The water level of integrity for deliverance ministries has been rising rapidly over the past few years. One of the major factors spurring this along is the emergence of highly-respected, professional-level deliverance ministers and teachers such as Peter Horrobin. This book is unquestionably the number one textbook on the theory and practice of deliverance available today. It is wellorganized, scholarly, and user friendly. No library, whether a school library or a deliverance minister’s personal library, should be without it! —C. Peter Wagner & Doris M. Wagner, convening apostles, International Society of Deliverance Ministers Healing through Deliverance contains a praxis of ministry that demonstrates the Kingdom of God at work with power, authority and authenticity. In these pages, Peter Horrobin combines biblical theology with authentic hands-on ministry that models the heart of Jesus. I know of no other book that retains this quality of Scriptural integrity while at the same time creating a worldview of expectancy that the God of the Old and New Testaments is still the same God today who invites us to meet with Him and to encounter the miraculous. Everyone who is serious about healing, deliverance and wholeness will discover in these pages what exactly is required for personal and corporate transformation. —Rev. Dr. Alistair P. Petrie, executive director, Partnership Ministries, B.C. Canada, www.partnershipministries.org
Copyright © 1991,2003, 2008 by Peter J. Horrobin Published in 2008 by Chosen Books A division of Baker Publishing Group PO. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Ml 49516-6287 www.chosenbooks.com Originally published by Sovereign World Limited of Tonbridge, Kent, England ISBN 978-1-85240-345-4 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 Horrobin, Peter J. (Peter James) Healing through deliverance: the foundation and practice of deliverance ministry / Peter J. Horrobin—Rev. and expanded, p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8007-9451-4 (cloth) 1. Exorcism. 1. Title. BV873.E8H67 2008 23 5'.4—dc22 2008010492
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the Good News Translation—Second Edition. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture 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 NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV'®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NRSV is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked RSV is taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Dedication For Mum and Dad, who taught me so much, gave me such a solid foundation for life and, above all, gave me a godly heritage. I thank God for them. This book is part of the harvest from their years of sowing.
This book is also dedicated to the team of people in Ellel Ministries whom God called together in 1986 to establish and nurture a special ministry of evangelism, healing and deliverance and all who have been part of the team in succeeding years. None of them could have known that their obedience would eventually result in the ministry being established in every continent of the world.
Thanks be to God.
Contents Author’s Prologue Foreword Preface Part 1: - Foundations for the Deliverance Ministry Chapter 1 Healing in the Church Today 1.1 Physical Sickness 1.2 Emotional and Mental Health 1.3 Christian Healing 1.4 Healing and Discipleship 1.5 Summary Chapter 2 Introduction to Deliverance Ministry 2.1 Deliverance Ministry in the History of the Church 2.2 Reactions in the Church Today 2.3 The Gospel of Hope 2.4 Overview of the Book 2.5 A Final Word Chapter 3 Healing, Deliverance and God’s Covenants Chapter 4 Mankind—God’s Special Creation 4.1 God Is Spirit 4.2 The Trinity—of God and Man 4.3 The Spirit 4.4 The Flesh—Soul and Body 4.4.1 The Body 4.4.2 The Soul
4.4.3 The Mind 4.4.4 The Emotions 4.4.5 The Will 4.5 In Conclusion Chapter 5 The Realm of Angels 5.1 Michael and the Warrior Angels 5.2 Gabriel and the Messenger Angels 5.3 Ministering Angels 5.4 The Job Functions of Angels 5.5 In Conclusion Chapter 6 Satan and His Kingdom 6.1 The Origin of Satan 6.2 The Character of Satan 6.3 Satan’s Objectives 6.4 Satan’s Kingdom 6.5 In Conclusion Chapter 7 The Fall and God’s Rescue Plan 7.1 Rebellion and the Fall 7.2 The Nature of the Fall 7.3 The Consequences of Sin 7.4 The Beginnings of Demonization 7.5 Consequences for Mankind 7.6 God’s Rescue Plan 7.7 The Way In 7.8 In Conclusion Chapter 8 Demonization and Worship Chapter 9 The Character and Work of Evil Spirits 9.1 The Powers of Darkness
9.2 Fallen Angels 9.3 Demons and Evil Spirits 9.4 The Characteristics of Demons 9.5 Demons Are Alive! 9.6 Demons Are Disembodied 9.7 They Are Able to Speak 9.8 They Have Job Functions 9.9 They Know Their End 9.10 They Can Have Supernatural Strength 9.11 They Are Well Organized and Are Under Higher Authority 9.12 Demons Are Legalistic 9.13 Some Demons Have Animalistic Character 9.14 They Work Together in Families 9.15 They Will Try to Remain Hidden 9.16 They Have to Bow to Jesus' Name 9.17 In Conclusion Chapter 10 The Direct Encounters of Jesus with Satan 10.1 The Baptism of Jesus 10.2 The Temptations in the Wilderness 10.3 The First Temptation 10.4 The Second Temptation 10.5 The Third Temptation 10.6 Satan in Simon Peter 10.7 The Transfiguration 10.8 At the Crucifixion 10.9 Satan in Judas Iscariot 10.10 In Conclusion Chapter 11 Encounters with the Demonic in the Gospels 11.1 In Nazareth 11.2 At Capernaum
11.3 At Simon’s House and After 11.4 Jesus Encounters a Dumb Man 11.5 The Blind and Dumb Demoniac 11.6 The Epileptic Boy 11.7 The Women and Mary Magdalene 11.8 The Storm on the Lake 11.9 The Gadarene Demoniac 11.9.1 The Significance of the Graveyards 11.9.2 Supernatural Strength 11.9.3 Cutting and Screaming 11.9.4 Nakedness 11.9.5 The Actual Confrontation with Jesus 11.9.6 Opposition to Deliverance Ministry 11.9.7 Talking to Demons 11.9.8 The Heavily Demonized 11.10 The Syro-Phoenician Woman’s Daughter 11.10.1 Proxy Deliverance 11.10.2 Ministering Deliverance outside Israel 11.10.3 Bread for the Jews 11.10.4 The Blessings of Persistence 11.11 The Woman with the Spirit of Infirmity 11.11.1 Believers Can Be Demonized! 11.12 Other References to Deliverance Ministry in the Gospels 11.13 In Conclusion Chapter 12 Encounters with the Demonic in the Acts of the Apostles 12.1 Ananias and Sapphira 12.2 With Philip in Samaria 12.3 The Magician Elymas 12.4 Snakes at Philippi 12.5 At Ephesus and the Sons of Sceva
12.6 In Conclusion Chapter 13 The Teachings of Jesus on Aspects of Deliverance 13.1 The Beelzebul Syndrome 13.1.1 The Jewish Exorcists 13.1.2 Can Demons Cast Out Demons? 13.2 First Bind the Strong Man 13.3 To Gather or Not to Gather—That Is the Question! 13.4 Sin against the Holy Spirit 13.5 Seven Spirits More Evil Than the First 13.6 Your Father the Devil! 13.7 The Great Commission 13.7.1 The Statement 13.7.2 The Commission 13.7.3 Baptism 13.7.4 Obedience 13.7.5 The Promise Jesus Gives 13.8 In Conclusion Chapter 14 Some Important Teachings on the Demonic in the Epistles 14.1 The Corinthian Discourse 14.2 Gifts of the Spirit 14.3 The Foolish Galatians 14.4 Paul’s Advice to the Ephesians—Don’t Give the Devil a Chance! 14.5 The Teachings of Demons 14.6 In Conclusion
Chapter 15 Demonization of Christians 15.1 Can a Christian Be Possessed? 15.2 Can a Christian Have a Demon?
15.3 How Can an Evil Spirit and the Holy Spirit Dwell within the Same Person at the Same Time? 15.4 Scriptures Often Used to Question the Validity of Deliverance Ministry in Christians 15.5 In Conclusion
Part 2: The Practice of Deliverance Ministry Chapter 16 Deliverance and Healing 16.1 A Balanced Healing Ministry 16.2 Early Beginnings 16.3 At Ellel Grange 16.4 Foundations for Deliverance Ministry Chapter 17 Preparing the Ground—Foundational Teaching for Healing and Deliverance 17.1 Jesus Shares His Ministry with the Disciples 17.2 The Teaching of Jesus 17.3 Basic Principles 17.3.1 Who and What We Are before God 17.3.2 How We Can Be Sick 17.3.3 The Need to Forgive Others 17.3.4 Confession and Forgiveness of One’s Own Sins 17.3.5 Forgiveness of Oneself 17.3.6 “Forgiveness” of God 17.3.7 Acceptance of God as He Is 17.3.8 Allowing God to Accept Us 17.3.9 Accepting Oneself 17.3.10 Accepting Others 17.3.11 The Lordship of Jesus Christ 17.4 In Conclusion
Chapter 18 Some Observable Symptoms of Possible Demonization 18.1 Addictions 18.2 Appetites Out of Balance 18.3 Behavior Extremes 18.4 Bitterness and Unforgiveness 18.5 Compulsive Behavior Patterns 18.6 Deceitful Personality and Behavior 18.7 Depression 18.8 Emotional Disturbance 18.9 Escapism 18.10 Fears and Phobias 18.11 Guilt and Self-condemnation 18.12 Hearing Voices 18.13 Hereditary Illnesses 18.14 Heretical Beliefs 18.15 Involvement in False Religions 18.16 Irrational Behavior 18.17 Lack of Mature Relationships 18.18 Legalism and Spiritual Bondage 18.19 Nightmares 18.20 Occultic Involvement 18.21 Out-of-control Tongue 18.22 Recurring or Long-term Sicknesses 18.23 Self-centeredness 18.24 Sexual Aberrations 18.25 Suicidal Tendencies 18.26 Undiagnosable Symptoms 18.27 Violent Tendencies 18.28 Withdrawn Antisocial Behavior 18.29 In Conclusion: A Note on Medical Practice
Chapter 19 How Demons Enter 19.1 The Generation Line 19.1.1 The Principle of Covering 19.2 Personal Sin 19.3 Occult Sin 19.4 Some Alternative Medical Practices 19.5 Religious Sin 19.5.1 Religious Practices 19.5.2 Denominationalism 19.5.3 Heretical Beliefs 19.5.4 Wrong Attitude to the Scriptures 19.5.5 Abuse of the Gifts of the Spirit 19.5.6 Universalism 19.5.7 False Religions 19.6 Ungodly Soul Ties 19.6.1 In Family Life 19.6.2 Abuse of Free Will 19.6.3 Potentially Dangerous Relationships 19.7 Sexual Sin 19.7.1 Generational Sexual Sin 19.7.2 Sexual Abuse 19.7.3 Dominating Soul Ties 19.7.4 Premarital Intercourse and Trial Marriages 19.7.5 Oral and Anal Sex 19.7.6 Homosexuality and Lesbianism 19.7.7 Fantasy and Pornography 19.7.8 Bestiality 19.7.9 Transvestism and Transsexuality 19.7.10 Sexual Abuse 19.7.11 Summary 19.8 Hurts, Abuse and Rejection 19.8.1 At Conception 19.8.2 Single Parenting and Unwanted Pregnancies
19.8.3 Rejection of Sexuality 19.8.4 Sexual Abuse 19.8.5 Physical Abuse 19.8.6 Emotional and Psychological Abuse 19.8.7 Separation and Divorce 19.8.8 Death 19.9 Through Trauma or Accident 19.9.1 Major Illness 19.9.2 Unemployment 19.9.3 Accidents 19.9.4 Abuse 19.9.5 Fear 19.10 Death (Including Miscarriages and Abortions) 19.10.1 The Transition of Death 19.10.2 Related Issues 19.11 Curses (Including Inner Vows and Pronouncements, Wrongful Praying, etc.) 19.11.1 God’s Curse 19.11.2 Satan’s Curses 19.11.3 Deliberate Curses Placed by Men 19.11.4 Nondeliberate Curses 19.11.5 Self-cursing and Inner Vows 19.12 Cursed Objects and Buildings 19.13 Addictions 19.14 Fears and Phobias 19.15 Fatigue and Tiredness 19.16 In Conclusion 19.17 For Caution and Encouragement Chapter 20 Preparing a Person for Healing through Deliverance 20.1 Introduction 20.2 The Ministry Team
20.2.1 This Is What Jesus Told the Disciples to Do. 20.2.2 There Is the Power of Agreement in Prayer. 20.2.3 Two Counselors Provide Protection for Each Other and Security for the Person Being Prayed For. 20.3 Getting Started 20.4 Whose Agenda? 20.5 Note Any Symptoms That Are Possible Consequences of Demonization 20.6 Investigate False Beliefs and Occult Involvements 20.7 Check Out the Generation Lines 20.8 Explore the Sexual History 20.9 Look for Signs of Rejection 20.10 Investigate Other Ungodly Soul Ties 20.11 Find Out about Accidents and Traumas 20.12 In Conclusion Chapter 21 Foundational Prayers Chapter 22 The Ministry of Deliverance 22.1 Some Possible Demonic Manifestations 22.2 Exit Routes of Demons 22.3 Post-deliverance Care Chapter 23 Why Some People Are Not Delivered Chapter 24 Advice to the Delivered 24.1 Ten Major Keys to Staying Free 24.1.1 The Lordship of Jesus Must Be Central in Your Life. 24.1.2 Be Continuously Filled with the Holy Spirit. 24.1.3 Read the Word of God Daily and Allow It to Minister to You. 24.1.4 Wear the Armor of God at All Times. 24.1.5 Be on Guard against the Enemy's Counterattacks.
24.1.6 Be in Good Fellowship with Others. 24.1.7 Allow the Holy Spirit to Produce the Fruit of the Spirit in Your Life. 24.1.8 Walk Continuously in Forgiveness. 24.1.9 Praise God in All Circumstances. 24.1.10 Keep the Right Company. Part 3: Land and Buildings Chapter 25 Cleansing of Land, Buildings and Organizations 25.1 How Land Became Cursed 25.2 Further Consequences of Sin on Land and Buildings 25.3 Hezekiah’s Cleansing of the Temple 25.4 Experiences of Cleansing Land and Buildings Today 25.5 The Practice of the Ministry 25.6 The Cleansing Process 25.7 Cleansing Organizations 25.8 In Conclusion
Part 4: Postscript, Appendixes and Bibliography Chapter 26 Postscript 26.1 In Conclusion Further Training 26.2 International Training Schools (at Ellel Pierrepont and Ellel Grange) 26.3 Specialist Schools (at Ellel Scotland) 26.4 Ellel Ministries Centers Appendix 1 Qualities of a Christian Counselor
Appendix 2 Magic, the Occult and the Bible Appendix 3 Glossary of Occult Terms Appendix 4 Alternative Medical Practices Appendix 5 Glossary of Other Religions Bibliography Index About the Author
Author's Prologue The Disciple’s Prayer “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, As we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one; For yours is the Kingdom And the power and the glory for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13
I learned the prayer as a child; I did not need to understand it. I prayed the prayer when manhood beckoned; I thought I understood it. As adult man, I prayed the prayer,
As if I knew its meaning. But only when I cried to God For those whose hearts were breaking Was I forced against the wall of life, And confessed I had been taking Liberties with the prayer of God, And found my understanding Of this prayer, Which matches every human need, Was sorely lacking. What does Father mean? And how can we, mere mortals, Live God's Kingdom life on earth? And forgive, when human pain Makes forgiving others a distant hill, Too far away and steep to climb? And it seems the Evil One can pull The strings of life, my life, at will. But then we read those glorious words That tell us Kingdom Power and Kingdom Love Are His and His alone!
Pregnant with hope that God will hear And can also answer now my prayers, I cry, “Deliver us from the Evil One.” Not in words that have no hope of answer, To deity vague, whose will is shorn of love, But to the One who has ALL power Whose Kingdom is above ALL others Whose glory fills the skies with wonder and Who came to die to set the captives free. At last, I understood: I was a captive, too—and His love included me. Peter Horrobin (April 2008)
I thank God for the life, teaching and encouragement of Derek Prince, a mighty man of God, whose foreword to the previous edition of Healing through Deliverance remains unchanged in this new edition. Derek is now with the Lord, but the blessings of his life and ministry live on through his teaching.
Foreword The Body of Christ at large owes a debt of gratitude to Peter Horrobin for producing this book. It is clear, it is practical, it is scriptural. It meets an urgent need in the Body of Christ worldwide. We are living today in God’s promised end-time outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Mark 16:17-18 Jesus said that there would be five supernatural signs that would follow. The first two are “they will cast out demons” and "they will speak with new tongues” (NKJV). In the last century tremendous emphasis has been placed upon this second sign: "they will speak with new tongues.” Many books have been written about it, and countless personal testimonies have been given. By comparison, however, very little has been said about the first sign: “they will cast out demons.” At different periods in my ministry, I have been involved in dealing with demons, and I have seen scores of people wonderfully delivered. However, I observed that wherever we became involved with demons, there were two universal reactions from Christians: ignorance and fear. I put them in that order because ignorance is the primary cause of fear. At certain periods I had the privilege of ministering together with Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch Christian who spent two years in Hitler's concentration camps and graduated from there to a worldwide ministry to the Body of Christ. I often heard Corrie say, “The fear of demons is from the demons themselves.” In other words, demons project fear into the minds of those who should know how to deal with them and thus inhibit people from taking scriptural action
against the demons. In this book, Peter deals with various areas of ignorance in Christians that inhibit them from taking effective action against demons. He gives an overall picture of the spiritual world and the various kinds of spirits that inhabit it. On this basis, he clearly analyzes the way that the gospels depict Jesus Himself dealing with demons. He also interprets the other passages in the New Testament that contain information about the whole realm of spirits. On the personal level, Peter provides a comprehensive list of “signs” that could indicate the presence or activity of demons. He then follows this up by practical counseling that covers two areas: 1) how to receive deliverance for yourself; 2) how to minister deliverance to others. He stresses the character requirements that such a ministry demands. In particular, he warns against the “lone ranger” who is accountable to no one. Peter and his co-workers always operate together as a team. On the basis of many years of personal experience, I have come to believe that deliverance from demons is, at this time, the most urgently needed ministry in the Body of Christ. This book provides the answer. I heartily commend it to you! —Derek Prince, 2003
Preface This new one-volume edition of Healing through Deliverance is being published at a time when there is a much greater appreciation in the worldwide Church of the need for the deliverance ministry than there has been in times past. Things were very different in the early nineties when volume 1 of the first edition was published, and even more different in 1986 when the work that has become known as Ellel Ministries was birthed at Ellel Grange in the north of England. We had no idea then that God was going to expand that fledgling ministry into a worldwide organization bringing hope and healing to people on every continent. The New Age explosion, the dramatic growth in the popularity of occult activity, the headlong decline in public and private morality, the wide establishment of multi-faith beliefs and the horrors of worldwide terrorism are all factors that have contributed greatly to a changing society. They have all served to alert the Body of Christ to the fact that we live in a very different world than the one in which people of my generation were brought up. We now live in a world where the injunction in the Lord’s Prayer, “Deliver us from evil,” seems ever more relevant. Some of those people who, a decade ago, would have taken a sideways step away from anyone associated with deliverance are now asking for help. They are having to face issues and spiritual problems in their daily pastoral work that go considerably beyond the former limits of traditional counseling and prayer ministry. God has considerably stretched the horizons of the ministry as we have sought to meet the worldwide demand for understanding and training. Those who came into the healing ministry through the doorway of inner
healing have discovered that for many people, inner healing only exposes a different need and that the deliverance ministry of Jesus is just as relevant in today’s world as it was when Jesus went about healing people. It is encouraging to note that since the last edition of this book was published, there has grown up an organization that has sought to bring credibility and accountability to the ministry of deliverance. I can warmly commend to you the International Society of Deliverance Ministers and encourage those who sense God is calling them into a ministry of healing that is deeper than simply praying for the sick to make contact with the ISDM. I believe deeply in the need for deliverance to be accepted and used as a normal part of Christian ministry, but I am also aware that there is a danger in people becoming overly fascinated by the demonic. I want to emphasize, therefore, that deliverance as a ministry must never be an end in itself—it is always a means to setting the captives free so that they can more fully and freely serve the Lord. If people focus on deliverance, or any other aspect of Christian ministry, to the exclusion of other vital parts of Christian doctrine and discipleship, then there is a danger of becoming unbalanced. For this reason we would never, within Ellel Ministries, teach on deliverance without first focusing on the cross and teaching the foundations of faith. It is our relationship with the Lord and our personal walk with Him that matter most. While, as Paul reminded us, our ultimate spiritual battle is against the powers of darkness and wickedness in high places, our primary means of confronting them is not head-to-head warfare, but through walking in loving obedience to Jesus who is ultimately Lord of lords and reigns high above all those spiritual beings that masquerade as god in people's lives.
A book such as this could never have been written without the determined commitment and support of all those who have shared together in the work that God brought into being through Ellel Ministries. Although the book bears my name, in reality it has many authors whose very lives are reflected in the pages. I am deeply grateful to them all. Neither could this book have been written without the many thousands of people who have sought God’s help through Ellel Ministries and, in so doing, have trusted members of the teams to minister Jesus into their lives. God taught us so much as we pioneered together, and I want to thank every single one of them for the living contributions they have made. Time and again members of the team have had to be dependent on the Lord in difficult personal ministries, and Scripture has come to life under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. On occasions the dramatic thrill of the Gospel stories has been experienced firsthand. At other times we have been more conscious of the pressures and problems that Paul described to his friends in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). When people come through Ellel training schools, they often say things like this as they leave: “This has been the best nine weeks of my life,” or "Sell whatever you need to get into the school. You’ll never regret it!” What they discover is the reality and relevance of the Gospel in a way that often surprises them. Vital truths come to life. The cross makes sense. They see people healed and their lives transformed. It is such a wonderful privilege to be able to minister life to God’s people and see them restored in Christ. For those who are not familiar with Ellel’s work we will be pleased to send you a copy of our Annual Handbook, which fully explains the work and details all the training courses and schools that are currently available in various parts of the world. Please contact
Ellel Ministries, Ellel Grange, Ellel, Lancaster, LA2 OHN, England, U.K. You might also like to contact a more local Ellel Center. For a full list of centers around the world, please refer to the appendix at the back of this book. Alternatively you may prefer to browse the latest information about the whole ministry on screen via our website at www.ellelministries.org. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Fiona, for her constant encouragement— both in the writing of this book and through all the years of pressing on in the ministry. It has been such a privilege and joy to be serving the Lord together. Her pioneering endeavors in understanding the deepest needs in people’s lives have been a vital part of my own pilgrimage and without her this book would not have been possible. My prayer for all people who read this book is that their commitment to Christ will be deepened and that they will respond afresh to the call God puts before each and every believer: to proclaim the Kingdom of God, heal the sick and cast out demons. May the Lord bless you in everything you do for Him. Peter Horrobin June 2008
PART 1: FOUNDATIONS FOR THE DELIVERANCE MINISTRY
Chapter 1: Healing in the Church Today When Jesus commissioned the disciples to do the works of the Kingdom, healing and deliverance were part of the package. He told them to proclaim the Kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons. These were the foundation stones of the Church. Foundation stones cannot be moved without moving the whole building. In just the same way, if one tries to move these foundational principles from beneath the Church, the Church itself will move away from what God intended it to be. The original words used for healing and salvation have the same root meaning. God intended the practice of healing and deliverance to be foundational for the whole of the Church for the whole of time. They are an outworking of the Gospel—the Good News of the Kingdom. While in the gospels it is not always easy to discern exactly what is happening when a person is being healed, it is important to begin our study by recognizing that healing and recovery from sickness are not necessarily the same thing! Most people would say, however, that if someone was sick and now they are well, they have been healed. They may also, however, be completely recovered from a sickness, and be feeling much better physically, but they could still be very unhealed! Alternatively a person may even die of a physical condition, but die healed! One woman, who brought her dying husband on a healing retreat, wrote after her husband had passed away. She said, “Don’t let anyone say that my husband was not healed on the retreat. The last ten days of his life and our marriage
were the happiest of our lives—he was so healed!” It is clear, therefore, that to avoid confusion we need to define what we mean by certain words. For, unless we do, we will run into difficulties. This is especially important in the whole realm of healing—and particularly so in what is broadly referred to as the Christian healing ministry, as is generally practiced in the Church today, the Body of Christ on earth.
1.1 Physical Sickness The medical profession will generally define someone as being sick when there is a bodily malfunction. The body is then said to be experiencing dis-ease, or disease. That malfunction could arise because of generational (or genetic) factors that a person has inherited; or be a developed or caught condition, non related to family history; or be a result of some accident or physical trauma that the person has experienced. The medical profession generally seeks to either control or cure the symptoms by treating what is believed to be the cause, through the prescribing of medication or, as a last resort, a surgical operation. For example, antibiotics may be prescribed to kill off a bodily infection, or an operation may be performed to remove some stones from the gall bladder. In either case the source of the presenting symptoms has been dealt with. Subsequently it may be necessary to ensure that the person deals with whatever was the source of the infection or change the diet so that more gallstones don’t accumulate. In the case of healing from physical injuries, such as a broken leg in a car accident where there is no actual disease, the medical profession is nowadays highly skilled in emergency care, so as to aid immediate survival following an accidental injury. When my wife dislocated her shoulder and broke her arm simultaneously, the doctors put the arm and shoulder back into position in anticipation of the body healing itself. She is now totally healed. No doctor can ever heal a broken bone—the doctor sets the bone in the right position and then, in a totally amazing way, the body gets to work on itself to repair the physical damage.
1.2 Emotional and Mental Health Then there are conditions that produce emotional, behavioral or mental symptoms, for which a medical practitioner would generally refer people to a psychologist or a psychiatrist for further diagnosis and treatment. In most of these cases there is nothing physically wrong with the bodily systems, but there is an obvious dislocation between physical and emotional or mental health. There are many circumstances in life that can result in lasting damage to the emotional well-being of an individual, ranging from rejection, one’s own sin choices, being sinned against or even generational consequences of parental and ancestral behavior. All such issues, if not dealt with and left unhealed, will have their own consequences. The man referred to above who “died healed” was just such a person. He had no peace in his heart because of the years of unresolved memories and pain. No one knows whether the physical disease that claimed his body was a consequence of all that was unresolved on the inside of his being. Suffice it to say, however, that we have seen many people healed physically of a wide range of different physical problems when the inner issues have been resolved. The inner healing has had physical out workings. With regard to psychiatric conditions, one school of thought considers that mental conditions only arise as a result of chemical imbalance in the brain. So, treatment in these circumstances is aimed at permanently medicating the condition, so that the perceived chemical imbalance is either artificially restored or overridden by the power of prescribed drugs. At the other end of the scale, some people would say that any perceived chemical imbalance has arisen as a result of something that has happened to the individual, causing a physical response in the
body. While medication may provide temporary alleviation of the symptoms, it does not deal with the reason why the symptoms were there in the first place. What we have seen and experienced is that when those who have been treated with prescribed medication for such conditions are able to receive healing at the deepest level of their being, then the need for the medication can be resolved, and full restoration in spirit, soul and body is the result.
1.3 Christian Healing Christian healing, therefore, recognizes the need for the treatment of physical conditions but also embraces the needs of the whole human being. Fundamentally, there is no conflict between the need for medical excellence and Christian theology. It is not surprising, for example, that many of the great early medical pioneers were also practicing Christians who sought to improve the lot of their fellow men as a direct response to their Christian commitment. After all, it was Jesus who began His ministry by healing the sick! Conflicts only arise between medicine and healing when medical ethics and political correctness cross the boundaries of Christian doctrine and consequential beliefs and practices. Classic examples of these in the modern arena would be abortion, attitudes to homosexuality and premature voluntary termination of life through euthanasia. While medicine recognizes that we all have a body and that the person who lives in the body is somehow different from the body, medicine does not have a defined understanding of the nature of man. Medicine (and science in general) only deals with the measurable, and as long as the person we are and the personality we have cannot be detected on the screen of a scientific instrument, medicine will be unable to look at the root causes of much ill health, for they are beyond the parameters of measurable science. Currently billions of dollars are being expended in genetic research. Scientists are not only looking for the particular gene that causes such obvious physical conditions as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and any of a thousand other conditions or diseases, but they are also looking for a physical genetic cause for different behaviors,
sexual orientation or character deficiencies—so far without success. Christian healing goes beyond the physical, which is limited by time and space, and brings hope to the inner and eternal dimensions of the persons we are. Some people’s understanding of Christian healing is limited by the concept of “praying for the sick" in a somewhat distant way and looking for a direct, miraculous intervention of the Almighty, bringing healing and restoration to the person being prayed for. There is no doubt that God is a God of miracles, and does from time to time intervene in this way, but the miraculous intervention by God in this way is a very rare occurrence. The people Jesus healed were sick before Jesus began His ministry, but God didn’t heal them then with a release of power from on high in response to their prayers for healing! It took the personal intervention of Jesus the Man to release the power of God here on earth, and He taught the disciples to pray, “Your Kingdom come... on earth" (Matthew 6:10). Jesus welcomed the people, taught them about the Kingdom and then He healed those in need (Luke 9:11). The welcome, the teaching and the healing were all critical parts of the healing process and exemplified the Kingdom dimension of Jesus’ ministry. But Jesus did not limit the capacity to heal in this way to Himself alone. He told the disciples to go and heal the sick. He expected the disciples to be the agents of change, bringing hope and healing to the sick and suffering. They were told to go and heal the sick, not pray for them from a distance! When they came back to Jesus they were rejoicing, for they found that they, too, had been able to heal the sick and even cast out demons (Luke 10:17). So, while it is important to bring the sick before the Lord in prayer, healing in the Church, which is simply praying for the sick in a distant and disconnected way, is not representative of true Christian
healing as Jesus modeled it to His disciples. In one of the churches I was familiar with, the names of the sick of the parish were read out at the weekly Communion service. But you almost needed to be sick for anyone to take notice of you! And there was absolutely no personal input into the lives of either the sick or the physically healthy! For some churchgoers, going to church has become an end in itself—a sort of insurance policy for the life that is to come—and of little real relevance to day-to-day life here on earth. The coded message they have received from the Church is that being a member of the Body of Christ does not necessarily mean that there should be any connection between what you believe and how you are feeling and how you live! But just as you can’t dissociate medical practice from a foundational knowledge of what a healthy body should look like and how it should function, you can’t dissociate Christian healing from an understanding of how a healthy human being should function—not just as a physical body, but as a whole person—whole in spirit, soul and body. For that is how Paul prayed for people—that they would be whole in spirit, in soul and in body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). When dealing with the spirit and the soul, we are referring to a form of healing that is generally described as inner healing. Many of those who come for physical healing are not only sick in their bodies, but are also sick in their spirits and their souls. But Jesus also recognized that people are not only made sick by issues of the spirit, the soul and the body, but also they can be made sick by the presence of another spirit—generally referred to as a demon, an unclean spirit or an evil spirit. It is this aspect of healing—deliverance—that is the main focus of this book. But I am at pains to emphasize that the deliverance ministry should not be considered in isolation from the healing needs
of the whole person. It is for this reason that the whole of this book is first anchored in solid scriptural understanding of Christian truth and discipleship and only then in the nature of the demonic, the need for deliverance and how to minister to those in need of this particular form of healing.
1.4 Healing and Discipleship Many churches have taught that when people fall sick they are in need of healing and that when they become a Christian they are in need of training or discipling. More often than not these two aspects of the Christian walk are not brought together under the general heading of discipleship. The fact is, however, that for a very large percentage of healing needs, there is a strong overlap between the need for healing and the need for understanding what makes a believer into a disciple of Jesus. When Jesus gave the Church its Great Commission, He instructed those first-century believers to go and make disciples—not just believers. For the truth is that no one can make someone else into a believer—that is a work of grace in the repentant human heart, leading to a person being born again of the Spirit of God. But all such believers need discipling—and that is the job of the Church. There are many issues touched on in this book that illustrate this point, but for now let’s just mention forgiveness—or rather unforgiveness. Jesus encouraged us in the Lord’s Prayer to forgive those who have hurt us. He even went on to say that if we do not forgive others then His Father in heaven would not be able to forgive us either (Matthew 6:15). Most believers will regularly say the Lord’s Prayer at one service or another, but how many actively live the discipleship consequences of applying the prayer in their own lives? A person who carries around unforgiveness and bitterness in his or her heart is sick—and that sickness will not only affect one’s relationship with God, it can also affect one’s whole personality and human relationships and then be one of the root causes of some sicknesses and diseases. It can also become the opening for demonic power to gain influence in a person’s life.
So is dealing with unforgiveness a discipleship issue or a healing issue? It’s both, for without forgiveness there could well be a subsequent physical healing need, for which help will be sought from the doctor, and for which prayer may be asked from the leaders of the local church. In James 5:16 we read of a direct correlation between the need for healing prayer and the need to confess and deal with sin—another discipleship issue. There have been many instances in recent years of leaders getting to a place of prominence as a result of their gifting and then being exposed in some area of ungodliness—often sexual behavior of one form or another. Character and gifting are not the same. Gifting is a result of how God made us; character is a result of how we have been trained and responded to the input of others into our lives, as good disciples of Jesus Christ. There would be fewer such catastrophes in the Body of Christ if there were a greater awareness of the link between healing and discipleship. Discipleship is not training in how to run church programs, or even studying everything in the Bible! Real discipleship is learning how to apply the truths of God’s Word so that the whole of life can be lived under the Lordship of Jesus and that every part of one’s being— spirit, soul and body—can be made whole.
1.5 Summary Understanding about healing has changed radically in the past fifty years. Today there is a much greater willingness in the Church to see that there can be a need for inner healing and deliverance in the life of a believer. While salvation is in itself a wonderful healing (resurrection from the dead!), not all the healing needs of man take place at conversion. No wonder the Scripture urges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)—what we do with what God has given us really matters and counts for the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit renewal that began to seep through the churches in the 1960s was soon followed by a wave of interest in the healing ministry, as people realized that just going to prayer meetings to speak in tongues was not the ultimate objective of the Church! When those who had been called to look more closely at healing, myself included, started taking the Word of God seriously and looking to Him for healing answers in people’s lives, they then came face to face with the same issue that Jesus faced in some of the people He prayed for—the need for deliverance. Without hesitation Jesus addressed the root cause and cast out the demons. People were amazed at His authority and were stunned by the fruit, as the Kingdom of God (bringing the authority of God) was manifest among them. All over the world this process has been going on in country after country and church after church—so much so that the deliverance ministry has now largely been accepted in most churches as an essential and scriptural dimension to the wider healing ministry. But because so little has been taught on deliverance in churches in recent generations, there is a huge backlog of understanding that
people are now beginning to respond to—hence the need for books such as this to help with that process. The bibliography gives details of many more books that will be of help also. Christian healing and deliverance are wonderful ministries, but they should never become an end in themselves, or the Church will never grow to maturity and become a Kingdom-oriented force in the community. But without healing and deliverance the Church will remain sick and be unable to fulfill its Kingdom destiny. The message of healing and deliverance is a powerful evangelizing testimony into a fallen world that God is alive and loves and cares for His people. So I pray that as you read this book you will not only be impacted by the need to understand the deliverance ministry, but also by God’s heart for the sick, the demonized, the hurting and the broken —He wants them to grow to maturity also and fulfill their destiny in His Church (Ezekiel 34:1-16). And He wants His Church to be the agent of change.
Chapter 2: Introduction To Deliverance Ministry When Jesus told the disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons, I believe He intended the disciples to do just that—heal the sick and cast out demons! However, in common with most of my contemporaries who were nurtured and reared in the mid-twentieth century, I was taught nothing in my local church about the deliverance ministry. References to demons being cast out in the gospels were hastily passed over and assumed to be of little current relevance. Vague stories of missionaries encountering dark forces on the mission field were only acceptable because they happened so far away, in lands that supposedly had not been civilized by the impact of Western Christianity! Truth, however, cannot be suppressed forever. Deep down there were questions that were fighting for my attention. The real nature of the questions was so elusive, though, that many years passed before the circumstances of life and a calling of God forced them into the light of day. The circumstances revolved around a small handful of people in whom there were forces and powers that were definitely not of God but were dangerously real. The calling of God was to pray for the sick. But this was not the first time that I had encountered a calling from God. As a child, I sensed a call upon my life to full-time ministry. It was not until many years later, however, that this general calling became more specific and I knew beyond any shadow of doubt what my major calling in life was to be.
I had been asked to see if I could help a very distressed lady. Jane was in deep need and through prayer and forgiveness she received a measure of help. But as she walked away, God spoke very clearly into my heart, encouraging me to establish a ministry center where the “Janes” of this world could receive the help they needed and the Body of Christ could be trained to minister effectively in the local church. Though exciting, it was not a word that could be welcomed easily, for one is tempted by human reasoning to focus on the apparent impossibility of fulfilling such a calling! But the vision would not go away. Then followed ten years of lonely praying before God spoke further into the vision, and I knew that the time for its fulfillment was drawing near. Two years later, by a miracle of God’s grace, the doors of Ellel Grange were opened in November 1986. Nearly half a million pounds had been needed by October 31, the date set by the lawyers for completion of the property purchase. We started off with nothing and had only six months to find the money. When my brother heard of what I was doing, he pledged £50,000 toward the target. This was a huge encouragement to those who were praying for a miracle, and as a result many others decided to commit to supporting the vision—including a retired bishop who sent £3,000, having been reminded of the fact that as a young man he used to play tennis on the Ellel Grange lawns! Another supporter sent some solid silver family heirlooms to auction and many, many people gave of what they had—some of the smallest donations coming with the deepest commitments to prayer. Gifts came from far and wide. And the National Westminster Bank joined in by agreeing to advance £500 to the cause for every supporter who was able to pledge £10 a month for four years. When I added up everything that had come in through gifts and loans I found that we had just £6 too much on the completion day! God had provided, through His people in various
ways, an astonishing amount of money and affirmed the vision in a quite dramatic way. The small but dedicated team that God had brought together to initiate the work had little concept of what lay ahead. They knew something of the three principal dimensions of the healing ministry— physical healing, inner healing and deliverance. None had any concept, however, of the particular pilgrimage that they would follow in the ensuing days, as it became increasingly clear that deliverance ministry had a far more significant role to play in healing than any of us had previously believed or imagined. Some of the elusive questions of earlier years began to be answered. As powers of darkness were encountered and dealt with, we began to see some people with long-term infirmities being healed, childless couples conceiving and giving birth to children, crippling fears being dealt with, emotional problems (which were previously thought to need only inner healing) being resolved, women who had been devastated by sexual abuse coming through to wholeness, etc. We realized afresh that the commission Jesus gave to the disciples to cast out demons was, indeed, a vital part of the Great Commission for the whole Church for the whole of time (see Luke 9:1-2). There was much to learn, and right from the beginning we began to teach what we were learning to others so that they could benefit from our experience. Some local churches began to extend their healing ministry to include deliverance, sometimes with remarkable consequences. People began to travel quite long distances, even from abroad, to the training courses and healing retreats. Before very long, requests began to come in for written material to help those who were treading a similar pathway in their local church. We also learned the hard way about the opposition within the Body of Christ there can be to the whole idea that Christians might need deliverance. Stories were told and rumors were spread that even to this day are
used by some people against the ministry. But notwithstanding all such problems, the fruit of changed lives has spoken for itself and there are countless numbers of people around the world who know that Jesus has both set them free and equipped them to be disciples. The first part of this book was written in 1990 to establish a solid scriptural foundation for the deliverance ministry. The second part, a year later, met the need for practical help in how to minister to people. Two subsequent editions followed and now this new onevolume edition, containing significant extra material, aims to meet the needs of a new generation for a comprehensive reference and practical ministry book on the subject. However, I pray that those who read it will not do so just because they are fascinated by deliverance ministry, but because they wish to see the whole ministry of Jesus firmly established in the Body of Christ—preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons.
2.1 Deliverance Ministry in the History of the Church There are many well-documented accounts of deliverance being a normal part of Christian ministry throughout the history of the Church. For example, Tertullian, writing about a.d. 200, comments in his De Spectaculis, “We have the case of this woman—the Lord himself is witness—who went to the theatre, and came back possessed. In the outcasting, accordingly, when the unclean creature was upbraided with having dared to attack a believer, he (the evil spirit) firmly replied, ‘And in truth I did it most righteously, for I found her in my domain!’ ” Origen, in his work Against Celsus (about a.d. 250), says, “It is not by incantations that Christians prevail over evil spirits but by the Name of Jesus... and by the use of prayers and other means which we learn from Scripture, we drive them out of the souls of men, out of places where they have established themselves, and even sometimes from the bodies of animals; for even these creatures often suffer from injuries inflicted upon them by demons.” Lactantius quaintly adds in the Epitome of the Divine Institutes (about a.d. 315), “As He Himself, before His passion, put to confusion demons by His word and command, so now, by the name and sign of the same passion (the cross), unclean spirits, having insinuated themselves into the bodies of men, are driven out, when racked and tormented, and confessing themselves to be demons, they yield themselves to God, Who harasses them.” Throughout the centuries, there have been many welldocumented accounts of the demonized being set free in the name of Jesus. In more recent times, stories of prophetic characters, such as
Smith Wigglesworth, have increased faith for the seeming impossible among ordinary believers. And the diaries of a less well-known but nevertheless truly remarkable woman, Maria Woodworth-Etter, have dramatically demonstrated the power of the name of Jesus over the works of darkness. She ministered at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, largely in the U.S.A. but also in England, and was mightily used by God as a healing evangelist with a remarkably fruitful deliverance ministry. Throughout the history of the Church, there have always been those who have practiced the deliverance ministry. In these days the Holy Spirit is now restoring the ministry of deliverance to the wider Church in what is a natural extension of the process of renewal. While it is true that the pioneers of healing and deliverance ministry in the latter half of the twentieth century received a considerable amount of opposition from traditional churches and the media, by the end of the nineties the tide had largely turned and the demand for training and books embracing the deliverance aspect of healing had become a clamor in the Body of Christ as the millennium came to an end. We are now well into the twenty-first century and the tide has definitely turned!
2.2 Reactions in the Church Today Many misconceptions, and the lack of good teaching, have kept much of the Church ignorant of the enemy’s devices, in total contrast to the policy adopted and recommended by Paul: “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11, NIV). Within the Church it has been popularly assumed that evil spirits are only very occasionally encountered and that there is no way they could possibly affect believing Christians. The Church, therefore, has been seduced into deception and error by believing that deliverance from evil spirits is not a ministry worthy of any attention in the average church. Indeed, it has been argued by some theologians that we should adopt a healthy disregard for the enemy. However, those who have adopted this stance have usually failed to recognize the enemy and his influence and are denying hope to the masses that have been ensnared by the demonic and seem powerless to get out of the enemy’s clutches. The responsibility of Christian leaders not to mislead the flock is considerable. Ezekiel warned the shepherds of Israel in these devastating words: “You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt.... Because the sheep had no shepherd, they were scattered, and wild animals killed and ate them” (Ezekiel 34:4-5). Denying a primary means of healing (deliverance) to the flock in our care is undoubtedly misleading them. This supposedly healthy disregard for the enemy is, in reality, far from healthy. Because the Church has, in general, been totally ignorant of the way the enemy works, Satan has been able to walk all over the Body of Christ unchallenged, unrecognized and unperturbed. I believe that unless deliverance is accepted as a key part of the
armory that is available to, and used by, God’s people, the Church will continue to be severely limited in its effectiveness. Those who have been willing to take the Scripture at face value, and, where appropriate, seek to minister deliverance to those in need, have often been treated with a great deal of suspicion by their fellow churchmen. For some, their isolation has on occasions led to extremism, which has further isolated them from the main body of the Church. Many Christians tend to ignore or reject deliverance ministry because they cannot accept that Christians can possibly have demons inside them. They ask, “How can the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit coexist inside the same person?" Others, usually with a more liberal theological perspective, prefer to reject all evidences of supernatural power, whether it is claimed to be of God or of Satan. The whole idea that demons are real is, therefore, firmly rejected. Some theologians try to argue that Jesus only talked about a personal devil and demons because His medical understanding (or lack of it) was limited to that of His own generation. At the other end of the scale are those who naively think that deliverance is the answer to every problem people suffer from and who seem to thrive on demon hunts, even when it is manifestly obvious that other healing needs are more relevant and more important. Almost every author of books on this subject has quoted C. S. Lewis’ warning not to either ignore the devil or give him too much attention. The warning is only of such universal acceptance and relevance because of the profound truth it contains. Somewhere in the middle, there is a concerned body of Christians who believe that the commission Jesus gave to the Church includes the ministry of deliverance. They are seeking to build an effective and credible deliverance ministry into the life of the Body of
Christ. It is possible to do so, and I pray that this book will be of significant help to those who want to take seriously both Jesus’ injunction to “cast out demons” and the commission to build the Church. A word that is frequently used by critics of the deliverance ministry is balance. They advise you not to go overboard on demons or take too much notice of them. In ministry to individuals, they tell you to concentrate on more important aspects of the person’s life. As you read this book, however, you will find that in order to cast out demons, both a truly balanced and a dramatically radical ministry is required. Balanced in that the whole range of Christian foundational truths (such as repentance, forgiveness, acceptance, etc.) are essential ministry tools; and totally radical in that if a demon is encountered in a person’s life during ministry, then we have a responsibility to remove any rights it may have, cast it out and teach the individual how to live before God so that it can’t get back in. I believe Jesus’ ministry was totally balanced, which in practice meant that He taught with radical authority on the whole range of life’s issues. For Jesus, balance did not mean middle-of-the-road compromise, but decisive teaching and action that was sufficient to meet the needs of all who came to Him. When He encountered the rich young ruler, He was able to answer his penetrating question about inheriting eternal life with an equally penetrating answer: “Sell all you have and... come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). Similarly, when Nicodemus came to Him, Jesus cut right across his tentative theological comments by telling him that he needed to be born again of the Spirit of God (John 3). To the Pharisees who wanted the woman who was caught in the act of adultery stoned to death (John 8:1-11), Jesus said, “If any one
of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (verse 7, NIV). And in the case of the epileptic boy with the deaf and dumb spirit, Jesus recognized a demon and ordered it out (Luke 9:3743). In the man whose arm was paralyzed, Jesus raised his faith level by telling him to stretch out his hand. The man tried, found he could and was healed (Luke 6:6-11). Each of these, and many other, illustrations from the life of Jesus demonstrate radical and decisive thoughts, words and action— but overall one can say that because Jesus was radical in the way He treated each and every individual who came to Him, His whole ministry was, as a result, balanced. There was no compromise whatsoever in how Jesus dealt with any situation. He was always loving, but always radical. Balance and compromise are not the same thing. Sadly, many of those who thought they were proponents of balance in the healing ministry have, in reality, become agents of compromise and, as a result, have become opponents of the deliverance ministry. A balanced healing ministry is one that uses the whole range of ministries that Jesus commissioned us to practice. A balanced ministry is not one that takes a “middle course" with each ministry so as not to offend or, perhaps more significantly, to avoid shaking theological foundations that may be inadequate for the task. For Jesus, and those being disciples by Him, deliverance ministry was normal and natural. People expected Jesus to deal with evil spirits, and He did so. But today’s prevailing worldview (Christian or otherwise) would say that we have more medical knowledge and better terminology to describe the conditions that in Jesus’ day were attributed to evil spirits. Such a worldview, however, is just as deceived as the rationalism that discounts all forms of the supernatural.
In some sectors of the Church, the sovereign will of God is sometimes given as the reason people are not healed. Out of this have come mistaken doctrines of "suffering for the sake of the Gospel.” This viewpoint, however, is inconsistent with the ministry of Jesus, for there is no record of Him saying to anyone that they couldn’t be healed because it was God’s sovereign will for them to suffer! While some aspects of suffering will always be an enigma, I believe that in many cases people are not being healed because the church is praying for the wrong thing. It could be that the person needs to forgive from the heart, confess some sin, have a curse on his life broken or even be delivered of an evil spirit. That is not to say that God is not sovereign; nor is it to say that there are not circumstances when His will seems to run contrary to our desires and expectations. But it is to say that God expects us to conduct our ministries in accordance with His instructions. If a person is sick because he has a demon, it is hardly honoring to God to blame His sovereign will for our disobedience in not casting it out, and then to spiritualize the problem with a misguided doctrine of suffering! Many sick people have lost hope. They are like the woman with the issue of blood—they have exhausted themselves in looking for healing. For them, life holds little purpose when health has given way to long term infirmity. While deliverance ministry is not the total answer for those in need, for those who are sick "because they have a demon,” it is a vital part of their healing.
2.3 The Gospel of Hope The Gospel is supremely a Gospel of hope—a hope that is not a vague wish, but an absolute certainty backed up by the guarantee of God’s faithfulness. For each person who comes to Him, there is the assurance of eternal life. Eternal life begins the moment we are born again of the Spirit of God (John 3) and is not just something that is waiting for us when we die. Some preaching has so majored on the offer of life after death that many are unaware of the wonderful blessings God has for us in the present life. It was Jesus who encouraged us to pray “Your Kingdom come... on earth!" Many people today are in such personal crisis that they are now asking, “Is there life before death?” We do not need to wait for death before we can enjoy the benefits of the cross! The Christian's hope includes the offer of healing and deliverance during our passage through time. Most Christians recognize that healing flows from the cross. It was the prophet Isaiah who first said that “by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV). Healing, therefore, is a central part of the atonement, and part of the Christian’s hope. Deliverance also flows from the cross. For on the cross “Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession” (Colossians 2:15). Jesus was not killed by Satan when He went to the cross. If that had been the case, Calvary would have been a celebration of Satan’s victory. Jesus chose to lay down His life, and while He was betrayed by a human being and actually physically killed by men, they only had the power to do so because He chose to be obedient to the will of His Father. Matthew reminds us that even at the eleventh hour, Jesus
could have summoned twelve legions of angels to effect a rescue (Matthew 26:53). When Jesus rose again from the dead, therefore, it was a mighty statement to all the powers of darkness that their king, Satan, had done his worst and that Jesus still reigned. When Paul said to the Galatian Christians, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, NIV), he was illustrating from his own testimony the amazing fact that Christians are in the same position relative to Satan as Jesus Himself was when He rose from the dead! That is, Christians are in a place of victory over all the demonic realms. Jesus demonstrated at Calvary that He truly did have the authority to give His disciples (both then and for all time) the power and authority to cast out demons. Therefore, there is no question that according to the Scriptures deliverance is also central to the atonement and that deliverance ministry is part of the Christian’s hope. For outside the victory of the cross, we would have no power or authority over the powers of darkness. It is for this reason that Satan did his very best to deter Jesus right at the beginning of His ministry during the wilderness temptations (see chapter 10). Jesus has entrusted to His Church the task of ministering both healing and deliverance to those in need. I have come to see that a church that does not minister healing and deliverance is partially disabled and is only offering a limited salvation. It cannot fully represent Jesus’ ministry as the Body of Christ on earth. It is denying its members some of the hope that is their right, as children of God. Those churches that pray for healing but are unwilling to consider deliverance ministry, for whatever reason, are also severely limited in their effectiveness. In our experience, unless a church is ministering deliverance as well as healing, the effectiveness of its
healing ministry will probably be considerably less than what it could and should be. Not to minister deliverance can mean depriving some Christians of God’s best for them.
