How to Cast Out Demons in the Name of Jesus: Bible-Based Steps

The celestial hierarchy and its ranks of heavenly creatures are an active and influential bunch.

In the earth realm, however, humans have dominion and the authority to rule, not only over fallen angels but also over demons—the disembodied spirits stranded by the Flood. When Adam surrendered dominion, God told the serpent that His redemption plan was already in place: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).

Jesus bruised the enemy’s head 2,000 years ago and reinstated the dominion of God’s people. Before He died, He told us what that dominion should look like:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15-18).

Those amazing marching orders are meant to accomplish supernatural results! We who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ have authority over demons. Jesus told His disciples, “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 10:19).

That is Jesus’ answer to the power of evil and every danger we face!

You might say Jesus was the first exorcist. We saw the quick work He made of Legion, but there are many examples of Jesus casting out demons. He never made a lengthy production out of getting someone delivered. He simply commanded demons to leave, and they obeyed Him. Jesus understood His authority and delegated it to us. It is that simple. There is no need for rituals or special incantations. All we need is faith in Christ and a command. We don’t need to know demons’ names to cast them out, either. The only name we need is the name of Jesus, by which we compel them to go!

The apostle Paul understood his God-given authority and used it in casting out a spirit of divination:

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour (Acts 16:16-18).

Paul did not reach for salt, “holy” water, or special prayers written on scrolls. As soon as he discerned the spirit that was harassing him and Silas, he gave it marching orders! Frankly, I don’t understand why so many denominations and streams of Christianity complicate the issue. Why ignore biblical examples and devise our own drawn-out, largely ineffective rituals?

Our assignment to cast out demons is not about us or our abilities. It is about operating in the power and authority Jesus delegated to us: (1) to facilitate deliverance and (2) to see the manifestation of God’s kingdom. When His kingdom is on display, God is on display, and souls are saved. These are the reasons we get involved. Our goal should not be to hunt for demons to take down. Creating opportunities is not our job. Yet when we are faced with demon-possessed people, our mission is simple: Follow Jesus’ example and cast the thing out, in His name.

Our Authority in Christ

Whether we know it or not, and whether we recognize or deny it, we are engaged in a war with spirits we cannot see. Even if we do everything right, the enemy will pick fights with us. The good news is that we have weapons—invisible and amazing weapons. Paul wrote that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God” (2 Corinthians 10:4). We have already talked about one of them: the name of Jesus. Demons and all the hosts of Heaven tremble at His name. When Jesus sent out 70 disciples ahead of Him, they returned with great excitement, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17)!

If we fight Satan’s angels and demons with our bare hands, we lose. This is because our strength is no match for Satan’s power. But we have something better with which to fight. It’s not our ability, it’s Jesus’ authority. When we go in His name, speak in His name, and act in His name, His authority backs us up. We can speak to fallen angels and demons to bind them and put them in their place.

Remember, Jesus gave us “authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). He backs that power with His name—the same name that delivered the Gadarene from thousands of demons. Why wouldn’t we use the authority He gave us? Why wouldn’t we put angels and demons in their place, for His glory?

Too many times, I have met believers who are tormented by demons. Some hear demons scratching on their bedroom walls. Others can’t sleep because a heavy presence sits on them and constrains their breathing. Why do we tolerate such oppression? As children of the Most High God, we were promised freedom from torment, and we were given authority over all demons. They have no business controlling us. We are God’s children! We must refuse to put up with them. Instead of tolerating them, we need to tell them, “Get out, in the name of Jesus!”

It is that simple. Speak. The power is not ours; it is the power of the Holy Spirit working through us to prevail against the powers of darkness. That is God’s will for us—to prevail over all spiritual forces of wickedness. Yes, they are stronger than we are. But they are weaklings compared with the Holy Spirit. I will discuss this further in Chapter 10, but for now, remember this: When we speak the Word of God, we put them in bondage and we free ourselves.

Not even the gates of hell can withstand the Church of Jesus Christ. When God is at the helm, the battle is easily won!