Cessationism
According to the teaching of cessationism, the power and authority over diseases and demons given to the disciples of Christ in the gospels are no longer available to disciples today.
Luke 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick
Cessationism teaches that when these Twelve disciples died, the power and authority over disease and demons passed on with them. Since few or no miracles were recorded in the history of the early Church following the Church in Acts, it is concluded that the power and authority have been taken away.
Strategic-level Spiritual Warfare
Contrast cessationism with the popular practice today known as “strategic-level spiritual warfare”. According to this teaching disciples today have authority to drive out territorial spirits—also known as rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms—commanding them to leave actual geographic regions over which they have dominion.
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Colossians 1:19 …That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…
Some circles in the Church even teach that since we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms and He lives in us, we also have all authority—just as Christ does.
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Each is an extreme on opposite sides
Without going into detail here, we can see that each of these two positions represents an extreme stance from the evangelical and charismatic traditions of the Church, respectively.
One teaches that the Church has no supernatural authority at all in the realm of the spirit, while the other teaches that we have all authority in that realm.
Could it be that the truth according to Scripture lies somewhere in between these two extreme positions?
For more, please click on the following…
Cessationism: John MacArthur and Finding the Balance between Form and Frenzy
Spiritual Warfare: “Spiritual warfare” directly against territorial spirits in the heavenly realms: should you engage in it?