Deliverance from Darkness

Book by James Goll

What Leaders Are Saying
“James Goll has done it again. This book is the fruit of years in the trenches,
observing at close range the conflict between the Kingdom of light and the
kingdom of darkness. An essential tool for every believer in these last days.”
—Mahesh Chavda, senior pastor, All Nations Church; www.maheshchavda.com
“James Goll is a prophet, teacher, man of integrity, lover of the Bride of
Christ—a man raised in the holiness tradition and a personal friend of mine.
James has the gift of teaching. This is a great addition to the few books that
deal with deliverance. It is thorough in its analysis of demonic activity; biblical
and balanced; practical, positive and powerful. I highly recommend it to anyone
who wants to learn more about the ministry of deliverance.”
—Randy Clark, founder, Apostolic Network of Global Awakening;
www.globalawakening.com
“James always brings a wealth of wisdom, knowledge and experience to
everything he does. He is both a pragmatist and a practitioner in all he does
in the Holy Spirit.”
—Graham Cooke, author, Approaching the Heart of Prophecy and Prophecy
and Responsibility; president, Brilliant Book House; www.grahamcooke.com
“James Goll’s Deliverance from Darkness is an amazing accomplishment.
It simplifies deliverance concepts for novices and provides seasoned readers
with intriguing insights.”
—Jim Croft, Jim Croft Ministries; www.thoughtsfromjim.com
“Once again James Goll has made the path clear. He has broken the dynamics
of spiritual warfare and demystified the way to deliverance. He is not giving us
theories. He has survived and risen above personal problems in a most unusual
way. He is a modern-day hero of faith whose example anyone can faithfully
follow. Make this a spiritual guide to transform your life.”
—Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., senior pastor, Hope Christian Church
(Washington, DC, area); founder and president, High Impact Leadership
Coalition; www.thehopeconnection.org
“James Goll knows how to walk through a firestorm and experience great
freedom and victory. We all need to learn from him.”
—Cindy Jacobs, co-founder, Generals International; www.generals.org
“The only time I pay attention to the devil is when he gets in my way. There can
be a tendency to give needless attention to the enemy. The call of the Church
is to bring the Kingdom of heaven through the manifested presence of God
to destroy the works of the devil. Deliverance from Darkness is an extremely
thorough book needed for this mission. James Goll has skillfully crafted a
book that approaches this subject with authority and delicacy, eliminating
the fear and awe of the enemy, putting the tools of authority into the hands
of believers and fulfilling the mandate of Jesus Christ.”
—Bill Johnson, senior pastor, Bethel Church (Redding, CA); author, When
Heaven Invades Earth and Face to Face with God; www.bjm.org
“James Goll is a thorough studier of the Word, an accurate seer prophet, a
warrior in the Spirit, a super communicator and full of mercy. Deliverance
from Darkness is a must-read, a resource you will want to keep in your library.
So buy two—one to give away.”
—Patricia King, president, XPmedia, www.xpmedia.com
“This book is solidly founded in Scripture, which should help even the
most profoundly anti-deliverance skeptic reconsider his or her position. We
particularly appreciate James’ inclusion of steps for deliverance and strong
admonishment to extend Kingdom authority over our personal worlds, since
our own ministry is directed toward practical how-to’s and releasing authority
for receiving complete freedom and healing from all of life’s wounds.”
—Chester and Betsy Kylstra, founders,
Restoring the Foundations Ministries; www.rtfi.org
“James Goll’s book brings ‘biblicity’ and balance to a field that can so easily
get off track and fall into theological and scriptural error. James writes with
simple biblical clarity, lifting the field of deliverance out of the ‘weird’ practices
of a few gifted ones and into the sound province of all in the Church who
know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.”
—John Loren Sandford, co-founder, Elijah House; author,
Deliverance and Inner Healing and many others; www.elijahhouse.org
“God is determined to restore Kingdom mentality and, thus, Kingdom life and
authority to the Church in the world. He said to Peter, ‘I will build My Church
and hell cannot stop it.’ He also said, ‘I give you the keys of the Kingdom.’
He also said, ‘If I cast out demons by the power of God, the Kingdom has
come upon you.’ During these days of Kingdom restoration, you will meet the
demonic. This book will serve as a valuable resource in setting people free.”
—Jack Taylor, president, Dimensions Ministries;
www.dimensionsministries.org
“James W. Goll has been recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and
experienced spiritual warriors of our generation. His valuable book and study
guide will help equip you to confront the enemy on any level, and I hope you
will determine to use them to equip others as well. I am so grateful we now
have these powerful weapons of spiritual warfare.”
—C. Peter Wagner, president, Global Harvest Ministries; chancellor,
Wagner Leadership Institute; www.wagnerleadership.org
“James has an amazing grasp of biblical truth, historical knowledge and
practical experiential understanding girded with wisdom. He weaves these
elements together to help us understand not only the problem but [how to]
find the way through to freedom. This book is so helpful, I’m going to keep
this book close.”
—Barbara J. Yoder, senior pastor and lead apostle, Shekinah Christian Church
(Ann Arbor, MI); founder and apostolic leader, Breakthrough Apostolic
Ministries Network; www.shekinahchurch.org
Deliverance
f r om Darkness
The Essential Guide to
D e f e a t i n g
Demonic Strongholds
and Oppression
James W. Goll
G
© 2010 by James W. Goll
Published by Chosen Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.chosenbooks.com
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy,
recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception
is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Goll, Jim W.
Deliverance from darkness : the essential guide to defeating demonic strongholds
and oppression / James W. Goll.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 978-0-8007-9481-1 (pbk.)
1. Spiritual warfare. I. Title.
BV4509.5.G624 2010
235 .4—dc22 2010015431
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright
© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked niv is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All
rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.
Scriptures marked nasb is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright
© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
Scripture marked amp is taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958,
1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture marked kjv is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture marked tlb is taken from The Living Bible, copyright
© 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
5
Contents
Foreword by John Loren Sandford 7
Part I The Demonic, Exposed
1 Jesus, Overcoming Demons 13
2 Overcoming Demons in the Early Church 29
3 Scriptural Characteristics of Demons 47
Part II Revealing and Defeating the Enemy’s Plans
4 Truths and Tactics of Temptation 61
5 Battle Plans for Overcomers 71
6 Exercising Kingdom Authority 83
Part III Our Authority in Christ
7 Realms of Kingdom Authority 97
8 Preparations for Deliverance 113
9 Effective Procedures for Deliverance 131
6
Contents
Part IV The Remedy
10 Curses: Causes and Cures 149
11 Generational Blessings 167
12 Deliverance Made Easy 183
Appendix 1: A Brief History of Demonology in
Quotes 197
Appendix 2: Common Demonic Groupings 209
Notes 213
Index 219
7
Foreword
When the charismatic renewal first began in the late 1950s,
many of us liberal, old-line, denominational Christians
discovered, to our surprise, that demons are real! That was a
shock that upset our paradigm of a nice, safe world. For a while,
the sector of the Body of Christ of which I was part characteristically
ran right off the deep end. Suddenly demons were
lurking behind every bush, and we went home looking over
our shoulders, just in case. Vomit buckets appeared in many
ministry rooms.
A plethora of books came out, many quite good, such as Don
Basham’s Deliver Us from Evil, and some not so good, falling
into the Manichaean heresy. More about that in a moment.
Deliverance and inner healing grew up separately, and often
antagonistically. Chosen Books asked my son Mark and me to
write a book to reconcile the two fields. We planned a sevenchapter
book to accomplish that, trying to teach the Church
to do both together, neither without the other. In the writing,
our editor, Jane Campbell, asked me to include a chapter on
delivering places and objects. That grew into another chapter,
8
Foreword
one about delivering animals as well—which so exploded us out
of our original intention that we ending up writing A Comprehensive
Guide to Deliverance and Inner Healing—emphasis on
comprehensive.
I say all this to commend James Goll’s book as even more
comprehensive—and greatly needed by the Body of Christ. It
brings biblicity (Mark’s note: “Is this a word?”) and balance to
a field that can so easily get off track and fall into theological
and scriptural error. James writes with simple biblical clarity,
lifting the field of deliverance out of the “weird” practices of a
few gifted ones and into the sound province of all in the Church
who know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
Many teachers and some authors who dwell on the subjects
of Satan, the kingdom of darkness and the world of the demonic
have unwittingly fallen into the heresy of Manichaeism,
purporting that life is an eternal battle between good and evil,
darkness being God’s opposite and almost equal number. The
early Church branded that as heresy. The battle is not eternal.
Satan is not God’s opposite and almost equal number. Life is a
good heavenly Father raising sons and daughters for fellowship
with Him throughout eternity (see 1 John 1:1–4). There happens
to be a war, but it is only one detail in the great tapestry of God’s
history of redemption through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fleshly zeal for the Lord, however, many have tended to get
carried away, overemphasizing darkness, and in their writings
giving Satan the attention and glory he covets.
James Goll does not fall into that error. Throughout the book
he makes clear that God is the Lord and that the earth and all
of us belong to Him. Though the book is replete with teaching
about how to defeat the devil and cast away his minions, one
comes away exalting and exulting in the Lord and His victorious
nature, rather than fearing and gearing up in unnecessary
tension.

Foreword

9
Many teachers and some authors rightly teach how to cast
away the demonic—and stop there. James Goll is careful to teach
that repentance must follow—as well as precede—deliverance;
and that repentance, more than feeling sorry, means so to change
one’s lifestyle into the way of the Lord Jesus that no demon
can return. James Goll carefully teaches righteousness as the
guarantee of freedom from the demonic; familiarity with the
Word as protection (see Psalm 19, especially verse 11); inner
healing as cleansing and transformation so that no demon can
find or maintain a lodging place (see, for example, Ephesians
4:26); and the virtue of small groups as the way of victory (see
Proverbs 11:14).
Read the book, but do not lay it aside. As a doctor keeps
medical manuals handy to refer to while treating patients, keep
Deliverance from Darkness handy as a resource as you work.
To God be the glory! Remember that as you contest with
darkness, and it will flee away.
John Loren Sandford

Pa r t I

The Demonic, Exposed

13
1
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
Situation: hopeless. The world was like a snake pit. Occupying
forces were devouring it piece by piece and soul
by soul.
Where was the Messiah? What was taking Him so long?
Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted.
Psalm 80:14–15
At last, He came. He came to save—and He came to destroy.
Born in Bethlehem and brutally crucified in Jerusalem thirtyodd
years later, Jesus Christ came to deliver His beloved world
from the destroyer.
To save it, He, too, had to become destructive—Jesus’ mission
was to obliterate the works of the devil who held His world
The Demonic, Exposed
14
captive: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that
He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
As He went about preaching and teaching and healing, He
turned the enemy’s face to the wall. His proclamation, “the
Kingdom is here,” meant that God had arrived. He had come
from heaven to earth to displace the evil forces that had taken
over. The Good News became good news only for those who
would turn from the darkness of the devil to the Light of Jesus.
It became very bad news for the prince of darkness, otherwise
known as the devil, Satan, the evil one, the prince of demons,
the king of the earthly realm.
So with Jesus’ birth and later with His baptism in the Jordan
River, the Kingdom of God surged into the world, displacing
the kingdom of darkness. Too late, the devil discovered that his
rulership had come with term limits. Enraged, he renewed his
efforts to sack and destroy as much as possible of what God
was reclaiming. Meantime, the Son of God calmly and deliberately
continued teaching and healing and delivering people
from his clutches.
With Jesus’ crucifixion, the devil thought he had succeeded in
ridding himself of this “usurper” of his long-established reign
over the earth. But not for long. After a mere two nights and
one full day in the grave, the Son of God rose from the dead,
thus annihilating death itself and depriving Satan of what he
thought was his ace in the hole.
How Does Jesus Do It?
We need to take a detailed look at the life of Jesus in the New
Testament, because He is speaking also to you and me when
He tells His disciples, “I say to you, he who believes in Me, the
works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he
will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
15
You and I have been filled with His Spirit; the Son of God
manifests Himself through us today. Therefore, part of our job
description is to release His powerful presence into the world where
we live, allowing Him to continue to destroy the works of the devil
until the job is complete. To do so, we need to examine what it
means to overcome the darkness, to take it seriously as a part of
our walk of faith, blazing forth His light and vanquishing the
darkness, delivering its captives. The question is not only how did
Jesus do it when He walked the earth, but also how does He want
to continue doing it through people like you and me today?
Jesus in the Wilderness
The Jordan River is the setting for the first New Testament picture
of Jesus as an adult. As soon as His cousin John immersed
Him in the water of the river, a dove descended upon Him, and
the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). In that moment, Jesus became
an absolute threat to the powers of darkness.1
Straight after being immersed in the water, Jesus was led by
the Spirit into the inhospitable desert wilderness of Judea. There,
for forty long hungry and thirsty days, the evil one tempted Him
with “all that is in the world,” as John put it in 1 John 2:16—the
lust of the flesh (bread to eat), the lust of the eyes (the miraculous
spectacle of defying gravity) and the pride of life (the power and
glory of worldly kingdoms). Jesus resisted, successfully, on all
three of these “ports of entry.” The enemy withdrew from Him
for a season to regroup, but the battle was on.
This is always how it works; the devil seeks entry points. He
tests and prods, looking for weak places. When he finds one (which
he did not, with Jesus), he moves in to see how far he can get.
Sometimes, in the face of an effective rebuke, he will withdraw.
What a relief! But it is only one of his schemes to hide for
The Demonic, Exposed
16
a season, because then people will let their guard down and he
can come back when they least expect it. The sounds of battle
may fade into the distance from time to time, but the conflict
is still on. The Kingdom of light is still being ushered in. The
kingdom of darkness is still being vanquished.
Equipped with spiritual weapons and enlisted in the armed
forces of God, we need to do our part as fellow soldiers in this
ongoing clash. We need to learn all we can from the One who
is leading us, the One who holds the keys to victory.
Jesus and the Demons
Soon after coming out of the wilderness, Jesus arrived at the
synagogue in Capernaum. As He was teaching—with a level
of authority that His listeners recognized as being unusual—a
confrontation between kingdoms erupted. Unclean spirits that
were present in the person of a demon-possessed man yelled out,
“Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?
Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy
One of God!” (Mark 1:24).
Standing in His unassailable authority, Jesus commanded
the demons, “Be quiet! I muzzle and gag you! Come out of this
man right now!” (see verse 25). Much to the astonishment of the
people in the synagogue, the man was thrown into violent convulsions
and then a demon exited with a shriek (see verse 26).
This was no ordinary rabbi! This man simply commanded
demons and they left in a hurry. He did not have to resort to
magic formulas or conjuring or prolonged coaxing. Completely
under the authority of His Father, all He had to do was stand
there and raise His voice in a word of command. Apparently
the Kingdom of God had just walked into the building, driving
out the kingdom of darkness. Later Jesus described it by
saying, “If I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
17
kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20; see also
Matthew 12:28).
He had not come with an agenda of His own, but He had been
sent to accomplish the will of the Father (see John 7:16–18). He
had been sent with an assignment. He had come with a task.
And that task was to drive out the kingdom of darkness so that
the Kingdom of God could be ushered in.
This was only the first of many such encounters. As Jesus
walked from city to city, satanic forces were thrown into an
uproar. All He needed to do was to show up for the rule of
God to be enforced.

Case Study #1: The Gerasene Demoniac
In college, I was educated as a social worker. That must be
why I think the way I do when I read the New Testament; I
learned to think in case studies. As a result, when I read an
account such as the one in Mark 5 (and the similar one in Matthew
8) about the wild demon-possessed man, I take it apart
like a case study.
This is an extreme case if you ever saw one. In every area of
this man’s life, he was affected by the demons. His social relationships
were nonexistent; in fact, people could not even pass
near him. Physically, he was always gashing himself on sharp
stones and tearing off the shackles and chains that people had
tried to subdue him with. Emotionally and mentally, he was
out of control. All he could do was shriek out in torment as he
crashed around the rough country and in the cemetery where
he lived.
Spiritually, however, he was in enough control of himself
to want to be set free. “Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran
up and bowed down before Him” (Mark 5:6, nasb). However,
immediately upon finding themselves in the actual presence of
the Son of God, the demons inside the man made him shout,
The Demonic, Exposed
18
“What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!”
(Mark 5:7, nasb). They couldn’t help it. The manifest presence
of God will always cause demons to show themselves, terrified.
They shriek loudly. They grovel. They panic. They try evasive
tactics.
There were many demons in this man, and one served as the
spokesman. Jesus asked, “What is your name?” And he/they
said, “My name is Legion; for we are many” (Mark 5:9, nasb).2
A Roman legion equaled six thousand troops. This legion of
demons knew they were about to be evicted. Desperate to dodge
the punishment of being cast far away, they begged to be cast
into a herd of hogs that was feeding on the hillside. They seemed
to be most desperate to stay within the geographical area they
knew best, as if being cast out of the region would disorient
them and render them ineffective.
Evil spirits need to live in some kind of a body; a body is
like a house to them. Preferably, it is a human body so that they
can exploit human lusts such as fear, sexual perversion, murder
and suicide, but animals will do in a pinch. Notice that when
Jesus gave them permission, they swept into the herd of pigs,
but they did not enter into any of the human bystanders (see
Mark 5:11–13). Upon being commanded to leave, they had to
have permission to enter their next hosts. A demon cannot enter
anyone without a person’s permission and cooperation.
What happened? The utterly destructive nature of the demonic
legion caused the entire swine herd, two thousand strong,
to rush headlong into the nearby sea, drowning themselves (see
verse 13).
And what had happened to the man they used to live in?
There he stood, sane and calm, his mental and emotional health
completely restored. His sense of dignity had returned. He was
so grateful that he wanted to travel with Jesus, but the Lord
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
19
told him to return to his people instead, and to tell them what
had happened to him, which he did, ranging widely among the
ten major cities of the region (see Mark 5:18–20). As a result
of this one spectacular deliverance, all of the surrounding areas
heard about the power of the Kingdom of God, even though
Jesus Himself did not stay for very long. In fact, the alarmed
swine herdsmen and the people of Gerasa asked Him to leave
as soon as possible (see verse 17).

Case Study #2: The Child with an Evil Spirit
This episode is reported in three of the gospels, in Matthew
17:14–21, Mark 9:14–29 and Luke 9:37–42. It happened
immediately after the Transfiguration, when Jesus and the three
disciples who had been up on the mountain came back down:
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.
[Other versions say that he was an epileptic.] 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.”
“O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall
I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the
boy to me.”
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately
threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and
rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like
this?”
The Demonic, Exposed
20
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him
into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take
pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him
who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help
me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he
rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I
command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.
The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s
dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his
feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately,
“Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Mark 9:14–29, niv
Notice several things about this story. One, as in the case of the
Gerasene demoniac, when Jesus approached, the demons reacted.
In this case, the deaf and mute spirit (as he later calls it) threw
the boy into a convulsion on the spot. If nothing else, this is a
diversionary tactic designed to instill fear and dissipate faith.
Two, note that this evil spirit affected the boy in every way:
physically, socially, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He
could not live a normal life. Neither could his family. They had
run out of options, and if Jesus’ own disciples could not cast out
what was obviously an evil spirit, what more could they do?
Three, the boy’s father had enough faith to bring his son to
the disciples and then, of course, to Jesus. He was honest about
his level of faith. Naturally, it had been shaken with repeated
failures. But he had enough faith to ask the Lord to remedy his
lack of faith, and that was enough.
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
21
Four, when Jesus questioned the father about how long he
had been afflicted in this way, we can see that even Jesus did not
always operate on a gift of knowledge about past and future
circumstances. Sometimes, as we certainly need to do, He needed
to get background information by asking questions. It was like
a short interview. His questions also demonstrated to the father
of the boy that He was interested in both of them and that He
was not too self-important to get involved in their problems.
Five, from talking with the father of the boy, Jesus knew that
this spirit was trying to destroy him, and how it was operating.
However, nobody seems to have told Him that the boy was deaf
and mute. And yet when He named the spirit to cast it out, He
said, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of
him and never enter him again.” This additional dimension
of the demon’s activity was revealed to Jesus directly by the
Spirit.
A sixth observation is an interesting one: When Jesus saw a
crowd coming to see what was happening, He quickly cast the
spirit out of the boy. Why didn’t He wait until the crowd got
there? You would think He would have wanted more people to
witness the deliverance.
We can only surmise that the presence of the “gawkers” would
have inhibited the process. Perhaps that would have given unnecessary
extra attention to the evil spirit. Perhaps Jesus wanted
to avoid the heightened emotion of a crowd mentality, which
could cause faith to disappear in the face of conflicting human
emotions. Perhaps He simply wanted to protect the boy from
feeling like a freak in a sideshow. In any case, it was a good
thing to do.
This account from Mark lays good emphasis on the father’s
faithful response to Jesus. This, too, is informative for us. Not
only can we see the importance of a faith-filled response to God’s
power in this one situation, but we see how Jesus broadens it
The Demonic, Exposed
22
to apply to every other situation when He says, “Everything is
possible for him who believes.” Like the father of the boy, most
of us want to reach out our hands saying, “I do believe, but
please help my faltering faith.”
Last, note that, although the demon did not leave without a
struggle and loud objections, it did leave quite promptly when
Jesus commanded it to go and never return. Jesus’ authority
is absolute. Even rebellious evil spirits must obey His word of
command.
Jesus modeled for us His heart of compassion when He helped
the traumatized boy up to his feet and restored him to his father,
who was probably weeping by then. Jesus always strengthens
us. His love is expressed in the most practical terms: healing,
deliverance and restoration. He also modeled for us a profound
respect for parental authority. All the way through this event, He
deferred to the boy’s father, and He returned the boy to his dad
at the end. We should be the same way, respecting the parental
authority over any children we may minister to.

Case Study #3: The Man with the Unclean Spirit
Of the four gospels, the book of Mark is the one that has the
fullest accounts of demonic confrontations and what John Wimber
called “power encounters.” Early in this chapter, I mentioned
Jesus’ visit to the synagogue in Capernaum. Mark and Luke
both included the same details of this story (see Mark 1:21–28
and Luke 4:31–37).
Apparently it was Jesus’ authority that stood out. Whatever
He was teaching about must have been much like what
the scribes always taught, but His presence was arrestingly different.
In this case, the demonized man seems to have been
behaving normally—until Jesus displayed His authority in His
teaching. Then the unclean spirit made the man shout aloud
(see Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34), questioning Jesus’ authority. The
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
23
demon seemed to recognize that Jesus had come to deprive him
of his host, even to destroy him.
Jesus silenced the unclean spirit and commanded it to leave.
Defying the command to be quiet, the demon caused convulsions
and ear-splitting shrieks as he left, but he did not harm the
man: “All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What
is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to
evil spirits and they come out!’ And the news about him spread
throughout the surrounding area” (Luke 4:36–37, niv; see also
Mark 1:27–28). The salient features of this episode are: (1) the
compelling authority of Jesus, and (2) the resulting widespread
news about Him.

Case Study #4: The Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter
When Jesus came into the coastal region in northern Israel,
His reputation must have preceded Him. One of the native
Canaanites from that Gentile region of the ancient Phoenician
capital cities of Tyre and Sidon, a woman, was bold
enough (and desperate enough) to come to Him on behalf of
her demon-possessed daughter (see Matthew 15:22–28 and
Mark 7:24–30).
The account does not tell the nature of the girl’s demonization,
but it does indicate that the daughter was many miles
away, at home, while her mother sought Jesus out. Amazingly
persistent, even in the face of Jesus’ repudiation, this mother
was shameless, branding herself as a “dog” if only Jesus would
fulfill her request. She knew He could do it; the question was
whether or not He would do it.
Jesus was impressed. This woman’s faith was remarkable. He
declared (no loud commands needed here) the girl’s deliverance:
“For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter”
(Mark 7:29, niv). Hurrying back to her home, the woman found
her daughter lying in bed, healed and restored.
The Demonic, Exposed
24
This account shows us that Jesus’ authority is boundless.
Not only did He pronounce immediate deliverance on a
child from another culture that was not part of the children
of Israel, but the deliverance was effective over a long distance.
He never saw the girl, and she never saw Him. At the
same time, Jesus respected the natural parental authority of
the woman. He certainly would not have performed a longdistance
deliverance on this little girl without her mother’s
earnest invitation.

More Case Studies
Wherever Jesus went, crowds gathered. Demoniacs were
often healed in those crowds. In some cases, the demons became
disruptive (see Mark 3:10–11 and Luke 4:41; see also Acts 8:7,
where demons shrieked in Philip’s large meetings as they were
driven out of people).
Most of the time, Jesus commanded the unclean spirits not
to reveal His identity:
When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to
Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And
the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many
who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons;
and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they
knew who He was.
Mark 1:32–34, nasb
Regardless of the behavior of the demons, Jesus drove them
out with as little as a single word (see Matthew 8:16). He also
healed people who were “troubled by evil spirits” (Luke 6:18,
niv). This seems to imply a lesser degree of demonic influence—“
affliction” or “oppression” as opposed to “control” or
“possession.”
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
25
Looking at all of the case studies, including those that involve
Jesus’ disciples, we can observe at least six different ways that
evil spirits can be compelled to leave people alone:
1. By the command of faith (see Mark 1:25; 9:25)
2. Through the laying on of hands (see Luke 4:40–41)
3. Through anointing with oil (see Mark 6:12–13)
4. By exposure to Jesus’ authority (see Mark 5:6–7; 9:20)
5. Through a verbal expression of faith3 (see Matthew 15:28
and Mark 7:29)
6. By means of prayer and fasting (see Matthew 17:21)
As Jesus’ modern-day disciples, whenever we encounter demons
or unclean spirits we can use any of these means of deliverance, as
His Spirit leads. Jesus has demonstrated for us what to do. We must
take what we know and use it to further the spread of His Kingdom
and the ongoing destruction of the works of the devil.

Characteristics of Demons in the New Testament
These case studies, or snapshots, of Jesus’ ministry reveal the
modus operandi of demons, as well as the basic components
of their personalities.

Three elements of personality characterize demons:
(1) They have a degree of knowledge (see Mark 1:24: “I know who
You are”);
(2) they have a will (see Matthew 12:44 and Isaiah 14:13–144); and
(3) they have emotions—all negative ones
(see Mark 1:26; 5:7; 9:26). After all, they do believe in the surpassing
power of the Lord Jesus (see James 2:195). They take
their knowledge of the truth and they twist it. Demons share the
characteristics of the father of lies, Beelzebub. They are stubborn
at times and must be overcome with proper preparation
and persistent effort (see Mark 5:8; 9:26–29).
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26
As we saw in the story of the Gerasene demoniac, they prefer
to inhabit and torment human beings, but rather than wandering
around without a body, they will settle for occupying the
body of an animal. Besides calling the bodies they inhabit “my
house” (see Matthew 12:44; Luke 11:24), demons also seem
to have assigned territories. They prefer to stay in the country
or region they currently reside in than to be banished (see
Mark 5:10). In Daniel 10:13, we can clearly see a territorial assignment.
Whenever they lack a lodging place, they are restless
(see Matthew 12:43).

Demonic beings are ranked according to levels of wickedness:
“Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more
wicked than himself” (Matthew 12:45). Commonly they are
named by the way they defile, afflict, tempt or torment. Jesus
used the common designation of “foul” or “unclean” spirits,
and this term covered everything from the legion of demons in
Mark 5 to spirits causing sickness (see Luke 9:42) and spirits of
war (see Revelation 16:13–14).

Other New Testament names for evil spirits include “dumb
spirit” or “mute spirit” (Mark 9:17), “deaf and dumb spirit”
or “deaf and mute spirit” (Mark 9:25), “spirit of infirmity”
(Luke 13:11), a “spirit of divination” (Acts 16:16), a “spirit of
bondage” or “spirit of slavery” (Romans 8:15), the “spirit of the
world” (1 Corinthians 2:12), “seducing” or “deceiving spirits”
(1 Timothy 4:1), a “spirit of disobedience” (see Ephesians 2:2),
and “the spirit of the Antichrist” (1 John 4:3).
Jesus dominates all demonic powers from His position at the
right hand of the Father, where He waits until all the remaining
rebels are brought into subjection under His feet (see 1 Corinthians
15:20–25). When He appeared to His disciples after His
resurrection, He said, “All authority has been given to Me in
heaven and on earth. Go therefore . . .” (Matthew 28:18–19,
nasb). No longer does the earth belong to Satan, because Jesus
Jesus, Overcoming Demons
27
has regained control of the earth from the prince of the world
system. Now He has sent His disciples into the world as ambassadors
of heaven to proclaim and reveal His Lordship (see
Mark 16:15 and 2 Corinthians 5:20).
He said that the first sign of authenticity of those who go forth
proclaiming would be that they would cast out demons in His
name (see Mark 16:15–17). Casting out demons thus becomes
an important component of our marching orders, and that is
why a book such as this one is a valuable tool for our arsenal.

29
2
Overcoming Demons in the Early Church
When Jesus uttered, “It is finished!” He overturned the very
foundation of satanic rule on earth. That foundation,
established before human memory through pride, rebellion,
disobedience, deceit, darkness and destruction, could no longer
resist when the Son of God humbled Himself to death.
It was more than the completion of Jesus’ life on earth; it was
the culmination of an old regime. Darkness had lost. Light had
prevailed. The veil between heaven and earth had been torn in
two along with the Temple veil (see Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38;
Luke 23:45). Nothing would ever be the same again.
From that point on, God could usher people into Paradise,
starting with the repentant thief (see Luke 23:43). The angelic
guard at the Tree of Life could now admit all who repented and
believed in the Son (see Genesis 3:24; Revelation 22:14).
On the third day, when Jesus reclaimed His Spirit and stood
up in His grave, He initiated a new phase of the campaign to
regain the fallen world. Appearing to His disciples after His
resurrection, He said, “All authority has been given to Me in
The Demonic, Exposed
30
heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations . . . and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age” (Matthew 28:18–20). No longer did the nations belong
to Satan. Jesus had regained the entire earth from the prince
of the world system. As He sat down at the right hand of His
Father, His disciples remained on the earth as His ambassadors,
proclaiming and revealing His Lordship. Fifty days later, He
bestowed His Spirit upon them on Pentecost, and the Church
was born (see Acts 2).

The Demon-Defying Acts of the Apostles
The new Church had a lot of overcoming to do. At first, along
with thousands of converts, such a tidal wave of grace and power
seemed to flow out from Jerusalem that the first four chapters
of the book of Acts seem to portray a taste of millennial life.
Harmony and healings, charisma and community enabled the
multitude to take root and bear fruit quickly.
Then came the shocking first mention of satanic backlash,
the account of the married couple who agreed to lie to the Holy
Spirit about how much money they were donating to the community
of faith (see Acts 5:1–10).

Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias and Sapphira appeared to be members of the apostolic
community in good standing. To keep for themselves
some of the proceeds from selling their land would have been
all right. But instead of being honest about it, they decided
to lie to the apostles. Oh, it was just a white lie, right? They
merely exaggerated the amount a bit when they said, “We are
giving everything.”
Why did they do that? Were they feeling insecure about their
status? Trying to earn favor? Vying for a position of authority?
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31
We do not know. Their deception, the apostle Peter told them,
was due to Satan filling their hearts (see Acts 5:3). This is a telling
statement. They had experienced grace, and yet they had not
guarded their hearts with vigilance against a new incursion of
the enemy. Satan had prowled around like a roaring lion, seeking
a new stronghold, and he had discovered an entry point. He had
not merely planted thoughts into their minds, he had filled their
hearts, deadened their consciences and warped their wills.
To avoid setting a dangerous precedent in the Church, the
Lord judged these two with severity—he struck them dead (see
Acts 5:5, 10). Terrifying! The message could not be clearer. Luke
ended that story with the statement: “Great fear came upon all
the church and upon all who heard these things” (Acts 5:11).
The resulting fear of the Lord produced new purity and greater
intensity in the evangelistic outreach of the Church. Now Jesus’
prediction was starting to come true; “greater works” than those
of Jesus began to occur. Even Peter’s passing shadow brought healing
and deliverance to the people it fell upon (see Acts 5:15).
But now that they were being dealt with directly—Satan and
his demons struck back, stirring up severe persecution. For example,
whereas before they had been given a verbal reprimand,
now the apostles were imprisoned and then beaten and flogged
for preaching the Good News (see the rest of Acts 5).

