As I travel from state to state and conduct ministry meetings, I hear the cry of mothers and fathers, "Lord, save my children." I hear husbands and wives plead for the salvation of their mates, asking me what the Holy Spirit can do in their desperate situations. The picture looks so dark and the mountain seems so big.
But praise God! There are some things we can do to see our loved ones won to Jesus. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, there are things we can do to see the other members of our families delivered out of Satan's kingdom and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
However, our evangelism efforts must begin with the understanding that the god of this world will do everything in his power to thwart our ministry efforts.
The God of This World
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
Satan, or the devil, is called "the god of this world" (world referring to those who aren't born again). You are either in the kingdom of light with God as your Father; or you are in the kingdom of darkness with Satan as your father, god and master. There is no in-between. You are either a child of God or a child of the devil.
Now, according to these verses, Satan blinds the mind of the unbeliever, making it virtually impossible for him to see the truth of God's Word. Satan will do all he can to keep the sinner from being born again.
The enemy keeps an unsaved person operating in the realm of the senses and reason. This prevents him from understanding the things of God, for spiritual things are not understood with reason or logic, but accepted into the heart by faith as the Holy Spirit illuminates them to the inward man.
The knowledge of the world comes through the five senses: tasting, feeling, hearing, smelling and seeing. The knowledge of things of God comes through the study of the Word and illumination from our teacher, the Holy Spirit.
The natural, or unregenerate, man lives by his senses and reason, for this is the only way he knows (1 Cor. 2:14). The spiritual man, on the other hand, lives by faith in the Word of God. He is led by the Holy Spirit, who lives in his spirit.
The world says, "I'll believe it when I see it." The believer says, "I believe it; therefore, I will see it." The two systems are totally opposite.
Binding Up the Devil
We have found that the minds of our loved ones are being blinded from the truth of the Word. But what can we do about it? I'm glad you asked!
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).
"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 18:18).
Jesus said that we, as believers, have power over all the power of the enemy. The word power in the Greek means "authority." Praise God! We have authority over all the power of Satan in the lives of our loved ones. We do not have authority over people's wills, but we do have authority over the devil's evil influence on them.
Now, someone might say, "How can you say that?"
Because 1 John 4:4 is true: "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." He that is in you is greater than the devil in your family! That's just what the Word of God says!
Notice the above Scripture taken from Matthew's gospel. Jesus is telling us that whatever we bind - or in other words, refuse to allow on earth—God in heaven will refuse to allow. Also, this verse says that whatever we loose, or allow on earth, God in heaven will also allow it.
Let that soak in for a minute. Such authority the Lord has put into our hands! According to these passages, in the name of Jesus we can bind up the devil's works in the lives of our husbands, wives, sons and daughters, and we can loose the Spirit of God to minister to their hearts.
How is this accomplished?
By opening your mouth and saying with all authority and boldness: "Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ, I bind you from interfering with the Word of God reaching my loved ones, so that they can hear the Word, believe it in their hearts and make confession unto salvation. I break your power over them, in Jesus' name, and command you to loose your grip on them!"
Don't just think these words. Say them! We release our authority over the devil by speaking words.
Jesus never told you to think the devil away, but He did show you how to use the sword of the Spirit against him by speaking God's Word out of your mouth. (Eph. 6:17; Luke 4:1-13).
If you want to see your family set free from the bondage of Satan, you will have to open up your mouth and speak it forth.
by John W. Bulloch
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers