Steps to freeing those under the unwanted influence.
Karl
Payne
What
do you say to a man who constantly battles feelings of inferiority, thoughts of
suicide, or habitually hearing voices telling him he's a loser who will never
measure up as a husband, dad, son, or child of God?
He
tells you he's prayed, fasted, memorized Scripture, and studied his Bible, but
the ideas, accusations, and voices never release their paralyzing grip, at
least not for very long.
Do you
tell him he just needs rest? That it's a chemical imbalance? Do you assume he's
schizophrenic because he says there are voices in his head? Or might this
battle be something more than physiological or psychological?
"Karl,
do you think this could be demonic?" I've heard this question so many
times I no longer presume the person speaking is neurotic or weak willed. This
initial question is often followed by "Now I don't want you to think I am
crazy" or "I'm afraid you won't believe me, but …" or "I've
never told anyone about this, but I assure you I am not making this up."
I've heard this from the churched and unchurched, from those in the pew and
those who fill the pulpit.
What
would you say to a pastor, for instance, who flies to your city to discuss
demonization, indicating that his mind is being consumed with thoughts and
images of his wife having sex with other men? It is not true, and he knows it.
But the incessant mind games are not only personally debilitating emotionally
and physically to him, they are in the process of destroying his marriage,
family, and ministry.
Do you
tell him to read his Bible? Well, he studies his Bible and memorizes Scripture,
and he has written more theological books than most Christians have read. Do
you tell him that he just needs to be more disciplined in his thinking?
Or
might he be demonized?
Over
the last 30 years, I have worked with hundreds of Christians across the
denominational and non-denominational spectrum who are tormented by spirits
they have not been able to remove on their own.
Laying the Foundation
There
are some foundational truths to keep in mind as we tackle this topic.
First,
assisting those caught in demonic bondage does not depend upon a particular
type of giftedness. Some gifts may make this type of ministry easier for some
than for others. But the authority, victory, protection, and position necessary
for successfully banishing demons is something freely available to every
Christian under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Second,
your attitude toward demons is important. They are not superiors to fear or
defer to. They are not colleagues to respect. Demons are not your spiritual
equal or sparring partner. Positionally, they have been placed beneath the feet
of all believers under the delegated authority of the King of Kings and the
Lord of Lords.
When you respond to a demon as
an equal, you embolden it to resist and fight rather than submit to the authority
the Lord Jesus Christ, which has been delegated to you (Luke 10:18-20; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Eph. 1:18-2:7).
Third, your personal
involvement in the process is not nearly as important as the attitude of the
person seeking deliverance. Prayer is powerful, but if the demonized person
refuses to resist the demons or to confess and cancel the sin(s) that gave them
ground (topos, from Eph. 4:27) those demons will not leave. You
can stand with someone against the powers of darkness, but you cannot stand for
someone against the powers of darkness. (A believing parent standing for a
demonized child may be an exception.)
Demons leave because the
demonized individual is willing to confess the sin(s) that provided the
foothold (topos) in the first place and ask God to cancel the ground or
permission given over to the demons.
Getting the Facts
When I first meet with an
oppressed or demonized person, I listen carefully as they share their story. I
follow up with questions to determine the person's relationship with Christ.
Then I briefly describe the essential differences between battling the world,
the flesh, and the devil (see sidebar below). I then explain the importance of
a person's will in relation to "submitting to God" and
"resisting the devil" before "he will flee from you" (James
4:7).
The authority, victory,
protection, and position necessary for banishing demons are available to every
Christian under the authority of Christ.
I
explain how the process for removing demonic squatters involves confession of
sin, canceling the ground surrendered to Satan, and commanding the removal of
wicked spirits in the name of the Lord Jesus.
If we both believe
demonization is a real possibility in this particular case, and if we both want
to proceed, I give the person a homework assignment: reading Mark 7:21-23, Galatians 5:19-21, andColossians 3:5-8 and preparing a list of
possible areas of sin and demonization.
I also
ask the person to list any other persistent problem areas not listed in these
passages. For instance, none of those passages mention obsessive fear, suicidal
depression, eating disorders, and constant self-condemning thoughts. But each
of these can indicate a potential foothold for demonic control.
If the
area is not habitual, I ask the person not to write it down. Demons are
unrelenting. If they are present, they are persistent. They will not surface
only once a month or on holidays. They like to hide, but they are aggressive in
their attempts to control the thinking of anyoe within whom they hold ground.
The Ground Rules
When
we meet the second time, we go over the homework list. I ask questions for
clarification, but I don't worry about particulars. Although specific areas are
necessary to identify, all the sordid details are not.
