A Biblical Approach to the Ministry of Deliverance
Chapter 1
What exactly does it mean to be possessed with a devil?
Before I can really show you how Christians can have demons, it is
essential that you have a correct understanding of what it means to be
possessed with a devil. So what exactly does it mean when a person is said to
be possessed with a devil? A great place to start is the NT Greek. If we look
up the word possessed in NT Greek, we find absolutely nothing at all! There is
no translation for the word possessed. However, we can look up the word devil
in the phrase "possessed with a devil", and it gives us the Greek
word daimonizomai. The Greek word daimonizomai means to be exercised by an
unclean spirit, to have one, to be under the power or influence of one, or to
be vexed with a devil. To be vexed refers to harassment, torment and troubling
from an evil spirit.
Because the word possessed is not translated back to NT Greek, it
is essential that we leave behind the word possessed, because the proper
translation is actually coming from the word devil when used in the phrase
"possessed with a devil". Many people today get demon possession
confused with ownership simply because the word possessed nowadays usually
refers to ownership. I believe many Christians feel that a child of God could
not possibly be possessed, as in owned by an evil spirit. The Bible makes it very
clear that a believer cannot be owned by an evil spirit in 1 Corinthians 7:23:
"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of
men."
Therefore it is impossible for a Christian to be owned by a
demonic spirit. According to Ezekiel 18:4, it is impossible for even a
non-believer to be literally owned by a demonic spirit, for God claims complete
ownership of everybody:
"Behold, all
souls are mine..."
Isn't possession when a person is completely under a demon's
control?
As pointed out earlier, the NT Greek word daimonizomai is
referring to more than just one condition. It is quite possible for a person to
come completely under a demon's control. However, a person who is said to be
possessed with a devil could merely be harassed by a demonic spirit, come under
the power or influence of one, or simply have one. Contrary to what many
believe, there were perfectly sane people in the Bible that were possessed with
evil spirits. Take for example the man found in Matthew 12:22:
"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind,
and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and
saw."
It is quite possible to have a spirit affecting you physically and
not bothering you mentally. Another example of this can be found in Luke 13:11:
"And, behold, there was a
woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself."
The woman was not said to be mentally insane or a lunatic, but was
merely bound by an evil spirit that was causing her to be crippled physically.
Furthermore, she was even said to be a daughter of Abraham, which clearly tells
us that she was a believer. I will get more into that later.
Chapter 2
How do demons gain access into our lives?
Due to the scope of this teaching, I'm not going to list all the
ways that a person can have a demon, but I would like to show you how a
believer is quite capable of acquiring a demon through defilement.
In Colossians 2:13-15, we learn that by the forgiveness of sins,
the demonic spirits are disarmed (spoiled) and their legal grounds are removed:
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
As believers, we have a spiritual hedge of protection around us,
but in Ecclesiastes 10:8, it becomes evident that we can break a hole in our
hedge and be bitten by the enemy:
"He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh
an hedge, a serpent shall bite him."
There are several good reasons to believe that this is speaking of
spiritual serpents and not physical. The first part of this verse, speaking of
falling into a pit, is also mentioned in Proverbs 26:27 which has a clear
spiritual and not physical context. Psalms 7:15 also speaks of digging a pit,
with a very obvious spiritual context. In verse 9 in Ecclesiastes 10, it is
telling us that if you remove stones (which form a wall of protection) you will
be hurt, which is physically untrue 99.99% of the time. Verse 11 tells us that
the serpent will bite without enchantment, which is also true 99.99% of the
time. The Bible is not a gardening or home improvement book and if it were
speaking of physical snakes, then it would be basically telling us never to
take down hedges because we will be bitten. That would be absolutely
ridiculous.
Paul warned the believers in Ephesians 4:26-27 not to commit sin
and therefore give place to the devil:
"Be ye angry, and sin
not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil."
Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 tells us that through
unforgiveness, Satan can get an advantage of us:
"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I
forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the
person of Christ; Lest Satan
should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
In Matthew 18:23-35, we are also warned that we can be turned over
to the tormenters (which are evil spirits) if we are bitter and unforgiving:
"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain
king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to
reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But
forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife,
and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant
therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me,
and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with
compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went
out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and
he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou
owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying,
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and
cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants
saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all
that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O
thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had
pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered
him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly
Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his
brother their trespasses."
Hebrews 12:15 also warns us not to allow bitterness to take hold
in our hearts, lest we become defiled:
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."
In the book of Hebrews, Paul was writing to the church, which is
the body of believers. Therefore it becomes clear that believers are not immune
from the ability to defile ourselves. Defilement is where a hole is punched
into our spiritual hedge of protection, and legal grounds become available for
demonic spirits in our lives.
1 John 5:18, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth
not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one
toucheth him not."
Many people misinterpret this verse to say that a Christian cannot
have a demonic spirit. The first part of this verse is telling us that a
believer won't continue in his old sinful lifestyle. The second part is not
saying that Jesus will protect us, but is rather saying that we who are born
(begotten) of God will keep ourselves. This word begotten here translates to
the NT Greek word gennao, which means to be born of. As John 3:5 tells us,
Christians are born of God:
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God."
The word begotten found in John 3:16 does not have the same
meaning as the begotten used in 1 John 5:18. In John 3:16, the word is
translated back to the NT Greek word monogenes, and refers to a unique, an
only. Jesus is the only begotten (unique) son of God. Whereas the begotten in 1
John 5:18 is referring to those who are born of God, and those who are born
again are born of the Spirit of God. Furthermore, if you look carefully at the
wording in 1 John 5:18, it is telling us that he who is begotten keepethhimself.
This makes sense for us to keep ourselves, but it makes no sense for Jesus to
keep Himself, especially in the context of this verse.
What 1 John 5:18 is telling us is that if we do not continue in
our old sinful ways, and keep ourselves, the enemy will not be able to have any
new legal grounds into our lives. In other words, we won't be picking up any
new demons. However, what if we don't keep ourselves? What if we go out and do
whatever we want? If we cannot hold up to the first two parts of this verse,
then we cannot expect the blessing of the last part either.
Chapter 3
"But light cannot dwell with darkness!"
This is perhaps the most common argument raised against the idea
of a believer having a demon. This assumption is mostly based upon 2
Corinthians 6:14, which is actually lecturing the saints about believers
marrying unbelievers:
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for
what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness?"
It is important to point out that it is not telling us that a
believer cannot marry a non-believer. It is merely pointing out that there
would be no communion (partnership) between the two. How can they share the
same spiritual goals if one is spiritually dead and the other alive? It's
impossible. But does that mean a non-believer cannot marry a believer? Of
course not!
Obviously the Holy Spirit (light) will not partner with the
demonic spirits (darkness) in a person either, but that doesn't mean the two
cannot coexist. Just as a believer (who is of the light) is quite capable of
marrying a non-believer (who is in darkness).
Man is composed of a body, a soul (mind) and a spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:23, "And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray Godyour whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Our spirits are reborn instantly the moment we call upon Jesus to
be our Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 5:17 makes it clear that all who are in
Christ are new creations.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
When we accept Jesus, our spirits are united with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit dwells within our spirits. But there's another part of us that
has not been instantly and wholly changed the moment we became children of God.
Your soul, which is your mind, was not instantly changed the
moment you accepted Jesus. This is where the old fleshly nature can still be
lingering in a believer's life. This is the part of us that Romans 12:2 is
referring to as we are told to be renewed in our minds:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God."
This is why new converts often carry over so much darkness in
their lives even after accepting Christ. When is the last time you met a
believer who can confidently claim that they've never sinned since the moment
he has accepted Christ? Unless you happen to catch them on their way back to
their seats from an alter call, I doubt you'll find many.
