Exorcism is the expulsion of demons by the authority of God. In Scripture, explicit exorcisms are prominent in the New Testament ministry of Jesus and His apostles, while the Old Testament more often shows deliverance from evil spirits without describing a formal practice of exorcism.
Biblical exorcism is the removal of demonic influence or possession by God's power, especially through Jesus Christ in the Gospels and through His apostles in Acts.
Exorcism in the Old and New Testaments should be understood as the expulsion of demonic spirits by the power and authority of God. The New Testament offers the clearest and most sustained witness: Jesus repeatedly casts out demons, demonstrating His authority over unclean spirits and signaling the arrival of the kingdom of God. His disciples and apostles also confront demons in His name, showing that their authority is delegated and derivative, not self-generated. By contrast, the Old Testament acknowledges the reality of harmful or evil spirits and presents the Lord as sovereign over them, but it does not portray exorcism as a regular, clearly defined ministry in the way the Gospels and Acts do. A balanced biblical definition should therefore preserve the strong New Testament emphasis, avoid overstating the Old Testament evidence, and affirm that demonic powers are real but subject to God’s rule and decisively opposed through Christ.
The Gospels show Jesus confronting demons in public ministry, often in connection with healing and the announcement of the kingdom of God. Acts continues this pattern through the apostles, especially in missionary contexts. The Old Testament includes episodes involving troubling spirits and deliverance, but not a developed pattern of formal exorcism.
In the ancient world, many cultures practiced rituals intended to expel spirits. The biblical witness differs from magical or manipulative techniques: exorcism is grounded in the authority of the true God and, in the New Testament, in the name and work of Jesus Christ.
Second Temple Jewish sources show heightened interest in spirits, demons, and deliverance practices, providing historical context for the New Testament setting. However, such background material should illuminate the biblical text rather than control its meaning. Scripture itself remains the doctrinal authority.
The New Testament commonly uses terms such as daimonion and pneuma akatharton for demons or unclean spirits. The related verb forms describe expulsion or driving out, emphasizing authority rather than ritual technique.
Exorcism highlights the authority of Christ over Satan and the unseen realm, the reality of spiritual conflict, and the inbreaking of God's kingdom. It also shows that deliverance is tied to God's power, not to human manipulation or secret formulas.
Biblically, exorcism assumes a worldview in which personal spiritual evil exists and can affect human life. The texts present this not as mythology or mere psychology, but as part of a moral and spiritual order governed by God.
Do not read the Old Testament as if it contained a fully developed exorcism program. Do not treat every affliction as demonic. Do not build doctrine or practice from sensational reports, later traditions, or speculative models that go beyond Scripture.
Most interpreters agree that the New Testament gives explicit and central testimony to exorcism in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles. Views differ mainly on how directly the Old Testament should be compared, and on how closely contemporary ministry should imitate apostolic patterns.
The Bible affirms the reality of demons, the authority of Christ over them, and the legitimacy of deliverance by God's power. It does not authorize superstition, magical formulas, or claims that every believer must perform exorcisms. Any Christian practice in this area must remain subordinate to Scripture.
This subject encourages sober awareness of spiritual warfare, confidence in Christ's authority, dependence on prayer, and careful discernment in ministry. It also warns against fear, sensationalism, and attributing all suffering to demonic causes.
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