2.4 Overview of the Book In this book I will seek to establish that deliverance ministry is a rightful ministry for Christians, that God intends Christians to be naturally supernatural in their life and ministry, that demons are certainly real, that in Christ we have the power and authority to deal with them without capitulating to fear and that by being obedient to what Jesus told us to do, we can play a strategic role in setting captives free from the powers of darkness. Throughout the book there are many illustrations of what God has done in people’s lives through deliverance. In every case, names and some incidental details have been changed so as to protect individuals from personal identification. However, the essential details are the same. There is nothing within this book that has not been hammered out, often at great cost, on the anvil of experience and tested many times in ministry to others. This book could not have been written without the experience that has been gained in ministering to many thousands of people since the opening of Ellel Grange, the first Ellel Ministries center, in November 1986. The small team that God brought together to begin the work had no expectation that such a significant part of the ministry would involve deliverance. Nor did we anticipate the amazing, and sometimes dramatic, consequences of ministering healing through deliverance. It needs to be said, however, that while deliverance ministry is a strategic part of the work of Ellel Ministries, it is only one part of the total armory that is available to the Church in being obedient to the Great Commission. But it must not be left off the Church’s ministry agenda. If it is, there will be many needy and hurting people who will not receive the help that God has provided for them.
In this book I frequently refer to “we” when talking about aspects of deliverance ministry. In doing so I am referring to members of the Ellel Ministries teams who have shown great determination in seeking answers from the Lord for those who have knocked on the doors for help. We do not pretend to have all the answers. But I do believe that if the Church applies itself diligently to the application of God’s Word into the lives of hurting and broken people, there will be a dramatic increase in the number of people who are actually being healed, as opposed to just being prayed for without any noticeable result. I would ask you to read this book with an open heart and mind —a heart that is open to listen to the voice of the Father and a mind that is not closed, through prejudice or earlier training, to new understanding. The first part of this book presents the scriptural foundations for the healing and deliverance ministries. In the second you will find practical guidelines on deliverance for those involved in the ministry of healing.
2.5 A Final Word Finally, may I suggest that no one should get involved in deliverance ministry unless: a) their own faith in Jesus is well founded; b) they are willing at all times to be an evangelist (for many people they seek to help will be outside the Kingdom of God when ministry is first considered); c) they are willing, if it proves necessary, to receive ministry for themselves; d) they have a deep compassion and love for people; and e) they are operating under the secure covering of Christian leaders.
The experience of the sons of Sceva, who attempted deliverance ministry but were not committed to Jesus, should be a salutary warning. They finished up running down the street stark naked (Acts 19:11-20)! Deliverance ministry must never be separated from the ministry of the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is an inseparable part of the Good News, and to attempt to minister deliverance outside the boundaries set by Scripture is a dangerous practice with potentially dangerous repercussions for both the minister and the person receiving help. There is only one safeguard, and that is to know Jesus as Savior and for Him to be Lord of your life. It is only through knowing Him that the Holy Spirit can flow through us in power. And it is only
through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can have authority over the powers of darkness. What should we do then? Peter’s answer at Pentecost to this very telling question has stood the test of time. “Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6, NKJV), He was either supremely arrogant or supremely right. This text is certainly unpopular with those who would say that “all roads lead to God” or words to that effect. But we have seen it demonstrated time and time again that when Jesus said these words He was proclaiming truth. It was not Jesus who was the arrogant one, but Satan, who sought to elevate himself above the status of God. Satan is a defeated enemy, but the victories of the cross and the resurrection can only be experienced by those who have come to faith in God through His Son. John proclaimed in his gospel that as many as receive Jesus have the power to become the children of God (John 1:12). These words are now being dramatically fulfilled as the children of God exercise the power and authority that is, indeed, their right through faith in Jesus Christ.
Chapter 3: Healing, Deliverance and God's Covenants In Deuteronomy 4:13 the Ten Commandments are described as God’s covenant. Then in the first fourteen verses of Deuteronomy 28 there is a long list of wonderful blessings that God promises to His people. They are all there for the enjoyment and blessing of those who choose to obey God’s commandments and live within their parameters. God is described in Scripture as a God of covenant, and throughout Scripture it is understood that God can never break a covenant. Yes, His people can choose to break the commandments, which are the source of blessing, and in so doing they can cut themselves off from the God of Covenant, but God Himself has never been the source of covenant failure. The reason why God can never break covenant is not simply that He chooses not to break His word, but that the covenantal provisions are a direct consequence of His nature and character, not a result of rules and regulations for mankind that He dreamed up for the human race and chose to keep. If He could choose to keep them, He could also choose to break them! But He cannot be untrue to His own nature. The very nature of God is unchangeable—He is love. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever and those things that are inherently part of His nature can’t change either, such as the characteristics that are enshrined within His covenantal nature.
I am grateful to Malcolm Smith for his wonderful book The Power of the Blood Covenant, in which he opens the eyes of the reader to the nature of God, as expressed by the Hebrew word hesed. There is no direct translation of the word, but wherever it is used in Scripture, it is translated according to the context to mean things like loving-kindness, gentleness, mercy, graciousness, generosity, tenderheartedness—all words that give us an understanding of the loving heart of God and His desire for each one of us to know and experience His heart for mankind. The first covenant (according to Hosea 6:7) was broken by Adam. This was simply God offering to mankind all the blessings and authority of the Godhead, with which to enjoy living in and having dominion over the world God had made. The only commandment at that stage was not to take of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—not because the fruit of the tree was physically poisonous to their bodies, but because Adam and Eve needed to remain in the closest of intimate relationships with Father God where they could enjoy hesed and luxuriate in their covenantal blessings. They had no desire to ever do anything that would displease their Father—and they had no wish to die. So the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn’t even a temptation to them until they listened to the voice of the tempter, who caused them to doubt the words of God and accept his advice to give it a try! In choosing to obey the voice of Satan, they were consciously stepping outside the parameters of God’s loving provision and care for them. Once having made that choice, and having discovered firsthand what disobedience to covenant entailed, they were aware of the difference between good and evil, their conscience came into operation and they felt the shame and guilt associated with their rebellion and the consequential loss of fellowship with Father God. No, they didn’t immediately die physically, but the process of dying
had begun with spiritual death. Their choice had brought another spiritual being (Satan) into position as their immediate spiritual authority. And as Satan had already received his death sentence when he was thrown out of heaven, man then became a participator in the same condition. What began in the spirit would, in time, be completed with death to the soul and, finally, by death to the body (see chapter 7). When we break God’s commandments, we always discover law at work within us. But it is only when we break the commandment that we discover the consequences of the action, even though we may have been warned—as were Adam and Eve. They discovered that now they were subject to the law of sin and death, whereas previously the law and its consequences were unknown to them as they enjoyed the blessings of covenant. When a person disobeys a sign warning of danger, and then walks off the edge of a cliff, for example, he or she discovers the law of gravity. The law doesn't have to ask permission to operate—it operates because it is. God created the universe to be held together by gravity, and we will always discover the law the hard way if we ignore warning signs such as this. The spiritual laws that underpin God’s covenant of love have much in common with the physical laws that control the universe. The unchangeable physical laws are a reflection of the unchangeability of the God who created the physical realms. In the same way the unchangeable spiritual laws are also a reflection of the unchangeability of the character and nature of God. Ever since the Fall, when mankind discovered good and evil, man has constantly sought to push the limits of his behavior, making his own moral laws and placing himself on the throne of the universe. Humanism is the end product of the succeeding generations of
mankind, who have sought to be wise in their own eyes, make their own laws distinct from the laws of God and ignore the reality that Creator God is a God of covenant. The Fall did not mean that God ceased to love His creation, and eventually God, in His mercy, established for the human race the main parameters of safety for enjoying the blessings of God’s covenantal love. We call these parameters the Ten Commandments— the commandments that were written in stone by the finger of God— in contrast to the rules and regulations for the Jewish people that were written down by Moses after his extraordinary mountaintop experience with God. In calling the Ten Commandments His covenant, God was saying, "These are a reflection of My unchangeable nature; these commandments cannot change, because I cannot change. You can totally depend on these commandments as providing security and safety, and if you keep within them, you will know great blessing and prosperity.” Of course, we have all tried to keep them—and failed! We have discovered that because of our fallen nature there is a force within that always seems to be opposing the Spirit of God. In later chapters of the book we will look further at what happened in the Fall, discover God’s rescue plan and see how, in Jesus, God established a New Covenant with His people so that even fallen man can enter into the blessings of fellowship with Father God. Through the New Covenant God established Kingdom authority for His people so that even in this fallen world we can exercise God’s authority over the powers of darkness in deliverance ministry. The key to deliverance is authority—the key to authority for fallen man is God’s New Covenant. The key to the New Covenant is
Jesus’ victory over Satan at the cross. .
Chapter 4: Mankind—God's Special Creation Mankind is unique within the whole of creation. God made him in His own image (Genesis 1:26; 9:6). Full understanding of what it means to be made in the image of God will have to wait until the final appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, when, as Paul says, we will no longer see as if through a darkened glass, but face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12). In the meantime there are some very clear keys in the Scripture that can also guide us in our understanding of the healing and deliverance ministry. Just as doctors begin their training by dissecting a body so that they will understand its workings, so those who minister healing and deliverance should begin by understanding what is in the Scriptures about the nature of man and his intended relationship with God.
4.1 God Is Spirit When Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well (John 4), He not only exposed the history of her marital and adulterous relationships with a word of knowledge, but went on to share with her some profound theology. At first glance it seems as though Jesus should have been sharing such truths with a theologian, such as Nicodemus in John 3. For surely this woman, with such a questionable past, would have benefited more from what Jesus actually did tell Nicodemus—“You must be born again” (John 3:7, NIV). Perhaps, however, there is something of a clue here to Jesus’ attitude toward the religious leaders of His day, who had such supersensitive minds when it came to the letter of the law but were quite insensitive when it came to discerning spiritual matters! Isaiah 1 tells us something of what God thinks of religion for religion’s sake. "It’s useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins” (Isaiah 1:13). There are many ordinary people I have known and know (some, like the woman at the well, with pasts that have now been healed) whose power and authority in Christ has made them extraordinary warriors for God. Their Spirit-filled lives have been a powerful defense against the evil one, and they are living demonstrations of the potential there is, under God, in every human being. In spite of her previous relationships and sexual history, the woman at the well must have understood something of what Jesus was talking about, for she went back to the village rejoicing and became an evangelist. She gossiped the Gospel and told the villagers,
“Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done” (John 4:29). As a result, half the village later gave testimony and said, “We believe now, not because of what you said, but because we ourselves have heard him, and we know that he really is the Savior of the world" (John 4:42). The truth that Jesus proclaimed to her was simple but incredibly profound—“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24, NKJV). If God has made us in His own image, whatever else this amazing phrase means, man must also have a spirit with which it is possible to both worship God, who is Spirit, and have a relationship with Him.
4.2 The Trinity—of God and Man A further clue to the nature of man can be seen in the trinitarian nature of God. There is only one God, but within the Godhead there are three "persons”—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is not surprising, therefore, that man, who is made in the image and likeness of God, should have a reflection of this trinity in his own being. When writing to the Thessalonians, Paul most clearly defined the trinity of man. He prayed that they might be whole in spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). By so doing, he directly implied that not only does man have three distinct dimensions to his creation, but also that it is possible for fallen man to be less than whole (sick) in any one (or more) of these three dimensions. Not even the angels, as spiritual beings, were given the capacity “to come in the flesh” and be at one and the same time beings with a spirit, a soul and a body. That capacity “to come in the flesh” is unique to God and to those who are made in His image. That is why the phrase "He came in the flesh” is such a crucial statement in the major Christian creeds. It is a statement of devastating authority and significance as far as the influence of the powers of darkness is concerned on planet earth. In the Scriptures there are numerous examples of angels appearing in human form. But there is a world of difference between appearing as a person and actually becoming a creature of flesh. Satan, as a fallen angel, has the power, as do the angels when given permission, to manifest in the appearance of a human being. But no spiritual being, be it angel or demon, can actually become flesh. That capacity is unique to God and His special creation, man.
We have seen on numerous occasions that to give a command to a demon “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who came in the flesh” has been especially powerful. Those last five words have demonstrated before our very eyes the truth of James 2:19, where the demons are described as trembling with fear because of their belief in God. Their recognition of who God is, and of the authority of believers who minister deliverance in the name of Jesus, reminds the demonic powers that their ultimate end is spelled out in Revelation and that their time is limited. With regard to the angels, Paul states that we shall judge them (1 Corinthians 6:3), and the writer of Hebrews adds that it is only for the time being that man is lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:5-10). The psalmist declares that man was made inferior only to God Himself (Psalm 8:4-8). The wonder of the incarnation was that Jesus, the very Son of God, submitted Himself to being lower than the angels for His allotted span of thirty-three years and appeared on earth as a man with a body, a soul and a spirit. There is so much that we do not know or understand, but there is sufficient evidence in the Scriptures to encourage us that one day those who believe will be restored to their position in the created realm above the angels. The capacity “to come in the flesh” appears to be a special hallmark of the pinnacle of God’s creation.
4.3 The Spirit Before Jesus came in the flesh, He existed in the spirit (John 1). At the incarnation, from the moment when the child was conceived in Mary’s womb, Jesus was limited to the frame of a man. At conception, He took upon Himself the nature of man and became flesh as well. The Spirit of Jesus preexisted the flesh of Jesus. In the same way, one dimension of each person born into the world is spiritual, and mankind is not primarily flesh, but spirit—a spirit that was created by God with which to enjoy fellowship and relationship with Him. Broadly speaking, the Western hemisphere has been a fleshdominated society. Eastern culture has been far more sensitive to “the spirit world" and is spirit dominated. Both concepts are wrong. The dominating Western philosophy of life is sadly mistaken for it has largely ignored the spiritual nature of man. But the dominating Eastern culture is equally wrong, for it has been deceived into fear and worship of a spirit realm that is in rebellion against God. In more recent years, the spiritual vacuum inherent in Western culture has been invaded by the spirituality of the East as all the deceptions that are inherent in New Age beliefs and practices have taken root in Western society. Satan has no fear of spirit-conscious people, provided spirits under his command are in control! So both extremes, Eastern and Western, are deceptive lies that Satan has sold to the world. It is only when man recognizes his true spiritual nature, and is restored to a right relationship with the Father through repentance and forgiveness, that Satan has any reason to fear. And it is only then that we as human beings can be truly fulfilled and realize something of the potential that God in His love planned and purposed for us. Man truly is a
spiritual being. Sickness of the spirit is not a condition that the medical profession can recognize and quantify, but the consequences of such sickness are seen in doctors’ offices every single day. For where the spirit is out of harmony with God, who is Spirit, it is inevitable that there will be consequences, some of which will manifest themselves psychologically or physically with clearly measurable symptoms. Paul declared that outside of Christ our spirit is dead to God because of our sin (Ephesians 2:1). My understanding of someone who is declared to be dead is that his sickness is very severe! The only remedy for a dead spirit is to be born again—hence the importance of evangelism being closely allied to the ministry of healing and deliverance. In the work of Ellel Ministries, we have seen many, many hundreds of people come into the Kingdom of God through being born again of His Spirit. Many of these would not have had the opportunity of becoming Christians if we had not explained to them that the most important healing that any of us can ever experience is to receive Jesus into our lives as Savior and Lord. The very word salvation in the Greek of the New Testament means "wholeness and healing,” and it is translated in various ways according to the context. Salvation is healing, and healing is part of the ministry of salvation. In addition to the sickness of spirit that comes from being dead to God, there is the sickness that is a consequence of being involved with the wrong sort of spirit realm—the supernatural world that is under the control of Satan and in rebellion against God. Satan is no respecter of persons, and whoever we are, if we put down the welcome mat for the enemy, we will suffer the consequences—more about this later.
Finally, a person’s spirit can be severely crushed through the circumstances of life. When the spirit is crushed, the dynamic of life seems missing. But God is a redeemer, and as He restores the inner being He gives new hope and new strength to the crushed and broken in spirit.
4.4 The Flesh—Soul and Body In some versions of the Scriptures, there is confusion over the correct translation of the words for soul and spirit, in spite of the fact that there are perfectly good Greek words for both soul and spirit that make the distinction clear. In various places the same Greek word is translated as either soul or spirit according to the understanding of the translator. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the distinction by saying that "the word of God is living and active and sharper than any twoedged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit” (4:12, NASB). The spirit and the soul are not one and the same thing. The soul is very much part of our flesh life. Failure to recognize this and distinguish between the spirit and the soul leads many people into condemnation and leaves them wide open to Satan coming as the “accuser of the brethren” and undermining the security that they should have in God. Without this understanding, those who are alive to God in the spirit, following conversion, are tempted to discount the reality of their new life in Christ because of problems they are experiencing in their soul. Satan loves to have us confused on this issue and keep us in defeat.
4.4.1 The Body The body is the easiest part of our created realm for us to understand and define, primarily because it is a solid and visible reality. Medical practitioners have made huge strides in their ability to treat physical disorders. But the body is so incredibly complex that even with the enormous advances that scientists have made, there are still huge holes in our understanding. Only the sheer genius of God could have conceived and put together hundreds of mutually dependent and perfectly balanced organs to create the human body. This is not the place to get too involved in the whole evolution/ creation debate, except to say that the more I learn about the intricacies of the created realm and the more I see of a decaying world, the less credible seem the highly theoretical and totally unproven arguments of the evolutionists. They state that the evolutionary process has resulted in a steadily improving world, through the survival of the fittest. In the present generation, however, the theory of evolution has come under severe criticism, even from within the scientific world that originally gave it birth and from scientists whose comments are not prejudiced by any particular religious viewpoint. The conflict, for example, between the earliest date for the creation of the world proposed by geologists and the time scale that evolutionists indicate would have been necessary for man to have evolved is so huge that the whole theory of evolution is less viable now than it has ever been since first propounded by Darwin. With regard to the survival of the fittest, history would seem to indicate that the fittest, in terms of power and wealth, have only in very rare instances been those who are fitted for the exercise of such
power. The survival of the fittest has all too often meant persecution, and even attempted genocide, by those who are at the top of the allegedly evolutionary pinnacle! This is a doctrine of man that is hardly commensurate with the ministry of Jesus to the downtrodden and the poor and His scant regard for those who abused their power and influence. The judgment executed by angels upon Herod when he was eaten by worms and died (Acts 12:23) could be seen as an interesting commentary on how God perceives those who elevate themselves and abuse their power at the expense of the masses. However one interprets the various theories of the origin of man, God is ultimately the Creator, and I stand by the scriptural assertion that “in the beginning, God created.” The body that each of us has is an incredible commentary on the wonder of the created realms. However, as everyone knows, the body does not always function perfectly, and irrespective of how God created man in the first place, his body is now subject to sickness, disease, malfunction, malformation and accident and is often in need of healing. The body is made to protect itself from invaders and to be healed of its own accord. It has its own built-in defense systems, such as the antibodies in the bloodstream that fight invading organisms; and first-aid kits, such as fibrinogen, a substance in the blood that reacts with oxygen to form a healing mesh (or clot) and then a scab, which eventually falls away when new flesh has been regenerated beneath the protective layer of the scab. It is only when the built-in systems fail, or the injury is so bad that additional help becomes essential, that most people think in terms of medical treatment. Sadly, it is only when this fails that most Christians will seek personal ministry from those who believe in healing and deliverance. God, as it were, becomes the last resort!
It is at that point that the one who is ministering healing needs to be especially alert to God in the spirit, for many of the conditions that afflict people have an origin that lies outside the physical realm. Unless one understands something of how God created man, it is not always easy to pinpoint the source of the problem and bring healing and/or deliverance to the sufferer.
4.4.2 The Soul When it comes to the soul, one is venturing into territory that cannot be measured by scientists, but can only be understood in the light of Scripture and experience. When God created the human race, He gave to each person a living soul. The soul is that dimension of our flesh life that is eternal. The physical part of our being is unarguably temporary, limited to a tiny span—a time capsule within the realms of eternity. When the body dies, its period of usefulness is over. The soul, however, is not restricted to the dimensions of time and the limitations of three score years and ten. It is our eternal destiny beyond the grave that gives urgency to evangelism and emphasizes the need to be born again. Each one of us is a spiritual being to whom God gave a soul, and together spirit and soul reside within the body and are the person (personality) that we are. Most commentators would agree that the soul itself has three principal dimensions—the mind, the emotions and the will, all of which need to be clearly understood if we are to have a doctrine of man that is an adequate foundation on which to build a theology of healing and deliverance. There are several good books that teach this area in depth, but for the purposes of the present work, it is important to realize that the mind, the emotions and the will are not physical organs (they cannot be given pills or cut out in an operation!), although clearly the body can be given medication and treatment, which can, in turn, have a profound effect on the soul.
4.4.3 The Mind The mind is that part of the soul that processes all incoming information through the physical senses. It thinks and provides a rational basis on which to make the day-to-day decisions of life. The mind is not the brain. The brain is simply a large physical organ that acts very much like a computer, storing much information and carrying out many routine functions that control the body without the mind having to think about what needs to be done next. The mind can, however, override some of the brain’s standard bodily instructions (such as breathing—for a limited period of time it is possible to hold one’s breath and suspend the intake of oxygen), but fortunately most of the brain’s functional control of the body is totally involuntary. We cannot choose, for example, to make our hearts stop beating. Voluntary control of such vital mechanisms was not programmed into the computer by its Designer! With the mind we can choose whether or not to store important information in the brain, and then we can recall the information when we need it. With the mind we can think through ideas, create pictures, generate schemes and work out plans of action without moving our body an inch. The ability to conceptualize and be creative is one of the strongest evidences that man truly is made in the image of God, who is the Creator. When a person’s mind and brain are dislocated so that there are no longer rational thought processes or consequentially sane bodily behavior, we say that a person is mentally ill. Although what it actually means for a person to be mentally ill, I believe, can only be truly understood in the light of spiritual truth. Without such understanding, one is permanently limited by the observable and measurable.
Notwithstanding the Greek origin of the word psychiatrist, which means “doctor of the soul,” modern psychiatry depends heavily on drug treatments that affect chemical processes in the brain (the body). These are undoubtedly effective in suppressing behavior that is both antisocial and damaging, both to the individuals who are unfortunate enough to be suffering and to those who have to care for and live with them. But few psychiatrists would go so far as to claim that such medication is a cure, and many would freely admit that they have little idea as to why the chemicals they give act in the way they do! Regrettably, the side effects of much medication are considerable, and in psychiatry a balance has to be maintained between destroying either the quality of life of the patients, or that of those who would otherwise have to cope with their bizarre extremes of human behavior. I am not in any way questioning the integrity or commitment of psychiatrists. I believe that most of them are dedicated individuals who are operating to the very best of their ability within the parameters that have been laid down for them by their profession. But these parameters inevitably exclude the spiritual and demonic dimensions to mental illness. Indeed, we know of some patients who have been specifically told that in order to receive psychiatric help they must lay aside their religious beliefs. Without doubt, just as the body can be sick, so can the mind. In any ministry of healing or deliverance, we must be aware that the root cause of a person’s condition could lie in this area of his being. The presenting symptom and the root cause are often radically different. When someone asks for prayer, his presenting symptoms are what I call “his agenda for God,” whereas the root cause is “God’s agenda for him.”
Unless we are dealing with God’s agenda, any ministry that is given to an individual will have limited value and may, in the end, turn him away from the healing and deliverance ministry, and even away from God Himself. I believe the most common single reason an individual is not healed through prayer is that the minister of healing is praying for the wrong thing—dealing with man’s agenda instead of God’s.
4.4.4 The Emotions Emotions are feelings that we experience inside ourselves as a response to events that are going on around us. Those events may affect us through our bodily organs—such as a sudden loud noise to which our response may be fear; through our minds—the satisfaction of creative thought can give us pleasure; through our wills—a bad decision can lead to anguish and distress; or through our spirits— there are many spiritual experiences that can result in deep and lasting joy. Indeed the highest expression of our emotions is, I believe, experienced when our spirit, soul and body are working in perfect harmony and in relationship with God. Much of the Church has despised emotional experience as being irrelevant to real spirituality. But that attitude denies the fact that God created us with emotions for a purpose. Instead of denying a precious part of God’s creation, it would be far more honest to recognize emotional reality and bring our emotions to the Lord for healing. Indeed, if damaged emotions are not healed, the potential for making shipwrecks of our lives, and the lives of those with whom we relate on a day-by-day basis, is enormous. Emotions need healing as much as physical wounds. It was perhaps a reaction against this possibility that made some people equate sensitive and responsive emotions with superficiality and produced accusations of emotionalism against all evangelical initiatives. There is a world of difference between a genuine reaction in the emotions to being in the presence of God and whipped-up feelings that bear no relationship whatsoever to the real thing. For most people, the experience of conversion, being born again, is a rightfully emotional moment, and I would never want to deny people the privilege of responding to God with their feelings when He comes into their lives, or on any other occasion in their spiritual pilgrimage.
Similar comments apply to many of the experiences that Christians go through in their personal pilgrimages. The damage done to countless Christians who have been forced to bury their emotions in a morass of pain has left us with a generation that is scarred and hurting in this area. There are few people whom I have counseled in recent years who have not needed deep emotional healing, in addition to ministry for the obvious presenting symptoms that prompted the original request for prayer. There are many different sources of emotional pain— experiences such as sexual abuse or physical violence that have so damaged emotional responses that people have chosen to hide their real feelings and survive as emotional cripples. Mankind has become quite expert at putting on a mask to hide these real feelings. Nowhere more so, it seems, than in the Body of Christ, where "feeling fine,” irrespective of the real situation, is almost a hallmark of certain brands of stoical Christianity! I thank God that He is in the business not only of healing the more obvious conditions of men, but of bringing healing to the emotions also—those areas of our lives that have been damaged by the cruelty, lack of consideration or even plain ignorance of those with whom we have had to associate in the past. Clearly the emotions can be sick, very sick. Equally clearly, God does not intend His people to remain sick in any area of their lives. Jesus died, not only that we should inherit eternal life, but also that we might be saved—which means healed and delivered as well. This is very good news for the many, many people who are nursing emotional damage and are longing for release.
4.4.5 The Will The third principal aspect of the soul is that with which we make decisions— the will. Scripture talks about the spirit being willing, but the flesh weak. The meaning of this phrase, which has become part of the language of temptation, is simply that if the flesh has not been crucified, then the will gets out of control. Satan will use every trick in the book to make our wills subject to the flesh, instead of the other way round. A person who is walking in wholeness and obedience before God is one whose will is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and whose flesh life, as a consequence, is under His control. This is not an area that many people will talk about freely—for if the real truth about all our lives were made public, there would be some very embarrassed and red faces in church each Sunday! Crucifying the flesh is not the most popular of Paul’s graphic spiritual phrases, but it is a road to wholeness (holiness) that, if followed, will have enormous benefits in every dimension of our lives. The key is control of the will. There are many people who are so sick in this area of their lives that they are incapable of making right decisions—temptation is always too strong for them. One of Satan’s major tactics with all Christians is to gain control of this area. If he wins here, he has won everywhere. Healing for a sick will is possible, and deliverance will often be necessary, but it does require a determination and obedience on the part of the Christian that only the Holy Spirit can give.
4.5 In Conclusion Man has three principal dimensions to his creation, and one of these, the soul, has three specific aspects to it. While man is an integral whole, and the different dimensions cannot be fully separated from each other, it is clearly possible for man to be sick in any of these dimensions. Because man is an integral whole, it is likely that if he is sick in one area, other areas will also be affected. For example, a person who has been physically ill for a long time may be emotionally sick as a consequence and could also be in rebellion against God because of the sickness, causing damage to the spirit. Conversely, a person who is sick in the spirit through bitterness or unforgiveness may become physically sick as a result. For example, I have seen many people healed physically as they have come to terms with the need to forgive others! Finally, man can also be sick in any one of the areas outlined above through the presence of an evil spirit, deliverance from which is the main topic of this book. .
Chapter 5: The Realm of Angels Angels are real! Western rationalistic man may find it hard to cope with the idea of spiritual beings that can be neither seen nor heard floating around the world, but the Scripture writers had no such difficulty. For them angels were a natural and real part of spiritual life. There are some three hundred references in the Scriptures to angels. Lucifer, before he was renamed Satan, used to be part of the angelic hosts. He was one of the highest angels in rank and authority, equal only to the archangel, Michael. In order to understand more of how Satan is likely to operate, it is helpful to study the power, objectives and abilities of the angels, about which there is quite a lot of information in the scriptural accounts. The demonic realm is directly opposed to the work of God, so if we see how angels operate and function under God’s control, we will, by contrast, understand something of how demons do the work of Satan. The demonic realms appear to be organized and deployed in much the same way as the angels. In making such a study I am not saying that Satan is equal and opposite to God (that is the heresy of dualism). Satan is a created being who fell from his place in glory, but he does try to deceive people into thinking he is an alternative god. Once people have swallowed such lies, they become wide open to the demonic, powers that will hold them under the bondage of false belief. The first chapter of Hebrews, which majors on the nature and
character of Jesus as being greater than the angels, concludes with a question that the writer immediately proceeds to answer. “What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). In other words, angels are spirit beings whose principal responsibility at the present time is to serve God by helping Christians! That means they are on our side! Only angels of the highest rank are actually named in Scripture. Michael, the archangel (or chief angel), and Gabriel (who appears to be the chief messenger angel) are the only ones whose names and roles are illustrated or described. The angel Raphael is referred to in the Apocrypha as one of seven holy angels (Tobit 12:15). There are many references in the Scriptures to a heavenly order of spiritual beings, implying that angels have varying degrees of power and authority. Paul states that “God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities” (Colossians 1:16; see also Ephesians 1:21; 1 Peter 3:22). There are also references in the Scriptures to other winged angelic creatures—the cherubim (Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 1; Revelation 4:6-9) and the seraphim, whom Isaiah saw during his life-changing experience of seeing into the presence of God and realizing the extent of his own uncleanness (Isaiah 6:1-8).
5.1 Michael and the Warrior Angels There are three major references to Michael. It is clear from these that Michael is a warrior angel. The first of these, in Daniel 10:21, describes Michael as “Israel’s guardian angel.” He is the one who is responsible for watching over the interests of God’s chosen people. The earlier part of Daniel 10 describes how the angel that was sent in answer to Daniel’s prayer (presumably Gabriel, who had made previous visitations to Daniel) ran into heavy opposition and had to do battle with the “angel prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Daniel 10:13). This angel prince was not an angel in the service of God, but a fallen angel who had joined Satan’s rebellion against God and who had been stationed there by Satan as the spiritual ruler over the nation. There is much we can learn from this about ruling spirits over nations and regions that is highly strategic to an understanding of spiritual warfare. The battle was so severe that Gabriel had to send for reinforcements, and it was Michael who came to his aid. However high in rank the prince of Persia was, he was no match for Michael. Our next major reference to Michael, in Revelation 12, describes how he did battle with Lucifer in heaven and expelled him, along with all the other angels who joined in the rebellion against God (including the angel prince of Persia). "He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him” (Revelation 12:9, NIV). So when Michael, the mighty warrior angel, who had already defeated all the hosts of Satan (Lucifer), appeared on the scene over
Persia, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. After the battle was over, Gabriel was then free to complete his task and meet with Daniel. Gabriel began his message by apologizing for the delay! Daniel had been fasting and praying for 21 days—exactly the same time span that it had taken for Gabriel to get through to him. (None of us has any idea what may be happening in the spiritual realm when prayers seem to be slow in being answered!) The only other direct reference to Michael is a somewhat obscure one in Jude 9. Here even Michael, in an argument with the devil, is described as showing him proper respect, not daring to insult him, but leaving God to do the rebuking. Christians who are dismissive of the devil’s power demonstrate amazing naivete, arrogance and pride when talking about Satan, and consequently make themselves vulnerable to his devices. Even Paul had to admit that Satan interfered in his ministry (1 Thessalonians 2:18) and would not let him return to his friends at Thessalonica! The actual argument with the devil was over the body of Moses. Some commentators assume that even though Moses himself (spirit and soul) was securely part of God’s Kingdom, because of his sin (as a murderer and someone who was disobedient to God when put to the test), Satan had laid claim to the body as a prize. I wonder if Satan’s objective here was to see Moses’ body used as a religious relic, so that people would venerate his remains and take their eyes off God. Satan is very subtle, and I believe it is he who is the chief proponent of the use of religious artifacts, knowing that if people can be deceived into putting their faith in them, they are well on their way to worshiping demons and, ultimately, Satan himself. To some, this may sound an extreme view, but having delivered many people from spirits of religious bondage that had controlled their lives, I am very conscious of the dangers. Having also watched
people in slavery to idols and those who believe that venerating icons, statues and religious relics is an essential part of Christian living, I know the depths of bondage to Satan from which many will need deliverance. In the gospel accounts, the angel that appeared at the resurrection was undoubtedly a high warrior angel, if not Michael himself. First, he rolled the stone away, and when the Roman guards saw him they “were so afraid that they trembled and became like dead men” and “his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matthew 28:3-4). While ministering deliverance, we have on occasion been conscious of what could only have been angelic help. Demonic powers, which had been so desperately hanging on to their footholds in the person’s life, have screamed in fear at the Scriptures describing angels. And when we have prayed to the Lord to send angels to help us, in accordance with Hebrews 1:14, the demons have cried out, “No, not them!” There have also been occasions when the person being delivered has had his or her eyes opened to see into the supernatural and described both the angels and the battle that ensued. This has always resulted in a mighty deliverance taking place.
5.2 Gabriel and the Messenger Angels Gabriel appears to be the chief messenger angel, commissioned by God to communicate directly with His people on exceptional occasions and sometimes personally manifesting himself before the individual concerned. His usual introduction in the scriptures is “Fear not”—a mercifully comforting command to those who might otherwise be in a deep state of shock! In Daniel 8 Gabriel interprets a vision for Daniel, and in chapter 9 he brings him understanding on difficult matters. In Daniel 10 it is presumed that it is Gabriel who comes in response to Daniel’s prayer. In the New Testament, Gabriel is entrusted with telling Zechariah that he is to be the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:1120) and then telling Mary that she is to be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Clearly, these are major events in God’s timetable, requiring a totally unmistakable visitation and leaving the recipient of the message in no doubt whatsoever that God has spoken. There are numerous other instances in the Scriptures of messenger angels appearing to communicate with believers in this way. For example, an angel appeared to Samson’s mother, advising her that even though she was childless, she was now going to conceive (Judges 13:3). In Genesis 18 two angels warn Abraham about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and then go on to warn his nephew Lot. In Judges 6 an angel appears to Gideon and commissions him as the Lord's agent for the rescue of Israel from the Midianites. And in Acts 10 Cornelius sees a vision in which an angel of the Lord tells him that his prayers have been answered.
Clearly, messenger angels have a strategic role in directing God’s people and in answering their prayers. I suspect that their intervention in responding to our prayers and speaking guidance to our hearts is somewhat greater than any of us might imagine! On one occasion while I was preaching, I had inadvertently missed a key part of the teaching. One of our team began to pray hard and was utterly amazed, for as she looked up she became aware of an angel gently tapping me on the shoulder! I remember nothing except that at that moment I looked down, saw the item I had overlooked in my notes and started to tell a story that fully illustrated the missing point!
5.3 Ministering Angels Immediately after Jesus had endured forty days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness, during which Satan tested him severely, angels came and ministered to Him (Matthew 4:11). In 1 Kings 19 an angel is seen providing sustenance for Elijah in the wilderness. It seems that ministering angels have a specific purpose in bringing encouragement and personal blessing to God’s children. There are many ways in which they function. As Christians we face much spiritual opposition, and angels play a strategic role in encouraging us and lifting our spirits at these times. I am reminded of the story in Bunyan’s Pilgrim's Progress when Christian, at the House of the Interpreter, is amazed at a fire that continues to burn brightly in spite of cold water being poured onto it. The key was the “man” around the other side of the fire who was pouring on oil. On one occasion when I was teaching, there was a particularly heavy anointing of the Holy Spirit and God was ministering deeply into people’s lives. After the meeting one of those present said that halfway through the teaching her eyes had been opened to the supernatural, and she had seen a ring of angels all around me. In turn they would come forward and pour “oil” into me to give out to the people. It was a very humbling experience but one in which I rejoice. The angels truly ministered the Lord to the people on that night.
5.4 The Job Functions of Angels In addition to the three broad categories of angelic function described above, we can deduce from the Scriptures a number of aspects of the character of angels and understand something of the various roles they fulfill. 1. They always worship God (Matthew 18:10; Revelation 5:11-14). 2. They rejoice in the works of God (Job 38:7). 3. They always execute God’s will (Psalm 103:20). 4. They have influence over the affairs of nations (Daniel 10; 11:1; 12:1). 5. They watch over the interests of churches (Revelation 2-3). 6. They assist and protect believers (Hebrews 1:14; 1 Kings 19:5). 7. They are used to punish God’s enemies (Acts 12:23; 2 Samuel 24:16; Isaiah 37:36). 8. They perform extraordinary acts on behalf of God’s people (Acts 12:6-10; Exodus 23:20-23). 9. They minister personally to each one of God’s children (Matthew 18:10).
In contrast with the above, we can see that demons will act in the following ways to oppose what God is doing: 1. They are always serving and worshiping Satan. The worship they offer Satan, however, is not that which is willingly given, but that which is extracted from them through a reign of fear and terror. They are puffed up with pride and seek to dominate and control through fear. Punishment and retribution are hallmarks of Satan’s kingdom. 2. They rejoice in the works of Satan, because they have a vested self interest in Satan achieving his objectives. They gain more power as a result. 3. They always execute Satan’s will and wishes, which means they are totally committed to: a) attacking God’s special creation—human beings, b) keeping them out of God’s Kingdom, and c) radically opposing committed Christians, especially those with a heart for being obedient to God’s will.
4. They are strategically involved in the affairs of nations via ruling princes whom Satan has positioned in control of specific territories throughout the world at the “invitation” of mankind, who gives them rights through sin. 5. They oppose the interests of churches. Many
Christians naively believe that inside their churches they are free from Satan’s attack. In reality, that is the place where Satan has a major influence, continually undermining the work of the Holy Spirit, who is moving the fellowship forward to do the works of the Kingdom. 6. They oppose and attack believers. Wherever believers are seeking to be obedient to the will of God and to move forward under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, demons will seek to undermine what God is doing through them. Satan is not particularly concerned, however, about those who are just religious, whatever their particular brand of religious expression maybe. Religion that is outside the anointing of the Holy Spirit is no particular threat to Satan’s kingdom. 7. They will do all they can to attack God’s children (Satan’s enemies). The personal attacks may include sickness, accidents, financial problems, relationship breakdowns, etc. Indeed, they will take advantage of any weakness in the defenses, or unhealed past, to gain or strengthen a foothold in the Christian’s territory. 8. They perform extraordinary acts on behalf of Satan and his kingdom. Even the Egyptian magicians were capable of duplicating some of the signs that Moses did in front of Pharaoh. There are many deceptions operating in Satan’s kingdom, about which the people of God need to have discernment. Scripture says that in the last days even the very elect may be deceived (Mark 13:22). 9. They “minister” personally to each human being. But their style of ministry is not that which we would want to encourage! Just as God would give to each child an angel (Matthew 18:10), so, it seems, Satan would try to put on
each child an evil spirit—what the spiritualists would call a guiding spirit but which we would recognize simply as a demon. The job function of such a spirit is to do everything possible to turn a person away from God and to deceive him into actions that are contrary to God’s will and purpose.
5.5 In Conclusion It is clear that angels have a very important role to play in this world and that, just as they are deployed on the face of the earth in accordance with the will of God, demonic powers are also deployed so as to achieve Satan’s objectives. Demonic power will always be seen to be opposing the work of angels. Much more about the tactics of the evil one and his demonic agents will be said in later chapters.
Chapter 6: Satan and His Kingdom
6.1 The Origin of Satan Satan is real! He is a fallen angel who sought to elevate himself above his status as an archangel. His original name was Lucifer, and as such he was a splendid and very beautiful creation of God. Most commentators interpret Isaiah 14:12-15 as describing how Satan (Lucifer—portrayed as the king of Babylonia) vowed to “make [himself] like the Most High" (NIV). As a result there was rebellion in the heavenly hosts, and there was no way in which this angel, who had chosen to use his free will to oppose his Creator, could be allowed to remain. Ezekiel 28:12-17 is a similar passage in which Satan is portrayed as the King of Tyre. Revelation 12 describes the ensuing war in heaven when Michael, the archangel and chief warrior angel, was deployed with his warrior forces against Lucifer and his angels. “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Revelation 12:9, NASB). From then on Lucifer was no longer called Lucifer, meaning "light,” but Satan, meaning “adversary,” or one who is hostile to and opposes God. Jesus adds His own personal account of Satan’s expulsion from heaven in Luke 10, when talking to the seventy-two who returned full of joy because they found the demons were subject to their commands. It was important that Jesus should put their exuberance into a right context and remind them that He had all power and authority in the first place, as was demonstrated by the fact that He was there when Satan was expelled from heaven and that He, therefore, had the authority to delegate His power and authority to those whom He chose.
Those whom Jesus chose to receive this power and authority are all those who “received Him, (for) to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12, NASB As children of God we have delegated rights. Therefore, He was able to say to the seventy-two that He had given them authority over “serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19, NASB). However, He reminded them that it was far more important that they should rejoice because their names were written in heaven, for they only had power and authority over the enemy because their names were written in heaven. This is a salutary reminder to all those who would seek to be obedient to the commission to cast out demons. Our first and foremost priority is to be evangelists and never to forget that outside of the Kingdom of heaven we are nothing. Satan, with all his angels, was thrown down to earth, where he took up residence and began to exercise his own spiritual authority in a domain that, for the time being, is under his control. Jesus referred to Satan as the "ruler of this world” (John 12:31, NASB), and Paul stated that the “god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving” (2 Corinthians 4:4, NASB). Both Jesus and Paul, therefore, recognized the present position that Satan holds in the hierarchy of earth’s spiritual powers, and we err badly if we are disparaging or dismissive of the reality of Satan and his kingdom, or his power and areas of authority. I am not advocating that we should pay him any respect in the sense of offering homage, for believers have been “rescued... from the domain of darkness, and transferred... to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13, NASB), but we place ourselves in grave danger if we are not aware of the wiles of the enemy, for as Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (NASB). One of Satan’s temptations to Jesus in the wilderness was the offer of the world on a plate. “He led [Jesus] up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours”' (Luke 4:5-7, NASB). When Satan said that the kingdoms of the world had been handed over to him, he was referring to what happened in the Fall, when man, through his sinful choice, submitted the authority God had given him to Satan’s control (see chapter 7). The amazing thing about this particular temptation was that Jesus did not deny that Satan had the right to make Him such an offer! Jesus recognized that it was a genuine offer that Satan had the right to make and that He could have accepted, but the price would have been high, very high—a total role reversal, with Jesus bowing down to Satan, instead of every knee bowing to Jesus (including Satan’s) as seen by Paul and described in Philippians 2:5-11. Ultimately, the force of this temptation was to offer Jesus the chance of winning back the world without going to the cross, a superficially attractive proposition. There are many people who would like to achieve great spiritual objectives and make a name for themselves without visiting Calvary, but Jesus knew that without the cross there would be no eternal hope for redeemed sinners. So He countered Satan with the second of three devastating quotes from the book of Deuteronomy, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only’” (Luke 4:8, NASB). Understanding the position that Satan currently holds with respect to this world aids us considerably in our understanding of the
incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus. By living for thirty-three years without sin in a world that is in the control of Satan, Jesus established the eternal and solitary precedent of independence from the power and grip of Satan. If Jesus had sinned once, His mission would have failed! The wonder of salvation is that through belief in Jesus we benefit from His sinlessness. When Christ is in us (through our being born again of His Spirit) we are in the same position before God as Jesus Himself was, for our sin is covered by His glory. The shed blood of Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross is sufficient, and we are redeemed out of the hand of the devil! What amazing grace!
6.2 The Character of Satan Names in the Bible have enormous significance. There are many different names for God—especially in the Old Testament— each one of them showing us something different and special about His character. This Jewish custom also enables us to understand something of the character of Satan. Many different names are used in the Scripture, many of which are dramatically expressive of his nature. However glossy the wrappings around the temptations Satan puts in front of us may be, the real character of the tempter will always eventually be exposed. In that extraordinary film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the obnoxious “child collector" tricks children into a decorated cart that offers all sorts of fancy and exciting attractions. The moment the children enter the cart, however, iron gates slam shut and the children find themselves not inside a children’s wonderland, but in a prison on wheels that rushes them off to the dungeons. Satan is a bit like that with his temptations. People become victims of their own desire, and then the gate slams shut! James comments that “evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:15). People only find out what the real character of Satan is like when it is too late. There is only One who is able to deliver us out of the hands of the enemy: Jesus. The Scriptures are there for our instruction, and looking at the names of Satan (and their meanings, where that is not immediately obvious) should alert us to his real character. Many of the names clearly indicate the filth, depravity and evil intent of this prince of demons.
Abaddan or Apollyon, the Destroyer
Revelation 9:11
Accuser of the Brethren
Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1
Adversary
1 Peter 5:8
Angel of Light
2 Corinthians 11:14
Angel of the Abyss
Revelation 9:11
Antichrist—alternative to Christ
1 John 4:1-4; 2 John 7
Beelzebul—a dung god of the Ekronites (Lord of the flies)
Matthew 12:24, 27
Belial—worthless, perverse]
2 Corinthians 6:15
Condemner
1 Timothy 3:6
Deceiver
Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 11:3
Devil—accuser, slanderer
Matthew 4:1; John 8:44
Dragon
Revelation 12
Enemy
Matthew 13:39
Evil One
Matthew 13:19
god of This World
2 Corinthians 4:4
King
Revelation 9:11
Liar
John 8:44
Murderer—destroyer of life
John 8:44
Oppressor—one who dominates
Acts 10:38
Prince of the Power of the Air
Ephesians 2:2
Roaring Lion
1 Peter 5:8
Ruler of the Demons
Matthew 12:24
Ruler of the World
John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11
Satan—adversary, one who opposes
Matthew 4:10
Serpent, snake
Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9
Tempter
Matthew 4:3
Thief
John 10:10
Wolf
John 10:12
6.3 Satan’s Objectives Satan has always been in rebellion against God, and he has sought to attract worship to himself and turn people away from God. His tactics have not changed since the beginning of time. He still uses the age-old, well-tried temptations that have so effectively led men and women into sin generation after generation. Power, sex, wealth or false religion are at the heart of most of his tactics, however subtly they may be dressed up for public consumption! In fallen man are things such as self-pleasing, greed and lust for power—all of which make fertile ground for Satan to sow his seeds of rebellion. In serving any of these false gods, people are unwittingly bowing the knee to Satan. He does not mind that people are ignorant of what they are really doing, although he does, clearly, get great satisfaction out of the rituals of Satanism where people knowingly worship him—especially when he is paid the ultimate "honor” through the sacrifice to him of a human being. Deception is his stock in trade, for once people have been deceived and, as it were, taken the bait, the progression of temptations that can follow is endless. James’ advice to "resist the devil" is effective practical guidance for everyday living (James 4:7, NIV), for if we do not resist, we lay our lives wide open to the demonic. Satan hates to see people live long, fulfilled lives in the service of God. The sooner a person’s life is terminated, the less opportunity there is for salvation to be accepted. At a recent meeting I asked the body of Christians present how many of them had ever contemplated suicide, however fleetingly. Over 60 percent of them admitted to having had suicidal thoughts. The progression to self-destruction is
down a well-worn path that begins with deception. Once people are walking in deception, they become vulnerable to being disturbed, for conflict arises inside between our God-given sensitivity to the Lord and the desires that we are giving way to in the flesh. Depression is sometimes the consequence, with a whole range of sicknesses following that can ride in on the back of a depressed personality. Distress is the next stage of the downward spiral, with the need for heavier medication to keep individuals on an even keel. At this point the person’s life is so controlled, by his or her condition and the consequential medication, that life begins to lose its purpose. For some, critical despair sets in, and this is but a hair’s breadth away from attempts at suicide. Satan is a filthy fighter. He is no respecter of persons, and he hates God so much that he will stop at nothing to destroy those whom God created. But God loved people so much that He sent His Son to die for them. Satan has never forgotten his defeat at Calvary and is working to the limits of his capacity to keep people from finding out the truth, that in the name of Jesus people can be set free. No wonder Satan works overtime to discredit the deliverance ministry and those working to bring healing through deliverance to God’s people! Evangelism, healing and deliverance are urgent commissions to be fulfilled by the Church of Jesus Christ. They are not optional extras that we might occasionally practice. If we cease from evangelism, we cease from following Jesus. If we fail to minister healing and deliverance, we leave people in a bondage from which Jesus died to set them free. And we ignore a command that Jesus gave to the Church within the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. Before moving on, it is worth noting five significant contrasts between Satan and God.
1. God is the Creator. Satan is a created being (Ezekiel 28:13-15). 2. God is omnipresent—present at all times and in all places. Satan is limited in both time and location (Job 1:67). He can only, therefore, carry out his work through the agency of demons and evil spirits that are under his command. 3. God is omniscient—there is nothing that He does not know. Satan and his forces are limited in knowledge (Acts 19:15). 4. God is omnipotent—His power is unlimited. Satan’s power is limited and restricted within the confines that God has allowed (Job 1:6-12). 5. God is eternal—there is no beginning or ending to God’s Kingdom. Satan’s time is strictly limited. One day Jesus is coming again as King of kings and Lord of lords. At that time Satan’s rule and reign will come to an end and the scenario of Revelation will commence. Satan and his demons know the Scriptures well, and the prophetic words in the Bible that tell of the end for Satan and all his angels are feared and hated by the demonic powers.
Revelation 20:7-15, Hebrews 2:14-15 and Matthew 25:41-46 are all very encouraging reading for God’s people and very effective passages of Scripture for undermining the supposed rights of demonic powers. Sadly, demons have a greater appreciation of the truth and authority of these Scriptures than do most Christians.
