To many, Holy Spirit baptism is still a mystery and to others it was an experience confined to a few years in the life of the early church that went the way of miracles and apostles at the end of the first century. Yet, Jesus made it clear that effective ministry was impossible with out it…at least the kind of ministry he came to demonstrate.

Someone once challenged the churches in America to remove anything from their weekly slate of ministry that could not be accomplished by driven, talented people without the Spirit of God and see what was missing. For many churches, nothing would be missing. The world can provide amazing music that stirs the soul through Broadway shows and even Vegas productions. Many non-Christian organizations do amazing things for the poor and third world nations that churches have yet to match. Men and women can stir people to frenzied action, to give huge sums of money, and have even moved nations to go to war with only their natural abilities of persuasion and oratory. Secular production companies such as Sesame Street can produce children’s programming that is second to none and that can generate love and loyalty for multiple generations. Secular therapists can provide counseling that enables troubled marriages to stay together and secular research is providing drug therapies that help people cop with depression and suicidal tendencies. So what is the church doing that the world cannot?

We can certainly offer Jesus and the security that comes from a knowledge that our sins are forgiven in him, but the gospels seem to promise much more. Even Pharaoh’s magicians could match the signs that Moses performed for a while, but at some point he offered signs that went far beyond what the sorcerers and tricksters could offer. In his ministry, Jesus did not offer great entertainment but offered truth that was backed up with supernatural power. He did not teach coping skills to enable people to manage their issues but instead set them free and gave them complete victory over their issues. He didn’t provide drug therapies to minimize depression and anxiety but cast out spirits of heaviness and fear. Instead of offering grief counseling, he simply raised the dead. Instead of funding a lifetime of twelve step meetings he broke the power of addiction and set men and women free. Jesus not only preached forgiveness but also healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, enabled the lame to jump, restored hearing to the deaf, cast out spirits that tormented God’s people, raised the dead, and removed the fear of death.

Is your church doing that? If not, there is a severe gap between what we are doing and what Jesus did and those who followed him did. The difference is in the baptism of the Spirit. Jesus told his followers to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from the Holy Spirit to go out and minister in his name. That power came when the Holy Spirit fell on them at Pentecost long after they had believed and submitted their hearts to Jesus.

If you carefully read the gospels and the Book of Acts you will discover three baptisms. The first occurs when the Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ at the moment we believe. At that moment we are added to the household of God and the Spirit takes up residence within us to give us faith along with spiritual understanding and to begin conforming our character to the character of Jesus. The second baptism is baptism in water which produces a divide between our old lives and the new life we will be living in Christ. But then there is another baptism which empowers us for ministry and activates spiritual gifts that the world cannot emulate. That is the baptism or “filling” of the Spirit.

Although the gospels represent a transition period between covenants, patterns begin to be established for us that point to New Covenant realities. Jesus clearly walked with God before he was baptized by John. After all, his mother became pregnant by the power of the Spirit. And yet, at his water baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on him and remained   there in an unusual way. It was after that experience that Jesus was said to be filled with power and began to do miracles. As the little group of disciples followed Jesus they came to faith that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God. After his resurrection there was no doubt. In John 20, the episode is described in which the twelve and a few others were gathered in a room with the doors locked when Jesus materialized in the room. He commissioned them by saying, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn.20:21-22).

The followers of Jesus were already believers. Jesus then imparted the Spirit to them to live in them and begin his ministry of transformation. But we are told, however, that there was more. A few days later, Jesus gave another command concerning the Spirit. “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:4,8).

Although his disciples had believed and had already received the Spirit, there was yet another dimension of the Spirit they needed before they could be effective witnesses for him throughout the world. The baptism of the Spirit imparted power for ministry. It still does.

The Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Believers baptize new believers in water. And Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit. These are separate baptisms that each provide a step in our sanctification process after coming to faith. That is why the author of Hebrews writes, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so” (Heb. 6:1-3). Notice that he speaks of instructions about baptisms (plural).

