Recently we have had the privilege of working with several parachurch groups and churches that are wanting to launch freedom ministries in their area.  These ministries are full of hope and potential for setting people free and increasing the health and power of the kingdom of God by doing so.  But they are also vulnerable to the strategies of the enemy.

When a ministry is beginning that specifically focuses on healing the brokenness of people and setting them free from demonic oppression, you know that Satan will give that ministry special attention.  If Satan cannot keep individuals from being saved, he will then work hard to limit their effectiveness and fruitfulness in the kingdom.  Keeping them in bondage to fear, anger, distrust, depression, self-hatred, and a bevy of addictions is his ongoing strategy to limit the impact of the kingdom on planet earth.  Freedom ministries confront that agenda head on so we need to be especially aware of his schemes when we serve or lead ministries in those areas.

In this blog and the next, I want to make you aware of a few of the schemes that need to be prayed against, trained against, and sometimes confronted so that those ministries are not weakened or eventually fail.  

Spiritual Arrogance

First of all, there must be an environment  of genuine humility in every freedom ministry.  I have visited with more than one senior pastor who had a bad experience with such ministries in the past and who was not interested in developing a new freedom ministry out of fear of having the same experience.  Their experience was that those within the ministry had begun to see themselves as spiritually superior to those who were not involved or “in-tune” with deliverance, inner healing prayers, words of knowledge, spiritual authority, and so forth. That arrogance damaged relationships and created division within their church.

It’s tempting to slip into a sense of spiritual superiority because freedom ministries are typically bringing something new to the church that people are excited about. It may be the only ministry in the church that is consistently experiencing the supernatural power of God. Suddenly, the “freedom ministry team” knows about spiritual truths that no one else seems to know about.  

In that environment, the flesh is quite willing to feel superior, but that sense of superiority will create division in the church, especially when ministry team members accuse anyone who questions or criticizes them of  “having a demon” or being “spiritually immature.” James 4:7 declares that we can resist the devil and he will flee from us, but the verse before it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Submit yourselves, then, to God.”  Unless we humble ourselves before him, he will not empower the ministry and failure will inevitably occur.

One of Satan’s primary strategies is always division, whether in a nation, a family, a church, or a ministry.  Where division exists, love is not operating as it should.   Where love is not operating as it should, spiritual gifts will not be operating as they should.   Division will be spawned by anyone who feels that they are God’s elite in a congregation or community.  Those individuals always see themselves as being right, being more mature than others, and being more approved by God that others.  Criticism and a subtle or not so subtle attempts to undermine other  leadership will be part of the fabric of that elitist mindset.  Obviously, those attitudes reflect the character of Satan, not of Jesus.  When they show up in a ministry, they must be dealt with and corrected immediately.  If those attitudes are displayed in the ministry from day one and demonstrated by core leaders, the corrections will be easier.  You must also maintain the realization that freedom ministries are not for everyone even if they desire to be part of the ministry. 

Freedom ministries are exciting and impactful, but are no more necessary or spiritual than children’s ministry (I would rather face demons any day than two-year old’s), host ministries, worship, or the cleaning crew.  God has called everyone to a ministry and we are simply to be faithful in what he has called us to do while being cheerleaders for those he has called to other things. That attitude must permeate the leadership in any freedom ministry . Division will open the door to the enemy more quickly than anything and pride or arrogance will always create division.  

Next Week…Lay hands Quickly On No Man