6.4 Satan’s Kingdom Satan reigns as the ruler of this world. He is not omnipresent, and his reign is extended via a hierarchy of demonic power. Presumably, those angels who fell with him from heaven and who were in the higher echelons of angelic authority have now taken up equivalent positions as princes over nations under Satan’s world system. Recently, when traveling from one country that has had a severely oppressive history into a neighboring country that has seen a great deal of religious freedom, I was immediately conscious in my spirit of a change in the “atmosphere”—something that could not have been measured but was certainly felt. There was a different ruling spirit in operation. Similarly, within a nation one can move from one region to another and be conscious of discernible spiritual changes. And every minister who has had to move about the country during his ministry will be able to recount stories of the different prevailing spiritual climates in the towns in which he has ministered. An American couple we minister with from time to time recounted their experience of a dark foreboding “presence” while driving through a certain valley in Scotland. Several days later, while they were enjoying an accurate Scottish historical novel, they realized they had been passing through the place where the Campbells had massacred their “guests.” The curse on the land was perceptible to them even though at the time they knew nothing of the history of the area. The extent to which demonic powers can continue to hold sway in a country, a region or a town is directly related to the commitment
to intercessory prayer of the Christians in that territory. The freer country referred to above has had a body of intercessors interceding for the nation for close to forty years. The effect was noticeable. Satan also attempts to rule on a much more local level by placing ruling spirits over churches, schools, companies, organizations, etc. When taking teaching weekends in local churches around the country, we have sometimes seen dramatic differences in the ministry take place immediately after doing battle with the ruling spirits that Satan had placed over the churches concerned. The consequences in terms of church life and evangelism are sometimes so dramatic as to lead to a doubling of the congregation inside twelve months! At the human interface, Satan will always seek to oppress, afflict and, preferably, occupy human beings with evil spirits (demons) that are constantly working to fulfill his objectives.
6.5 In Conclusion For the time being Satan is god of this world. But his time is limited, as are his various abilities. He is not worthy of our worship, but he continues to deceive much of the world into following after him. Christians can have victory over him and his forces in the name of Jesus, but they must be constantly on their guard, for as Peter says, "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8, NASB).
Chapter 7: The Fall and God’s Rescue Plan No one could doubt man’s capacity to sin. I have never met an individual who has not been conscious of both the capacity to do wrong and the fact that he has done wrong in his life! The reality of the Fall is all around us. The potential man has for depravity is ably demonstrated by every single day’s news broadcast. While writing the last paragraph, I broke off to watch the television news and was confronted in those few minutes with the murder of small boys who had been caught in a sexual abuse nightmare, the rape and murder of two women and in the world of big business, the collapse of global empires through deception and gross malpractice at board level. We live in a beautiful world that was created by God but has been terribly damaged by the depraved behavior of man. The explosion in Internet pornography, for example, has brought the possibility of the very worst of pictorial sexual content before the eyes of the youngest and most vulnerable. All of society has to endure the effects of other people’s sin. While it is only a very small percentage of the population that becomes directly involved in producing and disseminating such extremes of depravity, I will never cease to be astonished at the varied, and sometimes bizarre, experiences of very ordinary people whose problems tumble out in the counseling room. Stories of unfaithfulness, perversion, deception, theft and sexual abuse come pouring out once the lid has been lifted off the defenses of respectability and the mask has been removed. I recognize now
that when Paul stated, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NASB), he was not only stating a theological precept, but was commenting directly on life as he also must have seen and experienced it.
7.1 Rebellion and the Fall Man as he now is. is not as he was first created. God is holy and righteous, and He made man in His own image, so somewhere, at some time, something must have gone sadly wrong. However one interprets the story of Adam, Eve. the Garden of Eden and the serpent, the consequences of the Fall are exactly as Genesis relates. The evidence is there for all to see, both m our own lives and in the lives of others—man is a creature of sin and is in rebellion against a holy and righteous God. As soon as we mention the word rebellion, we are reminded of what happened m heaven when Lucifer tried to take for himself the glory that belonged to God. Rebellion m the heavenly ranks could not be tolerated, and Lucifer was expelled and thrown down to earth. Rebelliousness had become part of Satan’s character. Having been frustrated m his first endeavor to dethrone God Himself, Satan set about destroying what God had made. He targeted man the pinnacle of God’s creation, made in the image of God Himself, and his primary tactic was to sow the seeds of rebellion, to infect mankind with his own spirit. Rebellion is like a contagious disease for which there is no cure —once caught, you have it for life. The essence of all sin is rebellion, and the heart of the Genesis account of the Fall of man is simply that —rebellion against instructions that God had given. The greatest but most risky gift that God gave to man was his free will. At no rime has God ever overridden this capacity for us to choose to do our own thing. Adam and Eve had free will to choose. As long as there were no seeds of rebellion sown in their hearts, the concept of choosing anything but obedience to God’s loving direction would never have entered their heads. Up to that point they had used
their free will wisely.
7.2 The Nature of the Fall In the Genesis story Satan is portrayed as a serpent, a picture that is consistent with Jesus’ comment to the seventy-two—“I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Here Jesus was making a statement about the authority that those who are believers in Him have over Satan and all the works of the enemy. At this point Eve had not sinned, but she was contemplating an act of rebellion. The moment she took of the fruit, rebellion was no longer a thought in her head but an action that had been carried out. Sin had entered the race and the rebellion that began with Satan in heaven had now contaminated mankind. Adam followed Eve's example, and the disease of sin became endemic. Man had fallen from his primary state. God had planned that man, who is primarily a spiritual being, should always live in total harmony and fellowship with Him. There is nothing in the Scripture to indicate whether that was to have been eternal life on earth or in heaven. But what is clear is that just as Satan was deprived of fellowship with God by being expelled from heaven, there was no way that man, who had joined in Satan’s rebellion against God, could continue in fellowship with God without some very radical action on God’s part. Genesis 3:15 tells us that even at that earliest moment of man’s history a prophecy was made that one day the offspring of woman would actually crush the head of the serpent. Early in the ministry at Ellel Grange, we were ministering deliverance to a man who had “sold himself” to the devil while in
prison. Subsequently, in solitary confinement the only thing he was allowed to have was a Gideon New Testament. After reading this, he gave his life to Christ. He came out of prison a changed person but still had horrendous problems stemming back to his earlier days. For him, deliverance was a vital part of the ministry he needed. The day came when we had to deal with the spirit that had come into him when he had sold himself to Satan. The deliverance was violent and awesome, and his body was severely tormented by the demon as it left. When it was all over, the man was clearly in a state of shock and joy at the same time. I asked him what he had sensed happening. In his very northern accent he described what he had "seen” in the spirit as deliverance took place. “It was a great snake,” he said, “grey, with black bloody blotches all over, and its head was all bashed in.” Up to that point he had never read the Old Testament and knew nothing about the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, but what he described was an exact image of what Genesis had prophesied that Jesus would do to Satan— crush his head. Experiences like that significantly help one’s appreciation of the authenticity of Scripture!
7.3 The Consequences of Sin For Satan, God had chosen immediate expulsion from heaven and the promise of eternal punishment in the lake of fire for him and all his angels (Revelation 20:7-15; Matthew 25:41-46). Having once dealt with rebellion so justly, firmly and finally, there was no way that God could deal with similar rebellion in man any less justly, firmly or finally. As Paul says in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death” (NIV), and as through Adam and Eve sin entered the world, so also was the judgment of God brought upon the world. By joining in Satan’s rebellion against God, man also contracted to share in the judgment that had been meted out to Satan. That may sound hard, but it is fair. God’s heart must have broken when He saw what man chose to do with the free will that he had been entrusted with. In English law an accessory to a crime is as guilty as the man who commits the crime. Adam and Eve may only have been accessories to Satan’s “crime,” but they and all after them were, and are still, guilty of complicity.
7.4 The Beginnings of Demonization Adam and Eve were affected by a spirit of rebellion, and the Genesis story goes on to illustrate how the sins of the fathers are not just restricted to the fathers. Exodus 20:5 says that they are visited “on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation.” The word hate, in this context, implies far more than the emotion of hatred. It is assumed that the fact of disobedience is evidence of hatred in the heart, even if the person may not feel that he hates God. In a similar way, in the New Testament, Jesus stated that those who were not for Him were against Him. Cain and Abel were affected by the rebellion of their parents, and when Cain had cause to be angry with Abel, the thought of murder entered his heart. Genesis 4:7 says that "sin is crouching at your door” (NIV). One ancient rendering of this verse refers to a demon waiting to get in. By acting on the thought of murder and actually killing his brother, Cain further opened himself up to Satan’s control, and a spirit of murder entered. In ministry we have had to deal with several people who have been involved in murder—usually the murder associated with willingly having an abortion. Frequently we have had to cast out a spirit of murder from the person who chose to have an abortion. At other times we have encountered a spirit of murder that has been given the right to enter because of hatred in the heart toward someone. No wonder Jesus, who brought such insight and spiritual understanding to the law, implied in the Sermon on the Mount that wrongful anger in the heart was as damaging to the person spiritually as the act of murder itself (Matthew 5:21-24). It is easy to see that once rebellion is in the heart of man, the continuing practice of sin provides a stream of entry points through
which Satan can deploy his forces (evil spirits) against man directly, and, therefore, against God. Demonization of man is a natural consequence of Satan’s original rebellion against God. The more mankind is demonized, the more internal opposition he has to the things of the Spirit, and the less likely he is to turn back to God. A woman who had been promiscuous as a teenager became pregnant and then had an abortion. She did not realize that her rebellious behavior had given an entry point to the enemy. Later in life, when happily married, she was unable to conceive a child. During prayer counseling the facts of her earlier sexual history came to light. She was deeply repentant and was also delivered of a spirit of death, which she had given access to through the abortion. Not long after this she was able to conceive a child normally.
7.5 Consequences for Mankind The ultimate consequence of the Fall is death. God did not create man with any imperfections, and I do not believe it was either God’s desire or intention that man should be subject to sickness and disease and physical death through the failure of the bodily systems, followed by the eternal spiritual death of endless separation from the God who had created and loved him. But it is, nevertheless, a fact of experience that mankind does get sick. There are countless diseases that ravage the human body and countless conditions that affect the mind. In his life and death man is a victim of his own rebellion. The immediate effect of the Fall was man’s spiritual separation from God (who is spirit)—an inevitable consequence of rebellion. At that moment when man used his free will to rebel against God, man became dead (to God) because of sin. In the Old Testament, under the covenant that was established through Moses between God and His chosen people (the Jews), provision was made for the forgiveness of sin through repentance followed by animal sacrifices. Wonderful though that was for the Jews, it was of limited value to the Gentiles! And the establishment of the Law meant that for many Jewish people obedience to the letter of the Law became far more important than responsiveness to the Spirit of God that was behind the Law. Hence Jesus’ antagonism toward the Pharisees, who weighed people down with the fine details of their interpretation of the Law, but whose hearts were in spiritual disarray. He also exposed their hypocrisy by His comments on things such as adultery. He saw into men’s hearts and knew that for men to look at women lustfully was as sinful (as far as the person who is thinking about secret sexual stimulation is concerned) as actually committing the act. Indeed, the perverted imaginations of the mind
would probably far exceed any performance that was actually contemplated or achieved. Men deceived themselves into thinking they were sinless because they hadn't actually had intercourse with the objects of their lustful desires. People used the Law to their own ends, and when their heart was not right with God, the Law became a limit that must not be exceeded as opposed to a principle that must be followed. During the centuries that preceded the coming of Christ, vital lessons were being learned by mankind. Precious understandings about the nature and character of God were painstakingly recorded by prophets, historians, poets and commentators on society. People who were acting under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote down what we have come to know as the Old Testament. They were recording their experiences of life, but at the same time God’s greater purposes for the whole of mankind were slowly being fulfilled. Once man had sinned, no longer was there that intimate spiritual communion between God and His creation. No longer could man directly understand what was in the heart of the Father, or the Father speak to His children through unblocked channels. The lessons were hard learned over centuries of time. Slowly, as the Scriptures were written, accumulated and gathered into the Old Testament, the character and love of God was revealed for the whole of mankind— not just the Jewish people. The Jews, however, were the vehicle through which God chose to reveal Himself to the world. The fact that the Jews have not always been impeccable witnesses to the glory of God is not to be held against them. They are part of a sinful race, and any other people that God might have chosen would have been equally unworthy recipients of
God's amazing grace. Periodically God’s Spirit would reveal to some of the Old Testament authors prophecies about the future that hinted at a greater salvation than was possible through the provisions of the Law. Veiled references that the authors are unlikely to have understood, such as “not one of [his] bones is broken” (Psalm 34:20) and “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone” (Psalm 118:22, NASB) abound in the scriptural records. There are also very specific and detailed prophecies from people such as Micah, Isaiah and others who foretold the coming of Jesus the Messiah. But when the time for Jesus to come finally arrived, the Jewish people were under the domination of a Roman occupying power, and the only Messiah most of the people were looking for was someone who would rid them of this tyranny. Only a handful of people were actually ready and alert in their spirit to welcome Jesus into the world. Joseph and Mary had been warned by angelic visitations. They must have been totally dazed by the enormity of what was happening to them. How encouraged they must have been when they took the baby Jesus up to the Temple to find there two very elderly people, Simeon and Anna, who knew exactly who this baby was and whose lives were totally fulfilled by that brief encounter with Messianic destiny. While visits from angels are very special, the assurance and encouragement of human beings is also very, very precious. How Joseph and Mary must have rejoiced when Simeon came out with those beautiful words, said and sung all over the world as the Nunc Dimittis: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32,
RSV). Simeon knew then that he could die in peace. The child that God had told him about had finally been born. He had delivered his word of affirmation and encouragement to the parents. His life’s work —just a few minutes of eternally precious time—was over. God had indeed fulfilled His word. And at that very same hour, along came the second prophetic witness, Anna, eighty-four years of age, but still fasting and praying and never ceasing to worship God. What a lady! And how precious of the Lord to send both a man and a woman to Joseph and Mary—two witnesses, each affirming the other’s testimony.
7.6 God’s Rescue Plan Joseph had been told by the angel to call the baby “Jesus,” for He would "save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NASB). But Mary and Joseph were told nothing of how Jesus would achieve this objective. As Jews they would have known about the promise of a coming Messiah, but it is unlikely that they would have understood that their son would die a cruel death for the sins of the world. Jesus states quite simply, in His conversation with Nicodemus, that God loved the world (the people He had created) so much that He gave His only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). That Scripture is perhaps the mostquoted and best-loved verse in the Bible. The implication of these words, however, is not free pardon for all, come what may, but pardon for those who believe. If a person chooses not to believe, the result is inevitable—a share, with Satan, in the consequences of rebellion, which, according to Matthew, Hebrews and Revelation, means the lake of fire and the second death! It was as soon as man sinned, at the very moment when time began to run out for the human race, that God put into effect His plan for a way of escape. He chose to send His Son to earth to live and die as a human being but to remain without sin. As such, Jesus could take upon Himself the punishment for our sin—but should He sin, the plan would fail. For it was only by not joining in Satan’s rebellion that the way would be open for those who are trusting Jesus to be saved from the consequences of their own rebellion. The temptations in the wilderness, indicative of the pressure that Satan himself placed on Jesus, were very real. Had Jesus chosen to use His divine powers for selfish ends (to make bread when He
was fasting), or accepted Satan’s offer of all the kingdoms of the world without going to the cross, or jumped off the pinnacle of the Temple to impress people with the aerial expertise of the angels in protecting Him from harm, or succumbed to any other temptation that Satan threw at Him, then His mission would have failed. Even the Son of God would have been seen to be no better than mankind in coping with the attacks of Satan. The sinless Son of God was the only possible threat to Satan’s rule over mankind. Several times Satan tried to kill Jesus prematurely. When Jesus was a baby, Herod did his best in Bethlehem. Spirits of murder, probably given a right by pride, fear and jealousy in Herod, would have been used to manipulate Herod’s thoughts and actions. Herod had already established himself as a murderer by disposing of his wife and mother-in-law! At Nazareth the congregation (spirits of anger operating in the people) rose up at the end of Jesus’ sermon and tried to throw Him over a cliff (Luke 4:28-30). On Galilee, it seems that a spirit whipped up a storm on the lake and tried to drown Him—Jesus spoke to the storm (the spirit behind the storm) and immediately there was calm (Luke 8:22-25). No one was going to take Jesus’ life from Him. It was only when the time on God’s prophetic calendar finally arrived, and Jesus voluntarily chose to lay down His life, that He finally faced death. This time there was to be no miraculous escape to Egypt or supernatural rescue act such as at Galilee. And Satan was definitely not pleased, for he knew that he was beaten. For Jesus to die willingly, and at the appointed time, meant that God was going to snatch back from the hands of the enemy countless millions of people who would otherwise have been lost in Satan’s rebellion. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb, not just for the Jewish
people, but for the whole world. He chose to lay down His life, and therein lies the heart of the story of the cross and resurrection. Thirty-six hours later, on the third day, an angel rolled away the stone and Jesus burst out of the grave. Not only had Jesus been the sacrificial lamb, but He had conquered death and the greatest consequence of the Fall had been overcome. Satan and all his demons were placed firmly under the feet of Christ, and the greatest victory in the history of the world had been staged, played out and proclaimed. Jesus came to earth, or as John so graphically expressed it, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, NASB). He came as a man but remained totally sinless. He ascended to glory and now sits at the right hand of the Father, having achieved everything the Father had asked of Him. The way was open for people to enter heaven wearing a spotless robe of righteousness that had been won for them on the cross. And the offer has been open ever since to all who would come: "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12, NASB). No wonder Jesus underlined in His ministry that He was the only way to the Father (John 14:1-7). The rescue plan was complete. On the cross Jesus defeated Satan and gave us the opportunity of being freed from all the curses that he had put upon mankind, “having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13, RSV). Included among those curses were sickness and demonization. Isaiah prophesied, “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV), and in Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah looked forward to the coming of Jesus. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born he wrote words about the ministry of Jesus that Jesus applied to Himself when speaking in the synagogue at Nazareth. There Jesus proclaimed to the people,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor [salvation]. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives [deliverance], and recovery of sight to the blind [healing], to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19, NASB). What a claim that was, to be the one who would bring the Gospel of salvation, deliverance, healing and restoration to those who are in need. It was only Jesus who had the power and the authority to make such a claim, and Satan knew it! Healing and deliverance are integral parts of the ministry of Jesus. They are implicit in the cross and included in the Great Commission that Jesus gave to the Church. God’s rescue plan was detailed and comprehensive.
7.7 The Way In The essence of the Gospel is incredibly simple. The way is open for all who enter into the Kingdom of God to be born again. There are no restrictions and it is totally free—it is indeed a Gospel for the poor! But for the rich young ruler the cost was too great. Even though salvation is free and only has to be accepted, for many the cost is still too high. For it costs us everything to follow Jesus. And for the rich young ruler, his money had become his god. Many people who seek the ministry of healing want God to deal with their symptoms but are ignorant of the need to make Jesus Lord of their lives. It is clear, however, that if their symptoms have an origin that is spiritual rather than physical, there is very little one can do for them unless they are willing to be healed spiritually first. For this reason, evangelism has to have a high priority in the minds of all those who would seek to minister healing and deliverance into people's lives. The agendas can switch from healing to evangelism very quickly. It’s amazing how much more willing people are to listen to the Gospel when they are pressured by their own circumstances! While God is not the author of sickness and suffering, He certainly uses it to get our attention when other channels have failed.
7.8 In Conclusion The Fall is real and has resulted in man’s separation from God through rebellion. God’s love is such that He sent Jesus to open up a way for the relationship between God and man to be restored. That way is open for all who believe in Jesus. The victory of the cross is such that not only is the free gift of eternal life available to us, but we are also then in a position of victory over Satan and his works, since healing and deliverance are implicit in the work of the cross.
Chapter 8: Demonization and Worship Man was made to enter into the deepest form of covenantal relationship through worship. The psalmist tells us that God inhabits (comes inside to dwell) the praises of His people. So when man truly worships God, then he can expect to be indwelt by the Spirit of God. It is for this reason that when people enter into worship corporately with others who love the Lord and are expressing their love in praise and song, they often tell of sensing the presence of the Lord. God rejoices to indwell those who are gladly coming to Him in submission to the One who made us and who is above all other powers and authorities and is, therefore, worthy of our praise. It is easy to see, therefore, how God has created us so that through worship we are indwelt by spirit and that when we are worshiping God that spirit is, of course, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God then empowers man to do those things that originate from the heart of God in the first place and that fall within the parameters of safety and blessing that are an expression of His covenantal provision. In chapter 3 we saw how the Ten Commandments are referred to as God’s covenant—the means through which fallen man can enter into the very best that God has prepared for His people. We can now see how the Hebraic understanding of worship extends far beyond that which many Christian congregations would understand by the word worship—a time of corporate praise and adoration. Yes, that is worship, but worship is far more than corporate singing—it is, in fact, total submission to the plans and purposes that God has for each one
of us. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments” (John 14:15). That is the essence of true worship. So we have now extended our understanding of praise and worship from corporate singing to personal obedience, and God has promised to indwell us spiritually when we are worshiping Him— which also means that He will empower us to do those things that He has planted into our heart through vision. We are living in days that are broadly described as a charismatic era—a time when the Church has rediscovered the power and work of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, however, I hear people talk somewhat disparagingly about pre-charismatic Christians as if they were second-class believers! I wonder if they have ever stopped to think how the great reformers and evangelists of earlier centuries and the great missionaries who pioneered such extraordinary developments across the world in the nineteenth century managed to achieve such destinyshaking objectives! It is simply that they were responding in obedience, born out of love, to the visions that God had planted in their hearts. And when they set out to do those things they were empowered by the Spirit of God. After all, it was even in prePentecost days that God promised to inhabit the praises of His people. How much more, therefore, would He rejoice to do so in all the centuries that have passed since the Day of Pentecost transformed an unlikely bunch of believing disciples into the Church! The reason I am going into some detail to understand the process through which God empowers His people is that it has profound ramifications for understanding how people can be indwelt by evil spirits. In this short discourse we have understood two principles:
a) Man was created to receive spirit through worship and b) Obedience is an expression of worship.
This means that when man obeys God, that in itself is an act of worship, and God will empower us (indwell us) as a result. But the question now has to be asked, what happens when man chooses not to obey God but to obey Satan? For isn’t that what happened to mankind in the Fall—man chose to disobey God and obey Satan? Yes, and the result was that the whole of the human race came under the control of the evil one. Satan, as it were, indwelt the whole sphere of humanity. The worship principle came into force because man’s obedience of Satan was, ultimately, an expression of worship of the one who became the god of this world. And whenever people do things that please Satan, they are, in reality, worshiping him and, therefore, making themselves vulnerable to the influence of demonic powers and, eventually, to being indwelt by an evil spirit and becoming demonized. In Ephesians 4:27 Paul urged the Christians in Ephesus not to give a foothold to the enemy. And within chapters 4 and 5 he describes many ungodly behaviors that could be described as giving the enemy a foothold. The fact is that whenever we obey Satan we are, ultimately, worshiping him—and when we worship we make ourselves vulnerable to receiving a spirit—in this case not the Holy Spirit, but an unholy spirit or evil spirit, or demon. So, ultimately, worship is at the root of all spiritual indwelling —either by the Holy Spirit when we choose to walk in God’s ways,
or by an unholy spirit when we choose to walk in the ways of the enemy of God, Satan. This is the reason why much deliverance can only take place following heartfelt repentance—for if sin has been at the root of the demonization, then true repentance has to be a precursor of the deliverance. Once this principle is appreciated, it is easy to understand why Paul drew his letter to the Ephesians to a close with such a strong injunction to resist the enemy in every possible way. He recognized that our ultimate struggle is not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB). Paul recognized that once an opening had been given to the enemy, then he would seek to use his influence to further undermine the spiritual life of the believer. Deliverance, therefore, is such an important part of the whole healing process, for without it the character and nature of the demonic will continue to operate from within and make it increasingly hard for the believer to truly worship God in spirit and in truth.
Chapter 9: The Character and Work of Evil Spirits
9.1 The Powers of Darkness We have already seen how Satan is prince of the powers of darkness and that he has under his control all the angels that joined in the rebellion in heaven and were thrown down to earth by Michael. We have established that Satan is not omnipresent and that without the assistance of other powers of darkness he is extremely limited in what he is able to do. However, he has at his disposal a very large number of fallen angels. Most commentators assume that Revelation 12:4 indicates that one third of the heavenly beings rebelled with Satan and followed him out of heaven. But just how many is a third of the heavenly beings? The size of the heavenly host is referred to in Revelation 5:11. Various translations of this verse refer to “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” (RSV and NASB), “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (KJV) and the more graphic, but equally imprecise “thousands and millions of them.” What is clear is that a countless host of angels is involved, and if they represent the angels that were left after a third had been expelled, then we are talking also about a very, very large number of fallen angels who are serving Satan in rebellion against both God and His ultimate creation, man.
9.2 Fallen Angels Paul strongly implies that the fallen angels, who rebelled with Satan, have now been carefully organized into a hierarchy of Satanic power around the world. On several occasions he describes, in real though imprecise terminology, a supernatural heavenly structure that was the real enemy he faced in his day-to-day ministry. The most specific of these references highlights the spiritual battle lines. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (human beings), but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB). Paul was under no illusion. He believed that even though his ministry was very much an earthly one to human beings made of flesh and blood, the reason why the battle was tough could be attributed far more to the powers in the spiritual realm than the mere resistance of the human mind to the truth of the Gospel. He warns us, therefore, to take up the full armor of God, that we may be able to stand firm against whatever Satan and his demonic powers throw at us. Paul’s comments are certainly consistent with Daniel’s experiences recorded in Daniel 10. Daniel, as a prisoner serving the emperors of Persia, came before God in fasting and prayer. Three weeks passed after he began to pray, when suddenly he was confronted with an angel who came in answer to his prayers. The angel accounted for the twenty-one-day delay by describing something of the battle that took place in the spiritual realm. On the way, the angel prince of Persia was only overcome with assistance from the archangel Michael, the guardian angel of Israel (verse 21). Daniel’s prayers initiated the aerial combat, and his
consequential experiences “on the ground” were undoubtedly a result of what was happening “in the air.”
9.3 Demons and Evil Spirits In addition to the occasional references to Satan and his angels, the gospel writers seem to use different Greek words, almost interchangeably, to represent the spiritual powers that are under Satan’s control and that have invaded man. These are daimon or daimonion (demon), ponera (evil spirits) and akatharta (unclean spirits). Demons and evil or unclean spirits appear to mean the same thing to the gospel writers (they are described as having similar effects in the lives of the demonized), but whether or not they are different from fallen angels is unclear in the scriptural accounts. In general, therefore, it is assumed that when we are talking about deliverance ministry, we are dealing with spiritual powers in the service of Satan, generally called demons or evil spirits. If one tries to be too specific over these various definitions, one is in danger of trying to define what is scripturally indefinable. Nevertheless one is forced to ask a very obvious question. If Jesus cast demons and evil spirits out of people, and these spiritual beings are not fallen angels, then what are they, where did they come from and who created them? In Ephesians 6:16 Paul refers to the “burning arrows shot by the Evil One.” Just what are such flaming arrows? Are they, in fact, evil spirits that are sent by the evil one against man? Or are these merely temptations that arise because we are creatures of flesh? Whatever they are, Paul uses the analogy of a Roman soldier’s shield, which is pictured as a shield of faith, with which one will be able to fend off these spiritual attacks. Pictorial language maybe, but the picture is one of protection from something that is likely to penetrate our defenses unless dealt with effectively. Paul was an
accurate writer, and he is unlikely to have used a descriptive illustration such as this if the obvious interpretation would lead the reader into misunderstanding or error. There are many questions on which Scripture is either nonspecific or silent, but that does not mean we should assume an attitude of arrogant indifference over what are nevertheless very important considerations. There are many major issues on which Scripture is silent, but that does not mean we should suspend our intellects over these issues and imply that it is sin to attempt an answer! We can smile now at the early astronomers who were branded as heretics for proposing that the world was round, but for them the taunts and threats of the theologians of that day were painfully real! Another question that is often asked is, “Can demons multiply? Can they breed?” By way of comment on this difficult question, though by no means a comprehensive answer, is the obscure reference in Genesis 6:1-4 to the product of sexual intercourse between heavenly beings (sons of God) and the beautiful daughters of men. The wickedness of this conduct would seem to have been one of the major factors in God’s decision to send the flood and destroy life from off the face of the earth, except for Noah and his family. Clearly the capacity for “breeding,” of a sort, is implied in this passage. Some commentators believe that evil spirits and demons were added to Satan’s forces as a result of this further rebellion against God’s creation, in which forbidden sexual relations were entered into. Some commentators also link this obscure passage with Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian ladies to ensure that their heads were always covered when at worship or in prayer (1 Corinthians 11:2-16). In verse 10 he tells us this is “because of the angels” (NIV), the
implication being that when entering into the spiritual realms through prayer, a woman is indicating to the angels, through the wearing of a headdress, that she is protected by being under the covering of either her husband or, for the unmarried, her father or other male member of the family or fellowship. This was clearly an important issue in the Corinthian church for Paul to have taken fourteen verses of his letter to explain himself. There are no other Scriptures that offer any help in this respect and all other information that is available in any source book is extrascriptural. The majority of commentators believe that head covering was a significant local issue that the Corinthians had asked Paul about and not an issue that was intended to provide detailed spiritual instruction for ladies throughout time. The fact that they are in the majority does not mean, however, that these commentators are necessarily right, for the style of Paul’s writing in this passage is that of strong spiritual instruction. As to any possible distinction between demons and evil spirits, it would certainly appear that the powers of darkness have varying size, power and authority. I understand that Satanists, whose daily stock in trade is the acquisition, manipulation and use of demonic power for their own ends, recognize a definite difference in power and potential between demons and evil spirits, though not in their basic nature and character. Some would say that a demon is a collection of evil spirits that are grouped together for a specific purpose and with a corporate objective and, as such, has greater potential as a servant of Satan. If this is the case, then the gospel writers would be quite accurate in using both words interchangeably, for whether one is dealing with a single evil spirit or a group of them, it is still an evil
spiritual power that is being confronted and expelled. Certainly in our own ministry we have encountered evil spirits that lift off easily without too much of a fuss, and we have regularly encountered those who seem much stronger and have many more footholds in a person's life. Sometimes we have wondered whether or not we are dealing with a single demon or a collection of spirits that are bound together and are, therefore, able to hold on more tightly to the ground they have taken in the person’s life. While questions like this are interesting and on occasion important in actual ministry, the bottom line is that because Satan was defeated at Calvary, no spiritual power that is under his control, be it demon, evil spirit or fallen angel, can ultimately stand against the power of the name of Jesus. Whatever opposition they put up, they have to submit to the authority Jesus has given to His Church! And that is good news—indeed it is the message that is at the heart of the Gospel. The Scripture "Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27, NASB) becomes dramatically expressive of the position we adopt when we become Christians, with respect to the powers of darkness. Under their control and domination our only "hope” is one of eternal separation from God. But because Christ is in us, we are beneficiaries of His victory and have a rightful share in the glory that is to come. And because we are “in Christ,” we no longer have to be subject to “the elemental spirits of the universe” (Galatians 4:3-5, RSV).
9.4 The Characteristics of Demons While there are many unanswered questions about the origin of demons, we do not need to be in such ignorance about their characteristics. There are many scriptural references to these, as well as many common observations that have been made by those who have been involved in deliverance ministry across the world. Some dismiss experiential theology as being extrascriptural and, therefore, irrelevant. But where such experience is consistent with Scripture, and also consistent between different observers in different countries at different times, we dare not dismiss its significance. Indeed, we must recognize the converse—that if our theology is inconsistent with the reliable experience of committed Christians who are ministering under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and whose work is not in conflict with Scripture, then we must reassess the understanding we thought we had about such matters!
9.5 Demons Are Alive! Demons are not just ideas or indefinable forces that operate from within the mind of man. They are living, functioning spiritual beings with a mind, characteristics and will of their own that are dedicated to the service of Satan. All of this is implicit in the gospel accounts of the encounters Jesus had with demons. (See chapter 11 for a more detailed analysis of each of these incidents.) Jesus never treated a demon as anything but a living entity who was in opposition to the interests of God and man. He was not surprised when they spoke out through the lips of a demonized person (Luke 4:34). He was not taken aback when they challenged Him with either statements or questions from an obviously knowledgeable and intelligent source, such as "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Luke 8:28, NASB). He Himself said that “when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43-45, NASB). In this comment Jesus is indicating that the demon is alive (it chooses to live somewhere), it has a will of its own (it chooses to do things of its own volition), it has intelligence (it thinks that the place it has just come from might still be vacant and worth going back to), and it has enough innate wisdom to curry favor with higher demonic powers (more wicked than itself) by introducing them to a new home! Their knowledge, however, is limited. The demon that spoke
out to the sons of Sceva said, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15, NASB). All demons recognize and know about Jesus. Many times in ministry I have seen demons recoil in fear when they have seen Jesus in members of our ministry teams. They cannot stand either His love for the person in need or the authority that believers have because they have Jesus in them. But the demon’s knowledge was limited as to who the sons of Sceva were. Some demons seem to be very knowledgeable, while others seem to be almost totally ignorant! Their intelligence and knowledge vary enormously. As to the emotions, demons definitely have feelings of their own. James tells us that "the demons also believe—and tremble with fear” (James 2:19). By saying that the demons believe, James was not saying that demons trusted in God, but was recognizing that demons are well aware of the truth about God. This passage highlights the need not only for belief that is a mental assent to the truths of the Gospel, but also for belief that includes personal commitment to Jesus Christ. Many people are deceived into thinking that because they believe in God, then they are part of His Kingdom. Without repentance from sin, heart commitment and personal trust, belief in God is no different from the belief that demons have in the reality of God. The demons tremble with fear because they know that they are on the losing side. In ministry we have seen demons express the whole range of emotions that people can also feel, sometimes even deep anger at being exposed. At other times they whimper pathetically at the thought of being cast out of a home they have occupied for such a long time! We have come to realize that many people whose emotions are out of balance, or even out of control, are like that because of demonic control of their feelings.
The fact that demons are living spiritual beings does not give us any reason to be sympathetic toward them or take any notice of their entreaties when they plead for permission to stay, sometimes even promising to be good if only we will not cast them out!
9.6 Demons Are Disembodied Demons do not have bodies of their own. While they can exist outside a body, as do the ruling territorial spirits, they can express themselves most effectively through occupying the body of a human being (preferably) or an animal. Whether or not they ever had bodies of their own is another of those theological questions that will have to remain unanswered until that day when we will see all these spiritual mysteries in the light of eternity. Some believe that such is their desire to occupy a body, that they must, at some time, have had one of their own, which they are now deprived of. Be that as it may, when they take up residence in a human being (or an animal) they are contravening God’s intentions for His creation. A Roman legion contained up to six thousand men. It is generally assumed that the ruling spirit calling itself "Legion” probably had that number of spirits in its control. It is not surprising that the Gadarene demoniac had problems (Luke 8:26-39). When it was clear that Jesus had won the battle and the whole army of demons under Legion’s control was going to have to leave, it was the demons that asked for permission to enter the pigs. It is presumed that out of sympathy for the man, whose prime need was to be free of the demons as quickly as possible, Jesus granted their request. I do not think the demons had anticipated, however, that the pigs would be such a short-term home, as was occasioned by the whole herd being catapulted into the Sea of Galilee! Being disembodied creatures, however, introduces a dimension into the understanding of deliverance ministry that is absolutely vital and about which more will be said later. When people die, demons don’t. They are completely unaffected by the death of their host!
They have to leave the body, yes, but they are then free to carry on their work in someone else whom they will try to occupy. The whole subject of transference at death is such an important one that it will be dealt with more fully later in this book.
9.7 They Are Able to Speak There are numerous examples in the Scriptures of demons speaking out through the mouths of those people whom they are occupying. At Capernaum, right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the man stood up in the synagogue and shouted out at Him, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:34, NASB). This is a classic case of a demon overstepping the mark and so exposing itself that it got expelled from its host. The effect on the gathering at Capernaum that day was certainly electric, for after Jesus expelled the demon from the man (who was thrown down onto the ground by the demon during the actual deliverance) the crowd was amazed and said, “With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out” (Luke 4:36, NASB). Their amazement was not at the fact that Jesus commanded the unclean spirits, but at the fact they actually came out when He commanded them! They were used to the Jewish exorcists who would attempt to expel demons with much noise but with very little success! The demon’s precocious behavior gave Jesus an important teaching opportunity. There was a time some years ago, when I was preaching in a fairly typical Anglican church. I was five minutes into my sermon and beginning to teach about the power of the name of Jesus over all the powers of darkness, when a lady stood up on her pew and started shouting at me, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” The demons within her could not stand what was being said. She tried to tear a Bible into small pieces to throw at me, but
then the Holy Spirit fell upon her and she, like the man in Capernaum, was thrown down to the floor and finished up lying between the pews with her head on a hassock before she was delivered of an evil spirit. That church has never been the same since! Later that day there was a somewhat challenging discussion in the church about whether or not Christians could have demons. In the middle of the debate this lady got up, came to the front, took over the microphone and ended the discussion with one of the most profoundly brief statements on the subject I have ever heard. "Now listen,” she said, "I’m your church secretary. I’ve been born again five years, and I didn’t think I had a demon, but I did. And now I don’t, so there!” With that she returned to her seat and saved the whole meeting hours of fruitless theological discussion! Christians certainly can, and do, have demons. Most people who have any experience of healing and deliverance would admit that demons can, and do, sometimes speak. Indeed, the scriptural accounts make this very clear. A more contentious aspect of this subject, though, is whether or not you should talk to demons as part of the ministry. There are some who say you should never talk to demons, for all demons are liars and you will only be deceived. The problem with this viewpoint is that it is both unscriptural and untrue to the experience of many workers in this area. True, there is only one (of the eight) major deliverance cases referred to in the gospels in which Jesus did enter into conversation with the demons— that of a very severely demonized man, the Gadarene demoniac. (This whole story is looked at in greater depth in chapter 11.) But in this case, where there is at least an eight-part conversation recorded by Luke, it seems to have been necessary. In our experience, it is only with some severely demonized people that such conversation has sometimes become a necessary part of
ministry. As far as the demons speaking truth or lies is concerned, yes, they do attempt to deceive with lies, but it is usually easy to tell when a demon is lying. That is part of what the gift of discernment is all about. The demon should be placed under your authority and ordered to "speak the truth that Jesus Christ of Nazareth would confirm as truth.” As far as the Scriptures are concerned, there is no record of any demon speaking a lie when faced with either Jesus or someone ministering in the name of Jesus. In these circumstances, the demons always spoke the truth! There have been some cases where it would have been impossible for us to proceed with ministry had we not been able to order the demon to speak the truth and reveal how it got in. This information has sometimes proved absolutely vital, for you can then minister to the person in that area, deal with the sin (if that is what was revealed) and thus undermine the demon’s right to be there. Most times the person you are ministering to has an inner witness in his own spirit, from the Holy Spirit, as to whether or not the demon is speaking truth. The main caution I would add here is that one should never seek information from a demon for any other purpose than its own eviction. To seek information unrelated to the process of deliverance is bordering on mediumship. There are also times when demons will try to hold the floor with conversation. For example, they will try to distract with out-ofplace humor and use any delaying tactic they can think of to try to avoid expulsion. The difficulty sometimes is not to laugh, for, on occasion, some of the things that are said are so bizarre as to be genuinely funny. I will never forget the demon that would not be silenced. It kept on coming out with delaying comments such as “You are only doing this (deliverance ministry) because you can’t get a
proper job!” and “You only want to get me out so you can put me in the book!” In a perverse sort of way, that demon did achieve notoriety by getting in the book. But it was also cast out of the person concerned, and not just to get it in the book!
9.8 They Have Job Functions The primary function of all demonic power (fallen angels, demons and / or evil spirits) is to serve Satan in the fulfillment of his rebellion against the living God and His creation, man. We saw in chapter 5 how their mode of operation can be understood as being the reverse of that of angels: 1. Serve and worship Satan 2. Rejoice in Satan’s works 3. Execute Satan’s wishes 4. Negatively affect the affairs of nations 5. Undermine the work of the Church 6. Specifically oppose and attack believers 7. Punish Satan’s enemies 8. Perform extraordinary acts to advance Satan’s cause 9. Attack personally each and every human being
The specific means by which these objectives are fulfilled are many and varied. As you read on through this book you will see how subtle and devious demons can be in the ways they infiltrate every part of the human being and oppose the work of the Holy Spirit in pointing people to Jesus.
The hatred that demons have for God’s people has to be experienced to be believed. But it can be seen in the intense hatred that is sometimes expressed by people who have been taken over totally by the demonic, especially in their active opposition to and persecution of God’s people. The pursuit of the Jews by the Germans during the Holocaust is a tragic example of this. The demons sometimes have particular job functions. For example, it appears that the work of some is to bring sickness generally (spirits of infirmity), causing all manner of sickness and inciting vulnerability to “whatever's going around.” On the contrary, however, some spirits of infirmity are highly specific to particular conditions—for example, only causing arthritis, cancer, paralysis or some other condition. It is quite common to come up against spirits that have come down a family line, causing the same symptoms in generation after generation. Doctors usually ask a patient who has a serious illness if there is any history of the condition in the family. While there are good medical reasons why that is an important question, there are equally good spiritual reasons why it is a question that must be asked when counseling those in need. Deliverance from a spirit of infirmity that has traveled down the family lines can have far-reaching consequences for future generations and not just for the present-day victim! Other spirits have a specific effect on the mind, controlling the thought processes of individuals so that they cannot function as God intended. Paul seems to be commenting on this when in Romans 12:2 he encourages Christians “not [to] be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB).
It is certainly hard for those who are affected by mindcontrolling demons to understand spiritual truth. For example, those who have been involved in Freemasonry, or who are children of Freemasons, often suffer in this direction. It is perhaps significant that I know of no active Freemasons who are moving forward powerfully under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Neither do I know of any Spirit-filled ministry that is led by a minister who is a Freemason. The emotions are another area where demons can have highly specific roles, holding people in bondage to experiences of the past. Most women who have been seriously abused sexually have deep emotional problems, and many of these are prevented from being healed by the presence of the demonic. Without deliverance ministry, emotional blockage and bondage can be a life sentence. Very often the specific job function of a demon is governed by the entry point it was given into the person’s life. More understanding of this complex area will be given in the consideration of demonic entry points in the next part. Once a demon with a specific job function has entered a person, it generally remains loyal to that job function throughout its term of occupation. Part of the ministry of deliverance can involve establishing what right the demon had to enter in the first place and undermining that right so that the person is not only delivered but is also in a position of victory so that they, and their children, can remain free.
9.9 They Know Their End One thing that many Christians could learn from demons is their understanding of the truth of Scripture! Scripture really is, as the book of Hebrews describes, “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12, NASB). The demons hate Scripture, for it has a divine power over them that they cannot withstand. The reason for this is not that Scripture has any magic quality, but that the spirit behind Scripture is the Holy Spirit. All too often, Christians have attributed to words of Scripture the qualities of a magician’s toolbox and used it, often out of context, to justify their own desires and ends. If we are not in fellowship with God through being filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be prey to every wrong understanding the enemy might throw at us. We will not have the discernment to recognize when we move out of the Spirit or the desire to do anything about it when someone else shares with us what they see happening. In Matthew’s account of the deliverance of the Gadarene demoniac the demon cries out, “Have You come here to torment us before the time?” (8:29, NKJV). Clearly this is a question loaded with understanding. The demon knew that its days were numbered and that a time has been set when Jesus will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords, and the destiny then for the devil and all his angels (and demons) is to be the lake of fire of Revelation 20 and 21. On one occasion during ministry, I was reading aloud from Revelation 20, which talks about them being tormented in the lake of fire, day and night, forever. The demon in the person suddenly rose up and took over her body, and she lunged forward. In a moment of time she tore those particular pages out of my Bible! Such was the hatred expressed by the demons at the truth of God’s Word.
It is only truth that would make a demonic power behave in such a way. Another lady had six Bibles or New Testaments in her possession— all six of which were minus the whole of Revelation! Her demons would not let her keep a Bible in the house unless these incriminating pages had been removed! Sometimes, when ministry has been difficult and for some reason a demonic power has held on determinedly to ground in a person’s life, I have read passages from the Scripture about the final judgment, and the effect has been dramatic in undermining the demon’s power. The Word of God and the truth of Scripture are indeed powerful weapons in our ministry armory. Many times I have seen people’s attitude to the truth of Scripture be completely changed as, in ministry, the power of the Word of God has been applied. One cannot but be influenced by such experiences and recognize how right the Reformers were to restore to the Church a dependence and trust in the inspiration and accuracy of the Scriptures.
9.10 They Can Have Supernatural Strength The accounts of the Gadarene demoniac in Matthew, Mark and Luke (one of the few healing stories that appears in all three synoptic Gospels) all give testimony to the fearsome strength of the man. They tell of how he would break the chains that were used to hold him down (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39). This was a perfectly ordinary man who was highly demonized. He had only the ordinary strength of a man, but when the demon manifested itself, the strength he had was totally supernatural and utterly astonishing. No one could restrain him. Not everyone who is demonized manifests such supernatural physical prowess. In the Gospel accounts only one (out of eight) of the specific deliverance ministries described is of this nature. In our own experience, it is only a relatively small proportion of those people in need of deliverance who manifest in such a way. But when they do, we have found that even a slender young girl who would normally struggle to lift a couple of bricks can acquire a physical strength that heavyweight weightlifters would envy! How this phenomenon works I have no idea other than to think that the demon must be operating directly on the adrenal glands, which pump "power” into the muscles in the form of adrenaline. The fact that the adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and this is the area of the body that in Hebrew understanding is the location of the “heart” of man (as opposed to the blood pump in the chest) might have some relevance. In ministry one must always be aware of the possibility of this sort of manifestation occurring. For this and other reasons, we would never enter deliverance ministry alone, and in the case of severely
demonized people, the ministry team might need to be three or four strong, or even more on occasions when continuing in ministry to someone whose track record is known. The first time that something like this happens it can be a little off-putting (some would say frightening), but pressing on in ministry, notwithstanding the manifestations, will lead to victory. The son of a close friend of mine greeted me at the door of their church (after I had preached) with the words, “It’s a good job you stopped preaching when you did; if you'd carried on much longer I would have come up and thumped you.” And he wasn’t joking! That afternoon I counseled him and discovered that he had been listening to heavy metal music, and through this he had become demonized with spirits of violence. At the same time he was moving away from the Lord and had little desire to follow Jesus, in spite of an earlier commitment he had made. I asked him if he wanted to be set free. He chose to repent of his involvement with heavy metal music and recommit his life to the Lord. I then took authority over the powers of darkness that were controlling his life, and for a while it seemed as though “all hell had broken loose” as this strong young man developed an even greater strength that was totally supernatural. But, in the name of Jesus, he was set free, and his life was totally transformed as a result. He was baptized within a few weeks and just twelve months later this young man, who had been rapidly running away from God, was at Bible college training for life! Without deliverance his life would have quickly descended into violence and despair.
9.11 They Are Well Organized and Are Under Higher Authority Some people say that Satan’s kingdom is a kingdom of chaos, and therefore we should not expect to find any order in it. They use arguments such as this to oppose any teaching that might indicate that Satan’s kingdom is organized in a hierarchy of demonic power. They forget, however, that Satan himself was part of a well-organized hierarchy of angelic power before his fall, and in organizing his own troops he is only imitating the angelic realms. Our experience is that Satan’s kingdom is certainly a kingdom of chaos, but it is chaos that is highly organized and designed to inflict the maximum harm on the saints of God. The ruling spirits over a nation are well- organized with a hierarchy of control over different regions, cities, towns and districts. In some towns, for example, you can actually "feel” the difference as you move from one area to another. Peter Wagner, of Fuller Theological Seminary, has edited a major work on the whole subject of territorial spirits and Alistair Petrie, one of the world’s leading authorities on issues of land, has written some excellent books on the subject (see bibliography). In addition to territorial ruling spirits, we are also aware that there are functional ruling spirits over both countries and towns, with specific job functions of inciting particular forms of behavior that are contrary to God’s purposes for man—for example, spirits that encourage sexual abuse, sexual perversion, pornography, violence and greed. It doesn’t take much imagination to think about what spirits rule over certain areas of London or any other major city in the world with well-defined business areas, red-light districts, etc.
I was once told by a man who was being freed of a homosexual spirit that he could go into any town in the world and, without asking anyone for directions, be in the center of the gay community in a matter of minutes. He was always unerringly led by a spiritual force to the area he was looking for. Drug addicts are led like this to the pushers of drugs. Others have told me similar stories of how clear demonic directions encouraged them in the pursuit of sin. Satan has organized himself very carefully so as to produce maximum chaos. Within the lives of individuals there is often a well-organized structure of demonic control, especially with those who have been demonized a long time, even from earliest childhood. What Satan has claimed for himself he does not give up lightly. Bill Subritzky, in his book Demons Defeated, talks about three strong men (demonic powers) that he has found are often in control, namely Jezebel, Death and Hell, and Antichrist. We have certainly ministered to people who have been under the control of these particular demons, but we have also encountered other "controlling demons” that have been the “strong men.” In many cases we have found it necessary with severely demonized people to unpick carefully the demonic structure and loose the demons from each other’s control before they could be loosed from the individual. Some people question why this should be necessary when there is little evidence in the Scriptures about ministry procedures such as this. The next part provides much more information that will help the reader to understand this. For the time being remember Jesus’ advice about deliverance when He said that if you want to plunder a man’s house, first bind the strong man (Matthew 12:29). Sometimes there is a whole series of “strong men” who have to be dealt with one at a time.
It seems that very few demons operate on their own. They are allowed to use their “initiative” within the bounds of their instructions. But each one is under the authority of a higher power until, ultimately, one reaches Satan himself—the pinnacle of the structure of the powers of darkness. Lesser demons also seem to be in fear of those above them in the hierarchy. We have seen many times that Satan’s kingdom is built on fear and what the consequences will be (to the demon) if it steps outside its instructions. We have seen demons whimper with terror at the thought of being cast out of their host, because they would have to report their mission as a failure to a higher authority. It is clear from the Scriptures that a mantle of spiritual authority and special anointing rested on certain people whom God had chosen for specific tasks. Read the stories of Samuel, David, Samson, Daniel and Jeremiah if you wish to pursue this theme in the Scriptures. It seems as though such a mantle is recognizable by the spiritual powers on both sides of the war, so that the enemy especially targets those people with temptations and diversions that are designed to prevent the calling of God upon their lives being fulfilled. One may ask why God allows such testing, for one has to remember that every such test has been allowed by God. Remember the story of Job (Job 1:6-12). Without testing we will never know just how strong we are and where our weaknesses lie. To be tempted and fall into sin as a result, and then rise up again, knowing the weakness and how to combat it, is often a preparation for a major ministry or greater testing in the very area of life where the weakness is. Simon Peter is a prime example of this. Through fear of what might happen to him, he fell into sin three times by denying Jesus just before the crucifixion. After the resurrection Jesus personally ministered to Peter (John 21:15-19) and in spite of the failures
commissioned Peter to feed the sheep. Then Jesus warned him that one day he would suffer martyrdom. Because of his failure and the healing that Jesus gave, I believe Peter's fear of death was dealt with so that one day he would be strong enough to face martyrdom without having to deny his Lord again.