Stephen and Philip
Even greater persecution arose after the gifted deacon Stephen
exposed the hypocrisy of the religious system and was martyred
for it (see Acts 7). The Church was hounded out of town, leaving
behind only a remnant of its members. But as the believers scattered
abroad, the burning proclamation of Jesus scattered like
embers on dry grass. The fire of the Kingdom was spreading.
In Samaria all Philip had to do was to proclaim Christ crucified
and unclean spirits came out of people:
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32
Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching
the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord
heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the
miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud
voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who
were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy
in that city.

Acts 8:4–8
The simple proclamation of Jesus Christ—that was all it took
to drive the demons out of their hiding places in the citizens,
with restoration and healing following.

The Slave Girl
A woman named Lydia was the apostolic doorkeeper for a
whole continent. In response to his “Macedonian call,” Paul traveled
to Philippi (see Acts 16:9–12). There he and his companions
met Lydia, who was a prominent woman and a merchant. She
listened to Paul and she believed the Gospel. After she and her
household had been baptized, she invited Paul and the other
missionaries to stay at her house. This gave them a base of
operations in Philippi. That is how they encountered the slave
girl who was a fortune-teller (see Acts 16:16–19).
It was just a chance encounter—or was it? The girl could
predict the future because she had an evil spirit of divination,
and her owners were exploiting her for financial gain. This evil
spirit knew that these men belonged to Jesus and were filled
with His Holy Spirit. In other words, Paul and Silas and the
others were known in the demonic world.1
The spirit caused the girl to trail along with Paul’s party for
days on end, announcing loudly and often: “These men are the
servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way
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33
of salvation” (Acts 16:17). This was like a demonic word of
knowledge. It was also false flattery, unhelpful advertising for
the missionary team and a continual distraction for the men.
Like a horsefly, the spirit pestered and harassed them whenever
they stepped into the street.
The words sounded right. These men were servants of the
Most High God, proclaiming the way of salvation. But the Greek
word that is used here for “divination” is the word puthon (like
“python”). Like a pagan oracle or a snake, the evil one was
squeezing the life out of the truth. So much religious verbiage
was making it hard for the team to hear the Spirit and for the
people to hear the message that they were proclaiming. Paul
became greatly annoyed.
Notice that Paul showed patience—for days on end—before
he acted. Most likely, he was discerning and waiting for the
appropriate moment. He did not want to act out of his natural
impetuousness or irritation. Suddenly, he reached a tipping
point: “Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I
command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’
And he came out that very hour” (Acts 16:18). Paul did not address
the girl, who was being victimized; he addressed the spirit
of divination. The slave girl was free at last.
The rest of the city was not free, however. In fact, dark spiritual
powers seemed to hold much power over the culture and commerce
of the region. The deliverance of one little girl was disruptive to
the system. An unexpectedly violent reaction followed. The slave
owners seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the marketplace
to confront the magistrates. A large mob gathered against them.
The magistrates tore off Paul and Silas’s clothes and commanded
them to be beaten with rods, after which they threw them into
prison and put them in stocks (see Acts 16:19–24).
Paul and Silas were imprisoned—temporarily, as it turned
out—but their message was unshackled. Instead of sinking
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into a religious stupor, the region of Philippi heard the Good
News and responded. The darkness retreated. The Church
spread.

The Ephesian Revival
Paul and the disciples traveled to Ephesus, where they stayed
for more than two years, preaching and establishing the local
church (see Acts 19:1–10). After the initial growth of the church,
an additional level of grace was released through Paul (see
Acts 19:11–20). The anointing of the Holy Spirit was manifested
in new ways—through cloths that had touched Paul’s
body. When the cloths touched people, sicknesses and demons
departed as if Paul had touched them personally.
This demonstrates how demons can be forced out through
a point of contact, which in this case was an anointed piece of
cloth. More commonly the point of contact happens through
the laying on of hands (see Luke 4:40–41 for the first example
in Scripture) or through anointing the sick with oil (see
Mark 6:13).
Some Jewish exorcists tried to get in on the act, invoking “the
name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.” They suffered a humiliating
public failure (see Acts 19:13–16), after which the Church
grew even more. Persecution reached new heights as well, with
the riot and near-lynching over the goddess Artemis (see Acts
19:23–41). The disciples knew that as they pressed forward,
preaching the Gospel and destroying the works of the enemy,
persecution would continue to come along with success.

Acts of Power
Throughout the book of Acts, whenever the Lordship of
Jesus Christ was proclaimed, demons were vanquished. Peter,
Philip, Paul and unnamed others clearly demonstrated that be-
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35
cause of Jesus’ ascension and His bestowal of the Holy Spirit
on the Church, demons must yield. Whenever and wherever
they encountered the disciples, demons fled.
The same dynamic is true today. Whenever demons encounter
disciples who have submitted to the rulership of Jesus Christ,
they must flee in the face of commands, proclamations, prayers
and human lives submitted to the Spirit.
The Name is what does it. Just as the Roman magistrates’
authority was backed by the name of Caesar and all his imperial
armies (see Acts 16:38), so one individual disciple of Jesus
Christ is backed by legions of angels, not to mention the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.
This represents a whole new power equation, one in which
you and I participate to this day.

Spiritual Warfare in the Epistles
The epistles (the book of Romans through the short book
of Jude) were letters written to various individuals and local
churches. That explains why they do not contain extensive portrayals
of deliverance.
After all, in the early Church, the norm was to get rid of
demons between the time of conversion and baptism. The best
defense being a good offense, the question after baptism was no
longer how to get them out but how to keep them out through
holy living—prayer, obedience to God and good deeds. Thus,
holy living is the primary topic of the epistles.
Throughout the epistles, any discussion of spiritual warfare
occurs in the larger context of practical exhortations
and instructions about how to live a holy life in the power
of the Holy Spirit. Warnings about the evil one fit into this
context.
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36

The Wrestling Match
One of the longest discussions about spiritual warfare in
the epistles is in the sixth chapter of the book of Ephesians.
Paul pictures a wrestling match with “persons without bodies”
(Ephesians 6:12, tlb).
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power
of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not
wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10–12
These persons without bodies are evil spirits of varying
descriptions.
Principalities are ruling spirits who have been assigned to
particular spheres of influence. In geopolitical terms, we use
the word principality to describe a place such as Monaco that
is ruled by a prince. In spiritual terms, a principality rules over a
jurisdiction as small as one human body or as large as a nation
or region. Evil principalities are princes, with many subordinate
spirits under them.
Powers (literally, “authorities”) are the realms of authority
in which the ruling princes operate. For example the realm of
authority of the spiritual “prince of Persia” (see Daniel 10:13)
was the kingdom of Persia. (The angel Michael, mentioned in
that same passage, is also a prince, one of the chief princes of
God’s angelic army. He came in response to Daniel’s prayers to
fight against the evil prince of Persia.)
The rulers of darkness of this world indicate the heinous
henchmen of our adversary, the devil. These spirits dominate
the world system by force and they operate behind the scenes
in every era. Picture a dark “SS,” or spiritual “Gestapo,” con-
Overcoming Demons in the Early Church
37
trolling other demons and angels with fear, torture and brute
force.
The phrase spiritual wickedness in high places paints a picture
of hosts of evil in the unseen realm—countless foot soldiers
that are under the control of Satan, his fallen angelic princes
and his world dominators. These foot-soldier demons are lower
spirits that have established strongholds in individuals, families,
neighborhoods and cities (see 2 Corinthians 10:3–6).
All evil powers have a legal right to exercise their authority
in their realm. This is why it is so important to keep yourself
wholly submitted to God and His earthly representatives
(see Ephesians 5–6; 1 Peter 2, 4, 5:9).2 In guarding and warring
against evil powers, our best defense is holy living, which
keeps us from having “chinks in our armor” that the enemy
can exploit.
Why should the rebel Satan submit to me if I am in rebellion
myself? Even in speaking about higher spiritual powers,
Christians were warned not to slander or revile but rather
to be respectful (see 2 Peter 2:10–11; Jude 9–10). Peter gave
insights about submission in his first epistle, urging submission
to governmental authorities (see 1 Peter 2:14–18), family
authorities (see 1 Peter 3:1–7) and Church authorities (see
1 Peter 5:1–6), because of what is happening spiritually, behind
the scenes. Peter learned about submission from firsthand
experience.
Peter contrasts suffering for disobedience with suffering for
obedience (see 1 Peter 2:19–20). Even when we are obeying and
submitting to earthly authorities, evil spirits will stir them up
to oppose us, causing us to suffer. When that happens, we are
following in Jesus’ steps (see 1 Peter 2:21–23). For every blow
or mistreatment they cause, the evil ones are destroying their
own kingdom. In such times of suffering, the spirit of glory and
of God rests on us (see 1 Peter 4:14). God releases new angels
The Demonic, Exposed
38
to come and assist us in the battle, and the powers of darkness
lose again (see Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43–44). Suffering
submissively is a powerful weapon in taking ground from the
enemy’s camp.
On the other hand, if we walk in rebellion and disobedience
to earthly authority, we open the door to the kingdom of
darkness, bringing suffering and judgment against ourselves
(see Romans 13:2). Thus Peter’s admonition, “It is better, if
it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil”
(1 Peter 3:17, niv).3
As it is, if we submit to God, then we can resist the devil effectively
and he will flee from us. You might think that you are
getting somewhere by casting out a few minor demons in Jesus’
name while living a life of lying, lawlessness and rebellion, but
remember Jesus’ sober warning:
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in
heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare
to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!”
Matthew 7:21–23
As we submit to Jesus in the intimate love of the Bride of
Christ, He causes us to rise up as part of a victorious army.
Paul first depicted the Bride of Christ (see Ephesians 5:22–33),
followed by army warfare (see Ephesians 6:10–18).
When you were born again into the Kingdom of God, you
were born in a war zone. Therefore, you were born to war. You
cannot escape it. For your own protection and for the sake of
the Gospel, you need to learn all you can about how to war and
wrestle with evil forces.
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39
Always Watchful
After talking about our spiritual wrestling match in Ephesians
6:10–12, Paul goes on to describe the spiritual armor
that every believer should be wearing at all times, each piece of
armor corresponding to an offensive or defensive weapon (see
Ephesians 6:13–18).
In his second epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul explained
more about how we do not fight with fists and guns, but rather
with spiritual weapons. Once demons no longer have their residence
inside a person, the primary arena of warfare will be in
the person’s mind, which is where old ways of thinking may
have become strongholds. Lines of reasoning may have become
habitual that seem logical but are rooted in human pride and
strength. Thus Paul writes:
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On
the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4–5, niv
How do you “take captive every thought”? You can capture
your thoughts much as a watchful guard would say, “Halt! Who
goes there?” and then examine the interloper. You lay hold of
your thought and you find out its place of origin. Does it acknowledge
Jesus’ Lordship and further His Kingdom? Or does
it hinder? When you discover a thought that has been sent by
the enemy, turn it over to Jesus in prayer.
Many of us live compromised lives. We keep one foot in each
kingdom. If this were Judgment Day, we would be in serious
trouble. Paul wanted to make sure that everyone who names the
name of Jesus lives an uncompromised life:
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40
The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because
our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The
night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the
deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave
decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in
sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not
think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 13:11–14, niv
Stay watchful to stay free. The enemy will continue to
prowl around “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”
(1 Peter 5:8, nasb)—but he doesn’t have to devour you!
How to Stay Free
Godly character is one of the highest weapons of spiritual warfare.
God wants us to have not only supernatural power but also
supernatural character. Allowing the Holy Spirit to shape our
character traits and habits brings us into alignment with the
Kingdom so that our spiritual victory is assured.
Righteousness is both an offensive and a defensive weapon.
At the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “I want you
to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God
of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:19–
20, nasb). When he encounters righteousness, Satan’s face gets
smashed into the dirt.
To stay free of Satan’s snares, we must: (1) Practice forgiveness
regularly (see 2 Corinthians 2:6–11; Colossians 3:13); (2) behave
as humble servants of others and of God (see 1 Peter 5:5–7);
(3) overcome evil by doing good (see Romans 12:21); (4) focus
our thoughts on things that are godly and uplifting (see Colossians
3:1–2; Philippians 4:8–9) and (5) live obedient lives (see
Titus 3:1–3; Romans 13:1–2). Nobody can live a righteous life
Overcoming Demons in the Early Church
41
without supernatural help. With the day and night help of the
Holy Spirit, we can only pull it off.
Consistent praise, prayer, rejoicing and thankfulness enable
us to hold our faith shields steady (see Ephesians 6:16; Philippians
4:4–7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Hebrews 13:15). In
addition to the shield of faith, the rest of the armor of God—
the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet
of salvation and the shoes of the gospel of peace (see Ephesians
6:13–18)—protects your front side, but not your back.
That is because we are always on the offense. We are never to
run from the enemy.
The Word of God and prayer are two weapons that can serve
in hand-to-hand combat as well as global offensive strategies.
John Wesley referred to the “weapon of all-prayer,” which enables
us to go on the offensive all over the world, led by our
guide, the Holy Spirit. Paul also spoke of the armor of light (see
Romans 13:12). Simply walking in the open light with Christ and
the Body of Christ can be one of the greatest defenses against
demon activity (see 1 John 1:7).

Warnings on Continued Watchfulness
Jesus warned that an unclean spirit, upon returning to his former
house and finding it neat and empty, would reenter it with seven
other spirits more wicked than himself (see Matthew 12:43–45).
He was sounding a warning: When demons have been evicted,
replace them with the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and righteous
virtues. Fill the place with light. Saturate it and permeate
it with worship and faith.
Paul warned against opening the door of your house to religious
spirits, who will not be afraid to come knocking. Religious,
legalistic spirits may seem friendly, but allowing them to come in
may result in a revival of old bondages, fears and deceits. Paul
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42
spoke of such things in many of his letters (see Romans 8:15;
Galatians 3:1, 4:3, 5:19–21; Colossians 2:20, 3:5–9).
Paul also warned of deceitful, seducing spirits carrying “doctrines
of demons,” coming to summon and accuse believers, luring
them to depart from the faith (see 1 Timothy 4:1–3). James
spoke of believers harboring bitter envy and self-seeking in their
hearts. He identified this “wisdom” as demonic in its source (see
James 3:14–15). John spoke of the spirit of antichrist that would
try to lead people away from Christ (see 1 John 2:18–24; 4:1–3).
All of these things were spoken and written to born-again,
Spirit-filled believers like you and me. Simply stepping into the
Light does not keep you there. Anytime you allow yourself to
edge into the darkness, the enemy is right there, looking for his
opportunity. Demons have the legal right to operate in the realm
of darkness. If Christians, even after having been delivered of
demonic influences, go back to walking in the darkness of sinful
patterns, they open themselves again to demonic access.
The call of the apostles was to “stand fast therefore in the
liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled
again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Once
a person has been set free, he or she must stay free by putting
into practice the life of the Son of God.
The letters that we can read in the New Testament teach us in
very practical ways how to occupy the land we have taken from
Satan through our Lord Jesus Christ, and how to make it bear fruit
for God. Each of us has become a soldier in God’s army, waging a
love war and bringing many others from the authority of darkness
into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son (see Colossians 1:13).

Overcoming in the Book of Revelation
The last book of the Bible paints one of the most encouraging
pictures of victory in the entire Bible: the Lamb’s final victory
Overcoming Demons in the Early Church
43
over Satan. The entire book reflects the understanding of the
early Church regarding overcoming demonic forces in all of
their guises:
1. Demons are being worshiped when idols are worshiped
(see Revelation 9:20).
2. Pagan religions are manifestations of Satan (see Revelation
2:13).
3. False teachings are inspired by Satan (see Revelation 2:24).
4. The devil motivates the persecution and martyrdom of
Christians (see Revelation 2:10).
5. Satan is the ruler behind the scenes for the Antichrist (see
Revelation 13:1–14; 19:19).
6. Demons are released to torment men (see Revelation
9:2–11).
7. Demons motivate and encourage war (see Revelation
16:13–14).
Demons had filled the religious and political system called
Babylon (see Revelation 18:2). Babylon is a “type” (a foreshadowing)
of the world system, organized independent of God
with Satan at its head.

The Blood
What makes it possible for the saints of God to overcome
Satan and his fallen angels? First of all, it is the blood of the
Lamb of God, Jesus, followed by “the word of their testimony”
and not loving their lives unto death (see Revelation 12:11).
The blood of Jesus, shed for our sins on the cross, “speaks
better things than that of Abel” (see Hebrews 12:24). It cries for
mercy on our behalf, not judgment. By the blood of Jesus, we have
been redeemed from Satan (see Ephesians 1:7; Psalm 106:10).
We have been forgiven because of the shed blood of Jesus, and
The Demonic, Exposed
44
our forgiveness removes Satan’s basis for accusation (see Ephesians
1:7; Colossians 2:13).
By the blood of Jesus, we have been justified (see Romans 5:9,
14). As Derek Prince used to say, being justified means it is “justas-
if-I’d never sinned.” By His blood, we have been sanctified,
made holy, set apart to God (see Hebrews 13:12). By His blood,
heaven has been opened, all the way to the very throne of the
Father, so that we can come and have intimate fellowship with
Him (see Hebrews 9:22–24; 10:19–22).
Surely the blood of Jesus prevails in every way over the works
of darkness.

The Word of Testimony
What else prevails over the works of the devil? The word of
our testimony. This one requires a little explanation.
A testimony is given by a witness. The word for “witness” in
Greek is martus, from which we get our English word “martyr.”
The word implies that one who will testify to Jesus’ sacrifice on
the cross would be willing to speak about it even if that costs
him his life.
The example given in the book of Revelation is Antipas,
known as “my faithful martyr” (Revelation 2:13) or “my faithful
witness” (niv). Other witness-martyrs include John the Baptist,
Stephen, and all of the apostles.4
When a believer courageously speaks out about his faith, the
powers of darkness are pushed back as with a sword of the Spirit
(see Ephesians 6:17). Sometimes blood will be shed.
Not Loving Our Lives unto Death
Closely linked with the blood of Jesus and the word of our
testimony is the idea of not loving our lives too much, even if
it means death. For spiritual soldiers, the willingness to die is
Overcoming Demons in the Early Church
45
a prerequisite. For believers, this begins with the willingness to
take up his cross and to die daily (see 1 Corinthians 15:31).
Paul said that he did not count his life as dear to himself
(see Acts 20:24). This is the way of the Lamb, lived out in His
Church. The apostolic Gospel of the Kingdom involves an empowering
baptism in the Holy Spirit. When Jesus told the disciples,
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8, nasb), He
meant that they would have power not only to dethrone evil
forces, but also to enforce their dethronement and to maintain
their own liberty, even if it required their own physical death.
Once someone considers him- or herself dead with Christ, that
person is truly free.
In the seventeenth chapter of the book of Revelation, the
destruction of Babylon proceeds from the blood of the saints
and martyrs of Jesus. From this we see that the blood of the
Lamb, which speaks in heaven, also flows through His Body (the
Church) on earth. When a martyr is slain, it is Jesus’ blood that
is flowing afresh. One more time, the judgments of God are being
loosed against the demons who caused a saint to die.
We do not like to hear this message. We would prefer to think
that Jesus’ name is like a rabbit foot or a lucky charm. Instead,
the apostolic Gospel of the Kingdom involves blood and the willingness
to shed blood. God’s greatest weapons against demonic
powers include disciples who are fully yielded to the Spirit and
who have no other agenda besides doing the will of the Father.

The Prayer of the Lord
From beginning to end, the New Testament covers the subject
of overcoming demonic powers. By the time we get to the book
of Revelation, we find out how it will all end, with Satan being
judged (see John 16:11) and cast into the lake of fire along with
his legions (see Revelation 20:10, 14–15; Matthew 25:40–41).
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46
The beautiful, submissive Bride will become part of the victorious
army that will return with the Lamb, who is also the Lion
of God, when He comes to set up His never-ending Kingdom.
With Him, we can pray with new vigor:
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is
in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:10–13, kjv
47

3
Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
Watching too many movies about demon-possession has
given some people crazy ideas about what demons are
like. It is time to wipe the slate clean and establish a clear, biblical
picture of demons. Knowing your enemy is more than half
of the battle.

Devil, Demons, Evil Spirits, Unclean Spirits
To start with, we need to make a clear distinction between the
devil (singular) and demons (plural). There is only one devil,
and he is Satan. People mistakenly refer to “devils”—often picking
the usage up from the mistranslation of the word in many
versions of the Bible. The Greek word for “devil” is diabolos,
which means “slanderous” or “slanderer,” and it should be used
only as a name for Satan himself.
There is one devil, but there are legions of demons. The Greek
word for demon (often plural) is daimon or daimonion. Demons
are also known as “evil spirits” or “unclean spirits.”1
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48
What Does “Demon-Possessed” Mean?
Mistranslation and misusage has created another problem by
introducing the term “demon-possessed,” which should imply
that someone is possessed with a demon or demons rather than
what it has come to mean—that a person has been taken over by
a demon or demons. If you own a jacket, you are possessed of or
with a jacket; you are not possessed by your jacket. If you as a believer
have a demon, you are possessed of a demon, but the demon
does not possess you, even if its influence is considerable.
Possession shows ownership, but someone cannot be owned
or possessed by more than one entity. In the case of a believer,
that person is possessed by God’s Spirit—although the person
can also possess (or have) a demon and be heavily under its
influence (I don’t know why a Christian would want one, but
he can certainly have one). The actual Greek usage makes this
clear. In biblical terms, a person can have an unclean spirit,2 a
person can be in or under the influence of an unclean spirit that
is upon him or her3 and a person can be demonized.4
You can have something in or on you without being possessed
by it. That is why a believer can be afflicted, harassed, tormented
or tainted by a demon without being possessed outright. Think
of a house: If you are a born-again believer in Jesus, God has the
title deed of your house. But that does not mean that all of the
rooms of the house have been cleaned up. Also, that does not
mean that you might not sometimes have unwelcome intruders
in the house. If you allow Him to do so, the true Owner will help
you clean the place up so that He can move into every room.

Demonic Personality Basics
Individual demons have wills. How do we know this? By reading
scriptural passages such as Matthew 12:44, a passage about the
Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
49
evil spirit that has been cast out of a poorly guarded person:
“Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’”
(nasb, emphasis added). Remember also the story of the legion
of demons being sent into the pigs (Mark 5:11–13). In various
translations of verse 12, the demons exhibited their strong desire
or will when they “begged,” “implored” and “besought” Jesus
for permission to enter the pigs.
That verse also helps to demonstrate that demons have
emotions—fear and desperation. Another example of demonic
emotions can be found in James 2:19, “You believe that God
is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in
terror and horror such as make a man’s hair stand on end and
contract the surface of his skin]!” (amp). We can assume that
demons do not enjoy positive emotions such as joy, unless it is
overlaid with wickedness, such as in wicked glee.
Demons have knowledge about the environment around
them. They are not omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent
(all-present) or omnipotent (all-powerful) like God. But they
do have a partial range of supernatural knowledge that surpasses
human knowledge, and sometimes they blurt it out, as
they did when Jesus went into the synagogue at Capernaum:
“A man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit
cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One
of God!’” (Mark 1:23–24, niv). You see, sometimes demons
know more than church people! Another example of demonic
knowledge is what happened when the sons of Sceva tried unsuccessfully
to cast out demons in Jesus’ name. One demon
(using the vocal cords of the demonized person, as evil spirits
do), said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are
you?” (Acts 19:15, amp).
In addition to having a knowledge or awareness of things
outside themselves, demons also have self-awareness. They know
The Demonic, Exposed
50
how they fit into the demonic power hierarchy and they possess
strong self-protective instincts. We can see this in the comment
that the demon made through the Gerasene demoniac, when
he revealed that he was not operating alone (see Mark 5:9). The
chief spokesman-demon was aware of His authority over the
legion of lesser demons, and he was certainly aware that he had
met up with One who possessed more authority than he did.
Demons also have the ability to speak, apparently in whatever
language is necessary in order to be understood by humans. We
noted the verbal responses to Jesus and to the sons of Sceva. It
seems that sometimes they take temporary control of the vocal
cords of a demonized person. Other times, it seems that the
mind of the person is so barraged with demonic input that he
or she gives utterance to the deceptive ideas.
One thing that demons do not have is corporeal bodies.
They are homeless spirits, and they need to “borrow” the use
of human or animal bodies or possessions. They have a strong
desire for a body. In the story of the Gerasene demoniac, the
fact that Jesus cast the demons out of the man and into the
pigs is ironic—yes, a herd of pigs will work to house a legion of
demons, but to the Jews, pigs are unclean. So Jesus was sending
the demons into what was considered an unclean house. Then
the pigs went berserk and plunged off the cliff to their deaths,
rendering the spirits homeless anyway.
Throughout this book, I have emphasized the importance
of personal character and righteousness in preparing to cast
out evil spirits as well as keeping them out. If you try to cast
out a demon before you crucify the flesh, the demon will be
able to find his way back before you know it. I compare it
to pulling taffy; it can be very sticky business. Some people
try to cast out demons before they take care of the fleshly
“garbage” that attracted them in the first place. This will not
work very well.
Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
51
You can (and should) cast out demons whenever you encounter
them. But you cannot eradicate them or kill them. The only
thing you can (and should) kill is your own flesh. You should
crucify it, in fact (see Romans 8:13; 2 Corinthians 4:11).

The Activity of Demonic Spirits
Demons do not seem to take it easy. Because of their degree of
knowledge, they understand that they have only a finite amount
of time in which to operate. They know that someday they will
no longer have authority to roam the earth and harass people.
Therefore, they are in a hurry, striving to get as much evil done
as quickly as possible.
The undertakings and endeavors of demons all have the same
goal—to interfere with the Kingdom of God. Here are their
typical activities:
1. Demons entice (see James 1:14). When you feel drawn,
wooed, seduced, coerced or tempted, you can be sure that
you are experiencing the work of evil spirits. This is far different
from the guiding or nudging of the Holy Spirit.
2. Demons deceive (see 1 Timothy 4:1–2). They try to influence
people to make bad decisions. Starting with a bit
of the truth, they exaggerate a problem and blow it out
of proportion. Their goal is to move people away from
solid faith, grace, purity and obedience. To reinforce their
efforts, they make use of people whose consciences have
been “seared” and hardened over (see 1 Timothy 4:2).
3. Demons enslave (see Romans 8:15; 2 Timothy 2:26). Evil
spirits chain people up, trapping them and holding them
captive. They make people into their puppets, to one degree
or another.
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52
4. Demons torment. Unclean spirits torment people by stirring
up anxiety and inordinate fears, sometimes to the
point that people cannot function normally. Relief from
torment comes from God: “For God did not give us a
spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing
and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power
and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and
discipline and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, amp; see also
1 John 4:18).
5. Demons drive and compel (see Luke 8:29). Using irrational
fears and pressure, evil spirits will force people to
do things. The man who was infested with Legion was
often driven into the desert. People become addicted to
substances or behaviors, feeling compelled to repeat their
behavior over and over. They have no control.
6. Demons defile (see Titus 1:15). Demons defile people
through sin patterns and also through close association
with the darkness.
7. Demons teach. “The [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly
declares that in latter times some will turn away from the
faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits
and doctrines that demons teach” (1 Timothy 4:1, amp).
The Mormons provide a good example of this, because
the angel Moroni is not an angel from God; the doctrines
taught by Moroni come from the devil. People can become
defiled by the darkness and falsehood that comes from
the Book of Mormon—or from Freemasonry rites or a
Unitarian sermon. By such means, demons are teaching
falsehood.
8. Demons make people sick and infirm. “There was a woman
there who for eighteen years had had an infirmity caused
by a spirit (a demon of sickness). She was bent completely
forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to
Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
53
look upward” (Luke 13:11, amp). The Greek word for
“infirmity” means weakness. Evil spirits can create specific
physiological, psychological and emotional weaknesses.
Every kind of weakness is not necessarily caused by a
demon, but some of them are.
9. Demons, therefore, fight against peace and produce restlessness.
Using the tactics at their disposal, they disrupt
inner, personal harmony and peace of mind; they interfere
with physical well-being; they obstruct harmonious relationships
with other people; they interrupt harmonious
adjustments to external circumstances.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? How have you experienced
firsthand the activity of evil spirits in your life?
For the most part, God will not resist the devil for you, although
He will help you to resist when demons come at you
from the outside. In their epistles, James and Peter urge believers
to resist the enemy: “Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, kjv; see
also 1 Peter 5:8–9).
When they have come from the outside to the inside, infiltrating
a person or an environment, you need to expel them. Do
take time to learn what you will need to know beforehand, but
do not just hope and wait for somebody else to do it. When you
submit to God, your authority gets actualized. You become a
terrorist—as far as demons are concerned. You can be a Holy
Ghost terrorist, like me. The choice is yours!
Then when demons invade a person or a locale, you can cast
them out or expel them. Jesus spent much of His time doing
just that: “He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee,
preaching and casting out the demons” (Mark 1:39, nasb; see
also Matthew 8:16).
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54
The “Walled City Principle”
You see, you are not supposed to be a victim of your circumstances.
Once you invite the Holy Spirit to live inside you, you
have the authority to tackle whatever comes against you. Because
of His Spirit, you have control over your own human spirit. This
gives you divine oversight in every category of your life.
Each person’s life is like a walled city. We are supposed to have
moral “walls” of protection around our beings. Many times,
however, we have only partial walls of protection. The enemy
does case studies on us, looking to find breaches in our walls
or our gates. When he finds one, he exploits it.
That is why our righteous character matters so much, and it
is why we need to guard and watch at all times. “Like a city that
is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control
over his spirit” (Proverbs 25:28, nasb; see also Proverbs 16:32).
Our “city within” can have many occupants who live in
various sectors:
1. Emotions, attitudes, relationships: anger, fear, resentment,
hatred, rebellion, pride, contention, rejection, death, suicide
and more.
2. Thoughts, the realm of the mind: doubt, unbelief, indecision,
procrastination, compromise, confusion and
more.
3. The tongue: lying, unclean talk, gossip, blasphemy and
more.
4. Sex: lust, adultery, pornography, perversion, homosexuality,
fantasy, compulsive masturbation and more.
5. Addictions and habitual responses to frustrations: gluttony,
alcoholism, nicotine addiction, caffeine addiction,
drug addiction and more.
6. Physical infirmities: allergies, tumors, fits, cramps, heart
attacks, arthritis and more.
Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
55
In the book of Isaiah, the walls of a figurative city are called
“Salvation” and its gates are called “Praise” (see Isaiah 60:18).
This is a good picture of our own salvation-walled selves. No
demons will come through a gate of Praise, because a faith-filled,
thankful heart repels them. But if you employ your heart and
tongue in the opposite of praise and thanksgiving, immediately
you create a breach for enemy access.
This principle applies to the geographical region or location to
which God has assigned you. Do not speak negatively about your
assigned spot in the Kingdom (“I don’t like this place. This is the
darkest community, filled with all kinds of immorality,” etc.). If
your critical heart makes you forget to bless it, pray for it, forgive
sinners and demonstrate God’s mercy, you have reinforced the
darkness and opened the gate to enemy incursion, proclaiming that
they are welcome—after all, this must be their kind of place!
Demons are not omnipresent, as I noted earlier. So sometimes
you can get away with relaxing your guard. Then, when a breach
in your wall does not result in an immediate attack, you may
decide that the threat from the “roaring lion” (see 1 Peter 5:8)
is not as great as you had thought. But it is. Stay on guard at all
times, and remember that one of your best forms of protection
is simply your Spirit-filled righteousness.
Scriptural Names of Demonic Spirits
Knowing the name of something helps you to talk about it, teach
others about it and address issues related to it. If you want to
buy a tool but all you can call it is a “thingy” or a “whatchamacallit,”
you won’t get very far at the hardware store.
In a similar way, simply knowing the name of an entity helps
you to deal with it appropriately. Just as people and angels are
known by names and nicknames based on behavior or function,
so often are evil spirits. Here is a partial list of some of the
The Demonic, Exposed
56
specific names of demonic beings that I have found mentioned
in the Bible:
1. Spirit of infirmity (see Luke 13:11. Note that not all infirmities
are caused by demons).
2. Deaf and dumb spirit (see Mark 9:25. Not only can this
spirit afflict people with physical deafness and muteness,
but it can also hinder people from hearing spiritual truth,
putting invisible earmuffs on them and keeping them spiritually
ignorant).
3. Unclean spirit (used more than twenty times in the New
Testament. See, for example, Matthew 12:43; Mark 1:23;
Luke 11:24).
4. Spirit of blindness (see Matthew 12:22).
5. Familiar spirit (see Leviticus 20:27; Isaiah 8:19; 2 Kings
23:24). To deceive and mislead, this spirit impersonates
someone who is familiar to you.
6. Angel of light (see 2 Corinthians 11:14). This is one of
the disguises of Satan.
7. Lying spirit (see 1 Kings 22:22–23; 2 Chronicles 18:20,
22).
8. Seducing spirit (see 1 Timothy 4:1).
9. Foul spirit (see Mark 9:25; Revelation 18:2).
10. Jealous spirit (see Numbers 5:14, 30).
11. Spirit of divination (see Acts 16:16).
12. Spirit of fear (see 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18).
13. Spirit of heaviness (see Isaiah 61:3).
Sometimes it is difficult to tell if something like a “spirit of
heaviness” is an actual demon or merely a heavy environment
or a depressed mood. However, your response to either should
be similar: (1) Check for breaches in the wall and remedy them;
(2) stir up your love for God and your faith in Him; and (3) cast
out what seems to be an intruder.
Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
57
What to Watch Out For
How can an unclean spirit bring a person into bondage? In as
many ways as there are individual people and spirits—but most
of the ways fall into identifiable patterns.

