In this four-part discussion on deliverance, we have seen that Satan is always in search of a legal right to afflict God’s people. For those who are not in Christ, he needs no permission from heaven. Paul wrote, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). If we have not been rescued, redeemed, and forgiven, we are still under the dominion of darkness and under the authority of the evil one so he needs no ruling from heaven.
Satan may gain entrance into believers through unrepented sin, the sins of our fathers, word curses and, sometimes, trauma. When we participate in the things of Satan – especially idolatry and witchcraft of all forms – he can enter into us because we have joined him by our participation (See 1 Cor. 10:20). We have come into agreement with him. If we have done so before coming to Christ, we may have taken away his legal right when we were saved, but we may still have to drive him out by the authority of Jesus. Demons are like bad renters. You may have an eviction notice in your hand, but a bad renter may still not leave until he is forced out by the sheriff. Sometimes, you or other believers ministering to you will have to be the sheriff.
It is important to know that not everything you struggle with is demonic. We live in a fallen world full of imperfect people who carry their own brokenness. We live in a fallen world where disease and infirmity can impact us without demonic assistance. But if a problem has a demonic root, the problem will not go away until the demon is dispatched. If it does not have a demonic root, go to a doctor, a pastor, or therapist. If it does, get busy fighting.
The reason it is sometimes difficult to determine what Is demonic or not, is that demons mimic conditions that exist in the natural realm. In the gospels, we see deaf people healed by the touch of Jesus, but also see deaf people healed when a demon is cast out. We find blind and mute people healed by the touch of Jesus, but also healed when demons are driven out. Scripture describes epilepsy as a physical condition healed by the power of Christ, but we also see demonized people falling on the ground with seizures, healed through deliverance. We see a man with many demons who would be diagnosed as insane today, but after a legion of demons were cast out, he immediately sat clothed and in his right mind.
What, then, are some indicators that you may be demonized?
1. There are parts of your emotional or physical well-being that hinder your life, keep you from succeeding, consistently damage relationships, or that compulsively drive you to sin or destructive behaviors. You have sought help but have seen little or no improvement. Doctors or therapists have found it hard to diagnose your problem and treatments have been largely ineffective.
2. You have compulsive ways of thinking that are not aligned with God’s truth. When you resist the thoughts, they do not diminish, but actually press in harder.
3. You have participated in activities or been part of organizations or religions that were submitted to Satan…especially where witchcraft or occult activities were practiced. These would include psychic readings, tarot cards, horoscopes, Ouija boards, seances, mediums, Eastern religions, Wicca, new age, Freemasonry, Mormonism, etc.
4. You recognize destructive patterns in your family line…financial failure, divorce, extreme anger, violence, addictions, depression, suicide, sexual sin, premature deaths, and other tragedies, etc.
5. You simply know that you are under demonic attack…you sense it, see demonic manifestations, or hear a voice that you identify as demonic. You may also have people you respect suggest you may be demonized. Sometimes others see what we cannot see in ourselves.
6. You have addictions that you hate, but counseling, support groups, and rehab centers have not given you any lasting victory.
Steps to Deliverance
If you know or suspect that you have been demonized, there are a few simple steps to gain your freedom. That begins by removing the legal grounds Satan has to afflict us. You may drive out a demon, but if the demon has legal grounds he will return soon or another spirit like him will gain entrance. Let me be clear…if you truly do not want to be rid of an issue or have not genuinely repented of a sin (unforgiveness, gossip, judging others, a sexual relationship you don’t want to give up, etc.) you are giving the enemy a legal right to remain where he is or to come back quickly if he is driven out. James said, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Ja. 4:7). First, you must submit to the Lordship of Jesus before resisting (oppose, be hostile toward, push back) the devil, if he is going to leave or flee. Half-hearted deliverance is ineffective.
Step 1: You need to acknowledge any sin or brokenness in your own life. You need to confess it to God and to other trustworthy believers who will not judge you but support you (see James 5:16). Too often we deny our own issues, blame others, or rationalize our sins. Writing to believers, John said, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). When we deny sin or blame others, we come into agreement with Satan and that continues to give him legal access to us. You must confess the sin, repent of it, and renounce it verbally as one testifying in court. “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Pr. 28:13).
Step 2: Do the same thing on behalf of your bloodline. If you know of or suspect unrepented sins in your bloodline – confess, repent and renounce those sins on behalf of your bloodline.
Step 3: Plead the blood of Jesus over those sins…yours and your ancestors.
Step 4: In the name of Jesus and by his authority, command any unclean or demonic spirit to leave immediately and never return. Recognize who you are in Christ and the authority he has given you as a believer to tread on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy (Lk. 10:19; Mk. 16:17; Jn. 14:12).In the name of Jesus and by his authority command any unclean, demonic spirits to leave you or the one you are praying over. In the name of Jesus, cancel their assignment against you and command them to leave immediately and never return. You must command rather than ask or beg. Most spirits do not leave immediately. They hang on for a while, hoping you will give up. Those that have been present for years are most resistant. They have established a stronghold. It may take a while to batter down the walls. Keep commanding.
If a spirit is present, as you command you will feel things in your body or hear his voice telling you that you are powerless against him. These spirits manifest when being driven out in an effort to intimidate you or discourage you so you will give into their presence. Keep commanding until that spirit leaves. Most often you will feel it leave and any manifestations will cease. If, after doing all those things, you feel or experience nothing out of the ordinary, you most likely did not have a spirit attached to you. Sometimes it is hard to know whether or not a spirit is operating. The old axiom goes, ”When in doubt, cast it out.” If you are unsure, go through the process and see if anything manifests. If it does not, you have lost nothing. If it does, you have gained your freedom.
If a spirit manifests (reveals its presence), but does not leave after a reasonable time of confessing and commanding, ask the Lord to show you if there is something still giving Satan a legal right to afflict you that you are unaware of. Sometimes, there is something in our bloodline that needs to be revealed or something in us that we have not recognized as sin or have not truly wanted to give up. If you are confident that you are being afflicted by a demonic spirit but have not been able to get rid of it, seek out some believers who are experienced in deliverance to minister to you.
Transformed
If you want more detailed information and detailed steps to deliverance, you can check out my new book Transformed. You can pre-order the book now, but it will be available on Amazon and most other book outlets in early August. It is an update of an older book I wrote called Born to be Free, but with some significant additions. The Lord continues to teach us new things about deliverance and I have added those to the new book. The book will give you a more extensive theological basis for deliverance, help you discover who you truly are in Christ, help you understand the sources of your brokenness, help you identify demonic activity and curses operating in your life and will walk you through a process of breaking curses and soul ties. It will then direct you in driving out specific unclean spirits. I think it can be very instructive for any believer.
Next Week – The Ministry of Angels
