The New Testament speaks of a “spirit of infirmity” (Luke 13:11) behind some illnesses, which need to be broken off for the sick to recover. Just as the spirit of a horse can be broken if badly treated, so too can the spirit of a person.
“A man’s spirit will sustain him [through illness], but a wounded spirit, who can bear [up under] it?” (Proverbs 18:14) By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to break off a “spirit of infirmity” so that he or she is able to recover, even if the illness is a longtime one. “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond..?” (Luke 13″13-16) A longtime spiritual infirmity had bound the woman physically.
Medicine is the province of trained and licensed physicians. (Jesus said, “The sick have need of a physician…”) However, Christians have been given Christ’s spiritual authority, and there are times when we need to release people from a “spirit of infirmity” (Luke 112) for them to regain strength and recover fully.
It is unlawful to practice medicine without a license; however, no license is required (as yet) for Christians to lay hands on those who are infirm, so that they can recover. Keep your spirit strong by reinvigorating it through a personal, daily Bible study. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 4:18-21 that Abraham’s faith in God’s promise that he would have a son invigorated him! Joshua 1:8 is another key to keeping your spirit strong through a daily confession of your faith in God’s promise. A ‘woke’ spirit is a weak spirit!