Jesus came to earth with the power to heal. “One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing” (Luke 5:17).
Jesus came to us with the power to drive out demons. “And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out’ “ (Luke 4:36).
Jesus gave the power over demons and disease to His disciples. “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing” (Luke 9:1-2).
In the book of Acts, His followers performed miracles by the power of Jesus. “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8).
So where does that leave us today regarding the power to heal and drive out demons? I honestly don’t have a clear answer on this topic. Did Jesus have and exercise this power? Yes! Did His first century disciples have and exercise this power? Yes!
I believe God heals today. I believe God drives out demons today. Do we all have the power to call down these miracles? Is it through the gift of healing in certain individuals?
As the message of the New Testament unfolds, the focus of God’s power seems to be less on signs and wonders on the outside and more on the power inside us. The power verses in the New Testament letters seem to pertain to Jesus’ power to save and deliver, His power over sin, and His power to live His life through us. And all of this power of His is available to us to live the Christian life with the power to obey, the power to serve, and the power to love. Of these evidences of the power of God in our lives, I am quite sure.