Spirits of Lust or Adultery
Someone who makes a habit of viewing sexually immoral
movies or television shows, or who chooses pornographic magazines
or websites, opens the “eye gate” of his or her walled city
and makes it easy for evil spirits to come in.

Spirits of Fear or Suicide
Death-dealing spirits may enter due to occult practices or
family curses. Some may come in because of sudden shock,
such as when an angry parent gives a child a very harsh verbal
scolding or abandons the child as a means of discipline.

Occult Spirits
Activities such as séances, playing with Ouija boards or engaging
in other occult practices can open the door to occult spirits.
Sometimes the presence of occult spirits will be reinforced by
nightmares, hearing noises, hearing voices or seeing images.

Addictions or Gluttony
Partaking improperly of food, alcohol, nicotine or drugs can
invite spirits of addiction or gluttony to enter and dwell within.

Spirit of Death
Self-imposed curses or death wishes (“I wish I were dead”),
occult involvement and generational curses all serve as invitations
for a spirit of death.
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58
Spirit of Rejection
Again, self-imposed curses or vows (“I wish I were never
born”; “I am going to get along without people”) can provide
an open door for a spirit of rejection. Such strong emotional
verbalizations can give the enemy a foothold.
In later chapters, we will discuss some of these in more
detail.

What to Expect
Of the religious leaders, the prophet Jeremiah said, “They have also
healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when
there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14; see also Jeremiah 8:11). Deep
wounds had been covered but not cleansed. One of the reasons that
the wounds of God’s people are not yet healed is because often the
Church has turned a blind eye to the work of evil spirits.
We must employ “probes” and “forceps” to expose and extract
evil spirits. Otherwise, the wounds of God’s people will
continue to fester. Evil spirits must be recognized and driven out.
To minister to human needs without discerning evil spirits and
dealing with them is like “beating the air” instead of fighting
(see 1 Corinthians 9:26).
Jesus set the example for us. A quarter to a third of His
ministry time was spent on deliverance. If that was true of Him
when He walked the earth, how much more should it be true of
His Body, the Church, today? Deliverance should be our work as
much as it was His, because He works through us now. It is true
that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered”
(Joel 2:32, nasb; see also Acts 2:21).

Pa r t II

Revealing and Defeating the Enemy’s Plans

61
4
Truths and Tactics of Temptation
We have a “Trojan Horse” problem. At some point in time,
individually and collectively, we have opened the door
and welcomed something that appeared to be good, only to find
out later that we had received an enemy into our precincts. This
could have happened when we were unenlightened, before we
were in Christ. It could have happened through our patterns of
unrepented sin. However it happened, it did happen, and now
we have a problem.
As soon as the enemy drops his disguise, we realize that
we have an intruder on the premises. Now we have a double
problem—we not only have to evict him, we also have to clean
the place up and rebuild our walls of salvation to keep him on
the outside.
One of the best ways to keep the enemy out is to learn about
how temptation works; in particular, what makes us vulnerable,
and how we can better resist it.
Revealing and Defeating the Enemy’s Plans
62

Foundational Truths about Temptation
Many of us stumble in the gray area between temptation that
comes from the enemy and the testing that comes from God.
We do not understand the difference, if any, between them.
One foundational truth about temptation is this: God tests
but He never tempts (see James 1:13). The purpose of testing
sent from Him is to strengthen us and to sanctify us; Jesus came
to give life more abundantly. On the other side, the purpose
of satanic temptation is to deceive, kill, steal and destroy (see
John 10:10). God’s testing sets us apart as His own children.
Satan’s tempting separates us from God.
Satan does not have to come up with original ideas with
which to tempt people because people come up with plenty
of ideas on their own. All temptation originates in the flesh,
as we learn from the well-known passage in the first chapter
of James:
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt
anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his
own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it
gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth
death.
James 1:13–15
Our flesh sets fire to sin. Satan simply fans the flame.
We must be clear about this: Temptation itself is not sin.
Jesus was tempted repeatedly, but He remained sinless (see Hebrews
2:17–18; 4:15). Temptation is not sin; it is merely part of
the human condition. Naturally, the enemy tries to persuade
people otherwise, making them feel guilty for having had a
temptation, even if they resisted it successfully. Martin Luther
is quoted as having said, ”You can’t prevent the birds from
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63
flying over your head, but you can keep them from building
a nest in your hair.” Martin Lloyd-Jones, longtime pastor of
Westminster Chapel in London, was known for emphasizing
that a temptation only becomes sin when we accept it, when
we fondle it, when we enjoy it.
So temptation itself is not a blot on your righteousness. It only
proves that you are human. God made you with appetites, desires
and the ability to feel. The essence and strength of temptation
consists of a twofold enticement: (1) satisfying legitimate needs
through illegitimate means and (2) pushing virtue to extreme
religious legalism (which comes from a performance-based desire
for acceptance).
Jesus’ wilderness temptations provide an example of the former.
Here is how Sam Storms describes it:
Bread is not evil. Neither is the desire to alleviate hunger by
eating it, especially after you’ve fasted for forty days! Divine
protection is a valid promise in Scripture (Psalm 91). Authority
over the kingdoms of the world is something God promised
the Son long ago (cf. Psalm 2). The temptation, therefore, was
aimed at seducing Jesus into achieving divinely approved ends
by sinful and illegitimate means.1

A final foundational truth about temptation is this: The more
often you say yes to a temptation, the more difficult it becomes
to say no. Sin is addictive. It is habit-forming, building to everincreasing
dimensions. Because sin has a lie at the core of it,
it offers one thing and produces another, steadily hardening a
person’s soul over time (see Hebrews 3:12–13). Sin almost always
feels good, which serves to cover the end result—death. Death to
your heart. Death to your emotions. Death to your soul. Death
to relationships. Sin will tell you a partial truth—which is the
same as a lie—and the more often you fall for it, the harder it
becomes to resist.
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The Tactics of Temptation
The devil especially likes to tempt people when their faith
is fresh and vulnerable. This comes with the territory. A recently
converted Christian is an irresistible target for Satan
(see 1 Timothy 3:6).
He also tempts people when their faith is strong—or so they
think. When people feel invulnerable to sin, they tend to slip
into living by their own strength, and it becomes easy for Satan
to get his hooks into them.
Temptation lurks when people are in an environment that
is new or strange to them. I travel a lot, and I try to stay alert
to this one. At home, I am attuned to the spiritual atmosphere
and I have learned to resist certain things. When I go to a new
place, the demonic assignments are different and at first I am
culturally unaware of the enemy’s schemes. Suddenly, I am
being tempted with something I had not thought about for
twenty years.
From time to time, each one of us will be tested with afflictions—
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual (see Matthew
4:1–11; Job 2:1–10). Even Jesus was not exempt. The test
will attract some unwelcome temptation, because the enemy
is not blind to what is going on. Paul advised people to not be
ignorant of the devil’s schemes (see 2 Corinthians 2:11). While
you are being tested by fire, the enemy will come along to tempt
you, whispering, “Why don’t you just quit? Give up. Nobody’s
watching. What difference does it make?” and so forth.
Satan will also send temptations your way when you are not
being tested, when you have just conquered a spiritual mountain
and you feel great. Heed the lesson of Elijah in 1 Kings 18 and
19. He had achieved a spectacular victory over the prophets of
Baal, and the next thing you know he wanted to die. He ran away,
hid in the wilderness and became so depressed and confused
that God had to send in an angelic rescue squad.
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65
Perhaps Satan’s more effective tactic is tempting us to put his
thoughts into our minds and then blaming us for having them
(see 1 Chronicles 21:1; Matthew 16:13–23; John 13:2; Acts 5:1–
3). We mistake his thoughts for our thoughts, because so often
he speaks in the first person. He says, for instance, “I feel bad
today. I feel cut off from God.” This is the truth—he does feel
bad and cut off from God. But the person into whose mind he
has planted his thoughts assumes that those negative thoughts
are his or hers. I found advice about this tactic of temptation
in an old book called The Christian in Complete Armour by
William Gurnall:
When thoughts or inclinations contrary to the will and ways
of God creep in, many dear Christians mistake these miserable
orphans for their own children, and take upon themselves the full
responsibility for these carnal passions. So deftly does the devil
slip his own thoughts into the saints’ bosoms that by the time
they begin to whimper, he is already out of sight. And the misbegotten
notions are his own. So he bears the shame himself,
and Satan has accomplished his purposes.2
A related tactic is for Satan to launch his accusations as if
they were from the Holy Spirit. How can we distinguish between
satanic accusation and divine conviction? By their fruit—the
devil’s accusation releases discouragement, shame and hopeless
condemnation, whereas God’s conviction brings godly sorrow,
which unlocks repentance and hope and freedom.
When License Becomes Licentiousness
You and I will rarely be tempted to commit obvious sins such
as murder, robbery or rape. The enemy realizes that we will
recognize them as flagrant sins and refuse to act on them.
Instead, his tactic is to entice us to push the limits of something
until it becomes sin. It starts out as something good, or at
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66
least neutral. The devil treats us like the proverbial frog on the
stove as he gradually turns up the heat under us, hoping that we
will not notice that we are getting closer to death as we yield to
incremental temptations. Here (with acknowledgment to Neil
Anderson in The Bondage Breaker3) are a number of statements
that reveal the sinful results of stretching the limits:
• Need for physical rest becomes laziness.
• Quietness becomes non-communicativeness.
• The ability to turn a profit becomes greed.
• Enjoyment of the pleasures of life becomes intemperance.
• The gift of physical pleasure becomes sensuality.
• A healthy interest in the possessions of others becomes
covetousness.
• Enjoyment of eating becomes gluttony.
• A sense of personal responsibility becomes selfishness.
• Self-respect becomes pride.
• Factual communication becomes gossip.
• Realistic caution becomes unbelief.
• Optimism becomes insensitivity to people’s current
needs.
• Anger becomes rage and ill-temperedness.
• Care for others becomes over-protectiveness.
• Judgment becomes condemnation.
• Same-sex friendships become tainted with homosexuality.
• Sexual liberty becomes immorality.
• Conscientiousness becomes perfectionism.
• Generosity becomes profligacy.
• Carefulness becomes anxiety and fear.
• Spiritual compatibility becomes illegal soul ties. (Be careful
of those compatibility tests you can take online.)
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67
• Freedom becomes an occasion for the flesh.
• Encouragement becomes flattery.
• Pursuit of goals becomes a driving compulsion.
• Prophetic words become a replacement for the written Word
(i.e., you are more impressed with the words coming out
of you than you are with the Word coming into you).
• Success motivation becomes boastful “pride of life.”
• An emotional healing ministry is converted into a “rescuer”
mentality.
• A healing touch becomes over-familiar and inappropriate.
I am sure that you could add to this list from your personal
experience. Make it a practice to evaluate your motivations
regularly. Learn to detect the shifting sand underfoot and learn
to plant your feet on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ.

Tactics for Resisting Temptation
Satan’s goal is always the same—to deceive you into believing
that whatever he is tempting you to do is as harmless as it
seems and that yielding to his temptation will bring you pleasure
(with no repercussions). He never gets tired of tempting people.
Therefore, we need to be prepared to resist his tactics.

What tactics of your own should you have ready? 
Here are eight basic ones:
1. First and foremost—know yourself. Know your weak
points, which is where the devil will attack you most often.
My friend Bill puts it this way: “Ask yourself this question.
If I were the devil, how would I attack me?” Get real
about your points of vulnerability. Get help if you need to.
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2. If you cannot eliminate the temptation in the first place,
then deal with it as quickly as possible. At the beginning
of a temptation—not at the end of it—confront it, so
that you can conquer it more easily. Never wait until the
temptation has worn you down.
3. Pray preventive prayers (see Matthew 6:13). “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
4. Pray protective prayers (see Matthew 26:41). Keep the
walls of your “city” strong (see Proverbs 16:32; 25:28).
5. Flee. Simply flee. You don’t have to stick around to see how
close to the edge you can get without falling (see 1 Corinthians
6:18; 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). Turn
around before you get into the checkout line. Walk out of
the movie. Close your eyes when you glimpse something
that tantalizes you.
6. Use your Bible. Jesus did (see Matthew 4 and Luke 4).
Make use of the sword of the Spirit.
7. Resist. Don’t give way. Sometimes that’s all it takes. “Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, kjv).
8. Make yourself accountable to others. Not only do I have a
board of directors for my ministry, I also have a three-man
personal advisory team and they hold me accountable.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for
each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous
man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, niv).
You have to prepare for temptation, because it will surely
come. And when it comes, it will be . . . tempting. In other words,
you will want to entertain those tempting thoughts. You will
never be tempted to eat foods you do not like. You will never
be tempted sexually by members of the opposite sex who are
repulsive-looking. You will never be tempted to bend the truth
in order to obtain a promotion you do not desire.
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69
You will be tempted to do something that appears to be
satisfying. With the temptation before your eyes, you will
forget about obedience, just as Adam and Eve did. The devil
will tempt you through one of the three age-old channels of
temptation:
• The lust of the flesh. Lust does not refer only to sex. Any
kind of craving that appeals to your physical senses is lust
of the flesh.
• The lust of the eyes. You covet something, and you throw
aside prudence and obedience in order to get it.
• The pride of life. Angling for the spotlight, you promote
yourself and exalt your reputation.
In His wisdom, John capsulated these three channels of temptation
when he wrote, “For all that is in the world—the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the
Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and
the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever”
(1 John 2:16–17).
Feed Yourself the Right Things
Do not think for a minute that sin will satisfy you better
than God. As a matter of fact, you never can satisfy the desires
of the flesh without Him. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”
(Matthew 5:6, nasb).
Feed yourself the right things, all of which come straight
from the Father. Right relationships, living in the power of the
Holy Spirit and right fruit of the Spirit—those are the things
that will satisfy you, body, soul and spirit. A life that is lived
in the Kingdom of God, where righteousness, peace and joy
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rule and reign is far better than any kind of one-night-stand
satisfaction.
Do not stop short. After you starve out evil intruders, fill the
void with God’s nourishing, abundant life. Only in Him will you
find the pleasures that are greater than any tempter can offer.
71
5
Battle Plans for Overcomers
You have to run over the devil before he runs over you. You are
standing on a battlefield (a different one from the one you
were standing on last year at this time). You may be standing in
the middle of an army, or you may be standing all alone.
Are you just going to stand there, waiting to see what will
happen? Or are you going to do something that will allow you
to get and keep the upper hand?
King David gave us a psalm that we should graft onto ourselves
so that we can be true overcomers: “I pursued my enemies
and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed”
(Psalm 18:37, niv). Earlier in the same psalm, he expressed
his utter dependency on God when his enemies proved to be
too strong for him: “He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted
me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support”
(Psalm 18:17–18, niv).
He was a true overcomer—determined to make an end of his
enemies, but always aware that he needed help doing it.
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The Book of Wars
In the book of Numbers, I found this interesting phrase:
“Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord. . .”
(Numbers 21:14). What is this book? The Book of the Wars of
the Lord is not part of the canon of Scripture, nor are several
other books that are mentioned in the Bible, such as the book
of remembrance (see Malachi 3:16) or the book of tears (see
Psalm 56:8). Perhaps we can construe the Book of the Wars of
the Lord to be a book that has not yet been finished—and that
we ourselves can help to complete as we engage the enemy, one
skirmish at a time.
For each of us, the combat will not be over until the day
we die. Born in the midst of battle and born for battle, we
are following our Commander-in-Chief, whose mission was to
destroy the works of the devil. We are not warring against our
spouses, our children, our bosses or our pastors (even if some
of the time it seems like it). We are battling against besetting
spiritual forces of wickedness.
I like to think that our ongoing struggle is a sign of life, and
proof that we have not yet been conquered. The Lord of Life
is waging warfare through us. Our efforts are—or should be—
springing from the placement of the Son of God in our personal
lives. How central is He in your life, your family, your lineage, your
congregation, your ministry, your city, your nation? How much of
His Kingdom has come? How much of His will has been done?
If you haven’t already realized it, now is the time to see that
the battle is not about you; it is about Him. He is the driving
force behind every spiritual battle, as He retrieves and redeems
and restores. Transforming the redeemed ones as He leads them
forward on every battlefield, He is making sure that the entire
Church, His Bride, will be beautiful for Him.
As we engage in struggle after struggle, not only are we subjugating
Satan, we are also being transformed, individually and
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73
as a body. The whole Church is in metamorphosis, becoming a
new creation in Christ, growing and maturing and overcoming
the darkness of the old regime.1

War Scriptures
Battle fatigue often hits in the midst of the fiercest fighting,
but the Lord will always revive, restore and return us to life.
Scriptural reassurances abound:
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2, niv
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive
me;
You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of
my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalm 138:7–8, nasb
Did you notice where He revives you? In the midst of trouble.
Such a simple statement—such a profound truth. Light shines
brightest in darkness. Are you in trouble right now? Do not quit.
Never give up. Take hold of your shield of enduring faith and
wage war alongside your brothers and sisters.
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Remember that you are fighting an unseen enemy who is
behind all of the opposition that you can see and feel (see Ephesians
6:12). You have the authority of the One who called you,
who said:
I saw Satan falling like a lightning [flash] from heaven.
Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample
upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength
and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and
nothing shall in any way harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject
to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.
Luke 10:18–20, amp
The Body of Jesus Christ tramples on every enemy, enforcing
the victory of Calvary. This battle is part of our birthright.
However, as the Lord said, we are not supposed to rejoice merely
because evil spirits must leave when we say so, but because we
are being prepared for a heavenly destination. He wants us to
have His perspective.
He wants us to remember that, although we will have to
suffer the sting of the enemy’s wrath (as He Himself did) it
will not last forever. We can be glad about that! “For this reason,
rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the
earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you,
having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time”
(Revelation 12:12, nasb).
The devil and his minions are filled with terror. Although
they are not omniscient, omnipotent or omni-anything, they do
know that their time is short, and this knowledge increases their
wrath. They are trying to wreak as much carnage as possible
before the final curtain goes down. This can help us as soldiers
in God’s army. We can adopt an attitude that says, “Dude, you
may have inflicted some wounds on me, but you do not have
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75
the final word. I’ve seen the end of the book, and I know you
will lose.”
Every skirmish has the same ultimate outcome—victory.
For “no temptation has seized you except what is common to
man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will
also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”
(1 Corinthians 10:13, niv).
Why Is Satan Picking on You?
Do you sometimes feel as if the enemy has painted a bull’s-eye
on you? What did you do to attract his unwelcome attention?
Well, for one thing, you are God’s friend. God created you for
His pleasure and He takes pleasure in you (see Revelation 4:11).
He takes so much pleasure in you that He sent His Son to redeem
you from the hand of His enemy so that He could adopt
you as His child. He takes so much pleasure in you that He is
beautifying you and making you able to reflect His image the
way you were created to do.
And since Satan cannot assault God directly, he attacks God’s
friends. He tries to undermine the ground beneath your feet. He
tries to make you deny your Lord. The devil tries to paralyze your
planning, abort your dreams and dilute your hope. He opposes
everything that could help you stay close to God’s heart.
The truth of the situation is that the devil is mighty jealous
of you. Who do you think you are, giving glory to God, surrendering
yourself to Him as your Father and Lord—and resisting
evil at every turn?
What Are Satan’s Favorite Tactics?
Satan is not particularly creative. He exercises his malice in
certain predictable (and, therefore, resistible) ways. With his
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limited repertoire, all he can do is to mix standard ingredients
into variations on the same recipe. Here is a quick list of his
favorite tactics against human beings:
1. Delay. To weaken you and wear you out. To make you lose
your way (see Daniel 10:2–14).
2. Deceit. To derail God’s purposes by making spiritual
principles into legalism. To move you from the stability
of truth to the instability of error (see Revelation 12:9).
3. Distraction. To break your focus. To make you concentrate
on a side issue. A time of great intimacy with God can
turn into a time of great battle (see Proverbs 4:27).
4. Disappointment. To magnify the weaknesses of others;
to offend you and to embitter you.
Delay, deceit, distraction and disappointment—each one
of these tactics is slow-acting. You may not recognize them
at first. Sometimes it seems that Satan is more patient than
you are as he encroaches on your peace, inch by inch. He cannot
derail you instantly, although it may seem abrupt when
it happens.
To detect evil encroachment more quickly, assess your life experiences
to become aware of your personal Achilles’ heel, your
point of greatest vulnerability. Some people’s greatest weakness
is unbelief. For others it is bitterness or revenge. For others it is
checking out, backing off, quitting. Everybody is different. One
person may be vulnerable because of a time of grief or fatigue.
Others may be prone to volcanic anger. Ask the Lord to show
you your greatest weakness, because that is where your enemy
will concentrate his efforts.
Realize, however, that once you shore up your defenses in
your area of greatest weakness, some other area will become
vulnerable, and the enemy will circle around again. He’s stalking
you, just waiting for you to stumble.
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When Does Satan Hit the Hardest?
The devil works in cycles. He attacks and pulls back. He hits
you and then he shifts around to the other side. This could be
disorienting (and he wants it to be), but you can anticipate his
moves. You can predict the seasons of your attack.
You will remember what happened to Jesus at the end of His
time of temptation in the wilderness. After He had overcome
every temptation, “Then the devil left him, and angels came
and attended him” (Matthew 4:11, niv). In other words, the
forty-day attack was over with. There would be more battles
later, in another season. The enemy would regroup. Taking
advantage of the breather, angels helped Jesus to regroup as
well.
We can observe this same pattern of attacking and regrouping
in our own lives. The two reasons why Satan pulls back are:
(1) because you won, and he has to go off to lick his wounds, or
(2) he wants to trick you and put you off your balance so you
will let your guard down. Either way, you need to be ready for
the next round.
One of the best ways to prepare in anticipation is to assess
your own seasonal cycle of weakness. This is reminiscent of
spiritual mapping, personal spiritual mapping. Look over the
literal seasons of your life. When do you tend to struggle with
depression? In the winter? When have you been hit with lust?
In the heat of summer, on the beach? Gear up for that season
beforehand. Keep the sword of the Spirit at your side, keep
prayer-watching, steer clear of sin. Do not think for a minute
that just because you are not under attack right now, you are
free and clear. Keep an eye on yourself and keep an eye out for
the enemy. Make your next battle a decisive victory.
Some of Satan’s greatest attacks will probably happen when
you get too little sleep (and I would like to tell that to every
college student I know). We are all more vulnerable when we
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78
are tired. When you have worked yourself to the bone, you are
weak not only because of physical fatigue, but also because
of emotional and mental fatigue. As I write this book, I have
temporarily been weakened by fatigue and grief due to the loss
of my dear wife. The Lord has told me that one of my most
effective tactics against temptation and discouragement right
now is simply rest. As I make time for physical rest, I make it
a point to rest my spirit—in faith. He has also told me to pray
more in tongues, so I have been doing that—up to two hours
at a time. I firmly believe that resting is not only serving to
restore my strength, but also to fend off the enemy’s further
assaults.
Watch out also when you have major changes in your life,
especially geographical relocations. Crisis occurs on the eve of
change.
The enemy always tries to thwart the plans of God. Even
with his partial knowledge, he knows when someone is destined
for greatness (he can hear the prophecies, too). You may not be
a Moses or a Jesus with Pharaoh or Herod tracking you with
murder in his eyes, but look at what has happened to an entire
generation as a result of the legalization of abortion in 1973.
God destined this generation for greatness, and the enemy has
already mowed down millions of innocent babies before they
could emerge into the light of day.
In a similar way, the enemy hits desperately hard when a
specific miracle is leaving the hand of God. Daniel is the clearest
example of this. For twenty-one days, Daniel fasted and
prayed, sweating and trembling and troubled almost beyond
endurance (see Daniel 10) before a breakthrough occurred.
When you make an effort to take a stand, the degree and intensity
of spiritual warfare will be proportional to the territory
that you are about to possess. Look at it through a positive
lens; all the hell that you have been going through could be
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79
a prophetic indication of the great things that are about to
happen in your life.
Have you noticed that when you are next in line for a promotion,
the enemy tries to stop you? Job is the perfect example. The
enemy threw his whole arsenal at Job and he nearly knocked
him out of the running, but Job remained true to God through
it all. As far as we know, he never had to go through something
like that again.
How to Shorten Your Seasons of Struggle
So seasons of struggle will be a “given.” Yet you do not need to
prolong the agony. Can you shorten your seasons of struggle? I
believe you can, and I believe that the Bible is filled with good
advice toward this end.
Your Special Weapons
I cannot emphasize enough the power and efficacy of Scripture.
As Jesus did in the midst of His wilderness temptation,
you must know and speak the Word of God. Not only will the
Word put a stop to the enemy’s lies, but it will also build you
up so that you can stand firm. Here are a couple of words from
the Word about the effectiveness of the Word:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15, niv
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the
man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17, nasb
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Let the Holy Spirit and the Word permeate your mind and
heart so that your conversations reflect the mentality of a conqueror.
This gives new meaning to the proverb, “Death and life
are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat
its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).
Always remember the power of the name of the Lord. “The
name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous
man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is
safe, high [above evil] and strong” (Proverbs 18:10, amp). Declare
His name, loudly or quietly, and expect your enemy to fall back:
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and
of those under the earth.
Philippians 2:9–10
Do not forget to tap into the power of prayer. “The effective
prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16,
nasb). Fasting adds power to your prayers:
Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6, nasb
Get others involved in the praying. Call your believing friends
and ask them to pray for you. Never underestimate the extra
power of a prayer of agreement:
I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven.
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Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about
anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in
heaven.
Matthew 18:18–19, niv
Keep praising God through everything. Not only does praise
express and build up your faith, but it also creates a climate that
Satan cannot tolerate. What a wonderful weapon for bringing
light into darkness! Remember how a few psalms played on a
little harp drove the evil spirit away from King Saul: “So it came
about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David
would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would
be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from
him” (1 Samuel 16:23, nasb).
Honor the veterans of spiritual battles and learn from their
successes and failures. Sometimes you will have “vets” nearby
who can mentor you. Other times, you will need to resort to good
books and helpful messages from people far away, many of whom
will have gone home to their reward years before you were born.
“A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of
understanding will acquire wise counsel” (Proverbs 1:5, nasb).
Take it from this veteran, you must learn when to rest and not
directly engage the enemy. The devil’s job is to wear down the
saints (see Daniel 7:25), and the spirit of the Antichrist comes to
do the same (see 1 John 4:3). Therefore, seek wisdom for your
warring and learn to rest, both spiritually and physically.
Day after day, clothe yourself by faith with God’s spiritual
armor: “Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may
be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger],
and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly
in your place]” (Ephesians 6:13, amp).
As you turn the pages of the following chapters, I will be
giving you many more tips for countering enemy advances.

