Spiritual Root Issues
By Capazin Thornton
Underlying Spiritual Root Issues
While there are many natural causes for sickness and disease (drinking bad water, eating devitalized food, ingesting chemicals that destroy healthy cells, tissues, and organs), the Bible reveals there are significant spiritual root issues that underlie chronic disease, mental illness, and destructive behavior.
For instance, the mad man of Gadera in Mark 5:1-20. This crazy acting wild man lived in the burial caves. Men tried to keep him shackled and chained up, but the mad man kept breaking loose. Day and night he was in the mountains and in the burial caves, crying and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus he ran and bowed at Jesus’ feet.
Here are four important lessons we can learn from this account:
- Natural solutions (shackles and chains) will never resolve spiritual root issues.
Years ago doctors performed lobotomies and used electric shock on people considered lunatic or crazy. Today these people are locked up in facilities and medicated. No lobotomy, electric shock, shackles or chains, nor any amount of medication, will cure someone oppressed or possessed by demonic spirits. Spiritual root issues require spiritual solutions.
- Destruction behavior reflects inner conflict.
A legion of unclean demonic spirits had taken up residence in the mad man of Gadera. Aware of his sad state, the mad man cried day and night. He was crying out for deliverance.
- The solution for spiritual root issues can be summed up in three words: JESUS the CHRIST.
Bow at His feet and worship Him.
- JESUS gets to the spiritual root issues and casts out unclean spirits.
The evil spirits knew that JESUS was the Son of God. They begged JESUS not to cast them out of the region. They asked JESUS to allow them to go into a herd of swine. JESUS permitted them to enter the herd of swine. The swine then ran over the cliff and were drowned.
After the demons were cast out of the mad man, all he wanted to do was stay with JESUS. But JESUS told him to go home to his friends and proclaim what great things the Lord had done for him.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.—Ps 107:8-9.
Dealing with Spiritual Root Issues
JESUS always looked past people’s external conditions, attitudes, and behaviors to their greater spiritual need. He would then lay a spiritual ax to the spiritual root issues.
Through the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the light of God’s Word, we too can look past people’s external conditions to discern, bring light to, and deal with spiritual root issues so people can receive and experience total healing and deliverance.
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Capazin Thornton is a Christian speaker and author in Orange County, California.