This blog is a bit long, but if you minister deliverance or need deliverance, please read it all. In my last blog, I discussed the need to spend adequate time discovering what has given a demonic spirit access to a person before ministering deliverance. Many people who minister deliverance just cut to the chase and begin immediately to drive out a spirit without discovering where the “open door” is that allowed the spirit to take up residence in the first place. Many spirits are hard to dislodge because they still have a legal right to afflict the person. Until that legal right is resolved, the spirit may stay or, if driven out, will simply return at a later date because the door is still open. Deliverance is about authority. If you do not remove the enemy’s authority to afflict a person, deliverance becomes a power struggle and that is when things can get weird.

There are five typical categories of things that give demonic spirits a right to afflict or oppress a believer. You need to consider each of these before ministering deliverance. Before exploring each of these categories, I want to affirm that the demonization of a believer is not a salvation issue. If a believer has a demon, he still belongs to Jesus. He or she is still saved unless they are driven to unbelief and rejection of Jesus by demonic influence. Demonization is typically a sanctification issue of continuing to grow and uproot the sin in our lives. Demonization simply means that the enemy is trespassing on property that belongs to Jesus and it is our responsibility to clear the property.

The first category is sustained and unrepented sin in the life of a believer. These sins can range from sexual sin (pornography, adultery, fornication, sexual fantasies, cohabitation, etc.) to drunkenness, gossip, theft, pride, anger, unforgiveness, judgments, anti-semitism, occult involvement, unbelief, and so forth. Sometimes the individual is aware of the sin but finds pleasure in it so they don’t truly want to give it up. These are often “secret sins.” Sometimes, the individual doesn’t recognize that what they are doing is sin or he/she rationalizes and excuses the sin so that repentance never comes. Anything in our lives that is out of alignment and remains out of alignment with the Father’s will can give the enemy a legal right to afflict the individual. It is crucial that we take an inventory of these kinds of behaviors and attitudes because if they continue without confession and repentance, deliverance will have little effect for the individual or, at least, the effect will be short lived. The danger here is that the demon will return and bring others with him.

Secondly, generational sins can come down through bloodlines in the form of a curse that demons may have a continuing g right to enforce. Remember the sins of the fathers are passed down to the children to the third and fourth generation (Ex.20). The unconfessed and unrepented sins of our ancestors gave Satan a legal right to enforce a curse against them but that curse can be an unfortunate inheritance unless dealt with by the blood of Christ as we renounce the sins of our fathers and repent on their behalf. Spending time exploring patterns of sin, dysfunction, and calamities in family lines can give real clues to generational sins that need to be dealt with before deliverance.

Even cultural history may need to be explored if ancestors were involved in false religion, idolatry, human sacrifice, genocide, or hatred of the Jews. [God declared, “Those who bless Abraham I will bless and those who curse Abraham, I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).] We have also discovered that massive amounts of demonization occurs in blood lines where ancestors were involved in Freemasonry and even Mormonism. Some cultures have a great deal of witchcraft woven into the very fabric of society so that may need to be renounced as well. Where there has been witchcraft or Satanism, family lines were often dedicated to Satan and that dedication must also be broken to set people free.

A third area has been mentioned but is prevalent enough that I want to highlight it. Unforgiveness and judging others are wide-open doors for the enemy. In several texts, Jesus was clear that if we do not forgive those who sin against us, our Heavenly Father will not forgive our sins against him. Many believers have been wounded by others, and have not forgiven them. Sometimes they are operating under the assumption that the offending party must ask for forgiveness before we have to extend it or that somehow, the offending party must have acted in some way so that they now “deserve” to be forgiven. That misconception needs to be clarified and biblical forgiveness needs to be extended or the enemy has total; access because our other sins stand unforgiven.

A close cousin to unforgiveness is judgments. Jesus said “judge not or you will be judged and with what judgment we judge, we shall be judged.” This judgment its not pointing out another’s sin out of concern for their soul, but is a judgment of moral superiority on our part and a judgment of their hearts so that we always see that person in negative ways. We always see them as less than ourselves because we have judged them. Those two areas need to be explored in length to see if they are open doors inviting the enemy in.

The fourth category is soul ties or covenants made with others (individuals or organizations) in the context of sin that can also be open doors. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 6 not to be yoked together with unbelievers who, by nature, belong to Satan. Those sinful relationships need be explored, renounced and severed before deliverance. Somehow, those covenants, spoken or implied, give demons continued access to believers.

The fifth category is word curses spoken over us…especially by those who have authority over us. That could be a parent, a spiritual leader, a spouse, or ourselves. When others or ourselves speak negative things over us, those words can function as curses which the enemy can use against us. There can also be curses assigned to us through witchcraft which seems to be increasing exponentially in our culture. Most of us are familiar with the scripture that says, “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Prov. 26:2). In other words, if there is no cause there is no curse. However, Satan is diligent in finding a cause in our lives when witchcraft is directed at us. Curses also need to be nullified and dealt with through the blood of Christ before deliverance is ministered.

As you can see, there is a lot to explore in order to close doors that have allowed the enemy to come in and to take away a demon’s legal right to remain or return. What I have mentioned is not everything but it suggests that sin has to be dealt with by the blood of Christ through confession, renunciation and repentance. in order to close spiritual doors. Trauma is another door through which the enemy can enter, and that also should be considered. I would suggest that if you don’t know how to deal with these issues in a person’s life, you may not be ready to m minister deliverance. Find some training. We and others can provide that.

