How did Jesus Handle Demons?

By Mihran Kulhanjian

 

They came for healing not deliverance, but expelling demons is healing because demons cause illness, disease and all sorts of problems. There was no deliverance from demons in the Old Testament. Only by Jesus were demons first expelled from people. Expelling demons is a part of healing, its one part of deliverance.  And the way Jesus expelled demons is the same we expel demons. We use the power and authority Jesus gave us. We do this with confidence and assuredly that His word does not return void. 

 

Mark 1:21-28:

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. ²² And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

 

²³ Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ 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!”

 

²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. ²⁷ Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” ²⁸ And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. The demon responded, not the man. The demon knew who Jesus was by addressing Him as “Jesus of Nazareth.”  The demon knew Jesus as the “Holy One of God.”  Demons will not address Jesus as Master of Lord, because their lord in Satan.   Jesus told the demon to shut up ordered that he come out of the man.  He came out of the man.

 

In Matthew 17:15-20, a man brings his son to Jesus:

Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

 

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless [unbelieving] and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

 

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief [little faith]; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

 

 

They came for healing not deliverance, but expelling demons is healing because demons cause illness, disease and all sorts of problems.  If a demon does not cause a particular illness, they can cause other problems that prevent healing. For instance, they torment you will doubt of healing or depression and might fill you mind with unbelief. 

 

There was no deliverance from demons in the Old Testament. Only by Jesus did demons first come about to be expelled from the possessed and the oppressed.  Expelling demons is part of healing. Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons. This is salvation: Sins are forgiven and healing begins. 

 

Jesus frequently encountered people who were possessed or oppressed by demons (unclean spirits). The Gospel presents these encounters as demonstrations of His authority, compassion, and divine power. Jesus directly confronted demons and expelled them.

The accounts of Jesus handling demons are primarily found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

 

Jesus Confronted Demons Directly

One of the clearest patterns in scripture is that Jesus spoke to demons with authority and commanded them to leave. Demons must obey Jesus because they know who He is and they are afraid of Him.

 

In the synagogue at Capernaum, a man with an unclean spirit cried out, and Jesus responded:

“Be silent, and come out of him!”
— Mark 1:25

 

The spirit obeyed immediately.

The people were amazed:

“He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
— Mark 1:27

 

This demonstrated that Jesus possessed authority greater than spiritual forces.

 

Jesus Cast Out Demons by Command

Unlike some ancient spiritual practices involving rituals or magic, Jesus often cast out demons simply by speaking.

 

Matthew writes:

“He cast out the spirits with a word.”
— Matthew 8:16

 

This simplicity emphasized His divine authority rather than reliance on ceremonies or objects.

 

Jesus Showed Compassion Toward the Afflicted

Jesus cared deeply for those suffering under demonic oppression. He had great compassion for the sick. 

In is the Gerasene demoniac, a man living among tombs who was described as violent and tormented. Jesus confronted the demons and restored the man to sanity and peace.

The demons identified themselves as “Legion” because they were many:

“My name is Legion, for we are many.”
— Mark 5:9

 

A “Legion” is roughly 6,000.  So the man was possessed by 6,000 demons.

 

After Jesus cast them out, the man was found:

“ Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid..”
— Mark 5:15

 

The people were afraid of Jesus’ power. They had never seen anything like it. This story emphasizes restoration, freedom, and mercy. The demon possessed man was restored to health. He was set free from his captives (demons). Demons enslave. Jesus is merciful. God is merciful to all who come to Him and ask for mercy.

 

Jesus Demonstrated Authority Over Satan

The casting out of demons was also connected to Jesus’ victory over Satan.

Jesus said:

“If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
— Matthew 12:28

 

He viewed deliverance as evidence that God’s kingdom overcomes evil.

After the seventy disciples returned after sharing the gospel message (which included healing the sick and casting out demons as Jesus taught them) Jesus declared:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
— Luke 10:18

 

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

 

And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.   — Luke 10:17-19

 

The Gospels present Jesus as having ultimate authority over demonic powers.

 

Jesus Gave Authority to His Disciples

Jesus not only cast out demons Himself, but also gave authority to His disciples to do the same in His name.

Luke records:

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons.”
— Luke 9:1

 

Later, seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing:

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
— Luke 10:17

 

Jesus emphasized that spiritual authority came through God rather than human power.

 

Prayer and Faith in Spiritual Warfare

In one account, Jesus’ disciples were unable to cast out a demon from a boy suffering terribly. After Jesus delivered the child, the disciples asked why they had failed.

Jesus replied:

“This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”
— Mark 9:29

 

The passage highlights dependence on God, faith, and spiritual readiness. Fasting builds faith.

 

Jesus Did Not Seek Attention From Demons

Interestingly, Jesus often silenced demons when they recognized Him publicly.

 

For example:

“He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”
— Mark 1:34

 

This suggests Jesus did not want demonic spirits defining His identity or mission.

 

Jesus Focused on Deliverance, Not Spectacle

The Gospel accounts portray deliverance as part of Jesus’ broader ministry of healing, teaching, and proclaiming God’s kingdom.

 

Acts summarizes His ministry this way:

 

“He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”
— Acts 10:38

 

The emphasis was consistently on helping people and glorifying God, not creating fear or entertainment.

 

Key Characteristics of How Jesus Handled Demons

According to the Bible, Jesus handled demons with:

• Authority
• Calmness
• Compassion
• Direct commands
• Spiritual power
• Dependence on the Holy Spirit
• Focus on restoration

 

He never appeared fearful or uncertain in these encounters.

 

 “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
— 1 John 3:8

 

Summing Up

Jesus had complete authority over demons and evil spirits. He confronted them directly, cast them out by His word, healed the afflicted, and demonstrated the power of God’s kingdom over spiritual darkness.

These accounts are presented not merely as displays of power, but as acts of compassion and signs of Jesus’ identity and mission. Through prayer, authority, and dependence on God, Jesus brought freedom and restoration to those suffering under spiritual oppression.