We are given a new nature when we are born again, our old sinful
nature is circumcised (cut) from us, and we are given a new nature in Christ
Jesus. But in Colossians 3:10, we are also told to put on this man by growing
in the knowledge of Him that created us:
"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him."
The more we spend time and fellowship with the Lord and in His
Word, the more we put on the new nature in Christ Jesus, and our minds are
transformed. As Ephesians 5:26 tells us, we are cleansed by the washing of the
Word:
Ephesians 5:26-27, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by
the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish."
Apparently, if light could not dwell with darkness, then it would
be impossible for Paul to have the Holy Spirit or to even be a believer for
that matter, at least according to Romans 7:17-18:
"Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I
know that in me (that is, in
my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how
to perform that which is good I find not."
So if light cannot dwell with darkness, how would it be possible
for Paul to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within Him, and still have darkness
dwelling within him as well? Apparently, the two can coexist.
In Jeremiah 23:24, God tells us that the Holy Spirit covers the
whole earth:
"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see
him? saith the LORD. Do not I
fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD."
If the Holy Spirit covers the earth, and darkness could not dwell
in the light, then that would mean demons would be incapable of roaming this
earth.
In Job 1:12, we are told that Satan himself, the king of darkness,
has been known to approach even the presence of the Almighty God:
"...So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD."
Demons are known to operate in both the soul and the body.
There is no Biblical evidence that I am aware of where demons are
known to specifically operate within a man's spirit. Every time we see a
demonic spirit at work in the life of a person, it is either through the soul
(mind) or the physical body. In Matthew 17:15,18, we find an example where a
young boy was mentally ill because of a demonic spirit:
"Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed:
for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And Jesus
rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from
that very hour."
The term lunatic here in the NT Greek translates to the word
seleniazomai, which means moonstruck or crazy. To be moonstruck literally means
mentally unbalanced, or mentally ill. Clearly the boy was affected mentally by
this evil spirit.
People are also known to be physically affected by demonic
spirits. In Luke 13:11, we are shown of a perfectly sane woman who was
physically bound by a spirit of infirmity:
"And, behold, there was a
woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself."
It is not uncommon for people to be tormented and harassed with
fear and other mental torment, such as the case 1 Samuel 16:14, where King Saul
received an evil spirit:
"But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD
troubled him."
When we trace the word troubled here back to the OT Hebrew, it
gives us the word baath, which means to terrify, trouble or overwhelm a person.
It is not uncommon for people to be mentally harassed by evil spirits in this
manner.
Chapter 4
Deliverance is meant for God's children
In Isaiah 53:5, we find some things being prophesied that Jesus
would fulfill in the atonement:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed."
Now was this work done for the non-believing, or the believers? I
believe it is obvious that Jesus' work here was done for those who believe upon
Him. After all, this same verse is speaking of the forgiveness of sins, which
is clearly not for the non-believing.
Now let's turn forward to Matthew 8:16-17, where we find Jesus
demonstrating the fulfillment of this prophecy:
"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils: and he
cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and
bare our sicknesses."
Notice that two things are mentioned here. The first is the
casting out of demons, and the second was the healing of physical sickness.
According to these verses in Matthew, the first one is clearly pointing back to
Isaiah 53:5, where He took our iniquities. This was something that Jesus took
upon Himself so that we could be freed from the grips of demonic spirits! Did
Jesus take the infirmities of the non-believers? Or was this meant for those
who believe?
Notice that the demons did not automatically leave, but they were
driven or cast out of the people. Like healing, which is spoken of in both
these passages, was not automatic manifested, nor is it in the lives of
believers today. If believers today automatically received the benefits to
those works that Jesus did for us, you would see people being completely healed
the moment they accept Jesus.