When we take the time to deal with these sin issues and curses, deliverance is much more effective, much less dramatic. and actually leaves the individual not only free but cleansed. Revelation 12:10 describes Satan as the “accuser of the brethren who accuses them day and night before our God.” This and other scriptures affirm that Satan is always appearing before the Father accusing believers so that he might gain a legal right to afflict them. Because God is just, if a cause exists, he must grant Satan the legal right he is asking for. But by his grace and the blood of Jesus, those issue can be submitted to the cross and dealt with so that Satan no longer has claim to the individual.

We should also remember that demons, like some troublesome renters, will not leave just because his right to stay in the house has been nullified. Even after removing his legal right to be there, some rebellious renters will still have to be forcibly evicted. But he can be evicted because he no longer has any right to stay. That is where deliverance comes in. Do the legal work first, and the eviction will be much smoother. It will also prevent the “troublesome renter” from returning. Take your time. Maybe even spend a whole session exploring these issues before scheduling another session for deliverance.

In my next blog, I will address some special circumstances that need a specific approach to nullify the claims of the enemy on an individual.

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” Mark 9:14-18

For many, this is a familiar story. Jesus had just taken his students, Peter, James, and John on a memorable field trip. He took them to the top of a mountain where they encountered Moses and Elijah as they spoke to Jesus. As they spoke, Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white and God spoke audibly to the little group saying, “This is my son whom I love. Listen to him!” Shortly after that, they left the mountain to rejoin the other apostles and disciples of Jesus. As they joined them, the text quoted at the beginning of this blog was unfolding.

From accounts in the other gospels, we know that Jesus had given his apostles and seventy-two other disciples the power and authority to heal and cast out demons. He had sent them out on their own to preach, heal, and deliver people from demons. They had great success in doing so. But now, some of his disciples and apostles encountered a spirit that they could not drive out. The father was dismayed, believing there might be no cure for his boy. The disciples were puzzled and probably embarrassed that no matter how hard they had commanded and no matter what they had declared, they could not drive out the demon.Anyone who has been involved in deliverance ministries very long, probably can identify with these men.

Interestingly then, Jesus rebuked the crowd for their lack of faith and immediately commanded a deaf and dumb spirit to leave the boy. The spirit complied and the boy was set free. Later, in private, his disciples asked why they could not drive out the demon. Jesus explained that particular spirit could only be driven out by prayer and fasting. (Some manuscripts only say “by prayer” ) And yet, no one said, “Well, let’s pray and fast for a day or two and then go after this spirit again.” Jesus simply commanded the spirit and it left.

i believe the key here is that Jesus had lived a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. Even though his disciples did not do so, Jesus began his public ministry with a forty day fast in the wilderness and often went off by himself for periods of prayer and fasting. Two things seem evident from this short account.

First, some demons are harder to cast out than others. There are hierarchies of power and authority among demons. When we encounter one with more authority than the ordinary demon, we may have difficulty dislodging that unclean spirit with the level of authority we are opening in.

Second, a practice of fasting and prayer apparently appropriates more authority in the spiritual realm for believers, so that the extra measures of authority to cast out a demon are available when needed. It may also suggest that it takes a lifestyle of prayer and fasting, rather than just an occasional day or so of prayer and fasting to accrue the spiritual authority needed for some situations. I would anticipate that healing might fall in the same category.

So how do prayer and fasting garner us more authority and power than simply living by faith. After all, we are actually operating in Christ’s authority rather than our own. I’m not certain, but I have two thoughts about that.. First of all, extended periods of prayer and fasting (individual and corporate) are attached to breakthrough moments, deliverance from enemies, and life-changing decisions throughout scripture. These two things, which should include worship, seem to bring us into the presence of God more than anything else we can do. And presence imparts.

I’m reminded of Moses coming down from Sinai with his face glowing because he had spent extended time in the presence of God. The night Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee, he had just gone up on a mountain by himself to pray. Before Jesus chose twelve of his disciples to be apostles, he spent the evening in prayer. Throughout the Book of Acts, prayer and fasting played a significant role in miraculous, breakthrough moments for the church. Time in the presence of God imparts something of God to us. Apparently, God rubs off. The more time we spend in his presence with prayer and fasting, the more of himself God will give to us.

Secondly, desire matters. James tells us that the fervent or earnest prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (Ja. 5:16-17). Fervency reveals desire. How bad do we want something? All the children in the kingdom will have their basic needs met, but if we want more, we must seek it. Seek, ask, and knock. Extended prayer and fasting reveal our desire for the thing we are asking for. A casual prayer does not get the attention that a desperate or fervent prayer garners. It’s the hungry in the kingdom who get fed. Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt. 5:6).Prayer and fasting reveals our level of hunger for the things of God and the requests we bring before him.

As this year begins, many churches are beginning with a season of prayer and fasting. That is essential for the year to come. But in our own lives, many of us need to consider regular times of fasting and prayer throughout the year. I have a friend who faithfully fasts one day a week, every week. If we like him, were to give one day a week to fasting and used our meal times for extending our prayer, by the end of the year we would have fasted 52 days and increased our prayer time significantly. Fasting and prayer seemed to have marked the New Testament church even though they were saturated with spiritual gifts. Perhaps, prayer and fasting fueled those gifts. Ask the Lord. See what he thinks. But, according to Jesus, we know some things in the kingdom will only be accomplished by prayer and fasting.

Be blessed this week.