevolent forces. There is some truth to this belief. However, it can be misleading to assert that sickness or death is always the result of someone’s actions or a curse.
Christian theology insists that God created a perfect world. He placed Adam and Eve in an environment free from sickness, death, and demonic powers (Genesis 1-2). Only that isn’t our experience. Because mankind rejected God’s authority (Genesis 3). They sought to govern the world on their own terms, without God. And it was this rebellion that introduced chaos and suffering into the world. Furthermore, this didn’t only affect humanity but the natural world (Romans 8:22). This broader understanding is critical for our understanding of sickness and death. Yes, in some cases, they have immediate, discernible causes. But even in such cases, they nevertheless fundamentally stem from the fallen state of our world.
As Romans 5:12 states, “Death spread to all men because all sinned.” This means that sickness and death aren’t solely personal issues. They are the consequences of the fall, sin and God’s righteous judgment. Collectively, humanity suffers because of rebellion against God.
Contrast that with African culture, where personal misfortunes are ascribed to wrongdoing or witchcraft. In Africa, there is a tendency to attribute illness or disease to spiritual attacks and curses, resulting in fear and speculation. Now, I’m not denying the realities of witchcraft. I’ve witnessed its impact in Zimbabwe. But it’s crucial for us to recognise that this isn’t the source of every sickness and death. Our world is under divine judgment. Therefore, spiritual mediums or mediators can’t solve the greater problem. Because sickness and death are evidence of a much deeper issue: sin.
To centre our church services on demonstrations of power is to lose sight of how large the problem at hand is. Yes, we might pray for healing, but in the end, everyone will die and face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
2. Angels and demons: Evidence of the spiritual world
More briefly than the above, let’s discuss the origins of demons. In a previous article, I covered this topic in more detail. Here, I mostly want to emphasise that demons are real. The Bible confirms this, describing them as evil spirits who sinned against God. Originally, they were like good angels. But God cast them out of heaven along with their leader, the devil, and they now perpetuate evil in the world (Isaiah 14:12-15).
The Western church shouldn’t be deceived. Demons exist. We are engaged in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12-13). Growing up in a village, I witnessed spiritual entities firsthand. Many Zimbabweans believe that these spirits are the vengeful souls of the deceased. However, according to the Bible, this belief is incorrect. For once, a person dies, they cannot return to the living (Job 7:9-10).
Jesus’ miracles as a means to the end
In my context, many people argue that we should regularly practice healing and casting out demons, because Jesus instructed his apostles to do so. They also usually add, “you shall do greater things than these” (John 14:12). Even though that verse doesn’t specify what the “greater things” are or even what “these” refers to.
In the Gospels, it’s undeniable that Jesus empowered his apostles to drive out demons and heal the sick. However, it doesn’t seem as though this authority was intended to empty hospitals or cemeteries. Plus, despite this spiritual power, it seems that most of them were committed to evangelism and fairly ordinary teaching ministries. Their miracles were primarily given to validate the divine authority of their preaching and message.
To focus solely on healings and exorcisms is to miss Jesus and his church’s mission: proclamation. Because it fails to realise the purpose of miracles. — TGCAfrica.org