9.12 Demons Are Legalistic It's interesting that Jesus was so condemning of those who were adamant about the fulfilling of the letter of the law but were totally blind when it came to understanding the spirit that is behind the law. The conflict between law and grace has kept the minds of theologians occupied for untold centuries! While obedience to the will of God is one of the prerequisites for moving under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Jesus made it very clear that obedience to the will of God and blind obedience to the law were sometimes, perhaps often, in conflict! It almost seems, from the Gospel accounts, that Jesus took particular pleasure in healing people on the Sabbath in front of the Pharisees! Their reactions indicated the legalistic hardness of their hearts. When the traditions of men become more important than sensitivity to the Spirit of God, the Church is in a bad way. I have often seen this being worked out in the dictates of denominationalism. Time and again I have sensed the Spirit wanting to move in a particular way in the life of a church, but it is as if the church is solidly anchored to hundreds of years of denominational concrete. The people seem to say, "If God wants to move in a way that is contrary to ‘our tradition,’ then it certainly can’t be God! And even if it is God, He had better think of ways to work in our church that fit in with the way we do things around here!” It’s amazing how the hidden Pharisees come creeping out of the woodwork. This may sound like a bad parody of the worst of churches. Sadly, it is not a parody, nor are such attitudes restricted to the worst of churches! Even churches that have been instrumental in moving forward
in renewal, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, can easily get themselves locked into their particular brand of charismatic experience, with the result being that they look with grave suspicion on any church that claims to be charismatic but whose experience is different from their own. What is happening is that religious spirits are legalistically holding the church in bondage. Unless they are dealt with through deliverance of the whole church fellowship, the building and especially the leadership, legalism will eventually be a controlling influence on the church. The most effective church-based ministries we have been associated with have been in churches where the ruling spirits have been dealt with effectively by the leadership, leaving the fellowship free to respond to the Holy Spirit without their understanding being clouded by the legalism of religious spirits. Deliverance from religious spirits is a significant and important aspect of deliverance ministry. I believe that Jesus was facing religious spirits in the Pharisees. At Nazareth, I believe it was religious spirits that rose up in anger when Jesus proclaimed He had come to set captives free. Similarly, I believe it was religious spirits that tempted the priests to use the technicalities of the law against Jesus in order to try to establish a watertight case for disposing of the individual who so threatened their hold on the people. Demons are given rights by man through sin. Unless that sin is repented of, demons will legalistically hang on to the ground they have been given. For example, no amount of shouting at a demon of lust will effect deliverance if the person receiving ministry is continuing in an adulterous relationship and is unrepentant about his or her sexual sin. The demon has a legal right to stay.
One of the most common reasons why demons do not leave Christians is the fact they have a right to be there, which they will legalistically hang on to. On many occasions we have struggled to bring a person to freedom, but it has only been when the legal right to be there has been exposed, and that right dealt with at the cross, that deliverance has eventually been effective. In churches it is often the sins of the leadership of the church in previous generations that have given demons a right over the fellowship. For example, there are many Anglican churches whose foundation or dedication ceremonies included Masonic rituals, sometimes as an acknowledgment and thanks to the local Freemasons who contributed money toward the building of the church. The practice of Freemasonry is idolatry. Idolatry is an anathema to the living God. The commandments warn us that the sins of the fathers in this respect will be visited on the children for three or four generations (Exodus 20:4-5). And if during those four generations there is further idolatry, a new line of demonic control is established. Spirits of Freemasonry will legalistically exercise their right over whatever congregation is gathered in that church for all of time. They will hold the fellowship in the bondage of the past unless the matter is properly dealt with through repentance for the sins of the ancestors by the present-day leadership of the fellowship and by effective spiritual warfare against the ruling spirits through praise, worship and deliverance ministry (the Nehemiah principle of Nehemiah 1:6-7; see also Leviticus 26:40). Effective cleansing of both churches and individuals requires specific ministry to deal with the legalistic rights that a demon has. At one time the Lord gave me a word of knowledge about sexual sin that had taken place in a person’s life some seventeen years previously. After the meeting, a woman came forward and confessed
that she and her husband had commenced intercourse some three months before the wedding date. After she confessed her sin, the spirit that came into her through her sin was then addressed and ordered to leave. Its legal right to be there had been dealt with through repentance. Immediately she convulsed on the floor in what was a grand mal epileptic seizure. Ten minutes later she had another one as another spirit came out of her. The symptoms we observed were just like those described in the Scripture when Jesus ministered deliverance to the epileptic boy (Luke 9:37-43). After it was all over she got up completely whole proclaiming she was healed of epilepsy. We then learned that she had commenced with epilepsy shortly after her marriage and that she had been a sufferer for all of those seventeen years. It appears that in her case, her sexual sin had given a spirit of infirmity a right either to enter or to be activated if it had been lying dormant after being inherited generationally. We have sometimes seen people, who had not yet developed particular diseases, be delivered of spirits of infirmity whose job function was to induce the disease when released to do so, either by the sin of the person or through the working of a curse on the generation line. When these particular demons left, the manifestations were typical of the disease in question! This lady had been prayed for many times in the past, but she could only be delivered and healed after the sin was dealt with and the demon's legal right was made void through repentance and forgiveness. When asked how she knew she was healed, she said that normally after a seizure she had to be three days in a darkened room and suffered intense pain and other symptoms. After those two fits, which were manifestations of the demons leaving, she had no side effects whatsoever and got up off the floor
completely whole and in her right mind. In consultation with her doctor she came off all drugs over a period of time, and eighteen months later she showed no signs of epilepsy. There is no doubt that demons are highly legalistic, both with respect to their own hierarchy of demonic power and the instructions they have been given and also with respect to the rights they were given to enter the person concerned. I believe that the paralyzed man in Luke 5 was delivered by Jesus of a spirit of infirmity, for it was only after Jesus had dealt with the sin in the man’s life (Luke 5:1726) that Jesus was able to heal him of the paralysis. On occasion, I have also seen people become temporarily paralyzed as a particular demon has surfaced and manifested its character during deliverance.
9.13 Some Demons Have Animalistic Character The manifestation of Satan as a serpent in Genesis 3 is the first scriptural illustration of a "demonic” manifestation in the form of an animal. It is interesting to note that when Jesus talked with the seventy-two, after they returned full of joy at being able to cast out demons, He told them, "I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19, NASB). I do not believe that in this instance Jesus was referring solely to the actual creatures that snakes and scorpions are, but also (or possibly exclusively) to the manifestations of demons as snakes and scorpions. For in the same breath Jesus includes victory over all the power of the enemy, implying that snakes and scorpions are just two aspects of his power. Certainly we have seen many demons manifest during deliverance as snakes or scorpions. People have finished up slithering across the floor in an incredibly snake-like manner, or with their backs bent so far over that the tail of their spine resembled the sting of a scorpion. It seems as though these are the most common animalistic manifestations, being part of the basic character of the demonic. In addition to these we have experienced almost every possible animalistic manifestation you can think of. Innocent-looking girls have suddenly become fierce tigers as the Holy Spirit has exposed hidden demonic power. Demonic lions, bulls, dogs, rams, goats, cockerels and many, many more have surfaced and been dispatched in the name of Jesus. The psalmist says, “You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous
snakes” (Psalm 91:13). And just what was the monster Leviathan mentioned in Psalm 74:14? On a few occasions we have encountered demonic beasts by this name! One can rightfully ask, “Just how do demons acquire such characteristics?” In addition to the innate character of the demon, which can be animalistic, it also appears that a demon will acquire the characteristics of animals (and people) it has occupied previously. So if a demon has been in a goat, then it has the knowledge and capacity to manifest as a goat. Sadly, we have had to deal with many people who have been caught in the web of witchcraft or Satanism, or are descended from people who have been involved. Some of the rituals involve the sacrifice of animals into which demons have entered. When the sacrifice has been made the demons then enter people who are involved in the ritual, bringing with them the character of the beast they have just come from. With some religions the ruling spirit is an animalistic demon. Worshipers of the elephant god acquire a spirit that manifests as an elephant. All Sikhs have the name Singh, meaning “lion.” When Sikhs become Christians they need deliverance from all the controlling spirits of Sikhism, the ruling one often being the spirit of a lion. At one of our training courses, an ex-Sikh who had been a Christian five years was still suffering from a lot of problems. He asked for prayer and deliverance from some of the things that were controlling him. The moment I began to pray against the demons concerned, the ruling spirit of Sikhism surfaced, absolutely furious that some of its kingdom was in danger of being stripped away. It roared away in defiance and it took some ten minutes before the man, who was in a state of shock at the power of the beast that was in him, could recover
control of his own body. It was a very important learning experience for the others present on the course, as they witnessed over the next couple of hours the complete demonic kingdom being stripped of its power and authority, through repentance from sin and the gradual establishment of the Lordship of Jesus in every area of his life. He had no idea that his involvement in Sikhism was still ruling him demonically in his flesh, even though he was born again of the Spirit of God. At the end of the ministry the lion that had roared so fiercely earlier in the evening left without much of a struggle. Once it had lost all its support troops, it was as weak as all the other demons. We have also encountered many of the beasts of mythology: griffins and dragons, leviathan, phoenix and the like. These appear never to have existed as living creatures, but they have a very real existence in the demonic realms. Many of the ancient gods of the Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians were worshiped because they had power, but the power that worshipers enlisted through their ritual worship, sacrifices and, often, sexual rituals was that of the ruling spirit of the shrine. As a result, worshipers would receive a spirit with the characteristics of the ruling demon of the shrine, and that spirit would find its way down the family lines affecting the generations yet to come. It sometimes comes as quite a shock to people to discover the echelons of demonic power they have been battling with over the years. It is hardly surprising that the physical conditions they have do not respond to conventional medical treatment! In the psychiatric arena, people who manifest grand delusions and describe the character of these creatures (which the psychiatric profession would not recognize as demons) are far more sane than most people realize. Many of them are under the control of demonic
power that has come down their family lines and, for some reason, has been given a right to manifest and control the individual's life.
9.14 They Work Together in Families The spiritual strength we gain through working with other people is well known. In the Scriptures it is expressed in the Old Testament with the words “a cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart” (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NASB) and in the New Testament by Jesus, when He talked about the spiritual power of agreement between two or three believers (Matthew 18:19). Demons have taken advantage of the same principle, for it is commonly found that several demons work together to support each other in their work. One of the most common examples of a family of demons is the group that controls rejection. The ruling spirit of rejection (which can enter a person even in the mother's womb) is usually supported by a spirit of fear of rejection and a spirit of selfrejection as well. The spirit of fear of rejection influences the emotions to prevent people who have been rejected from going into circumstances where further rejection might occur. That is how the person is responding inside, but in reality it is the demon that is afraid that the person might feel accepted, for that would undermine the power of rejection! So rejected people are made to fear further rejection. They are then in danger of hating themselves, and as soon as they give way to feelings of self-hatred, they open themselves up to a spirit of self-rejection, which ensures that the rejective cycle cannot easily be broken. In their book Pigs in the Parlor (demons inside a person), the Hammonds list many of the demonic families they found working together. This is a helpful guide that will give many clues to further ministry that some individuals will need. But I would add that the Hammonds’ experience is largely based on ministry in the United States, where there are different ruling and generational spirits in
operation. In Western Europe, where there is a much stronger witchcraft influence going back many generations, there are many other powerful groupings that are often encountered. Other regions will also have their own demonic groupings that are typical of the culture and religious background of the indigenous races. In a person who has become demonized, a demon that is already in residence will attempt to strengthen its power base by inviting others to come in as well. For example, a spirit of lust, which enters through the eyes, might then encourage the person to get involved in sexual sin. As a result a spirit of fornication will enter. And once this demonic doorway is open, it acts like a demonic tube down which the enemy can pour his workers!
9.15 They Will Try to Remain Hidden Demons do their work most effectively when they are able to lie hidden. There are many, many people who are struggling with physical, emotional, mental or spiritual problems who are really struggling with demons and don’t know it. And what is often more sad is that those Christians who have been trying to help them have not realized what the real problem has been either! Satan always prefers to work in the dark. John 3:20 expresses very explicitly the attitude of demons to the light of Jesus that comes through the Holy Spirit. "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (NASB). While John was talking about people, he was also describing precisely how people behave when they are driven by a demon that wants to remain hidden. Exposure to the light is the very last thing that a demon would want. One of the reasons why those who minister deliverance are often spoken against by other Christians is that they are such a threat to the hidden powers of darkness—often religious spirits that control those who are, apparently, so concerned! Those who would criticize deliverance ministries need to look very carefully at Matthew 12:2232. This whole section is about the deliverance ministry of Jesus, and Jesus concludes His comments by saying that “he who is not with Me [in this ministry of deliverance is implied] is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters” (Matthew 12:30, NASB). Those who would stand against deliverance ministry need to examine their own hearts and see if there is not some hidden demonic power in their own lives stimulating the opposition. They need to recognize that opposing the work of the Holy Spirit in empowering God’s
people to cast out demons does, according to Jesus, make them scatterers. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of discerning those spirits that are not of God. Christian leaders should not be standing on the sidelines questioning the validity of a major part of Jesus’ ministry. Rather, they should be praying that the Lord will develop in them the gift of discernment to its full potential so that they can effectively expose and deal with hidden demonic power that would stand against the work of the Holy Spirit in the renewal of the Church and the extension of the Kingdom.
9.16 They Have to Bow to Jesus’ Name No matter how much power a demon may think it has, its master, Satan, was defeated at Calvary. Whenever demons challenge my authority to cast them out, I begin to undermine their arrogance by asking who their master is. Eventually they will admit that Satan is their master. At this point their resistance is broken. For, once having admitted this, they know that their power is limited. Scripture very clearly expresses the truth that Satan was defeated when Jesus rose again from the dead and he is firmly under the feet of Jesus. That means that for those who are in Christ, Satan is also under their feet. And if Satan is under our feet, then every demon in hell is also under our feet! Philippians 2:10 is an important victory Scripture to read to arrogant demons, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth” (NKJV). There is no being that will not have to bow the knee to Jesus’ name. It is only in His name that we do have power and authority over demons, and they know that they have to submit to His authority when it is expressed through the lips of believers. When we minister deliverance in the name of Jesus, we have all the authority of the courts of heaven to back up our legal claim against demonic power.
9.17 In Conclusion The powers of darkness are real, be they fallen angels, demons or evil spirits. They are living beings with personality and the power of speech, but they are disembodied and have to live out their existence in someone else’s body. They are all in the service of Satan and are deployed by him against mankind. When they occupy a person, they inflict their character and presence on the victim. They will try to do this while remaining hidden so that the person will not seek out the ministry of deliverance, the only course of action that can ultimately help him. All demons have to bow the knee to Jesus; therefore, it is only Christians who are able to bring healing to demonized people. Demonization can be carried on down the generational lines as a result of the sins of the fathers (Exodus 20:5; Leviticus 26:40; Lamentations 5:7), which affect the children and the children’s children. Much more is said about this subject in the second part of this book, when dealing with the practicalities of personal deliverance ministry.
Chapter 10: The Direct Encounters of Jesus with Satan
Jesus was a marked man. The moment He was conceived in the womb of Mary the whole of hell went on red alert. God’s counter plan to the Fall had been long expected. When it was finally revealed and Old Testament prophecy was being fulfilled, Satan played every trick in his book to try to prevent Jesus from voluntarily laying down His life for the sins of the world as the first totally sinless man. The gospels record major physical attacks on Jesus’ life. Herod’s massacre of the babies in Bethlehem was the first, and no doubt there were others during the thirty years in which Jesus prepared for His ministry. Satan used Herod’s jealousy and fear to prompt this act of infanticide. But an angel intervened who warned Joseph in a dream that they had to flee at once to Egypt. They did, and Jesus escaped the consequences of Herod’s plot (Matthew 2:1323). What a lesson this was in obedience. Nothing could have been more bizarre for Joseph, a rural carpenter, than to immediately get out of bed and, that night, put his wife and baby on a donkey and begin a journey of hundreds of miles into exile. We don’t know how long they were in Egypt, except that the same angel told them when Herod was dead and they were back in Nazareth by the time Jesus was twelve, the next recorded event in Jesus’ life.
The other specific physical attacks on the life of Jesus that we know about were at Nazareth, when the congregation from the local synagogue tried to throw Him over a cliff (Luke 4:28-29); on the Sea of Galilee, when what appears to have been a demonically induced storm threatened the safety of the boat Luke 5:22-25: and at Jerusalem, where the crowd objected to the implications of His teaching about demons and His clams to be “I AM." so they tried to stone Him to death John 8:48-59). in addition to these demonically instigated physical attacks, however, there were other specific encounters that Jesus had with Satan himself that reveal much of Satan’s tactics in the way he attacks Christians by using demons.
10.1 The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:15-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22) When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist, it was initially against John’s better judgment. He knew who Jesus was and round it incongruous that he. the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah, should be the one who was being used to baptize Him! After all wasn’t John’s baptism a baptism of repentance, and what did Jesus need to repent of? He could not have done anything wrong, for He was the Messiah! What John could not have understood was the divine purpose in Jesus being baptized by him. The fan that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance was the critical point. For. ultimately. Jesus had come to die tot the sins of the world. Submitting to a baptism of repentance was His first public association with the sin of mankind. If He had not submitted to this baptism and stood with sinners in an act of “repentance” on behalf of all those who would believe and receive life through the cross, then He could not have gone to Calvary to die for their sins either. No wonder His baptism gave such pleasure to the Father. For when Jesus went down into the river Jordan. God’s rescue plan was finally being put into action. As Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down mom heaven and rested on Him. So God chose this moment of total obedience. in being baptized of John, to also baptize Jesus with the Holy Spin:. Then a voice from heaven was heard to say, “You are My beloved Son: in You I am well pleased” Luke 3:22. NKJV. From this moment on Jesus was an active threat to Satan and his kingdom up to that point He was a potential threat, but now.
having been baptized in the Holy Spirit, the battle lines had been drawn, for Jesus was now equipped to start unseating demonic power from Satan’s strongholds. Concerted action from the powers of darkness was now required. And this wasn’t a task that Satan would risk delegating, even to his highest aide in the satanic ranks. It was a job for Satan himself!
10.2 The Temptations in the Wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13) Luke 4:1 records that Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit, implying that there was now something radically different about Him. His life’s work had begun. The Spirit of God then led Jesus into the wilderness for a forty-day time of prayer and fasting prior to the commencement of His public ministry. This is an important spiritual principle. Major ministries require major times of preparation. But let not the ardent Christian think that in following Jesus’ example, he is in for a wonderful time of endless peace and joy—whether the fast is for one or forty days! Whenever people withdraw from normal activities at the leading of the Holy Spirit, Satan is immediately on the alert. He will do everything he can to attack at that time and undermine the saint at the very point of his highest spiritual endeavor. When God is dealing with a man or woman of God, "the devil and his angels” are not usually very far away! I believe that Satan looked on this time in the wilderness as one of his best, and last, personal opportunities to divert Jesus from His mission. It is never easy to count the cost of following God unconditionally. And sometimes the real cost can prove to be very high indeed. Satan knows this and will test us to the limit of what following Jesus will cost us. This is what he did with Jesus. On the other side of the scale is the potential blessing from God that will be the fruit of obedience. The cost is real and measurable, but the fruit is, at the outset, unreal and unmeasurable. Jesus warned us always to count the cost of
following Him (Luke 14:25-33). There are many Christians who at this point have done just that but have found the cost to be too high and turned back from God’s first plan for their life. They have done what the world would judge as eminently sensible and what most of their friends, Christian and non-Christian alike, would commend. In looking at the specific tactics of Satan in tempting Jesus, we see many lessons for the Christian in the way demons attack believers. What needs to be understood at this point is that to be tempted and tested is not sin. However, if we do fall into temptation and sin, then we have made ourselves vulnerable to the agent of the attack. At that point we can become demonized, but Scripture tells us plainly (in addressing Christians) that “if we confess our sins [that means agree with what God thinks about our sins], He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NASB). If we do not take that course of action and receive the cleansing (as well as the forgiveness—they are two very different things), then I believe that at that point, whether we are Christian or not, we are vulnerable to being demonized. That is a fact of both personal experience and countless stories that have been unraveled in the counseling room. Even before Jesus had come, Satan had successfully diverted many people from their God-given calling. I believe he would have rejoiced at the many elderly people who looked back with regret, and wondered what might have been if they had had the courage to say an unconditional “yes” to God. Satan’s diversionary tactics had been effectively tested over hundreds of years of demonic experience. He had had plenty of practice before turning his attention to Jesus to try to head off this ultimate threat to his earthly kingdom.
10.3 The First Temptation (Matthew 4:3-4; Luke 4:3-4) “If you are God’s Son, order this stone to turn into bread” (Luke 4:3). The temptation would appear to be that of using His supernatural power to turn some stones into bread and meet His immediate physical needs. As anyone who has fasted for a reasonable period of time will know, that is a very real temptation. But the subtlety of this temptation does not lie in the obvious, although using divine power for less than divine purposes is a real enough temptation, which we must be aware of in any area of Christian ministry. James comments on this aspect of the Christian pilgrimage in saying, “when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures” (James 4:3). No, the real test to Jesus of this temptation lay in the doubt introduced in the opening words of the temptation, “If you are God’s Son.” Only days earlier Jesus had heard His Father’s voice from heaven saying, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22, NKJV). Satisfying Jesus’ physical hunger was only the cover for a much deeper test. For Satan knew that the temptation for Jesus to use His own gifting for selfish purposes would be unlikely to throw Him off course, even though it could be very effective indeed with lesser mortals! Jesus believed He knew why He had come to earth. He expected there would now be three years of grueling ministry, beginning with popularity but facing steadily increasing opposition and ultimately crucifixion. He believed His Father had called Him from heaven for this task. He believed that He was God’s Son.
And yet, could He be mistaken? Were all those stories that Mary had told Him about His birth really true? If He did go ahead with all that He believed was to follow, would people really be saved from their sins? If He died, would God really raise Him from the dead? Satan must have pounded Jesus’ mind with countless such questions, questions that were designed to sow seeds of doubt, in the hope that just one little seed might take root. For doubt is deadly. Doubt is the forerunner of unbelief, which is the opposite of faith and “whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23, NASB). Doubt was the original sin that preceded the actual Fall of man. If only Jesus could doubt (disbelieve), even for one moment, anything of what God the Father had told Him, then He would have sinned and Satan’s arrow would have pierced His very heart and the rescue mission would have failed. “If you are God’s Son... then why not prove it? Just a few loaves of bread. See those stones? Turn them into bread, then You will really know that everything God said is true. Just a little test. Go on—then You’ll never need to doubt again.” So subtle, but also so deadly. The voice of the serpent that floored Eve was heard again in that wilderness experience of Jesus, "Has God said...?” (Genesis 3:1, NASB). Has God really said all those things? Why not test Your powers—and if they work then You’ll know it’s all true. It all sounds so innocent, but if Jesus had for one moment entertained the possibility that He needed to prove to Himself that He was the Son of God, doubt would have entered in. Satan so often uses doubt to lead people into sin, and one sin would have destroyed the glorious and eternal potential of Calvary. Jesus saw through it all. He recognized the voice of the serpent for what it was—deception—and using Scripture with devastating effect, He reminded Satan: “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord”
(Deuteronomy 8:3, NKJV). The words that Jesus had heard from the mouth of the Father were enough for Him, and He did not need to turn any stones into bread to test His calling. God had spoken, and He had no intention of doubting one word of the Father. Satan’s first attack had failed, and he was sent from the battle arena in disarray. But not for long. When one line of attack fails, Satan does not give up. He and his demons are well versed in the effectiveness of persistence. He would be back. Before continuing, a word of encouragement to those who have fallen into doubt and unbelief, especially for those who are going through wilderness experiences and are struggling with doubt—doubt about God, doubt about the reliability or nature of their personal calling in life and self-doubt about their ability to cope with whatever calling God has given. For Jesus, doubt would have spelled the failure of His mission. But not so for you! Because of the success of His mission and the potential there now is for forgiveness, you need not fear that because you have given in to Satan in the past, there is no way back. Forgiveness, cleansing and recommissioning are part of God’s loving provision for all His children. The entrance gate is marked "confession and repentance.” Don’t let the enemy keep you in defeat. If God has called you to a work, and you have known the blessing of God on your ministry but you are currently languishing in spiritual despair, get up, turn around, deal with the sin element in your present situation, go back to the point at which you began to falter and get moving again in the right direction. Satan will hate it; he will do everything in his power to keep you where you are. He will throw fresh temptations and tests at you and use others to speak words of discouragement. Ignore them all.
God is for you. And He wants to do with you what He did with Simon Peter after the resurrection— forgive you, restore you and recommission you in His service. Also, Satan still uses this temptation in its original format to try to encourage Christians, especially leaders, to prove their ministries in wrongful ways! He whispers words of doubt into their minds: “If God has really called you, why don’t you do this, that or the other to prove it?” As a result, many Spirit-filled and anointed leaders fall into the trap of unnecessarily defending themselves and always trying to prove themselves by spiritual performance. One of A. W. Tozer's five keys to spiritual power in Christian leadership is simply "Do not attempt to defend what God has called you to do.” Some leaders have failed to perform adequately and subsequently have fallen for the ultimate lie—that they were never called in the first place and should resign from their ministry. Jesus knew that temptation well and is always ready to help us reject such satanic undermining of a God-given calling and forgive us if we have already fallen into Satan’s trap. Satan takes some Christians still further down the slippery slope of doubt, so that eventually they cease to believe that they are even born- again children of God. They come to doubt their salvation and the reality of eternal life, and eventually cease to be part of the active Church. No wonder James so forcefully attacked the castle of doubt that so often dominates people’s lives.
10.4 The Second Temptation (Matthew 4:5-1; Luke 4:5-8) Satan tried again to get an arrow of doubt through Jesus’ spiritual armor. This time he invited Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem. The need for a hungry person to have bread is obvious, and to prove His divinity by making bread out of stones could have some logic about it. But what logical reason could there be for Jesus to find the idea of jumping off the Temple in Jerusalem remotely attractive? The satanic mind is very devious, and in attempts to deceive mankind, Satan and his demons will often quote back to us things we would like to hear. Jesus had summarily concluded the first temptation by quoting Scripture, so what better way to start than by quoting Scripture back to Jesus? Perhaps, in that way, Jesus could be caught off guard. Satan had done his homework well. He had found a Scripture to support his devious cause. And he devised the temptation so that this time he had Scripture to support the course of action he was recommending. Evidence indeed that not every use of Scripture will be correct! If Jesus had not listened to the spirit that was behind this use of Scripture, He might have fallen for the temptation. Satan did not attempt to argue with Jesus about the authority of Scripture—that was assumed by both Jesus and Satan—but only about the interpretation of what both knew to be truth. Jumping off the Temple would certainly have been a dramatic gesture to entertain the holiday crowds, for whom death and bloodshed were very much part of life. They were cruel days. But what an ending to the story! How the people would have loved to see
a detachment of angels swoop down from the clouds and, just before Jesus crashed to the ground, rescue Him from the oblivion of a sudden death. And the heart of the temptation? ‘‘Put on a show, impress the people, let them see how great You are. They’ll all follow You then. And You probably won’t need to go to Calvary either. Just show them what You’re made of, for You know what it says in Scripture, don't You? ‘He shall give His angels charge over you’ (Psalm 91:11, NKJV) as well as, ‘They shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ (Psalm 91:12, NKJV). So, Jesus, You’ve nothing to fear. You’ve got Scripture to back this one up! When are You going to do it?” I have no doubt that Jesus would have done anything not to have gone to the cross—anything, that is, but swallow Satan's lies or be disobedient to His Father. Matthew 26:36-46 and John 17 record His agony before the Father as He longed for there to be another way. Nevertheless, He was willing to do what the Father had asked of Him. Again, Jesus saw through the temptation and with another telling quote from Deuteronomy sent Satan on his way: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6:16, NASB). The giftings God had given to Jesus were not to be used for His own ends. Nowhere in the Scripture is it recorded that Jesus used His power for any other purpose than to fulfill the promises of Isaiah 61:1 in proclaiming the Gospel, healing the sick and setting the captives free. His whole ministry was directed toward those ends. While the miracles He performed were certainly evidence of His Sonship, their primary purpose was not as a sign to prove who He was. When the Pharisees came to Him seeking a sign, they were demonically inspired and simply being used by Satan to repeat this second temptation in a different form. If Jesus could be persuaded to
try to use God’s power for any other purpose than the fulfillment of God’s will, then Jesus would have to submit to Satan, not the other way around. In that case, Jesus would have become a sinner. Jesus was cutting in His criticism to the Pharisees. “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Matthew 12:39, NASB). The word for adultery in both the Greek of the New Testament and the Hebrew of the Old has far more implications than just sexual sin. It also means spiritual apostasy—going after another “lover” than the One (God the Father) who had loved His people from the beginning. The Old Testament talks about their "adultery” in worshiping false gods. Jesus was not polite to His accusers—even in front of others! There was no way that Jesus was going to be trapped by these Pharisees into performing any supernatural sign for their benefit, not even jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple. One day there would be a very special sign (represented by Jonah’s three days in the whale), not just for the Pharisees but for all peoples and for all ages to come. Three days and nights in the ground—and then the resurrection. A prophetic fact that Satan knew only too well. Those who minister in healing and deliverance are especially prone to this second temptation. They are moving in an area where evidences of the power of God are visibly demonstrated in their ministry, and there will be those who want to see a "miracle,” those who want to try to test you—just to see if you can do the things you talk about. At times I have been challenged with words such as “See if you can get a demon out of me.” No matter how obviously demonized the person might be, you should always refuse all such challenges. Their origin is Satan, who would want to boost your ministry in the flesh with wrongful pride in performance, or show you up by failure, or use
the lack of results of such ministry to “prove” that the highly demonized person who issued the challenge doesn’t have any demons after all! When we fall for such "tests,” Satan is the winner every time. There is a world of difference between this and Spirit-anointed tests such as those that Moses and Aaron were told to do before Pharaoh. Also, Satan will often subtly tempt us to be involved in a ministry that God is not asking us, or anointing us, to do. We need always to be discerning the spirit behind the request for help—is it from God or the enemy? Satan would love to exhaust the saints by wearing them down in ministry to people who are not serious about following Jesus, but simply want to be rid of their symptoms so that they can carry on with a sinful lifestyle! Another aspect of this temptation, with important lessons for each one of us, is the way we might be tempted to use Scripture out of context. Scripture is not to be used to impress people with ideas that are not of God. It is only to be used by God’s people to bring influence into the lives of others under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. An important lesson in spiritual growth is learning to discern the spirit that is behind someone who is quoting Scripture to you. As we have seen, Satan knows Scripture well and is a master at using it against God’s people. Some of the ways he trains demons to exploit the Word of God are highly plausible, and we must be on our guard against deception in this area, for the demons know the Scriptures as well as Satan does. I was once ministering to a demonized person and the Lord reminded me of a particular Scripture that was relevant to the ministry. This particular demon had been arrogantly speaking out in defiance for some time. When I quoted the Scripture to a ministry colleague, questioning what the reference was, it was not my
colleague who gave me the answer, but the demon through the mouth of the counseled The chapter and verse that were given were precisely right! So watch out for Satan’s attempts to blow you off course with Scriptures quoted out of context and without the anointing of the Spirit of God.
10.5 The Third Temptation (Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 4:9-12) Subtlety had failed. This time Satan was far more direct. He played on Jesus’ humanity. No human being, not even the Son of God, relishes the prospect of suffering. Ahead, for Jesus, lay the cross. God knew it, Jesus knew it, and Satan also knew it. It would be a cruel death, hours of pain and distress, harrowing experiences for Jesus’ family—and all for what? Satan must have whispered something like this to the heart of Jesus: “There is another way. Come with me and I’ll show You.” So Satan took Jesus to the top of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. He arrogantly spoke the truth about his being in charge of planet earth and about all these kingdoms being at his disposal. (He declined to mention that the only reason this was the case was that he had been thrown out of heaven in the first place!) Jesus did not dispute the claim. It was a statement of fact, and the only reason that Jesus was here was to rescue people from Satan’s grip. Many people are deceived by Satan when he speaks truth—as he always will if it can be used to serve his ends. It is not true that Satan and demons only speak lies. If all they said were lies, their deceptions would be too easy to detect. It is the subtle mixture of a few lies sown into a mass of truth that so often causes people to fall into temptation. The odd artificial fly, among a mass of real ones, is only noticed by the trout when it is too late, and the point of the hook has penetrated the skin and the barb has gripped him tight! So Satan began this temptation by speaking truth. But then came the deception that he tried to ride in on the back of truth. ‘All
this can be Yours. After all, isn’t that why You came, so that You can win the world back? Let’s strike a bargain; You can have the lot, no questions asked.” The cross wasn’t actually mentioned. But make no mistake; that was what this temptation was all about. If Jesus were to get to Calvary and voluntarily lay down His life for others, it would be the beginning of the end for Satan and eternal freedom for all those who believed. Satan would do anything, absolutely anything, to keep Jesus from going through with it. Even, apparently, surrender control of his earthly kingdom. “All this will be yours, then, if you worship me” (Luke 4:7). Satan had not changed. Worship was what he craved; the place of God was his goal. And Satan knew that Jesus and the Father (with the Holy Spirit) were one. So if Jesus were to give in on this, then God Himself would also come under Satan’s dominion and control. Then all God’s plans for Satan’s future punishment could be overthrown. Satan did not relish eternal torment in the lake of fire. Satan gave Jesus the chance of achieving His aim without going to the cross. The temptation was direct, very direct. “Accept my offer and You can forget about Calvary. Worship me and You can have mankind.” But Jesus knew that, far from achieving His Father’s purposes, to accept Satan’s apparently generous offer would not only destroy the hope of salvation for mankind, but would also place the very Godhead under Satan’s control. Again Jesus used Scripture to counter Satan’s attack, this time with a third quotation from the book of Deuteronomy: "You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him” (Deuteronomy 6:13, NASB). Jesus’ rebuke was short, effective and to the point. He did not enter into discussion with Satan, but concluded the matter unequivocally with the Word of God.
This third temptation follows a pattern that Satan and his demons often use with God’s people, offering them a route to achieve God’s objectives that is different from the one the Father had planned. There is a cost in following Jesus, and Satan knows it. He uses that to devastating advantage on many occasions, leading God’s people into thinking there are better ways of doing things than those that are given by the Holy Spirit, ways that are not quite so costly but, Satan would assure us, just as effective. When individuals, or churches, begin to follow the demonized ways of the world in conducting the affairs of the Spirit, they are on a downward spiral that can only lead to spiritual (and even physical) death and disaster. They are heeding the same voice that spoke to Jesus, offering Him the world without the cross. For example, Christians who are being called out of business may count too precious the retirement benefits of staying with the firm, thinking that in the future they can “work for the Lord on the strength of a good pension.” But those extra ten years might well have been the very years that God would have used most effectively. Ministers within the structure of a mainline denomination may have to weigh the benefits of toeing the party line, with an eye over their shoulder for promotion in the church, against being obedient to what God is calling them personally, or their church fellowship, to be and to do in the Kingdom of God. Be on your guard that you are not deceived and end up justifying disobedience! Another aspect of this third temptation that needs to be guarded against often comes with the success of Christian ministry. Satan loves to attract worship to himself, and the moment we begin to take wrongful pride in “our” achievements under God, we are opening ourselves up to the very sin for which Satan was thrown out of heaven. If Satan cannot destroy a ministry by diverting the visionary from the cause, he will try again later to divert him at the point of
greatest effectiveness and success by tempting him with selfglorification. It sounds terribly obvious when talking about these things from a position of obscurity and no public image. But the god of this world does blind the eyes, and only a little elevation in public profile brings temptations of pride and self-glorification that can be hard to recognize by those who are used to being at the center of what God is doing. One final lesson from this and the other temptations: Once Jesus had heard the temptation and given His response with a correct use of Scripture, that was the end of the matter. He did not enter into discussion. There are many people who have failed at this point, not because they didn’t recognize the temptation, but because they tried to talk their way out of it. But discussion leads to compromise, and compromise, in dealing with the voice of the enemy, is sin. So deal quickly and effectively with temptation and move on quickly to continue doing the things that God has already given you to do.
10.6 Satan in Simon Peter (Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33) We all love Simon Peter. His humanity, courage, brash enthusiasm and sheer capacity to put his feet in it, all endear him to our own humanity. We also love his spiritual perception, especially when he was the first to blurt out what he knew to be the truth about Jesus: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). What a moment in his life. Such revelation from God, and then such commendation as Jesus declared, "This truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). Simon Peter had a direct word from God Himself. He had a spiritual sensitivity that was tuned in to the supernatural and an openness to listen to God that exceeded that of all the other disciples, and Jesus commended him. But Satan was watching in the wings. He, too, could use that supernatural sensitivity. He knew all about the spiritual realms. He could beam messages down that channel also. Even through Simon Peter? Well, Satan knew that this uncouth, untrained fisherman did not yet have the maturity and discernment to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Satan grabbed his chance, sowed a seed in Simon Peter’s mind and waited for his opportunity. We have seen on many occasions how someone who can be mightily used of God on one occasion to bring a significant prophetic word can, especially if unwisely elevated by those Christians around him, be equally used to speak a word that is definitely not of God. Because the word is spoken out of the same mouth through which God has genuinely spoken, people feel obliged to receive all that is
said by that person without testing it before the Lord. In this way Satan can act like a wolf and ravage the flock from within the sheepfold. Jesus went on to talk about what must happen to the Messiah. He told the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer under the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. He told them that He would be put to death, but that three days later He would rise again from the dead (Matthew 16:21). The moment had come. Peter was still reeling from the shock. I don’t think he could have heard the last phrase about rising again from the dead. He couldn’t contemplate life without Jesus or, perhaps, face the personal consequences of what it would mean to him if Jesus was to be crucified. He let his emotions rule, and the seed Satan had sown rapidly came to harvest. "God forbid it, Lord!... That must never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22). The words came blurting out, as if he could tell God what must happen. That spiritual sensitivity was being used all right, but definitely not by God. And immediately Jesus recognized what was happening. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, and being sinless, He operated with perfect discernment, and He knew at once the source of the voice that was coming from Simon Peter’s lips. In a flash of time He was back in the wilderness. There was Satan with his sickly patronizing temptations, offering Him the world without having to go to the cross: "Just worship me, and it will all be Yours.” And out of Simon’s lips came the very name of God being used to endorse a path that would lead away from Calvary. This could only be Satan himself, persisting with his temptations. Some have thought that Jesus dealt harshly with Simon at that moment. Couldn’t He have been just a little more gentle in explaining
to him where he had gone wrong? Couldn’t He have been a little more sensitive to the presence of the other disciples who heard exactly what Jesus said to this man who had just received such commendation? Well, couldn’t He? The answer is a short and unequivocal "No!” There could be no compromise with Satan whatsoever. There had been no compromise with Satan in the wilderness, and just because on this occasion there were a few other people around, He could not change His stance toward the great enemy of souls. So He turned to Peter but addressed Satan himself. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men" (Matthew 16:23, RSV). Jesus dealt with Satan directly, and immediately threw out the possibility of avoiding the cross. Satan had used the ideas of men (to avoid pain and death) to test Jesus once more with regard to obedience to His calling. But what a rebuke this must have been to Simon Peter. To think that even he, the one whom Jesus had commended so highly, could be used by Satan. But we read elsewhere, "If you think you are standing firm you had better be careful that you do not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). The potential in each one of us for sin is ever present, and never more so than immediately following our highest spiritual achievements. It is after those special moments that Satan rejoices to see us crash. The headiness of being so closely in touch with God affects our souls, and our very earthliness makes us vulnerable to the flesh. At that point the demonic can have easy access to us. Peter learned the hard way, and I don’t suppose he ever forgot the day when Satan used him to try to get at Jesus. Those who are at the forefront of Christian ministry must be
constantly on their guard against a demon using even a trusted member of the fellowship to speak lies into the heart. Attacks that come from obviously antagonistic sources can be easily recognized and countered; it is those that are spoken through the lips of those we trust that are the most deadly. Sometimes such attacks will be extremely subtle, such as suggestions for doing this or that, which are perfectly good ideas, but somewhere, deep down, you feel uncomfortable with what is being said. Many times I have discerned the voice of the enemy speaking through Christian friends, who, nevertheless, meant well. Usually they brought suggestions that, in retrospect, would have been disastrous, or proposed good reasons why what we were doing, in obedience to what we believed God had told us to do, would be a big mistake! If we had listened to such advice right at the beginning of the work, some of which even came from men of established reputation, the whole work of Ellel Ministries would have been stillborn! Even when listening to the advice of mature Christians, we must not be deceived into following guidance that has its source in the flesh and is not anointed by the Spirit of God. If we are genuinely open to the Spirit ourselves, we will be able to receive both positive and negative advice willingly, because we will be able to discern the mind of the Holy Spirit behind the advice being given. In this way we have also been prevented from making some very serious mistakes when the Spirit has spoken words of caution to us through anointed Christian friends. Listen to the Holy Spirit and trust the discernment that God has given you. If there is a check in your spirit, don’t rush to accept the advice. Carefully test what is being suggested and only proceed once
you are convinced that the check in your spirit was God making you carefully consider the implications of what He is saying to you. The good is always the enemy of the best, and if the enemy has proved from past experience that he cannot blow your ministry off course with outlandish suggestions, or the more obvious temptations of money, sex and power, he will try to use good ideas! There are lots of good ideas around, but for you the only ideas that must matter are those that originate in the heart of the Father and that have the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon them. While they are not encounters that Jesus had with Satan, there are two more lessons from the life of Simon Peter that will help us understand aspects of the demonic.
10.7 The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36) It was Peter’s humanity that prevailed after the incredible experience of being present on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, James and John. There he met Moses and Elijah face to face and heard the very voice of God affirming to them the divinity of Jesus: "This is my Son, whom I have chosen—listen to him!” (Luke 9:35). And Peter’s reaction? He was like so many of us, for he wanted to make permanent this high point of spiritual experience by building three dwelling places for Jesus, Moses and Elijah! There must be countless churches and chapels around the world whose very names attempt to enshrine some great revival experience of the past or some great saint of God whose work must never be forgotten. But the spiritual experiences of past generations can become a curse on the present generation. If any of us try to mimic the experience of others or live out a pseudo spirituality on the back of the genuine Christian experience of others, our best will simply be lifeless religion. Our experience of what we think is God can sometimes be the expression of a religious spirit that controls our lives and can even control our church. God is always doing new things. We must always be looking forward and moving on with Him into new territory. Our flesh likes to put down roots and remain at levels of spiritual experience where we feel safe. But such safety can be as death to real spiritual life, bringing with it the curse of rejection of anything that seems different or new! I’ve lost count of the number of ministers I have prayed with
whose spiritual back has been broken on the rock of “nothing changes here.” They have often needed deliverance from the spirits of curses unwittingly put on them by members of their congregations who have opposed the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit. We must remember and learn from the past, yes, but not live in it. If we try to live on the back of past religious experience, we will make ourselves vulnerable to the demonic and will probably need deliverance from religious spirits as well.
10.8 At the Crucifixion (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-27) Peter had another major lesson to learn just before Jesus died. This time it was not caused by the headiness of spiritual triumph. No, it was the sheer fear of impending disaster that led him into denial of Jesus. He was very much a man of flesh as well as being a spiritual giant. The English poet Kipling wrote wise words when in his famous poem "If” he included the couplet, If you can meet with triumph and disaster, And treat these two imposters just the same. Kipling knew that in triumph or disaster man is vulnerable to the extremes of emotional experience, and Peter was no exception. Satan also recognizes that these are some of his greatest opportunities for undermining our spiritual lives. In these extremes Peter’s weaknesses were laid bare, and in disaster it was fear, which had lurked deep down in his life, that came to the surface. Spirits of fear can have a devastating effect upon us, and it is sometimes in the extremes of life that they are exposed for what they are. Unless they are dealt with they will, from time to time, adversely control our lives and lead us into sin. They can have the effect of being Satan’s fifth column lying dormant in the life of the Christian. Scripture tells us that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18, RSV). Jesus is perfect love, and in His name we have authority and power to deal with the spirit of fear that controls so many lives. Often in ministry to a whole group I will deal with various fears
and find that many people will experience complete release from the fear that had formerly gripped their lives and find healing from the presenting symptoms.
10.9 Satan in Judas Iscariot (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6) There are many experiences that Jesus had with the demonic (which we will be looking at in the next chapter), but there is one more in the gospels that the writers are quite specific about being an encounter not just with demons but with Satan himself. Just as in the encounter with Simon Peter, the gospel writers specifically record that Jesus addressed Satan himself, not just a demon, in Judas Iscariot at the moment of betrayal. It was Judas’ sin in agreeing to betray Jesus that opened him up to being taken over. And at the moment of putting the sinful decision into action Judas became not just demonized but the host for Satan himself. Perhaps Judas had decided that the death of Jesus was inevitable. No doubt he was wondering what would happen to the disciples if Jesus were to be taken and killed. Local justice would inevitably come down heavily on those who were closest to Him. Death for Judas might not be too far away either. How could Judas protect himself from the same fate Jesus would have? A plan was conceived—collaboration with the accusers. A secret visit was made to the chief priests. “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” (Matthew 26:15). A price was agreed upon and Judas provided a way of escape for himself, in league with the accusers, in the event of a disaster. Thirty pieces of silver in his pocket—quite a significant sum— would certainly help him to start life all over again. Self-seeking, being greedy and protecting one’s own skin at the expense of others are all hallmarks of the “Judas spirit.” Jeremiah’s
words about the deceitfulness of the heart were never more true than at this moment in the life of Judas (Jeremiah 17:9). In spite of having spent three years with Jesus Himself, when the chips were down, selfishness came floating to the surface like a cork in a bucket of water. Any Christian, even one who walks closely with the Lord as Judas did, can be used by demons to oppose the purposes of God if his heart is not pure and his motives, therefore, become focused on selfish objectives. Satan loves it when the need for selfish gain in one person is used to destroy the purposes of God in another, and by the attitude of our hearts we give the demonic a right to act through us against fellow Christians. In the history of the work of Ellel Ministries, there have been numerous attacks on the ministry from various sources. Those from obvious sources, such as people involved in witchcraft and the occult or from sectors of the Christian scene that deny the authority of Scripture, doubt the veracity of the incarnation, the resurrection and the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus, are, in some ways, the easiest to cope with. At least they are to be expected. For example, Jesus was not at all surprised when the Pharisees opposed His work, nor was the early Church surprised when magicians and occultists were used to oppose the Gospel when it was preached and practiced by believers (e.g., Acts 16:16-24). But the attacks that are the hardest to cope with, both emotionally and spiritually, have come from those whom we thought were walking with us. The “Judas spirit,” the spirit of betrayal, is rampant in the Body of Christ. When those who have called you friend, whom you have walked with closely and shared with in the Lord, use their tongues to undermine the work that God has entrusted into your hands, the
arrows seem very sharp indeed. In making such comments I am not speaking of honest doubts and criticisms shared directly with us, from those who are going in the same direction and who are genuinely sharing what they see as the truth in love. That is not betrayal, but a hallmark of a courageous brother or sister in Christ—for “faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6, NASB). What a difference there is between this and the murmurings and under currents set in motion by a contrary tongue that indulges in what can only be called malicious gossip. And sometimes it is even dressed up in the spiritual language of prayer: "I’m just telling you this so that you can pray about it!” Betrayal is sin. Satan’s attack on Jesus through Judas must have been the most painful attack that Satan could have devised, for Judas became the betrayer. We must all guard against spreading the spirit of Judas in our churches. We must examine our hearts before God and rigorously root out every motive that could give access to the spirit of Judas. Sadly, there are times when even those who bring the “words of a faithful friend” are not content to leave the outcome of their words with God. So when they don’t get the immediate response they think their words deserve, they fall into the temptation of giving God a helping hand by spreading words that are loaded with doubt and undermining rumor. I have ministered to many heartbroken ministers whose work has been seriously undermined and, in some cases, destroyed by members of their own congregation and family. Jesus warned His followers that loyalty to Him would separate with the sharpness of a sword, between them and some of the people they had been close to (Matthew 10:34-39).
Satan had tried to take Jesus’ life on many occasions. The events of those days in Jerusalem were building up to a climax. Jesus would not be around much longer. Satan began to close in for the kill. Judas was easy game. His heart was greedy and jealous, and I have seen how such emotions give rise to hatred of those who might stand in the way of immediate objectives. Hatred is a breeding ground for murder. And while betrayal of Jesus into the hands of other murderers was probably seen by Judas as only a small part in the whole scenario, he was as guilty as if he had personally nailed Jesus to the cross. The price had been fixed and the countdown to Calvary had begun. Jesus was going to die, yes, but only because He had chosen to die. His time had come. And Satan knew that in these circumstances any victory celebration that the physical death of Jesus might initiate would only be short-lived. Prophecy, which Satan had read and knew only too well, was not on Satan’s side! Three days after the crucifixion, the party in hell was over, and all the demons, fallen angels and Satan himself have been on the run from the people of God ever since. For Judas it was a sad, sad day. The thirty pieces of silver became poisoned blood money in his hand. He realized he had betrayed an innocent man, threw the coins down on the Temple floor and went out and hanged himself. Suicide is one of the objectives of the demonic. Driving people into corners so tight that to live seems worse than dying is a trick that Satan and his demons have been playing on the mind since the beginning of time. To Satan, Judas was just another statistic, another person whom, having used, he discarded on the scrap heap of life. Even for Judas I believe there could have been a way back
through repentance and forgiveness, but Satan did not let him live long enough to find out. There are many people who have been rescued from the edge of hell’s precipice. Deliverance has been part of the ministry they needed from the spirits of death and suicide that had entered their lives. The Gospel is a Gospel of hope—even for those who have reached the very end of themselves.
10.10 In Conclusion Jesus was Satan’s prime target. It is not surprising that Satan himself chose to act against his supreme enemy, the very Son of God. Most ordinary human beings will never have a personal encounter with Satan himself. He is not omnipresent and has delegated to his demonic hosts the work of tempting and testing human beings. When people say, "Satan tempted me,” they are not saying that Satan himself was the tempting force, but simply admitting that the temptation came via an agent in the enemy’s camp. Just as Jesus had to be constantly on His guard against the attacks from His personal enemy agent (Satan), so must we be constantly on our guard against the traps being laid for us by the demons that act against Christians in highly personal ways similar to those that Satan used against Jesus. Satan has not changed his tactics. Jesus endured the attacks that He knew His people would have to endure down the ages. We need to pay careful heed to the lessons there are for us in the gospels, and be constantly on our guard against all the enemy’s devices. It is salutary to recognize that demons could even use us to devastating effect against the ministry of Jesus. We need to heed Jesus’ warning and “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41, NKJV).
Chapter 11: Encounters with the Demonic in the Gospels Careful reading in the gospels of the encounters Jesus had with demons, and of how He dealt with them, gives us much understanding of the whole deliverance ministry. Not every type of demonic power that exists is represented in the gospels, but the principles that can be learned from this study are of general application to the whole ministry. In this chapter we will look at each major encounter Jesus had with demons or demonic power and comment on the particular lessons we can learn from each such event in the life of Jesus.