The instructions of Jesus to his followers about waiting on the baptism of the Spirit before attempting to be his witnesses throughout the world still applies to us. We can tell people about Jesus without this power but we can’t demonstrate him. We are somewhat like a vacuum cleaner salesman who comes to your home and tells you all about his amazing product but never plugs it into a power outlet to demonstrate that what he just told you is true. Some may buy the vacuum without the demonstration, but how many more would grab hold of one if they could actually see its amazing performance?

Francis MacNutt, who was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, has ministered healing and deliverance for years on the basis of what non-Catholic friends taught him and on the basis of having been baptized in the Spirit. Speaking about Catholics and deliverance ministry (exorcism) he writes, “Perhaps this is why there is such a strong conviction in the Catholic tradition that exorcists usually get chewed up spiritually and physically in their ministry. Without a release of the Spirit’s power, we are out of our spiritual depth…I think the problem with the fearful approach to exorcism is that too much confidence is placed in the faithful recitation of the words of the formal rite. If we made sure everyone who attempted exorcism was baptized in the Spirit, the exorcists would have much less to worry about” (Francis MacNutt, Deliverance from Evil Spirits, Chosen Publishers, p.274-275). By the way, if you have questions about deliverance, I really recommend his book.

My point is that power received when we are baptized by the Spirit is still essential in demonstrating the reality of Jesus in healing, preaching, deliverance, prophecy, and so forth. Jesus clearly stated that all who had faith in him would not only do what he had been doing but would do even greater things (Jn.14:12). The promise was not just for a few or just for a few years,but for anyone and everyone who had faith in him.

I must admit that the baptism of the Holy Spirit has often been sensationalized and misunderstood. Many who begin to seek Holy Spirit baptism expect (or hope) to get thrown thirty feet across a room with feelings like electricity surging through their bodies for hours. I’m not saying that such moments don’t happen. They do. But I believe they are the exception and not the rule. Sometimes, the experience is more like being overwhelmed with joy or love or peace – which makes sense because those are fruits of the Spirit. Many say that the only evidence of being baptized in the Spirit is to speak in tongues. That is one evidence and seems to be a normative response in scripture, but scripture nowhere says that it is the definitive proof of the baptism. Scripture also suggests that prophecy or boldness in sharing the gospel are also responses to Holy Spirit baptism. However, it is always risky to judge what is happening in the spiritual realm by what we see in the natural realm. Some experience physical or emotional sensations when they are saved, but most simply take it by faith and the proof comes in a changed life. Baptism in the Spirit can be the same.

What we do know is that Jesus baptizes with the Spirit and that the Spirit subsequently empowers us for ministry in ways that cannot be duplicated by those operating in their own strength and natural talents. We know that in the heavenly realm, we receive things by faith and not by sight. Therefore, we simply need to ask and believe that Jesus will baptize us. Sometimes we receive it through others laying hands on us and sometimes it comes directly. We may experience something immediately that we believe is evidence of our “baptism,” but we may not. The proof of the pudding is in ministry and boldness and, I believe, a hunger to begin to function in certain gifts. Even after baptism in the Spirit, many gifts will need to be developed rather than suddenly operating in a fully developed mode.

In addition, if you read carefully through Acts, you will see that even after initial baptism in the Spirit there are subsequent “fillings or refillings” by the Spirit. The proof is in effectiveness. Jesus said that the power was given for becoming a more effective witness for him. If we are becoming more effective in our ministries and witness, then there is the evidence and that should also be our motive for asking. Every believer should ask for Jesus to baptize them in the Spirit. He is certainly willing. If you want Spirit-filled people to lay hands on you and pray with you for the baptism, that is fine. The main thing is your desire and your motive. Ask and expect Jesus to keep his promise and then expect to minister in ways you have not known before.

