Note 6 at Mt. 18:18: Verses 18 and 19 have many applications, but taken in context, they are specifically referring to the church discipline discussed in verses 15-17. Some might think that church discipline is only symbolic and carries no real weight; however, Jesus is making it clear that in the spiritual realm, discipline that is directed by the Holy Spirit has much power.

The church discipline mentioned in Matthew 18:17 and expounded on in our note 5 at that verse, is twofold. It consists first of withdrawing fellowship and second, of withdrawing our intercession on their behalf. This second part of discipline actually goes beyond our no longer binding the demonic forces opposing the person. It actually includes us loosing them from our intercession and delivering them unto Satan for the destruction of their flesh. This is the binding and loosing being referred to in this verse.

We have the authority to bind demonic powers operating against a brother or sister (or remit their sins as in Jn. 20:23), and we also have authority to loose those same powers in their lives (this is the "retain" of Jn. 20:23). This is for the purpose of causing repentance and restoration.

If the person will not respond to the steps Jesus laid out in verses 15-16, then the church disciplines him by not fellowshipping with him and by no longer binding the results of his sins that would normally come through the law of sowing and reaping (Gal. 6:7-8). We are to actually retain that person's sins unto him (Jn. 20:23), which is the same as delivering him over to Satan (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:19- 20). That simply means that we loose Satan to give him as his sins deserve in hopes that he will realize how deadly his sin is and will repent before Satan destroys him.

Proper intercession can actually keep Satan "at bay" though an individual is living in great sin. This is good if the person uses this freedom to repent and come back to God. But, if the person takes this freedom from the wages of sin to commit more sin, then comes a time when this form of intercession ceases to be beneficial. In that case, intercession against Satan's attacks should be withdrawn, and we should actually retain that person's sins unto him so that he can no longer get by without experiencing the death that sin brings (Rom. 6:23). As he starts reaping what he has sown, it, hopefully, will cause him to turn back to the goodness of God that he once enjoyed.

This is a very severe thing to do and should not be done lightly. That is why Jesus instructed us to employ these other three steps first (Mt. 18:15-17). This also should be done as a church body, thus preventing one person from trying to use binding and loosing as a form of vengeance on another member of the body. However, as verse 19 states, any two believers employing the principle of binding and loosing can do it; for according to verse 20, two believers gathered in Jesus' name constitute a gathering of the church, and there is a special anointing of the Lord present.

There are also other ways of applying these verses. One of the tragic applications is that anytime two or three believers are gathered together and they fall into gossip or criticism, the same spiritual laws begin to work--many times in reverse order from which God intended. We can actually bind up the positive results of sowing and reaping in a godly person and loose the attacks of Satan against them by the words we speak (Prov. 18:21; Jas. 3:5-6,9-10). Also, if we fail to lift up our brothers and sisters in intercession, we are, in effect, turning them over to Satan through our neglect. These verses reveal that heaven and earth are affected by our binding and loosing.