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Exercising Kingdom Authority
Picture this: a kid with a peashooter attacking a fortified
castle. That is a little bit what you might be like if you fail
to understand the subject of Kingdom authority. For your own
safety and for the welfare of the people you love, you need to
make sure you have a strong grasp on the truth here. Just what
does it mean to exercise “Kingdom authority”? Why bother
with it? Where does this authority come from? What can it
accomplish? Who can have a share in it? Can it be lost? Can it
be regained?
The subject of Kingdom authority is pivotal; everything about
spiritual warfare depends on it.
The Enemy’s Plan—Overruled by God’s Plan
Reviewing the facts, we remember that Satan, in the time before
human time, became jealous of God’s glory and rebelled. No
longer did he want to lead or even participate in the high praises
of the God who had created him. In response, God banished
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him from His presence, casting him out with all of his rebellious
under-angels.
Immediately, Satan established a rival spiritual kingdom in
opposition to God, ruling over these fallen angels in the heavenly
realm and over demonic spirits on earth. For eons since, he has
been consumed with gaining as much control of the world’s
systems as possible and receiving universal worship for himself.
His forces, in their relentless effort to rob God of honor and
displace the Son from His privileged position, have labored to
confuse and harm the people of the earth so that they will be
his captives. His objective has always been the same—to keep
people from knowing, obeying and honoring God. This is his
plan, and he is intent on it.
God, however, has retained the upper hand. He is the One who
is all-knowing and all-powerful, and Satan cannot approach His
level of superiority. Early on, God launched a concerted response
to Satan’s rebellion that continues to this day. The centerpiece
of the Father’s plan is His only Son, Jesus.
The ones who will give allegiance to Him are the ones who
will populate the Kingdom of God. They are God’s allies in
the spiritual warfare that has continued to rage on for centuries
after the decisive events of Jesus’ life on earth. Although Jesus
won the ultimate victory over the powers of darkness through
His death and His resurrection and He introduced the Kingdom
permanently into the earth realm, He did not want to terminate
the spiritual battle until He had reaped as many souls as possible
for that Kingdom. As a consequence, far from being over,
the spiritual upheaval continues.
That is where we come in. Walking on our piece of the planet,
God has invested us with His authority to undertake two special
responsibilities: (1) to restrain Satan’s forces on earth until God’s
purposes of grace have been fulfilled, and (2) to participate in
the heavenly wrestling match. Sometimes, joining ourselves with
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other people who have been set free, we can dislodge a territorial
spirit over a geographical area, displacing dark angels so that
the angels of light can prevail. Walking in spiritual freedom, we
can release the Kingdom of God into our present environment,
freeing more captives and giving glory to the King. Through us,
Jesus Himself still walks the dusty roads, healing and delivering
the captives, assembling an army for His Kingdom one soul at
a time.
How do we do this? Certainly not on our own strength or
in our own wisdom. We do it in faith. On what is our faith
based? On the firmly established authority of our righteous
Savior, Jesus.
Who Is the Highest?
Without being simplistic, the facts speak for themselves. If
you want to be on the winning side, you must surrender your
allegiance to all other gods and idols (including the idol of your
self) and follow the King. God is the highest authority. He always
will be the highest authority because He always has been.
In the first verse of the Bible, we read, “In the beginning
God . . .” (Genesis 1:1). It does not say, “In the beginning the
devil. . . .” There is no question about who was in authority
in heaven. God created both the heavens and the earth and
their populations of heavenly and earthly beings—including
Satan. Satan did not get there first. He did not create anything.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was
visible” (Hebrews 11:3, niv).
Everything is held together by God’s supremacy, and nothing
can dislodge Him from His position. He is the beginning and
the end, the Alpha and the Omega. As He put it to John: “I am
the First and the Last” (Revelation 1:17).
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He can delegate His authority to others, and that is what
we are going to talk about in this chapter. But it must be delegated,
not usurped. Historically, when people try to abrogate
His authority, they fail miserably. Satan tried it, and it most
definitely did not work. Originally, God had delegated a great
deal of authority to the angel of light we know as Lucifer. But
that authority was stripped from him when he rebelled, and he
will never get a second chance.
Human beings misused their authority, too, following in Satan’s
footsteps. By the time of Noah, God was so weary of the
mess they had caused that He decided to destroy most of the
earth He had made in the flood (see Genesis 6–9). Then, after
the earth had been repopulated and men decided to promote
themselves once again in the form of the tower of Babel, God
intervened again, asserting His authority by confusing their
language and scattering them (see Genesis 11).
This pattern has repeated itself until the present. Why do
people not get the message that the whole world has always
been His, and it always will be? “The earth is the Lord’s, and the
fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1,
amp). So although it seems to have been taken over by the enemy,
God has never lost possession of it for a moment.
Psalm 104 contains twenty-four assertions of God’s sovereign
authority and ownership over the earth. Far more than poetic
hyperbole, these are statements of fact about God’s sovereign
authority. For example:
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
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Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever. . . .
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
. . . You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever.
Psalm 104:1–5, 24, 30–31
So no matter where you are on the earth and no matter what
is happening, God is in charge. Everything belongs to Him, even
the most evil and immoral environment or the most violent war
zones. The more God’s people come into alignment with Him
and exercise His delegated authority wherever they go, the more
He is able to “renew the face of the earth.”
Satan, the Fallen
The prophet Ezekiel gave us a picture of the angel who became
arrogant enough to challenge the sovereign Lord of the
Universe:
You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
You were the anointed cherub who covers;
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I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were
created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at
you;
You have become a horror,
And shall be no more forever.
Ezekiel 28:12–19
Before the Fall, this amazingly beautiful being was as bright
as the morning star. But as soon as he asserted himself above
God, he was cut down swiftly, like a dagger-flash of lightning
(see Luke 10:18):
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How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart:
“I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.”
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Isaiah 14:12–15
Forced to receive him, the earth reacted with repulsion:
Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
“Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who did not open the house of his prisoners?”
Isaiah 14:16–17
In the divine plan of God, Lucifer had been created to oversee
a third of the lesser heavenly creatures, leading them in perpetual
worship. As he did so, he must have started comparing his role to
the role of the One he was worshiping, and eventually he rose up in
pride, aspiring to rise above his delegated sphere of authority and
to become an equal to God (“I will be like the Most High”).
With that expression of pride, he fell, just as the proverb
describes: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit
before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
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Authority Transfers
So much for the inappropriate seizure of God’s authority. How
is it that God makes legitimate transfers of His authority to the
ones He chooses? Before we can talk about exercising authority
over demons, we have to understand how legitimate authority
works.
Way back in the Garden, God commissioned Adam, and
thereby all of humankind, to rule over the rest of what He had
created. God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according
to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”
(Genesis 1:26, nasb). He made the first humans, and then He
blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth,
and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds
of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth”
(Genesis 1:28, nasb).
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit had the authority to create
and the authority to rule. They had the freedom to delegate
that authority if they wished to do so, and that is what they
did. They did not transfer the ownership of the earth to human
beings, but they did transfer the authority to rule over it, use it
and take care of it. The earth and the fullness thereof remained
in God’s own possession. As long as human beings remained
aligned with Him, they would be able to exercise their delegated
Kingdom dominion with wisdom, according to His will. Adam
and Eve had been made in His exact likeness, and they would
exercise dominion with holy, sinless authority.
But what happened? Alas, disobedience caused a separation
between God and the people He had made (see Genesis 2:17; 3:6–
11, 22–23). In effect, the man and the woman chose to proclaim
the serpent as their new lord, thus ceding their heaven-bestowed
authority to Satan and becoming his slaves (see Romans 6:16).
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After that time, human beings belonged to the enemy. Although
Satan sometimes appeared to have become the owner
of the world, he had not. He was more like a magistrate or administrator,
and by definition, his term of authority was going
to be a limited one. Nevertheless, the devil had become the
“prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and he had
the legal right to control the visible realm from his position in
the unseen realm.
Then Jesus burst upon the scene. The devil tried to thwart His
entrance into the public eye. In the wilderness, Satan tempted
Jesus with the very God-given authority that he had stolen from
Adam, saying, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory;
for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I
wish” (Luke 4:6).
Jesus, however, did not fall for the bait. He knew then what
He later declared to His disciples, namely, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18,
niv). By the time He told them that, He had paid the ransom
for humankind. He had bought back His Lordship, becoming
the sinless sacrificial Lamb to pay the price for sin-filled humans
(see Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; Galatians 3:13–14). Once and for
all, Jesus the Son had triumphed over Satan, the one who had
usurped the authority of heaven. Disarmed, the devil had been
defeated by Jesus, the One who is the Lord over all (see Colossians
2:15; Ephesians 1:17–22; 4:8–9). Now every knee, even
the devil’s unbending knee, would need to bow before Him
(see Romans 14:11).
Full Circle
Within a little over a month of His death and resurrection,
Jesus had transferred His authority back to anyone who became
filled with His Spirit. After the resurrection, the disciples received
the same holy, sinless breath (pneuma), or spirit of life, that He
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possessed (see Genesis 2:7; John 20:22) and the same power
(dunamis) from on high (see Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49).
From that point forward, the Spirit-led Church could move
out, and wherever they went, they could carry God’s seal of
authority, the authority that prevails over all resistance (see Matthew
28:19–20). The power in them was greater than the power
that remained in the world (see 1 John 4:4). Humbly submitted
to their living Lord, all they had to do was resist and the enemy
would flee (see James 4:7). Now they could pick up the keys to
the Kingdom—and use them. Now they could set the captives
free from demonic custody (see Mark 16:17).
As a personal aside, let me tell you how directly this can apply
to deliverance ministry today. Being submitted to the Lord and
filled with His Spirit means that I am indwelt by Someone. I
am filled with the Light of God. This bothers the enemy—a
lot. Because this is a fact, sometimes when I am ministering
to people I just “lean in” and let my light shine. I’m operating
in confidence in God, not in myself, because it really has very
little to do with me. All I have to do is surrender to the Spirit
of Jesus, take hold of the resulting authority that exudes from
me and apply it to the situation.
I am not very active, but I am certainly not passive, either.
Sometimes I just lean in and have a temporary “stare-down”
with a demonized person. I release the light of God that is within
me. The darkness absolutely hates this—and it flees. It is like
going into a dark room and flipping the light switch without
a word; there is no question about the light prevailing over the
darkness. All the cockroaches run for cover.
Often I say some words, too, but the most effective part is
the light of God within me. My job is to allow the light to
conquer the darkness. I do it intentionally. I do not need to
repeat commands loudly multiple times or prophesy reams
of revelation. The situation may require some determination
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and perseverance, but it will not require a PhD in deliverance
techniques.
We Are Not of This World
You see, we are no longer part of this world. We are no
longer subject to its order or hierarchy (see John 15:19; 17:15–
16). We are not of this kingdom or realm or rule (see Colossians
1:13). We are not of the world’s spirit or disposition (see
1 Corinthians 2:12).
We are in the world but we are not of the “world system.”
The world system is the temporary cosmic realm ruled from the
midheavens by Satan. We are no longer citizens of that realm.
We have been given a heavenly transfer card.
In fact, we have been promoted. Satan is a prince, but we
are kings! Jesus has made us “kings and priests to His God and
Father” (Revelation 1:6). As such, we overrule the god of this
world. Our world has become the same as God’s world. Our
kingdom is His Kingdom. Our spirits belong to His Spirit. No
longer can Satan claim us. No longer do we have to drag our
chains of bondage. They have been removed and disposed of.
Thanks to this heavenly transfer of authority, you and I have
been seated with Christ in heavenly places. What do we do
there? We do what kings do—we rule over a domain, over a
sphere of authority. That is what we will be exploring in the
next chapter.

Pa r t III

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Realms of Kingdom Authority
When you and I pray, often we are participating in bigger
battles than we realize. While human need, sickness and
moral corruption may be obvious to us, we cannot see into the
invisible spiritual realm where the prince of darkness hatches evil
plots and conspiracies. We fail to appreciate how far-reaching
our small efforts may be.
In his book The Early Christians, translated from the German,
Eberhard Arnold, the theologian and founder of the Bruderhof
communities, wrote:
The son of God became man to destroy demons and the works
of the devil. Therefore much more is at stake than the healing
of individual people. The vital issue is to purify the earth’s
atmosphere, to free the entire social and political life, and to
completely win our present world-age.
The Christian alone has power over the raging enemy and
its host, because he reveals the supreme power of Christ, which
the demonic powers have to acknowledge. For every believing
Christian is capable of unmasking demons and no demon can
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resist his command or persist in any lie. The demons must surrender
to the servants of God because they fear Christ in God
and God in Christ. In fear, anger, and pain, they abandon their
hold when the Crucified is proclaimed.1
Every time demonic forces abandon their hold, a little more
of the darkness is displaced by the Kingdom of God. Prayers
and proclamations of truth make it happen. I believe that the
singing of every praise song and the righteous preaching of
every sermon displaces a little more. The proclamation of the
Gospel is a spiritual weapon that weakens this temporary present
darkness that surrounds us.
Spiritual warfare is about individual lives, but also it is about
so much more.
Extending Kingdom Authority into Every Sphere of Life
You may have heard about the seven cultural “mountains” of
societal influence. These are spheres of influence with which, for
the sake of the Kingdom, Christians would do well to engage:
1. Government
2. Education
3. Media
4. Arts and entertainment
5. Religion
6. Family
7. Business
Through their delegated Kingdom authority and energy, every
Christian can make a difference in at least a few of these spheres
of influence. Wherever their paths take them, ambassadors of
the Kingdom can turn the lights on, penetrating the darkness.
Suddenly, the works of darkness lie exposed, and reformation
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ensues. Reformation becomes transformation in pockets of society,
and the Kingdom takes root.
This is the proof that the darkness is temporary. With divine
ingenuity, inspiration, revelation, interpretation and application,
ordinary-seeming believers can make something happen. New
life can be released on a daily basis. Remember what Jesus said:
“Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.
He will do even greater things than these, because I am going
to the Father” (John 14:12, niv).
Besides these mountains of influence, every Christian can
make a difference in a number of other spheres of influence
as well.
Extending Kingdom Authority over Demons
Because you have been reading this book, you know without
me saying it again that we have the authority to cast out
demons. Without “seeing a demon behind every bush,” we can
nevertheless learn to distinguish demonic fingerprints on the
circumstances and affairs of our lives, and we can get rid of the
evil spirits who are trying to assert their control.
Extending Kingdom Authority over the Elements
When I mention taking authority over the elements, I think
of the time when Jesus calmed the violent storm on the lake
(see Mark 4:35–39). Did you know that this is something that
you should be able to do, too?
I remember years ago when I was pastor of a church in Missouri,
which is located in “Tornado Alley.” A giant storm was
making a beeline for our little community. Funnel clouds had
been spotted; the weather could not have been worse. One of the
church elders and his wife called me on the phone and I heard
them say, “Aaaaaaahhhhh! It’s coming!” I had already had a little
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bit of success in speaking to storms and commanding them to
change, and a spirit of faith rose up in me for this one.
I just spoke to that tornado and I commanded it in Jesus’
name to move and go around. It did exactly what I told it to do!
(I should have said, “Lift!” The neighbors would have appreciated
it.) Afterward, you could see the path of destruction. It
followed the beeline up to a certain point, did a little semicircle
and then went back to the same track. The winds had obeyed
the authority of the Lord Jesus in me.
Extending Kingdom Authority over Natural Laws
This is a little more than taking authority over bad weather—
it’s taking authority over the natural laws of physics, the principles
that govern physical functions such as motion, gravity,
chemistry and thermodynamics. Not that you have to know
anything about the laws of physics to do it. You only have to
know what Jesus is doing so that you can participate in the
miracle of it.
The best example of His taking authority over natural law was
when He walked on water (see Mark 6:47–48). Then later, He
walked through closed doors (see John 20:26 and other gospel
accounts). Philip was transported a great distance in an instant,
finding himself in Azotus, which was near the ocean, immediately
after he had been with the Ethiopian eunuch on the desert
road between Jerusalem and Gaza (see Acts 8:26–40).
Others in the Bible—and in modern times—have testified
about times when Kingdom authority sweeps over seemingly
immutable natural laws.
Extending Kingdom Authority over Temptations
When you are being tempted to sin, you can speak to any
enticing spirit who may be summoning you to venture into the
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darkness. You can command a spirit that is behind a temptation
to “bug off,” in the name of Jesus. So simple and effective.
Extending Kingdom Authority over Sickness and Death
The gospels are filled with stories about Jesus extending
Kingdom authority over sickness and death. Here is a perfect
example involving sickness:
As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance
met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master,
have mercy on us!”
When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves
to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.
Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned
back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at
His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed?
But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned
to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And He said to him,
“Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17:12–19, nasb
A side note: If you had been living at that time and in that
place, you would have expected the lepers to not only keep their
distance but also to cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” as they saw
people approaching (see Leviticus 13:45). Instead, they cried out,
“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”—and He did. The authority
of God, which is driven by mercy, overruled sickness, decay and
death. Moreover, it was a Samaritan who got healed and who
returned to thank the Lord Jesus. Even the Samaritans who
were not lepers did not mix with Jews. Jesus’ mercy and Jesus’
authority triumphed over both social ostracism and disfiguring
illness. The history of the Church right up to the present moment
is filled with similar accounts.
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The classic biblical example of the effectiveness of Jesus’
authority over death is, of course, the familiar story of Lazarus’
resurrection from the dead (see John 11:38–44). Some Bible
teachers have theorized that because Jesus carried so much
authority, He had to speak Lazarus’ name specifically: “Lazarus,
come forth!” If He had not, they speculate that many
of the other dead people would have come walking out of
their tombs!
Extending Kingdom Authority over Finances and Needs
This current time of prolonged financial crisis might be a
good occasion to practice extending Kingdom authority over
your finances. Jesus did it when He paid an overdue tax bill. He
told Peter to go fishing for the money (see Matthew 17:24–27)
and the first fish he would catch would have a four-drachma
coin in its mouth. With that coin, he could go pay the taxes for
both of them.
In a similar way, when we find ourselves laboring under financial
difficulties, we can take the opportunity to assert Jesus’
authority over our financial deficit. We can call forth blessings
and we can call on the Lord to identify and help us capture the
malicious thief who has been stealing our provision.
When you are under a financial curse, you feel as if you
have a purse with a hole in it. You can almost see the locusts
descending on you: “You will sow much seed in the field but
you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it” (Deuteronomy
28:38, niv). But you can call forth discernment and
wisdom so that you can sew up the holes in your purse. You can
lay claim to additional sources of supply, because the Kingdom
of God is not limited to your paycheck. In the authority of
the Son of God, you can proclaim that property will sell, that
dividends will increase, that wise stewardship will be exercised
over your investments.
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As the proverb says, when the thief has been identified and
captured, he has to repay sevenfold what he took from you (see
Proverbs 6:31). Refuse to shoulder the curse of poverty over
yourself, your household and even over your generational lineage,
in the name of Jesus. Declare that your crisis will change
into an opportunity for blessing.
Sometimes you do not need money as much as you need
supplies such as food. That is what the crowd of people needed
when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed them (see Matthew
15:32–38; 14:13–21; Mark 6:35–44; 8:1–9; Luke 9:13–17;
John 6:1–13). From time to time, you hear contemporary testimonies
that rival that one, when not only is food multiplied,
but also anything that is under the stewardship of a faith-filled
believer. More than once, Heidi and Rolland Baker, missionaries
to Mozambique, have seen gifts of toys multiply for the needy
and orphaned children in their care.2
Speaking of needs, have you ever prayed over your empty gas
tank? I have. Amazed, I watched the needle go up from “E” and
then I drove away. Now I do not make it a habit to live that way.
Normally, I earn money first and then I go to the gas station
and buy the gas to fill up my tank. But there are times when
I have a need. Next time you are about to run out of gas, try
speaking to your gas tank. Command it to fill up. It will never
happen unless you do!
Extending Kingdom Authority over Animals
Kingdom authority extends over every form of life that God
created: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle,
over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps
on the earth’” (Genesis 1:26). Jesus took Kingdom dominion
when He told the discouraged disciples to cast their nets into
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the water from the right side of the boat instead of the left
(see John 21:1–6). Whereas they had not caught as much as a
minnow all night long (and remember, these guys were professional
fishermen, and they may well have cast their nets from
both sides of the boat at different times), now they pulled in
a miraculous haul of a hundred and fifty-three fish. It seems
that Jesus’ authority had caused most of the fish in the Sea of
Tiberius to swim into the net right then and there, as if it were a
fish-magnet.
(If you cannot get your children to obey you, try your animals.
It might just work!)
Extending Kingdom Authority over Fear
Back on the water another time, Jesus’ authority was the only
thing that worked against the fear of the terrified disciples. That
was the time He had been asleep in the stern of the boat in spite
of the deluge of rain and the boiling waves (see Mark 4:35–39).
At the frantic request of His men, He shook the sleep out of
His eyes and spoke the authoritative word, “Quiet! Be still!”
The storm ceased. Then He addressed their fear:
He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it
that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?
And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly
and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and
sea obey him?
Mark 4:40–41, amp
As far as Jesus was concerned, their initial fear was completely
unwarranted, because, after all, He was with them. An
astonishing thing had just occurred. So they traded fears. They
traded their fear of drowning for a healthy fear of the One who
could save them from any threat.
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Extending Kingdom Authority over Emotions
Fear is a blatant emotion, a good one to be able to overcome
(or to convert to healthy fear) through Jesus’ authoritative name.
But there are many other emotions. Do you suppose Jesus’ authority
can rein them in, too, when they are out of control? Of
course.
Looking at Scripture once again, I see one special account
that illustrates how Jesus’ own emotions became subject to
the loving and merciful jurisdiction of His Father and Spirit.
Profound grief had caused Him to withdraw to a solitary place.
He just wanted to be alone:
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them
and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give
her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give
me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king
was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests,
he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded
in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to
the girl, who carried it to her mother. John’s disciples came and
took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat
privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed
him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large
crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:6–14, niv
Jesus’ friend and cousin, John, had just been brutally beheaded
by the king. Clearly Jesus needed time away from people’s
demands so that He could recover from His loss. Even
according to Jewish tradition, this would have been a time of
mourning. Why could the people not respect it?
He tried to get away by boat to the far side of the water, but
the people, clamoring for attention, caught wind of His des-
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tination and beat Him there, toiling around the lake on foot.
Did Jesus throw up His hands in futility or cover His face in
despair? Did He tell His friends to push off again and take Him
out into the middle of the lake away from everybody? No, He
mastered His own crushing grief. He subjugated it to God’s
higher Kingdom purposes. Although He had not been allowed
to release John from prison or to preserve him from a gruesome
death, He was fully able to cut short His grieving for the sake of
the people, compassionately gathering them to heal them.
Extending Kingdom Authority over Mind and Body
We are seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places, far
above all rule and authority and dominion and everything that
has whatever title you want to give it (see Ephesians 1:20–22).
And God “put all things in subjection under His feet, and
gave Him as head over all things to the church” (Ephesians
1:22, nasb).
This means that Kingdom authority extends over every mind
and everybody that exists now, that ever did exist, and that will
exist in the future, human or otherwise. Kingdom authority
extends over all things, no exceptions. Nothing and nobody is
more powerful than God, and the only reason we do not disintegrate
when such a powerful force comes to dwell inside us
is that He is also the One who makes all things hold together
(see Colossians 1:17).
It is all about Him. Or, as He would say, it is all about the
Father:
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is
in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority
and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in
Me does the (His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power).
John 14:10, amp
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Never Quit
Never forget that you carry within yourself the power and authority
of the Savior, who is eternally alive. For that reason,
never give up. Never quit.
Those were my wife’s final words to me before she went
home to be with Jesus. Because Christ, the hope of glory, is in
me (see Colossians 1:27), I can keep preaching, teaching and
reaching out to people with His light until the day I go home,
too. I want to “labor, striving according to His working which
works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29).
In September of 2008, I was scheduled to go to minister with
my dear friends Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda at a conference in
Fort Mills, South Carolina. My wife was profoundly ill, as she
had been for a long time. Before I left, I sat on Michal Ann’s bed
and told her where I was going. She laid her hand on me and
blessed me to go. She told me that she would miss me. I did not
know that those would be the last physical words that I would
hear from her. Later, our oldest daughter, Grace Ann, went in to
see her and she was privileged to hear her mother’s last physical
words, which were to the effect that she loved her.
On the Saturday afternoon of the conference, I visited the
prophet Bob Jones and his wife, Bonnie, so that he could minister
to me. One of the things he said was that my wife, Michal
Ann, had one last word to give me. I tucked that away and went
off to the evening meeting.
As I was sitting in the front row, a woman ran up to me,
handed me a blue envelope with a card inside, and I thought
she said something about this being a “word from your wife.”
I glanced at the outside of the card and then I looked around
to find the woman who had given it to me, but she had disappeared.
I looked for her again the next morning when I was
preaching, but I could not find her. I left the card inside my
Bible and I forgot about it.
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When I got home on Sunday night, I discovered that Michal
Ann had slipped into a coma. I spent the entire night next to
her in the bedroom, which I had not been doing up to that point
because she had had health-care services around the clock. In the
wee hours of the morning, I surrendered her to the Lord, weeping,
and I spoke to her about the word that Bob Jones had given me,
praying that she would be able to deliver it to me, although I had
no idea how she could transmit one final word to me now. She
breathed her last at 7:32 in the morning on September 15, 2008.
I completely forgot about Bob’s word, I forgot about what I had
prayed in the night and I definitely forgot about the blue card.
After two funeral services in two states, I went to Seoul, South
Korea, for another scheduled event. I was getting ready to speak,
but I really didn’t know if I still wanted to keep doing this stuff
or not. Everything was so hard. The church was packed. As I
got up to speak, somehow I felt the presence of someone that
I knew. Without seeing anything or hearing anything, I simply
felt the presence of my wife, almost as if God had given her a
weekend pass so that she could cheer me on from the balcony
as a member of the great cloud of witnesses. It was good for
me. I opened my mouth to speak and, to put it in King James
English, I waxed eloquent that night. It was some of the best
preaching I have ever done.
The next day was the Jewish Day of Atonement, and I always
spend that day with the Lord no matter where I am, even if I am
in another city or another country. The conference organizers
released me so that I could spend the day alone with God. During
the night, I ended up having a dream, and in the dream, I
was reliving the Saturday night meeting at Mahesh and Bonnie
Chavda’s conference. There I was, sitting in the front row. In
slow motion, someone came up to me, handed me a card and
said, in slowed-down speed, “This is a word to you from your
wife.” Handing me the blue card, the person disappeared. I
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heard the voice of the Lord saying, “I sent my angel to you to
deliver to you your wife’s last word.”
I woke up (it was 5:00 a.m.), ran to my Bible, found my blue
card and opened it. It was now three weeks since my wife had
gone home to be with Yeshua. I remembered the outside of the
card: “Never, never, never give up.” But now I opened the card so
that I could read the inside, and it was a personal word for me and
our four kids: “I will never, never, never, never stop cheering for
you.” That was exactly what had happened the night before when
I had felt as if I had a personal cheerleader in the balcony.
Interestingly, the card was just a Hallmark card and it had
been manufactured in either Kansas City or Toronto, Canada,
two of the places that my wife and I had some of our greatest
ministry together. God had sent it to me and He made sure I
kept it and read it.
The message on the front of that card is a word to every one
of us. It is a word of spiritual warfare, a word about exercising
Kingdom authority. “Never, never, never give up.” That card
has become a tool of spiritual warfare for me, and I believe the
message on it can be a tool for you as well.
Never-Quit Scriptures
As you move in the power and authority of Jesus, you are actively
guarding your life and the lives of your family and friends.
You are bringing light into the darkness, and the darkness is
not going to overcome it. Here are some passages of Scripture
that will fortify you:
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance
with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by
them you fight the good fight, . . . I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
1 Timothy 1:18, nasb; 2 Timothy 4:7, kjv
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Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him,
standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers
throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of
sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8–9, niv
Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a
great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when
you have done the will of God, you may receive what was
promised.
Hebrews 10:35–36, nasb
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day
of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after
you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the
belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate
of righteousness in place.
Ephesians 6:13–14, niv
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but
of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:39, niv
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing
that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:57–58
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound
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in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:18–19, kjv
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through
Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is
the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,
and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every
place.
2 Corinthians 2:14
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:4, kjv
They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:11, niv
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17
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As we look to Scripture and to the lessons learned by those
who have gone before us, we must keep in mind that what worked
then will work again. Remember the principle of following the
Holy Spirit and depending upon His grace rather than religious
methodology and routine only.
Let us exercise the dominion of Jesus Christ in the earth
today, letting His will be done, right here and right now, as it
is in heaven. Let His Kingdom light extend into and reign over
every area of life, permeating this temporary present darkness.
That is the truth—the present spiritual darkness is temporary—
but only because of you and me and all of the others who carry
the Light of Christ inside.
113
8
Preparations for Deliverance
First comes repentance, then comes deliverance. Before we
can start discussing how to achieve deliverance from evil
spirits, we must explore what it means to truly repent.
The word repentance in the New Testament comes from
the Greek word metanoia, which means “a change of mind.”
It includes not only an inward change of attitude and focus but
also a change of outward lifestyle and behavior. Repentance is
more than feeling sorry for your sins. It means making a break
with evil deeds and starting to do good deeds.
The concept of repentance was firmly established in Hebrew
culture by the time of Jesus, built on centuries of prophetic
words and obedience to God. For example, Isaiah had charged
his listeners with these words:
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
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Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:16–17
That is repentance in action.
Daniel had given advice to Nebuchadnezzar, which could
well be applied to the culture of today:
Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break
away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your
iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a
prolonging of your prosperity.
Daniel 4:27, nasb
Repentance was not a popular message then and it is not a
popular message now. When John the Baptist cried out “Repent!”
to the people who followed him into the Judean desert, he had to
send many of them back because he saw in them no indications
that they had made a true change of heart. He was looking for signs
that people had repented of their “me-first” attitude. When John
told them, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8,
niv), and the people asked him what he was expecting of them,
he answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him
who has none, and the one who has food should do the same”
(Luke 3:11, niv). Such generosity would be a fruit in keeping with
repentance, evidence that someone’s heart had truly changed.
In spite of the number of people who did not bear the fruit
of repentance, many people did hear John’s message and turn
from their sins. In a very real way, John prepared the way for
Jesus. How can we tell? As soon as Jesus emerged from the
wilderness and began His public ministry, demons began to
manifest themselves and depart (see Mark 1:15, 27, 32–34, 39).
This was extraordinary.
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So as Jesus ministered to people, the message stayed the same:
Repent. Change. His disciples preached that message, too. When
the thousands responded on the Day of Pentecost by asking
“What shall we do?” Peter and the other apostles responded,
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). When Paul described to King
Agrippa his ministry from the time the Lord had first called him,
his summary echoed both John the Baptist and Jesus:
O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,
but made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then
at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also
among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God,
and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their
repentance.
Acts 26:19–20, amp
When people live reformed lives consistent with repentance,
their common bond with darkness gets broken. After that, deliverance
gets easier. Thanks to repentance, the enemy loses
his grip. The person who has repented is in a better position to
receive further deliverance.
In its broadest sense, deliverance means having a free heart. If
you have been delivered, you have been set free from fear, shame,
blame and much more. Eventually, after the exit of evil spirits
and subsequent internal cleaning-up from their activities, you
can say that you are “free indeed” (see John 8:36).
Steps to Crowd Out Evil Spirits
In essence, a reformed lifestyle leaves very little room for evil
spirits. People who are filled with God’s light do not provide a
welcoming environment for spirits of darkness.
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The best way to show evil spirits the door is to continue
to repent and change for the better. Specifically, you need to
renounce all idolatry; God will show you what that entails in
your own life. You also need to give up anything having to do
with the occult and false religions. You need to break away from
sexual immorality and all immoral relationships. Abandoning
pretense, you need to humble yourself under God’s hand and be
honest with Him, with yourself and with other people, sometimes
confessing specific sins. You need to forgive—often and
deeply. As God shows you where you have maintained a “mefirst”
attitude, you must surrender to the control and Lordship
of Jesus Christ, turning from all rebellion and from speaking
evil against God or His delegated authorities in your life. I want
to expand on each of these steps in some detail.
Renounce Idolatry, the Occult and False Religions
The Lord calls us into full love and intimacy with Himself,
and His words in the Ten Commandments still apply today:
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything
in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters
below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I,
the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children
for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of
those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand [generations]
of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:3–6, niv
Idolatry means putting any person, thing or spirit before
God, and that includes putting yourself and your ideas ahead
of Him. This is not just an outmoded Old Testament concept.
Paul termed covetousness idolatry: “For this you know with
certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man,
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who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and God” (Ephesians 5:5, nasb).
Idolatry is a serious form of sin, because it is really a worship
of self instead of God. Paul’s prescription for idolatry
was severe: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your
earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires
and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5, niv). To break
away from idolatry, we are expected to get rid of anything that
is associated with it.
The Old Testament records wholesale purges of the things
that were associated with idolatry, which included occult paraphernalia,
all abominable cult practices and people who were
spiritists (see 1 Kings 15:12; 2 Kings 23:24). Failure to comply
with God’s Law meant that the curse of Exodus 20:5 kicked in.
Joshua experienced it firsthand when Israel was defeated at Ai
because they had maintained common ground with the enemy
(see Joshua 7).
The categories of idolatry, the occult and false religions overlap
because all of them involve a substitution of another god for
the one true God. Yet occult practices and the doctrines of false
religions are easier to discern than the hidden aspects of idolatry.
“Occult” is a general word that refers to making contact with
the supernatural world by any means other than by the Spirit of
Jesus Christ, often using secret knowledge and carrying paranormal
associations. History is filled with the occult and false
religions. A sampling from our own day would include New Age
crystals and channeling, Ouija boards, astrology and horoscopes,
fortune-telling, séances, mediums, spiritists, ESP (extrasensory
perception), astral projection, Theosophy, the teachings of Elizabeth
Clare Prophet and the Ascended Masters, Taoism and the
realm of Satanism and satanic cults, neopagan cults, Wicca,
voodoo, witchcraft and secret societies, such as Freemasonry. In
Deuteronomy 18:9–14, God prohibits all such practices.
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Bible teacher Derek Prince subdivided the occult into three
categories:
1. Sorcery. Entering the supernatural realm by means of
music, drugs, powders, incantations, incense, chanting
and so forth.
2. Divination. Divining or discovering information about
people, events, things or the future by using astrology,
tarot cards, spirit guides, palm-reading, ESP, tea leaves
and so forth.
3. Witchcraft. One person controlling another person by
means of a spirit other than the Holy Spirit, which could
include curses, hexes and control spirits (i.e., controlling
through fear, guilt, terror or the like).
If you have attempted to control another person, you should
repent of the sin of witchcraft. In addition—and this is easily
missed—you should release in Jesus’ name all of the individuals
you have tried to control. This is a way of “moving in the
opposite spirit.” Instead of retaining a degree of control for
your own soulish gain, you release and bless others. Failure to
adequately repent and reform results in a continuation of deep
occult bondage, which, as we have already noted, can be passed
down to succeeding generations:
And when the people [instead of putting their trust in God]
shall say to you, Consult for direction mediums and wizards
who chirp and mutter, should not a people seek and consult
their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
[Direct such people] to the teaching and to the testimony!
If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is surely
because there is no dawn and no morning for them.
And they [who consult mediums and wizards] shall pass
through [the land] sorely distressed and hungry; and when they
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are hungry, they will fret, and will curse by their king and their
God; and whether they look upward or look to the earth, they
will behold only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish,
and into thick darkness and widespread, obscure night they
shall be driven away.
Isaiah 8:19–22, amp
As you can see, idolatry, the occult and false religion are
broader than having a random Buddha statue on your shelf.
Right straight through the New Testament, the ancient causeand-
effect curse still applied, although with Jesus’ advent, the
multigenerational curse could finally be broken. God commanded
the early Christians make a clean break with anything
associated with idolatry or occult beliefs (see Revelation 2:14,
20). They burned all scrolls and items associated with sorcery
(see Acts 19:19). To counteract covetousness, they sold their possessions
to meet the needs of the community and to offer help to
the poor (see Luke 3:10–11; Acts 4:32–35; 2 Corinthians 8:3–15).
No longer were they “me-centered.” They had broken off the
long-standing curse.
At any point, righteousness can start to take root in a family
line, replacing sin. Righteousness may not have much of a history
in your own family tree, but you can be the one who changes
that pattern. You can be the one who breaks off the curse that
has followed you through your ancestors, and it will be broken
for good. If God is showing you something in your own life that
amounts to idolatry, renounce it. Repent. Turn away. Ask for a
fresh infilling of His Spirit to replace the darkness. Get a clear
idea of what your idolatry consisted of, and do not even stand in
the draft of it anymore. Steer clear of anything associated with
the unrighteousness that used to be so familiar to you. If you
used to be addicted to pornography, get rid of your computer
if you have to. Better to have no computer than to be held in
the bondage of sin (see Matthew 5:30).
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When true repentance occurs, the fruit of sin dries up. The
devil gets starved out. He has nothing to feed on anymore. To
become truly free, it is essential to renounce these areas specifically
as sin. It is also necessary to destroy amulets, books and
objects associated with the occult, lest the spirits have a portal
of entry into your home or your life.
Sexual Immorality and All Immoral Relationships
To close more portals of entry into your life, you need to
repent of and shun all premarital or adulterous sexual relationships,
incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, habitual
masturbation, prostitution and the use of pornography. Paul
had to write to the Corinthian Christians about sexual sin. “Do
you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I
then take away the members of Christ and make them members
of a prostitute? May it never be!” (1 Corinthians 6:15, nasb)
(see also Leviticus 18:6, 20, 22–23; Matthew 5:27–28; 1 Corinthians
6:9–11; 2 Peter 2:14).
Some people say, “All sin is the same,” and it is true in the
sense that all sin cuts us off from fellowship with God. But different
types of sin carry differing consequences, in your own
life and in the lives of others. Sexual sin is problematic because,
unlike other types of sin, which are committed outside one’s
body, sexual sin is committed against one’s own body. Sexual
sin is a form of self-hatred. Sexual sin holds the door open wide
to demonic invasion.
Another very interesting aspect of the far-reaching tentacles
of sexual sin can be observed when a spiritual leader is walking
in immorality, in which case his or her sin is introducing sin
into not only specific physical bodies, but also into the body
of the Church. A spiritual leader who is walking in immorality
is holding open the door of a congregation or even an entire
denomination to an incursion of evil. Divorce and marital prob-
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lems will run rampant in such a body of believers, and they will
not understand why. The consequences of the leader’s sin have
greater impact than the consequences of the same type of sin
in a member of the congregation. This is not simply because
the leader models sin, but more because the leader has sinned
against his own body, holding open a door to immoral behavior
that should have been bolted shut.
Humble Yourself
A very basic step toward crowding out the presence of evil
in your life is to humble yourself. The Bible is clear about this
one:
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles
himself will be exalted.
Luke 18:14, nasb
Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of
the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make
your lives significant].
James 4:10, amp
Be clothed with humility, for
God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that
he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because
he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone
to devour.
1 Peter 5:6–8, niv
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Notice that nowhere does the Bible indicate that God will
humble you. Instead, the responsibility lies with you yourself.
Humility is a choice. When you humble yourself, you choose
to lower yourself in submission to God. You acknowledge His
superiority; you apply to Him for help. Often where deliverance
is concerned, you will have a choice of keeping your dignity
and your demons or losing your dignity (perhaps)—and also
your demons. Humility figures into the picture when you hear
a statement such as, “Deliverance is for the desperate.”
Humility is not the same as humiliation, which carries an
element of shame and condemnation and which is a tactic of
the devil. To be humble simply means that you are not proud,
haughty, arrogant or assertive. You are unpretentious and deferential,
especially to God, recognizing that you are very small
in comparison to Him.
Be Honest
In preparation for deliverance, it always helps to be honest.
Straightforward honesty is the opposite of the confusing and
seductive lies and insinuations of the enemy.
Honesty puts you in the light. It is the opposite of concealing
your transgressions (see Proverbs 28:13). Honesty implies openness.
When you are honest, you are not worried about making
yourself vulnerable. You are not confessing your sin but failing
to cease and desist (therefore hiding it away for another day).
Your honesty is certainly not going to embarrass God, who
knows everything already.
As a sign of honesty, the Bible suggests that you find a trustworthy
person to whom you confess your sins, so that the person
can pray for you and you will be delivered from your sin (see
James 5:16). If you commit yourself to walk in the light with
God and with others, you will be rewarded with freedom (see
1 John 1:7; Ephesians 4:25; 5:8–13; 6:14).
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Confess Specific Sins to Whomever Assists in Deliverance
I cited Proverbs 28:13 just above. It reads, “He who conceals
his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and
forsakes them will find compassion” (nasb).
When you confess directly to the person or persons who will
be praying for your deliverance (and whom, presumably, you can
trust), you are paving the way to your own freedom. Scripture
tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for
each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous
man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, niv).
Be thorough but brief, not dwelling on explicit details but
identifying them honestly and with brokenness and true repentance
(see Acts 19:18; 1 John 1:7–9).
Forgive
I cannot overstress the importance of this one. Forgiveness
is one of the highest weapons of spiritual warfare. Unforgiveness
blocks your prayers from being answered. Failure to forgive
allows demons to retain their legal right to torment (see Matthew
18:34–35; Mark 11:25–26; 2 Corinthians 2:10–11).
When you forgive, you cut off many of the enemy’s supply
lines, making possible deliverance from oppression he has perpetrated.
For complete freedom, you must forgive anyone who
has wronged or hurt you, and keep forgiving others as new
circumstances warrant (see Matthew 18:21–22; Luke 23:34).
In the Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer, we first confess our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us. The very next
line is “deliver us from evil” (see Matthew 6:12–15). The sequence
is as significant as the connection between the two steps.
Ask for Forgiveness and Make Restitution
If you have wronged others, promise to ask for forgiveness and
also to make restitution if necessary (and if possible). To pro-
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mote a climate of peace, seek reconciliation between estranged
parties (see Matthew 5:23–25; Acts 24:16; Romans 12:18).
Our human tendency is to withhold true forgiveness and
to hold on to blame toward other people for doing something
wrong. It is easy to go to other people, tell them everything
they did wrong (which they may not have realized until that
moment) and then to tack on an insincere word of forgiveness.
That is not asking for forgiveness and it is not redemptive; it
is casting stones of blame and shame instead. When you do
that, you subject yourself to further bondage and you become
a conduit of criticism toward someone instead of a conveyor
of wholeness.
We need to move from vertical forgiveness (between ourselves
and God) toward increased horizontal forgiveness (mutual
forgiveness between people). Without waiting for the other
party to come to you, take the initiative and go to him or her
instead. Express yourself in such a way as to make it clear that
you are not demanding the other person to receive every word
you say.
When circumstances require and permit it, we also need to
make appropriate restitution. Remember what Zacchaeus did
(see Luke 19:8–10). He not only received the Lord’s forgiveness
and acceptance, he also took the initiative to repay up
to quadruple what he had defrauded people of. What a good
example of horizontal reconciliation and restitution and a truly
changed heart. I am sure that Zacchaeus’s actions discouraged
any demonic powers from remaining attached to him.
Turn from Rebellion and Speaking Evil toward God
and All Delegated Authority
Submit to authority wherever you meet it, whether toward
God, in the Church or in the secular world (see 1 Samuel 15:23;
Romans 13:1–2; 1 Peter 2:13). Let no evil talk come out of your
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mouth; do not grumble or chafe under the constraints that leaders
place upon you (see James 5:9; Ephesians 4:29).
Humble submission to authority is as much a way of building
a hedge of protection around your life as it is a preparation
for deliverance.
Surrender to the Lordship of Jesus in Every Area of Life
On your final victory lap, release all of the things over which
you have control and relinquish your right to control other
people or circumstances. Surrender your rights, giving them to
the Lord of your life.
Often by the time a person gets through all of these steps
toward crowding out the devil, that person will be free already.
When demonic entities no longer have squatter’s rights, they
may pack up and leave or be ready to leave the next time they are
denied power, influence or privileges. May this be your personal
experience of deliverance!
Discerning the Enemy
After you have loosened the grip of the enemy in your life (or in
the life of another person who is seeking deliverance from evil
spirits), how do you prepare to finalize the deliverance? How
do you figure out which impulses come from an evil spirit and
which come from the human spirit or the Holy Spirit? You can
tell what evil spirits are up to by a number of means.
Word of Knowledge
Often when I am praying for someone for deliverance, the Holy
Spirit drops into my mind or heart the name or identifying characteristic
of the evil spirit at hand. This may come to me in the
form of a thought, an image or the feeling of their torment.
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I believe that much can be learned by making genealogical
queries to determine patterns of iniquity in the person’s family.
Is there a history of divorce? Criminal activity? Addictions?
Satanic ritual abuse? Yet often at the time of deliverance, it
comes down to a word of knowledge.
Discerning of Spirits
By the spiritual gift of discerning of spirits, you can recognize
what kind of spirit is at work—Holy Spirit, human spirit
or evil spirit. The recognition of an evil spirit can entail seeing
the actual demon (with your “spirit eyes”) or its method of
demonic torment. Discernment can also come in the form of
smells, tastes or sensations in certain parts of the body.
“Name Yourself”
When an unclean spirit has been detected, but it is resisting
eviction, you may find it helpful to command the spirit to
name itself. Then you can move from general prayer to targeted
warfare against that particular spirit. Some people do this as
a rule, although I do not. Of course the precedent in Scripture
is when Jesus commanded the spirit in the Gerasene demoniac
to name itself and it replied, “Legion” (see Mark 5:9). That
was a situation in which the lead demon’s name was all that
was required to cast out all of the lesser demons under his
command.
I once had a remarkable experience that illustrates this
method. I was ministering with Mahesh Chavda in what was
then Yugoslavia, right after the 1984 Winter Olympics were held
in Sarajevo. Mahesh was handling the evening healing meetings,
and he had asked me to follow him around and provide extra
prayer for people. I had an interpreter with me in case I wanted
to speak directly to a person.
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A college student was down on the floor and he was stiff
and motionless. His extremities were turning so cold that they
were blue. He was curled up in a ball, sort of paralyzed. I could
tell that there were some sexual issues and other things, but I
simply could not get any discernment on the situation. I was
praying in tongues, waiting for a word of knowledge, anything
that would help.
Finally, I decided to command the strong man (the lead spirit)
to identify itself. I knew that if I could take the strong man, I could
take his plunder (see Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27; Luke 11:22).
Naturally, I was speaking English, and I did not even know what
language the student spoke. Much to my astonishment, the young
man spoke—in English!—saying, “Take the book out.”
“Take the book out”? What was that supposed to mean? I
looked in his hip pocket, and there was a copy of Mein Kampf
by Adolf Hitler. I removed the book from his pocket and all of
the demons left him in a moment. It was a miracle. Then he
was born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
A little later he was standing up, no longer blue, stiff or paralyzed.
In fact, he was so exhilarated that he appeared to be inebriated.
I asked my interpreter what was happening. He told me
what the young man was saying: “Your Jesus gets me higher than
any drug I’ve ever been on before.” He turned out to be a philosophy
major from Hungary who was studying at the University of
Sarajevo, and he did not speak a word of English. That was the
first time that English had ever come out of his mouth.
Observe Behaviors
People with experience in praying for deliverance can often
detect the presence and activity of demons by ordinary observation.
Behaviors that might at other times be perfectly normal
give away the demonic presence. Indicative behaviors can include
the following:
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• Restlessness, rapid eye movement
• Extreme talkativeness, specifically verbal abuse
• Escape/flight patterns
• Obsessive-compulsive habits and addictions (drugs, alcohol,
pornography/masturbation, gambling, caffeine,
overeating, television, etc.)
• Continued failure overcoming sins, even after prayer and
fasting and seeking God
• Recurring unclean thoughts or illicit sex acts
• Involvement in the occult, Satanism, false religions or
Christian cults
Let me add a word of explanation about a couple of these.
By “escape/flight patterns,” I mean people who are overly attracted
to fantasy and escapism because they just have to run
away from reality. These are the people who quit their college
classes, switch majors several times, fail to finish their jobs,
dump their boyfriends or girlfriends or move from city to city
in a search for satisfaction. The pattern of their behavior shows
deep-seated roots of rejection and failure to receive the Father’s
love. By dealing with the roots, you can unseat any demons who
may be taking a free ride.
By “continued failure overcoming sins, even after prayer and
fasting and seeking God,” I mean that these people are attacking
the wrong root or using the wrong weapon. You can crucify the
sinful flesh—but you cannot crucify a demon. You can cast out
a demon—but you cannot cast out the flesh.
Confidentiality and Love
In deliverance, the issue of confidentiality should go without
saying, but it is so important that it bears repeating. When you
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are praying for a person who is oppressed by evil spirits, your
main focus should be pleasing Jesus, always watching your heart
so that you do not fall into criticism or judgment. The gift of
the discerning of spirits is not the gift of gossip!
Love and compassion go a long way. We are dealing with fellow
human beings who happen to be afflicted with evil spirits,
people who should not be painted with the same brush as the
unclean spirits.
Oftentimes people who need deliverance are difficult to love.
Frank Hammond’s book, Pigs in the Parlor, has become a classic
manual about deliverance. He addresses this delicate topic:
The very people most needful of deliverance are often the most
difficult to love. They may turn on us and offend us when we
offer compassion and love. But we are commanded to love even
those who seem least worthy of love (cf. Matthew 5:43–48). In
fact, this is exactly the way God delivered us. He loved us even
though we were altogether unlovely (cf. Romans 5:8). His love
broke down our barriers and his love has the power to break
down every spiritual wall. Love is a powerful weapon in the
hands of a skilled spiritual warrior.1
When you minister deliverance to others, remember that
“love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, nasb). Above all,
communicate the forgiveness and acceptance of Jesus. For best
results, work with a team of two or three trusted people, all of
whom have committed themselves to walk in confidentiality
(see Proverbs 25:9–10).
Look to Jesus as your model. Jesus ministered deliverance to
many people, but He never condemned any of them. Love and
compassion motivated Him, always, as He touched the people
of Judea. It still does today, through you and through me.