I
review the concepts of confessing and canceling sin, and the three necessary
non-negotiables of (1) being a Christian, (2) absolute honesty, and (3) a will
to resist the devil. If we are on the same page at this point, I will proceed.
If not, we will close our meeting with prayer, but demons will not be
confronted, at least not that particular day.
At
this point, I lay down some ground rules, both for the person's benefit and for
the reluctant obedience of any spirits present.
The
ground rules are the single most important thing I do to help ensure that any
confrontation will be orderly rather than becoming a circus. The less we allow
demons to speak the better. Demons understand delegated authority and accept
the fact that a Christian's delegated authority is greater than their
authority.
The
statement "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" precedes all the
ground rules. The Lord Jesus Christ is our authority. The purpose of repeating
his name is to make it clear to any demons that we understand Jesus Christ has
already won this war.
So, for
instance, I say, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be
one-way traffic only, from [name of person] to the pit. When you leave, you
will take all of your works and effects and all of your associates and their
works and effects with you. You will not be free to re-enter [name] or to enter
anyone else in the room.
"In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you may speak only that which can be used
against you, and the answers you give must stand as truth before the white
throne of God.
"In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, there will be no profanity.
"In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ [name] is to have complete and full control
of his tongue, mind, and body. You will not be allowed to control his tongue,
mind, or body.
"In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when I give commands, you will give clear,
concise, complete answers in [name]'s mind to the questions addressed to you.
You will not be permitted to confuse the mind of [name] and will be punished
severely by the Holy Spirit of God if you attempt to do so."
Confronting the Spirits
With
the ground rules in place, I ask the counselee to pick the two or three areas
he would like us to check from his homework sheet, beginning with those areas
that represent the greatest problems. Usually demons with the greater authority
oversee those areas that represent greater problems. By going after the higher
ranking spirits first, you can shorten the process. When the leaders go, they
often take all those under their charge with them.
If the
first area is, for instance, fear, I will say something like this: "We are
going to deal with the area of fear because you told me it's a major problem.
Before we confront demons, you will need to confess any sin(s) in this
area."
The
individual will then ask God to forgive him of the sin of fear that has
dominated his life. It ultimately represents a lie that denies God's goodness
and promise to always care for his children.
After
the person confesses this sin as thoroughly as he knows how, I ask him to pray
that God would cancel any and all grounds demons might hold against him through
this area. Confession brings cleansing to a specific area. Canceling closes the
door to the foothold that the person has given over to evil spirits. With the
sin forgiven and the ground divinely removed, demons are now unwanted squatters
rather than invited or tolerated guests.
At
this point I will command: "If there are any demons working in [name] in
the area of fear, we bind all of you together, along with all of your works and
effects, and command that you come forward now. We command that spirit holding
highest authority of all those bound and brought forward in the area of fear to
step up alone."
Then I
ask a few questions. I want to identify a demon's name, commissioning source,
specific task, habitual lies, and the ground it still holds if any. Once the
demonized person learns to recognize the demon's answers, usually described as
a voice, words, thoughts, impressions, or "ideas that pop into my
mind" in direct response to the questions being addressed, the process
goes much faster.
I ask
the individual to repeat to me, word for word, the voices, thoughts, words,
impressions that he is hearing or thinking in response to my questions.
Here are the five
questions I ask:
1. "In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command that spirit holding the highest
authority working in the area of fear in [name] to step forward alone. What is
your name?"
If
there are demons present, they will answer. Sometimes it is easy. The person
will say, "The name Destroyer just came in my mind." When this
happens I will say, "You have responded to the name Destroyer. We bind you
by that name, and upon command you will go to the pit bound by that name with
all of your works and effects and all of your associates and their works and
effects as well."
Sometimes
the demon will try to mock God and to take control of the process. Once when I
asked this question, the answer was: "We are not here. No one is working
in that area. This is not necessary." I had to smile. And the man I was
working with burst out in laughter saying, "This idiot just told me it is
not there."
2. "In
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who commissioned you in the work you are
doing against [name]?"
The
answer usually is Satan or some other similar title such as Lucifer or The Dark
Lord.
3.
"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, what work have you been
commissioned to do against [name]?"
The
response to this is usually, "To destroy him or to kill him." My
follow up question is: "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by what
means do you hope to destroy him?"
The
answers will vary, but if it is really a demon, the answer will have something
to do with the work it is trying to accomplish, for example: "Suicide. We
tell her to take her life. We make her feel worthless so she will give
up," or, "We are destroying her hope and her marriage by creating
problems in her family."
4.
"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, what lies do you tell [name] on a
habitual basis?"