Chapter 5
Deliverance is not meant for non-believers
In Colossians 2:13-15, we are told of the means by which Jesus
paved the way for our deliverance:
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
Had Jesus not forgiven our sins, the principalities and powers
spoken of here would not have been spoiled (disarmed). The demonic kingdom,
which works through demonic spirits, would have legal grounds in our lives
because of our sins.
Before you can effectively cast demons out of a person and rest
assured that they will not return, the legal grounds must first be removed.
Jesus tells us clearly in Matthew 12:43-45 that if you cast demons out of a
non-believer, who has not had his legal grounds removed, they are bound to
return, each wicked spirit bringing 7 more even worse evil spirits with it:
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh
through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will
return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it
empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other
spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the
last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked
generation."
As you can see, this warning applies to the non-believers, who are
considered wicked and have not receive atoning for their sins. The demonic
spirits will still have the legal grounds in that person's life, and can freely
return as they please. In order for a deliverance to be successful and bring
lasting results, the person must be a believer. Casting demonic spirits out of
non-believers is only setting them up for an much worse disaster.
Jesus made it clear that deliverance is children's bread
In Mark 7:25-27, we find a woman who was a Gentile, and therefore
outside of covenant with God, and her daughter had an unclean spirit. Jesus
referred to deliverance as children's bread and made it clear that it is not
proper to take what belongs to children (those in covenant with God) and cast
it before dogs (those outside covenant with God):
"...For it
is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs."
Chapter 6
The purpose of casting out demons... Removing legal grounds is not
enough
A common question people have is, "Don't demons leave once
their legal grounds have been removed?" While it is possible for them to
freely leave at that point, it is not always the case. I'd like to point out
that even while Jesus was here on earth, He was fully capable of forgiving the
people's sins, as Luke 5:20-24 shows us:
"And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins
are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying,
Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What
reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee;
or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon
earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto
thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house."
Notice how Jesus even asked if it were easier to say "Thy
sins be forgiven thee," or "Rise up and walk." If demons left
the moment their legal grounds were removed, why did Jesus go about rebuking
and casting them out? Don't you think Jesus would have went about telling those
bound by the devil, "Thy sins be forgiven thee"? Wouldn't that have
been easier?
If demons left the moment their legal grounds were removed, there
would be no need to go about casting them out, and Jesus wouldn't have bothered
casting them out either!
To cast a spirit out implies that the spirit is stubborn and is
not interested in leaving on it's own. To cast out is a forceful action against
it's will. This is the way many demonic spirits are, they are stubborn, and
will hold on until somebody comes along and drives them out.
Let's say that you lived in an apartment and had a roommate, but
one day you chose to have the place to yourself, so you started paying the full
rent for your apartment (so you have full legal rights to live there alone),
but where your problem lies is that your stubborn roommate (who no longer has a
legal right to live there) refuses to leave. The same principal applies in the
spiritual realm when dealing with demons. This is why Jesus gave us authority
over demon spirits to cast them out. If demons left on their own accord once
their legal grounds are broken, there would be no need to cast them out! But in
Mark 16:17, after Jesus rose again, He made it clear that them who believe will
be casting out demons:
"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name
shall they cast out devils."
In Mark 9:17-27, we find a situation where Jesus' disciples tried
to cast an evil spirit out of a young boy and were unsuccessful. In verse 29,
Jesus explains that this particular kind of demon (unusually stubborn or
strong) takes prayer and fasting before you will be able to drive it out:
"And he said unto them, This
kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."
Prayer and fasting builds up your faith unusually strong, and in
verse 20, Jesus made it clear that it was faith that they lacked in this
deliverance:
"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth."
Apparently, forgiving this young boy's sins (removing the legal
grounds) wasn't enough to drive the demon out, and Jesus said they lacked faith
that was needed to cast it out. For Jesus to tell us that this kind comes out
by nothing, but prayer and fasting, tells us clearly that removing legal
grounds isn't going to solve the problem.