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9
Effective Procedures for Deliverance
In this chapter I am going to address the topic of deliverance as
if you are the person who is ministering it to another. Although
I will try to cover all of the practical procedures and cautions
possible, you should keep in mind that no single chapter (or
entire book, for that matter) can address every aspect of such
a topic. Many other helpful resources exist, a few of which I
refer to throughout this book, and the main message you should
take away from this chapter is that learning to minister deliverance
is a lifelong endeavor. Where deliverance from evil spirits
is concerned, experience is the best teacher. As you follow the
Holy Spirit and try not to get in over your head, do not be afraid
of situations that will challenge and stretch you.
He will lead you. All you need to do is to follow. While it is
very helpful to be familiar with wisdom gleaned by others, the
most important “procedure” to learn is how to follow the oftensubtle
direction of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Deliverer; we
are His followers. He reminds us that “apart from Me you can
do nothing” (John 15:5, nasb; see also Matthew 12:28).
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Practical Points for Ministering Deliverance
Beyond the underlying, all-important point of being led by the
Spirit of God, I want to list for you a number of practical points
that will help you minister deliverance effectively.
Minister in Private, in a Team
If possible—and it is not always possible—seek to minister
deliverance in a private setting. The safest environment includes
a small team of trusted people, each of whom will have certain
strengths.
One reason for privacy involves the enemy’s penchant for
drawing attention to himself. He loves gawkers (see Mark 9:25).
Often in a public gathering, demons will act up and manifest
themselves by making noises, producing strange behaviors or
otherwise creating a spectacle. This is never helpful.
Having a small team of people provides extra protection as well
as efficiency and an increased ability to hear the Lord’s instructions.
Having a team—either all of the same gender as the person
receiving ministry, or a mixed-gender group—also circumvents the
very real problems that can arise when an individual man ministers
to an individual woman or vice versa. If you cannot find other
team members, never minister one-on-one across gender lines,
which transgresses boundaries and is just asking for trouble.
Encourage Fasting
Because the Lord Jesus told us that some evil spirits will not
depart without prayer and fasting (see Mark 9:29), fasting is simply
a good precautionary policy. When the deliverance session has
been planned ahead of time, people have an opportunity to fast.
Not only is it smart to fast yourself, it can be even more helpful
to ask the candidate to fast beforehand. Fasting prepares hearts
and makes people much more open to receiving from God.
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Create an Atmosphere of Soaking Worship
This can be as simple as playing a CD of worship music in
the background, beginning before the team arrives in the room
at the appointed time. A worshipful atmosphere will help set
people’s expectation on the Lord Himself. Worship generates
a creative environment that is conducive to prayer.
During the time of deliverance prayer, maintain an atmosphere
of gentle joy, peace, praise and worship. Prior to confrontational
prayer, make sure that thanksgiving prevails in the
room. We enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts
with praise (see Psalm 100). This aspect of deliverance prayer
is often overlooked.
In the light of preparing a beneficial atmosphere for deliverance
prayer, look at the following familiar advice from Scripture:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4–7, niv
Dealing with a Stalemate
During the ministry time, you are likely to encounter an
impasse. When progress seems to be at a standstill and you
sense that there is some kind of blockage, be sure to check for
(1) remaining unforgiveness, (2) unconfessed sins, (3) soul ties
or (4) demons of dumbness.
Where remaining unforgiveness is concerned, ask God to
drop into the person’s mind any further names of people
whom they need to forgive. The Bible tells us that the heart
knows its own bitterness (see Proverbs 14:10), so this kind of
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information can come right from the person’s own memories,
but even that sort of thing can be supernaturally induced
through prayer. The Holy Spirit will spark what I call divine
intelligence, revealing names or situations for which forgiveness
is necessary.
A stalemate can sometimes be traced to a hidden sin such
as past cult involvement, sexual sins or abortion (which should
be confessed as murder). Confessing sins that were previously
hidden can release freedom.
Soul ties can be one of the major blocks to receiving freedom.
Soul ties include emotional ties to other people that are outside
of Jesus Christ, which is to say human ties in which either party
controlled the other. Soul ties are somewhat like an umbilical
cord. Most often, soul ties are implicated in illicit sexual liaisons.
Until a person is able to break a soul tie and release the other
person, demons have a legal right to remain.
Demons of dumbness hinder speech. They cause forgetfulness,
confusion and sometimes mocking, hysterical laughter.
Naturally, this type of spirit inhibits the person receiving deliverance
from participating fully. If you identify a demon of
dumbness (sometimes known as a “deaf and dumb spirit”),
simply cast it out of the place in Jesus’ name.
To break a stalemate, especially if it continues after you have
tried one of these approaches, you might decide to spend some
time praising and worshiping the Lord together. Minister to
Jesus, proclaiming His victory by the blood of His cross and
His resurrection. Then wait awhile until the Holy Spirit gives
further direction.
Times of Holy Spirit Delay
Some slowdowns are not attributable to demonic hindrance;
sometimes they have been instituted by the Holy Spirit Himself,
as if He has pushed a “pause” button.
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The Spirit is not in a hurry. He knows the outcome, and the
enemy is already under His feet. It has been said that patience
starves out the devil, and this is especially true in situations
where inner healing is associated with deliverance.
We have plenty of scriptural precedent for God-instigated
slowdowns. For example:
But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land
would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for
you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you
have increased enough to take possession of the land.
Exodus 23:29–30, niv
The person may need to rebuild walls of resistance, learn to
use spiritual weapons or learn to exercise self-control. The Holy
Spirit wants the person to be able to keep the freedom that has
been obtained to date. After the person has consolidated his or
her gains, the next steps toward deliverance can be taken. The
land is conquered little by little.
Be Yielded to Christ
Above all, go into a deliverance session fully yielded to Jesus
Christ, having searched your own heart for pockets of resistance
against Him and unforgiveness toward others. Allow the
searchlight of the Holy Spirit to probe your motives and to
purify them. Are you seeking solely for God’s glory? Is your
heart moved by love and compassion for the oppressed?
Know Your Limits, Establish Boundaries
Do not let your ministry efforts outstrip your abilities. Just
because you may have experience in casting out spirits of fear
does not mean that you know what to do when confronted
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with a situation involving ritual satanic abuse. Even though
you can expect to find that you are being “stretched” in your
experience, do not get in over your head. Team ministry should
provide safeguards.
One of the most delicate types of situations involves praying
for deliverance for someone who has been diagnosed with
a mental illness. Symptoms and behaviors of mental illness can
masquerade as demonic possession and vice versa. Psychiatrists
and other medical professionals do not typically have experience
with prayer ministry, but you need to partner with them
because of their expertise and their ability to manage medications
and other medical interventions during the course of a
patient’s treatment.
The lists below, quoted from the book, Deliverance and Inner
Healing by John Loren Sandford and his son Mark Sandford, were
written with schizophrenics in mind, yet the advice also applies
to praying for people who suffer from other mental illnesses:
• Let a mental health professional do the diagnosing.
• Do not deal with a [mental disorder] unless you are a
seasoned prayer minister.
• When possible, obtain written approval from the person’s
psychiatrist stating that he or she is ready for inner healing.
Even if he does not share your religious beliefs, the
psychiatrist is far more experienced than you at evaluating
. . . stability. When needful, report back to him about
progress.
• Make sure the person is not presently delusional, or you
will only reinforce his defenses. Wait until he has a fairly
firm handle on reality (this is one of the purposes of
medication).
• Pray for guidance and obtain advice about whether you
should minister to this person.
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• Make sure the person has a track record of exploring personal
issues without experiencing the kind of stress that
might trigger a psychotic break.
• In most cases, medication will be needed for a season,
until the person can hold on to reality without it. Let the
doctor determine when that might be.
If you and the person’s doctor decide he is ready to receive
inner healing, the following should make prayer ministry stressrelieving,
instead of stress-provoking:
• Make clear to the person what you are able to do. If you
are not a mental health expert, you cannot target the psychosis
itself. Instead, you will deal with the same kinds of
issues you would deal with in any average person. . . .
• Whenever possible, encourage the family to become involved
in a support group that can help them understand
and cope with their loved one’s illness.
• Go slowly. Even [someone] with a firm hold on reality
might take a little longer to progress.
• Do not pressure him to deal with issues he is not yet secure
about facing. . . .
• Be sensitive about the length of sessions. Be aware of that
moment when he begins to feel overloaded.
• Keep things simple. Focus on one item at a time.
• Make teaching clear and uncomplicated, checking to make
sure the person understands. Even at his best, he may still
have some degree of distorted thinking. . . .
• From time to time, check to see if any voices, false ideas or beliefs
are distorting his perceptions of what you are sharing.
• Find the emerging person God created. Uncover creativity
and enable the person to cast a vision for life.1
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Whether or not you are praying with someone who has been
diagnosed with a mental illness, your goal for the person is the
same—freedom in mind, emotions, will and spirit. Being born
again does not give anyone a new brain, although everyone can
receive the mind of Christ through steady transformation. Prayer
for deliverance or inner healing offers further transformation.
The people with whom you pray may need some assistance in
identifying ungodly belief patterns—assumptions that are not
true. All of us discover such belief patterns from time to time.
They come from our childhood, our religious background and
our general education. The cure for ungodly beliefs is always
the same—unadulterated applications of the Word of God.
Let this imperative statement made originally to the people in
the church at Rome apply to you and to those for whom you pray:
“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” (Romans 12:2, kjv).
In a chapter about effective procedures for deliverance, the
subject of overcoming ungodly belief systems is crucial because
a renewed mind is an important defense against the enemy.
Even after successful deliverance from evil spirits, too often an
unrenewed mind is the same as a broken-down wall around a
city—enemies find easy access to regaining control.
In my own life, I learned about this the hard way. Years ago
as a young man, I received deliverance from some seemingly
entrenched evil spirits. I knew very little about what had happened,
and still less about how to protect myself. Later in my
life I came to understand that I could shoo the blackbird away
from the nest, but unless I tore up the nest, the blackbird would
come back to roost again. As I cast them away, I needed to have
identified the twigs that made up the nest. I needed to have
captured my errant beliefs and thoughts, allowing the power of
God to transform them. Paul’s advice was sound:
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The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On
the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4–5, niv
I didn’t do this, and as a result, I did not keep my whole deliverance.
I had to start over, discovering this time the roots for
the problems and receiving ministry in order to “lay the axe to
the root” (see Matthew 3:10). To counter the ungodly beliefs
that composed the nest for the enemy, I needed to affirm godly
declarations about my life, choosing the opposite spirit, in essence
building a “nest” for the Holy Spirit of God to replace the
old nesting place. This has proved to be the way out of bondage
once and for all.2
Procedures for Deliverance
Having established an atmosphere of worship, spend some
time discussing the matter at hand. Explain to the person that
Jesus Christ can bring freedom, but that personal response is
all-important. Nobody can receive freedom from evil spirits
or from other persistent problems without a willingness to be
free. Make it clear that the person must work honestly with the
Holy Spirit and with you. Otherwise, any amount of diagnosis,
discernment and prayer will fall short. Some people refer to this
time of discussion as the “interview” because through it both
parties will become better acquainted with each other.
The initial phase of ministry must cover the basics about salvation
and sin. If the person has never received salvation, now is
the time to do it. Lead the person in repenting of sin in specific
problem areas and also in renouncing sinful activity. Because
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you are in a position of ministering to another, you are also in
a strong position to pronounce forgiveness. You are an ambassador
on behalf of God. Speak aloud and declare, “You are
forgiven.” Add that God is always faithful to forgive confessed
sins and to cleanse the heart of the one who repents.
Now you are moving into a more active leading role in the
prayer session. After pronouncing the person forgiven, you should
further loosen the hold of the enemy by breaking the power of
strongholds that resulted from the sinful pattern. You may be
able to identify strongholds by a single word or by a description
of their effect in the life of the person. Then, in so many words,
close off access points to the person’s spirit and soul.
Throughout the ministry time, treat the person with dignity.
Even in the grip of foul spirits, he or she is someone loved by
God. Your highest call is to minister His love to others. Try to
remain sensitive to the anointing presence of the Holy Spirit
from the beginning of the session to the end. You will never
outgrow your need for His anointing. What is more, you will
make very little headway without it. Sometimes, in fact, the
anointing of the Spirit condenses ten steps into one, making
deliverance easy. Throughout the ministry session, resist the
tendency to close your eyes prayerfully. Instead, try to maintain
eye contact with the person to whom you are ministering,
remembering that a person’s eyes are the lamp of the body (see
Matthew 6:22). With eyes open, manifestations are obvious,
including the simple “look” of fear or a demonic presence—or
clarity when freedom has been achieved.
Commanding according to God’s Commands
When you command evil spirits to come out of a person,
you do not need to raise your voice. The spirits are not deaf,
and they will not hurry faster because they are alarmed by your
volume.
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Nevertheless, you can and should use a firm tone of voice,
simply because you know your place in Christ and you know
your authority. You do not need to be polite, and you will not
be making suggestions. You are not allowing the demons to have
any options. They must leave, in the mighty name of Jesus.
“Classical” procedure includes the following commands (exclamation
points imply firmness, not necessarily loudness):
• “Manifest yourself!”
• “I bind and rebuke you.”
• “Silence!”
• “Identify yourself!”
• “(Name), come out in the name of Jesus!”
• “Depart from here and do not return.”
More commonly, people minister deliverance by simply saying,
“I break the power of (name or function of demon). Come
out in the name of Jesus.” From time to time, you may need
to ask the person to lift up his or her face so that you can look
each other in the eye.
Be aware of demons’ hiding techniques. Be aware also of the
possibility of multiple spirits. You will have more success if you
go after the “strongman” (see Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27), or
lead demon. If the lead demon goes down, all the rest will fall
like dominoes.
Some spirits leave in such a mild way that their departure is
almost unobservable. Others seem so firmly entrenched that
you may need to search for the key of release, such as further
repentance, a deep inner wound, a curse, a sin in an earlier
generation, a vow or the like. Sometimes, the most effective
technique is simply to have the person himself or herself call
on God for deliverance. When this happens, evil spirits know
for a certainty that they cannot stay.
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Avoid being snared by the “I’ve-got-to-get-it-now-becauseeverybody’s-
watching” trap. The process may be immediate,
or it may not. The candidate usually knows when the demon
is gone. Your part is to do another interview and ask questions
to find out.
Depending on the nature of the evil, immediately after casting
out evil spirits you may decide to employ what is known as
“body dedication.” Based on Romans 12:1–2, this means presenting
the members of one’s body to the Lord as His temple.
You may want to lead the person in a prayer of surrender to
the Lord of hands, eyes, mouth and so forth, especially when
spirits of sexual sin have been implicated.
After cleansing from evil spirits, pray for the Holy Spirit to
fill the person. This is imperative. Pray that the person will have
every “room” filled with the power and presence of the Holy
Spirit. Bring forth prophetic encouragement, moving in the gifts
of the Spirit that are represented in the prayer team. Release
life-giving power by speaking encouraging words.
In addition, give the newly freed person some practical tools
for follow-up. Seek the Lord for the ones to suggest, such as giving
them an assignment to read the Bible or to make a specific,
positive declaration of freedom on a regular basis.
A Prayer for Deliverance
In some cases, especially when you do not have a prayer team,
an effective method can include a deliberate reading of a written
prayer. First, you would lead the person through the preconditions
for deliverance, such as forgiveness and repentance. If
the person is not already able to identify several areas in which
demonic affliction is evident, you may decide to resort to one of
the inventory-type questionnaires, or you may query the person
further about generational issues.
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Then, using a “repeat-after-me” style, you could lead the
person to make a confession of faith and then to address the
darkness directly, using words such as the following ones:
“I believe Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. I believe
He lived a perfect life. I believe He died on the cross for my
sins. I believe He was buried and rose again on the third day.
“Lord Jesus, I have repented and confessed all my sins to You.
I have forgiven all those who have wronged me. I now make a
conscious decision to give You complete control of my life. All
that I am and all that I have, I give to You. I release everything
back to You.
“I release myself by the blood of Jesus from any and all
that have tried to control me. By the power of the blood of
Jesus, I break every curse, hex, negative word and evil plan
for my life due to my sins and the sins of my fore-parents. I
renounce Satan and all his works. All that is connected with
Satan and the occult I have purposed to destroy immediately.
I specifically renounce (have them name the particular spirits
that they feel bound or afflicted by). I declare to you evil spirit(s)
that by the blood of Jesus you have been removed. You no
longer have any place or power over me through the blood of
Jesus. Therefore, you spirit of ________, get out in the name of
Jesus Christ.”
When you have a person frame his or her own prayer and
then command evil spirits directly, the “hooks” by which the evil
spirits have adhered to the person can be removed much more
easily. The deliverance is much more effective than it would be
if the person had remained passive.
Breathing Out and In
The Greek word for spirit is pneuma, which can also be
translated as “breath.” After a spirit has been commanded to
leave, one option is to instruct the person to begin to blow out
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as a faith-filled action of expulsion. Often this will lead to a
manifestation of the demon’s departure (coughing, yawning,
a feeling that a weight has been lifted, a scream, a screech, a
hissing and so on). Although such things often occur, they do
not necessarily happen. Do not be led by the nature of the
manifestation, but rather by the witness of the Holy Spirit in
your spirit that it is time to move on.
When you are finished, the Spirit will give a sense of relief
and peace to those present. If more is needed but He tells you
that this is all for now, communicate this to the person you are
praying with and help them know what they should do until
you get back together again.
Upon finishing a prayer of deliverance, spend some time praying
for the person to be filled with the Holy Spirit (in other
words, “breathing in” God’s Spirit, who is the breath of life).
Ask Jesus’ Spirit to fill every vacancy with Himself.
Follow-Up
Talk to the person about how to walk in the new freedom that
He has provided. Here are some important points to cover:
• Keep Jesus central. Follow Jesus in your daily decisions and
model your life after His (see Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:9;
11:2–3).
• Pray daily. Learn to pray daily and regularly throughout
the day (see Matthew 26:41; Luke 21:34–36). Do it individually
(see Matthew 6:6) and with other believers (see
Acts 2:42; 12:12). Peter and John prayed at regular hours
(see Acts 3:1; 10:9, cf. 10:2–4).
• Stay in the Word of God daily. Study, meditate on, memorize
and be obedient to the will of God as revealed in His
written Word (see Psalm 119:9; John 8:31–32; 15:3).
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• Get baptized in water. If this has not yet been done, get
baptized in water. Baptism cuts off the legal rights of Satan
to afflict and pursue, just as the Red Sea drowned Pharaoh
and his army (see 1 Corinthians 10:1–2).
• Keep short accounts. Keep short accounts with God and
man. If you fall into sin, clear it up immediately (see Matthew
5:23–25; Ephesians 4:26–27).
• Walk in the light. Maintain honest relationships with other
committed believers.
If we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself]
is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses
(removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin
in all its forms and manifestations].
1 John 1:7, amp
• Come under authority. Put yourself under the Godfearing
authority of Spirit-led Church leadership (see
1 Corinthians 16:15–16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13; Hebrews
13:17).
• Walk in submission and community. Humility and submission
go hand in hand, submission toward authority at
all levels (see James 4:6–7; 1 Peter 2:13; 5:5–8). Walk with
others; we need each other. Be a committed part of the
Body of Christ.
• Walk in love and good deeds. Walk in the opposite
spirit of evil and practice the power of restitution. “Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”
(Romans 12:21).
• Be continually led by the Holy Spirit. “So I say, live by the
Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful
nature” (Galatians 5:16, niv).
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You will never regret the effort and time that it takes to seek
for deliverance, to receive and sustain it and to minister it to
fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God!
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,
“Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:14–15
Pa r t IV
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10
Curses: Causes and Cures
Any book about deliverance from darkness would be incomplete
without at least one chapter about curses and
blessings. Breaking curses and replacing them with blessings is
a vital part of becoming truly free from the power of the evil
one.
The basic blessing/curses principle is encapsulated in this
well-known passage of Scripture:
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now
choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you
may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast
to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many
years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30:19–20, niv
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“Choose life” is the key phrase here. Choices are involved,
and they cover every aspect of life. Too often, our choices are
the “default” choices, made in blind ignorance, and such choices
often end up with negative results. But those of us who belong to
the Lord will find no shortage of information in His Word about
how to glean God’s blessings by making the right choices.
I want every part of my life to be delivered from darkness,
don’t you? I want to find out all I can about choosing life and
walking in blessings.
What Is a Curse? What Is a Blessing?
From the Word, we discover that a curse or a blessing is a statement
that is made with some form of spiritual power and authority,
either for evil (in the case of a curse) or for good (in the case of a
blessing). Both curses and blessings set something in motion, and
that motion may well continue from one generation to another.
Both curses and blessings must be “pronounced,” if not audibly,
then in written form or even in the form of strong mental
wishes or intentions. Like ripples in a pond, their effect does
not remain with one individual only, but rather expands to encompass
an entire family.
Examples of blessings from the Old Testament include the
following:
Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time
out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord,
because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son,
your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will
multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the
sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess
the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Genesis 22:15–18
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So he came near and kissed him; and [Isaac] smelled his clothing
and blessed him and said, The scent of my son is as the
odor of a field which the Lord has blessed. And may God
give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the
earth and abundance of grain and [new] wine; let peoples
serve you and nations bow down to you; be master over your
brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Let
everyone be cursed who curses you and favored with blessings
who blesses you.
Genesis 27:27–29, amp
The first is an example of a blessing given directly by God, in
God’s words, in response to Abraham’s obedience. Essentially,
it is a prophetic statement, and it was fulfilled. Abraham’s seed
did multiply greatly, to the point that no one will ever be able
to calculate the number of his descendants. Looking up at the
starry sky at night, we can only marvel.
The second passage above is an example of a blessing given
by a man, Abraham’s direct descendant Isaac, in God’s name.
This incident well illustrates the power of a blessing, in view
of the fact that Isaac was fooled into giving it to his son Jacob
instead of his firstborn son, Esau—and he was not able to rescind
it even after he found out what he had done.
A blessing has “staying power”! Not only does a person choose
life when he or she chooses to line up with a divine blessing,
but the blessing itself also has a life of its own. Blessings stay
alive even when all of the original parties have died. Blessings
remain available for whoever fulfills the stated requirements.
Sad to say, curses have staying power as well.
Beyond staying power, blessings and curses also have the
power of duplication. Early in the Bible, God told Abraham,
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who
curses you” (Genesis 12:3). This is a principle that we need to
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be aware of. In either case, the human initiative to bless or to
curse draws down a divine blessing or curse.
Curse without a Cause
Proverbs 26:2 expresses another principle we should know:
“Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying,
so the causeless curse does not alight” (amp). This indicates
that a curse will not afflict someone if that person does not fulfill
the qualifications of a “cursee.” Only when someone does fall
into sin or in some way is predisposed to become a victim will
a curse settle on him or her.
And according to Deuteronomy 5:9–10, which is in the middle
of the Ten Commandments: “I the Lord thy God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and
shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep
my commandments” (kjv).
In other words, people who are God-haters are right in the
path of generational curses that will run them over, generation
after generation. But if they turn into God-lovers, becoming
obedient to Him as their Lord, they become qualified to find
release from generational curses and they can expect God to enable
them to institute long-term blessings to replace the curses.
We will learn more about blessings in the next chapter, which
is about generational blessings.
Sources of Curses
A good part of the success in breaking curses can come with
finding out what caused them in the first place. Like sin, which
originates in a person’s heart (see James 1:14–15), curses must
be activated by human beings. They are conditional; they depend
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upon man-made circumstances and responses. For example,
look at what Moses, speaking for God, declared:
Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an
abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman,
and sets it up in secret.
And all the people shall answer and say, “Amen!”
Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with
contempt. . . .
Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark. . . .
Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the
road. . . .
Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the
fatherless, and widow. . . .
Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife, because he has
uncovered his father’s bed. . . .
Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal. . . .
Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his
father or the daughter of his mother. . . .
Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law. . . .
Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly. . . .
Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent
person. . . .
Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this
law by observing them.
And all the people shall say, “Amen!”
Deuteronomy 27:15–26
Moses depicted quite a range of sinful behavior that can get
a person into trouble:
• Turning away from the Lord
• Dishonoring father and mother
• Changing boundary markers
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• Misleading the blind (or generally hindering people who
are helpless)
• Distorting justice to widows and orphans
• Committing incest, including with one’s mother-in-law
• Engaging in bestiality (sexual intercourse with animals)
• Committing murder
• Conspiring like part of a hit team
And these are only some of the types of sinful behavior that
will incur God’s curse. He is holy, and He cannot bless a person
who chooses to sin.
Remember, our behavior is a choice. But because even the
best of us commit some degree of sin out of ignorance, bondage
or personal willfulness, also remember that, because of
Jesus, we have better recourse than the Israelites did in Moses’
day.
Similar to the first element in Moses’ statement above is Jeremiah’s
declaration: “Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great
evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man,
making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart
turn aside from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5, amp). This is an “equal
opportunity” type of curse, one that can happen to any of us
at any time. We had better learn how to turn away from that
one by turning back to the Lord. We find a similar statement
in the New Testament:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should
not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly
portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from
you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit,
are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered
so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
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Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles
among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by
the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:1–5
Strong language! Walking by human strength rather than by
the power of the Spirit is tantamount to being “bewitched,” or
accursed.
Other curses that God has pronounced on people who sin in
specific ways include the following:
Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me.
But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have
withheld your] tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the
curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. Bring all
the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse,
that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it,
says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven
for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:8–10, amp
He asked me, “What do you see?”
I answered, “I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen
feet wide.”
And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over
the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every
thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the
other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The Lord
Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house
of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my
name. It will remain in his house and destroy it, both its timbers
and its stones.’”
Zechariah 5:2–4, niv
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The former is a curse occasioned by plain old stinginess.
When we fail to bring the full 10 percent of our income to the
storehouse (which means to the place from which we are fed,
not just anyplace), we are robbing God. The latter curse refers
to a destructive curse that stays in a person’s house because of
stealing and perjury.
Still more curses are attached to disobedience, unfruitfulness
and other sinful choices, including transgressions of preconditions
that had been declared by someone in authority. For instance,
after he destroyed the walls of Jericho, Joshua declared
that nobody should ever rebuild those walls without doing so
at the cost of his firstborn child. Could he get away with a
statement like that? Well, look at the records from later years.
The fact is that God did not want those walls to be rebuilt. We
should not be surprised at what happened when someone tried
to rebuild: “In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He
laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram,
and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in
accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son
of Nun” (1 Kings 16:34, niv).
You see, the primary reason for the release of curses is an
independent, rebellious, disobedient spirit. The primary reason
for blessings to be released is a submissive, obedient spirit.
Psalm 109 provides us with another example of a prophetic
word that predicts accurately a curse that would happen years
hence. Peter quoted it in Acts 1:20 when he said, “For it is written
in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate,
and let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’” The
psalm portrays the Messiah accused by a traitor. Judas Iscariot
fulfilled the words of this curse in every detail:
Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his
right hand. When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let
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his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; let another take his
office. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
Psalm 109:6–9, nasb
The fulfillment of that curse takes my breath away.
Beyond these curses, we see scriptural curses against people
who return evil for good (see Proverbs 17:13) and also Jesus’
curse of the unfruitful fig tree—by extension, for any appearance
of fruitfulness without any fruit (see Mark 11:12–14; 20–22).
Jesus applied the unfruitfulness curse to Judaism as it was being
practiced in His day, and I think that most of us recognize that
the same curse could be applied to much of Christianity the
way it is being practiced in our day. Both Jeremiah and James
reminded people that even those who utter soulish prayers or
who gossip are in danger of reaping blighted fruit (see Jeremiah
18:18; James 3:14–16).
Other Curses
Because he was her husband and therefore had authority
over his wife, Jacob inadvertently cursed his beloved Rachel
when he said, “The one with whom you find your gods shall not
live” (Genesis 31:32, nasb). This curse was based on the portion
about idols in Deuteronomy 27:15, quoted above. Rachel was
the culprit; she had stolen her father’s household idols. The
death sentence that Jacob pronounced was fulfilled in Genesis
35:16–18 when Rachel died in childbirth.
Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, had put a self-imposed curse on
herself when she said, “Your curse be on me, my son” (Genesis
27:11–13, nasb). Sure enough, Jacob was not affected by
the curse that should have fallen on him as a deceiver when
he cheated his brother, Esau, out of their father’s blessing; he
went on to become a wealthy man who was blessed by God at
every turn.
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In the courtyard of Pontius Pilate, the Jews pronounced their
own destiny when they said, “His blood shall be on us and
on our children!” (Matthew 27:25, nasb). They were choosing
between Jesus and Barabbas. Instead of choosing life, they
chose death.
Other curses stem from unscriptural covenants: “He that
sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be
utterly destroyed” (Exodus 22:20, kjv). Freemasonry would
be a modern example of such a transfer of loyalty.1 “Professional”
servants of Satan such as witches, wizards and
mediums convey curses to those who consult them, even if
the servant of Satan does not utter a literal curse, because of
God’s prohibition against consulting such people (see Deuteronomy
18:10–11). Saul went to the witch of Endor, and
as a direct result, he was cut off from continuing as king
(see 1 Samuel 28).
In his epistles, Paul urged the members of the churches to
steer clear of any kind of reviling or literal cursing (see Romans
12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:12). Putting a curse on someone
else is no joke. What Balak wanted Balaam to do has tempted
people at many points in history:
Balak said: “. . . Now come and put a curse on these people,
because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be
able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I
know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse
are cursed.”
Numbers 22:5–6, niv
Just as Balaam did, we need to resist the temptation. As Peter
put it, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but
with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may
inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9, niv).
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Forms of Blessings
Not surprisingly, blessings take the form of favor from God and
other people, good health, fruitfulness, prosperity and victory.
Moses summed up blessings in these words:
Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of
the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments
which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set
you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings
shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the
voice of the Lord your God:
Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in
the country.
Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your
ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle
and the offspring of your flocks.
Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you
be when you go out.
The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to
be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you
one way and flee before you seven ways.
The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses
and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless
you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself,
just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of
the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of
the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord,
and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you
plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of
your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land
of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord
will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain
to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.
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You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And
the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be
above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments
of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are
careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any
of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the
left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy 28:1–14
In the next chapter, you will be able to learn more about
accepting and completing the blessings that God wants to give
you.
Review of Curses
Deuteronomy 28 goes on to give a summary of the various forms
that curses can take. The list serves as a counterpoint to the types
of blessings enumerated at the beginning of that chapter. It is
a long list, odious to read, and it can be summed up in a few
key words. If you choose to transgress God’s stated will, you
can expect to reap humiliation, mental and physical sickness,
family breakdown, poverty, defeat, oppression and failure—in
short, God’s disfavor (see Deuteronomy 28:15–68).
Although the culture has changed over the centuries, the results
of curses are the same:
• Mental and emotional breakdown
• Repeated or chronic sickness (especially when there is no
clear medical reason)
• Repeated miscarriage and related female problems
• Breakdown of family, resulting in alienation
• Continual financial insufficiency (especially where income
appears to be sufficient)
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• Repeated accidents, being accident-prone
• Family history of suicides or unnatural deaths
From Moses’ time to the present, we can identify twelve possible
causes for curses:
1. Idolatry, false gods, the occult
2. Dishonoring parents
3. Illicit or unnatural sex
4. Injustice to the weak or helpless
5. Trusting in the “arm of flesh”
6. Stealing or perjury
7. Withholding tithes
8. Pronouncements made by a person in relational authority
9. Pronouncements made by a person about him-/herself
(self-imposed curses)
10. Pronouncements made by people who represent Satan
(witch doctors, etc.)
11. Gossip and other utterances spoken with a wrong attitude,
including soulish prayers that are not inspired by the Holy
Spirit
12. Unscriptural covenants
We cannot pretend that the cause-and-effect of curses and
blessings does not exist. The smart thing to do is to ask the
Holy Spirit to help you take a good hard look at your own life.
Where you see circumstances that could represent the result of
curses, ask Him to give you further revelation. Then undo the
curse in His name and as He leads, with help from someone
else if needed.
In my own life I can testify to the power of both blessings
and curses and also to the connection of curses with demonic
strongholds. Without going into too much detail in a public
venue, I can say that my upbringing included some harmful
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influences and those influences left a strong residue that could
definitely be termed curses. My life was characterized by a fear
of retribution, fear of rejection, fear of authority and more.
Through God’s grace and by applying His truth in my life, I
began to make choices that led to blessings.
Sometimes the transfer from darkness to light is very obvious
and the pathway is traceable. For example, my late wife
was named Michal after David’s wife Michal in the Bible. As
you know, David’s wife Michal was cursed with barrenness
because she had mocked David for dancing before the Lord
(see 2 Samuel 6:14–23). Likely because of the association with
her name, my wife, too, was barren—at first. We broke the
curse in the name of Jesus, and my wife became fruitful, giving
birth to four wonderful children in succession, two girls
and two boys.
Your Legal and Experiential Rights
To walk free of curses in your own life (and to convert them to
blessings), you must start by understanding the source of good
and evil, God Himself. “Every good thing given and every perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with
whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17,
nasb). We have one source for every good thing: God. We have
one channel for His blessings: Jesus Christ. We have one basis
for appropriating His blessings: the cross. And we have one
means of appropriating His blessings: faith.
By a divine exchange, Jesus Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of the Law. Isaiah prophesied it and Jesus fulfilled
His word: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned,
every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the
iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Paul articulated it in one of His
New Testament letters:
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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a
curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on
a tree”—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham
might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13–14, nasb
The cross of Jesus is the gateway between curses and blessings.
But believers do not pass through that gateway automatically.
As has always been the case, we take possession of our promised
land by listening and obeying. The long chapter in Deuteronomy
that details blessings and curses begins with these words:
If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God,
being watchful to do all His commandments which I command
you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the
nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you
and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 28:1–2, amp, emphasis added
(See also Deuteronomy 28:15; Exodus 15:26)
It is one thing to have legal rights, and it is another thing to
possess experiential enjoyment of those rights. The right to be
free from curses is legally yours from the moment you declared
your allegiance to Jesus. But if you just stand in front of your
house and declare “I’m blessed! I’m blessed! I’m blessed!” without
listening to God and without obeying what you hear Him
say, your situation will remain unchanged for a long time.
You can inherit a fortune, but there is a process involved in
receiving it. You will not get it if you do not act. Even if you
do act, someone might contest your right. In the case of your
heavenly inheritance, Jesus Christ is your legal advocate with
the Father (see 1 John 2:1–2). Your inheritance will be released
with His help.
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After the children of Israel had wandered for forty years,
God showed them the Promised Land again (see Joshua 1:2–4).
This time would be different, because this time they would act.
Instead of drawing back in fear, this time they would be able to
possess that territory. Under Joshua’s leadership, they crossed
the Jordan and conquered Jericho. Technically, the land had been
theirs all along, because God had delivered it to them. Now it
could be theirs experientially.
How to Walk through the Gateway
Again in review, God has provided us with definite steps that
will take us to the promised land of milk and honey (blessings),
where we can be free from curses. The seven basic steps involve
four key verbs: Recognize, Repent, Renounce and Resist:
1. Establish a clear scriptural basis.2
2. Confess your faith in Christ.3
3. Commit yourself to obedience.4
4. Confess any known sins committed by your ancestors or
you yourself.5
5. Forgive.6
6. Renounce all contact with the occult.7
7. Release yourself from curses and the hold of the devil, in
the name of Jesus.8
You can continue to walk in freedom by staying close to the
Lord, listening to His Spirit and obeying what He tells you to
do. Make every effort to cooperate with Him as he brings you
out of darkness and into His marvelous light. “You are a chosen
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own
possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”
(1 Peter 2:9, nasb).
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Prayers of Release and Thanksgiving
If you wish, you can use these prayers of release from the powers
of darkness:
Prayer of Release (Offered for Oneself)
Dear Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
and that He is the only way to God, that on the cross He died
for my sins, that He rose again from the dead, and that on the
cross He was made a curse so that I might be redeemed and
receive Your blessing.
I trust You now for mercy and forgiveness and I commit myself
from now on by Your grace to follow and obey You. I ask
You to forgive and blot out any sins committed by me or by my
ancestors that exposed me to a curse (at this point name any
specific sins of which you are aware).
If people have harmed me or wronged me, I forgive them, as
I would have God forgive me (name those people).
I renounce all contact with Satan, occult practices and unscriptural
secret societies (name the specific practices or secret
societies with which you or your parents, grandparents or other
close relatives were involved). If I own any objects that link me
to these things, reveal them to me. I promise to destroy them.
With the authority You have given me as a child of God, I
release myself from every curse that has ever come upon me or
affected me in any way, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer of Release (Offered by One Ministering)
Gracious Father, I thank You that You allowed Jesus, on the
cross, to become a curse that we, through Him, might be redeemed
from the curse. I thank You for those who have prayed
this prayer in faith, meeting every condition. I break every satanic
power over their lives. I revoke every curse. Lord Jesus, I claim
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full release for them now, as they are thanking You. I declare
that Satan is a defeated enemy, that all his claims have been
cancelled by the shed blood of Jesus. I pronounce them free in
the name of Jesus. I declare that Satan’s authority is revoked
and cancelled forever, in the name of Jesus. Amen!
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Generational Blessings
The power of a blessing is much greater than the power of
a curse. In fact, a blessing can overcome a curse outright.
Sometimes you do not even have to address evil spirits or generational
curses, because the power of the blessing will do it for
you. I learned this experientially years ago and I have proved it
many times since.
At that time, I had been having many dreams in which I saw
corporate declarations of blessing followed by light being released
into and over crowds of people, who were healed without
anyone touching them.
I had the dream so many times; I was primed for action when
I went to Southeast Asia to minister. I was preaching in an Anglican
church in Bangkok, Thailand, during the daytime and
ministering in open renewal meetings in the YMCA at night. My
topic was “Curses,” and I had been doing systematic teaching
that was being translated for the sake of the people, who did
not know English. We had been dealing with a lot of curses that
had been placed on people through much Buddhist activity.
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Finishing up one session, instead of confronting the evil one
as expected, I started proclaiming blessings in the name of Jesus,
declaring the power of the blessing. I declared that the light was
present, the light would come and the light would have an effect
on the people. Most of my words were not being translated; I
was just speaking blessings directly in English.
A lady who was paralyzed on one side of her body was sitting
in those meetings. When she walked, she dragged one leg and
one of her arms was hanging down. She had gone through every
test imaginable. She was scheduled for one more MRI to try to
find the source of the paralysis. I had not noticed her when she
came in and I did not know anything about her.
As I began to directly address the power of blessing, I could
feel the power surge in the room. Later, she said it was as if a bolt
of electric energy hit her body. No one had laid hands on her.
That night in the open meetings, this woman was up in front
of everybody, dancing all over the place. People were excited,
because they knew who she was. That is when I found out what
had happened earlier; her paralysis had disappeared. There she
was—dancing, fully healed and fully restored, a living illustration
of the power of the blessing operating in the opposite spirit
of cursing.
What Is a Blessing?
To find a clear definition, I examined various dictionary sources
for the noun “blessing,” which can mean “a prayer or solemn
wish imploring happiness upon another; a benediction; the act
of pronouncing a benediction or blessing; that which promotes
prosperity and welfare.” Similarly, I looked at various dictionary
sources for the verb “to bless,” which can be defined as
“to invoke the divine favor on; to bestow happiness, prosperity
or good things of all kinds; to make a pronouncement holy;
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to consecrate; to glorify for the benefits received; to extol for
excellencies.”
Hebrew-speakers use the word berakah for “blessing.” It
means “benediction” (the act of invoking a blessing) and for us
it brings to mind the traditional benediction of a congregation
at the end of a church liturgy. The word is used almost seventy
times in the Old Testament; here it is in the familiar introductory
words of Psalm 133:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the
head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that
went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon,
and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of
Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life
for evermore.
Psalm 133:1–3, kjv, emphasis added
The word berakah comes from the root word barak, which
means “to kneel” and which by implication means “to bless.”
The word is used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures: “Bless the
Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron:
bless the Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, bless
the Lord” (Psalm 135:19–20, kjv, emphasis added).
My working definition of the word blessing is this: “A blessing
is a word spoken for good that carries spiritual power and
authority and that sets in motion something that will probably
go on from generation to generation.” My definition is based on
the biblical nature of a blessing (or a curse), as I outlined it in the
previous chapter. Both curses and blessings carry great power.
To do so, they must be pronounced audibly or written down,
yet even when they come in the form of strong mental wishes
or intentions, they spread like ripples in a pond, encompassing
an entire family over multiple generations.
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In chapter 10, I quoted Genesis 22:15–18 and Genesis 27:27–
29 as examples of Old Testament blessings. I also quoted Deuteronomy
28:1–14, with its long list of specific blessings. In
every case, the conditions surrounding blessings fall into several
categories:
1. A blessing can be for an individual (personal) or for a
group (corporate).
2. A blessing, like the gifts of God (see Romans 11:29) cannot
be rescinded or taken back.
3. A blessing pronounced by a father or someone in authority
has extra significance.
4. Someone who listens to the Lord and obeys Him is in a
good position to receive blessings.
5. Scriptural blessings (see Deuteronomy 28:1–14) include:
• Encouragement
• Productivity and fruitfulness
• Health
• Prosperity
• Victory
• God’s favor
God spoke to Abraham and blessed him with these words:
I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse
And in you all the families of the earth will be
blessed.
Genesis 12:2–3, nasb
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This is an amazing and powerful blessing. And yet Jesus has
brought us greater blessings than these Old Testament blessings.
The writer of the book of Hebrews details all of the blessings
and privileges of the priests and the Law, and then he goes on
to write, “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to
theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to
the old one, and it is founded on better promises” (Hebrews
8:6, niv).
Jesus has brought to earth all of the blessings of heaven, and
He has added them to the blessings of the Hebraic covenant.
Like the blazing sun superseding the shadows of the night, His
blessings can supersede the curses of darkness.
Wrestling for a Blessing
After obtaining his father Isaac’s blessing dishonestly (essentially
stealing Esau’s blessing), Jacob fled from home. Living with his
uncle Laban in Haran, he became a wealthy man. After many
years, he gathered up his wives and children, servants, flocks and
herds—and his courage—and headed back to “face the music”
with his aggrieved brother. Just before he got there:
[Jacob] took his two wives, his two women servants, and his
eleven sons and passed over the ford [of the] Jabbok. And he
took them and sent them across the brook; also he sent over all
that he had.
And Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until
daybreak. And when [the Man] saw that He did not prevail
against [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob’s
thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him.
Then He said, Let Me go, for day is breaking. But [Jacob] said,
I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing upon me.
[The Man] asked him, What is your name? And [in shock
of realization, whispering] he said, Jacob [supplanter, schemer,
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trickster, swindler]! And He said, your name shall be called no
more Jacob [supplanter], but Israel [contender with God]; for
you have contended and have power with God and with men
and have prevailed.
Then Jacob asked Him, Tell me, I pray You, what [in contrast]
is Your name? But He said, Why is it that you ask My name? And
[the Angel of God declared] a blessing on [Jacob] there.
Genesis 32:22–29, amp, emphasis added
This story illustrates several key features of blessings. One
is simply the fact that sometimes you have to wrestle with
God so that you can receive blessings. Although God wants
to give them to you, blessings do not always come easily or
automatically.
Several other highlights flow from that one:
1. Striving or wrestling with God for a blessing will result in
your nature being changed. This may be God’s primary
goal; He wants your identity to change. In Jacob’s case
the angel of the Lord renamed him from “Jacob,” which
connoted someone who stepped into another person’s
identity by using deception, to “Israel,” which means
“God strives” or “God prevails.” His nature had been
changed from someone who obtained victory dishonestly
to someone who fought tirelessly and honestly.
2. Not only was his name changed, but his character was also
changed. Jacob would not let God’s angel go until he had
received the full portion of his inheritance. Perseverance
is a vital quality in the Kingdom of God (see Luke 21:19;
James 1:12; 2 Peter 1:5–8). So is assertiveness. Although
much of the Church has been lulled into passivity, yet God
is a warrior (see Exodus 15:3).
3. Wrestling for and receiving the blessing is a dual process.
Winning involves being like a holy, tenacious bulldog that
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will not let go. You need to be passionate and aggressive
for God’s purposes. Winning also involves displacing darkness
with light, supplanting and negating the enemy’s
plans with blessing.
You and the Blessing
Many of us grew up in fine families, but our parents did not
know about the power of blessing their children. As a consequence,
we have struggled for our whole lives to obtain a blessing
that would establish us as beloved and secure children who
belong ultimately to God. Every avenue of satisfaction that we
have tried has been a dead end.
When Esau recognized that he had lost his father’s blessing
forever, he cried out in anguish, “Bless me—me too, my father!”
(Genesis 27:34, niv). This is the cry of every heart.
Gary Smalley and John Trent wrote a book called The Blessing,
in which they presented five distinct expressions of effective
blessings.1
Meaningful Touch
Touch imparts and releases life, warmth, compassion and
blessing. Paul told the Romans that he wanted to be with them
in order to impart a blessing to them (see Romans 1:11). Parents
impart blessings to their children by holding them. Friends
and relatives bless each other through hugs and meaningful
touching.
The Hebrew term massa΄ means “burden” or “load,” and
it is used with reference to carrying the burden of the Lord’s
heart, with prophetic overtones. Sometimes the word is translated
“oracle.” When somebody carries a blessing to another
person, they are conveyers of God’s care, transmitting the love
of His heart.
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A Spoken Word
Along with meaningful touch, words convey blessings in an
especially powerful way. Obviously prophetic in nature, spoken
blessings tap into God’s thoughts and feelings.
I once attended a church that handled their children’s dedication
service in a very special way. Instead of simply having all
the parents bring their children to the front for a quick word
of prayer, the church would prepare specific words of blessing
beforehand. They would do a word study on the meaning
of the name of each child and write it out, then give it to the
child’s family as a gift. Each child was made significant in a
personal way.
Attaching High Value to the One Being Blessed
Your words plus meaningful touch are not a blessing unless
you are attaching high value to the person you are blessing.
Just as the church did at their children’s dedications, you are
personalizing the act of blessing. You are not pasting a “onesize-
fits-all” blessing onto a faceless individual. If you are addressing
a problem, you are looking beyond diagnosing it,
endeavoring to supply a prescription from the heart of God
for the remedy. You are giving honor as you speak life-giving
words, words that make it clear you (and God) consider the
person valuable. “We need you.” “You are valuable for the
purposes of God.”
Picturing a Special Future
Blessings are forward-looking. Blessings help propel people
into their destiny. Along with attaching high value to the person
in the present, you are giving them a glimpse of favor for the
future. Whether your words of blessing are spot-on specific or
more general, the recipient will be able to envision the future
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with hope and joy. It is really true to say, “God has a wonderful
plan for your life!”
An Active Commitment
To see a blessing fulfilled, you (the one giving the blessing)
need to “put legs under it.” A word of blessing may wither, even
if it was delivered perfectly, without any subsequent follow-up.
Your involvement in the life of the other person may range from
prayer to intensive practical help. You not only help a person
envision the future, you ask God for the ability to empower and
equip the person to fulfill their vision. You make a commitment
and you follow through with it.
About ten years ago, a trusted prophet told me and my family
that she saw us owning land, and that on that property would
be horses. This would be a gift to our children to let them know
that God loved them and had remembered their dreams (one of
them in particular had yearned for a horse). It would also be
a reward to them for their sacrifice of yielding their parents to
God for His purposes.
When I heard this word, I did not know what to do with it. It
seemed like a big stretch. We certainly did not have the money
to buy a piece of property, and I did not think we would have
the funds to care for horses, either. Then someone offered us a
white Arabian mare—for free. Mercifully, when that happened
my logic was turned off, and I accepted the gift. I received the
blessing on behalf of my family.
Bolstered by some other “coincidences,” I began to make
an active commitment to this word of blessing. Someone had
offered a word of blessing and now I had to make room for it,
in a practical and seemingly impossible way, by acquiring some
land and providing support for this horse and likely more horses.
The outcome would have to be supernatural, but we would have
to do something with what we knew.
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We located a beautiful piece of property that was not even
for sale and we felt that we should claim it. We did not have
the money, not even close to enough money. Then suddenly,
we got a windfall. Along with that, the value of the property
fell at the same time that the owner decided to put it on the
market. It was a miraculous provision. We bought the property
and moved ourselves and our horse to it. I have the property to
this day, with more horses. I am still actively committed to this
particular word of blessing!
Powerful, Obtainable Blessings
You may say, “My parents never spoke words of blessing to me.
Nobody has ever given me any prophetic words. I don’t know
what my blessings are.”
I am here to tell you that you have plenty of blessings, if you
know where to look for them. Here are a few places to look:
Biblical Promises
Read and study your Bible and search out God’s promises for
your life. You can claim every one of the promises in the Good
Book as a personal promise to you. Even if you do not know
about any earthly family blessings, you can lay hold of the blessings
of Abba Daddy because you are part of His family. Ask the
Holy Spirit to bring the Word alive for you in this way.
Family Genealogy
Ask the Lord to help you look redemptively at your family
history. What does your last name mean? Can you name a
strength in your family heritage? How could you describe this
strength in terms of a family blessing so you can claim it for
yourself and also pass it on?
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I had an unusual experience in this regard. My family name
is Goll, which is German. On my first visit to Germany, I had a
vision of a man with a jacket and a hat on, bent over, hoeing in
a field. He straightened up, looked into my eyes and said, “You
will be the answer to our prayers.” This baffled me. My father
had grown up in an abusive home, and when I thought about
the Goll side of my family, all I could identify was generational
abuse. I did not know what to do with the vision.
A number of years later, I was ministering in a church in the
Baltimore area that is mostly African American. A person came
up to me and said, “I want to thank you that your Goll ancestors
were the ones who brought the Gospel to my people.”
Mystified, I asked, “Where did you come from?” Liberia—
and this person’s last name was Goll! Apparently many years
before, a German missionary had come to Liberia to start an
orphanage. Not only did he operate an orphanage, but he had
also adopted all of the orphans, giving the children his own last
name—which was Goll. Now there is a whole tribe of black
Golls in Liberia.
That is how I found out that my name had a highly redemptive
strength that had been a great blessing to others. It was as
if one generation (my father’s) had skipped a righteous blessing,
and yet it had survived so that it could be picked up by the
next generation (mine). Once I put the puzzle pieces together,
a clearer picture emerged and I could lay hold of the blessing
of my earthly family of origin.
Ethnic Group
What is your ethnic or national background? Spanish, French,
Italian, African, German . . . ? God has bestowed a redemptive
gift on each ethnic grouping, a redeeming national trait.
So someone like me, who is half German, can claim the blessing
of the redeeming German quality—which is being a warrior.
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Think about it; for good or for bad, Germans tend to be warriors.
So if you have German lineage, you can obtain the warrior
blessing and it will make you able to fight for the Kingdom of
God. “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom
of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”
(Matthew 11:12, kjv).
If you have English ancestors, you can look for an anointing
that comes from that bloodline heritage. The English are teachers
and missionaries and they have a teacher anointing. They
are exporters of the Word. This is a fascinating subject and a
rich source of personalized blessings.
Church Promises
What is your denominational background? Maybe you do
not have any, but if you do, see if you can identify it. Sometimes
it matches your ethnic background. You can call forth the fire
of John Wesley (Methodist), the purity of the Quakers, the
boldness of the Pentecostals or the evangelistic anointing of
the Baptists.
My own background is heavily Methodist, and the Methodists
are famous for their circuit riders. Their preachers traveled
far and wide, spreading a passionate response to the Good News.
John Wesley said, “The world is my parish.” One day I had a
revelation. What in the world am I? I cannot sit still. I get bored
if I have to stay in one place too long. I am a Holy Ghost circuit
rider! Instead of riding my horse from one place to another, I
hop airplanes.
Geographic—City, State, Region
Take note of your current town or city, your state or province
and other regional identifiers. Do you know anything about the
spiritual history of your area? Do you know of any revivals?
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Conflicts? Regional characteristics? Can you figure out what
God’s redemptive purpose might be? Do not look only at what
the powers of darkness have destroyed or how the territorial
spirits of darkness hold your region in bondage; look for the
positive features.
For example, I live in the Nashville area, which is known as
Music City, USA. Much of the music exalts sinful behavior.
However, part of the redemptive gift of God over this region
is education and publishing. Increasingly, Christian music and
teaching are being published here. In fact, more Christian books
and Bibles are now published in Nashville than in any city in
the world, and more Christian music is recorded and distributed
here than anyplace else on the planet. When I moved here, I
tapped into that blessing myself, publishing and distributing
more teaching materials than I ever thought possible.
Another connection: A Methodist named E. M. Bounds,
who wrote many volumes about prayer, moved from Missouri
to Nashville around the time of the Civil War. Specifically, he
moved to Franklin, which is exactly where I live. I can identify
with E. M. Bounds. I am a Methodist from Missouri (both of
us are north Missourians), and I came to Franklin to help lead
prayer at a time of war. For me, the blessing takes the form of
laying hold of his mantle of prayer.
What Is in a Name?
Consider your given name. Do you know what it means?
Why did your parents bestow it on you? After a little research,
you can call forth the redemptive characteristics of your first
and middle names.
For example, my middle name is Wayne and that was also my
father’s middle name. It means “wagon-builder” or “burdenbearer”;
a wagon carries cargo from one place to the next.
My father owned a lumberyard and carpentry was his trade. I
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am not a carpenter, but I am the son of a carpenter and I can
redeem my name by being a builder in the Kingdom of God,
one who carries cargo and burdens from place to place. One
of my sons is named Justin Wayne and, redemptively speaking,
he carries justice from one place of darkness to a place
of redemption.
Prophetic Words
Has God spoken promises directly to you and your family?
What destiny or blessing does He want you to fulfill? Even if
you do not recollect any blessings from God that have been
vocalized in your hearing, you can ask Him to make it possible
for you to receive prophetic input now.
Since you are suffering from a shortage of His Word, you can
pray for a clear and direct word from God. To your situation,
you can apply Paul’s advice about interpretation of tongues:
Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
. . . I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind
also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.
Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will the one who
fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of
thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?
1 Corinthians 14:13, 15–16, nasb
You can bless yourself or others in the Spirit, and then, enabled
by the Spirit, you can interpret the blessing. With God’s
help, you can bless others in Spirit and in truth. You are blessed
to be a blessing. First you obtain and proclaim deliverance from
darkness, then you step into the light—and after that, nothing
can stop you from switching on the light of blessing for your
family, your church, your neighbors and for anyone anywhere
you go.
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If nobody else is blessing you, stand in front of a mirror and
prophesy a blessing over yourself. I have done that more than
once. Tap into the living water that is flowing out of your innermost
being (see John 7:38) and speak the word of God over
your own life.
In benediction, receive as blessings the following prayers from
the Bible:
Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1–5, niv
The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.
Numbers 6:24–26, nasb

