The King's Boot Camp: Authority, Dependence, and Dominion
Introduction: The Terms of Engagement
We live in an age that wants a domesticated Jesus. The modern evangelical impulse, particularly in the West, is to make our Lord into a respectable religious figure, a sort of spiritual life coach who helps us become better versions of ourselves. He is presented as meek, mild, and, above all, manageable. But the Christ of the Scriptures is nothing of the sort. He is a conquering king, an invading sovereign who has come to reclaim what is rightfully His. And when a king sends out his emissaries, He does not send them to negotiate a truce with the rebels. He sends them to announce the terms of surrender.
This passage in Mark is not a gentle suggestion for a new outreach program. This is the King's boot camp. This is basic training for spiritual warfare. Jesus is commissioning the first officers of His invading army, and He is giving them their marching orders. These orders are strange, they are stark, and they are entirely at odds with every worldly strategy for success. No money, no food, no extra clothes. Just a staff, a message, and raw, delegated authority. This is not how you build a successful non-profit. This is how you topple a kingdom.
We must understand that the world into which these men were sent was not neutral territory. It was occupied territory. It was a realm under the dominion of unclean spirits, ruled by the prince of the power of the air. Jesus did not come to carve out a little spiritual niche for His followers within that dark kingdom. He came to overthrow it entirely. And here, He deputizes His men to begin that work. He gives them a share in His authority, His power, and His mission. What we are seeing is the first wave of a spiritual D-Day invasion. The instructions He gives them are not arbitrary; they are a calculated assault on the twin idols of self-sufficiency and worldly security. They are designed to teach the disciples, and us, the fundamental grammar of the Kingdom: all authority flows from Christ, and all provision flows from the Father. To the extent that we grasp this, we are potent. To the extent that we forget it, we are just playing church.
The Text
And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and was giving them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only, no bread, no bag, no money in their belt, but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” And He was saying to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” And they went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
(Mark 6:7-13 LSB)
Delegated Authority (v. 7)
We begin with the summons and the commission:
"And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and was giving them authority over the unclean spirits;" (Mark 6:7)
First, notice the source of the action. "He summoned... He began to send... He was giving." Everything originates with Christ. This is not a volunteer mission. The disciples did not form a committee and decide it was time for an evangelistic push. The authority to act, the mission itself, and the power to accomplish it all flow from Jesus. Ministry is not something we do for Jesus; it is the work of Jesus done through us. All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him, and any authority we have is purely derivative.
He sends them out "in pairs." This is not a mere practical suggestion for safety or companionship, though it certainly provides that. This is a legal and covenantal principle. The law required the testimony of two or three witnesses to establish a matter (Deut. 19:15). By sending them in pairs, Jesus is establishing their work as a formal, legal testimony. They are not simply sharing their feelings about Jesus; they are delivering a royal summons and a legal warning to the house of Israel. Their presence in a town constitutes a formal visitation from the King, and the town's response will be entered into the heavenly court record. This is why their testimony, whether received or rejected, has such profound consequences.
And what is the primary tool He gives them? "Authority over the unclean spirits." This is striking. He doesn't begin by giving them a flawless apologetic method or a five-step plan for church growth. He gives them raw power over the enemy. This demonstrates what the central conflict is. The battle is not ultimately against intellectual arguments or cultural trends; it is against principalities and powers. Unclean spirits are the spiritual squatters on God's real estate, and Jesus gives His disciples the eviction notice. This authority, this exousia, is the right to act in the King's name and with His power. It shows that the kingdom of God is not advanced by slick marketing but by a direct power encounter with the kingdom of darkness.
Radical Dependence (v. 8-9)
Next, Jesus lays out the terms of their provision, or rather, their lack of it.
"and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only, no bread, no bag, no money in their belt, but to wear sandals; and He added, 'Do not put on two tunics.'" (Mark 6:8-9 LSB)
These instructions are a frontal assault on the idol of self-reliance. No bread for sustenance. No bag for carrying supplies. No money for transactions. Not even a second tunic for a change of clothes. They are to be stripped of every normal means of security. Why? Because Jesus is teaching them the fundamental economic principle of the kingdom: God the Father is our provider. The workman is worthy of his wages, and God will stir the hearts of those who are to support His work. To carry a bag and a purse is to trust in a bag and a purse. To trust in a bag and a purse is to not trust in God.
This is a forced march into faith. They are to depend utterly and completely on God's provision through the hospitality of others. This does two things. First, it makes them vulnerable, which is the posture of faith. Second, it makes the mission a test, not just for the disciples, but for the towns they enter. A town's reception of these ill-equipped messengers is their reception of the King Himself. "He who receives you receives Me" (Matt. 10:40). By showing up with nothing, they force an immediate decision. Will you provide for the King's men, or will you send them away? There is no middle ground.