11.1 In Nazareth (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-30) After His experiences in the wilderness, where He was tested by Satan himself, Jesus returned to His homeland, the territory of Galilee. On the Sabbath He followed His usual practice and went to the synagogue to worship God. But this time Jesus was different. It was His first visit to the synagogue since being filled with the Holy Spirit. He was now open to the full flow of the power of God, and the anointing of the Spirit upon Him was such that every demon in the place must have been aware of His presence! He stood up to read the Scriptures and, it seems, He deliberately found the passage from Isaiah 61:1, which tells about the work that the Messiah would do. He read out those amazing words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,... to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people” (Luke 4:18-19). The actual text of His sermon on that day is not recorded in Scripture. But initially the people paid polite respect to His eloquent words, and they marveled at the way He spoke. As often happens when people are challenged and convicted in their spirit and are looking for an excuse to ignore what is being said, they began to question His origins with such questions as, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph? How is it that a carpenter’s son can speak like this?”
Reading the Scripture and commenting on it in a sermon was a normal and accepted part of synagogue worship. But Jesus did more than this. He read one of the well-known Messianic passages heralding the coming of the Christ and then told the people, including the Pharisees and teachers of the law who were present, that this passage of Scripture was being fulfilled at that very moment. That was a very different matter indeed! For His claim to be the Messiah was either the ultimate blasphemy (if He was being serious) or the height of madness—unless, of course, He actually was the Messiah. The normal reaction to religious maniacs is to dismiss them as being irrelevant. Mental hospitals contain many people (demonized and deluded no doubt) who claim to be Jesus, the Messiah, God or some other divine manifestation. No one takes their claims seriously. But when Jesus made a claim that would normally have been the domain of the deluded and the insane, He spoke with such authority that the people realized He was serious and in His right mind. Notwithstanding their polite respect for His eloquent words, hatred and murder lay just below the surface. Jesus knew, as did Paul, who said that “we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world” (Ephesians 6:12), that the real battle was a spiritual one. Jesus would have sensed the demonic beginning to incite the crowd to action. John 2:25 tells us that no one needed “to tell him about them, because he himself knew what was in their hearts.” On this Sabbath morning in Nazareth, Jesus, who had perfect spiritual insight, could see the battle in the spirit realm intensifying. He knew that His claim to be the prophet was being questioned by the locals, who knew His humble origins. So He gave them Old Testament illustrations of how a prophet of God is not respected
among his own people. The situation exploded. In a matter of minutes Sabbath worship was transformed into a serious attempt on the life of Jesus. Having failed in the wilderness to divert Jesus from His life’s work, Satan then chose murder as his next direct line of attack. How was it that superficially godly people could suddenly become an angry, murderous crowd of hooligans? It seems that there was a direct power clash between the Holy Spirit flowing out of Jesus and the demons that were motivating the crowd. The demons recognized Jesus. They knew that their very existence was threatened. So they responded in the way that threatened demons normally do— by making the people they are living in believe that the thoughts and feelings of the demons belong to them. Deception takes place, and man then chooses to respond to what he thinks are his own feelings and enters into sin. The reason why people choose to commit suicide is that they have believed the lie of a demon. The reason why people behave in ways that are totally irrational and contrary to God’s plans and purposes is that they believe the lies that demons put into their minds. The reason why superficially religious people can seem completely unresponsive to the work of the Holy Spirit can be that their minds are controlled by religious spirits and have been closed to the truth by the demonic. James says that the wisdom that does not come from a heart that is pure before God is “unspiritual and demonic” (James 3:15). Timothy, in addressing believers, says that some people “will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). This encounter at Nazareth was not just a confrontation between the man Jesus and the people in the synagogue. It was a carefully orchestrated attack by the demonic powers on the ministry of the Son of God. The only reason that Satan could have mounted such an attack in God’s house is the extent of demonization in the
worshipers. This is a lesson that we need to take very much to heart in this day and age. When it comes to renewal of the Church and obedience to the Holy Spirit, church leaders are often opposed by a demonic reservoir in the people that rises up to oppose the work of God. Unless they recognize this for what it is and take appropriate action through spiritual warfare, they will exhaust themselves against walls of opposition without ever realizing why they are tired and dispirited! The Jews of Jesus’ day were historically a godly people. But the generation in which we now live has little godly heritage on which to stand. If the problem of a demonized "church” was a curse on the ministry of Jesus, how much more will this be a problem today with the media’s assault of every type of sexual perversion on the minds of ordinary men and women; the use of television to bring visual images into private homes that have reached the extremes of immorality, pornography and corruption; and the demonic compulsion that lies behind much of modern popular music. All these and much, much more have, I believe, left us with a generation of demonized people for whom the saving, healing and delivering power of Jesus Christ is the only answer. As I wrote the first edition of this book, a historic court case was being fought in the United Kingdom. For the first time, consequential damages were being claimed for people who were not directly involved in a tragedy. Relatives of the soccer fans who died in the Hillsborough stadium disaster, who were not even present at the match, watched it all happen on live television. They are suffering from the supposed psychiatric condition of post-traumatic stress syndrome caused by seeing members of their family die. I wonder how many of these people have actually been demonized through the shock of seeing those pictures in their own home and are in need of deliverance as well as medical care?
As I began to prepare the second edition, the whole world saw two planes plunge into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. September 11, 2001 (9-11), will never be forgotten in world history. Not just the families of those who died, but millions of people around the world were severely traumatized by the events of that day and are probably in consequential need of ministry. And how many people are demonized with sexual spirits because of the pornographic images that have poisoned their minds via movie and television screens? People may smile and shake their heads in quaint disbelief at such suggestions, but they clearly have little experience of delivering people from demons that have gained access in this way. Even though Jesus did not have to contend with demons that had entered people through the modern media, those that were there were just as vicious in their attack on His ministry. But it was not the time for Jesus to die. No one (human or demon) would take His life from Him until He chose to lay down His life willingly for the sins of the world, thus fulfilling the prophetic meaning of His name. So at Nazareth the angels cleared a way through the crowds, and Jesus was able to escape from the attempt to throw Him over a cliff. He was unscathed by the encounter, but there must have been some very angry demons that were so pinned back by the angels that the people could not press home the attack. As with this experience in Nazareth, there are many other encounters Jesus had with people that can only be truly understood in the light of what was happening behind the scenes in the demonic and angelic realms.
11.2 At Capernaum (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37) At Nazareth the demonic powers had operated against Jesus without the people realizing what was happening. But at Capernaum the reaction was overt, as demons made their presence in a man publicly known. Jesus was speaking in the synagogue with authority, and the demons could stand it no longer. The man screamed out with a loud voice (hardly a polite comment from an attentive audience!), “Ah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are: you are God’s holy messenger!” (Luke 4:34). Here we have a man (singular) screaming out words at Jesus indicating that he was plural! Evidently the man had more than one demon in him. When Jesus responded to the situation, He initially ignored the man altogether and only addressed the demon, telling it to be quiet and come out of the man. Notwithstanding these directions from Jesus, the demon first threw the man down to the ground before coming out of him. We must not be afraid of such manifestations when people are being set free. Jesus did not seem at all concerned that the demon had this effect on the man during the actual deliverance—-neither must we be concerned. Indeed, there is a strong argument for letting people see what demons have done to others. It acts as a strong deterrent against sin and opens people up to the possibility of being set free themselves. Quite often I have sensed the demonic in people beginning to betray its own presence by displaying fear when others go through deliverance.
As already referred to in a different context, there was a time when I was preaching in an Anglican parish church when, five minutes into the sermon on healing and deliverance, a woman stood up and started to scream at the top of her voice, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” whereupon she tried to tear a Bible into little pieces to throw at me! The effect on the congregation was electric. Morning worship had never been like this before! The demons in her could not stand the threat to their security any longer. The teaching that was being given to the church had to be stopped at any price. But they overstepped the mark, revealed their presence and made it possible for that lady to begin her own pilgrimage to freedom. She was immediately set free from the demon that had cried out in church, and the Lord then began to show other areas of her life where the demonic had been exercising a stronghold. Far from being a victory for the enemy, it was a tremendous victory for Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. This incident is a very powerful illustration of the fact that Christians can have demons, as this woman had been converted some five years previously and was by this time the church secretary. This particular incident in the life of Jesus demonstrated to the people at Capernaum that Jesus had an authority over the demons, which they had not seen before. No doubt they were familiar with the Jewish exorcists who would struggle with largely ineffective rituals, and much noise, to drive demons out of people. Their testimony to the authority that Jesus had, whereby with His words He drove demons out of people, must have been gossiped round the district like wildfire! For the needs of the people were great, and there were many in need of deliverance, just as there are today.
11.3 At Simon’s House and After (Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41) After leaving the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus went with His disciples to Simon’s house, where Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. Without antibiotics and modern medicines, fevers were dangerous and potentially lethal. So Simon’s question to Jesus was probably a request for help in a potentially life-or-death situation rather than a passing minor illness. Social commentators also add that the situation was a difficult one for Simon in view of the conventions of the day. Jesus was an honored guest. His friends had come back after the synagogue service, and by custom the lady of the house should have been waiting on them. It would certainly not have been right for Simon to go into the kitchen to prepare the meal. So the situation was double edged. Simon’s mother-in-law was ill and in need of healing, but what was far more pressing, at that minute, was the fact that unless she was healed instantly, there was a social crisis on Simon’s hands! Scripture tells us in specific detail just what Jesus did. The mechanics of this healing are particularly significant, having enormous relevance to the matter of physical healing through deliverance. Jesus clearly discerned that the illness was not just a bodily condition, but that there was a spiritual power behind the physical symptom of the fever. So, instead of healing her of the condition, Jesus rebuked the fever (addressed the spirit of infirmity causing the fever) and ordered it to go. The Scripture describes how the fever left her immediately, and without further delay she got up to make the supper and waited on them! There was no recovery period—just deliverance and instant
healing as a result. It is dangerous, however, to build a theology of healing out of one isolated incident, and one cannot say that all physical symptoms are, therefore, demonic. What seems to be the case is that some symptoms, such as this one, are demonically caused, others are straightforward physical symptoms without a direct demonic intervention and yet others are a mixture of the two—see the story of the woman whose back was bent double in Luke 13:10-17. While not all sickness is demonic, there are far more demonically induced symptoms than the Church would readily admit. And one of the main reasons why some people are not healed is that the demonic dimension is not being discerned, even by those who believe in and use the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, among some charismatics I have sensed a certain amount of pride in the position they have reached. They don’t want to listen to anyone who is moving in a dimension of ministry that is unknown to them. I have frequently found it easier to minister deliverance to people who previously had no charismatic experience of the Holy Spirit than to those who thought they had all the answers. We know of many people, and even whole churches, who have come into totally new life in the Spirit when they have recognized the demonic dimension and seen the power of God bring wholeness through deliverance. A woman in one of our training courses had a very bad cold that was clearly causing her some distress. When I asked her how long she had suffered from it, she shocked me with her reply: "Twenty-five years!” The condition was medically diagnosed as rhinitis, a chronic form of sinusitis, which necessitated her using two to three boxes of tissues every single day. Additionally, she had to get up on two or three occasions every night so as to clear the sinuses,
which quickly became blocked again. The condition really was a curse upon her life. She had had prayer on several occasions for the condition, and the doctors had tried every possible medication—all to no avail. A few minutes' counseling established that her aunt had died twenty- five years previously and that her aunt had also suffered from sinusitis. Clearly the spirit of infirmity that had afflicted the aunt had transferred to the niece at death. I directly addressed the spirit of infirmity that had come from the aunt, in much the same way as Jesus must have dealt with the "fever” in Simon's mother-in-law. Immediately the demon manifested itself, and she began to blow out all the mess from her sinuses. Within a few minutes she was completely healed as the demon left her. That night she had the first uninterrupted night’s sleep in twenty-five years, and later in the year she wrote to me saying that her consumption of tissues had fallen from two to three boxes a day to just one in six months. Ample evidence indeed that she had been healed through deliverance! There are many medical conditions that have a spirit of infirmity at their root. While medication may minimize or even remove the symptoms, and while prayer for healing may bring about some reduction in suffering if the condition is demonic in origin, there will be no permanent healing until the demon has been cast out. Medical treatment can and does, apparently, completely cure many demonically induced presenting symptoms. But often, within a short period of time, the patient is suffering from something else, and there is a regular footpath between his home and the doctor’s office. Every doctor is aware of certain patients who, for no apparent reason, are always ill with something. Many such people are afflicted with a general spirit of infirmity, and good general health will not be
experienced by the patient until this has been dealt with. I use the word general here to distinguish from what is the more usual highly specific demon with a particular job function to cause a particular condition such as arthritis, cancer or paralysis. It should not be assumed from this comment that the cause of a medical condition is always directly attributable to the presence of a particular demon, but one should always be aware that this is a possibility. Following the incident at Simon’s house, the effect on the villagers was dramatic. First the story of what had happened at Capernaum was getting around, and then the news that Simon’s mother was up and perfectly well after Jesus had prayed with her attracted many sick people to the home. By the time Jesus had finished His meal, there were crowds outside the house wanting to see Him. The sick had come, or had been brought, from miles around, and the Scripture describes Jesus as healing a lot of people from diseases and casting demons out of many of them. The demons recognized Jesus. His profile was easily recognized by the spiritual powers who were in fear and trembling at the consequence of His presence. As they came out, some of them screamed, "You are the Son of God!”—as if He had no right to be present in what was to them Satan’s kingdom. But this declaration, though the truth (the demons did not attempt to lie about who Jesus really was), was both premature and from a source that Jesus was not prepared to acknowledge as a means of declaring His Messiahship. So, at this time, Jesus ordered the demons not to speak out such things, but He didn’t stop them from screaming. It seems that for some demons the scream is the means of exit, and to have stopped the screams, therefore, would have inhibited deliverance and prevented some people from being healed.
The events at Capernaum had an effect similar to dropping a lighted match into a can of gasoline. Suddenly the people were clamoring both to hear Jesus speak and to receive ministry from Him, “so he preached in the synagogues throughout the country” (Luke 4:44). It seems as though popular demand had, for the time being, overridden the antagonism of the Pharisees, and doors were opened to Jesus wherever He went. And so it is today. When ministers of the Gospel effectively minister healing and deliverance, there is no shortage of people in need who will listen to the preaching and teaching. Good teaching is a very powerful foundation on which to build a ministry of evangelism, healing and deliverance. Without teaching the people do not have a vision of what God can do for them and what may be required of them. And “where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained” (Proverbs 29:18, NASB). I have been regularly astonished at the way good teaching has exposed the demonic strongholds in the lives of individuals and churches, making ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit not only possible but dramatically effective. The ministry of healing and deliverance, in the context of evangelism, is an incredibly powerful means of bringing people under the sound of the Gospel in such a way that the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is given free access to their hearts. Evangelists, please note!
11.4 Jesus Encounters a Dumb Man (Matthew 9:32) Matthew’s account of the reason why this dumb man could not speak is simple and graphic—because he had a demon! We are not told whether the demon was affecting the tongue, the voice box or the speech center in the brain (we have encountered all these forms of demonic interference with speech). But we are told that the direct consequence of the demon’s presence was very specific, and that as soon as the demon was driven out by Jesus the man started talking. The senses are particularly vulnerable to demonic attack and appear to be easily controlled by demons. On many occasions we have seen people undergoing deliverance become dumb for a while as the demon is driven from its place of residence and tries to create maximum havoc on the way out! But this is a different phenomenon from a person being demonically dumb through, for example, demonic control of the speech center in the brain. Demons on the way out can have a restricting effect on the throat, the voice box, the tongue, the lips or even the muscles of the jaw, making not only speech but opening the mouth quite impossible. All of these are exit defense tactics the demons use to try to hang on to their place in the body. Clearly, resident demons can also control any of these organs, or the speech center in the brain, to induce dumbness. Not all dumbness is demonic. There are many dumb people with genuine physical defects that make it impossible for them to speak. But I believe a significant proportion of those whose speech systems are apparently in good working order, but who are nevertheless dumb, are as they are because of the presence of a
controlling demon with a very specific job function. I believe also that some such cases are the consequences of a curse on the generational line of the victim, such as might result from an ancestor having had his tongue cut out as a punishment or having participated in such an obscene act on someone else in a satanic or witchcraft ritual. Several times I have seen a person become totally dumb when he was being delivered of the spirit that had entered a family line through such a ritual.
11.5 The Blind and Dumb Demoniac (Matthew 12:22-32) This incident is the touchstone for a longer discussion about the authority Jesus has to drive out demons. (Comment on this is made in chapter 12.) All three synoptic Gospels include the discussion, but only Matthew tells us of the blind and dumb demoniac whose healing started the discussion. One of the dangers of studying individual cases in the gospels is the temptation to think that once you have understood one case of, for example, blindness, you have understood them all! This is manifestly not true, for not all cases of blindness have the same root cause. Some are caused by physical damage or injury, others by disease or, as in this instance in Matthew’s gospel, by the presence of a demon. If you look at the ways Jesus healed blind people, you will see several different ways in which He treated them—ranging from putting mud on their eyes to ordering out a demon. He appeared to vary the ministry according to the root cause of the blindness. Some people may question how it is possible for a demon to take away the capacity of an otherwise normally sighted person to see. It is easier to understand once one appreciates that the action of a demon can be highly specific to a particular organ, and even to different functions of a particular organ, producing symptoms that are perceived at a physical level but are caused by the presence of a demon. There are no simple answers, but I have seen people healed and restored when a demon has left. Jane had previously received some ministry in her progress toward wholeness. Suddenly she came under severe attack, and
before our very eyes she was struck totally blind. “Once I could see, now I am blind’’ was her cry, reversing the words of the man who had been healed by Jesus. For thirty-six hours she was totally unable to see anything, and for much of that time she was also totally deaf and dumb as well. She lost the use of all her primary senses. Mercifully, taste and touch were unaffected. It was a very frightening experience for her, and those of us with responsibility for her care learned to trust the Lord in a new way as we saw Him lead us through the nightmare-like crisis. Conversation with her was impossible. At times she could communicate with us by writing the spidery scrawl of a newly blinded person on yards of paper, but then the demon would even take over her hands, and praying was all we could do. At some times she got partial hearing back, and on those occasions she could communicate with us by one squeeze of her hand for yes and two squeezes for no when answering specific questions we asked her. It was a testing time, but the Lord showed us that the spirit attacking Jane had once been the guiding spirit of a child who had been sacrificed to Satan in a satanic ritual (see Deuteronomy 18:10). Before the sacrifice the child was silenced by cutting out the tongue, deafened by piercing the ears and blinded in a similar way. It seems that the guiding demonic spirit of a person generally assumes the characteristics of the person at the time of death, so when the spirit attacked Jane, it brought with it conditions of deafness, dumbness and blindness commensurate with the child when it was sacrificed. I put these details in this book not to shock or frighten anyone, but to be wholly realistic about the horrors and deceptions of Satan. He is a foul enemy.
But more important, I want to stress the wonder of the cross, for it is through the shed blood of Jesus and by the power of His name that as believers we have the authority to bring healing and deliverance to those who have been afflicted by the evil one and overcome all the works of the enemy, including demonically induced blindness (Luke 10:18-19). We must not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. For Jane, her healing and deliverance began with forgiveness of those who had perpetrated such a horrific act against another human being. For Nehemiah, “repenting on behalf of the ancestors” was a vital step toward the power of God coming upon him for his great work in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:6-7). This act of forgiveness unlocked the stronghold the demon had upon her. We were then able to place the demon, and the assemblage of lesser spirits that were under its control, under our delegated authority as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we cast these spirits out one by one, Jane’s senses gradually returned, until finally, when the controlling demon left, her eyesight was restored to normality. It was an awesome faith-building experience as the Lord gave us, one by one, the keys to her deliverance and healing. For the normally sighted, thirty-six hours of blindness is a very, very long time indeed. And for those of us who were praying and hanging on in faith by much less than the fingernails, it was an eternity. We learned that one fingernail with God is a sheet anchor into the security of His love. Retrospectively, I can thank God for the experience and see His hand at work in the crisis. We learned so many lessons in those neverto-be-forgotten thirty-six hours. Having seen someone blinded by a demon and then healed through deliverance, I have no problem with believing Matthew’s
comment as to why this man in the story was blind. Skeptics may say that Matthew was without modern medical knowledge and cannot have known the real reason for the man’s blindness—hence he just explained it away by attributing it to a demon. Perhaps such skeptics should listen more carefully to what Jesus actually said and did—and find that Jesus knew rather more about the subject than they do!
11.6 The Epileptic Boy (Matthew 17:14—21; Mark 9:14—29; Luke 9:37-43) The account by Mark is the fullest of the three descriptions of the healing of this boy. But each account contains significant extra details, and when all the symptoms that the boy had are culled from the three accounts and put together, it is clear that the boy suffered from grand mal epilepsy. (See Deliver Us from Evil by John Richards for a full assessment of the symptoms.) Jesus, with Peter, James and John, had just shared the incredible experience of talking with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. While they were away the other disciples were clearly carrying on the teaching and healing ministry and, as so often happens in life when the key person is away, a crisis occurred. Jesus was the key person. The crisis was an epileptic boy whom they could not heal. Jesus was greeted on His return from the mountain by the anguished father of the boy, who clearly was under the impression that the disciples should have been able to heal him. His distress was great, for their prayers had failed and it seemed as though his last chance of having his son healed had gone. He complained to Jesus that His disciples had been unable to help. At this, Jesus did not speak to either the boy or his father, but addressed the disciples directly and expressed something of His frustration with them when He said, “How unbelieving you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me!” (Mark 9:19). The disciples must have been dismayed at their Master’s words, but I think we must understand that it was out of compassion for the
boy and his father that Jesus expressed His frustration with the disciples. Later, when the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t get the demon out of the boy, Jesus told them, “It was because you do not have enough faith” (Matthew 17:20) and “Only prayer [“and fasting” in some translations, e.g., NKJV] can drive this kind out” (Mark 9:29). It is important to note that Jesus never accused the sick boy or his father of not having enough faith. It was the ministers of healing (the disciples) who were under scrutiny. Sometimes sick people are wrongly accused of not having enough faith. The responsibility for ministering healing lies first with the minister, not with the sick person. If, as a result of Holy Spirit discernment, the sick person is told he has to do something but refuses to do it (remember Naaman who initially refused to dip himself in the Jordan), or there is a mountain of skepticism and unbelief that the person will not repent of, the onus has then been transferred to the sick person. Second, Jesus drew attention to the need for prayer and possibly fasting. Most of the early manuscripts from which our modern translations are made include the words "and fasting.” It is only some of what are believed to be the earliest manuscripts that exclude these two words. Jesus certainly expected people to fast for the right reasons (in spite of what He said about the disciples not fasting while the bridegroom—Jesus—is present). In Matthew 6:16 He did not say to the disciples, “If you fast...” but, “When you fast...,” implying that they would and should fast from time to time. We have found, on numerous occasions, that special seasons of prayer (and sometimes fasting) have been strategic in preparing both the ministry team and the counselee for deliverance. This is an important Scripture that needs to be understood by critics of the deliverance ministry who claim that the ministry must be wrong because “Jesus cast demons out with a word and you’re taking
weeks!" They forget that, like the disciples, we are not Jesus, of whom every demon in hell was desperately afraid! They forget, too, that Jesus told the disciples that some deliverances would be hard for them without prayer and fasting. While the reference is only brief, it is nevertheless highly significant, for it introduces the concept of "degrees of difficulty’’ in delivering the severely demonized. This is certainly commensurate with our, and many other people’s, experience. The actual deliverance of the boy is also very significant. First, Jesus did not disagree with the father’s diagnosis of the boy’s condition, that it was caused by a demon. The father reported that “whenever the spirit attacks him, it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grits his teeth, and becomes stiff all over” (Mark 9:18). I recognize that epilepsy is not necessarily demonic in origin. But in this case, it clearly was. The disciples brought the boy to Jesus, and as they were bringing him the demon recognized Jesus, tried the only defense system it knew and threw the boy down in another fit "so that he fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth” (verse 20). Jesus did not immediately move in to heal the boy but asked the father a very important question, a question that we have often found to be significant as part of the pre-ministry counseling—as with the lady who had had sinusitis for twenty-five years—“How long has he been like this?" The father answered, “Ever since he was a child” (verse 21). We are not told what information Jesus deduced from this answer, and perhaps there was a longer conversation on this issue with the father. There was one lady we ministered to who was healed of epilepsy, which she had suffered from for seventeen years. In her
case, she responded to a specific word of knowledge that exposed premarital sexual sin precisely seventeen years earlier and the entrance of a spirit that, in her case, had brought along epilepsy on its coattails. The length of time was an important part of the pre-ministry investigation. Carefully recording information such as this can be highly strategic when it comes to the actual ministry. Finally, Jesus made another comment on faith when the boy’s father cried out in anguish, “Help us, if you possibly can!” Jesus told the father, “Everything is possible for the person who has faith” (Mark 9:22-23). The father pitifully replied, “I do have faith, but not enough” (verse 24). Note that Jesus did not condemn the man for not having enough faith but immediately commenced ministry to the boy. Jesus only said that we need faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, with which we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21). Sometimes I hear people talking about healing and deliverance as if it requires faith as big as a mountain to move a mustard seed! Not only was the boy an epileptic, but the gospel tells us that he was also dumb. When delivering him, Jesus addressed the “deaf and dumb spirit” and ordered it to come out and never return to him again. In this instance the name of the demon that brought the symptoms of epilepsy was "deaf and dumb spirit.” In the case of the woman described above it was a spirit of fornication. The response of the demon here is also interesting. Far from meekly leaving without a fuss, it immediately screamed and then threw the poor boy down again into one more bad fit before coming out. At this point the boy looked limp and dead. Again, this is not unusual after either a major deliverance or an epileptic fit. So I can fully understand the crowd’s reaction, thinking the boy had died during ministry. The contrast between the writhing demonized boy and the corpse like figure a few seconds later would have been so severe as to induce thoughts of death in the onlookers. Jesus simply
took the boy by the hand and helped him to his feet and gave him back to his father. What a victory that was. Verse 25 of Mark’s account says that the crowd had been closing in on Jesus before the boy was delivered. Possibly they were beginning to get angry that Jesus wasn’t going to heal the boy, and if He couldn’t heal him, they were asking themselves, "Is Jesus really everything He claims to be?” We do not know what the people had been thinking, but what we do know is that there was no further problem from the crowd when they saw the boy completely healed before their very eyes! Jesus never seemed to be concerned about even dramatic manifestions when someone was going through deliverance. But some critics of deliverance ministry have said, “You should never allow demons to manifest; they should always go out quietly.” On paper that sounds nice, but it is wholly unscriptural and, from our experience, often totally impractical! With many of the heavily demonized people we have had to deal with, it has been quite impossible to stop some of the manifestations that occur during deliverance. What I would like, for the sake of the counselee and our ministry teams, is for everything to happen nicely and quietly (decently and in order). But I take great encouragement from the fact that with Jesus deliverance was often messy and noisy, sometimes with screams and manifestations. We should not expect the modernday ministry of deliverance to be any different in this respect from the ministry of Jesus. Over the years we have had many “observers,” both from the U.K. and overseas, who have come alongside us to see the ministry of healing and deliverance in action. Some have come as skeptics, but
those who have stayed with us and actually seen what God has been doing in people's lives have left rejoicing at the healing power of Jesus. Hard evidence of changed lives cannot easily be refuted.
11.7 The Women and Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-3) At the beginning of Luke 8 there is the briefest of references to a very important aspect of deliverance ministry. The chapter begins with the extension of Jesus' traveling ministry when He went around with the twelve preaching the Good News through towns and villages. Luke tells us that there was also a group of women who used their own resources (presumably money and time) to provide for the needs of Jesus and the disciples. Sunday school teachers (and even some preachers) can give the impression that, far from being a man, Jesus was some unearthly kind of being who never needed food cooked for Him or His laundry done. Luke is a careful observer of small details and some of the "throwaway lines” in his gospel contain very revealing cameos of life with Jesus. The women in question are described here as “Mary (who was called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had been driven out; Joanna, whose husband Chuza was an officer in Herod's court; and Susanna, and many other women” (Luke 8:2-3). Obviously it wasn’t just one, or at the most two, women who were involved but quite an entourage! There is one factor, however, that completely unites this unlikely band of females (ranging from officers’ wives to prostitutes) into a body of dedicated supporters of Jesus. They had all "been healed of evil spirits and diseases” (Luke 8:2). Nowhere in the Scriptures do we have any such similar reference to a body of men being united together because of the common experience of having been delivered and healed.
The text here is quite specific and very significant, for it describes deliverance from evil spirits as “being healed.” All the translations (from the King James to the Good News) translate this phrase in a similar way. There is another passage that indicates something similar to this. In Luke 7:21, Jesus is specifically described at a particular time as curing “many people from their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits,” again indicating that healing (curing) can include what we now describe as deliverance. Further confirmation of this is found in the following verse when the healings referred to in verse 21 are used by Jesus in verse 22 as evidence to a messenger from John the Baptist (who was then in prison) of His Messiahship. Jesus said, "Tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. How happy are those who have no doubts about me” (Luke 7:22-23). Significantly, Jesus described all these healings and never mentioned an evil spirit once. Yet in the previous verse Luke (the careful recorder) tells us that some of the healings Jesus described were effected through deliverance from evil spirits. Therefore, we have to be very aware that other references in the gospels, where people are simply described as having been healed, may also have been descriptions of both healing and deliverance ministry. Similarly, today we must be alert to the possibility that those who come for healing may be sick because there is an evil spirit present that needs to be cast out—even if there is no immediate evidence that the person is demonized or no obvious manifestation of a demon during prayer. With experience, those ministering deliverance will learn to discern the presence of the demonic, even when there is no obvious manifestation.
Returning now to the women who accompanied Jesus, and their common experience of deliverance (the uniting factor that held them together in grateful service of the Lord). It is generally believed that one of these women, Mary Magdalene, had been a prostitute and, therefore, had a history of sexual activity. She is described as having had seven demons cast out of her. In the next part, when discussing demonic entry points, there is an extensive section on inroads through sexual activity. Sexual sin always affects the spirit and opens up a potential gateway for demonization. Therefore, where there has been sexual sin of any nature, deliverance is usually an important part of the healing process. This is especially so in the case of women who have been taken advantage of by men, whether the sexual participation was voluntary (as it presumably was in Mary Magdalene's case, although no one knows why she got involved in prostitution in the first place) or involuntary (in the case of those who have been forcibly abused, either as children or as adults). What I can say is that we have extensive experience of ministering to the sexually abused and those who have been wrongfully taken advantage of in sexual relationships, and we have found that deliverance has been a major key in bringing them through to complete wholeness. Sexual abuse brings with it a whole chain of problems, but if there has been demonization, no amount of other care and treatment will bring complete healing without deliverance also being part of the ministry that is given. By including this discussion here, I am not trying to imply that Joanna, Susanna and all the other women had had sexual affairs, but it does seem to be clearly stated that they needed deliverance. In our experience on healing retreats, as many as one in two of the women who have come to us for help have been sexually abused at some time
during their life. Most have also been demonized as a result, and it is not unreasonable to suspect, therefore, that probably half of this group of women, who had taken their needs to Jesus, had problems that originated in this area. Sexual abuse is talked about in detail in the Old Testament—it is not just a modern phenomenon (e.g., Judges 19). It is one of Satan’s most successful methods of effecting demonic interference and was probably as rife in Jesus’ day as it is now. Another reason that makes me think that many of these women might have been sexual abuse victims lies in their willingness, after deliverance and healing, to spend their lives in serving Jesus. For Jesus was probably one of the first men they had ever met whom they found they could trust 100 percent. They had no reason to fear the possibility of any abuse from Him. His sexuality was totally subject to the control of the Spirit of God and there was, therefore, not a hint of a sexual innuendo in His conversation, or any salacious look from His eye, or any wrongful touch from His hands. Women who have been abused know exactly what lies behind the looks, words and touches of those with sexual problems. Their spirits sense the wrong spirit that underlies the various contacts that men can try to make. In ministering to women we have seen time and time again how grateful they are to God for what He has done for them. They have known that deep down there was something inside them that had been controlling their lives, and it was only the power of the name of Jesus that has set them free. Their gratitude has known no bounds, and their willingness to be totally obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit has challenged me on many occasions as they have responded to the love of Jesus.
This whole discussion does highlight the need for sexual purity in the hearts of those men who minister to women. It is important that men should be involved in ministry to the abused—but not alone, women should always be present—for it is part of their healing to be able to receive help from the opposite sex. Men especially should be on their guard against the enemy taking advantage of a counseling situation to introduce lust into the proceedings. Some of the most hurt women I have ever met are those who eventually summoned up the courage to share their sexual story with a man but were then taken advantage of by their counselor. The sexual and spiritual consequences of this are devastating. I thank God that Jesus ministered to women, that He and the disciples could be trusted by women and that God is still willing to deliver those who have been demonized through their own sexual sin or the sin of others against them. This is a big topic, and in this book we can only touch on some key aspects of the subject, but at this point I must underline that any who wish to help the sexually abused in Christian ministry must also be comfortable with deliverance. It is an essential part of the ministry.
11.8 The Storm on the Lake (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25) All three gospel writers include this significant story. Mark tells us that it happened on the same day that the crowd by the lakeside was so big that Jesus had to get into a boat and use it as a platform from which to teach the people (Mark 4:1). It had been a tiring day, thousands of people were pressing in on Him and now Jesus needed a rest. "Let’s go to the other side of the lake,” He said. So Jesus stayed in the boat, the disciples got in and off they went. Jesus, exhausted from the day’s ministry, fell asleep on a pillow in the back of the vessel. The enemy often chooses moments when we are apparently off guard to launch his most dangerous attacks. Jesus was no exception to this frequently used tactic of demonic combat. The ministry of Jesus was beginning to have an effect in the region. His teaching was unseating demonic strongholds, and one wonders if the powers of the air had understood Jesus’ intentions in going to the other side of the lake (to set free the Gadarene demoniac) and moved in to do everything possible to prevent that boat from reaching the other side. If the disciples had been aware of what Jesus intended to do at the other side of the lake, they might not have been too keen to go there either! Suddenly, halfway across the lake, a violent storm blew up from nowhere. The disciples were experienced fishermen. They were able to read the weather and would not have set out across the lake if they had seen such a storm brewing. When it hit them they were caught so off guard that immediately water began pouring into the boat and they were in danger of sinking.
These experienced fishermen were afraid. But there was Jesus, a carpenter with little experience of the sea, fast asleep in the back of the boat as if they were paddling a dinghy for relaxation on the flat calm of a village pond. The disciples knew He was tired after the day’s ministry, but things were desperate. So they woke Him and in their fear and desperation spoke with words that could only have sounded like a rebuke from the crew, “Don’t you care that we are about to die?” (Mark 4:38). Jesus then did one of the most remarkable things in the whole of His ministry. He stood up in the middle of the boat, which must have been crashing from side to side in the gale, and spoke a command into the face of the wind. One could have forgiven the disciples if they had thought He was mad. For who in their right mind would think of shouting at the wind and the waves? It seemed as stupid as sitting on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and telling the tide not to come in, as King Canute (in British history) is reputed to have done. The frustration that the disciples showed in their rebuke to Jesus was probably about to boil over into anger and rage. What they wanted was help from Jesus, not this. Pulling on the ropes, bailing out the water, anything else would do—but not shouting at the wind! “Be quiet!” He commanded the wind. "Be still!” He commanded the sea (Mark 4:39). And immediately the wind died down and there was a great calm. This time the rebuke was from Jesus to the disciples. I can see the shocked amazement in their faces as ropes, now limp in the calm, slipped from their hands and bailing buckets dropped to the deck, now eminently redundant. Words were almost unnecessary, but Jesus nevertheless questioned them, "Why are you frightened? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). It is easy to have understanding with hindsight. My sympathies
are entirely with the emotions of the disciples. They were human beings; they were rightfully afraid. They did not have that perfect insight into what was happening in the spiritual realm. Just because Jesus was physically asleep does not mean that His spirit was switched off and insensitive to what was going on, but they were not to know that. Jesus was at peace because He had already won the battles with Satan in the wilderness, and He knew that whatever the demons tried to throw at Him, they would not, and could not, take His life from Him before He chose to lay it down. And His time had not yet come. That was the end of the matter as far as Jesus was concerned. While He was asleep the angels were in charge. It’s easy to say such things retrospectively and from our perspective, but the disciples had not seen Jesus exercise such authority over the elements before. Now, if they had found a sick and demonized man in the middle of the lake, floating on an improvised raft, that would have been no problem. "Jesus can heal the sick, and we’ve got Him in the boat!” Their faith would not have needed stretching an inch to have coped with that situation. They were used to Jesus commanding demons to leave people. But standing up in the middle of the lake and commanding the wind and the waves was a very different matter. After all, they weren’t quite used to the idea that demons were not always in people. It was a major new learning curve for the disciples, a faith-stretching experience of enormous magnitude that they would remember and pass on to other Christians with enthusiasm as they told of how they learned about the powers of the air and the victory that Jesus had over them. No doubt Paul, in his Mediterranean exploits, remembered the stories well. He had learned that whatever happened, provided he
remained in that position of complete obedience to the will of God as revealed to him through the Holy Spirit, the enemy could not take his life from him before the appointed time. While the wind and the waves are not normally controlled by demons, there is little doubt that on this occasion, the disciples ran into a demonic storm whipped up by the enemy. When Jesus commanded the wind and the waves, He was not speaking to the elements themselves, but the spirit that was behind the elements. There is little difference between this and addressing the sickness in a demonized person. While one might speak to the sickness, one is really speaking to the spirit that is behind the sickness. On one occasion, on a calm and sunny day, we were delivering a semi-derelict chapel of the resident demonic powers that drew occultists to the site for their witchcraft rituals. We all sensed that the powers were being broken, when suddenly a storm came up from nowhere and we were at the center of an almighty gale with huge raindrops being lashed against us by gale-force winds. We carried on praising God for the victory and spoke against the powers behind the storm, and it died down again as quickly as it had come up. The demonic powers were throwing in their last trick to distract us from the work God had given us to do that afternoon. And in the case of the demonic powers that resided over Galilee, perhaps the storm that raged on that day was the last weapon they had in their armory to try to prevent Jesus from landing at Gerasa and doing the special work He was going there to do.
11.9 The Gadarene Demoniac (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39) Gerasa, Gadara and Gergesa are all variations of the same name. So whether people talk about the Gadarene demoniac, the Gerasene demoniac or any other similar-sounding demoniac, they are talking about the same person and the same incident. They are recalling the day when Jesus was willing to confront the local madman, who was totally out of control and had enormous supernatural strength and of whom everyone else was petrified. Not the sort of guy to have around if you want a nice quiet life! The only significant difference between the three different accounts is that Matthew describes two men, whereas Mark and Luke say there was only one. Possibly Matthew remembers the man as having been so savage that he seemed to have the strength of two. But what is far more likely is that the burial caves in this area were often frequented by demoniacs and Matthew is linking two separate deliverances into one composite account. In all other respects the stories are similar, with various extra details provided by each writer. In commenting on this incident, I will draw on information from each of the accounts.
11.9.1 The Significance of the Graveyards All three writers tell us that the area of Gerasa where this violent man was to be found was a burial ground, giving an aura of terror to an already sinister place. Why should anyone want to live among the dead? We have ministered to quite a number of people with witchcraft or satanic practices in either their own background or that of their ancestors, and one of their presenting symptoms has been a strong compulsion to visit graveyards, lie on the tombs at night or, most compellingly, lie on the grave of a freshly buried corpse. In the demonic realm what appears to be happening on these visitations is that demons from those who have died are attempting to transfer to new homes, and the demons already inside a living person are trying to attract new demonic powers to enhance their power and further demonize their host. What is certainly the case in the story is that the man was highly demonized and that his demons had been successful in attracting a huge army of evil spirits, many of which will have come from the dead who had been buried in the tombs. The more demonized a person is, the greater the control by demonic powers and the greater the supernatural strength that can be displayed through the victim’s body.
11.9.2 Supernatural Strength The effect of this man on the local community was severe. Matthew tells us that the local road had become a no-go area, such was his fierceness. Mark and Luke describe the chains that had been used to attempt to contain his violence and protect the community from his menaces. But nobody had been able to get chains on him strong enough to hold him down. Many times people had tried, but always in vain, for whatever chains they used were always smashed. He was simply too strong for anyone to control. People who manifest this particular demonic characteristic are not permanently in a state of exercising supernatural strength. The strength manifests itself to protect the demonic kingdom within the person, to give prowess to the host who uses the demons to give him power and influence or, we have found, during the actual process of deliverance (rather like when Jesus delivered the epileptic boy, the demon’s characteristic of epilepsy was manifested during deliverance). We once ministered to a man who came for counseling because he had marriage problems. Two years of good pastoral care from his minister had not helped. When we started to pray for him demons came to the surface, and it was soon obvious why he had marriage problems. His wife was having to contend, not only with her husband, who genuinely wanted to be a good husband and father, but also with her husband’s demons, which had enormous strength and power. For example, in his job on a building site, during lunch hours he would impress his workmates with feats of supernatural strength, carrying unbelievably large numbers of bricks. He had no idea that he had been using demonic power to do these things. Deliverance not only changed him but healed the marriage
problems, and many years later the relationship is doing fine. (It is not unusual in marital situations for people to try to counsel into the relationship when the bottom line is that one, or both, of the partners needs deliverance. Only then can the couple begin to relate as husband and wife instead of the husband’s demons versus the wife’s demons.) Martial arts are also listed in our counseling checklist as a possible demonic entry point. While healthy physical fitness and muscle training is part of such sports, there can also be a demonic dimension to them that changes their nature from a sport to a demonically empowered activity. When we watch such sports, what we are observing is a contest between one contestant’s demons, linked with his body, against the body and demons of the other contestant. It is never portrayed as such in the publicity for these sports, but once having had to deliver people of the demons that have come in through participation, one has a very different perspective on these things!
11.9.3 Cutting and Screaming Mark adds another significant detail in his account of the story of the Gerasene demoniac. He tells us that the man wandered through the tombs day and night screaming and cutting himself with stones— presumably sharp flints or other such sharp edges with which it was possible to draw blood. In the story of Elijah’s confrontation with the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah watched while the prophets called on their god to bring fire down on their sacrifice. Nothing happened, “so the prophets prayed louder and cut themselves with knives and daggers, according to their ritual, until blood flowed. They kept on ranting and raving” (1 Kings 18:28-29). We see here that cutting themselves until blood flowed was part of the traditions of Baal worship. Baal worship is a form of demon worship and a severe occultic practice. Exodus 20:5 tells us that one of the consequences of idolatry is that the sins of the fathers are visited on the children. And that can mean that the demons that enter a person through occultic sin can travel down the family line affecting future generations. One person who came to us for help regularly cut herself to “satisfy the pressing demands of her demons for blood.” It seems possible, therefore, that the Gadarene demoniac could have been a descendant of Baal worshipers and that his madness was partly a result of demons that had come upon him because of the sins of his ancestors. As a result he was now forced, against his will, to fulfill the rituals of a form of worship that was probably foreign to him. We have ministered to many people who try to cut themselves with glass, razor blades or other sharp instruments. Rarely is this an
attempt to commit suicide by cutting the wrists, but it is designed to create pain and draw blood. For some, this has become a means of masking intense emotional pain that cannot easily be fought—the physical pain caused by cutting themselves is a focus for pain that distracts from the real source of hurt inside. Others, however, are descendants of those who have been known to be involved in occultic worship of demons, and the demon controlling the desire to draw blood has been specifically associated with occultic practice. There may not be many Baal worshippers around today, but there are many Freemasons, and not many people realize that the name of the Masonic god, Jahbulon, is an amalgam of the names of three gods, the middle one of which represents Baal!
11.9.4 Nakedness Luke adds another significant detail in his account. “For a long time this man had gone without clothes” (Luke 8:27). People who are mentally deranged very often lose all sense of personal modesty. It is not unusual for patients in mental hospitals to wander around naked by preference, giving the staff endless problems when visitors arrive. It is enlightening to observe that many of the rituals of witchcraft and Satanism are carried out in the nude, and many of them include sexual acts and perversions as part of the initiation ceremonies and ongoing practices of the covens. Nudity, under demonic direction, becomes part of the way of life. It is not surprising, therefore, to find on occasion that those whose ancestors have been involved in such occultic practices are afflicted by spirits that make the person want to remove their clothes, for that is a prelude to intensified demonic activity. It seems possible, therefore, that both the Gerasene demoniac and many people who are “mentally ill” and suffer in this way could be generational victims of demonization through occultic sin. Certainly we have experienced the situation where the person we have been ministering to has had to fight for his sanity in this respect—against demonic powers within that were doing everything they could to make the person remove his clothes. The ministry team has also had to help preserve the modesty of counselees who were so demonized that they had become temporarily out of control in this respect. The whole subject of nudity has much wider implications, however, than the nakedness of witchcraft rituals. In the past twenty years the world has become progressively less self-conscious, and
nakedness on beaches, in films, on television and in print has progressed at an astonishing speed. In order to understand something of why Satan and his demons encourage nudity, and are behind the worldwide explosion in pornography, we need to return to Genesis 2 and 3, which we last looked at in chapter 7 on the Fall of man. Prior to the Fall, the flesh life that God had given to man was totally sanctified and holy. There was no need for any shame or embarrassment, either between man and woman in their nakedness or in the presence of anyone else (Genesis 2:25). In the Genesis account, that third person was the Lord Himself. The moment that mankind gave entrance to Satan, the potential was there for demons to corrupt the flesh and spoil what God had planned for mankind in sexual relationships. Sex was intended by God to be primarily a spiritual act of total unity that is completed by men and women who are committed to each other in a covenant relationship through the mind, the emotions and the will, and finally through bodily sexual intercourse. The Hebrew word for sexual intercourse used in Genesis is the same word as is used for “knowing" God, confirming the intense spirituality that God intended for sexual bonding. Embarrassment at being naked does not stem from how you feel about your own body, but from not wanting others to see the genital areas. Embarrassment at genital nakedness was a direct consequence of the Fall, and doing something about it was Adam and Eve’s first action after becoming sinners. Not that they were or should ever be embarrassed in front of each other as husband and wife, but because they were expecting a visitor from whom they naively tried to hide their nakedness—as if one can hide anything from God! But in their spirits they knew that things could never be the
same again and that from that time on it was wrong for others to see their nakedness. The key to this lies in the understanding of sex being spiritual first and bodily second, or even third. For it is through the spirit that Satan and his demons have direct access to the flesh, and Satan has always wanted to pervert and destroy everything that God created. Before the Fall there would be no danger in anyone seeing our sexual nakedness, but after the Fall Satan’s perversion of the flesh introduced the potential for lust. To lust is directly contrary to the very nature of God, who is love and who created us in His own image. Hence a primary reaction to the Fall was, inevitably, an immediate move to be protected from Satan’s corruption. Covering up the nakedness was, therefore, a rightful response from Adam and Eve, which was confirmed by the Lord Himself when He “made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife” (Genesis 3:21). What had happened was this. Man had become like God in his spiritual understanding and now had “knowledge of what is good and what is bad.” That knowledge was the one aspect of God’s understanding that had been withheld from His creation, man. I believe that God wanted to protect man from what had happened in the heavenly realm when Satan rebelled and was expelled from heaven. However, God had chosen to give man free will. He did not want to create a race of robots who were unable to do anything other than what He wanted, like supernatural toys who could be wound up at the beginning of time to always perform perfectly according to an eternal clockwork program. But the Lord nevertheless wanted to warn His creation of the danger that lurked in the spiritual realm without removing His free will—hence the story of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
where man had a choice and could use his free will not to eat of the tree and, therefore, choose eternal protection from all that Satan would throw at him. “But," God said, "eat of the tree and you will surely die!” The death God meant was not immediate physical death, but death to the spiritual relationship with the living God that was, until then, marked by purity, innocence and holiness. Man could now differentiate between love and lust. Within man was God’s nature—love. But now Satan’s character was also being implanted in mankind, and the capacity for lust became part of man’s fallen carnal nature. It is only within marriage that looking on each other’s sexuality for the expression of love (giving, not taking) is allowed. Which of us could say, with a clear conscience, that we could look on the sexuality of a member of the opposite sex whom we find attractive and be totally free from the possibility of lust? Covering up nakedness was God’s immediate response to the Fall. It must have saddened Him enormously to have to do this, but the greater aim of protecting mankind from the demonization that comes through the expression of lust had to prevail. Hence Jesus’ comment on adultery in the Sermon on the Mount: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28, NKJV). Jesus is saying here, in another way, that sex is primarily spiritual and that as far as God is concerned, spiritual adultery is as much a sin as physical adultery. The effects on the other party will inevitably be greater if the physical act of adultery is committed, but from a sin point of view, spiritual (heart) adultery is as much an offense against God as the act of sex itself, for adultery of this nature is the outworking of lust, and is joining in with Satan’s rebellion against God. (Similar comments
would apply to homosexual lust, where men are lusting after men and women after women. By saying that, I am not giving sanction by default to the rightness of allegedly loving homosexual relationships. The Bible’s teaching on this is very clear.) When we begin to understand the spiritual nature of sin, we begin to get a far deeper appreciation of the wonder of redemption and the forgiveness that God made freely available for all who believe. None of us could stand before God were it not for the fact that our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. Praise God indeed! This whole discussion may have seemed a long diversion in our study of the Gadarene demoniac, but it is vital to an understanding of a major aspect of demonization. Satan and his demons encourage nakedness and pornography because it encourages lust, which (like all sin) is a form of rebellion against God. Encouragement of lust strikes at the deep spiritual significance that God intended for sexual relationships and debases both men and women, irrespective of whether they are the one who looks or the one who is looked at. It is not surprising, therefore, that so many rituals of witchcraft and Satanism are done in the nude or that in these days, when there is such a worldwide rise in occult activity, we are also in an era of unprecedented nakedness presented to the world in ways that often cannot be avoided. Christians need to be constantly in prayer for their children, that their minds may be protected from the sexual onslaught of the world.