Authority is necessary to drive out evil spirits
Demonic spirits do not leave automatically when their legal
grounds are removed, or else there would be no need to have the authority to
drive them out. Back in the OT, there was no such thing as casting out demons
because nobody had the authority to do so. But all that changed when Jesus came
on the scene, as Mark 1:27 shows us:
"And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned
among themselves saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even
the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."
If you take the word authority here and look it up in the NT
Greek, we are given the word exousia which is referring to a privilege to
subjectively force. Jesus didn't politely ask the demons to come out, He forced
them because of His authority. Without that authority, there would be no
driving out evil spirits.
Chapter 7
The kind of people that Jesus was casting demons out of
I think it's also important to look at the kind of people that
Jesus was casting demons out of. There were many people coming to Him for
healings and deliverances, they believed that He could help them, therefore it
could be argued that they were believers. Another common scene is when Jesus
was preaching in the synagogues, and demons would manifest and He would cast
them out of people right there in the congregation. Mark 1:39 makes this very
clear:
"And he preached
in their synagogues throughout
all Galilee, and cast out
devils."
The people in the synagogues were either hypocrites or sincere
children of God. Can you show me just one example of Jesus casting an unclean
spirit out of a hypocrite such as the Pharisees? Jesus said Himself that
deliverance was children's bread, and therefore not fit to cast before dogs!
A great example of a true believer and church going woman who was
set free from an evil spirit is the daughter of Abraham that we find in Luke
13:10-17:
"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus
saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from
thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made
straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with
indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto
the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore
come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and
said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or
his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this
woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen
years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these
things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all
the glorious things that were done by him."
Let's back up and take a look at the setting here; she was a
church going woman who was in the congregation listening to Jesus preach, and
while He was preaching He noticed her and stopped everything He was doing so He
could set her free:
"And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto
her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her:
and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." (v. 12-13)
Now are you going to honestly try to tell me that this woman with
this condition was a hypocrite, and she went to church just to look good before
others? This woman was severely handicapped, and made a regular effort to attend
church, even though it would have been much easier for her to stay home! It
costed her a lot of hassle to make it to church each Sabbath! Furthermore, have
you ever seen Jesus cast a demon out of a hypocrite such as the Pharisees? No,
instead He went around rebuking them for their hearts were not right before
God!
After Jesus healed her, He then referred to this woman in a tone
of honor as a daughter of Abraham, which was something He had never done to a
non-believer:
"And ought not this woman, being
a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be
loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (v. 16)
The first thing people try to claim after I point out that she was
a daughter of Abraham, is that she was a mere physical Jew. This is simply not
true. Let's examine what the requirements are to be considered a child of
Abraham:
John 8:39, "They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our
father. Jesus saith unto them, If
ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."
Looking at the context of this verse, it is clear that Jesus was
speaking to non-believing physical Jews. He made it clear that they were not
true children of Abraham, yet they had full physical blood-line rights to
consider themselves Abraham's children!
What does it mean to do the works of Abraham? What works was
Abraham known for? The answer can be found in Romans 4:3:
"For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness."
It is also impossible to believe in God, and reject Jesus, because
God prophesied about and testifies that Jesus is indeed His son, and whosoever
believes upon Him will have everlasting life. In other words, he who does as
Abraham is a believer in Jesus Christ.
Another argument that is very common, is that people were unable
to be saved before Jesus died and rose again. But as Luke 19:9 shows us,
salvation was quite possible while Jesus was here on earth:
"And Jesus said unto him, This
day is salvation come to this house forsomuch
as he also is a son of Abraham."
Romans 2:28-29 also makes it clear what the requirements for a
true child of Abraham are:
"For he is
not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is
outward in the flesh: But he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in
the spirit, and not in the letter; whose
praise is not of men, but of God."
As we look at these passages, it becomes very evident that a true
child of Abraham is not a physical Jew, but a spiritual Jew. The daughter of
Abraham was a true child of God who was crippled by a demonic spirit.
What is the point in casting out demons, if they leave
automatically?