God seems to be highlighting the power of words lately. It is an extremely important issue in the life of a believer. Because we are made in the image of God our words carry creative power. Because we have been given authority on the earth, our words set things in motion in the spiritual realm. The good news is that we can release blessings on the earth with our words. The bad news is that we can also release curses.

James has a lot to say about our words in his letter. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” (James 3:9-10). He instructs us to be sources of blessing at all times. We are to choose to speak life over ourselves and others whenever we speak. That is a simple rule but is one of those things that is much easier said than done.

Earlier in his letter he talked about how difficult it is to tame the tongue. He says, “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:3-6).

In fact, if you were to read the entire letter of James you might get the sense that the tongue is almost impossible to control…even for those who try. Many of us who want to be obedient to the Lord have found that James is correct. We want to keep our mouths shut, we want to avoid critical speech and speak only life…but something else often comes out. However, God does not command us to do what is impossible to do. What we need to remember is that all things are possible…with God.

If we try to govern our tongue in our own strength we don’t have a chance. But with God, we can control even our tongues. David had a handle on what we can do when we partner with God in any battle. He proclaimed, “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me” (Psm.18:29-35).

God revealed his ability to work with our tongues when Moses protested that he didn’t have the word power to speak to the ruler of Egypt. “Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’”

…

Jesus told us that we also have another who will help us with our speech. “On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt.10:18-20).

So…if you have been struggling with your words and have not been able to be a source of life and blessing to all those around you, verbally submit your tongue to the Lordship of Jesus each morning when you get up. Ask the Holy Spirit to govern your tongue that day and give you the words to say in every situation. Ask the God who made your mouth to be with your mouth and teach you what to say. The transformation will probably be a process rather than an event, but keep placing your tongue under the Lordship of Jesus and the operation of the Spirit and you will see that God is very willing to lead you to victory over your enemy….even when the enemy is your tongue.

Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord assures us that when his word goes forth it always fulfills its purpose. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11).  For us the question becomes, “How does God’s worth go forth?”  Under the Old Covenant, God told Jeremiah, “I have put my words in your mouth.” He went on to tell him that he was appointed over nations and kingdoms to uproot, tear down, plant, and to build although he would never lead an army or a political movement.

Concerning prophets, God’s word goes forth from his lips to theirs by revelation from the Spirit or from the lips of angels and when his prophets declare it, his power is then released and his word fulfills its purpose in lives and nations on the earth. In the Book of Hosea, speaking of his judgment the Lord says, “Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you” (Hos.6:5-6). The declarations of God’s prophet released the angelic realm and even the Holy Spirit to make God’s word a reality.

Under the Old Covenant, God’s Spirit would reveal his will to those upon whom the Spirit operated – typically those appointed to the office of prophet.  Under the New Covenant, the Spirit of prophecy lives in every believer and each of us can hear directly from God and can declare his word over a person or circumstance.  Admittedly, those with a residing gift of prophecy can do so in just about any setting,  but all of us can receive a prophetic word form time to time as the Spirit determines.

Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Like the Old Testament prophets, uur words in prayer and prophetic declarations release the heavenly realms to fulfill God’s purposes on the earth. So why does he wait on us? He waits for his people to declare his word or lift up prayers because he gave his people – his children – his representatives – dominion over the earth and the works of his hands from the very beginning. He simply continues to honor that intent and honors the authority he has given us. Much or even most of what God desires to do on the earth will depend on our prayers and declarations. God is willing to run and if he runs he will win the race.  But he waits on his people to fire the starting pistol.

Even when we recognize the essential place of our prayers and declarations in releasing God’s will and purposes not he earth, it’s important to notice the analogy God uses for his word as it goes forth from his mouth. He uses the analogy of seed that sprouts and grows, of planting and harvesting. Jesus used the same analogy when he talked about the word of God being broadcast and the different soils it might encounter (Lk.8:4-21). As microwave Americans, we expect instantaneous answers to our prayers, instantaneous healings, and instantaneous shifts in relationships and cultural issues when we have prayed or declared God’s word over a situation. But when seed is involved, we must allow time for cultivation, watering, growth, and then the harvest.