11.9.5 The Actual Confrontation with Jesus The moment Jesus landed at Gerasa, the demoniac’s demons were aware of His presence. They knew who Jesus was and that He was the only person who had ever walked the face of this earth who had the power and authority to challenge their stronghold on this wild man of the caves. Immediately they saw Jesus; therefore, they recognized the power of the Holy Spirit working through Him and reacted strongly to His presence, as they often do when faced with Christians who recognize the demonic and are ministering in deliverance. It has been our regular experience that the demons often know when the person is going to a place where Spirit-filled Christians will be able to discern the presence of the demonic. We have heard many amazing stories of how demons have sought to prevent people from getting to Ellel Grange. And right on the doorstep they have dared to reveal their presence and have cried out from a person things like “Don’t go in there, it’s dangerous” and "Get away from here, now,” and on quite a number of occasions we have had to physically help people into the building because their demons had such a strong physical hold that it was quite impossible for them to have entered unaided. Most of our ministry team have had things said or shouted at them during ministry. Words such as “I hate you,” addressed at a person on whom there is a special anointing of the Holy Spirit, are not unusual. Conversely, if the person ministering to an individual does not recognize the need for deliverance and has no discernment of the demonic, the demons will lie low and remain hidden and unchallenged, knowing that they need not fear eviction. Such counseling is not a threat to them, for they know that, whatever happens during the ministry time, they will be able to regroup and
continue their attacks on the person after the “ministry” is over. If we are moving in ministry at a level that does not accept the possible presence of the demonic, or from a ministry model that will only deal with the demonic if it manifests, then most of the demonic strongholds in people's lives will remain hidden and ministry will, inevitably, be superficial. When ministering to people in churches, at healing services or in our training courses, it is not unusual for people who are ordinarily very nice people to suddenly want to strangle me, spit at me, swear at me, make faces at me or demonstrate some other violent response. This is only because I have recognized the demonic that is operating in the person's life and started to deal with it. The people usually get quite a shock to find themselves behaving like this, for they themselves have only asked for ministry because they felt they could trust me. The demons in the Gerasene demoniac immediately took the battle to Jesus and made the man cry out, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me!” (Luke 8:28). The question is similar to that which demons had asked on other occasions, and almost identical to what the demon said in the synagogue at Capernaum at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The demons knew there was to be an appointed time for Jesus to deal with them, but they certainly didn't want that moment to come! At this point Jesus must have said, "Come out of the man,” for both Mark and Luke record that the conversation with the demon was only continued because the demon had remained entrenched and was refusing to go. The demon's response to the command to leave was a cry for clemency: “I beg you, don’t punish me” (Luke 8:28). Mark quaintly adds that the demon even said, "For God’s sake.... don’t punish me” (Mark 5:7). The fact that the demon was still there after Jesus had
commanded it to leave must be a source of much encouragement to those who have experienced difficulty during deliverance ministry. So Jesus changed His method of approach to the situation and asked the demon a question: “What is your name?” If you know someone’s name, you are in a far stronger position to exercise authority or power over him. All schoolteachers know the difficulty of exercising discipline if they keep on forgetting the names of their pupils. In this case Jesus appeared to be addressing the ringleader of the demons, for in answer to the question, it responded, “Legion—for we are many." In answering the question, it gave away the fact that there was not just one demon there but a whole army of them. A Roman legion contained up to six thousand men, and the implication, therefore, is that up to six thousand demons were occupying the man. It is not surprising, therefore, that he was so strong and so out of control. On a number of occasions we have encountered similar cases, when demons that have been challenged as to their identity have also responded with the name Legion. In severe cases there have been several “Legion demons,” each with its own private army of evil spirits under its control. Whenever one talks about this particular deliverance, some people ask the inevitable question: How could six thousand spirits possibly live inside the body of one human being? The problem with understanding such seeming impossibilities is that we try to imagine demons in spatial three dimensional terms, often with images in our minds from some of the speculative drawings of demons that most people have seen. It is, perhaps, a little more helpful to think of demons not so much as huge ugly creatures, as undoubtedly some of them are, but more as germs, the size of which is infinitesimal but the effect of which can be life-threatening.
Germs are only a real threat to us if we are attacked by a variety that our bodies are not protected against, or if we do not practice sensible health and hygiene precautions in our normal living. It’s a bit like that with the demonic. If we live in obedience to the Holy Spirit (practice good spiritual hygiene) and we are on our guard against unexpected attacks from outside sources, then we need not fear being demonized. But if our spiritual hygiene is poor and in our lives there is an open wound caused by sin, then who is to say just how many demons are likely to gain access to us through that entry point? Just as there could be countless germs in a festering physical wound, so there could be extensive demonization through a festering spiritual wound. Ungodly activities in preconversion days can also be a source of ongoing problems if the root issue has not been healed and the demonic consequences of these things have not been dealt with through deliverance upon coming to Christ. However many demons were present in the man, they knew that eventually they would have to leave him, because they were facing Jesus Himself. Mark tells us that they pleaded with Jesus not to be sent out of the area. The significance of this question probably related to the ruling spirit that was in charge of the area, and to whom the demons inside the man were ultimately answerable. If the demons had been sent out of that particular area, they would have found themselves under the control of a different ruling spirit, and there may have been inter-demonic war and even demonic punishment as a result. We have heard demons squealing in terror, not at the fact that we were casting them out, but at the punishment they were getting from higher demons for giving away vital information about how they had entered in the first place. As a general rule demons hate each other and are only united in any way because they are equally afraid of their ultimate master, Satan. They will also fight each other for
self-gain and elevation to a higher position. On one occasion, a demon whimpered pitifully before we cast it out, complaining about how cruel we were to cast it out just after it had won promotion in the ranks! The anxiety the demons expressed in the gospel account, about not being sent from their particular area, also gives an important clue to a very common problem—homesickness. Not all homesickness has a demonic origin, but there are many occasions when someone is so unnaturally uncomfortable away from home that it is obvious something quite deep is happening in his life. It is generally put down to being something emotional, but we know in some cases it is because the person has demons that are answerable to the local ruling spirit and are very uncomfortable once they go outside the territory of their own demonic control. The demon then makes the person feel uncomfortable so that he becomes convinced that he wants to go home, whereas it is the demon that wants to get off the territory of an alien ruling spirit and get back to safer ground! There are good emotional reasons as well why people do often want to go back to a place of personal security, but in cases that seem irresolvable and quite irrational, demonic involvement is probably the real answer. Luke tells us that the demons also pleaded with Jesus not to send them to the abyss. The abyss is believed to be the place of torment and punishment for fallen angels and demons, who are currently imprisoned in the depths of the earth awaiting their final curtain call on the world’s stage. Jude tells of some fallen angels who “did not stay within the limits of their proper authority, but abandoned their own dwelling place: they are bound with eternal chains in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be
condemned” (Jude 6). And Peter tells us that "God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkness, waiting for the Day of Judgment" (2 Peter 2:4). For the time being, roaming about the earth under Satan’s command was clearly preferable to being sent to the abyss, and the demons were in fear lest Jesus would send them there. Luke then tells us that Legion put in one more plea to Jesus, which, this time, Jesus acceded to. “Send us to the pigs; let us go into them.” The story of what happened is well known. Jesus agreed to this being their destination, and the demons, already having been ordered to leave, immediately fled from the man and went into the whole herd of two thousand pigs. The effect on the pigs was traumatic. Such was the shock of an average of three demons per pig landing in the herd that they turned tail, ran toward the sea, fell over a cliff and were drowned. It is not recorded where the demons went after that. After years of thought, and discussion with many people, I have only ever come up with one remotely satisfactory answer as to why Jesus risked bad relationships with the local farming community by destroying their herd of pigs. It was because of His love and compassion for the man. When one deaf and dumb spirit came out of the epileptic boy, the effect on the boy was devastating, as a major manifestation took place. Then, much against its will, the demon was dislodged from its hiding place. The effect on the man of six thousand demons leaving in a similarly reluctant fashion, all at the same time, would probably have been such that he would not have survived the ordeal. The demons, however, had chosen to go willingly into the pigs, and if they would leave without a fuss, then the man would be spared the terrible ordeal of the demons tearing his flesh as they went. On some occasions we have seen actual physical injuries caused by demons as they left.
However, I don’t think we should take this story as a spiritual precedent, authorizing us to cast demons into animals as a general rule of deliverance! Whatever the real reason, it was Jesus who agreed to their going, so they went and the man was free. “People... found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind..The man had been cured” (Luke 8:3536). An amazing miracle had taken place, and the man was so grateful to Jesus that he wanted to go with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Go back home and tell what God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).
11.9.6 Opposition to Deliverance Ministry Sadly, the reaction of the local people, even after they had seen the man whole, was not one of rejoicing but one of fear. The man had been so well known for the terrible powers that controlled him that their uninformed response to Jesus was probably that they thought He must have even more powerful demons, in which case they did not want Him anywhere near them. So Jesus went away, putting into practice what He was later to teach the seventy-two: that whenever they went into a town and were not welcomed, they were to wipe the dust of that place off their feet and move on (Luke 10:8-12). Regrettably, there are many people today in our churches who do not want anything to do with the deliverance ministry. Because it is outside their personal experience, they reject both it and the people who are ministering deliverance. Sometimes they even accuse good ministries of using an ungodly power. I remember praying for one person who deeply needed healing from spirits of infirmity that affected him and, as a result, everyone around him. Superficially, he did want to be healed (from the symptoms), but the presence of the Holy Spirit upon him was stirring up the enemy, and he immediately said, in a voice that sounded like his but that was definitely not him speaking, “Don’t ever pray for me like that again!” When confronted, the enemy had used all that man’s religious tradition to put an end to any praying that would expose and unseat the demonic strongholds that controlled his health. I hesitated about whether to mention the price of being involved in deliverance ministry in this book. I do not want to see anyone turning away from doing the works of Jesus that He has commissioned us to do. But then I thought about Jesus Himself, who so needed people around Him but still warned that to follow Him
would be like taking up a cross of their own—and the cross only meant one thing—crucifixion. For us, crucifixion is unlikely to mean being literally nailed to a wooden cross, but instead the crucifixion of self: one’s own ego, reputation, career and even ministry. One may have to endure pain, insults, betrayal and false accusation. Jesus said to those people, "If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job. If you don’t, you will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of you. ‘You began to build but can’t finish the job!’ they will say” (Luke 14:28-30). We need to be aware of the cost of following Jesus in all its aspects so that when there is opposition we will, at least, understand and know where it’s coming from. In our experience, it is usually those with a strong religious reputation to protect, or an already "successful” ministry that does not incorporate deliverance, who are most easily used by the enemy to oppose the ministry of deliverance. They need to remember that it was in the context of deliverance ministry that Jesus said to religious people, "Anyone who is not for me is really against me; anyone who does not help me gather is really scattering” (Matthew 12:30). I have often heard that verse quoted out of context to support a particular line of religious action, but rarely have I heard it used in its proper context of supporting spiritual warfare against the powers of darkness and encouraging people to help Jesus gather in the harvest by fulfilling His commission to deliver people of demons.
11.9.7 Talking to Demons Another major issue that the ministry to the Gerasene demoniac introduces is that of talking to demons. It is the only deliverance ministry recorded in the gospels in which Jesus engaged in any sort of conversation with the demons inside a person. In other ministries the demons certainly cried out, but it seems as though Jesus’ immediate response of “Come out!” was normally sufficient to set the person free. In this instance it was not enough. The Gerasene demoniac is the most severely demonized person the gospel records describe as having been delivered by Jesus. This account demonstrates to us that there were occasions when even Jesus found things difficult. The passage we have already looked at about the epileptic boy is equally encouraging in this respect, for Jesus introduced there the concept of degrees of difficulty in deliverance ministry when He said to the disciples, "This kind can come out only by prayer,” implying that more than just exercising authority over demons is necessary on some occasions (Mark 9:14-29, NIV). The significance of Jesus’ talking to the demons on this occasion seems to lie in the need for the demons to understand the authority Jesus had over them and also possibly for the disciples to see that even the most powerful of demons had to come under His authority. When Jesus challenged the demons to speak their names, they recognized His authority and obeyed. The conversation Jesus had with the demons was solely to set the man free; that is the only valid reason for talking with them. Anything more than this is using the demons to find out information that is unrelated to the task of delivering people from the powers of darkness. This is close to mediumship and is expressly forbidden in the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 18:10-15).
We have often found, with very severely demonized people, that brief conversation with the demons to find their names has been a necessary stage in undermining their authority in the person’s life. Another question we have found to be just as powerful in this respect is "How did you get in?” When the demon realizes it has to answer this question and reveal the way it gained a foothold in the person’s life, a significant hold over the person has been broken. As with Legion in the Gerasene demoniac, the demons themselves will often come out with statements and comments— sometimes as a means of playing for time, in the hope that we will give up and leave the demon in residence. Often demons have looked at those ministering and said such banal things as “Aren’t you tired? Why don’t you stop and have a rest!" All such comments need to be rebuked accordingly and the ministry pressed home, for when they start saying things like that, it is clear they have lost most of the ground on which they are standing. Those who criticize this aspect of deliverance ministry and say, “You should never talk to demons; they always tell lies” are themselves being dishonest with the gospel accounts. There is no record of a demon ever speaking a lie in the New Testament. In both the gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, they are recorded as always telling the truth. Jesus never rebuked a demon for dishonesty. That doesn’t mean to say that demons are not basically deceitful creatures; they are. Their job function is to whisper Satan’s lies into our hearts and lead us into sin, which is simply rebellion against God. But when demons were face to face with Jesus in a confrontational situation, they knew that Jesus would know what was truth and what was deceit. A similar thing happens when demons are challenged in the name of Jesus by believers who are exercising a rightful authority in deliverance ministry. The demons will try to lie,
but such lies are readily discernible by those ministering, and time and again we have reprimanded them and made them speak "the truth that Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the flesh would confirm as being the truth.” These words are very powerful when confronting the enemy. No demon could ever come in the flesh; therefore, such a phrase totally and uniquely identifies the one in whose name we have such authority and distinguishes Him from any demon (of which there are many) who has adopted the name Jesus so as to deceive people into thinking they are worshiping the Son of God. There are many who call themselves "Christian” who are not truly born again, who have come under the curse of a religion that is devoid of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and are now worshiping a demon! No wonder Timothy had to warn that "some people will abandon the faith in later times; they will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).
11.9.8 The Heavily Demonized This story of Jesus specifically going to the other side of the lake and ministering healing to the Gerasene demoniac offers hope to the heavily demonized and those who have the responsibility of caring for them. Ministering to such people is not easy, for the demonic web has often been wound very tightly indeed around the spirit, soul and body of the individual. What we have found, however, is that when one systematically applies the truths of God's Word to the lives of such broken people, then a way into the demonic jungle can be found. It often takes great love and patience to win the person’s confidence before any ministry is possible, but it is worth the effort. It can be like having a huge ball of tatty bits of string that are all knotted together in a hopeless mess. But look for the ends, see where they are fastened and piece by piece you will see the ball untangled. There will be a fight, the demons will put up strong resistance to being dislodged from their home, but keep persevering and the victory will come! We have also found that many people who have suffered for many years have never understood that their problems could have a demonic root. Explaining to them that there is a possibility they are demonized offers them a ray of hope, whereas formerly there was no hope. Deep inside our spirits we know when truth that is relevant to our lives has been spoken. The same is true of those who are told for the first time that it looks as though Satan has managed to find a way of controlling them from within via evil spirits. For many, that is the best news they have ever heard, for they have known that they have been battling with powers beyond their
control and that they are not mad. But others have not believed them. Far from making them feel how evil they must be, knowing the truth enables them to get rightfully angry in their own spirits at what Satan has done and start fighting against the powers of darkness. Facing such truth is the beginning of freedom. But just one word of caution—deliverance ministry should never be considered as a replacement for a clean walk with the Lord, obedience to Him and dealing with the flesh. Demons should never be used as an excuse for sinful behavior, and neither should sinful behavior that will result in demonization be entered into on the assumption that you can always get delivered later. That is putting God to the test wrongfully— the sin that Satan tried to push Jesus into during His temptations in the wilderness. I believe this particular deliverance ministry of Jesus has, therefore, great significance to the Church. Jesus was showing the disciples that they must seek out the lost, the hopeless and the less socially acceptable cases, even if it means going a long way out of your way to "save” one apparently hopeless person. The consequences of seeing just one such person healed, and then testifying to the saving, healing and delivering power of God, are so great that Satan will do everything in his power to obstruct such ministries— even stir up the most vicious storm on Galilee the disciples had ever encountered. So be on your guard against the enemy’s counterattacks—-both from the outside and from the inside. It has been my own experience that Satan knows my own personal weaknesses very well indeed, and it is not unusual to experience severe attacks in these areas either just before or just after major ministries that are particularly strategic to the Kingdom of God.
It is very significant that Peter warned us that the enemy is “like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV). He had experienced the viciousness of Satan’s attack on his weak spots the night before Jesus died. Be encouraged. Jesus did not reject him; He reaffirmed Simon Peter as a man anointed of God for work in His Kingdom.
11.10 The Syro-Phoenician Woman’s Daughter (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30) This particular deliverance ministry has four special features that are not expressed through any of the other healings through deliverance that Jesus did. First, it is what we would call today a proxy deliverance, where the mother of the girl came to Jesus pleading for help for her demonized child, who was left at home. Second, it is a ministry to someone who was, at that time, beyond the limits of Jesus' ministry of deliverance. Jesus’ initial calling was to the house of Israel, but this woman and her daughter were not Jews, and initially Jesus told her that He could do nothing for her. Third, Jesus uses this particular ministry to illustrate that deliverance is a “bread ministry” (bread meaning staple diet) for the people of God. And fourth, He demonstrates through this story that persistence in asking, which is a product of faith, will be rewarded.
11.10.1 Proxy Deliverance We are often asked if we can pray for deliverance for someone who is not present at the time of the prayer. By way of encouragement, I refer them to this story when Jesus did just that. However, I do not make a general point of saying that this is a normal ministry to be applied in all situations. For there is a unique feature to the story that does not apply to every situation and would seem to restrict its general application. The ministry that the mother requested was for her daughter, who was, presumably, still a child and under the rightful cover of her parents. What we have found in practical experience is that where someone is under the cover of the person requesting prayer, this can be an effective and rightful ministry. But when children grow to maturity and become adults in their own right, they move outside the spiritual cover of their parents, and they have to make decisions for themselves about whether or not they are coming to Jesus for healing and deliverance. This woman’s child was under her parental cover. And the gospel records that when, at the end of the interview, Jesus agreed to pray for her daughter, the girl was healed at that very moment. We know of similar instances where there has been an instant change in a child’s condition when we have prayed deliverance for that child through the parents. We have found this ministry to be particularly effective when we are dealing with generational deliverance, where demons have come down the family line and have passed through the parents to the child. This is generally effected via a demonic control that is still in the parents, so that we have sometimes ministered deliverance to both the parents and the child at the same time.
When deliverance has taken place in the parent, we have ordered the demon to take with it the demons it has placed in the children as well, with considerable effect. While we have never had any problems with the child during such ministry, we would caution, however, that there should usually be someone with, or near, the child while ministry is taking place elsewhere. We have sometimes been asked to pray in this way for someone who is not under the cover of the person who is asking us to pray. While I am always happy to pray prayers of intercession in such a situation, it is only on rare occasions that I would use proxy deliverance in this way and would only pray deliverance for someone who is under the spiritual covering of the person who is asking for help. For those who are adult and, therefore, accountable to God for their own lives, it is important that they themselves should be the ones seeking healing through deliverance.
11.10.2 Ministering Deliverance outside Israel Jesus’ first calling was to come as the Messiah for the Jews, the people on whom God’s hand had been since He established the covenantal promise with Abraham. His secondary, but critical, calling was to die not only for the sins of the Jewish people but for the sins of the whole world, so that Gentiles could be grafted into the vine and inherit all the blessings that God had promised His own special people. It was only after His death and resurrection that that time would come with the dramatic events of Pentecost. So when this Canaanite woman from across the border pressed her needs among the crowds, she was, at first, ignored by Jesus. But she persisted and became quite noisy in her pleading. The disciples had clearly had enough and asked Jesus to send her away. Then Jesus explained why He could not minister to her needs, but she still persisted in her request for help for her daughter who was at home in a terrible condition, sick because she had a demon. We need to compare this story carefully with the occasion when the Roman officer pressed his claims for healing on behalf of his servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10). It was a similar situation, but on that occasion Jesus made no mention of His only being called “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” but immediately accepted the request from the officer, channeled through some Jewish elders, to go to the Roman soldier’s house and heal the servant. At the end of this incident and the one with the Syro-Phoenician woman, Jesus spoke similar words to both her and the Roman officer, commending them for their great faith. Clearly Jesus was impressed that people who had no historical Jewish ancestry or religious tradition should have such faith that they would ask Jesus to heal, believing that He had the power to do so. But Jesus’ initial reaction to
the two situations was radically different—to the woman it was no, but to the man, yes. Now, I do not believe there was anything sexist in Jesus’ two responses. He, perhaps more than anyone else of His day, was willing to give women their rightful place in society and family life. So why the radically different responses? Is it possible that the difference lay in the type of ministry that was required, such that Jesus was quite happy to heal the sick of whatever race, but dealing with demonic powers in non-Jews (nonbelievers) was not something He would normally do unless the person was willing to submit to the authority of the God of Israel? This would be wholly consistent with what Jesus said on another occasion about the danger of casting a demon out of a person and leaving the house clean and tidy but vulnerable to re-invasion. There is no danger of such vulnerability if the Holy Spirit fills the space, and it was only after the resurrection and Pentecost that it became generally possible for Gentiles to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So why then did Jesus minister deliverance to this woman’s daughter after all? I believe the key lies in her response to Jesus’ statement as to why initially He could not minister to her. Jesus had said, "It isn’t right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The woman then replied, “That’s true, sir, but even the dogs eat the leftovers from their master's table.” The word dogs was clearly used to refer to people who were not Jews, such as this woman. But this woman was clearly not just any old dog! She was a woman who, even though not a Jew, was willing to imply by her statement that the God of the Jews was her Master. It was this statement that brought forth Jesus' commendation, “You are
a woman of great faith!” Even though she was not a naturally born Jew, she was, nevertheless, a Jew by faith. So her daughter would, rightfully, come under the protection of the God of the Jews, and there would be no danger to her through the aftermath of deliverance ministry. She was a New Testament equivalent of Uriah, the Hittite man who swore total loyalty to the God of Israel (2 Samuel 11:11), or of Ruth, the Moabitess who showed such deep devotion to the God of Israel that she eventually married a Jew and became part of Jesus’ ancestral line (Ruth 4:13-22). Jesus recognized that this woman’s heart was right before God, even if her birth certificate would tell someone who was tied to the letter of the law something different. But Jesus was no Pharisee—for Him the spirit of the law was of greater significance than the letter. So He healed her daughter and Mark tells us that she "went home and found her child lying on the bed; the demon had indeed gone out of her” (Mark 7:30).
11.10.3 Bread for the Jews Bread is part of a staple diet, not something that is only consumed on special occasions like smoked salmon. Jesus described the ministry that the woman’s daughter needed as “the children’s bread.” By this I believe He was implying that deliverance ministry is a basic essential of the spiritual diet for the children of God. And Jesus also said that it is not “right” to give this particular ministry to the “dogs,” the non-Jews, for the reasons outlined in the previous discussion. The key point for emphasis here is that throughout the active ministry of Jesus, since He was baptized in the river Jordan, He had been in confrontation with the powers of darkness. Deliverance ministry had been an integral part of the prophecy of Isaiah, and Jesus had not ceased to set people free, day in and day out, from the works of the enemy since His ministry had begun at Nazareth (Luke 4). Jesus had made it part of the staple diet that He gave to the crowds who came to hear Him. The life and ministry of Jesus must, above all others, be the example that the Church should follow in seeking to be obedient to the Great Commission. Any other example will leave the Church wanting. One has to conclude, therefore, that if any sector of the Church is failing to follow Jesus in casting out demons, then that sector will suffer. The real situation throughout the world is that only small sectors of the Church do take this part of the Great Commission seriously. It is not surprising, therefore, that so much of the Church is moribund or bound by social or ardently religious traditions. Until the Church returns to its original calling and starts serving to its people the bread that Jesus served, we will have a Body (of Christ) that is
suffering from severe malnutrition and that will be walked all over by demons. As a Christian people, we must come to terms with the sort of Church we want. If we choose to give the people the bread that Jesus offered, it will be a Body that is willing, whatever the cost, to be obedient to the word and works of Jesus. If we opt for an alternative diet, we are in danger of going nowhere spiritually, generating lots of heat but definitely no light. Bread is for the children—the people of God!
11.10.4 The Blessings of Persistence There are numerous places where Jesus commends persistence in prayer when asking God for things (e.g., Luke 11:5-8). At the same time we are commended for holding a position of trust and faith, believing that God will supply our needs through His heavenly riches (Philippians 4:19). The reality of the Christian walk is that there should be a divine balance between persistence in asking and quiet confidence in believing. The two positions are not mutually exclusive. It’s interesting to note that Abraham, who is generally portrayed as the father of faith, had to be reminded on at least nine different occasions about God’s promise that he would have a son by Sarah and be the father of nations. It seems that even he had difficulty in believing! The Syro-Phoenician woman certainly persisted, and Jesus commended her. The important point to note in asking God for things is that when we know that what we are asking for is rightfully ours by faith, then we also have the faith to be persistent. If, however, what we are asking for is manifestly not part of God’s perfect will for us, then to continue asking Him becomes presumption and sin. So the key question is “Have you heard from God?” If so, ask away and He will rejoice to honor your faith, even if you are asking for something that, humanly speaking, is so unusual that it can only be God who put it into your mind. I know this from the personal experience of having seen God bring the whole work of Ellel Ministries into being out of nothing, against much skeptical opposition. God had said it in the first place, so I could both hold the faith position and trust and keep on asking God to fulfill what He had promised. Other Christians who had been negative toward the vision could not divert me, because I knew what God had said to me. But I
was sorely tested! We have counseled many people who have been struggling with demonic problems for quite some time. But deliverance is "bread for the children,” so they are right to keep on asking God to set them free. In many cases deliverance only happens when the person has confessed some sin, forgiven someone, received deep emotional healing or removed whatever the Holy Spirit has shown to be a blockage to the deliverance. Sometimes we have seen, retrospectively, that for God to have set people free of all the demonic strongholds at once would not have been healthy in the long term. For there would have been left many unhealed weaknesses in the person s life that were unresolved, and further (and possibly more severe) demonization would have been the inevitable result. As the Lord brought deliverance, step by step, He also brought healing, so that yet more deliverance could take place. God, in His mercy, only brings us to deliverance when we are in a position both to receive the deliverance and hold the new position in victory. If, for example, somebody has been crying out for deliverance from a spirit of lust, and yet the individual hasn’t come to terms with avoiding situations when the lust can be fed (such as looking at pornographic magazines or watching erotic films), then God will not be able to deliver that person. James was right to say, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, NIV). For if, by our behavior, we tell the demon that we want to hang on to the conduct that both gave the demon entrance and feeds its desires, then it will be able to sit pretty knowing that it has been given a right to stay. The persistent cry of those seeking deliverance must not be for deliverance alone, but also for the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in
their life that is preventing deliverance from taking place. For example, we have discovered time and time again, when dealing with demonized people, that the initial healing needed is not deliverance, but healing of the emotions. When those things have been dealt with, deliverance has often been a relatively simple and very effective ministry.
11.11 The Woman with the Spirit of Infirmity (Luke 13:10-17) This, the last of the individual deliverance ministries described in the gospels, is, nevertheless, one of the most important. Only Luke, the doctor who carefully described important cases, includes this ministry in his gospel record. Clearly the story of the woman whose spine was bent double and who was healed by deliverance captured the imagination of his medical mind. This is another of the many healings that Jesus did on the Sabbath following a time of teaching. The leaders of the synagogue looked on healing the woman as “work” for Jesus and were angry at the way Jesus was so cavalier with what they thought was the law of God, but which, in practice, was the legalism of man’s religious mind. I do not think the woman who was healed was complaining! There are a number of significant points about this healing, but the most important is that of all the deliverances Jesus did, this is the only one that indicates that there is a definite entry point by which evil spirits can come in. Luke’s account begins with describing the woman who had had an evil spirit for eighteen years and who, as a result, had a spine that was so bent that she could not straighten up at all—a severe case of curvature of the spine. Luke only knew this important piece of information because of the dialogue Jesus had with the leader of the synagogue about the healing that had taken place on the Sabbath day. Jesus said to the man, “You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?”
(Luke 13:15-16). What we are not told in the narrative is what happened eighteen years previously to give the demon the right of entry into the woman, but possible likely causes are the death of a relative from whom the spirit of infirmity transferred, sexual abuse or sexual sin or even trauma as a result of an accident. All of these are very possible routes by which the demon entered, but whatever it was, Jesus was very specific about the timing. The entrance by the demon could be pinned down to a definite event at a specific moment in the woman’s life. We have ministered to many hundreds of people who have been suffering from spirits of infirmity that have come to them from a relative who died at about the time the symptoms commenced. Spirits of infirmity are generally quite specific to a particular condition and will induce the symptoms of that condition in the next generation, or whoever is unfortunate enough to get the demon. It seems that this is the most common method of transference of a spirit of infirmity from one person to another. Usually the transference is between people who already have a soul tie. Talking in these terms can have the effect of making some people afraid of “catching demons” from their parents, aunts or uncles when they die. This whole subject of soul ties and possible transference is discussed in much more detail in part 2, but at this point I want to assure all readers that if they are walking cleanly before God in obedience to Him and wearing their spiritual armor against the attacks of the enemy, then they have little reason to be alarmed. In the Old Testament there was a specific ritual for being cleansed after coming into contact with the dead, indicating that it was a potentially dangerous time for those left alive (Numbers 19). Under the New Covenant we come under the protection and cleansing
of the blood of Jesus, but it has to be applied to be effective, as Bunyan in the second part of The Pilgrim’s Progress graphically illustrates when describing the healing of Christiana’s son Matthew. Matthew was sick because he had eaten an apple growing on a tree that overhung the way. But the tree was planted in Beelzebub’s orchard and the fruit, therefore, was a temptation of the enemy and it had made him both spiritually and physically ill. The remedy for the sickness was pills made up of the "the body and blood of Christ” (Communion) and it’s clear from Bunyan’s text that he understood Matthew’s need was for both physical healing and deliverance!
11.11.1 Believers Can Be Demonized! Whether or not believers can be demonized has been a contentious subject for too long—but it is only contentious in the minds of those who have never done any deliverance ministry and have never seen the amazing transformation that God can bring to the lives of Christians when they are set free from evil spirits. As described above in The Pilgrim's Progress, it is clear that Bunyan had no problems with the idea that Christians can be demonized. At the end of The Pilgrim’s Progress, just before two of the saints cross the river on their way to the heavenly city, Mr. Despondency declares that all he and his daughter will be leaving behind will be his "desponds” and her “fears,” and Bunyan states unequivocally that these things “are but ghosts"! In the story, Jesus referred to the woman with the spirit of infirmity as a daughter of Abraham. That was a very specific phrase, indicating that this woman wasn't just a member of the Jewish race but was a person for whom her relationship with God really mattered —in other words, she was a believer. This is a very important aspect of this story, for Jesus drew special attention to this woman who, as a daughter of Abraham, was nevertheless demonized. We have ministered deliverance to many hundreds of people who had come from churches that did not believe in deliverance ministry and certainly would not countenance the thought that a Christian could possibly be demonized. As a result people have been condemned to endure symptoms that never responded to medication or prayers for healing, just because the theological perspective of their church’s leadership was narrow-minded. I do not say this to criticize or condemn those who still think this way, for I have been there too! However, it would be totally
contrary to all that I now believe from the Scriptures, and have seen demonstrated in practice, not to say here, unequivocally, that Christian believers can be, and often are, demonized. God has given the deliverance ministry to the Church so that the Body of Christ can be set free of the demonic strongholds that are tying it down. Chapter 15 provides a more detailed look at this topic and addresses the problem that some have in believing that an evil spirit can be present in a person at one and the same time as the Holy Spirit. The actual ministry to the woman was in two stages. First He freed her from the infirmity by saying, "Woman, you are free from your illness!” At that point the demon that was causing her particular illness was dispatched from her body. But she was still bent double. Now Jesus dealt with the physical symptoms of the deformity by laying His hands on her and healing her. Immediately she was healed and straightened herself up, praising God. Sometimes with this type of healing one has to remember that after deliverance the person may need prayer for healing as well, although this is not always the case. There are times when deliverance and healing seem to be simultaneous (as with the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter), but others when there can be quite a time gap between the deliverance and the healing. There are no rules to be followed—instead we have to be obedient in ministry to what the Holy Spirit is saying. We must learn to listen to Him! We have seen many people healed of long-standing infirmities through deliverance and healing ministries—especially those who have suffered injury through accident and trauma. With many such cases it is important to establish the entry point, especially if there is any sin or unforgiveness attached to the route through which the demon entered. For in these cases confession and repentance are vital steps toward wholeness.
11.12 Other References to Deliverance Ministry in the Gospels In addition to the specific healings through deliverance referred to above, which comprise over a third of the healing ministries that are actually described in the gospel accounts, there are numerous references to times when Jesus healed people in large numbers, and deliverance ministry is referred to as part of what was happening at the time: • Matthew 4:24: “The news about him spread through the whole country of Syria, so that people brought to him all those who were sick, suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with demons, and epileptics, and paralytics—and Jesus healed them all.” • Mark 1:32-34 (see also Luke 4:40): “After the sun had set and evening had come, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had demons. All the people of the town gathered in front of the house. Jesus healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases and drove out many demons.” • Mark 1:39: “So he traveled all over Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons.” • Mark 3:11: “And whenever the people who had evil spirits in them saw him, they would fall down before him and scream, ‘You are the Son of God!”’ • Mark 6:12-13: “So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. They drove out many demons and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.” • Luke 6:17-18: “A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coast cities of Tyre and Sidon; they had come to hear him and to be healed of their
diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed.” • Luke 7:21: “At that very time Jesus healed many people from their sicknesses, diseases, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people.”
11.13 In Conclusion This has been a long chapter! Working through the gospel accounts of deliverance ministry will, inevitably, have introduced many new concepts to some readers. However, I would not want anyone to feel in any way condemned if he feels now that he should have seen these things before. God is restoring this ministry to the Church in this day for a purpose, and I rejoice with all those, young or old, who are now beginning to step out in faith and venture into scripturally sound, but hitherto possibly unknown, territory in the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who are prepared to examine the gospel accounts with an honest intellect cannot but be impressed by the extent of the deliverance ministry of Jesus. Equally, they will recognize the power that God has given us to follow in His footsteps. We are not alone— He has promised to be with us in our obedience to the Great Commission until the end of time (Matthew 28:20). Whenever Jesus was faced with sick people, He ministered to them according to the root cause of their condition and not just according to the presenting symptom. Where the root cause was a sickness or disease, He healed the person. Where the root cause was a demon, He cast it out. Where there were both demonization and sickness, He delivered and healed. The ministry was simple, direct and effective in complete fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1 that He had applied to Himself at the outset of His ministry in Nazareth.
Chapter 12: Encounters with the Demonic in the Acts of the Apostles When Pentecost dawned, not one of those waiting in the Upper Room had any expectation of what was going to happen next. Jesus had gone back to heaven, and they were being obedient to His command to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift that the Father had promised (Acts 1:4-5). Some of them had been present when Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit as He came up out of the river Jordan. Were they, too, going to hear voices from heaven and see doves descend? No one knew. Jesus had said something about them speaking in strange tongues (Mark 16:17), and that hadn’t happened yet. What sign would they see or experience? How would they know it had happened? They need not have been anxious, for "when the day of Pentecost came... suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak” (Acts 2:1-4). There was no doubting that it had happened. The effect was immediate and dynamic, resulting in an amazed crowd questioning what it was all about. Then Peter, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, preached to the crowds, and three thousand believed and were baptized. The reaction to all this in the demonic realms must have
been one of sheer horror. Jesus had gone, but replacing Him was an army of men and women behaving just like Jesus. These disciples were let loose in Jerusalem and “many miracles and wonders were being done through the apostles, and... every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved” (Acts 2:43-47). Whenever there is a great move forward under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, watch out for Satan’s backlash. Once more it came through the religious authorities who had so hated Jesus. They quickly had Peter and John up before the council for healing a lame man. On that occasion, however, the council’s hands were tied, such was the popular support for what had happened. So Peter and John escaped with a warning and were told very strongly that under no condition must they speak or teach again in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). All this time the powers of darkness were being pushed back. "And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were sick or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed” (Acts 5:16). Christianity was spreading fast, as preaching, healing and deliverance were quickly established as the normal pattern for ministry in the early Church. They were being obedient to the Commission and were teaching a body of believers to be disciples.
12.1 Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 4:36-5:11) In spite of the white-hot nature of the early Church’s enthusiasm for the Gospel, there were some problems. If Satan cannot stop a work of God from the outside, he will try to operate from the inside, like a modern-day fifth columnist, using any weakness or demonic presence in the membership. The group of believers provided for each other’s needs out of the generous giving of those who were being converted. Capital, in the form of property, was being converted into eternal gold as people sold fields and houses so that the work could continue unabated and the leaders could distribute the money that was realized, according to need. Barnabas was one of those who sold a field and handed over the money. It is likely that Barnabas was commended and thanked for his generosity. Satan was watching and, no doubt, used a demon to fire an arrow of jealousy at a couple who would also have enjoyed such approval. They, too, had a field. So Ananias and Sapphira sold their field, but the motive was wrong. They didn’t really want to give all that money away, but neither did they want to be seen as being mean. No one would know just how much they got for the field. So they agreed together to keep some of the money back. Sin had been conceived in their hearts and put into practice. I believe at that point a demon would have entered in, so that when Ananias brought the gift to the apostles, Peter, operating in the full discernment of the Holy Spirit, not only saw the gift in Ananias’ hands, but also discerned the deception and saw the demon (described by Luke as Satan). Peter’s question was right to the point, “Ananias,
why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property?” (Acts 5:3). Ananias’ sin was not that he had kept back some of the money but that he had let people think he had given it all. It was a sin, Peter said, not against men but against God. On hearing this awesome truth, Ananias dropped down dead. When Sapphira came in, she was given a chance by Peter to repent and speak the truth, but she repeated Ananias’ story, and she also dropped down dead. I don’t believe that Peter had any idea what the consequences of facing Ananias (Acts 5:3) and Sapphira (Acts 5:9) with their sin would be, but later in his epistle he wrote, “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). I don’t think the memory of what happened on that day was ever very far from Peter’s mind, and I can well imagine he used the illustration on many occasions in his teaching and preaching. The sin, as described by Peter, was "putting the Lord’s Spirit to the test.” It was Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness all over again. Jesus recognized it and responded to it firmly, but Ananias fell for the temptation and believed he could get away with the sin of testing God in this way, and the early Church learned a devastating lesson in spiritual honesty. There are few Christians who can read this story without coming under the fear of God. For they know in their hearts that time and time again they have tested God with their continued sinfulness. Somewhere, deep down, a voice has said, God won’t really mind if you sin. He’ll always forgive you. So just one more time they try to get away with it, until the demon behind the sin is in control and they are trapped into a lifestyle of sin from which there seems to be no
escape. And they have discovered the hard way that whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. The Scripture is clear and unequivocal, and whether the consequences are immediate and exemplary, as they were with Ananias and Sapphira, or long-term, as they were with Samson, David and many others, I do not believe we can flaunt with impunity the word of God that He speaks into our hearts. Yes, God is a God of mercy, and my own belief is that because of the blood of Jesus, which was shed that we might be set free from the power, guilt and consequences of sin, Ananias and Sapphira will enter heaven but will be deprived of all the treasures that they could have built up through obedience to God in their Christian lives. (See Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 on the things that can be built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.) It is not for us to question how God acts. And while summary death may seem to be harsh justice, He is sovereign and sees all things, and there are times when things happen like this even today. I personally have been through an experience when a man who was not a Christian was attacking me personally to such an extent that my life was under threat and my business was in danger of going bankrupt. After many weeks of aggression, he finally warned me that in ten days I would not exist. He had given me ten days to live. During those ten days I became very conscious of the presence and power of God. On the tenth day I had a telephone call telling me that the man had dropped dead that morning. God had dealt with the aggressor in a final and uncompromising way. I do not include that story in this book to try to demonstrate that this is the way God always acts to protect His people, or include the story of Ananias and Sapphira to demonstrate that this is how He always acts in judgment. But we must not be surprised when remarkable things do happen under the anointing of the Spirit of God.
I believe there is more happening in the supernatural realms in events like this than we may at first realize. Even angels are recorded in the Scripture as having been dispatched by God to punish by death as well as to minister to the saints (see Acts 12:23).
12.2 With Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:5-40) In the face of all his opponents, Stephen preached the longest single sermon recorded in the Scriptures. At its end, the members of the council were so incensed that they ground their teeth in anger, rushed at him and stoned him to death. But the Scripture records that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, marking the contrast between the Spirit in Stephen and the evil spirits that were motivating the authorities against this fearless Christian martyr. Chapter 8 of the Acts of the Apostles begins with the poignant statement, "And Saul approved of his murder.” That act signaled the beginning of cruel judgment upon the Christian community, who were mercilessly persecuted. Saul tried to destroy the Church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail. Those who escaped fled the region, but the life of Christ that was hidden within each one could not be destroyed, and when Philip, for example, reached Samaria, he immediately began to preach the Gospel. Luke records that there was great joy in the city, for people listened intently to what Philip said. They saw him performing miracles and witnessed that "evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed” (Acts 8:7). Deliverance ministry did not get left behind in Jerusalem but was part of the Gospel experience wherever it was preached. There then followed a fascinating and significant encounter, from which we can learn much, between Philip and Simon, a powerful Samaritan sorcerer who professed conversion to Christ. Scripture tells us that Simon was known in the area as "the great
power of god” and claimed to be someone great. In making such a claim, Simon was almost certainly declaring that he had within him a guiding demonic spirit from someone who had been great and famous, which was deceiving people into thinking that Simon’s power came from God Himself. Simon had learned how to tap into both the knowledge of this demon and the powers that the demon could exercise, for his own gain. When ministering deliverance it is a relatively common experience to come up against a guiding spirit from someone who has been long dead. A person who believes in reincarnation will describe his alleged "past lives.” What he is describing, however, is not his past lives but the lives of the people in whom the demons had previously lived, giving the impression that the person had lived previously. Belief in reincarnation is always a demonic deception of the most simple kind, but those who are hooked into this philosophy of religion are completely blinded to the truth of what is happening. It is only the light of Christ, and subsequent deliverance, that can set them free from the bondage they are in. Belief in reincarnation is also one of the deceptions that can underlie a vegetarian philosophy of life. Vegetarianism is an integral part of some Eastern religions. We do not know whose demons Simon was now hosting, but we do know he used them to gain considerable stature (and no doubt money) in his Samaritan community. When Philip ministered in Samaria, Simon was among the hearers. He was astonished at what God was doing through Philip and recognized that there was a power here that was totally superior to his. So he professed belief in Jesus, was baptized and "stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed” (Acts 8:13).
News of the Samaritan mission got back to Jerusalem, and Peter and John were sent down to investigate. When they got there they found that the converts had been baptized in the name of Jesus but had not received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). For these converts there was a definite time lag between conversion and being filled with the Holy Spirit—probably several weeks or even months. Whether the gap was one day or one year is largely irrelevant. But what is significant is that this incident introduces the concept, which some fight so hard against, of being filled with the Holy Spirit at a time subsequent to conversion. We have ministered to hundreds of people who have been Christians for many years but, as Peter and John found in Samaria, have not been filled with the Holy Spirit. It was this experience of watching people being filled with the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid hands on them that finally blew Simon’s mind! He had never seen anything like this before. He had been used to dealing in the spirit world, but the impartation of the very power of God to others was a concept that was totally beyond his experience or imagination. He wanted that power for himself. “So he offered money to Peter and John, and said, ‘Give this power to me too, so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 8:18-19). There is no indication in the Scripture that Simon had not been genuinely converted when he first believed, but what appears to be obvious from Luke’s account is that he had not been delivered of all the evil spirits that had been in him prior to his conversion. He is typical of hundreds of people we have had to deal with who have been involved in occult practices prior to becoming Christians. The demons remained and over the years produced a sad demonic harvest of sickness, rebellion and resistance to the work of the Holy Spirit. How important it is that when people become
Christians they should also be set free of the demons that were controlling them when they first came to Christ. If they don’t, they are likely to build up for themselves (and others!) major ongoing problems in later life. For Simon there was an immediate consequence. Clearly he had not repented of all his occultic past and saw here another power from which he could certainly earn even greater reputation and possibly more money as well. Peter’s response was graphic. “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God’s sight. Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this. For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin” (Acts 8:20-23). Peter’s words indicate that he recognized there was demonic power operating in Simon’s life, in particular a spirit of envy, but he wisely did not minister deliverance but told Simon to repent. Repentance is one of the most important foundation stones for healing and deliverance. There would have been no point in Peter ministering deliverance unless Simon was truly repentant, and I believe time was necessary in his case to prove his repentance. We have learned this lesson in ministry the hard way by trying to cast demons out of people who were unrepentant in their hearts about the sin that gave the demons a right of entry. I realize now that such deliverance should not be attempted, if the demons have come in through known sin, unless there has been genuine repentance and turning from the sin. For some, ministry has been ineffective because repentance has not been real. They, and often those who minister as well, have wrongfully concluded that nothing demonic was present in the first
place and compounded the problem by giving the demons absolute right to control the person, without fearing detection and consequential eviction, because they have been proven “not to be there.” It is sad that on the other side of the coin, there are some who minister deliverance who have gone so overboard on repentance that their ministry has become unbalanced. They say, for example, that if a demon is not coming out easily, then it is always because the person is unrepentant over something. That is certainly not always the case. There are plenty of other reasons why demons do not come out easily, and while lack of repentance is a common enough reason, those who minister must be more discerning than to make sweeping statements that, if untrue, put the person under terrible condemnation. We hear no more of what happened to Simon, but his story is an important and salutary warning to people not to want the power of the Holy Spirit for the wrong reasons. I personally struggle with the contrasting ways in which God dealt with Ananias and Sapphira and with Simon. It seems as though their sins were just as great, so why the summary justice meted out to one and the opportunity to repent to the other? There is no obvious answer, but I believe we would have a purer and more powerful Church if we were less concerned about the details of the problem and more concerned to see that the Church is freed from both the deception that overcame Ananias and Sapphira and from wrongful motives such as the envy and greed of Simon. Maybe their stories were highlighted for particular attention as a warning to the generations to come, including the present one!
12.3 The Magician Elymas (Acts 13:4-12) After Philip’s Samarian exploits, followed by his dramatic excursion to Gaza, where he was instrumental in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, Luke moves on in his journal to the even more dramatic event on the road to Damascus. Saul kept up “his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord” (Acts 9:1), but on Saul’s way to Damascus to persecute Christians, the Lord Himself met him. Saul was struck down, blinded and then led by the hand into Damascus where another Ananias ministered to him and he was healed (and possibly delivered?), filled with the Holy Spirit and then baptized—the most dramatic turnaround there has ever been in the history of the Church. By the time we reach Acts 13, Saul himself had been persecuted for preaching the Gospel and had had to flee for his life for a time to Tarsus (Acts 9:30). Later, he was at Antioch and clearly integrated with the body of believers there when the Holy Spirit set him apart, with Barnabas, for missionary service. They set sail for Cyprus, where the governor, Sergius Paulus, wanted to hear the Word of God preached by Paul and Barnabas. But Sergius Paulus had a friend, Bar-Jesus, a Jew who claimed to be a prophet but who was, in fact, the local magician who went under the Greek name Elymas. The demons that controlled Elymas went immediately to work and created opposition to the preaching of the Gospel. Elymas tried to turn Sergius Paulus away from the faith. Those who are, or who have been, involved in the occult have
within them demons that cannot stand the truth of Jesus. They do not mind religion or even Christian activity that does not confront the work of Satan or threaten his kingdom. But in the face of Holy Spiritanointed ministries, they will inevitably be exposed. There have been many people who have come to Ellel Ministries for help who had not thought that their problems could possibly be demonic in origin—in spite of their problems not having yielded to prayer, discipline or even healing ministry. But as they have been faced with spiritual reality and their previous understandings have been healthily questioned, the demonic has been forced into the open and deliverance and healing have become possible. The truth that Saul preached was a major threat to Elymas— especially if Sergius Paulus the governor was to be converted. Aggressive action was required! But Elymas had reckoned without the discernment that Saul now had. For Saul was “filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician and said, 'You son of the Devil! You are the enemy of everything that is good. You are full of all kinds of evil tricks, and you always keep trying to turn the Lord’s truths into lies! The Lord’s hand will come down on you now; you will be blind and will not see the light of day for a time’” (Acts 13:911). In deliverance ministry I often look the person directly in the eyes— just as Saul did with Elymas. It seems as though through the eyes one can make direct contact with the demon in a very positive way. Saul did not make any attempt to deliver Elymas, but exercised authority over the demon and a judgment of temporary blindness on Elymas for his sin. “At once Elymas felt a dark mist cover his eyes, and he walked around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand” (Acts 13:11). The judgment exercised by Saul was identical to his own Damascus road experience of temporary blindness. The fact that Saul did not attempt to deliver Elymas is further
important evidence from the history of the early Church that deliverance ministry is normally only for those who have turned to Jesus. Unless the Holy Spirit can “fill the house,” there is no way that the person can be protected from further, and probably more severe, demonization. We are not told whether or not Elymas was converted as a result, but we are told that the governor was "greatly amazed at the teaching about the Lord” (verse 12). So often when the enemy attacks in this sort of way the Lord is able to turn what the enemy intended for harm into advantage for the Gospel. Paul was able to say from profound experience, ‘All things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28, NKJV). But we are required to continue to trust God in the middle of trying circumstances and not be deflected from what the Holy Spirit has put in our hearts. If we choose to be deflected and divert from the path God intended, we will miss out on some amazing blessings as God turns circumstances upside down. Continued obedience in the midst of opposition produces some of the most amazing fruits, as the next event we are looking at in Saul’s life will illustrate. It was, incidentally, in Cyprus that Saul lost his original name; from then on he was known as Paul.