Answers
are often something like, "We tell her that God will not protect her. We
torment her with fear, and she believes us." Or, "We tell her she
will get sick and die, and that her husband does not really love her." Or,
"We tell her she is stained, that she is unlovable, and that God could
never accept someone like her." Or, "She is always alone and always
will be. It is never going to change." The lies will consistently relate
to the work they have been commissioned to carry out.
5. The
most important question is: "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, do you
still hold any ground against [name] that would keep you from leaving him upon
command?"
The
answer is usually, "No, our ground is gone." If the response is yes,
I immediately ask, "Will your answer that you still hold ground stand as
truth before the great white throne of God?" The response is usually,
"No, it won't."
With the sin forgiven and
their ground removed, demons are now unwanted squatters rather than invited or
tolerated guests.
Once
the answer is, "We hold no more ground" or something similar, you
have everything you need to command it to leave. Once the ground is gone, the
demon will leave upon command.
I have
found that when demons give arrogant answers, it's usually because they don't
think you will uncover the ground they hold against the person. When they hold
the area of ancestral sin, for instance, they are certain you will never
uncover it, leaving them free to continue their destructive work.
I now
have the person address ancestral issues with the initial confession and
canceling of sin, just in case. I ask them to pray something like: "Lord
Jesus, if there are any spirits who have anything to do with me, body, soul, or
spirit because of ancestral sin, I ask you to forgive this sin(s) and cancel
any ground held against me because of ancestral sin."
Closing the Door
Two
things are left to bring this first area (fear) to closure. You must command
the demons to leave and ask the Holy Spirit to fill every area the demons have
vacated. I have the counselee repeat a command with me and remind him that we
are commanding as victors, not pleading as victims.
We
pray: "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, [demon's
name], to leave [person's name] with all your works and effects and all your
associates and their works and effects, and go to the pit right now. We command
this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings, the Lord of
Lords, and our Savior. Amen."
I then ask the person to pray,
inviting the Holy Spirit to fill and control the areas just vacated. Matthew 12:25-45 indicates that after
expelling a demon, it is necessary to fill the room(s) it has worked in or
attached to with someone stronger than it. When we allow the Holy Spirit to
control every area of our lives, we eliminate a demon's ability to control
those areas.
After
we deal with each issue, I repeat this same process for each remaining area of
concern. The last thing to do is commanding the highest ranking spirit, other
than the Holy Spirit, to come forward. If any demon(s) have been missed, we
deal with it in the same way.
When the entire process is
complete, I ask the individual to do three things: (1) Practice keeping short
accounts with sin. (2) Practice both defensive and offensive prayer. Ask God
both for protection and to destroy those trying to destroy you. (3) Practice
daily Bible study, and apply what you learn rather than just read or memorize
it. Jesus responded to Satan's solicitations with Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11). We are always wise to do the
same.
To go deeper, see our
recommended resources on spiritual warfare.
Karl Payne is pastor of
discipleship and leadership training at Antioch Bible Church in Seattle,
Washington, and chaplain of the Seattle Seahawks. Also he is the author of Spiritual Warfare: Christians,
demonization, and deliverance (WND, 2011)
Three-Front Warfare: the World, the Flesh, the Devil
Opposition to God comes from
at least three areas, each of which requires specific resistance.
The World: The
Greek word cosmos has several meanings, but in this context
refers to a system in rebellion against God. It is external in nature. 1 John 2:15-17 indicates that temptations
from the world attack us through the lust of the flesh (designed to trigger a
physiological response), the lust of the eye (designed to manipulate our love
of beauty), and the boastful pride of life (designed to promote selfish
ambition). The biblical response to such attacks is found in verse 17: evaluate
the solicitation and say yes to things that have eternal value, and no to
options that have only temporary value and pleasure. Spending eternal treasure
for temporary trash is a bad trade.
The Flesh: Warfare
of the flesh can also trigger physiological responses within our body and mind.
The source of this attack is internal, an active traitor still within each
Christian (Rom. 7:15-25, Gal. 5:17). The biblical responses to attacks
from the flesh are to flee (2 Tim. 2:22), renew our mind (Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 12:1-2), and to walk controlled by the
Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16).
The Devil: Supernatural
attack from the devil or his demons is usually mental (Acts
5:3; 2 Cor. 11:3), although it can be physical (Luke 13:10-11) and is represented in Scripture
as flaming arrows (Eph. 6:16) or annoying to debilitating
accusation (Rev. 12:10-11). These attacks can be external
or internal. The biblical response to demonic attack is to resist, (James 4:7-10; 1 Pet. 5:8-10). Resistance from Christians
against demonic attack can take the forms of offensive prayer or deliverance
depending upon the nature of these attacks.-Karl Payne