Matthew 18:18 (NKJV)

Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Eisegesis: 

“I bind you, Satan.”

Exegesis:   

This verse has nothing to do with Satan; rather, it talks about church discipline and resolving conflict. The binding and loosing pertains to the church’s decision to forgive or excommunicate the sinning brother or sister based on their response.

The context of this verse  is related to church disciple and how to deal with a situation when one brother sins against another. 

The expressions “bind and loose” were common Jewish legal idioms, and Jesus used them here to teach the disciples that what they announce on earth is something that has already been determined in heaven. To bind meant to forbid, refuse or prohibit. To loose meant to permit or allow.

Peter and the other disciples, as Spirit-filled men, would have had the discernment to know what God permitted and what God forbade.

When the apostles bound something or forbade it on earth, they were carrying out the will of God in the matter. Likewise, they were fulfilling God’s eternal plan when they loosed something or allowed it on earth. 

The basic idea that Jesus was communicating in Mathew 18 is that members of the church who sin and repent are to be “loosed” (that is, they are to be restored to fellowship) while those who are unrepentant are to be “bound” (that is, they are to be removed from fellowship). These ideas can be declared on earth because heaven (God) has already declared them. 

The apostles were given the unique capacity to exercise church disciple when one brother sins against another. This was a corporate responsibility given to the apostolic group whose decisions and actions of binding and loosing were considered to be directed by heaven.

This understanding is made more apparent when you read the following verse that says; when 2 or 3 agree on a matter, He is present within them.   

But do we possess the power to bind Satan as some have claimed to do so? No, there is no Biblical justification for such practice and also let’s look at some of the following facts;

The Devil in the Bible is described as a roaring lion

1 Peter 5:8 explicitly states that Satan roams around freely like a lion. If this is true, it does not seem like we have the authority to bind him up.

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Christ will bind Satan.

Scriptures are clear that the only time when the devil will be bound is during the second coming of Jesus Christ, where He binds satan in the lake of fire for a thousand years during the millennium kingdom.

Revelation 20:1-3 (NKJV)

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

Michael the Archangel did not bind Satan even though he could have.

Even Archangel Michael, when he had the opportunity, did not bind satan; He knew His place and the role of God alone who could bind Satan. 

Jude 9 (NKJV)

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Right Interpretation. 

When Jesus was speaking to the apostles (in Mathew 16:19 & 18:18), He was telling them that they had a special task on earth as their words of authority would reflect God’s will for the church.

Jesus did not say that God would obey everything they did on earth, but that they should do whatever God has already willed to take place on earth. The church does not get man’s will done in heaven; instead, it obeys God’s will on earth.

Lastly, here are two statements from prominent preachers exposing the subject of binding the devil.

Voddie Baucham – “Do the rest of the churches know ya’ll got satan, this week? and do you let him go every week? If you can bind him, then I’m just gonna go on record here, and say you can keep Him.” 

Justin peters – “Find the person who keeps letting Satan back out and bind HIM.” 

Both preachers use humor to expose the logical absurdity of the claim that we can bind Satan. If Satan could be bound by believers, why would he continually escape? These comments highlight the need for a proper understanding of Scripture. Binding and loosing, as Jesus taught, have nothing to do with binding the devil but instead refer to the church’s authority to act in matters of discipline, forgiveness, and teaching God’s Word.

Every time the gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, the keys of the kingdom are being used. These keys, given by Jesus to Peter and the apostles, specifically relate to the authority of binding and loosing. As the apostles traveled and preached in various regions, they wielded this authority by proclaiming the message of salvation. When individuals responded to the gospel in faith, they were “loosed” from their sins through God’s forgiveness. However, those who rejected the gospel message remained “bound” in their sins, facing the consequences of unbelief. This process reflects the authority granted to the church to declare forgiveness based on the response to the gospel, always in alignment with God’s will and Word. It emphasizes that the keys represent the responsibility to proclaim the gospel faithfully and uphold the truths of God’s kingdom.

Conclusion

Matthew 18:18 teaches us about the church’s authority to act in alignment with God’s will, particularly in matters of discipline, forgiveness, and the proclamation of the gospel. Binding and loosing are not about exercising mystical power over Satan but about reflecting God’s decisions on earth. As believers, our responsibility is to faithfully preach the gospel, uphold God’s truth, and trust in His sovereignty, knowing that His will is accomplished both in heaven and on earth.