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Deliverance Made Easy
Achieving deliverance from darkness can definitely be a
battle, but by grace complete victory belongs to you, provided
that you are prepared, well-clothed and well-armed with
God’s every provision (see Ephesians 6:11–18). In fact, most
of your success in battle lies in the preparation. The actual
engagement of deliverance does not have to be messy or difficult
at all. Believe it or not, deliverance can be easy! Before I
proceed to support that statement, let me remind you of what
deliverance consists of.
The Gospel of Deliverance
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (see 1 John 3:8).
Anointed “with the Holy Spirit and with power . . . He went
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil” (Acts 10:38, nasb). By healing people and casting out demons,
He was bringing in the Kingdom (see Matthew 12:28).
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You and I, as members of His Body here on earth, carry on
with the same purposes as He did when He quoted Isaiah 61:1
in the synagogue at Nazareth:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the
poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:18–19, nasb
The Gospel of the Kingdom is a message of deliverance. It
is a message of freedom and cleansing. As Kingdom people,
we walk out of darkness and into liberty and light as we pray,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my
thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24, kjv).
As Kingdom people, we combat invisible powers of darkness
that masquerade as ordinary earthly entanglements. “For we
are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with
physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the
powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of
this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in
the heavenly (supernatural) sphere” (Ephesians 6:12, amp).
These spirit beings may be largely invisible to our earthly eyes,
but they are very real. They exhibit various personality traits
such as emotions (see James 2:19), knowledge (see Mark 1:24)
and a definite willfulness (see Matthew 12:43–45). When they
encounter the power of Jesus, the powers of darkness recognize
that they must leave (review the “case studies” from the gospels
and Acts of the Apostles such as Mark 1:21–28, 5:1–20, 9:14–29
and Acts 16:16–18).
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The Father’s Love
The power of Jesus comes from the extraordinary love of our
Father. Greater than any darkness is the light of our all-loving
Father God, the One who sent His best to us—His only Son,
Jesus. His amazing Spirit dwells in the hearts of every believer,
thus enabling each one of us to carry on the supernatural work
that Jesus did and still does today.
The Father’s love is enormously important in the ministry of
deliverance and, quite frankly, it is the missing key from many
presentations about deliverance. If we can create a culture based
on the revelation of the loving fatherhood of God, we will not
need to wrestle so long and so hard anymore. What do I mean
by a “revelation of the loving fatherhood of God”?
Lessons from My Personal Journey
Like many other people, I came to know Jesus at an early age.
I loved Him; He was my friend; I was very comfortable with
Him. Then I experienced the infilling of His Holy Spirit and I
became accustomed to His contagious presence, too. However,
I did not really know the merciful love of my Father God.
Naturally, I was familiar with the words that came from
heaven when Jesus was baptized: “This is My Son, in whom
I am well pleased” (see Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).
Growing up in a Protestant church, I prayed the Lord’s Prayer
often, and I knew that Jesus had taught His disciples to pray
“Our Father . . .” (see Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4). I knew
that Jesus had said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
In many ways, I already knew that Jesus wanted to introduce
me to His Father and to make me fully His son. But I could not
embrace it—there were hindrances to intimacy for sure. So the
Holy Spirit had to make a way for me to experientially know the
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Father’s love. Without His direct help, I would have continued
to think of God the Father as aloof and even stern—as my own
earthly father had been much of my life.
My father grew up in rural Missouri during the Depression,
the eldest of seven children. His father kicked him out
of the house when he was only twelve years old, so he never
had more than a sixth-grade education. I cannot imagine the
pain he went through raising himself, but somehow he made
it and later joined the army, served in World War II and then
married my dear mom. Growing up, I did have a few special
connection times with my dad and I knew he cared for me, but
I also lived in dread and fear of him—for several good reasons.
I never experienced unconditional love; instead, I felt ignored
or tolerated at best. Insecure and with a rejection complex, I
went to college, surrendered freshly to Jesus and to my call to
ministry. I then met the amazing Michal Ann Willard, married
her and eventually started raising our own family. I preached
about the love of Jesus and I knew it was real. I even helped
others overcome their wounds of rejection. I learned how to
defeat the devil with the Word and all of the other weapons of
the Spirit. All the weapons, that is, except one—the mightiest
weapon of all, security in the love of the Father.
Later in this chapter, I will tell you how the Lord made it
possible for me to receive a blessing from my earthly father so
that I could step freely into the glorious light of freedom as a
beloved son of my heavenly Father. But first I want to share with
you more about the richness of the Father’s love. Like me, you
need to know what it means to belong to Him. If you are His,
He is yours!
You Are Mine
The Father created you and He loves you so very much that
He sent His Son, Jesus, to open the way to heaven for you. Your
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Father did not kick you out of His house when you were a child.
Even if you have felt far from Him, He has always been holding
out His arms to you.1
He chose to create you. In fact, He had you in mind at the
Creation.2 You are not an afterthought or a mistake; He has
even planned the length of your life.3 Although you may not
know Him, He knows every detail about you.4 He says, “I know
when you sit down and when you rise up. I am familiar with all
your ways.”5 Amazingly, your Father knows the exact number
of hairs on your head.6
Even before you were conceived on earth, your heavenly
Papa knew you.7 He is the One who knit you together in your
mother’s womb with amazing precision.8 With perfect timing,
He caused you to be born into your particular family, and He
planned where you would grow up.9 He has been orchestrating
everything. In other words, you are more His child than you are
even a child of your earthly mother and father.10 Your “family
resemblance” is remarkable.11
Because He is your true Father, He wants to lavish His love
on you.12 It may seem too good to be true, but He is the perfect
Father,13 not the distant and angry Father-God that people have
misbelieved Him to be.14 Unlike your earthly father, your true
Father can provide everything you will ever need, because He
owns everything.15 Your heavenly Father wants to establish you
in the security of His loving provision.16
Your Father is as much your own Father as He is the Father
of Jesus, His beloved Son.17 Both He and your brother Jesus
love you with an everlasting, inexhaustible love, and they will
never stop doing good to you.18 Your Father is excited about His
plans for your future, because He considers you His treasure.19
He loves to surprise you with marvelous gifts.20
Does this make you want to open your heart to your Father in
a new way? Daddy, Abba, Papa? He put those desires into your
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heart, you know.21 He is whispering to you, “Seek Me with all
your heart and you will find me; delight in Me and I will delight
you by giving you the desires of your heart.”22 Did you realize
that He is willing and able to do more for you than you could
possibly imagine? 23 He welcomes you. He goes way beyond
tolerating you—He celebrates you!
Who would think that His thoughts toward you (toward just
you, personally!) would be so numerous that nobody can count
them? 24 Hard as it is to believe, your Father actually rejoices over
you—with singing! 25 Your Father is your greatest cheerleader. He
can supply you with encouragement, vigor and confidence every
day of your life.26 He sent Jesus (who is the exact representation
of His being) to show you that He is for you, never against you.27
Jesus’ Father is the same as your Father, and Jesus’ death was the
ultimate expression of the Father’s desire to have you near.28
Your Father knows how hard life can become. He longs to
comfort you, both here and now, on earth, and later in heaven.29
He wants you to know that when you are brokenhearted, He
will pick you up like an injured, weak lamb. He will carry you
close to His heart.30 If you are that close to Him, nothing will
ever be able to separate you from His love—no impending threat
is ever going to be greater than His love.31 His love is unquenchable,
and His affection is directed toward you!32 Look up! He is
waiting for your response.33
Know the One You Belong To
When you come into a true revelation of the Father’s love
for you, you will rise to a new level of freedom. The hooks of
rejection and fear will be removed from your life, and you will
be able to move beyond mere techniques and information. That
is when deliverance will become easy. After all, as Jesus said,
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30, kjv).
He carries you. He takes care of everything.
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Correct deliverance procedures and awe-inspiring worship
are always helpful, but the most important thing is knowing
the One you belong to. When you are being carried by your
Daddy, you are no longer facing the darkness on your own. No
longer an abandoned orphan, you become a confident son or
daughter. Even if you do not know all of the A-B-C-D-X-Y-Zs
of His plan for your life, you have the security and identity that
you need to allow your life-purpose to play out. Your Daddy is
100 percent for you! A revelation of the Father’s love for you is
the summum bonum, which is Latin for “the highest good, from
which all other good things are derived”—including deliverance
from every form of darkness.
Blocks to the Father’s Love
“Okay,” you may be saying. “I understand the Father’s love
with my mind. But I would not say that deliverance is easy.
My heart is somewhere else, and I don’t know what to do
about it.”
Please allow me to remind you of a few things, starting
with the all-essential element of forgiveness. Do a “forgiveness
check.” Forgiveness is the prerequisite to freedom (see
Matthew 18:21–35). Harboring even a smidgen of unforgiveness
in your heart will cloud your vision and interfere with
your freedom.
Since we are focusing on receiving a revelation of the Father’s
love, you might also want to check for unhealthy emotional
dependencies on other people, or “soul ties.” Soul ties provide
a form of nurture and security that can dull your awareness
of your need for the Father’s love. Ask the Lord to show you
any emotional or soul ties that may be getting in the way, and
then break them off in Jesus’ name. When you have a soul tie,
you can expect to find several of the following characteristics
in your daily life: 34
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1. Jealousy, possessiveness, exclusivity; viewing other people
as a threat to a relationship
2. Irrational anger or depression when the other person
withdraws slightly
3. Loss of interest in other friendships
4. Preoccupation with the other person’s appearance, personality
problems and interest
5. Inability to see the other person’s faults realistically
6. Possible romantic and sexual feelings that lead to fantasizing
and inappropriate expressions of affection
7. Stagnation and limitation on personal growth
8. Selfish lack of desire to see the other person reach his or
her full potential in God
9. Inability to allow God to meet your need for love and
security
Unconfessed sin in general is closely related to soul ties (see
1 Corinthians 6:15–20). Confessing sin implies walking in the
light of the Father’s love rather than hiding in the shadows of
fear and rejection:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you:
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to
have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and
do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in
the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:5–7, niv
Walking in the light of the Father’s love makes it possible for
you to move in the opposite spirit of the fears and other bondages
that may have blocked you from deliverance. His perfect
love casts out every form of fear (see 1 John 4:18). His love opens
the way to numerous, in fact, countless blessings.
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One of my own blocks to receiving the Father’s love was the
unresolved pain from the verbally abusive relationship with my
earthly father and the fact that I had never felt like I had received
his blessing. Just before he died, when he was hospitalized, he
had two dreams that he could not understand. He knew that
I knew something about dreams. I had returned from a Spiritfilled
mission trip to Southeast Asia and my dad had rallied and
was now back at his home in rural Missouri. He sent word to
me to come for a personal time just with him to talk about his
haunting dreams.
The dreams themselves were rather detailed, but by the grace
of God I understood their message and purpose. They showed
some conditions that needed to be met before my dad could be
released to go home to heaven and his concern for his family
that would be left behind. Together alone, my dad let down his
guard, which had never happened with me before. He told me
stories of his growing up, of the abuse that he had suffered. I
was shocked at his emotional transparency.
Then, with a tear coming down his cheek, he looked at me
and said, “I’ve never understood you all your life.” That took
all of his courage to say. It was no news to me, because I had
known that all along, but it was good for him to get it off his
chest. And he asked me, “How did you get so close to God? Did
you just press into Jesus, or what?”
In response, I told him a story. I said, “You know, I was told a
story growing up that there was a woman who had a miscarriage
and lost a little boy. She prayed and told God that if He would give
her another son, she would dedicate him to His service. . . .”
Now there was a tear coming down my dad’s other cheek.
From his heart he said, “That story is true. That story is about
you.”
Then for the next five minutes, I experienced a kind of supernatural
activity that I had never experienced before in my life. I
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felt a warmth, an absolute energy field, moving from his heart
to mine. It was very tangible for five whole minutes. I actually
felt fathered for the first time in my life. We joined hands. I
prayed out loud. He did not pray out loud, but that was okay;
he prayed for me silently. We blessed one another. That day he
called me “Son” and I called him “Father.” I have never been
the same since then. That was the day I received my father’s
blessing and that was the day I began to become a father in the
faith, which is so much more than being a minister of the faith
or servant of the Lord.
Since then, I am able to bless people with a measure of
that which God gave me. I can say to you through this printed
page: “Your father understands you.” Your Father in heaven
understands your frame, your makeup, your weaknesses, your
strengths, your idiosyncrasies, your failures, your limitations,
your uncertainties and your insecurities. I can speak a father’s
blessing over you as you read these words (and remember, a
blessing is always greater than the power of any dark curse).
May the invisible hand of God come upon you right now
to heal your broken heart, to set you at liberty, to release you
from every demonic stronghold. May the blood of Jesus cleanse
you from all sin. May you know that you bring pleasure to
His heart. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, may blessings permeate the depths of your being. May
you be at liberty to walk out of every darkness, now and in
the future.
Firming Up Your Freedom
As you bask in the Father’s presence, humble yourself and repent,
confessing and disclosing and forsaking all past sins of
commission and omission (see Proverbs 28:13; Mark 6:12–13;
Acts 19:18). Forgive once again anybody who has harmed you
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(see Matthew 18:34–35). If necessary, resolve to make restitution
and to seek reconciliation (see Luke 19:7–10; Matthew 5:23–25).
Submit to God your Father as never before, making His Son,
Jesus, the Lord of all (see Philippians 2:10–11). Destroy any
object that would lure you away from Him (see Acts 19:19).
Commit to walk in the light with fellow children of God, helping
each other stay in the light (see John 3:19–21; Ephesians
5:8–14; 1 John 1:5–9).
Identify and Close Your Doors
As you secure your stance as the beloved of the Father, you
can check yourself in another way that my friend Andy Reese
calls the “four doors.”35 (This approach was developed during
the revivals in Argentina and brought to the United States in
various forms, where it has been modified further.)
As you would in your annual physical or a spring cleaning,
you can look to make sure that these “doors” are closed before
you assume that you are walking in the light. These doors are
access points for darkness:
1. Sexual sin and soul ties
2. Anger and unforgiveness
3. Fear and control
4. Occult or false religion
As four key areas of sin, they must be closed (through repentance,
forgiveness and the like) to shut out both demonic
influences and the consequences of the sin in a person’s life. Call
on Jesus (see Joel 2:32) and you shall be delivered.
Weapons during Deliverance
Again as a review, do not forget to use your spiritual weaponry,
which includes the following:
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• The high praises of God (see Psalm 149:1, 5–9)
• The blood of Jesus (see Revelation 12:11)
• The name of Jesus (see Mark 16:17)
• Pronouncing forgiveness on behalf of others (see John
20:21–23)
• Resting in God (patience starves out the devil) (see Isaiah
26:3)
How to Keep Deliverance
As you walk in the light of the Father’s love with other believers,
keep “short accounts” with God and others, pray and fast
regularly, read the Word of God, follow Jesus in everything you
do and live by the power of His Holy Spirit. Then you will be
walking in freedom. Your conversations will reflect the mentality
of a conqueror—humble and confident at the same time, and
able to bring God’s help to others.
Having shifted from being a victim to being a victor, you will
be able to speak life wherever you go. You will be able to achieve
and maintain your freedom without incessant battles and misery.
In fact, you will know when it is best to rest instead of engaging
the enemy at all. You will discover that often the enemy will not
bother you when you are resting in Jesus, gathering strength and
enjoying the anointing oil of intimacy.
God’s purpose in your struggles is never merely your survival,
but rather your advancement. Your pain is a passageway to
purity. Like a brightly colored butterfly, you are in metamorphosis—
or maybe you have just emerged from your dark chrysalis!
Yes, deliverance can be made easy when you bask in the reality
of the Father’s amazing love!
With the apostle Paul, allow me to bless you with a benediction
that provides a highway leading out of darkness and into
the brilliant heavenly light of the Father’s throne:
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Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might
deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will
of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
Galatians 1:3–5, kjv
Receive now the free gift of the love of God through Christ
Jesus the Lord. All things are possible—this is the place where
light shines and darkness flees. You shall know the truth, and
the truth shall set you free! May the truths contained in this
book be used to help set the captives free. Always remember:
whom the Son sets free, is free indeed!
Blessings to you,
James W. Goll

