If you minister in deliverance on any kind of regular basis, you will minister to people who are manifesting some kind of demonic spirit that will not come out when it should be coming out.  At some point,  you will have to search for something that is continuing to give that spirit a right to hold on to the individual to whom you are ministering.  Sometimes we miss the “something” because we are making assumptions about the person that we have not confirmed. For instance, we may assume they are saved because they attend church when they have never actually entered in to a covenant relationship with Jesus.  They may not believe that Jesus is more powerful than demons.  They may have a sin or a sinful relationship that they are not truly willing to give up.  Perhaps, there is still unforgiveness toward another or a judgment towards another person they have not renounced.  Maybe they have placed a judgment on God.

In spiritual warfare, one primary principle is that we must never come into agreement with Satan. If we agree with him, we empower him in our lives, give him influence, and give him a legal right to operate in our lives and family.   The principle is first seen in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden.  Satan, in the form of a serpent, engaged Adam and Eve in a dialogue about God and his commandments.  If you read the text, by way of a question, the serpent hinted that God was unfairly withholding good things from Adam and Eve. Satan was questioning God’s character.  The question hinted that God might be selfish, withholding, egocentric, and did not have their best interests in mind after all. 

As the dialogue continued, it is clear that Adam and Eve began to buy into the serpent’s view of God.  They judged God by choosing to distrust his command and his motives.  As a result, they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and lost their place in Eden. Of course, their view of God suggested by Satan was a lie, but their agreement was enough for Satan to claim the authority on the earth that had once belonged to Adam.

When ministering deliverance to broken people, it is not unusual for those individuals to feel as if God has betrayed them or abandoned them at some time in their past.  Perhaps, they feel that God didn’t protect them or someone they loved when they were wounded, abused, or even died in some tragic incident.  They feel that God allowed some loss he could have prevented or that he was unfair in something he did.  When they hold that view of God, they have judged him and come into agreement with Satan and that agreement gives the enemy legal access to them.

You may want to explore their past hurts and see what their view of God is regarding those hurts.  If we doubt God’s goodness or righteousness, we will be a fertile field for the lies of the enemy to take root. Those conversations are not always easy but we need to be prepared for them.  Asking Jesus to speak to them about those hurts can be a powerful way to uproot the lies of the enemy.  Some conversation about the nature of free will may also be in order. Sometimes the individual has been only vaguely aware of the view he or she has been holding about God and once they recognize it are very willing to renounce the judgment they have placed on the Creator, which removes the demon’s legal right to continue to afflict the individual.

Even in our own lives, we can begin to questions God’s goodness or fairness without recognizing where that will lead.  If we are to navigate life and the troubles that Jesus told us we would face, we need to be anchored in a belief that, no matter what, God is good and he is good toward us.  If he is not…why pray?  If he is not…how can we have faith?  But he is good and all his judgments and actions are righteous.  All my experiences must be interpreted through that lens.  I may have to live with some mystery, but I cannot move off of those convictions or Satan will surely lead me away.  

Whenever we are ministering to hurting people, it is a good idea to explore their view of God and, if needed, to gently lead them back to the truth about who God is and his love for that person.  Remind them of the good things that God has done for them and help them understand that we live in a world where bad things can happen to good people.  It is the nature and risk of free will.  God has not promised to keep all trouble from us, but he has promised to walk with us in those troubles and see us to the other side. Be blessed today and stand on the truth that God is good…all the time.