The staff and sandals are permitted because they are instruments of a traveler, of a man on the move. They are not instruments of settlement or security. The staff is for walking and for defense against wild animals, and the sandals are for the road. They are equipped to be pilgrims, heralds, men with a destination and a message, not settlers building their own little comfortable kingdom.
Hospitality and Judgment (v. 10-11)
Jesus then gives instructions for how they are to conduct themselves as guests, and what to do in the face of rejection.
"And He was saying to them, 'Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. And any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.'" (Mark 6:10-11 LSB)
The instruction to stay in one house is a command to not be ministry shoppers, always looking for a better deal, a softer bed, or a better meal. They are to accept the first hospitality offered and be content with it. This prevents them from causing division, from playing favorites, and from being distracted by creature comforts. Their focus is the mission, not the accommodations.
But the next instruction is severe. If a place rejects them, if they refuse to receive them or even listen to their message, the disciples are to perform a solemn public ritual. They are to shake the dust from their feet. This is not a petty display of frustration. This is a formal, legal act of covenantal judgment. For a Jew to shake the dust of a Gentile land from his feet was to declare that land unclean and outside the covenant promises of God. For the disciples to do this to a Jewish town was a shocking indictment. It was to say, "By rejecting the King's messengers, you have declared yourselves to be no better than pagan Gentiles. You have placed yourselves outside the commonwealth of Israel. We want nothing of your town, not even the dust. We declare you to be under the judgment of God."
This act serves as a "testimony against them." It is a witness, a piece of evidence submitted to the heavenly court. On the day of judgment, the dust of that town, shaken from the apostles' feet, will testify against the inhabitants. This is not about personal offense. It is about cosmic treason. To reject the gospel is not to disagree with a religious opinion; it is to slam the door in the face of the living God. And that act has consequences.
The Mission in Action (v. 12-13)
Finally, we see the disciples' obedience and the fruit of their ministry.
"And they went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them." (Mark 6:12-13 LSB)
What was the content of their preaching? It was a simple, sharp, and unavoidable command: "Repent." This is the foundational message of the kingdom. It is not "accept Jesus into your heart" or "try to be a better person." It is a military command to lay down your arms of rebellion. Repentance, metanoia, means a complete change of mind, a total reversal of direction. It means to stop thinking your own thoughts and to start thinking God's thoughts. It means to turn from your sin and your self-rule and to submit to the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ. Without this, there is no gospel.
And as they preached this word of command, the authority Christ gave them was manifested in power. They were "casting out many demons." The proclamation of the kingdom results in the expulsion of the kingdom of darkness. Where the gospel is preached in truth, demons flee. This is not a sideshow; it is the central confirmation that the King has come to liberate His territory from usurpers.
They were also "anointing with oil many sick people and healing them." In the ancient world, oil was a common medicinal agent, a symbol of comfort and refreshment. But here it is more than that. It is a physical sign of a spiritual reality. The anointing with oil is a tangible representation of the Holy Spirit's presence and power to heal and restore. Just as the preached word brought spiritual healing through repentance, this anointing brought physical healing, demonstrating that the kingdom of God brings wholeness to the entire person, body and soul. The authority of the King extends over sin, over demons, and over sickness. His reign is total.
Conclusion: Your Marching Orders
This is not just a historical account of the first mission trip. This is a paradigm for the church in every age. The specifics may change, we are not all commanded to travel without a wallet, but the principles are immutable. The church is an army on the march, sent out by the authority of the risen King.
Our authority is not our own. It is delegated. We do not go in our own name or with our own clever plans. We go in the name of Jesus, armed with His Word.
Our provision is not our own. We are called to a radical dependence on our Father, trusting that He will supply all our needs as we seek first His kingdom. The temptation to trust in our endowments, our budgets, and our strategic plans is the perennial temptation to take our eyes off God and put them on the bag and the purse.
Our message is not our own. It is the non-negotiable command to repent and believe. We are not sent to make suggestions but to issue a summons. We are to preach repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And our power is not our own. The gospel is still the power of God for salvation. It is still the power that casts out demons, whether they manifest in shrieking fits or in the sophisticated idolatries of our secular age. It is still the power that brings healing and wholeness to broken lives. The King has not recalled His commission. He has not rescinded His authority. He is still sending His people out in pairs, as witnesses, to declare that He is Lord. And our response must be the same as that of the twelve: to go out, and preach.