If Christians could not have demons, then there would have to be
an automatic shedding of them at the time of salvation (I call it the auto-shed
theory). If the spirits were automatically shed at the time of salvation, there
would be no real point in casting them out. What is the point of trying to
battle demonic spirits in a person and command them to come out, if all you had
to do was get the person saved? If you ask me, if people aren't willing to
accept Jesus as their Lord and savior, I don't think you're wise to go around
casting them out at all. As you could see earlier, deliverance is not geared
for unbelievers, and would only be setting them up for a much worse condition
later on. If Christians couldn't have demons, there would be no real need for
casting out demon spirits, but in Mark 16:14-17, it is clear that this ministry
was meant to continue long after Jesus died and rose again:
"Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat,
and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they
believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them,
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they
cast out devils..."
Chapter 8
There has always been a great need for this ministry
Another common myth that is going around is that it's rare for a
person to have a demon and need it cast out of them. Many people go through
life with demons, and try to ease the symptoms through much counseling,
medications, etc. only to find some relief from their problems. When somebody
who approached Jesus that had a demon, Jesus set them free from it and they
were made whole again. Rarely do you find today's pastors solving the problems
that Jesus was solving on a regular bases in His ministry, and He said that we
will not only do the work that He did, but even greater!
According to the Bible, it was very common to find people who had
demons and received deliverance. Jesus was known to cast out many demons during
His three years of public ministry. Deliverances were quite popular in not only
Jesus' day, but also the early church. Even if Jesus delivered one person for
every two people He healed, that's an awfully high number of deliverances. For
that matter, many healings Jesus did were actually clearly known as
deliverances! Therefore it should come as no surprise to find Jesus casting
demons out of many people in one sitting, as we can see in Matthew 8:16:
"When the even was come, they
brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the
spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick."
If you look up the NT Greek translation for the word many, it
gives us a clear indication that this was far more than just a handful of
people; this was a large amount of people according to the Greek. The Greek
word for many here is polus polos and means a large amount or plenteous. The
same Greek word behind this verse was also used to describe the number of
demons in the man with the legion, which when properly translated in NT Greek,
stood for nearly 7,000 demons!
As Mark 6:13 tells us, Jesus disciples were also very active in
casting out unclean spirits as well:
"And they
cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed
them."
Notice that it is not uncommon to find multiple deliverances
mentioned in the same verses as multiple healings. Both divine healings and
deliverances were very common in the NT. There were many recordings of
deliverance, just as there were many cases of healing. I believe there is a
good reason that our Bible speaks so much of this one subject; it's a very
common problem that we shouldn't be overlooking.
In Mark 16:15-17, Jesus even felt that casting out demons was
worthy to be considered a sign that will follow them who believe. Notice that
this wasn't speaking of pastors or evangelists, but everyday believers:
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned. And
these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and
if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover."
Those who are experienced in this ministry usually don't even want
to advertise their ministry because they are backed up for months with
appointments to minister deliverance to those who are in need. This ministry is
never boring or lacks referrals.
Chapter 9
It is not God's will for His people to be troubled by demons
A lot of Christians get demonic vexation (oppression, harassment,
torment and troubling by evil spirits) and spiritual warfare confused. Many of
God's children live their lives being troubled by evil spirits simply because
they think it's normal and consider it spiritual warfare. I have news for you,
I see people break free from what most people live their lives battling with, because
they recognized the vital difference and sought the help they needed to break
free!
Contrary to what many believe, oppression is not normal and to be
expected in a believer's life. It is certainly possible for a believer to be
troubled by demons, but as Acts 10:38 tells us, Jesus made it clear that God's
will was not for His people to be oppressed, harassed or troubled by evil
spirits:
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
with power: who went about doing good, and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
The term healing here actually includes casting out demons
according to the NT Greek. It means to be made whole. Luke 8:2 shows us that
Mary Magdalene was one of those that were healed from demon spirits:
"And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils."
