We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Saturday, July 26, 2008

"Pleading the Blood" and "Binding" Satan

Several years ago I was with a youth group in a local church during the time an addition was being built. One evening close to the finish of the addition the leader took the whole group around all the new rooms to “plead the blood of Christ” and “bind” Satan from the rooms. I was so put off by the idea of such unbiblical practices that I said I could not participate and my son and I left.

At the next church we attended we discovered that every Sunday morning before service this one man would walk around the church “binding” Satan. Again, I just shook my head at such silliness. This particular assembly ended up splitting over the bringing in of the Toronto/Pensacola “revival” and I took my family elsewhere.

I have met many Christians over the years who have these same ideas. They originate in charismatic churches where other aberrations usually often abound. It is sad that people get so tied up in bondage to these false teachings. This month’s Berean Call newsletter brought this to mind as I read the following from the Q&A section:

Question: What about the popular idea that we must "plead the blood" over a situation or one's home, room by room?

Response: The phrase "plead the blood" does not appear once in all of Scripture. The word "plead" is found 30 times but never in association with blood. Just before each meeting of the discredited "revival" at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida, teams would pray over each seat and "bind the demons" that might be lurking in them. This is an unbiblical practice. The Bible contains no record of its ever being used by any apostle, prophet, or any other believer. Paul and the other apostles preached in many demonic places without once reciting this mantra. It is a vain practice that opens the door to much error, fanaticism, and spiritual bondage, needlessly giving attention to Satan and demons. Do not engage in it.

This is an excellent response to this practice. You will find no place in Scripture where these practices are mentioned, so those who teach this sort of stuff are false teachers who should be avoided.

4 comments:

marie said...

Obviously, Glenn, I agree with you - most often this nonsense comes out of charismatic churches. BUT, believe it or not, the first time I saw/heard of it was when I went overseas with Campus Crusade for Christ. This was back in the early '90's, when Bill Bright and CCC were still doctrinally sound (I have read that over the last decade or so they have embraced much of the charismatic and ecumenical aberrations they formerly eschewed).

Anyway, I very clearly remember some of my Southern Baptist teammates "claiming this city for Christ" and "binding" evil while in group prayer. I guess I never questioned it; I had not yet read the Bible for myself at that point and Campus Crusade was the be-all and the end-all of truth, as far as I was concerned. Later that year, a Christian (who had come to Christ through CCC's ministry and knew the Bible far better than I) pointed out to me that "claiming for Christ" was not Biblical.

Years later, in the charismatic world, I heard the catchphrase "plead the blood" at the end of nearly every sentence. I once commented to one of the more extreme sisters there about how stubborn my toddler was; that he refused to potty train. She told me that I should bind the spirit of rebellion over this child and plead the blood (or was it make a positive confession?) over the situation. I promise you I am not making this up. BIZARRE stuff.

That said, I'm off to read some Proverbs....

Bill Dotson said...

I happened upon your post through a Google Alert I set up on the phrase, "plead the blood". Many of the "hits" I get on my blog are from searches on that phrase which I wrote about in 2006. You might be interested in reading what God showed me about that phrase at: http://roadrevelations.org/?m=200601. Scroll down to Plead The Blood.

The word "plead" is not the important part, the blood is. There is power in the blood as evidenced by God instructing the elders of Israel to apply the blood on their doorposts for protection. Be blessed!

Bill

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Bill,

I read your blog, which I believe has some questionable teachings, and I will say that you have still misapplied the Scripture. There is no place in the Bible where any apostle ever “pled the Blood” of Jesus, which means that we don’t do it either.

You seem to have confused two issues: the sacrifice of the Passover and sacrifice for sin. You give the Passover as your example of “pleading the Blood” over your house; the Passover was a one-time event that didn’t provide forgiveness of sin, rather it was done under the command of God to mark those homes who were faithful to Him, and He would then see it as a sign and “pass over” that house without bringing it under the plague of the death of the firstborn. You say that your being the elder of your house makes the situation analogous to the Passover, but this isn’t biblical.

Jesus’ blood was given for the forgiveness of sin. The only way we “plead” that blood is to put our faith in Christ, to “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead” (Rom. 10:9, NKJV). This is how we become saved from eternal death, and THAT “pleading of the blood” is a one time event; once we become Christians we no longer have to “plead” for Jesus’ blood to atone for our sin.

Yes, there is power in the “blood,” but it isn’t some mystical magic. Hebrews 9:22 says that “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (NKJV). The Old Testament priests sacrificed often for forgiveness of sin. Jesus’ one-time sacrifice was for forgiveness of all sin for all time.

Now, can we pray to God for protection? Certainly. As His children we seek His protection and guidance, but there is no “pleading the blood.”

Dennis said...

Bill, What they did in the Old Covenant has nothing to do with the New Grace Covenant of Christianity