“When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?” But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are. For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” They went to another village.” (Luke 9:54-56 WEB)
In the Christian Facebook group that I admin, I realized that some people post things like “I declare that your enemies die by Holy Ghost fire,” and they were referring to other people—not demons.
I have no idea where they got that from—definitely not from Jesus.
When the apostles James and John suggested to call down fire to destroy the Samaritans, Jesus rebuked them for having the wrong kind of spirit.
Yes in the Old Testament, those who came against Elijah were killed by fire from Heaven, but Jesus came to usher in a new dispensation where God deals with mankind by Grace.
Jesus clarified that He came not to destroy men’s lives but to save them. God’s heart is to deal with all men with as much Grace and mercy as He can.
Do you want to know Jesus’ viewpoint on how we should deal with our enemies? Read the following words by the apostle Paul:
“Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14-21 WEB)
This aligns with Jesus’ words that we should love our enemies.
When people curse us, we should bless them instead.
Don’t get offended by their insults—they are sons of Adam while we are a new creation in Christ.
Let their opinions bounce off us and never enter our hearts.
As royal priests, we can choose the higher way and be magnanimous, just like Jesus demonstrated when He prayed for mercy upon those who crucified Him.
So make no mistake, cursing others to die by fire is as evil as witchcraft.
You can’t use the power of God as a tool for evil under the guise of religiosity.
If you want to wield supernatural power for petty things like killing your human enemies, then go and be a witch, not a child of God.
Children of God follow Jesus’ royal commandment of love.
We walk in love and choose love even when it’s difficult. That’s how Jesus wants Christians to be known by—their love.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:34-35 WEB)
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