197
A p p e n d i x 1
A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
The first Christians knew of the existence of dark spiritual
beings at work behind the scenes under the rule of a highranking
spiritual prince. The Son of God became man to destroy
the demons (see 1 John 3:8), and by the authority of His
Holy Spirit, the apostles and the early Church drove them out.
Much more was and is at stake than the healing and betterment
of individual people. The vital issue is the purification of the
earth’s whole atmosphere, the freeing of the entire social and
political life, the total victory over our present world age, which
is ruled by the princely power of the evil one.
In his book, The Early Christians, Eberhard Arnold wrote:
The Christian alone has power over the raging enemy and its
host,* because he reveals the supreme power of Christ, which
the demonic powers have to acknowledge.** For every believing
Christian is capable of unmasking demons and no demon can
resist his command or persist in any lie. The demons must surrender
to the servants of God because they fear Christ in God
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A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
and God in Christ. In fear, anger, and pain, they abandon their
hold when the Crucified is proclaimed.***1
From the Early Church
Clement I of Rome, first century:
About a.d. 94–97, Clement I, bishop of Rome, wrote a letter
to the church of Corinth, which had become severely factionalized.
He expressed hope that the factions would be reconciled
and seek forgiveness for the sins they had committed “through
the promptings of the adversary.” Here the Devil is perceived
as a distinct personality urging the Christian community to sin
and dissension.2
Ignatius of Antioch:
The letters of Saint Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, who was to be
martyred in 107, indicate his . . . concern for order and unity
in the Christian community. Influenced by Paul and showing
similarities with the work of John, Ignatius saw the Devil as
“ruler of this age”. . . . Christ will introduce . . . a new age to be
characterized by a radical transformation of the very nature of
the world and its inhabitants. In this new kingdom, . . . evil will
have no power. . . . Ignatius warned the Ephesians to evade the
“stench” of the prince of this world, lest he divert them from the
life that Christ wishes for them. The Devil’s purpose is to thwart
Christ’s work of salvation by diverting the Christian people from
their proper goal. Ignatius warned the Christians at Rome that
the Devil pits himself against each person individually.3
Tertullian (c. a.d. 160–220):
According to Tertullian (Apology 46) Christian testimony is
proved to be true by the following: first, the antiquity of the
divine writings and the evidence of faith found in them; second,
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199
the acknowledgment of Christ by vanquished demonic powers.
In other words, faith in the truth of the ancient Bible and
in Christ’s power over demons had a crucial and convincing
significance for Tertullian.4
Justin Martyr (c. a.d. 100–165):
He has the power to drive away every importunate, evil angel and
to stop him from taking possession of our souls. . . . Therefore
God teaches us through his son to fight to the utmost for justice
and, when we come toward the close of life, to pray that our souls
may not fall into the hands of any of these evil powers.
Justin, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, 105.3, 5; 106.15
For every demon is exorcised, conquered, and subdued in the
very name of this Son of God, the firstborn of all creation, who
became man through a virgin, who suffered and was crucified
by your people under Pontius Pilate, who died and rose from
the dead and ascended into heaven.
Justin, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, 85.1–26
Around 150, St. Justin reveals that during their days of liturgical
preparation (preparation for baptism and entrance to community
life) catechumens (those learning Christ’s way in preparation
for baptism) are taught “to pray and beseech God, in fasting, to
forgive all their past sins, while we pray and fast with them.”
According to the testimony of Hippolytus and Tertullian, this
preparation seems to have lasted for one week, accompanied by
repeated exorcisms. These daily exorcisms took place during the
time of immediate preparation for baptism, which in the time
of Hippolytus lasted for one week.7
Hippolytus of Rome (c. a.d. 170–236):
The new ones to be accepted [catechumens who want to be
baptized] are questioned by the teachers about the reason for
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A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
their decision before they hear the Word. Those who bring them
shall say whether they are ready for it and what their situation
is. . . . Whoever has a demon needs purification before he takes
part in the instruction. The professions and trades of those who
are going to be accepted into the community must be examined.
The nature and type of each must be established. . . . A magician
shall not come up for examination either. An enchanter, an
astrologer, a diviner, a soothsayer, a seducer of the people, one
who practices magic with pieces of clothing, one who speaks in
demonic riddles, one who makes amulets: all these shall desist
or be rejected.
Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition8
As another rite of exorcism we may include the anointing with
oil . . . after the renunciation of Satan and just before the baptism.
Hippolytus calls this “the oil of exorcism,” and that the
one administering it should say the words, “May every evil spirit
depart from you.”9
From the Desert Fathers (fourth and fifth centuries a.d.)
Antony the Great (a.d. 251–363):
[The devil] attempted to lead Antony away from the discipline,
suggesting memories of his possessions, the guardianship of
his sister, the bonds of kinship, love of money and of glory, the
manifold pleasure of food, the relaxations of life, and finally,
the rigor of virtue, and how great the labor is that earns it, suggesting
also the bodily weakness and the length of time involved.
So he raised in his mind a great dust cloud of considerations,
since he wished to cordon him off from his righteous intention.
But the enemy saw his own weakness in the face of Antony’s
resolve and saw that he instead was being thrown for a fall by
the sturdiness of this contestant, and being overturned by his
great faith and falling over Antony’s constant prayers.10
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201
This story continues on to show how evil thoughts and sensual
temptations are overcome by prayer, faith, fasting and meditation
on Christ. To banish thoughts of ease and love of pleasure,
Antony meditated on the eternal judgment. The story also illustrates
how demons take on shapes. A spirit of fornication
took shape and began to accuse Antony, but Antony overcame
him by the confession of the Word (“The Lord is my helper,
and I shall look upon my enemies,” from Psalm 118:7), which
caused the enemy to flee.11
Isidore (c. a.d. 340):
[“Abba” means “Father”] A brother asked Abba Isidore, “Why
are the demons so frightened of you?” The old man said to him,
“Because I have practiced asceticism since the day I became a
monk, and not allowed anger to reach my lips.”12
Evagrios the Solitary (c. a.d. 345–399):
A disciple of the Cappadocian Fathers, he was ordained reader
by St. Basil the Great and deacon by St. Gregory the Theologian
(Gregory of Nazianzos), and he accompanied the latter to
the Council of Constantinople in 381. He went in 383 to Egypt
where he spent the remaining sixteen years of his life. In Nitria,
where he became a monk, he moved to the more remote desert
of Kellia, dying there in 399. He knew both St. Makarios of
Alexandria and St. Makarios the Egyptian and in them came
into contact with the first generation of the Desert Fathers and
with their spirituality in its purest form.13
Evagrios noted that weapons against lust were fasting and vigils,
and against anger were long-suffering, forbearance, forgiveness
and compassionate acts. He said that prayer would purify the
intellect. Other demons he noted included rancor, self-esteem
(which is overcome by intense prayer and by not doing or saying
anything that contributes to the sense of your own impor-
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tance) and the deluder (which gets us overbusy so as not to
have strength to resist other demons like unchastity, anger, or
dejection). “There is scarcely any other virtue which the demons
fear as much as gentleness (meekness).”14
Evagrios gave several classifications of demons. He identified the
front-line demons as those being opposed to spiritual growth.
He enumerated three types: those responsible for gluttony and
sensuality, those responsible for avaricious thought, and those
which led one to seek the esteem of men. He derived these classifications
from the temptations which Jesus overcame in Matthew
4:1–10. Evagrios believed that other demons then followed
after these had their success.15
Arsenius (c. a.d. 360–449):
It happened that when Abba Arsenius was sitting in his cell
that he was harassed by demons. His servants, on their return,
stood outside his cell and heard him praying to God in these
words, “O God, do not leave me. I have done nothing good in
your sight, but according to your goodness, let me now make a
beginning of good.”16
Moses (c. a.d. 350):
It happened that Abba Moses was struggling with the temptation
of fornication. Unable to stay any longer in the cell, he went and
told Abba Isidore. The old man exhorted him to return to his cell.
But he refused, saying, “Abba, I cannot.” Then Abba Isidore took
Moses out onto the terrace and said to him, “Look towards the
west.” He looked and saw hordes of demons flying about and making
a noise before launching an attack. Then Abba Isidore said to
him, “Look towards the east.” He turned and saw an innumerable
multitude of holy angels shining with glory. Abba Isidore said,
“See, these are sent by the Lord to the saints to bring them help,
while those in the west fight against them. Those who are with us
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203
are more in number than they are.” Then Abba Moses gave thanks
to God, plucked up courage and returned to his cell.17
John Cassian (c. a.d. 360–435):
As a young man, John Cassian joined a monastery in Bethlehem,
but around 385–386, he traveled with a friend to Egypt, where
he remained until 399, becoming a disciple of Evagrios. During
401–405 he was at Constantinople, where he was ordained
deacon and became a disciple of John Chrysostom. In 405, he
traveled to the west, spending a number of years in Rome, then
moving to Gaul, at some point being ordained priest. Around
415, he founded two monasteries near Marseilles, one for men
and one for women.
In his essay, “On the Eight Vices,” Cassian enumerates eight demons
connected with eight vices. These are: gluttony, unchastity
(the desire of the flesh), avarice (greed), anger, dejection, listlessness
(laziness, distraction), self-esteem (self-centeredness), and
pride. “The fathers also say that as a rule someone who works is
attacked and afflicted but by a single demon, while someone who
does not work is taken prisoner by a thousand evil spirits.”18
As a safeguard against pride, Cassian recommends: “When we
have attained some degree of holiness, we should always repeat
to ourselves the words of the Apostle, ‘Yet not I, but the grace of
God which was in me’ (1 Cor. 15:10), as well as what was said
by the Lord: ‘Without me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). . . .
and finally: ‘It does not depend on man’s will or effort, but on
God’s mercy’ (Rom. 9:16).”19
Agathon (c. a.d. 370):
The brethren also asked him, “Amongst all good works, which
is the virtue which requires the greatest effort?” He answered,
“Forgive me, but I think there is no labor greater than that of
prayer to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies,
204
A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
the demons, want to prevent him, for they know that it is only
by turning him from prayer that they can hinder his journey.
Whatever good work a man undertakes, if he perseveres in it, he
will attain rest. But prayer is warfare to the last breath.”20
Theodore of Pherme (c. a.d. 370):
It was said of Abba Theodore that when he settled down at Scetis,
a demon came to him wanting to enter his cell, but he bound
him to the outside of his cell. Once more another demon tried to
enter, and he bound him too. A third demon came as well, and
finding the other two bound, said to them, “Why are you standing
outside like this?” They said to him, “He is sitting inside and
will not let us enter.” So the demon tried to enter by force. The
old man bound him too. Fearing the prayers of the old man, they
begged him, saying, “Let us go,” and the old man said to them,
“Go away.” Then they went off covered with confusion.21
Elias (c. a.d. 400):
Abba Elias said, “I saw someone who was carrying a skin of wine
on his arm, and in order to make the demons blush, for it was
a fantasy, I said to the brother, ‘Of your charity, take off your
cloak.’ He took off his cloak and was not found to be carrying
anything. I say that so that you may not believe even what you
see or hear. Even more, observe your thoughts and beware of
what you have in your heart and your spirit, knowing that the
demons put ideas into you so as to corrupt your soul by making
it think that which is not right, in order to turn your spirit from
the consideration of your sins and of God.”22
Longinus (c. a.d. 407):
Another time, they brought him one possessed by a demon.
He said to those who were escorting him: “I can do nothing for
you; but go instead to Abba Zeno.” So Abba Zeno began to put
A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
205
pressure onto the demon to cast it out. The demon began to cry
out: “Perhaps, Abba Zeno, you think I am going away because
of you; look, down there Abba Longinus is praying, and challenging
me and it is for fear of his prayers that I go away, for to
you I would not even have given an answer.”23
Poemen (c. a.d. 407):
Abba Joseph put the same question [on the subject of impure
thoughts] and Abba Poemen said to him, “If someone shuts a
snake and a scorpion up in a bottle, in time they will be completely
destroyed. So it is with evil thoughts: they are suggested
by the demons; they disappear through patience.”24
Francis of Assisi (1181 or 1182–1226):
Once, at the Place of Portiuncula, when St. Francis was praying devoutly,
by divine revelation he saw the whole place surrounded and
besieged by devils, as by a great army. But not one of them was able
to enter into the place because the friars were so holy that the devils
could find no one to whom they could gain admittance. . . .
And so [Francis] went forth through divers regions, boldly
preaching the Gospel, the Lord working with him and confirming
his word by signs following. And in the power of his Name,
Francis, the herald of the truth, cast forth devils, healed the
sick, and, what is more, by the efficacy of his word softened the
most hardened hearts and brought them to penance, restoring
at the same time the health of the body and the soul.25
The Reformers
Martin Luther (1483–1546):
Martin Luther devoted more theological and personal concern to
the Devil than anyone else since the desert fathers. For Luther any
valid view must rest upon the Bible read in the light of faith.26
206
A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
Luther felt this struggle intensely within his own soul. His diabology
[study of the devil] was based on personal experience
as well as on Scripture and tradition. . . . Like the desert fathers
and the medieval contemplatives, Luther felt that the Devil attacks
more intensely as one advances in faith. Satan attempted
to deter him from God’s work through temptations, distractions,
and even physical manifestations. . . .
Yet Satan’s power over us is shattered by the Incarnation of
Jesus Christ. . . . The world, the flesh, and the Devil still tempt
us, but one little word—the name of the Savior—can crush
them. . . .
The Devil’s power remains “as big as the world, as wide as
the world, and he extends from heaven down into hell,” yet “the
evil spirit has not a hairbreadth more power over us than God’s
goodness permits.” Against the Devil, Christ puts a great arsenal
at the disposal of Christians, including baptism, the Bible,
preaching, the sacraments, and song. Luther’s best known contribution
to popular diabology is his famous hymn; “A Mighty
Fortress is Our God.”27
John Calvin (1509–1564):
John Calvin, another great Protestant reformer, offered a precise,
rational statement of his views in The Institutes of Christian
Religion. . . . Calvin shared Luther’s view of God’s total
omnipotence. No fate, fortune, chance, or freedom limits this
complete sovereignty. Why God ordains evil is a mystery that we
are not permitted to unravel. Yet, Calvin insisted, God has only
one united will; although he seems to our limited intelligence to
do both good and evil, he always works for the ultimate good.
God not only permits evil; he actively wills it, as when he turned
Pharaoh over to the Evil One to be confirmed in his obstinacy.
In every evil human act, three forces are working together: the
human will to sin, the Devil’s will to evil, and God’s will to the
ultimate good. In every evil person, Satan and the Lord are both
at work for their own purpose.
A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
207
The Devil’s role in such a theology was similar to that in
Luther’s. Calvin firmly rejected the skeptical view that angels
and demons are only human ideas. Still, he did not pay nearly
as much attention to the Evil One as his German colleague did.
Recognizing that the Bible offers few particulars on the Devil,
Calvin insisted that a detailed diabology [study of the devil]
was inappropriate. Since he experienced the Devil’s assaults
less personally than Luther, Calvin assigned him a narrower
place in the world. Satan is completely under God’s command
and cannot do any evil that God does not expressly assign him.
“To carry out his judgment through Satan as the minister of his
wrath, God destines men’s purposes as he pleases, arouses their
wills, and strengthens their endeavors.”28
The Quakers and George Fox (1624–1691):
George Fox began the Society of Friends, later known as the
Quakers, in about 1647. The early Friends were known for healing
and deliverance. George Fox kept a “Book of Miracles” to
record such events.
“When I was a prisoner in the same place there came a
woman to me to the prison and two with her and said that
she had been possessed two and thirty years. And the priests
had kept her and had kept fasting days about her and could
not do her any good. And she said the Lord said unto her,
‘Arise for I have a sanctified people. Haste, and go to them,
for thy redemption draweth nigh.’ [So when Fox was released
from prison, he had her come to meetings.] . . . And the poor
woman would make such a noise in roaring and sometimes
lying along upon her belly upon the ground and with her spirit
and roaring and voice, and would set all Friends in a heat and
sweat.
“And I said, ‘All Friends keep to your own, lest that which is
in her get into you.’ And so she affrighted the world from our
meetings. And then they said if that were cast out of her while
she was with us, and were made well, then they would say that
208
A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
we were of God. This said the world, and I had said before that
she should be set free.
“And then it was upon me that we should have a meeting at
Skegby at Elizabeth Hooton’s house, when we had her there.
And there were many Friends almost overcome by her with the
stink that came out of her, roaring and tumbling on the ground.
And the same day she was worse than ever she was, and then
another day we met about her, and about the first hour the life
rose in Friends, and said it was done and she rose up and her
countenance changed and became white and before it was wan
and earthly. And she sat down at my thigh as I was sitting and
lift up her hands and said, ‘Ten thousand praise the Lord,’ and
did not know where she was, and so she was well.”29
209
A p p e n d i x 2
Common Demonic Groupings
Note that these categories and names should not be considered
restrictive; they are meant to provide a general
idea of how groups of demons function together, often under
a “strongman.”
Accusation
Judging
Criticism
Faultfinding
Perfectionism
Religion
Addictions and
Compulsions
Nicotine
Alcohol
Drugs
Caffeine
Gluttony
Pornography
Affectation
Theatrics
Playacting
Sophistication
Pretension
Performance
Bitterness
Resentment
Hatred
Unforgiveness
Violence
Temper
Anger
Retaliation
Revenge
Murder
Competition
Drivenness
Argument
Pride
Jealousy
Ego
Confusion
Forgetfulness
Frustration
Incoherence
Deaf and dumb spirits
Double-mindedness
210
Common Demonic Groupings
Control
Possessiveness
Dominance
Witchcraft
Jezebel
Covetousness
Stealing
Kleptomania
Material lust
Greed
Discontent
Cults
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Christian Science
Rosicrucianism
Theosophy
Urantia
Subud, Latihan
Unity
Mormonism
Bahaism
Unitarianism
Also lodges, societies,
social agencies that use
the Bible and God as a
basis but omit the blood
atonement of Jesus
Christ
Cursing
Blasphemy
Coarse jesting
Gossip
Railing
Criticism
Sarcasm
Backbiting
Mockery
Belittling
Death
Suicide
Death wish
Fear of death
Murder
Abortion
Depression
Despair
Despondency
Discouragement
Defeatism
Dejection
Hopelessness
Suicide
Death
Insomnia
Morbidity
Doubt
Unbelief
Skepticism
Self-doubt
Escape
Indifference
Stoicism
Passivity
Sleepiness
Alcohol
Drugs
Addiction
False Burden
False responsibility
False compassion
Codependency
Messiah complex
False Religions
Buddhism
Taoism
Hinduism
Islam
Shintoism
Confucianism
(many others)
Fatigue
Tiredness
Weariness
Laziness
Fear of Authority
Lying
Deceit
Rebellion
Fear of rejection
Ahab
Fears (All Kinds)
Phobias (all kinds)
Hysteria
Gluttony
Idleness
Nervousness
Compulsive eating
Resentment
Frustration
Self-pity
Self-reward
Grief
Sorrow
Heartache
Heartbreak
Sadness
Cruelty
Guilt
Condemnation
Shame
Unworthiness
Embarrassment
Impatience
Agitation
Frustration
Intolerance
Resentment
Criticism
Common Demonic Groupings
211
Indecision
Compromise
Procrastination
Confusion
Forgetfulness
Indifference
Passivity
Infirmity
Weakness
(any disease or sickness)
Inheritance
Evil spirits passed
down from parents to
children:
(physical)
(emotional)
(mental)
(curses)
Insecurity
Rejection
Orphan spirits
Inferiority
Self-pity
Loneliness
Timidity
Shyness
Inadequacy
Ineptness
Heaviness
False burden
Disgust
Gloom
Despair
Depression
Hyperactivity
Restlessness
Drivenness
Pressure
Jealousy
Selfishness
Envy
Suspicion
Distrust
Mental Illness
Insanity
Madness
Mania
Retardation
Senility
Schizophrenia
Paranoia
Hallucinations
Alzheimer’s disease
Mind-Binding
Confusion
Fear of man
Fear of failure
Occult spirits
Spiritism spirits
Mind Idolatry
Analytical skepticism
Intellectualism
Rationalization
Pride
Ego
Deaf and dumb spirits
Nervousness
Tension
Headache
Nervous habits
Restlessness
Excitement
Insomnia
Roving spirits
Occult
Witchcraft
Conjuration
Charms
Fetishes
Ouija board
Palmistry
Handwriting analysis
Automatic handwriting
ESP
Hypnotism
Horoscope
White/black magic
Astrology
Levitation
Fortune-telling
Water-witching
Séance
Tarot cards
Pendulum
Incantation
(others)
Paranoia
Jealousy
Envy
Suspicion
Distrust
Persecution
Fears
Confrontation
Passivity
Indifference
Listlessness
Lethargy
Religion
Perfection
Anger
Pride
Vanity
Ego
Frustration
Criticism
Irritability
Intolerance
212
Common Demonic Groupings
Persecution
Unfairness
Fear of judgment
Fear of reproof
Fear of accusation
Sensitiveness
Pride
Self-righteousness
Ego
Vanity
Haughtiness
Fear of condemnation
Arrogance
Greed
Rebellion
Self-will
Stubbornness
Disobedience
Independence
Anti-submissiveness
Witchcraft
Religion
Ritualism
Formalism
Legalism
Doctrinal obsession
Seduction
Doctrinal error
Terror
Passivity
Fear of lost salvation
Religiosity
Poverty
(others)
Rejection
Self-rejection
Fear of rejection
Abuse
Self-hatred
Retaliation
Abandonment
Orphan spirits
Retaliation
Destruction
Spite
Hatred
Cruelty
Sadism
Hurt
Murder
Self-Accusation
Self-hatred
Self-condemnation
Self-rejection
Orphan
Cutting
Self-Deception
Self-delusion
Self-seduction
Pride
Sensitiveness
Self-awareness
Fear of man
Fear of disapproval
Fear of rejection
Paranoia
Sexual Impurity
Lust
Fantasy lust
Compulsive
Masturbation
Homosexuality
Lesbianism
Adultery
Fornication
Immorality
Incest
Harlotry
Rape
Frigidity
Pornography
Spiritism
Séance
Spirit guide
Necromancy
Familiar spirits
Deception
(others)
Strife
Contention
Bickering
Argument
Quarreling
Fighting
Greed
Withdrawal
Pouting
Daydreaming
Fantasy
Pretension
Unreality
Worry
Anxiety
Fear
Dread
Apprehension
Poverty
213
Notes
Chapter 1: Jesus, Overcoming Demons
1. The picture of Jesus, first at His baptism in the Jordan and immediately
afterward in the trackless wasteland that was home to evil spirits, is portrayed in
Matthew 3:13–4:11; Mark 1:9–13; Luke 3:21–22 and 4:1–15.
2. Just as there are angels who are in authority over other angels (the “arch” in
archangel means “ruler”), so there are evil principalities who rule over lesser ones.
The Pharisees and some Jewish exorcists believed that if you knew the demon’s
name you had authority over it. This is not always true, but it is reflected in this
story. The real source of authority is in the name of Jesus.
3. The apostle Paul wrote: “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according
to what is written [in Psalm 116:10], ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also
believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
4. “I will return to my house from which I came” (Matthew 12:44, nasb). “For
you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. . . . I will be like the Most High’” (Isaiah 14:13–14).
5. “You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and
shudder [in terror and horror such as make a man’s hair stand on end and contract
the surface of his skin]!” (James 2:19, amp).
Chapter 2: Overcoming Demons in the Early Church
1. “The evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who
are you?’” (Acts 19:15).
2. Why then did the apostles sometimes disobey civil authorities? When they
did so, it was with a submissive spirit. Peter and John were brought before the
Sanhedrin and forbidden to preach the Gospel (see Acts 5:29–42). They rightly
said, “We must obey God rather than men.” But they received submissively the
punishment assigned to them for making that decision.
3. Because our “kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), we are to be submissive
to earthly rulers while resisting their counterparts in heavenly places. This
214
Notes
illustrates the importance of recognizing the earthly counterparts of the satanic,
princely realm. Behind the human prince of Tyre in Ezekiel 28:2 was the fallen
angel king of Tyre in verse 12. Elsewhere in Scripture, the phrase “principalities
and powers” can refer either to earthly rulers (see Titus 3:1; Romans 13:1) or their
satanic counterparts (see Ephesians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 2:6–8).
4. John the Baptist, Stephen and all the apostles are referred to as witnesses or
martyrs in Mark 6:14–29; Acts 7:54–60; John 21:18–19 and 2 Timothy 4:6–8.
Chapter 3: Scriptural Characteristics of Demons
1. In most English versions of the Bible, the term “unclean spirit(s)” is used
twenty-two times.
2. (To have a demon) see Matthew 11:18; Mark 7:25; 9:17; Luke 4:33; 8:27;
13:11; John 7:20; 8:49, 52; 10:20–21.
3. (To be in, or under the influence of a demon) see Mark 1:23; 5:2.
4. (To be demonized) see Matthew 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22;
Mark 1:32; 5:15–16, 18; Luke 8:36.
Chapter 4: Truths and Tactics of Temptation
1. Sam Storms, “Tactics of Temptation,” posted on the Enjoying God Ministries
website (November 8, 2006), http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/article/
tactics-of-temptation/ (accessed April 14, 2009). Dr. Sam Storms collaborated with
me in developing the early material for this chapter.
2. William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, Moody Press edition
(Lindale, Tex.: World Challenge, Inc., 1986), 39.
3. Neil T. Anderson, The Bondage Breaker (Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House,
1993), 126–128.
Chapter 5: Battle Plans for Overcomers
1. Starting out as earthbound caterpillars, it is as if we are now in a dark
chrysalis, dying to our old, carnal selves so that we can emerge into the light of a
new day as completely new creatures. There are several states in metamorphosis;
one of them is actually called liquification. Before the butterfly can emerge, all of
the traces of the old creature need to be melted down and recombined. This is a
drastic exchange, and it mirrors the transformation that occurs when we submit
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 7: Realms of Kingdom Authority
1. Eberhard Arnold, The Early Christians (Farmington, Penn.: Plough Publishing
House, 2007), 27–28 (Also available online at: http://www.plough.com/ebooks/
pdfs/EarlyChristians.pdf.).
2. See, for example, Heidi and Rolland Baker’s book, Expecting Miracles: True
Stories of God’s Supernatural Power and How You Can Experience It (Grand
Rapids: Chosen, 2007), 101–2. Also see Heidi Baker and Shara Pradhan, Compelled
Notes
215
by Love: How to Change the World through the Simple Power of Love in Action
(Lake Mary, Fla.: Charisma House, 2008), 115–116.
Chapter 8: Preparations for Deliverance
1. Frank and Ida Mae Hammond, Pigs in the Parlor: A Practical Guide to Deliverance
(Kirkwood, Mo.: Impact Christian Books, Inc., 1973, 2008), 77–78.
Chapter 9: Effective Procedures for Deliverance
1. John Loren Sandford and Mark Sandford, Deliverance and Inner Healing
(Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1992, 2008), 175–176.
2. See chapter 4 in Biblical Healing and Deliverance: A Guide to Experiencing
Freedom from Sins of the Past, Destructive Beliefs, Emotional and Spiritual Pain,
Curses and Oppression by Chester and Betsy Kylstra (Grand Rapids: Chosen
Books, 2005). Another great resource on this topic from Chester and Betsy Kylstra
is chapter 8 in Restoring the Foundations: An Integrated Approach to Healing
Ministry, 2nd ed. (Pomona, N.J.: Proclaiming His Word, 2001).
Chapter 10: Curses: Causes and Cures
1. For examples of the types of repercussions that can result from involvement
with Freemasonry, see Ron G. Campbell, Free from Freemasonry: Understanding
“the Craft” and How It Affects Those You Love (Ventura, Calif.: Gospel Light
Publications, 1999), 168ff.
2. See Galatians 3:13–14; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13–14, 1 John 3:8;
Luke 10:19.
3. See Hebrews 3:1; Romans 10:10.
4. “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying
the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than
the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22, nasb).
5. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes
them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
6. See Mark 11:25; Matthew 6:12–13.
7. See Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 7:25–26; 18:10–11; Acts 19:18–20.
8. “So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will
flee from you” (James 4:7, amp).
Chapter 11: Generational Blessings
1. Gary Smalley and John Trent, The Blessing (Nashville: Thomas Nelson,
2004).
Chapter 12: Deliverance Made Easy
1. I am indebted to my friend Andy Reese for his portrayal of the Father’s love
in his Scripture-based “letter” from God the Father entitled “My Child . . .” You
216
Notes
can find it in his book, Freedom Tools for Overcoming Life’s Tough Problems
(Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2008), 43–46.
2. See Ephesians 1:3–12.
3. See Psalm 139:15–16.
4. See Psalm 139:1.
5. See Psalm 139:2–3.
6. See Matthew 10:29–31.
7. See Jeremiah 1:4–5.
8. See Psalm 139:13–14.
9. See Psalm 71:6; Acts 17:26.
10. See Acts 17:28.
11. See Genesis 1:27.
12. See 1 John 3:1.
13. See Matthew 5:48.
14. See 1 John 4:16; John 8:41–44.
15. See Matthew 6:31–33; 7:11; James 1:17.
16. See Jeremiah 32:41.
17. See 1 John 13:1.
18. See Jeremiah 31:3; 32:40; John 17:26.
19. See Exodus 19:5; Jeremiah 29:11.
20. See Jeremiah 33:3.
21. See Philippians 2:13.
22. See Deuteronomy 4:29; Psalm 37:4.
23. See Ephesians 3:20.
24. See Psalm 139:17–18.
25. See Zephaniah 3:17.
26. See 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17.
27. See Hebrews 1:3; Romans 8:31.
28. See 1 John 4:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18–19.
29. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4; Revelation 21:3–4.
30. See Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 40:11.
31. See Romans 8:38–39.
32. See Psalm 103:17.
33. See Luke 15:22–32.
34. For more on the subject of soul ties, refer to the lesson titled, “Breaking
Emotional Bondages” in my study guide, The Healing Anointing, one of the
resources available on my Encounters Network website: http://www.encounter
snetwork.com.
35. See Reese, Freedom Tools, 178.
Appendix 1: A Brief History of Demonology in Quotes
1. Eberhard Arnold, The Early Christians (Farmington, Penn.: Plough Publishing
House, 2007), 37 [e-book: http://www.plough.com/ebooks/pdfs/Early
Christians.pdf]. Quoting from * Cyprian, “To Donatus” 5. [Epistles of Cyprian
of Carthage, “To Donatus,” Letter 5]; ** Tertullian, Apology 46. [R. T. Glover,
trans., Tertullian: Apology (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1960)];***
Notes
217
Tertullian, Apology 27; Tatian, Address to the Greeks, 16 [Hinrichs, 1923, 1924,
Tatians Rede an die Griechen, translated into German, Gessen, 1884].
2. Jeffery Burton Russell, Satan: The Early Christian Tradition (Ithaca, N.Y.:
Cornell University Press, 1987), 33–34, quoting from Clement 51:1.
3. Ibid., 34–35.
4. Arnold, 53.
5. Ibid., 247.
6. Ibid., 88.
7. Michael Dujarier and Kevin Hart, trans., The Rites of Christian Initiation
(New York: Sadlier, 1979), 94.
8. Arnold, 99.
9. Dujarier, 118.
10. Robert Gregg, trans., Athanasius: The Life of Antony and the Letter to
Marcellinus (New York: Paulist Press, 1980), 33–34.
11. Ibid., 35.
12. Benedicta Ward, trans., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Kalamazoo,
Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 1975), 99–97.
13. G. E. H. Palmer, et al., trans., The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 1)
(London: Faber and Faber, 1979), 29.
14. Philokalia, 46.
15. Ibid., 52.
16. Sayings, 5.
17. Ibid., 138.
18. Philokalia, 90.
19. Ibid., 93.
20. Sayings, 21–22.
21. Ibid., 78.
22. Ibid., 71.
23. Ibid., 123.
24. Ibid., 170.
25. St. Bonaventure, The Life of St. Francis of Assisi (Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books,
1988), 117.
26. Jeffery Burton Russell, The Prince of Darkness (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University
Press, 1992), 170.
27. Ibid., 172.
28. Ibid., 173–74.
29. Henry J. Cadbury, ed., George Fox’s Book of Miracles (Philadelphia: Quakers
Uniting in Publications, 2000), 107.