Mary Magdalene was made whole because Jesus cast seven demonic
spirits out of her.
Spiritual warfare is often blamed for many cases of oppression.
Spiritual warfare includes three basic elements that we need to be on guard for
and war against. The problem is, those three areas are very limited and does
not begin to explain the harassment that many believers face with evil spirits.
The three basic elements of spiritual warfare include:
- Temptation: This is where the enemy is known for tempting God's
people, and trying to cause them to sin. The more we grow in our relationship
with the Lord, the less this remains a problem in our lives.
- Accusations: This is where the devil will try to beat a person
down through accusations that he throws at them. He tries to constantly beat
them down because of their past. The way to overcome this is to learn that your
sins, once repented of, we forgiven and no longer to be dwelt upon. They have
been washed away by the blood of the Lamb, and continuing to think about our
pasts is giving the devil the ability to beat you down spiritually, causing you
to feel guilty and worthless before God. If you allow this to continue,
eventually a stronghold will form in your mind that will need to be torn down
later on if you want to experience freedom and feel clean again.
- Deception: This is where the enemy tries to deceive a person by
planting thoughts in their minds. The enemy is known as the deceiver. If he can
get you to believe his lies, you will feel the effects and be dragged down by
those lies. I often see the enemy trying to deceive people into believing there
is no hope for them, or that God is angry with them (even after they turned
from their sin and repented of it). It is not uncommon for a person to have a
hard time accepting the fact that they are forgiven, because the enemy has been
constantly telling them that they messed up too much to be forgiven or that God
doesn't love them anymore. If a person allows themselves to feed on the lies
the devil feeds them, strongholds can form. Strongholds are incorrect thinking
patterns, such as seeing God as a distant cold taskmaster, which makes it hard
for a person to draw near to Him and have a close living relationship with Him
as long as they see Him that way.
Physical warfare is when you are guarding yourself against the
bullets of the enemy, and sending bullets against your opponent. Spiritual
warfare resembles physical warfare in that you are guarding yourself against
the fiery darts of the evil one, and tearing down his strongholds that have
formed in your mind. In physical warfare there are prisoners of war (POW),
where a person it captured and the enemy gains the ability to torment, harass
or even kill the person. In the spiritual realm, if a person falls into
temptations and takes the bait of Satan, he or she can fall into the enemy's
hands in one or more areas of their lives. The enemy then has the ability to
harass or torment the person. In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul tells us not to give
place to the devil through sin, and in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, we are told not
to hold unforgiveness in our hearts, lest Satan gain an advantage of us:
"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices."
We can expect to be thrown temptations, deceptions and
accusations, but if they find themselves being troubled, harassed or oppressed
by the enemy, then it's time to step back and figure out what is going out and
seek the help they need to break free.
It is true that spiritual warfare can bring a certain amount of
torment if the person falls into the devil's trap and takes his bait, however,
spiritual warfare by no means explains the things I often see God's people
being tormented with by demonic spirits. There is no excuse for a believer to
have to live with demonic oppression or harassment from evil spirits.
Chapter 10
The ministry of deliverance didn't end when Jesus' ministry was over
John 20:21 makes it clear that we are sent fourth into the world
just as Jesus was sent fourth:
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my
Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
Jesus demonstrated the casting out of demonic spirits so that
today we can follow in His steps and do the works that He did, as John 14:12
tells us:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do
also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
What was one of the single most popular works that Jesus did?
Casting out demons! Casting out demons was one of the signs that followed Jesus
around, and in Mark 16:15,17, He said that them who believe will also have that
sign following them around as well:
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature... And these
signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils."
As we can see in Acts 8:6-7, the early church continued to cast
out demonic spirits:
"And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things
which Philip spake,hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean
spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them:
and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed."
As we can see the early church was still very active in this
ministry. We ought to be following suite today as well and continue the
ministry that Jesus has bestowed upon us.