It is true that sometimes, our prayers or declarations will release almost instantaneous results. A person may be healed immediately or within hours. A prayer will bring a check in the next day’s mail. A house will be sold in the afternoon when the prayer was offered in the morning, and so on. But typically, like seeds, the words we have offered up will seem to make no difference for a season. Like a woman who has just planted a garden, we will go out daily to see if anything is pushing up through the soil. Initially, there will be no evidence of God moving to establish what we have prayed or declared or even commanded. Like a master gardener, we will need to have faith, watch the soil, and continue to water with our prayers and declarations until we see the first green sprouts breaking through the soil. Even after the first evidence of life, we will need to guard the initial progress with faith, diligence, and prayer. We will need to pray against the involvement of the enemy in the same way that we would be vigilant to keep insects and “critters” from killing the young plants. Eventually, we will witness a plant growing but that is still only the promise of a harvest. Then, after a season of growth, the harvest will come and there will be the full answer to our prayers or the full impact of our declarations.

Paul encourages us by saying, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). The harvest comes if we do not give up. Undoubtedly, much of what God wants to do or is willing to do on the earth gets choked out because his people plant their seeds but do not continue to water them with prayer and expressions of faith. After a short season, we too often decide that God is not going to answer our prayer or honor a declaration so we stop tending the plant and it is choked out by the enemy or by our own unbelief. We need to be confident of our standing in the kingdom and of the authority our words carry in declarations and prayers. We need to be confident that if God has placed something on our hearts or has given us a word by his Spirit or a prophetic declaration, then we are the carrier of his word that is to go forth from our lips. We should then stand on that word until it is fulfilled or until God releases us. What a privilege and what a responsibility. Enjoy both. It comes with our dominion over the earth.

I keep encountering good Christian people that simply do not believe that Christians can be oppressed or afflicted by demons. For my first 20 years of ministry, I also held that position. I had not been convinced of that through study but simply came to that conclusion because we never talked about it or considered it. It wasn’t considered an issue, so I assumed that it wasn’t an issue.

However, in retrospect our people suffered because of my ignorance of the spiritual realm. People who loved Jesus spent years unable to gain victory over painful issues in their lives – depression, anxiety, anger, sorrow, and a bevy of addictions common in American culture. I just helped a church in another state with their first Freedom Weekend. There were several participants in their sixties and seventies. They received healing and deliverance from issues that had plagued them for decades stemming from childhood abuse. That was wonderful but how much better if they had received that healing and freedom fifty years ago.

When we begin to talk about Christians needing deliverance the objection is often raised that Christians do not need deliverance. The argument is offered that believers cannot be possessed by demons since: (1) We belong to God, (2) He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world, and since Satan has been defeated by Christ, he cannot exert any power over a follower of Jesus. (3) The Holy Spirit lives within us and would not coexist with the demonic in “His temple” (1 Cor.6:19). A few others give room to the idea that demons might tempt believers externally but could certainly not be “in us” or attach themselves to us because of the reasons listed above. All of these objections are worthy of consideration.

First of all, those who say Christians can be demonized and those who say they cannot, must both acknowledge that their positions are not based on direct statements from scripture. Nowhere does scripture clearly state that demons can enter into believers nor does it say they cannot. So, conclusions drawn from an accumulation of evidence and experience may be the best either side can offer. I simply want to suggest some things for your consideration, if you struggle with the concept of Christians needing deliverance.

Secondly, we need to clarify the term “demon possession.” That is not a biblical term and I do not believe Christians can be possessed by Satan as that term implies ownership. Obviously, Christians have been bought by the blood of Christ. They have been purchased by His sacrifice and so are “possessed” or “owned” by God. The idea of “demon possession” also implies that individuals are totally controlled by demons to the extent that they can no longer exercise their own will in any area of their life. I have never met a Christian in that condition.