12.4 Snakes at Philippi (Acts 16:16-24) Christians normally assume that obedience to the Holy Spirit is going to lead to a period of great blessing. They are right, but when they fondly imagine that the great blessing they are anticipating will not disturb the peace and serenity of their immediate circumstances, or lead them into any form of hot water, they are looking for something that is not based on the reality of the Scripture or the terms of spiritual warfare that are implicit within the Scripture. Obedience for Moses led to forty years of torment at the head of a rebellious people who would not follow where God was leading. For Jesus it led from the excitement of popularity at the beginning of His ministry to the agony of the cross at the end. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 Paul lists just some of the many hardships he endured in his ministry, including many times in prison, one of which happened on his first visit to Philippi. His journey to Philippi, however, began by waiting on the Lord for guidance as to where he should next preach the Gospel. The Holy Spirit would not let him go to a variety of places, but when he had a vision of a man from Macedonia crying out for help, he knew it was of God, and he and Silas left immediately for Neapolis, from where they went inland to "Philippi, a city of the first district of Macedonia” (Acts 16:6-12). There they met up with a group of Jews at their riverside place of prayer, one of whom, Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, was converted. She and the people of her house were baptized and so the embryonic church at Philippi was begun. When a body of believers was established, it seemed to be Paul’s policy to stay with them as
long as was necessary to see them established in the faith and going on with God. So Paul and Silas stayed with Lydia and continued the ministry that God had started as a result of their obedience in leaving Asia behind and bringing the Gospel into Europe for the first time. The ruling spirits in the area were not unaware of what had happened! Their territory was being invaded by a person who was a real threat to the strongholds they had built up in the lives of local people. For the third time in the Acts of the Apostles we see a local occultist being used by Satan. First, there was Simon at Samaria, then Elymas in Cyprus and now, in Philippi, a slave girl, who made money for her owners by using an evil spirit within her to predict the future. Such people Satan can easily use—the spiritual battle for control of their lives has already been won. One should not be surprised, therefore, to find people, even inside local churches, who have an occult background, or whose parents were involved in the occult, being those who consistently oppose the work of the Holy Spirit. Satan will always use those who already have such demonic strongholds to oppose the work of God. The demon in the girl recognized the Holy Spirit inside Paul and shouted out to people, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17, NKJV). As it was with Jesus, so it was with Paul. The demons proclaimed the truth about who Jesus was, and here they were proclaiming the truth about whom Paul served. But they were not doing it in a way that encouraged the work of the Gospel. For it was hardly helpful to Paul to have someone who was so well known as an occultist, and who was still practicing in the occult, commending his ministry! One can do without such commendation. This girl was well known at Philippi for who she was and what she did. For her to be commending the ministry of Paul would automatically have labeled Paul’s ministry as being occultic.
Paul had an extended time of ministry in Philippi and was clearly building a body of believers and discipling them. But every day this woman would be around shouting and interrupting the ministry. What is very significant is that Paul must have recognized the demonic source of her railings the first time he met her, but he chose to do nothing about her interruptions. He gave her plenty of time to respond to the preaching and seek Jesus for herself. I believe he would have known that the potential danger of her being delivered before she had made Jesus Lord was considerable. Paul would have known what Jesus said about the possibility of seven devils worse than the first coming back in. He did not want to make a mistake. So he waited, no doubt hopeful that she might respond to the preaching, and certainly waiting on the Holy Spirit for direction. It was only after many days that Paul decided that enough was enough (Acts 16:18). She was clearly not going to respond to the Gospel without being delivered, and such were the interruptions to his ministry that he couldn’t allow it to continue, for her actions would be preventing others from entering the Kingdom of God. So he acted, decisively and effectively. He confronted the demon and cast it out, and that very moment she was set free. We have no knowledge from the Scriptures as to whether or not she responded to the Gospel subsequently, for events at Philippi moved very quickly from that moment on. First, her owners realized that Paul had deprived them of their means of making money through her occult powers. Second, they summarily seized Paul and Silas, took them to the authorities and accused them of teaching against their local customs. Local “justice” was immediate and harsh. Paul and Silas were given a severe beating and thrown into jail. The jailer threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood. But God, who knows the end from the beginning of stories like this one, was not the
slightest bit alarmed by what was happening to these two men, and neither, it seemed, were Paul and Silas, who were still singing hymns of praise to God at midnight! The result was devastating—a major earthquake, the conversion of the jailer and all his family and the introduction, therefore, of the Gospel to a Roman officer and his family who, in their lifetime of service in the Roman army, would take the Gospel all over the Empire! Once again, Satan’s tactics in attacking and attempting to destroy the ministries of God’s people had overstepped the mark, and there was even greater glory to God as a result. The following day they were released from prison and returned to Lydia’s house before going on their way to the next town. The key lesson from this particular encounter with the demonic is that it is not wise to minister deliverance to those who have not come to Christ, unless you have a very specific anointing from the Lord to do so, as Paul must have had on that particular day. The Lord had greater plans than Paul and Silas were aware of, but it was their obedience that subsequently released the power of God into the prison. We should not assume, however, that because on this occasion the Lord used Paul and Silas’ visit to prison in an extraordinary way, He will bless our ministry in similar ways if we step outside what is normally good ministry practice without having a specific anointing. There may be times when God tells us to "break the rules,” but such occasions will be exceptions. For example, this is the only incident in the whole of the New Testament when deliverance is ministered to someone who is not either coming to Jesus personally for help or hearing and responding to the Word of God. We must not move out of faith into presumption by operating in
a way that implies God will always cover our mistakes, even when we know we are making them! He will cover our mistakes, when they are genuine mistakes made in good faith. It is only things that are “not based on faith” that are sin (Romans 14:23). But when we know something is not right and we do it anyway, that is certainly not “of faith” and it is, therefore, sin. Presumptive action will not bring down the blessing of God—no matter how good an idea our proposed actions may seem to be. Another view of this whole passage is that Paul and Silas did make a mistake, and they learned from this experience that they shouldn’t be ministering deliverance to people who are not willing to make Jesus Lord. The punishment Paul and Silas received, and all that happened subsequently, was not as God had originally purposed events for them in Philippi. But because they had acted in faith, God still blessed them and eventually, through the agency of a mighty miracle, used even their mistake to His glory. We certainly don’t find Paul, or anyone else, ministering in this way again. Another lesson found in this story is that most translations of the Scriptures refer, in Acts 16:16, to the woman as having a spirit of divination, or fortune-telling. The Greek word actually used here literally means the “spirit of a python,” this being the descriptive word for a spirit of divination. But it is wholly consistent with the teaching of Jesus in Luke 10:19 when He tells the disciples that He has given them authority over "snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy” (NIV). Jesus clearly expected people to come up against demons that would manifest as snakes. On many occasions we have seen people slither across the floor in snake-like movements as demons have manifested and come out of them. Such demons have often been associated with occult practice. The Acts 16 ministry of Paul is direct confirmation of what Jesus taught.
12.5 At Ephesus and the Sons of Sceva (Acts 19) Paul's ministry was one of extended travel and stops of varying length along the way to preach the Gospel and make disciples. His stays varied enormously from a few days to as long as three years in Ephesus, where he said in a final speech to the elders of the church there, it was "with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years” (Acts 20:31). Ephesus was undoubtedly the most important city in the whole of Asia Minor. It was a thriving commercial and religious center with a population exceeding a third of a million. But it was also one of the greatest world centers of occult practice, being the guardian of the temple of Diana, in which was an image of Diana (probably made from a meteorite) that allegedly came down from "heaven.” The name Diana is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis, both names being descriptive of the same demonic deity. In Greek and Roman mythology the goddess is associated with the moon and hunting. The scriptural allusion to Artemis or Diana as being a goddess who is worshiped all over the world is probably accurate, as images of her are known from many cultures widely dispersed from Ephesian society. There have been several times during ministry when we have come up against “spirits of Diana” whose character and origin is consistent with mythological descriptions of her nature and powers. So in choosing to spend three years in this city, Paul was deliberately setting out to minister the truth of Jesus into a major population center that was based right in the heartland of Satan’s earthly occultic kingdom!
It is not surprising, therefore, that at Ephesus he also encountered some major opposition to his ministry. He taught at first in the synagogue, and some became believers, but there was such opposition from those who did not believe that the daily teaching times had to move to the hall of Tyrannus, where Paul taught and ministered for a period of two years (Acts 19:8-10). Though Paul was the most educated of the apostles, his ministry was not just academic. It was very much modeled on the ministry of Jesus, where welcoming, teaching and healing were the foundation stones of His work. As a result ‘‘God was performing unusual miracles through Paul. Even handkerchiefs and aprons he had used were taken to the sick, and their diseases were driven away, and the evil spirits would go out of them” (Acts 19:11-12). Clearly, Paul both healed and delivered people as an integral part of his work, and this aspect of his ministry was even extended to those who could not be present at the meetings via handkerchiefs from Paul that were taken to the sick. Paul would minister deliverance in the name of the Lord Jesus and see the evil spirits leave as he commanded them to go, words that others thought they could adopt as a formula for doing similar work (Acts 19:13). We have learned, however, that one must never teach Christian healing and deliverance as a technique that can be followed by anyone and that is expected to always achieve the same results as someone else. For ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit depends on God ministering directly into a person’s life using the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A person who is not filled with the Holy Spirit is a channel that is not anointed for ministry, and people will very quickly find out, sometimes to their very considerable cost, that Jesus cannot be manipulated into doing what they want Him to do.
Sceva was a Jewish high priest whose seven sons were Jewish exorcists who traveled around the area attempting to drive evil spirits out of people (Acts 19:14). But the effectiveness of these exorcists was severely limited, and when they watched Paul at work they were very impressed with the power and authority he displayed. When they saw people being healed and delivered using a “magic formula,” they thought they could do the same. They attempted to deliver a man and addressed his evil spirits “in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches” (Acts 19:13). But far from finding that this formula worked, they were immediately challenged themselves by the demons that responded, “I know Jesus, and I know about Paul; but you—who are you?” (verse 15). The demons are spiritual beings, and they can see in the supernatural. They can see whether or not the Holy Spirit is in a person, and they know that if they recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in the deliverance minister, they are up against Jesus Himself and they have to bow the knee to whoever is commanding them out. But the demons in this man saw nothing of the Holy Spirit or Jesus in the sons of Sceva, and they responded appropriately, prompting the man to such violence that he overpowered all seven sons of Sceva, tore off their clothes and left them to run for their lives, stark naked and wounded. I doubt if they ever tried to exorcise someone in the name of Jesus again. They found out the hard way that to have the authority of Jesus one must also be in the service of Jesus and be part of His Kingdom. The final outcome of this episode redounded to the Lord’s glory, for the people of Ephesus realized that the power and authority in which Paul ministered came from Jesus Himself, and they recognized that demons were real and dangerous. It is probable from the text that the man in question was involved in the worship of
Diana, and the people realized that the man was in such a violent mess because of his occult activity. They were all filled with such fear that the believers who at any time in their lives had themselves been involved with Diana worship (or other occult activity) went scurrying home to collect every possible piece of evidence of their earlier involvement. A small mountain of occult literature was accumulated and burned in public (Acts 19:19)—books to a total value of fifty thousand silver coins! That is repentance. It is not repentance to renounce occult activity but hang on to the artifacts or literature associated with the activity. That is a sin equivalent to the sin of Achan when he hung on to gold and silver spoils that God had ordered to be destroyed (Joshua 7). For Israel this sin resulted in their failure to capture Ai (after the brilliant success at Jericho), and the personal consequence for Achan and his family was death. Repentance of occult activity involves not only a turning from the activity in the future, but a destruction of items from the past—items that are cursed and that will continue to bring a curse on the family line if preserved. Some such items of jewelry even become family heirlooms and are worn around the neck, cursing future generations. The implications of this passage for ex-Freemasons, for example, is obvious. Repentance must involve both renunciation of all the vows and practices of Freemasonry and destruction of all the artifacts that are such an essential part of Masonic ritual. Some find this hard, but until it is done they will never be free of the curse of Freemasonry upon them or their family line. We have found on numerous occasions that Masonic artifacts have been preserved as “memorials” of a father or favorite uncle, but they have brought with them a devastating curse, especially on the families of born-again Christians who renounce Freemasonry as being of the enemy.
Ephesus, the world seat of occult worship, had never seen a bonfire like it. It was a powerful witness to the people of the city. After ministering to the young man I referred to in chapter 9, who had become severely demonized through listening to heavy metal music, I watched him bring out his records and cassettes and smash them with a hammer. The heavy metal tapes, carrying with them messages of violence and sexual perversion (as well as, in some cases, satanic backtracking), had opened him up to powerful demonization. After deliverance his repentance was vividly demonstrated as he destroyed all such cassettes and records. Keeping them would have left him vulnerable to their continuing influence. The fruit of his ministry was demonstrated by his complete change of lifestyle after deliverance. Immediately after deliverance he was baptized and then went to Bible college for training. Similar action is required by those who have been hooked on pornography. No one will be free of the demons that compel people to look at pictures and films, vicariously experiencing paper and plastic sex, unless they repent by destroying every piece of pornographic material in their possession. Then they have to make determined efforts to avoid all situations that will make them vulnerable in the future. James’ advice to resist the devil so that he will flee from you still holds true today, and much deliverance takes place through practical repentance. So many people in the city were responding to what Paul was teaching by destroying their occult objects, and not continuing to buy more, that the finances of the purveyors of occult goods were being affected and silver workers employed by Demetrius were in danger of being made redundant. The ruling spirit of Diana over the city was at work, and soon there was a major uproar in favor of Demetrius and against Paul and his workers. When people’s pockets are adversely affected by the preaching of the Gospel, you can be sure that
antagonistic action will be a consequence. It is worth quoting here the whole of Demetrius’ speech to his fellow Ephesians: “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this work. Now, you can see and hear for yourselves what this fellow Paul is doing. He says that hand-made gods are not gods at all, and he has succeeded in convincing many people, both here in Ephesus and in nearly the whole province of Asia. There is the danger, then, that this business of ours will get a bad name. Not only that, but there is also the danger that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will come to mean nothing and that her greatness will be destroyed—the goddess worshiped by everyone in Asia and in all the world!” (Acts 19:25-27). It doesn’t take much imagination to guess who Demetrius’ speech- writer was! The ruling spirit of Artemis was behind the whole charade and as its influence gripped the people the now huge crowd became “furious and started shouting, ‘Great is Artemis of Ephesus!’ ’’ (verse 28). Two of Paul’s co-workers were grabbed by the hostile crowd and rushed to the theater—the great auditorium that is known to have seated up to fifty thousand people. It took the town clerk, Alexander, who happened to be a jew, two hours to get through the continued chanting of "Great is Artemis of Ephesus” and bring some sense into the meeting. He implied that they would be guilty if the event turned into a riot, and with that the meeting was over and the danger had passed. But it must have been a very frightening experience for Paul and his co-workers. They had come face to face with the very angry ruling spirit of the city who stirred up hatred against them, using the loss of commercial profit as the motivating factor for starting the disturbance. This whole episode is ample evidence, as if in this modern day we needed such, that the occult is powerful and dangerous and that
there can be no compromise for the people of God between the things of Satan and a wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ. I would urge all those reading this book to ask the Lord to show them anything in their home that is of the occult and that should be totally destroyed. The sacrifice may sound great, especially with potentially valuable heirlooms and antiques, but the price of being disobedient could be incalculable. Throughout our ministry, this has been a major key to the healing and deliverance of many people and has resulted in the release of the whole family line. Cursed objects carry with them a hidden potency, releasing demonic power into the home and family. Keeping such objects hidden, such as in the attic, does not diminish their potential for harm. Freemasonry objects, special rings, jewelry, missionary souvenirs of witchcraft origins, holiday mementos that can carry with them the curse of false religions, etc., should all be treated in the same dispassionate way. I believe that leaders in the Body of Christ have a major responsibility to teach their congregations in these areas so that they will not be deceived by the wiles of the enemy.
12.6 In Conclusion I have heard people say that there is too much emphasis in some ministries on dealing with the occult. They look at the gospels and say that they find nothing there in the ministry of Jesus that even suggests there had been any occult involvement in the lives of those Jesus either healed or delivered. That is a very good reason why we should not base our theology on just one section of Scripture! When we look at the Acts of the Apostles, what we discover is that incident after incident is related to the occult and the demonization that has arisen as a result of occult involvement. It seems as though in the gospels we find out a lot about casting out demons, and in Acts we learn a lot about occultic entry points and the power that lies behind the occult in opposing the work of God. We cannot afford to ignore the important lessons contained in Acts. If we do so, our ministries will be minimized in their effectiveness and we will be guilty of not being able to offer many thousands of people the help they so desperately need and that Jesus made provision for in equipping the Church to set the captives free.
Chapter 13: The Teachings of Jesus on Aspects of Deliverance
While the amount of direct teaching in the gospels on healing or deliverance may seem relatively thin, there is rather more than one might imagine, and more on deliverance than healing. Each reference, however, is quite profound in its consequence and implications for personal ministry. It is easy to miss these passages of Scripture and demote them in significance when compared with the other direct teaching of Jesus on more popular subjects. I have learned from experience that if we pick and choose the passages of Scripture that we like and understand, to the exclusion of others that we might have to wrestle with a little, our Christian growth becomes stunted and unbalanced and the effectiveness of our ministry suffers severely. Much of the Church, for example, dismisses the whole of Jesus’ deliverance ministry, and teaching about it, as irrelevant to this day and age because they no longer “believe in demons.” They assume that Jesus only talked about demons because He “was a man of His time” and was limited in His knowledge and understanding of things medical! He would not have used such terminology, they surmise, if He had been educated in psychiatry and been ministering in the twenty-first century instead of the first. Evelyn Frost (whose research into the healing and deliverance
ministries of the early Church Fathers is otherwise much to be commended) regrettably set this theological approach in concrete when she introduced the section on demonology in her book, Christian Healing, with these words: “The practice of exorcism by Christ was associated with the current belief in the existence of demons. The searchlight of science has been cast upon these shadowy forms conjured up in the darkness of ignorance, and the ghosts have disappeared.” Unfortunately, such erroneous printed words from such an authority have had enormous influence on people who wanted to believe them, or, possibly, on people whose minds were already demonically influenced by unbelief. Another sector of the Church totally accepts the integrity of the Scriptures and believes that Jesus was indeed delivering people of demons, but because they also think that believing Christians cannot be demonized, they again dismiss the deliverance ministry of Jesus as being largely irrelevant. The result, again, is a distorted and unbalanced theology that leaves Christians struggling with ineffectiveness and condemnation because they cannot overcome their real problems. The demonic dimension is dismissed. The above theological viewpoints together account for the opinion of most of the Church that is not involved in healing and deliverance ministry. They are generally ignorant of the way deception controls their thinking and behavior and are, therefore, vulnerable to the demonic. One of the most important maxims of war is “Know your enemy," a maxim that has often been disregarded in many of our churches today. The enemy rejoices when he is assumed not to exist, or attitudes toward him are so naive that people believe he can’t possibly have any influence on their lives or churches. Ignorance of the enemy and his tactics has been the cause of losing many battles.
In this chapter we face up to some of the weighty issues that are raised by the teachings of Jesus in specific passages that are directly relevant to the whole subject of deliverance.
13.1 The Beelzebul Syndrome (Matthew 12:22-30; Mark 3:20-27; Luke 11:14-23) It seems that whenever Jesus exercised His authority over the powers of darkness, there was controversy. Things haven’t changed. Wherever there is an effective deliverance ministry taking place, there will be opposition and controversy—often dressed up as very good intentions—from concerned Christians who do not want to see the ministry “go off the rails.” This is one of Satan’s primary techniques for breaking up any effective work of God that is a serious threat to demonic strongholds. The controversies will rage, sometimes with great intensity and a depth of feeling that will surprise and even shock you. They will cover a huge range of issues, from the underlying theology of deliverance to whether or not one should cast out a demon without the bishop’s permission (a serious question, especially for Anglicans, who are under the authority of their bishop. While policy does vary from diocese to diocese, in most of the United Kingdom dioceses either the bishop or his appointed adviser are supposed to be consulted before any ministry of deliverance takes place). Satan does not mind what the point of the controversy is, for as long as there is controversy those who are ministering deliverance will have to spend some (or possibly all) of their time and energies justifying their ministry instead of actually doing it. And that in itself is a major victory for Satan—for in such cases the work has sometimes even had to cease, or at least be severely restricted, as Christians (demonically influenced no doubt) have done his work for him. The words of Jesus to the Pharisees are a salutary warning to
those in leadership who are in a position to teach and apply the truth about healing and deliverance but stubbornly refuse to be obedient to the Word of God: "How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!” (Luke 11:52). I call this raising of controversy against those who commit themselves to evangelism, healing and deliverance “the Beelzebul Syndrome,” because when the church hierarchy of Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, heard that He had restored the eyesight and speech of a blind and dumb man through deliverance, they raised a controversy to try to discredit the ministry of Jesus. The controversy they raised was the authority by which the demon had been cast out. To the question being asked by the crowds —"Could this be the Son of David?”—they replied by saying, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so” (Matthew 12:23-24). Therefore, the bottom line of their argument is that Jesus cannot be the Messiah because He is of the devil. Those who oppose deliverance ministry within the Church today are not suggesting that Jesus is “of the devil,” but I have heard accusations that those who would cast demons out today are using occult power that is “of the devil.” I believe that of those who do oppose deliverance ministries, most do so because they themselves want no part in them. First, they may not have seen such ministry and, therefore, do not appreciate the power Jesus gives His present-day disciples. Second, they may be apprehensive about the implications of getting involved. However, like the Pharisees, they may also be jealous of those who do minister effectively in territory that they fear to enter.
Mark tells us that the controversy was not restricted to the religious leaders either. It had spilled over into Jesus’ family situation. When He went into a home for a meal, presumably on the day the blind and dumb man had been healed, there were so many needy people following Him that He didn’t have time to eat. So His family also got involved and tried to restrain Him from the work He was doing, because people were saying, “He must have gone mad.” A message was sent into the house to tell Him that His mother and brothers were outside and wanted Him (Mark 3:31-35). But Jesus discerned precisely what was happening and how they were being used to try to stop the work of healing and deliverance that He had been called to do. So “Jesus answered, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ He looked at the people sitting around him and said, ‘Look! Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does what God wants is my brother, my sister, my mother’” (Mark 3:33-35). In saying this, Jesus was not saying that families don’t matter, but He was placing a higher priority on obedience to God than subjection of a God-given ministry to the wishes of His family. And in the context of the Scripture, the higher priority was, in that instance, the ministry of healing and deliverance. By implication, therefore, the people who are ministering in this way to those in need are truly mother, brother and sister to Jesus! At that point the words in Jeremiah must have been very much in Jesus’ mind, for God said to that most persecuted of prophets, "Even your relatives, members of your own family, have betrayed you” (Jeremiah 12:6). On another occasion, when Jesus was warning followers of the cost of discipleship, He said, “Your worst enemies will be the members of your own family” (Matthew 10:36). There must have been many times when the controversies that raged about Jesus caused Him deep hurt and emotional distress but
none more so than the accusation of using the devil’s power to cast out demons. The Pharisees had not been with Him in the wilderness during those forty days of battling with Satan, nor did they have the discernment of spirits to sense the demonic powers that were motivating them or to see the demons that were in such fear of Jesus. But Jesus did have the discernment, not only to understand what was happening in the demonic realms, but also to discern what the Pharisees were thinking (Matthew 12:25). In another passage, we are told that no one needed “to tell [Jesus] about them, because he himself knew what was in their hearts” (John 2:25). And what Jesus saw prompted one of the most salutary warnings He ever gave to religious leaders. Jesus immediately countered the thoughts and words of His accusers with an argument of calculated simplicity. He called Satan’s territory a kingdom, accurately describing the rule that he has as "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), in control of the fallen angels and demonic powers. But, Jesus said that if He was casting out demons by Beelzebul, that would mean different factions within Satan’s kingdom would be fighting each other, and there would be no way Satan’s kingdom could last very long if there was such a state of anarchy among the ranks of evil (Luke 11:17-18). Looking behind the conversation into eternity, Jesus, with His Father, had been watching Satan’s kingdom exercising power and control in the world for thousands of years. They had seen that it was well organized and there was no danger of it collapsing into a chaotic mess through palace revolutions. The very fact that Jesus was walking this earth was conclusive evidence that Satan’s kingdom was not divided against itself! But this was not evidence that the minds of His listeners, and especially the Pharisees, could be expected to grasp and understand. They needed a
more down- to-earth illustration. So Jesus turned to the Jewish exorcists with whom the Pharisees clearly worked. These were men who sought to free people from evil spirits using religious ritual. Jesus indicated that they could cast out evil spirits, and used this fact to illustrate His point. He told the Pharisees that if He cast out evil spirits and they thought He was using the power of Beelzebul, then they had to apply similar thinking to their own men who did similar work. That meant, ultimately, that if Jesus was of Satan (Beelzebul), so were the Pharisees. Once again Jesus had turned the Pharisees’ arguments (Luke 11:53-54) around and used them to defend Himself against attack. The scenario here was not unlike the time when the Pharisees brought the woman “taken in adultery” to Jesus. In a similar way Jesus used their stone-throwing questions to make nonsense of His accusers. “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her,” He said to them (John 8:7, NASB). No one dared take up the challenge. Jesus concluded the discussion by affirming that “it is not Beelzebul, but God’s Spirit, who gives me the power to drive out demons” (Matthew 12:28). It was only after the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus, following His baptism, that He started to minister with power in deliverance. From then on He began to challenge and overthrow Satan’s demonic rule in people’s lives. The Beelzebul Syndrome has not gone away. Some Christians are still undermining genuine works of God by raising controversy about deliverance ministry. This diverts attention from their own misunderstandings and failure to live out this aspect of the Gospel. If they were actually doing the works that Jesus had commissioned them to do, it is unlikely they would have the time to monitor the orthodoxy of others. There would be such a path beaten to their door
by those in need that, like Jesus, they would have little time left over for eating and drinking! Conversely, I would not want anyone reading this book to assume I am saying that orthodox Christian belief no longer matters or that, provided we are doing the works of Jesus (healing the sick and casting out demons), we can believe and do what we like. That is as much a heresy as condemning people for doing the works of Jesus. While Jesus was undoubtedly charismatic in His exercise of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, He was also very, very orthodox in His beliefs, even affirming that He had not come to add or take away one little thing from the Law! (Matthew 5:17). The issue at stake, therefore, is not so much our orthodoxy as our obedience to that inner witness of the Holy Spirit that will confirm us in the ministry that God has given us to do. That witness has to be tested against Scripture, the corporate witness of the fellowship of believers God has placed us in and those to whom we are accountable before God. For some, obedience will lead to a radical new direction compared with the work that others might be doing at the present time, but that does not mean to say it is not orthodox in terms of God’s will and purpose for their lives. Some find it quite tiresome when God does not restrict Himself to the limitations of human tradition! But the Scriptures are full of stories of men and women who have been prepared not to count the cost of doing what God has told them to do. Jesus demonstrated this by being quite willing to pick grain and heal the sick on the Sabbath—notwithstanding the objections of the strict Sabbatarians who assumed that because of such gross disobedience He was no longer orthodox. And Simon Peter had some difficulty explaining to his Christian brethren in Jerusalem that this
Gospel was not just for Jews. Chapters 10 and 11 of the Acts of the Apostles are a revelation in understanding that the orthodoxy of the Holy Spirit's direction was far more wonderful than the limited horizon presented by restricting the Gospel to Jews only.
13.1.1 The Jewish Exorcists A commonly asked question about this passage relates to the Jewish exorcists. If they had not been filled with the Holy Spirit, how is it possible that they could cast out any demons? Such a question presupposes that the Holy Spirit was not at work at all before Pentecost, or before Jesus was baptized. As you read through the Old Testament, you quickly realize that such an assumption is manifestly untrue, for the story of the Jewish people is that of men of God who responded to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Under the Old Covenant there are blessings promised for obedience. I have no doubt that when people sought Him for deliverance, through people who were able to teach them wisely about what it meant to put things right with God and walk in obedience before Him, some of the power of the enemy would be broken. Additionally the Jewish exorcists carried out rituals according to the requirements of the Law. But when Jesus started ministering deliverance, He wasn’t just preaching a form of religious discipline and obedience through which the powers of the enemy were indirectly broken, He was speaking to the demons directly and giving orders that they actually obeyed. That was unheard of! It was this directness and authority that singled Jesus out from every other religious person who had previously tried to set a person free from the powers of darkness.
13.1.2 Can Demons Cast Out Demons? Another issue out of the Beelzebul discussion that has to be tackled is this: What does happen when people go to an occult healer and are apparently healed or set free from an evil spirit? If that really does happen, and there are plenty of “testimonies” around to suggest it does, isn’t that the equivalent of Beelzebul casting out demons? In this Scripture, however, Jesus seems to imply to the Pharisees that such a thing cannot possibly happen, for if it did then Satan’s kingdom would quickly crumble, as it would be manifestly divided against itself! To understand this apparent dilemma consider the following. Jesus actually set the man free from the demon and healed him of his blindness and dumbness. He was totally released from his bondage and clearly in a better state after the ministry than he was before. If it was Jesus who had healed him, there is no possibility of there having been any religious deception entering into the ministry, for He was without sin and free from any deception. Jesus ministered to the whole person; there is no way that through Jesus only symptoms would have been dealt with, leaving the ultimate state of the person much worse than he was at the beginning. When looking at occult-based healing and deliverance, however, it is always symptom oriented, and therein lies the potential for great deception. Scripture tells us that in the last days Satan himself will work supposed miracles, so that even the very elect may be deceived! (Matthew 24:24). Now if some of these miracles that Satan works are deliverances, which they apparently are, there has to be some deeper level of understanding; otherwise we have made Matthew, in chapter 24, contradict what he wrote in chapter 12! In Christian understanding, the removal of symptoms and
healing are not necessarily the same thing. Oh yes, they can appear to be the same thing, and certainly a person can be relieved of the condition that was afflicting him, but is he healed? If he is genuinely healed, then by comparison with the Gospel story, the total state of the person after being “healed” will be better than it formerly was. Now, if someone is deceived into measuring wholeness and healing simply by observing symptoms, he will not be interested in looking at any other dimension that might be operating, and he is in great danger. Satan is a master deceiver, and his demons are both well trained and under authority, so that if they are given an instruction from a higher authority, they will naturally obey it, because the instruction will always be to Satan’s ultimate advantage. So let’s look at a hypothetical “deliverance” from an evil spirit by an occult healer and see one of the things that can be happening in the supernatural. Jane (a totally imaginary person) has a physical symptom that is worrying her. It is a symptom that is caused by an evil spirit (though she is not aware of this). In scriptural language, she is sick because she has a demon. She goes to an occult healer, say a spiritualist medium. A successful medium will be highly demonized and operating under the control of very powerful demons. Jane has lived a relatively innocent life. Other than this physical condition, there are no major problems or demonic strongholds in her life. She goes to church quite regularly and takes an active part in church life, but her church does not have a healing ministry, so she follows up an advertisement in the local paper about a "church” that does. She ends up seeing the resident spiritual healer at the “Christian” Spiritualist Church. When Jane goes into his room, the medium’s demons look at Jane, through the medium, and assess the situation. They see the spirit
of infirmity and recognize how worried and vulnerable Jane is. The medium does not do anything that would upset or distress this firsttime caller, but prays some very nice prayers, and Jane gets healed of the symptoms. Jane is delighted and gradually loses interest in her own church. She goes very occasionally to the spiritualist church, but now that she’s been healed that doesn’t interest her very much either. She and her family settle down to a routine pagan existence. What happened? The first point to remember is that Satan’s higher objectives will always override lesser ones. Satan used the spirit of infirmity (which could have been passed down the family line when her mother died some six months earlier) to get Jane to go to the medium. Once there, some demonic interchanges took place, totally unheard by either the medium or Jane. The medium’s powerful controlling demon would probably have given an instruction something like this: “Spirit of infirmity in Jane, cease your actions for the time being so that she can seem to be healed; spirit of deception, enter her mind and start your work of turning her away from God.” So instead of healing, further demonization took place! There was a trade-off (loss of symptoms for more demonization) that left Jane worse off than she was before, even though she was pleased to be rid of the symptoms. But she wasn’t aware that she was the loser in the deal. She went away from the medium with more than she bargained for. The little spirit of infirmity, which her church should have dealt with as a matter of routine ministry, had done its job and opened the way for a spirit of deception, which took her deep into spiritual bondage. Jane had given the spirit of deception a right to enter through her sin of consulting a medium, and Satan’s greater interests had been served, even though she had been “healed,” for the time being, of the symptoms.
The spirit of deception soon convinced Jane that going to church on a Sunday morning was disrupting her family life, and surely Jesus wouldn’t want the stability of the family to be rocked, would He? Before long, Jane and her family became only occasional church attenders—the traditional Christmas and Easter Christians. The spirit of deception is now well established and will lie totally dormant, though constantly on guard against any real spiritual life entering the family. The moment anything like that should happen, the spirit will start to disrupt all sorts of things in Jane and the family until the threatened "danger” is over! This story is not just a figment of imagination but pieced together from the way we have seen spirits work in hundreds of people’s lives. I remember one lady who went to a spiritualist healer in her early twenties. Like Jane, she was healed of the presenting symptoms. But in exchange she received much more than she bargained for, and for the rest of her life suffered from extensive undiagnosable pain. But every time she had an operation (and there were many) the surgeon could find nothing wrong. She was also spiritually deceived, one of those people who always had “good ideas” that were, nevertheless, directly contrary to what the Holy Spirit was doing in the life of her church. In cases like this a spirit of curse usually enters, placing the spirit of man in demonic bondage. So while in Jane’s case it appeared that a demon (spirit of infirmity) was being cast out by a demon (the medium’s controlling spirit), what actually happened was that the demonic hierarchy moved in with a changed plan for Jane’s life. She was deceived into a spiritual bondage that would now be much more difficult to free her from in the future, should she ever come back to the Lord and seek deliverance. Much of the world is seeking, and content with, this sort of
symptomatic healing. The church that abandons the ministry of Jesus in the supernatural realm of deliverance has no answers of its own. I believe we would be experiencing a lot more successful one-on-one evangelism if the Janes of this world received their healing through being delivered by the power of God! Her whole family and her circle of friends and neighbors would have heard, and the glory for her healing would have gone to Jesus instead of a spiritualist healer. I have known cases, too, where genuine deliverance of the presenting demon has indeed taken place through an occultist. But such deliverances have always been part of a demonic strategy in which the presence of one lesser spirit, having a particular characteristic, has been replaced with a spirit having a different, and more spiritually dangerous, consequence in the person’s life.
13.2 First Bind the Strong Man (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27; Luke 11:21-22) The controversy with the Pharisees about Beelzebul raises more issues than are included in the Beelzebul Syndrome discussion above. Matthew, Mark and Luke include, as part of the ongoing teaching arising from this incident, Jesus’ directive about how to plunder a house. It is a good thing that this advice is found in the middle of a discussion on deliverance ministry; otherwise Jesus’ intentions might have been misconstrued! What Jesus says is that if you want to break into a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions, first tie up the strong man. Then you will be free to take as much as you want of his possessions and, Luke adds, carry away the very weapons that the owner of the house was depending on for his defense! This is, basically, very practical advice on the spiritual mechanics of major deliverance ministry. For there to be a strong man in occupation of a house, there have to be weaker men under his control. So Jesus is saying that the demonic kingdom operating inside a demonized person is one with a hierarchy of power and control; and if you want to deliver the person of all the lesser demons, it makes a lot of sense to so invalidate the power of the strong man that he is unable to defend his "possessions”—the demon spirits that were defending him under his control. I remember well the first night that the Lord showed us the significance of this Scripture, early in the ministry of Ellel Grange. We were struggling to set someone free of a demon that was clearly manifesting in front of us, but it would not be dislodged and was obviously fairly secure in the hold it had on the person’s life. We had
done all that we knew in terms of undermining the power of the demon through forgiveness, repentance, etc. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads you to ask questions in ministry that are strategic to the deliverance, rather like when Jesus was led to challenge Legion as to his name. The question I asked of the demon was not its name but “Who is your master?” The silence that followed the question was indicative of the accuracy of the discernment, so I pressed on and eventually, very reluctantly, the demon told us the name of the higher demon in the kingdom to whom it had to answer. It was obvious that as it did so, it was being punished from within for giving away such important information. We were then able to challenge the higher demon by name, where upon it surfaced, and we addressed the strong man. I said to the demon, “I bind you in the name of Jesus, and by the power of His blood I forbid you to hold on to the demons under your control any longer.” I then went back to the demon that had originally challenged us and was able to deliver the person, not only of that demon, but of all the other demons (and there were many) that were also under the control of that particular strong man. We were then able to cast out the strong man because it had lost all the lesser demons (Luke’s "weapons the owner was depending on”), and we then found it to be no longer a strong man but just like any other demon. There have been occasions when we have known it was right to be binding the strong man that was controlling a demonic kingdom, but we were still unable to make any progress with the deliverance. On one such occasion the Lord showed us that the strong man we were dealing with was not inside the person we were dealing with at all, but was a ruling spirit of the air that had direct control over the demons from the outside. On that occasion the Lord showed us how Satan has ruling spirits with specific job functions over nations and regions and that in some ministries we have to sever the demon inside
the person from the ruling demon that is outside of the person. This was a revelation from the Holy Spirit that has enabled us to minister much more effectively to some categories of people—for example, those who have been victims of ritualistic sexual abuse. On occasions they have had to be set free from a ruling spirit of the air that acts like a slave master, holding all such victims in a chain-like grip of Satanic power. Another possible location for the strong man, which may be controlling a demon you are attempting to deliver, is inside another person. Usually this is only possible if there is a close “soul tie” (much more about soul ties will be found in the next part) between the two people involved, such as exists between family members, sexual partners, close friends, etc. That soul tie seems to act like a “demonic tube” along which demons can move or through which power and control can be exercised. It is this phenomenon that often accounts for the devastating manipulative control that some people have over others. Until the soul ties are broken, which mercifully can be easily and quickly done through prayer, one can be dealing with a demonic power that is totally beyond the control of the person you are seeking to help. We have found this particular ministry very profound when dealing with demonic power that has been exercised through previous sexual partners with whom, as the Scripture says, people have become one flesh (1 Corinthians 6:15-17). But when the soul ties are broken, release is often instant. What we have found from experience is that Jesus' advice to bind the strong man is very practical and is often a necessary procedure in the course of deliverance ministry. But it is not a guarantee of instant success—it is just one of the ministry procedures that have to be remembered. There are many other reasons also why
some deliverances are difficult, and it is necessary to work through these. They are spelled out more clearly in part 2.
13.3 To Gather or Not to Gather—That Is the Question! (Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23) It is very tempting to look at Scripture passages out of context, especially if it suits our particular theological perspective to do so! Often I have heard the words of Matthew 12:30 quoted to endorse the thrust of evangelistic messages: Jesus said, “Anyone who is not for me is really against me,” the threat of being considered to have been against Jesus on the final judgment day adding an effective bit of spiritual arm-twisting to the appeal to follow Him! Again, please do not misunderstand me. I do believe that if individuals are not for Jesus, then they are indeed against Him and that at the Judgment Day those who are truly for Him will be those who enter into heaven by the narrow way that leads to life. But according to the gospel writers, that is not the context in which these words were said. They appear, almost identically, toward the end of the Matthew and Luke accounts of the Beelzebul controversy and discussions. They are omitted from Mark’s account, but Mark includes Jesus’ statement (which has already been referred to) that those who are obedient to Him are really His mother, brother and sister—a passage that, in the context of the Beelzebul discussions, has exactly the same significance. So what is the relevance and context of this very important sentence from the lips of Jesus? The relevance is to the concluding discussions on deliverance that followed the attack by the Pharisees on Jesus for healing and delivering the blind and dumb man. Jesus explains that He casts out demons by the power of God’s Spirit and
that binding the strong man is part of a ministry procedure to undermine Satan’s strongholds. It is only then that He says, “Anyone who is not for me.” What Jesus appears to be saying is that anyone who is not for Him in the deliverance ministry, which has been the central part of the discussion so far, is against Him! The context is not a general statement about following Jesus (of which there are many such statements elsewhere in the gospels), but to a very specific aspect of what it means to follow Jesus—to support and be committed to the work of deliverance. An amplified and contextualized rendering of this Scripture would read, ‘Anyone who is not for Me in the ministry of deliverance that God My Father has called Me into, as part of the full Gospel of evangelism, healing and deliverance is really against Me for they are, either directly or indirectly, opposing a vital part of My work, which is given to Me by the Holy Spirit and which proves that the Kingdom of God has come.” But that isn’t the end of the matter, for the sentence has not yet finished. There is not even a friendly full stop to hang on to as an excuse for avoiding the implications of what Jesus says next! Again in an amplified and contextualized version: “Anyone who does not help Me gather in the harvest (the flock) by setting people free from the powers of darkness, as I have set free this blind and dumb man today through deliverance, is not only failing to gather in the flock but is actually scattering it.” The implication of these words is far deeper than the very superficial way they are sometimes used in evangelistic ministry or to try to make people support what may well be a work of God but which is totally unrelated to the context of the Scripture. Their
significance is awesome. In a nutshell Jesus is saying that those who do not support deliverance ministries are opposing Christ, and those leaders who do not practice deliverance ministry themselves are actually scattering the flock! I have seen this operate on many occasions, where those who should be rejoicing in the victory of the cross stand against what is manifestly a work of the Holy Spirit in setting people free from the powers of darkness. Those who will find this truth most unpalatable may well be those who pride themselves on having a Bible-based ministry. However proud they may be of their biblical tradition, if they are not supporting and exercising the ministry of deliverance in some measure, they are opposing the Gospel. Even more radical is the thought that people who are so deeply religious in their Christian commitment can even be scattering the flock. How could this be? What I have observed in this respect may be helpful to those who find it hard to understand. A ministry that offers Christ as the answer to all life’s problems is very attractive to those whose problems are many. They hear the Gospel preached effectively and faithfully, they respond to it and they are converted. The church has done its job—allegedly—but leaves the poor convert (we’ll call him Chris) to flounder in a new pool of life for which he is grossly unprepared. He needs help. Many at this stage not only need discipling in the basics of Christian truth—a job that is sometimes done quite well—but they also need personal ministry to help them overcome the problems arising from all that has invaded their being during their pagan years. That help has not been freely available within the majority of churches. Twelve months later Chris is nowhere to be seen. Church hasn’t been the answer after all, and he returns to his friends in the world, who, at least, have time to talk to him about his other interests in life.
God isn’t totally dismissed, but He’s definitely been put on the shelf as being somewhat irrelevant to Chris and his family. He is unlikely to try church again and will probably be discouraging and dismissive toward others who are in need and think that the Church might be able to help them. So what went wrong? What happened to Chris? His church fellowship made one of the most common mistakes in evangelism. They assumed that once he was “in the fold” God would take care of the rest and there was nothing more they could do! How wrong they were. When people come to Christ, they usually bring with them quite a lot of excess baggage— including the demons that entered in a variety of ways, such as the sins of an ungodly lifestyle and generational contamination. The time of conversion should be the beginning of ministry to Chris, not the end of it. At that point Chris is more open than at any other time of his life to receive all the help he needs to become established as a dynamic member of the Body of Christ. He may also need deliverance, and unless he receives healing and deliverance ministry, the demons he has, having had something of a spiritual shock through Chris’ conversion, will regroup themselves and reestablish their stronghold on Chris’ flesh life and continue to plague him with all the old problems he had before he became a Christian. Indeed, at that point the demons will intensify their efforts to show Chris just how many problems he’s got! Chris might then conclude that becoming a Christian hasn’t made any difference after all. So Chris, at the end of the day, has genuinely tried Christianity but has found that it doesn’t really work for him, and he finishes up rejecting the Church, compounding his sense of failure and condemnation and becoming a deterrent to others. What a sad story. The flock has been scattered, and Jesus’ warning to those who neither support nor do deliverance has been fulfilled.
Chris’ story could be repeated many times over. Not all such people finish up leaving the Church, however, for many stay within its walls and continue to nurse their hurts and pains. Because they have so many unresolved problems lying just below the surface, they will always be weak and perhaps even “left to die” unless they are offered the help that Jesus provided for us. Many who come through the doors of Ellel Centers wear masks of normality, while underneath they are crumbling under the weight of hurts, condemnation and low self-worth. Inside the Church they become a permanent drain on the leadership and the resources of the fellowship. Outside the Church they are more of a put-off than an attraction to people in the world. Once again, failure to heal the hurting and deliver the demons has resulted in the flock being scattered instead of being gathered.
13.4 Sin against the Holy Spirit The implications of this discussion would be hard enough without the teaching Jesus gave that immediately follows. In Matthew 12:31-32 Jesus continues the discussion by implying that to scatter the flock in this way is linked with the sin against the Holy Spirit that “will not be forgiven.” One will be forgiven for all manner of sins against even the Son of God, but to sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. There have been many treatises written about the “unforgivable sin,” and I do not intend to open up an in-depth discussion on this in the present work. Surely, however, it is a sufficiently salutary warning for the Church to take seriously the context in which Jesus spoke these words. The Pharisees had accused Jesus, implying that what was the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus (on this occasion, deliverance ministry) was in fact the work of Satan. Let us be very cautious, therefore, about criticizing a ministry on the grounds that it includes deliverance, lest we be found to be making the same mistake, sinning against the Holy Spirit and opposing what God Himself is doing to set people free. That is not to say that those who do deliverance are, therefore, above criticism in any respect and do not have to be accountable for the way they are doing the ministry and whatever else they may be saying and doing in the name of Jesus. We are all responsible before God for what we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself warned that there will even be people who cast out demons that will not be found in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 7:22-23). We must, however, examine ourselves on this issue and allow the Holy Spirit to minister truth to our own hearts. For if we are not elevating the Lord Jesus Christ by taking authority over the powers of
darkness (demons) that would pollute the Body of Christ (cause sickness and distress, etc.), then we are in disobedience to one of the fundamental commands Jesus gave to the disciples and the Church. We are, indeed, then undermining one of the foundational purposes for which Jesus died (to defeat Satan and overcome all the powers of darkness) and, by implication, standing against those who do practice deliverance ministry. Jesus warned us not to judge others! (Matthew 7:1-2).
13.5 Seven Spirits More Evil Than the First (Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26) One of the most common groups of questions asked of those involved in deliverance ministry is “Where do the demons go when you cast them out?” or “Do you send them anywhere special?” or “How do you stop them from going into someone else?” Scripture is very silent on this whole issue. There are only three comments within the gospels that give us any clue whatsoever. The first is within Mark’s account of the healing of the epileptic boy, where Jesus not only orders the demon to leave the boy, but also commands the demon never to "go into him again” (Mark 9:25). The second is within the discourses with the demons in the Gadarene demoniac, where they pleaded with Jesus not to send them to the abyss and Jesus finished up by dispatching them, at the demons’ request, into the pigs. The third, which is the primary reference for this section, is within the few verses contained in both Matthew and Luke that warn of the dangers of demonic reentry, not just by the demon that has left, but by an even worse colony of Satan’s troops! There seems, therefore, to be some conflict here with the first reference in Mark, for if Jesus commanded every demon that He cast out never to return to the person concerned, then the potential for further demonization of that person, from the same demon, could not arise. Clearly we need to unpack these two verses a little and illustrate them from experiences that will remove the superficial conflict that there undoubtedly is! When Jesus gave the command to the disciples to go and preach
the Gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons, He only gave them the bare bones of an order and no detailed instructions. He gave them power and authority to cast out demons but apparently did not tell them where to send the demons (Luke 9:1-2). I am suspicious therefore of any teaching that contains precise guidelines in this respect, for they would appear to be instructions that do not have the backing of Scripture, and the danger is that such instructions become part of a technique that can finish up in the flesh, as opposed to being used under the anointing of the Spirit of God. Not that Scripture is specific on every issue that we have to determine in this whole area of healing and deliverance—it isn’t, so we do have to both apply sanctified common sense and, on occasion, be willing to act under a specific anointing of the Spirit. One cry that was expressed by demons to Jesus was “Have you come to punish us before the right time?” (Matthew 8:29). As soon as demons encountered Jesus they knew they were facing the One who one day, at the appointed time, would cast them, with Satan, into the lake of fire and execute the judgment that was reserved for them. At that time they would be joined by those angels that are already “[chained] in the darkness below, where God is keeping them for that great Day on which they will be condemned.” These are the angels in the abyss who are under punishment already for “[not staying] within the limits of their proper authority” (Jude 6). Jesus never sent any demons to the abyss, although they clearly recognized He had the power to do so (Luke 8:31). Nor did He assign them to the pit, outer darkness, the eternal flames or any of a multitude of other places that I have heard referred to by people in their enthusiasm to get demons out! I don’t think God will in any way judge us for over enthusiasm in dealing with the enemy, but I do think it important that we try to operate within the bounds of scriptural authority!
Those who would condemn the enthusiasts for their graphic language in deliverance but sit on the sidelines and do nothing themselves are in great danger and should remember the caution that Jesus gave within the parable of the sheep and the goats when illustrating the final judgment. Jesus says there are those who were “in prison” and “you would not care for them,” and so He says to those who refused to help them, “Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels!” (Matthew 25:41). When Jesus said He had come to set the captives free, He was not referring to those behind literal prison bars, and we can’t, therefore, dismiss this passage as only referring to visiting real prisons and not having any relevance to deliverance ministry. We also need to appreciate here something of the dispensations of God’s eternal timetable and realize that we can only operate within the confines of these dispensations (eras of time). Sadly, wrong dispensational theology has been used as a major weapon by Satan, not only to stop deliverance ministry taking place, but also to prevent the operation of the gifts of the Spirit in their entirety. There is a school of dispensational thought that has had, and still has in some quarters, enormous impact and influence. It limits the operation of the gifts to the apostolic period. It argues that Jesus operated in the gifts of the Spirit and gave the apostles similar powers so as to establish the credibility of Jesus as the Son of God. But once that had happened we moved into a new dispensation when faith was the only earthly gift we needed. When we die, we shall go to glory, but in the meantime we live out our lives being obedient to what the Scripture tells us to do in the natural; we leave the supernatural well alone because we are no longer in the dispensation when that is allowed or required of us. The dispensationalists have, therefore, given theological
reasons for spiritualizing the supernatural lessons from the New Testament and never having to do anything themselves about putting these lessons into practice. How Satan must have rejoiced to see his deceptions being so effective that a very powerful school of Christian theology was actually doing his work for him! For the net conclusion of this type of dispensational theology is that because practicing the gifts is not allowed, anyone who is operating in them must be of the enemy, deceived or even working within the occult. This seems to give them the right to whitewash their own powerlessness and condemn the rest of the Body of Christ as operating in heresy or deception. It seems to me that the main foundation for this theology is fear. For Jesus did say that in the last days Satan would perform all sorts of amazing tricks so that even the very elect may be deceived. Now if Satan can do such amazing things and there is a possibility that people might be deceived, surely, they would argue, it is better not to risk any of these things than dabble in something that might be wrong. However, they have overlooked the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Here Jesus commends the servants who use their talents wisely, but the servant who buries his talent in the ground and does nothing with it, out of fear of making a mistake and losing what he has, is described by Jesus as being a “useless servant” to whom the master says, "Throw him outside in the darkness; there he will cry and gnash his teeth” (Matthew 25:30). There is nothing in this parable to indicate that those who used their talents, but were unsuccessful, would be condemned. Condemnation is only handed out to the one who refused to use them at all. The dispensations in which mankind has a part, and which are clearly expressed in Scripture, are as follows:
1. from the creation and immediate Fall of man to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. from the incarnation to Pentecost 3. the Pentecostal Age, in which we are now living
The next dispensation will begin with the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As far as deliverance is concerned, and the destination of demons after deliverance, it is important to realize that in the present dispensation, the demons have not yet come to their appointed time, when they will come before the judgment seat of God. We do not therefore have any right, at the present time, to do other than Jesus did—simply to cast the demons out of the territory that they are currently occupying and forbid them to return. Whereupon we hit a problem. If we have forbidden them to return, as Jesus apparently did, then why was it necessary to warn about the return of the demon who came this time with seven other demons worse than itself, so that the final state of the person is much worse than it was at the beginning? Earlier in this book we stated that demons are legalists. They know their rights and will go wherever those rights have been legally granted. So what we have to look for is any way that after deliverance the demons can feel that they are still being given a legal right to return. There are two primary ways that this can come about. The first reason relates to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In spatial terms, when a person
is delivered of an evil spirit, there is left a spiritual vacuum in the person. How will that spiritual vacuum be filled safely? The only spirit with which it is safe for us to be filled, and which we are urged in Scripture to seek, is the Holy Spirit. Paul told us to be continuously being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). For if we are to be channels for the flow of the Holy Spirit into the lives of others through ministry, then we will need continually to be refilled with the power of God. Jesus was conscious, when the woman with the issue of blood touched Him, that power had gone out of Him (Luke 8:46). If that was Jesus' experience then we, too, must realize that what God gave us at our conversion, or when we were filled (baptized) with the Holy Spirit, is not sufficient for the rest of our days. We must continually draw upon the fountain that springs up within—the very water of life. But there is no way we can be filled with the Holy Spirit unless Jesus is Lord of our lives. The Holy Spirit is a Holy Spirit. The only way we, who are sinners, can be holy is when our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus and we are wearing, therefore, a robe of righteousness. This is not earned through good religious practice but is a free gift from God. It is only when Jesus is established as Lord of our lives that the Holy Spirit has free access to fill us with His Spirit. So, if an evil spirit is cast out of a person who has not asked for Jesus to be Lord of his life, then there is no way that the Holy Spirit can move in to fill the spiritual vacuum that now exists. It is for this reason that bringing the person to Jesus, that he may be born again of the Spirit of God, is so essential and why it is only in very exceptional circumstances that I would actually minister deliverance to someone who has not already come into the Kingdom of God. The danger is obvious. Satan is no respecter of persons, and as a backlash against
ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit he will do everything he possibly can to undermine genuine deliverance ministries by attacking those who have been delivered. If the demons recognize that they have a legal right to return because the Lordship of Jesus Christ has not been established in this area of the person’s life, it would be wholly consistent with Satan's character to try to send seven more demons worse than the first; for if the final state of the person is worse than the first, Satan would try to use this situation to discredit the only ministry that can actually set people free. There have been a number of horror stories in recent years of things that have gone sadly wrong following deliverance ministry. It seems that most of these instances relate to deliverance ministry that has been unadvisedly carried out on people who had not, or were not willing to, become Christians and allow the Lordship of Jesus Christ to be established in their lives. There is only one instance in the whole of the New Testament of someone being delivered who was not coming primarily to Jesus. The story of the woman with the spirit of divination in Acts 16 tells us that she railed against Paul for many days, her demons, nevertheless, crying out truth about Jesus. In the end Paul was not prepared to put up with the distraction to his evangelistic ministry any longer, so he took authority over the demon and delivered her. But such was the backlash from her owners that Paul and Silas were thrown into jail. Even for Paul the consequences were tough! We must be very cautious not to step out of the normal guidelines for ministry that God has given us, and if we do, we must be as sure as we can be that we have heard from God and that His anointing is upon our actions. Otherwise the consequences of the person becoming more severely demonized, and of unwelcome attacks upon the ministry, will be a major distraction from the work God really has called us to do.
