“Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.” [1]
God gave to the priests of Israel the ministry of discernment. They were to help His people to distinguish between the holy and unholy, between the unclean and clean. He warned these leaders not to partake of substances so that their gift of discernment would not be impaired.
One of the blessings of our Savior Jesus and His Holy Spirit is the ability to discern between clean and unclean spirits. Jesus did this ministry when He walked among us.
“Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!' But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him." [2]
The words unclean and holy appear in the passage above. Jesus freed a man from an unclean spirit. How did that unclean spirit get control of that man in the first place? Just as any invading force would that overtakes a city! Little by little! First, by grooming their target's mind! Second, by relentless attempts to enter! Third, by entering when the person is vulnerable! Fourth, by taking control!
Living in San Francisco and learning of the kinds of evils that have went on in this city, namely human trafficking, it has helped me to see more clearly how a lot of the movies coming out of Hollywood are products of similar unclean spirits. These spirits want to groom people for takeover with unclean thoughts, and ultimately enslave people to sin so they are subject to them.
Jesus sets people free from defiling spirits by the power of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is more powerful than unclean spirits. “And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.” [3]
Our Lord Jesus sets people free from unclean spirits that have defiled their thought-lives and brought them into captivity.
Jesus helps His disciples to discern when an unclean spirit is present. He also gives us authority to rebuke them and cast them out in His Name. He says to us, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” [4]
[1] Leviticus 10:9-10
[2] Luke 4:33-35
[3] Luke 4:41
[4] Matthew 10:7-8
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