However, I have met many Christians who seem unable to exercise their will in certain areas of their lives at certain times. They suffer from emotional torment (depression, unrelenting grief, anxiety, self-loathing, feelings of rejection, shame, unworthiness, etc.), compulsions, addictions, rage, fear, lust, and a host of other sin or tormenting issues that they cannot seem to overcome.

Those believers usually hate the sin or the torment, feel shame about it, pray against it, receive counseling for it, attend weekly support groups, take medications to control it, and still experience no victory or lasting freedom in that area of their lives. Their best hope is to manage the sin, addiction, or emotional condition but have long given up getting victory over it. We are left with only a few options to explain these situations:

• Christ is either not sufficient or not willing to heal us and set us free from emotional brokenness or bondage even though Isaiah 61 and Luke 4 declare that has come to heal the broken hearted and set captives free.
• Those individuals haven’t worked long enough or hard enough to overcome the issues in their lives or simply lack the faith to believe God for those things.
• Those individuals really don’t want to be healed and set free.
• God has decided to leave those areas of sin and brokenness to secular doctors, psychologists, and pharmaceutical companies.
• If demons are present, it is because these people really aren’t saved and do not have the Spirit of God living within them.
• The demonic is exercising control over a part of their life from time to time (or most of the time) so that therapies in the natural realm and ordinary spiritual practices are not sufficient. Deliverance and divine weapons are needed.

As Christians, we must reject the idea that Jesus is not sufficient or willing or that God ordained that our only hope for healing and freedom is in doctors and psychologists – most of whom are secular. The world should be coming to us for answers rather than us going to the world. We should also reject the idea that sanctification and overcoming sin in our lives is all about our effort and hard work. Certainly we have a part in the process, but we are clearly told that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers (Eph. 6:12). We are also instructed to employ “divine weapons” (2 Cor.10:3-5), which are necessary to tear down strongholds in the lives of believers.

There are certainly some who are not truly saved and some who do not want to be set free. But I also believe that many who love God and hate sin are oppressed, afflicted, and tormented by demons that have attached themselves to the believer or “entered into” that person to take up residence. That condition is better termed demonization (affliction, oppression, harassment, torment) rather than possession. Salvation is not an issue in these cases but our effectiveness, spiritual maturity, the work of the Spirit in us, etc. are greatly hindered.

Demonization does not cost us our salvation but does greatly minimize our sanctification. In most cases, a demonized person is only out of control in one area of his or her life while functioning normally in all the others. However, that one area can create a great deal of pain and chaos for those individuals and their families.

The believer’s ability to continue to function in other areas of his or her life is what keeps us from looking deeper and, perhaps, seeking answers in the spiritual realm. Satan is a good strategist. He keeps attacks toned down so that we are hindered but still feel that something in the natural realm is the cause and that something in the natural realm can still provide a solution. So we seek more meds, more counseling, more dietary solutions, more of whatever science and medicine offers. I’m not saying that we should never use what science and medicine provides. I believe they are a grace from God for a fallen world but if the issue is demonic, those things will have limited benefits. Our conviction that our problems and solutions are grounded in the natural realm is what keeps the stronghold a secret and what continues to give Satan power in the life of the individual.

Our people look to the natural realm because the church has taught them to do so. The majority of churches do not teach on the spiritual life and battles in the spiritual realm nor do they access the powers of heaven for solutions. They teach that Jesus came to forgive our sins and help us to live a moral life so we can go to heaven but help for the rest of life’s big struggles must come from the world. What a deception. Jesus came to give us abundant life and victory over the enemy. We don’t have all the answers yet for healing and world peace, but those answers exist in heaven and our job is to keep stepping into the realm of spiritual warfare, healing world peace, and aggressive prayer until the Holy Spirit downloads the answers. It is only a matter of time of we ask and then the world will see the glory of God like never before.