To use authoritative words undiscerningly runs the risk of treating the power of God as if it were something to be conjured up at will. To use such language as a matter of routine rather than one of discernment borders on the magic mentality. For instance, occasionally it is possible to hear someone binding the devil in prayer so that the meeting will go well. This is not because there has been a moment of discernment but because it is presumed that the devil must be at work unless we bind him. Authority is being used here as a fetish. If we need the reassurance that God is in control, why not simply affirm this fact and thank him for it?

The Satan Syndrome, Nigel Wright, Zondervan, 1990, p. 195