219
Index
Abba Poemen, 205
Abraham, 151, 171
Agathon, 203–4
Ananias and Sapphira,
30–31
Anderson, Neil, 66
angels, 35, 37–38, 55,
77, 87, 203, 207,
213n2(ch. 1)
fallen, 43, 84–85
Anthony the Great,
200–201
apostles, 42
demon-defying acts of,
30–35
Arnold, Eberhard, 97,
197–98
Arsenius, 202
authority. See authority
transfers; Kingdom
authority
authority transfer, 90–91
of Jesus, 91–93
Babylon, destruction
of, 45
Balaam, 158
Balak, 158
Beelzebub, 25
Blessing, The (Smalley
and Trent), 173
blessings, 149–50
conditions surrounding
a blessing, 170
definition of, 150–52,
168–71
forms of, 159–60
obtainable, 176–80
personal, 173–76
power of, 167–68
Bride of Christ, 38, 46,
72
Calvin, John, 206–7
Capernaum, 16, 22, 49
Chavda, Mahesh, 126
Church, the
the early Church, 35
transformation of,
72–73, 214n1(ch. 5)
Clement I (bishop of
Rome), 198
curses, 149–50, 160–62
definition of, 150–52
Jacob’s inadvertent
curse of Rachel, 157
sources of, 152–57
Daniel, 78
David, 71, 81, 162
death, 63
deliverance, 113–15, 131,
183
gospel of, 183–84
keeping of once it is attained,
194–95
and love, 128–29
ministering of, 132–39
procedures for, 139–46
weapons used during,
193–94
Deliverance and Inner
Healing (Sandford
and Sandford), 136–37
demonology, brief history
of, 197–208
demons/evil spirits, 47,
48–51
activities of, 51–53
of addictions, 57
casting out, 27
characteristics of, 18,
25–27, 48–50
of death, 57
discerning of, 125–28
of dumbness, 134
of fear and suicide, 57
legal rights of, 37
of lust and adultery, 57
occult spirits, 57
possession by, 48
of rejection, 58
scriptural names of, 26,
55–57
steps to keep them out,
115–25
disobedience, 26, 29, 37,
38, 90, 156
divination, 26, 32, 33,
56, 118
Early Christians, The (Arnold),
97–98, 197–98
Elias, 204
220
Index
Ephesus, 34
Esau, 151, 171, 173
Evagrios the Solitary,
201–2
Ezekiel, 87–88
faith, 25, 41–42, 44, 51,
56, 64, 73, 81, 85,
99–100, 104, 109,
111, 162, 163, 164,
192, 199, 201, 206,
213n3(ch. 1)
community of, 30
confession of, 143
hearing of, 154–55
importance of in battling
demons, 20,
21–22
shield of, 41
forgiveness, 40, 44, 129,
134, 140, 142, 165,
189, 193, 194, 198,
201
asking for, 123–24
Fox, George, 207–8
Francis of Assisi, 205
freedom, in Christ (spiritual
freedom), 65, 85,
122–23, 134–35, 138,
139, 140, 142, 144,
164, 184, 186, 188,
189, 192–93
Freemasonry, 158
God, 29, 35, 78, 79, 158,
160, 171
army of, 36, 42, 74
blessings of, 150
curses of, 152, 155, 156
glory of, 131
goal of, 172
Law of, 117
love of, 185, 189–92
mercy of, 55, 203
as our true Father,
186–88
power of, 21
purpose of, 76, 84, 173,
179, 194
redemptive work of
through Jesus Christ,
162–64
Satan’s plan overruled
by, 83–85
supremacy/authority
of, 85–87
weapons of, 45
will of, 38
words of, 180–81
See also Kingdom of
God
Goll, James W., personal
experiences of, 185–
86, 191–92
Gospel of the Kingdom,
45, 184
grace, 30, 31, 34, 51, 84,
112, 162, 165, 183,
191, 203
Hiel of Bethel, 156
Hippolytus of Rome,
199–200
Holy Spirit, the, 15, 32,
34, 35, 41, 54, 80, 93,
119, 131, 144, 161
authority of, 90
blessing in, 180
power of, 35
honesty, 122–23
humility, 121–22
idolatry, 116–17, 119
Ignatius of Antioch, 198
Isaac, 171
Isidore, 201
Jacob, 157, 171–72
Jericho, 156
Jesus Christ, 13–15, 21–
22, 29, 32, 33, 39, 49,
58, 74, 154, 183–84,
213n1(ch. 1)
authority of, 22–23, 24,
26–27, 29–30, 35
baptism of, 14
blood of, 43–44
command of demons,
16
crucifixion of, 14,
162–63
lordship of, 34, 125
and Pontius Pilate, 158
power of, 185
prayer of, 45–46
redemptive work of,
162–63
temptation of in the
wilderness, 15–16,
63, 77
warning of, 38
See also Jesus Christ,
and specific demons
Jesus Christ, and specific
demons, 16–17, 24, 25
the child with an evil
spirit, 19–22
the Gerasene demoniac,
17–19, 20, 26
the man with an unclean
spirit, 22–23
the Syrophoenician
woman’s daughter,
23–24
Jews, 158
Jewish exorcists, 34,
213n2(ch. 1)
John, apostle, 213n2(ch. 2)
John the Baptist, 15, 105
John Cassian, 203
Jordan River, 14, 15
Joshua, 156
Justin Martyr, 199
Kingdom authority, 83,
98, 109
over animals, 103–4
over demons, 99
over the elements,
99–100
over emotions, 105–6
over fear, 104
over finances and needs,
102–3
over mind and body, 106
over natural laws, 100
Index
221
over sickness and death,
101–2
over temptations,
100–101
Kingdom of God, 14,
16, 17, 19, 38, 51, 69,
84, 85, 98, 102, 172,
178, 180
Laban, 171
license and licentiousness,
65–67
life, love of, 44–45
Longinus, 205
Luther, Martin, 206
Lydia, 32–34
martyrs, 44, 45
martus (martyr, witness),
44, 45, 214n4(ch. 2)
Michel, 162
Moses (c. a.d. 350), 202–3
Moses (Old Testament),
153–54, 159
Noah, 86
never quitting, 107–9,
109–12
Paul, 32–33, 34, 36, 39,
45, 158, 162–63,
213n3(ch. 1)
in Ephesus, 34
imprisonment of, 33–34
warnings of against religious
spirits, 41
warnings of against seducing
spirits, 42
Peter, 31, 34, 158,
213n2(ch. 2)
on suffering, 37–38
Philip, 31–32, 34
Philippi, 32, 34
Pontius Pilate, 158
praising God, 81
prayers, of release and
thanksgiving, 165–66
Prince, Derek, 44, 118
principalities, 36
and early powers,
213–14n3
Quakers, 207–8
Rachel, 157
rebellion, 29, 37, 38, 54,
84, 116, 124–25
Reese, Andy, 193,
215n1(ch. 12)
repentance, 65, 113–15,
119, 120, 123, 141,
142, 193
Revelation, book of,
42–43
righteousness, 40, 41, 50,
55, 63, 69, 79, 110,
111, 114, 119
rights, legal and experiential,
162–64
rulers of darkness, 36–37
Samaria, 31
Sandford, John Loren,
136
Sandford, Mark, 136
Satan, 30, 37, 45, 62,
64–65, 72, 93, 158
as fallen, 87–89
favorite tactics of,
75–76
goal of, 67
plan of overruled by
God, 83–85
staying free of his
snares, 40–41
when he tempts us,
77–79
why he tempts us, 75
Saul, king of Israel, 81
sexual immorality, 18, 40,
116, 117, 120–21, 134,
142, 154, 160
Silas, imprisonment of,
33–34
sin
the “four doors” of, 193
unconfessed, 190
See also sexual
immorality
Smalley, Gary, 173
sorcery, 118, 119
spiritual armor and
weapons, 39–40,
79–81
godly character, 40
prayer, 41
the Word of God, 41
See also righteousness
spiritual warfare in the
epistles, 36–38
spiritual wickedness, 37
Stephen, 31–32
Storms, Sam, 214n1(ch.
4)
suffering, 37–38
temptation, 62–63
tactics of, 64–65
tactics for resisting,
67–70
Tertullian, 198–99
Theodore of Pherme, 204
Transfiguration, the, 19
Trent, John, 173
“walled city” principle,
54–55
war
Book of the Wars of
the Lord, the, 72–73
Scriptures of, 73–75
watchfulness, 39–40,
41–42
Wesley, John, 41
witchcraft, 117, 118
witnessing, 44
Word of God, the, 79–81
“world system,” 93

About the Author
James W. Goll is the cofounder of Encounters Network. James
also acts as the director of Prayer Storm, an internet based
virtual house of prayer. James is a member of the Harvest International
Ministries Apostolic Team and is a contributing
writer for Kairos magazine and other periodicals. James and
Michal Ann were married for 32 years before her graduation into
heaven in the fall of 2008, and together they had four wonderful
children. James continues to live in the beautiful rolling hills of
Franklin, Tennessee.
James has produced several study guides on subjects such
as equipping in the prophetic, blueprints for prayer, and empowerment
for ministry, all of which are available through the
Encounters Resource Center.
Other books by James W. and Michal Ann Goll
365 Devotional Prayer Journal
Adventures in the Prophetic
Angelic Encounters
The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God
The Beginner’s Guide to Signs, Wonders and the Supernatural
Life
A Call to Courage
The Call to the Elijah Revolution
A Call to the Secret Place
224
About the Author
The Coming Israel Awakening
The Coming Prophetic Revolution
Compassion: A Call to Take Action
Deliverance from Darkness
Deliverance from Darkness Study Guide
Discovering the Seer in You
Dream Language
Empowered Prayer
Empowered Women
Exploring the Gift and Nature of Dreams
God Encounters
Intercession: The Power and the Passion to Shape History
The Lost Art of Intercession
The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence
Prayer Storm
Prayer Storm Study Guide
Praying for Israel’s Destiny
The Prophetic Intercessor
The Seer
The Seer Devotional Journal
For more information, contact:
Encounters Network
P.O. Box 1653
Franklin, TN 37057
Office phone: (615) 599-5552
Office fax: (615) 599-5554
For orders call: 1-877-200-1604
For more information or to sign up for monthly email communiqués,
please visit www.encountersnetwork.com or send
an email request to info@encountersnetwork.com.
For more information on Prayer Storm, visit www.prayer
storm.com. You may sign up for an hour of prayer or view the
weekly web broadcast by visiting this website.