So Jesus’ warning about being further demonized following deliverance appears to be strong advice not to minister to people who are unwilling to come under His Lordship and who cannot, therefore, be filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a second aspect to this warning, however, which is picked up by Peter in his second letter. He talks about someone who has escaped from the corrupting forces of the world, which is a fairly graphic description of being delivered from evil spirits and then being caught and conquered by them again. Peter is severe in his condemnation of such people, saying that “[they] are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them. What happened to them shows that the proverbs are true: A dog goes back to what it has vomited’ and A pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud’” (2 Peter 2:20-22). What Peter is warning us of is that we are always likely to be vulnerable in areas of our lives where there have been weaknesses. If we have already been delivered of evil spirits, we must be on our guard, therefore, to walk cleanly before God, especially in those areas from which we have been cleansed; otherwise we will be in danger of putting down the welcome mat to the enemy. He will then exercise the legal right, which we through our sin have given him, to reoccupy the territory that he formerly occupied and also bring back even stronger demonic powers. This particular passage of Scripture highlights the difference between the world, the flesh and the devil, three categories of influence that some find hard to delineate. The world is that source of general influence, under Satan’s overall control, that offers
temptations that are contrary to God’s perfect will. The temptations offered by the world are attractive to the flesh, for they seem to fulfill base desires of our fallen nature, such as greed, lust, selfishness, etc. Our flesh life can also be consecrated wholly in the Lord’s service and be, therefore, set apart for God, cleansed from the consequences of sin and, while always vulnerable to the enemy, be set about by a hedge of protection. It is when with our will we choose to allow the desires of the flesh to be fulfilled in ways that are contrary to the leading of the Holy Spirit that we are in danger of being demonized through the practice of sin. The world has then used the flesh as the means of getting a demon inside. From that point on, the person is battling not only with temptations from the outside, but with a voice on the inside that is urging capitulation to the temptation, often by feeding the mind with apparently plausible reasons for giving in and sinning. It would seem that a good description of a besetting sin is a sin that is being encouraged by the demonic from inside as well as temptation from outside. Without deliverance there will be a permanent battle raging that will keep the Christian under the control of the enemy. There are many Christians who struggle in this way, and because they have never been taught of the possibility of being freed from demonic power through deliverance, they live out their lives in permanent bondage to Satan in specific areas of their lives. We have ministered privately and confidentially to many Christian leaders who were desperate for help. Some had come to believe that they were not even Christians, such was the extent of the demonic hold on their mind and their flesh. Many suffered from deep sexual problems and sinful desires, which they had never dared to confess and seek help for inside their own church because of the fear that being honest with their superiors would destroy their careers and, as a result, their families. They had lived in torment for years,
thinking that no one could help them, yet at the same time going through the motions of ministry, because in their hearts they believed it to be true for others, even if it wasn't working very well for them. Some have been deeply shocked at the extent of demonization they have been laboring under and the filth and violence that manifested when the demonic finally had to surface. Many have gone back to their churches totally transformed people, with a holy hatred for the enemy and a godly desire to start ministering freedom to their people. For some the legalistic bondage of dispensational teaching has gone out the window as the liberating light of Jesus, as Healer and Deliverer, has come in. No wonder Satan wants to keep the Church ignorant of the need for deliverance ministry and do all he can to discredit, in the eyes of the rest of the Church, those ministries that are moving powerfully in this area. He does not want to see a cleansed and powerful Church. But take care, for as both Jesus and Peter warned, the enemy will not let up from his attacks and will, initially, try hard to recover lost ground through gaining a legal right over us. Finally, before leaving this section, it is interesting to note that Jesus commented that when an evil spirit goes out of a man it chooses to go to the “dry and waterless” places seeking a place to rest. Now why should a spirit choose to go to such arid regions? The only answer that makes theological sense is derived from the reference in Ephesians 5:26 to the washing of the Church, by water, in order to present it to God pure and faultless, without spot or wrinkle. Is this a reference to deliverance ministry? Not directly, but for the Church to be cleansed and pure, any demons must of course be cast out. Water would appear to have a special significance, therefore, that will inevitably make the demons afraid. I do not personally come from a highly sacramental background, but I have learned in this
ministry not to dismiss any scripturally based practice that could be sacramentally used as part of healing or deliverance ministry. On numerous occasions we have consecrated some water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and then sprinkled the person, made the sign of the cross on the forehead or even, in extreme cases, used our swimming pool with considerable effect! The demons hate consecrated water. Often they will cry out, “Not that, it burns!” or words to that effect. So I can fully understand that if water has the potential for so much power over the demonic, then when they leave a person they will certainly choose to go where water is scarce. This may also give a new insight into the rite of baptism. Our swimming pool has often been used for baptism by immersion, and many people being baptized thus are delivered of evil spirits that are driven out of hiding by the sacramental way in which the baptism is carried out. It is interesting that the Roman rite of baptism of a child has always included within it a deliverance prayer to set the child free from demonic powers that have come into it down the generational lines of the parents. Arguments over the infant/adult baptism issue have created much heat in recent years. Few, if any, of the proponents of either practice have considered seriously the deliverance aspects of being cleansed through baptism. (In a different context I will look at Numbers 19, which talks extensively about the provisions under the law for being cleansed through the use of the water of purification.) For children of Christian parents, an infant ceremony of dedication and presentation of the child to God is wholly scriptural, as also would be the use of such a ceremony to minister deliverance to the child at the start of its life. (Our experience is that demons lift off children very easily. It is only as the child matures and gives the demons rights by its own sinful behavior that generational
demonization becomes entrenched.) The power of consecrated water may also, perhaps, give fresh insight into the otherwise puzzling healings that would take place at the pool of Bethesda, whenever the water was “troubled” or “stirred up,” presumably by an angel (John 5:1-9). The first person into the pool would be healed. Was that because there was a special anointing of the water by the Holy Spirit, so that when someone went into the water immediately afterward, the spirits of infirmity, which afflicted the long-term sick, were driven out and the people were healed? At a practical level we have certainly found the use of consecrated water (I prefer that phrase to the more commonly encountered "holy water,” which can carry with it an air of divine superstition) to be of significant value in deliverance ministry. This has been used in various ways according to how the Holy Spirit has led at the time. In recent years, Leanne Payne also has taught widely about the power of consecrated water to bring healing and deliverance. Additionally, if the demons choose to go to dry and waterless places when they leave a person, we have from time to time used that as a helpful phrase to accompany a command to leave a person—"Go to the dry and waterless places”—on the grounds that if that is a place the demons would prefer to go to, they are more likely to leave quickly and quietly without hurting or harming the person. This is rather like Jesus allowing the demons to go into the pigs to protect the man from their power— only in that instance Jesus was able to turn the tables on the demons, because I doubt if any of them had bargained on the pigs skydiving into the sea of Galilee!
13.6 Your Father the Devil! (John 8:31-47) John’s gospel is notable for the relatively little attention John pays to either the healing or deliverance ministry of Jesus; but John does include Jesus’ in-depth teaching on many major issues, providing us with a unique insight into the life and teaching of Jesus. He tells us (in possible reference to other writings about Jesus), “Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life” (John 20:30-31). John’s purpose was, therefore, primarily evangelistic so that people may truly understand who Jesus is. Consequently much of the teaching John records is not found in the other gospels. Some of this is contained in the somewhat puzzling encounter that Jesus had with a group of believers-—people who were not just Jewish believers in God, but people who, John tells us, actually believed in Jesus (John 8:31). Jesus made a statement to these Jewish believers that they found offensive: “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (verses 31-32). They could not take the idea that they, children of Abraham, who had never been anyone’s slaves, needed freeing from anyone or anything. (They had clearly forgotten the years of exile when the people of God were carried off in slavery to Babylon!) So Jesus explained, and outside of an understanding of the need for deliverance ministry it is hard to make much sense of what Jesus said to these believers. First, He said, "Everyone who sins is a slave
of sin... but... if the Son sets you free, then you will be really free” (verses 34-36). That particular verse of Scripture is so often used by those antagonistic to deliverance ministry to demonstrate that Christians couldn’t possibly need deliverance, because the "Son has set them free.” It is usually misquoted out of context, for Jesus seems to use exactly the same Scripture as part of His argument to demonstrate that these believers were subject to Satan and not free from his control. Jesus goes on, "I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching” (verse 37). Whom was Jesus really speaking to here? This was a group of people who were believers in Jesus, yet He accused them of not accepting His teaching. He acknowledged them as believers but at the same time told them they were trying to kill Him. Superficially it makes no sense at all. Jesus continued, “I talk about what my Father has shown me, but you do what your father has told you” (verse 38). (Most translations use a capital F for the first use of the word Father and the small/for the second word father.) Clearly John realized that Jesus was talking about two different fathers, and suddenly what Jesus was saying began to make sense. He was talking about the allegiance shown to Satan (as father) by the people who were responding to the demonic that was trying to kill Jesus. But they did not realize that was what was happening, for they protested that their father (small f) was Abraham and that the only Father (capital F) they ever had was God Himself (verses 39-41). Jesus was slowly picking His way through the arguments as He had these people face up to the fact that in spite of being believers there was something in them that wanted to kill Him. Jesus knew that crowds are fickle and that before very long, people who had sworn allegiance to Him during the good times would be baying for His
blood and releasing Barabbas; it was only minutes later, after Jesus had declared to them that "Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’” (verse 58), these very people “picked up stones to throw at him” (verse 59). So in verse 44 Jesus was much more specific about the nature of the father with the small f. He told them straight, “You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father’s desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer.” There it is, in unmistakable language. These people, who were children of Abraham, who claimed not to need freeing from anyone’s slavery, were told by Jesus that there was something in them that naturally responded to Satan as father, whom they chose to obey. Satan had always sought to destroy Jesus, and here was another opportunity. Get these people to turn against Him and they would carry out the wishes of Satan himself, because they would be responding to the ideas put into their minds by the demons within, who naturally respond to Satan as their father. Kill Him! Jesus, who had perfect insight into the thoughts and intentions of the hearts of those with whom He had to deal, saw it all happening before Him. No wonder Jesus had said to these people, “You are in slavery and you need to be set free.” No wonder Jesus said that it was only He who could set them free. For the one they were in bondage to was Satan himself (via demonic control), and it was only Jesus who could ever set anyone free from the power of the enemy. This is an important passage of Scripture when coming to terms with the extent of demonic power there is in the lives of many believers. In some areas of their lives people often respond to the devil as their father, rather than to the Father of Abraham as their God. They would not describe it like that, but deep down in their lives, there may be rivers of poison that are flowing, and because of the influence of these rivers, they are compelled to respond in their
flesh to the voice of their father (Satan), whose demons have exercised so much power behind the scenes in their lives. Those people often know who these powers are, for they daily wrestle with the issues in the mind and the spirit. But others are totally unaware of the extent to which Satan uses them to fulfill his purposes, and Jesus would say to them words that begin, “Your father, the Devil” (verse 44). How we need to defend ourselves against the onslaught of demons and prepare our people for the freedom that only Jesus can bring! For truly, it is only the Son who can bring total freedom from the powers of darkness. Another important point that arises from verse 36 is the two different tenses that Jesus uses when saying, “If the Son sets you free [present tense], you will be free [future]” (NIV). Jesus is clearly differentiating between two different aspects of the salvation that we can enter into through faith in Him. The first, I believe, refers to the fact that when we enter into the Kingdom of God, by faith, then yes, the Son has set us free from the jaws of sin and death for eternity and our names are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15). That, as it were, is the eternal dimension to our salvation. We will enter heaven and escape the punishment of hell. There is also a temporal dimension to our salvation, however, which is worked out through the years of time between conversion and physical death, and which is not fully entered into at conversion but is still a future experience. Theologians would call this process one of sanctification. It is only through Jesus that we can be freed from all that would inhibit our relationship with God, but that process requires spiritual discipline and our willing cooperation. No one, whatever theological viewpoint he has adopted, would claim that the moment a person becomes a Christian he is totally sanctified and will not have any more problems, either of health or
welfare. Indeed, it is not an uncommon experience for people to testify that at conversion their problems increased. The argument is, therefore, not so much about whether or not Christians can have problems after conversion, but whether or not those problems can have a demonic cause inside a believer. It is only when people become Christians, however, that it is possible for them to be set free from any demonic powers that may have been residing there before conversion, for outside of Christ we have no power over the enemy! Having ministered deliverance to many thousands of people, it is also a fact of hard experience that the demons do not automatically pack their bags and leave when a person is converted. Some find this fact hard to accept, but any who would adopt as a serious theological viewpoint that a Christian cannot be demonized must also conclude that everyone who is delivered of a demon, who claimed to have been a Christian before deliverance, must have been in deception and cannot have been a true believer. The problem with mistaken theology is that it may sound all right in the isolation of theological discussion, but when it is applied to real situations, the conclusions are often ludicrous. To be considered sound, theology must hold true in the marketplace of life as well as the debating chamber. What Jesus taught and practiced was very much in the marketplace of life, and it worked for thousands of people who were healed and delivered through belief in Him. It is interesting to observe that many of the people whom we have been privileged to see set free and healed through deliverance ministry have formerly been of the opinion that Christians cannot be demonized; but having exhausted every other possibility for their healing, they have reached the end of themselves and been willing to give God a chance on His terms, dispensing with beliefs that have limited God’s ability to move in
their lives. Being on the receiving end of dynamic Holy Spirit ministry has a habit of altering people’s perception of the situation! So when Jesus said “You will be free,” I believe He was implying far more than is normally understood by those words. I certainly do not believe He was saying that the moment a person believes in Him, the believer immediately enters into total freedom from the presence of all the powers of darkness that have been operating there. However, the believer is then in a position whereby he can enter into freedom. As the Holy Spirit sheds light, then darkness can be dealt with.
13.7 The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) Before Jesus went back to heaven, He carefully summed up the commission He was leaving the Church to begin and complete before He comes again in great power and glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. On that great day He will be returning for a Bride, His Church—a Bride that will be ready for Him at His coming and will have fulfilled the prophetic word that before He comes the Gospel must have been preached to all nations (Mark 13:10). In the meantime, we are the Church at war against the powers of darkness, awaiting that great day. But we have been given orders to fulfill, and the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins should always be a salutary warning to the whole Church to be ready for His coming—and that means being obedient to the last things the Bridegroom told us to do before going away to get ready for the wedding feast of the Lamb. For if we are not doing the things that He told us to do, at His coming we could be as the foolish virgins, rushing around to find oil (quickly trying to get some track record at fulfilling His orders and getting quite angry with those who will not help them) but discovering it is too late, as they hear the Bridegroom’s voice in answer to their pleas to be let in, “Certainly not! I don’t know you.” Jesus concluded the story with this warning, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:12-13). It is clearly imperative that we take seriously, therefore, what Jesus told us to do before He went back to heaven. These verses right at the end of Matthew’s gospel have become known as the Great Commission and have been accepted by all the mainstream Christian
denominations as the foundation text, for evangelistic outreach and thrust, that has driven Christians of all traditions to the ends of the earth since the day they were first spoken. Sadly, however, once a church has become established it tends to think of this Commission as only being fulfilled by those with special missionary or evangelistic callings and that the rest of the Church can gently while away time till either death or Jesus comes. That is heresy and sin, demonstrating gross misunderstanding of the life and ministry of Jesus. So let us look very carefully at what Jesus actually said. It is divided into a statement, a command (with two subsections that are of particular significance to the thrust of this book) and a wonderful promise. We will look at each in turn.
13.7,1 The Statement "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). And what a statement that is. The disciples were standing on a hill outside Jerusalem not knowing what was going to happen next. They had been with Jesus for three years. They had followed Him through thrill and crisis, yet Jesus was still a mystery to them. He was always surprising them with what He said and what He would do next. He had already appeared to them several times since the resurrection, and they wondered what was going to happen this time when they went to the appointed meeting place. When He appeared their first reaction was to worship Him. Then He drew near to them and began to share what were to be His final words. Their minds must have gone back to that amazing day some two years previously when He gathered them together rather like this. But then there were twelve. Only eleven were gathered on the hillside that day. He had begun then by giving them His power and authority and telling them to go and do the same things that He’d been doing: preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons. It was new to them all. How could they do such things? But when they went and did what He had said, it worked. Amazing. They had learned a lot about obedience. Whenever He told them to do something they always had a choice. If they did what He said, there was always blessing, even if it seemed the most crazy thing in the world to do. None of them would forget how stupid they felt with five loaves and two fishes among twelve of them, when He said, “Go and feed the crowd.” When they gathered the twelve baskets of crumbs afterward, they felt ashamed they had ever doubted (Luke 9:10-17). They had learned to understand His every look. They’d seen the
pain on His face when people turned away from Him; seen the joy when little children believed and trusted Him; sensed His excitement when people who had been bound with sickness for years were set free; shared His pleasure at some of the precious private times they had experienced together; felt the heartbreak of Judas' betrayal; seen His anguish as He had looked up at Calvary on His way to the cross; felt the pain as the nails were driven home; rejoiced with Him when He came back from the dead. Never-to-be-forgotten days, no one could ever take away the memories of those three incredible years from these eleven men. But what lay ahead now? Jesus kept on appearing and disappearing. They were confused, yet strangely excited. And here He was again talking about His power and authority. The last time He had spoken like this He had given them His power and authority over demons and diseases (Luke 9:1-2). Now He was talking about the authority He had in heaven and on earth. The last time He had talked to them about His authority He gave them a commission. He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and heal the sick and cast out demons. What was He going to say this time? Whatever was to follow must be very important. They were standing in front of the One who had not only demonstrated His power and authority on earth but was now talking about His having all authority in heaven and on earth. They dare not ignore what He would say next. He had demonstrated that He did indeed have power and authority over death itself. Who could doubt anymore one word that He might say?
13.7.2 The Commission “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20); just one sentence, but a sentence that has empowered Christians for nearly two thousand years and has indeed changed the world. Eleven people on a remote hillside of Palestine listened to a very simple and direct commission being given to them, but this time they did not have the bodily presence of Jesus to encourage and support them when things were tough! Luke, however, in his account of this incredible moment (Luke 24:49), tells us that Jesus also told them that the Holy Spirit, who had come upon Him at His baptism, was going to come on them. And only the disciples who had witnessed that firsthand in the life of Jesus could have any idea what that might mean. What a task: to go in the power of the Holy Spirit and make disciples for their Master. An impossible task, it seemed, but Jesus had said it, and if He had said it...! “Go, then.” That little word, then, really mattered. It wasn’t just a case of "Go, and see how you get on,” but “Go, because I have all authority in heaven and on earth and you can, therefore, trust Me to fulfill through you whatever I ask you to do.” There is no way that those eleven people could possibly go themselves to all peoples everywhere. The key lay in their making disciples who would join them in the task. Not believers, but disciples. Jesus had seen that even believers could be fickle and turn in a moment from being ardent followers to aggressive detractors (John 8:31-59). The eleven must gather around them believers who
were real disciples—people who were committed up to the neck and over the top in their following of Jesus. Aware that accumulating a body of believers might be relatively easy, but potentially dangerous, to those first disciples if they were not well grounded in their faith, Jesus wanted to give them some steps that must be taken so that believers could become disciples. There were two things that Jesus stressed as being of major significance—baptism and obedience.
13.7.3 Baptism If believers really want to join with other disciples in building the Church, then there has to be a definite point at which they declare to the world that from that moment on they are committed to Jesus Christ. The first public step of Jesus’ ministry was His baptism. It was a dividing point between the thirty years of preparation and the three years of public declaration of the things of God. I would not want to say that there are no other ways of declaring to the world one’s commitment to Jesus Christ, but this is the way Jesus recommended to the first disciples. Baptism is always a dividing point—it represents a death and a resurrection: death to all that life has been before conversion, and a resurrection out of the waters to a new life in Christ. It is a public declaration of discipleship, not just belief in Jesus. There are millions of people who “believe” in Jesus, in the sense that they believe He was a good man who died a cruel death nearly two thousand years ago. But only a small fraction of those people have believed to the extent that they have unreservedly committed their lives to following Jesus, come what may. The Ethiopian whom Philip met on the roadside at Gaza received the Gospel and immediately wanted to be baptized. So they stopped the chariot and Philip baptized him (Acts 8:38). The Philippian jailer demanded of Paul how he could be saved. Paul told him to “believe in the Lord Jesus,” but then, in the middle of the night the jailer and all his family were baptized at once (Acts 16:30-33). Belief was followed by the irrevocable action of baptism. The first disciples had taught their new converts well. Many of those who have come to an Ellel Center in deep need have not been baptized before. When they see what it really means to
follow Jesus, some express the desire to be baptized immediately so that there should be no blockage to their ministry. Such baptisms have been strategic in their ministry program. In baptizing some people in this way, we have tried not to give the impression that through the ministry of baptism we are administering an initiation rite into any particular church. This is certainly not the case, for I do not believe that baptism was ever intended to be part of a denominational initiation, but an act of responsive obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. If public baptism can conveniently be incorporated into a denominational service, then that can be helpful to both the individual and the church, but this requirement should never become a barrier to an individual's immediate response to what Jesus is asking of him as he moves from being a believer into the first steps of real discipleship. For many of them, the act of baptism has not only been an act of obedience, but it has also unseated much demonic power, and it has not been unusual for us to see individuals go into spontaneous deliverance as they come out of the water. The demons cannot stand it when Christians who know exactly what they are doing unreservedly commit themselves to Jesus in this way. We have also seen, on many occasions, how the demons have thrown up every possible defense they could think of to stop someone going through with baptism, even to the extent of trying to do the person physical harm so that the baptism could not go ahead. And on a number of occasions we have had to have two members of the team on either side of the person as he went into the water to restrain the physical backlash of demonic power. We always consecrate the water before each baptism, and I thank God for the testimonies there are to the cleansing, healing and deliverance that have come to many people's lives through this simple
act of obedience. Why is it that we are so often surprised at what God does when people are obedient to His Word? After all, Paul did refer to the cleansing of the Church through washing in water! (Ephesians 5:26). It is impossible to raise this subject of baptism, however, without some sectors of the Church holding up their hands in horror at the thought that some people, whom they believe to have been "baptized” as infants, might possibly be re-baptized. For some this is a very hot potato indeed, as it seems to run so contrary to all that their denominational church believes and practices. I personally believe that an infant ceremony and an adult baptism are both important, but for very different reasons. The infant ceremony is an act of consecration of the child to God, in a Christian equivalent of the circumcision ceremony that marked the entry into the world of Jewish boys. It is also an important opportunity to take authority over any generational demonic powers that may have come down the family lines. Where both the parents are Christians, this is a very special moment of committing themselves before God to be the godly cover for the child until he reaches mature years when decisions can be made for himself. But I personally find it hard to reconcile the New Testament practices of the early Church with such an infant ceremony and say that this is what the Bible teaches baptism should be! Baptism always seems in the Scriptures to be an act that follows repentance from sin and conversion. It marks people out as having committed themselves to Jesus Christ by an act of their will. I realize that for some this whole subject area is very difficult territory indeed. This is a book on healing through deliverance,
however, and it would be hypocritical of me not to include mention of what has been for some a very important aspect of ministering healing to the demonized through baptism. For I cannot pretend nothing happens when some people are baptized. It does, and God blesses those baptismal services amazingly. Nothing can take that blessing away from those who are baptized as part of their ministry. We have seen plenty of evidence as to why Jesus included baptism as part of His guidelines for making disciples. It is interesting to note that Matthew introduces a trinitarian formula for baptizing people, whereas Luke refers in the Acts of the Apostles to being baptized only in the name of Jesus. Some have tried to make theological mileage out of the two different wordings. I consider this to be futile. Personally, I normally use Matthew’s wording, for it is good to remind the people being baptized that God really is their Father, Jesus died for them on the cross and rose again from the dead, and the Holy Spirit is the One who will daily fill them with His wisdom, power and guidance. On numerous occasions we have seen people baptized in the Holy Spirit as they have come out of the water. They have been so overcome by the power of God that they have floated on the water, enjoying the presence of God for some long time! Others have started to speak in tongues immediately afterward. For others physical healing has been one of the blessings of baptism. God is a God of surprises, but those surprises are most often enjoyed when we are obedient to what God has told us to do. For those who have been baptized as infants, and who wish, as an act of obedience to what the Holy Spirit has witnessed to them, to be baptized by immersion on personal profession of faith, we can, if so desired, use words that link their profession to a reaffirmation of any valid baptismal vows that were made on their behalf by their parents and godparents.
13.7.4 Obedience In teaching the disciples how to make disciples, Jesus first said to baptize them, but then He told them to teach the new believers who were being discipled to obey "everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Now that is a disarmingly simple instruction. It certainly must have made the first disciples think very hard about just what Jesus had commanded them to do. Perhaps that simple instruction was eventually instrumental in encouraging Peter, James, John and Matthew to put quill to papyrus and begin writing what later became parts of the New Testament. When you think about it, there wasn’t really any other instruction that Jesus could have given. If, in His three years with the twelve, He had taught them everything they needed to know, all that the disciples needed to be told was to tell others! And so the Great Commission to the churches, for all of time, is reduced to a simple matter of obedience to everything the first disciples were taught to do. Luke’s earlier summary of the Commission that Jesus gave the disciples is commendably brief. “[Jesus] sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:2, NIV). In the previous verse Jesus had explained that He was giving them His power and authority to heal the sick, who may either be demonized or have a disease, or possibly both. The commission was reduced therefore to three things: preach, heal, deliver. Mark, in his version of the event (Mark 6:7-13), added a few extra practical details such as the fact that Jesus did not send them out alone, but two by two—a very important detail indeed, and one that if ignored, especially in deliverance ministry, can land people in a lot of hot water. He told them not to take any baggage for their journeys and not to stay with those who welcomed them but to quickly move on,
with a quick shake of the dust off their feet, from places that would not listen to what they had to say. Translating these guidelines into modern-day terms would seem to indicate that our conduct as evangelists and ministers of the Gospel must be commendably simple and that we must not waste too much time or effort on fruitless ministries when there are receptive people elsewhere who are keen to hear what we have to say. The definition of a fruitless ministry must be left to the individual’s discernment direct from the Holy Spirit. There have been many lonely and apparently unsuccessful ministries that have produced only a small handful of converts, but among that small handful have been key people whose ministries have shaken the world. God alone is the judge of whether or not we have been obedient. Finally, Matthew adds the instruction (that makes most preachers who want to expound this theme opt for Luke’s version of the Commission!)— raise the dead. Luke’s version, which omits this embarrassing detail, is far more comfortable. But Matthew put it in, so Jesus must have said it (Matthew 10:8). Most preachers who do have the courage to teach from the Matthew version spiritualize this phrase and talk about raising the spiritually dead to vibrant spiritual life and health! Somehow, I don't think the One who did raise the dead meant us to reinterpret His down-to-earth instructions! Matthew also added a bit about healing “dreaded skin-diseases,” probably just in case these might get conveniently overlooked through fear that they could be caught! The bit about raising the dead is never an easy one to come to terms with. There were cemeteries in Jesus’ day, but, mercifully, He never went near them and raised a congregation from yesterday’s
generations! (But note Matthew’s comments that when the Temple curtain was torn in two many of God’s people were raised to life from the devastated graveyard— Matthew 27:52-53.) Neither should we tempt God by testing Him over something He is not doing. Thankfully, Ecclesiastes also tells us there is “a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2, NIV), so we should not be anxious about everyone who dies, for the majority will have come to their time to die. I believe that Jesus is only talking, therefore, about exceptional situations when death has come before that appointed time, and only then when God the Father gives a very, very specific anointing through the Holy Spirit to those who are ministering. There are many well- documented instances of people being raised from the dead in modern times. We do not have to depend on scriptural accounts for the only illustrations. It is not a ministry that I have ever been asked (yet) to carry out, although there have been times when I have wondered, but I do know of reliable witnesses who have been instrumental in seeing God bring life back into a dead body. As with all healing ministries (and the miracle of seeing the dead brought back to life is simply healing a person who is very, very sick!), listening to God and discerning what is in the heart of the Father must be the key foundation for ministry. The bottom line of all the above is that if the Church today is to fulfill the Great Commission it has to be involved in: 1. preaching the Kingdom of God; 2. healing the sick (including those with contagious diseases); 3. casting out demons; and
4. in very exceptional circumstances, raising the dead.
That is the scriptural measure of whether or not a ministry is in line with God’s Word and in fulfillment of the instructions Jesus left with His disciples and passed on to succeeding generations of Christians until the present time. In the context of this book, therefore, deliverance ministry is absolutely central and should be in the mainstream of Christian ministry. If it is not, the Body of Christ will suffer, the people will be deprived of their bread and we will have to account to our Father one day for why we chose not to do what Jesus had told us to do.
13.7.5 The Promise Jesus Gives "I am with you always, to the end of the age”(Matthew 28:20, NRSV). The promises of the Scriptures are invariably conditional. These words, the last of Matthew’s gospel, are almost always quoted in an unconditional sense and, therefore, out of context. The condition applying to this promise is that Jesus will be with all those who as disciples are obedient to the Great Commission, right up until the very end of the age when Jesus returns again in great power and glory. (In John 14:15 Jesus had already said to the disciples, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” Then in verse 16 Jesus added that "he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.”) The promise cannot be separated from the rest of the Commission and claimed universally to imply that because God is with us, He will bless whatever we are doing in the name of the Church. Nothing could be farther from the truth. For this promise is highly specific to the context of the rest of the Great Commission. Every translation includes the conditional “and" that connects the main part of the command with the promise. Understanding this is very salutary, for there must be very few of us who haven’t been comforted by those beautiful words from time to time, and yet, did we have any right to receive such comfort from them if we were not actively involved in fulfilling the conditions? That is something for each one of us to resolve before God and, if necessary, come to repentance over and start again. It is a wonderful promise—would that the whole of the Church could rightfully claim its blessing through obedience to the commands to preach, heal and deliver!
13.8 In Conclusion There is far more teaching about deliverance ministry implicit in the gospels than is normally appreciated. Clearly, Jesus considered it to be a primary ministry for the emergent Church, and there is no indication anywhere in the Scriptures that at any time this ministry would be discontinued in favor of any other practice or that there would be any other dispensation (before Jesus comes again) in which it will not be required. The deliverance ministry is for now!
Chapter 14: Some Important Teachings on the Demonic in the Epistles Some commentators have concluded that because they see little or no instruction on how to heal and deliver people from demons in the letters of Paul and others, deliverance ministry was no longer part of the life of the early Church. Some conclude, wrongfully, that the gifts of the Spirit, therefore, died out quickly after the death of Jesus and are not to be practiced in the present dispensation. Such a viewpoint demonstrates considerable ignorance of early Church history, when deliverance of those who were coming out of a pagan world into the Church of Jesus Christ was an essential prebaptism procedure. It seems that the normal procedure of bringing people into membership of the early Church included what they described as exorcism. A report of the Seventh Council of Carthage in a.d. 276 by Crescens of Cirta stated that “all heretics and schismatics who wish to come to the Catholic Church, shall not be allowed to enter without they have first been exorcised and baptized.” Vincent of Thibaris reports similarly from the same council that “firstly by imposition of hands for exorcism, and secondly by baptism, they may then come to the promise of Christ.” In her summary of the early Church practices Evelyn Frost, in her book Christian Healing, states, ‘At the beginning of the Christian life stood Baptism, preceded usually by exorcism, when the old life as a member of the fallen race was superseded by the new life which
partook of the resurrection of Christ.” Far from being a practice that the writers of the epistles had omitted because of its irrelevance to the Body of Christ, I believe that it was an integral part of the practice of the Church. There was so much teaching on deliverance implicit in the ministry and stories of both Jesus and the earliest days of the Church that it was not necessary to include further teaching on the how and why of deliverance. (If it was a ministry that the Church was not to carry out, for any reason, then surely there would have been strong warnings to this effect included within the epistles.) There are no instructions in the epistles on how to preach the Gospel either, but I have not noticed anyone proposing that this (seemingly serious) omission should be used as a valid argument for not proclaiming the Kingdom of God! The command of Jesus to preach the Gospel was quite adequate for the early Church, as was the command to heal the sick and cast out demons. There is some important teaching in the epistles about the demonic, however, although none of it is practical instruction about how to do it.
14.1 The Corinthian Discourse (1 Corinthians 10) The whole of 1 Corinthians 10 is about idolatry. In the Law (Exodus 20) we are told not to have any idols in our lives, because the Lord our God tolerates no rivals. We are warned that idolatry brings with it a curse that the sins of the fathers will be visited on the children until the third and the fourth generations. We have seen in many hundreds of people’s lives how that curse is passed on both socially, through the lifestyle of a family that is a consequence of an ungodly way of living, and demonically, through a spirit of curse that can transfer at conception, death or some stage in between, from the parents to the children (or grandchildren or great-grandchildren), bringing with it a spirit whose job function is to fulfill the terms of the curse in the lives of the children. For example, we have had to free many children (both men and women) from spirits of Freemasonry, when they themselves have never had any involvement, but have been descended from Freemasons. I have seen how false religions in the generation line lead people to being controlled by ungodly spiritual power, and even how religious spirits can be associated with Christian traditions that are out of the mainstream of Jesus-centered truth. These become controlling factors in the generation line, making descendants potential opponents of Holy Spirit-centered Christian life and worship. Idolatry, therefore, is a serious sin with enormous potential consequences, which can lead to many ordinary Christians being in bondage to the demonic. In the early part of the chapter, Paul illustrates his text from the sinful experiences of the people of Israel
as they followed Moses out of Egypt. He cites sexual immorality, testing the Lord and complaining as scriptural examples of the fruit of idolatry in our lives (1 Corinthians 10:6-11). He tells us that these things are a warning to us, and concludes that part of his argument with the words, “So then... keep away from the worship of idols” (1 Corinthians 10:14). In this passage Paul has opened up the whole subject of idolatry, as the practice of anything that takes the place of the living God in our lives. He then jumps, with devastating effect, to our sharing in the body and blood of our Lord when we partake of the Lord’s Supper. He argues that what is sacrificed on pagan altars is offered to demons and not to God. By this he implies that if, in the living of our lives we get involved, for example, in things such as sexual immorality, testing the Lord wrongfully and complaining, we are, as it were, worshiping the demons behind these things. Then he says, "I do not want you to be partners with demons” (verse 20). When people live their lives without repentance, practicing behavior patterns such as the ones Paul mentions, he implies that they are in partnership with the demonic! A partnership is something that in law has a legal significance, binding the participants in the partnership together in a contract, which can only be broken by the further exercise of law with a document that dissolves the partnership. Through the practice of sin, people worship the demons that are behind the sin (idolatry), and Paul implies very strongly that we are then in partnership with demons. This means that where there is such sin in people’s lives, a legal partnership has been entered into with the demons and for a person to be set free the partnership must be dissolved. But only the further practice of law can dissolve any legally established partnership, and as we have already said in chapter 9, demons are very legalistic. If they have been given a legal right to enter through sin, then they will only leave once those rights have
been legally removed. There are two steps that have to be taken. First, there must be repentance from the sin that gave the demon a right of entry, and, second, the legal remedy must be applied. All the conditions of the Law were fulfilled at the cross, and the full price was paid for all the sins of the world when Jesus, the Son of God, shed His blood for each one of us. The blood of Jesus is the full, and totally sufficient, legal remedy. As with any remedy, however, it must be personally applied to the life of the individual for it to have any effect. At the very least this must mean that the Lordship of Jesus Christ has to be established, by an act of the will, in the area of life that had formerly been in partnership with demons. A new partnership must be established. Paul links this whole argument to the Lord’s Supper by going on to say that “you cannot drink from the Lord’s cup and also from the cup of demons; you cannot eat at the Lord’s table and also at the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). He then continues the argument in the next chapter with his teaching on the Lord’s Supper, by giving us some guidelines as to how to prepare ourselves to receive the bread and the wine, and in so doing says some very strong things. In the light of the teaching of the previous chapter, it is very obvious what Paul is trying to say with regard to being in partnership with demons and the possible consequences of not being right with God. “It follows that if one of you eats the Lord’s bread or drinks from his cup in a way that dishonors him, you are guilty of sin against the Lord’s body and blood. So then, you should each examine yourself first, and then eat the bread and drink from the cup. For if you do not recognize the meaning of the Lord’s body when you eat the bread and drink from the cup, you bring judgment on yourself as
you eat and drink. That is why many of you are sick and weak, and several have died. If we would examine ourselves first, we would not come under God’s judgment” (1 Corinthians 11:27-31). In this passage Paul is directly relating our physical health with our spiritual health. He talks about judgment coming upon us as a result of the sin of drinking “from the Lord’s cup and also from the cup of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). It is clear from the Old Testament that God allowed demons to be used to visit His judgment on people. Saul, for example, was troubled by an evil spirit from the Lord (1 Samuel 16:14). So we have to conclude that if our sin in becoming partners with demons can cause us to be sick, then some of that sickness can be demonic, and deliverance will, therefore, be needed to bring healing. Paul makes it very clear that the sickness he is talking about can also be terminal, for he says some people in Corinth had died prematurely as a result. Praise God that the converse of what Paul is saying is also true! If we take the bread and the wine in an attitude of repentance, seeking the Lord’s face and asking Him to expose any sin by the light of the Holy Spirit so that it can be dealt with before taking Communion, then that can have the effect of bringing deliverance and healing into our lives. Deliverance is increasingly seen, therefore, as a vital part of the ministry of the Gospel, without which people will be left in bondage to powers of darkness that have been legally defeated and should have been evicted. Regretfully, this has not, in recent centuries, been the normal practice of the Church. As a result we now have a Church that is in need of extensive deliverance, both because of the demonic that has been given a right through the sins of the present generation of members and the demonic that should have been dealt with in previous generations but has survived undetected down family lines,
affecting later generations. On occasion we hold an informal Communion service during the course of major deliverance ministry, especially when major sin (either of the person or in his generation line) has been exposed and repented of. In those circumstances we have seen on many occasions how the demons will do everything they possibly can to prevent the person from actually receiving the consecrated bread and wine. They know that the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the sacrament will have a major effect on undermining the stronghold of the enemy. So the demons will even try to force the jaw closed, prevent the person from swallowing, cause the person to spit out both the bread and the wine, force the person to lie face down on the floor or make the wine taste or smell foul—in fact, anything to avoid the sacrament being received! We have seen many people receive deep healing as a result of deliverance, following repentance from sin and making Jesus Lord of every area of their lives. Therefore, when dealing with a situation where sin has been uncovered, we will frequently include a Communion service as part of the ministry. We have sometimes found that, after ministry is over, a brief Communion service is a wonderful way of ministering Jesus to people as they quietly celebrate the victory of the cross that has been completed in their life.
14.2 Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12-14) These three chapters should be read and understood together. Chapter 13 is famous, whereas 12 and 14 are, in some circles, notorious for the way they talk so blatantly about the use of the gifts of the Spirit, which some sectors of the Church so vigorously deny are for use today. In reality, Paul’s famous teaching on love is meant to be read as a description of the way the gifts of the Spirit should be exercised in the life of the Church. So often it is read in isolation and out of context. Paul is not saying in this chapter that love is a substitute for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but is stating, in unmistakable words, that no matter what gifts of the Spirit we may have and demonstrate in our lives, unless we exercise them with love, they will not count for anything in eternity. Earlier in the letter (1 Corinthians 3:11-15), Paul expresses this even more graphically by saying that the fire of God’s judgment will test our works and only what survives the fire will contribute to the reward that awaits the people of God in heaven. James, however, emphasizes that faith without works is dead (James 2:17), giving a wise balance to the teaching of Scripture. We must not “bury our talent” and do nothing for fear of not using it in a loving way, but neither must we use our talent wrongfully and treat people badly at the same time. The gifts must be used. More will be said about the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit in ministry in the next part. But two gifts that merit special mention at this point are the gifts of healing and discernment of spirits. As we
have seen in our earlier discussion, the New Testament is quite free in its use of the word healing to include both physical healing and deliverance, so that when Paul talks here about “gifts of healings” (both words are in the plural in the original), he is clearly referring to a variety of different healing ministries, including deliverance. In order to do deliverance, however, it is necessary to be able to discern the presence of evil spirits. Hence the need for the exercise of the gift of discernment of spirits, with which it is possible to recognize the presence of the demonic in a person’s life and distinguish between that, the human spirit of the person and the Holy Spirit of God. Wise exercise of this gift is an absolutely vital ingredient in the life of the Body of Christ. Without the use of this gift a church can be deceived by the demonic without having any idea of what is happening. In individual ministries to the sick, one can see people going into deeper and deeper despair as ministry after ministry has failed to help them. So often in these cases, the discernment of spirits would have changed the direction of the ministry from praying for physical or emotional healing to deliverance and would have given the people hope as they saw God at work in their lives. The discernment of spirits is probably the least talked about and used gift of the Holy Spirit, and yet it is the one that is most needed if the Church is going to rise up in victory over all the works of the enemy.
14.3 The Foolish Galatians There is a thread woven through the whole letter to the Galatian Christians warning them not to become slaves once again to evil spirits. In the first two chapters Paul spells out his own testimony and what it means to be set free from the curse of the Law. But it seems as though some of them had fallen once again for the curse of legalism, and Paul begins chapter three with a graphic question: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1, NRSV). The language he uses directly implies an occultic connection. In chapter 4 he spells out what it means to be outside of Christ. He says, “We too were slaves of the ruling spirits of the universe” (verse 3), implying that it was through Jesus they were delivered from their control. And then in verse 9 he asks, "How is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again?” Christians have been delivered from the curse of the Law, but if we start submitting ourselves to the chains of legalism once again, we are, implies Paul, putting ourselves under demonic control. Those are strong words, but they do help us to understand why it is that so little Holy Spirit life flows from churches whose life and conduct are totally bound by tradition and denominationalism. In saying that Christians have been delivered from the Law, Paul is not saying that the obvious sins of the flesh, which were forbidden under the Law, can now be indulged in. No, what he is primarily saying is that it is not obedience to the trappings of religion that brings us freedom to enjoy a relationship with God and to live in fellowship one with another, but it is the presence and freedom of the Spirit of God in our lives. And Paul said that if we insist on a legalistic approach to the peripherals of our faith, such as paying too
much attention to certain days (4:10), then we are in danger of submitting the affairs of the fellowship to the control of demons. Being in bondage to the legalism of demonic control will undermine true freedom in the Holy Spirit in the life of our church fellowships. When battling to move a church forward spiritually, it is often necessary to deal with what I now recognize as demonic powers that have been given a right to control a church through adherence to religious rules that were given a greater importance to the membership than obedience to the Spirit of God. Such attitudes are a curse on the church, and one is tempted to say, with Paul, “Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1, NRSV) or, more specifically, “Who is in control here?” In many cases the answer to that question will be not the present officers of the church, but those who have gone before and left an inheritance to the present membership, not a treasury of good things but a demonic stranglehold on the spiritual life of the church. We have seen radical transformations take place in the spiritual atmosphere of a church, and in the freedom to move forward, through spiritual warfare against the otherwise “weak and pitiful ruling spirits” (Galatians 4:9), which have been given great power by attitudes in the heart of man. Toward the end of his letter, Paul explains that "if the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law" (Galatians 5:18). That does not mean we are free to break the Law with impunity but that if we are listening to, and being obedient to, the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, then we will not break the commandments that the Law introduced, for the Spirit of God can never lead us in a direction that is contrary to God’s desires for His people. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul then sums up his arguments by listing the awful consequences of following the desires of the flesh into
immorality and witchcraft, drunkenness and the like. These are not things that we would do if we were being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Paul is unequivocal in saying that those who do such things will not possess the Kingdom of God. These are the works of the flesh and, as with the introduction of legalism into the life of the Church, so with the introduction of disobedience to the Spirit in the life of the human being—the demonic will be given a free rein to control. Paul concludes his arguments with strong words indeed to the Galatian Christians, and also to us: "Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant. If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8). When ministering to people in need, we find that many of them have been sowing in the wrong fields, and they have already reaped some of that harvest of death. But I thank God that John was writing to Christians when he said that if we confess our sin, God is faithful and just and will forgive (1 John 1:9). Experience proves that Paul’s arguments are true, for usually we find that where people have been sowing in the field of their natural desires, they have become demonized as a result of their sin, and deliverance has been an essential part of their restoration. Very, very often we have had to minister to Christians who, many years ago, truly repented over some sin of the flesh, but are still struggling with both the guilt and the memory of the sin. It is not that the sin has not been forgiven, but they do not understand why it is they are still in such a mess. For many it comes as a considerable shock to discover that their problem is the demon that was given access by their sin and that, because the demonic dimension to the ongoing practice of sin has
never been properly taught in our churches, the demon was not cast out when repentance took place. The demon keeps on reminding the person of the sin that let it in, and the person eventually becomes thoroughly condemned, even to the point in many cases of doubting his very salvation. He is then convinced that his sin can never be forgiven. Some become rightfully angry at a church that has not used the power and authority that Jesus gave to set the captives free. While deliverance ministry is essentially a ministry for individuals, the dimension of deliverance that refers to the needs of a whole church fellowship must not be overlooked. I once attempted to minister deliverance to a lady in a certain church but found myself struggling in a way that was quite unexpected. The Lord then showed me that there was a ruling spirit over the church with a specific job function to prevent deliverance ministry taking place. As soon as I bound that spirit from affecting the lady, the effect was dramatic. Immediately the demons in her, knowing that their security was now breached, made the lady get up and run from the building as fast as her legs would carry her. I later found out that the leadership of the church did not believe that Christians could be demonized and were, therefore, giving a ruling spirit the right to control their church and keep the members in bondage.
14.4 Paul’s Advice to the Ephesians—Don’t Give the Devil a Chance! Woven through the text of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a theme of victory over all the powers of darkness and practical advice about keeping the devil (demons) out of our lives. After the opening chapter, which concludes with one of Paul’s supreme statements about the position that Christ holds over all spiritual powers, he begins the second chapter by reminding the Ephesian Christians that before they were Christians they obeyed “the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God” (Ephesians 2:2). This last statement is interesting in that Paul is talking about believers being made free in Christ from these controlling spirits, yet he does not exclude the possibility of believers disobeying God. By implication, therefore, he does not exclude the possibility of believers being controlled by demons. If that were the only statement in his letter that might encourage one to reach this conclusion, one might be tempted to dismiss its relevance to the present discussion. However, Paul does not leave the subject alone, for he goes on to say that the different ministries in the Church are to stop us from being “blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error” (Ephesians 4:14). We are not told what these teachings are, but in verses 17-18 Paul further warns the Ephesians, “Do not continue to live like the heathen, whose thoughts are worthless and whose minds are in the dark.” So possibly the teachings were such as to allow sinful practices of pre-Christian days to continue in the life of the fellowship. Paul then describes, in the rest of the chapter, various lifestyles
that had apparently crept into some sectors of the church, such as lying, wrongful anger, stealing, using harmful words, bitterness, passion, shouting, hateful feelings, sexual immorality, indecency, etc. The practice of such things, he warns, will give the devil a chance, foothold, opportunity or place (depending on which translation you use of verse 27) in your life. He returns to the subject in chapter 5, warning them yet again to ‘‘have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness” (Ephesians 5:11). Now why does Paul go to such lengths to warn the Ephesians in this way? Clearly he was not under the illusion that Christians are unable to sin; otherwise no such warnings would have been relevant or necessary. I believe his concerns were at least sevenfold: 1. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). 2. Sin destroys the credibility of the witness of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 5:8-9). 3. Sin brings God’s anger upon those who do not obey Him (Ephesians 5:6). 4. Sin undermines the spiritual authority of believers. 5. Sin will jeopardize our inheritance in the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5). 6. Sin will give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). 7. There is, as a result, a danger of receiving a wrong spirit into our lives and, consequently, into the Church.
The last point is implicit in the whole of Paul’s teaching. For example, in his comment about drunkenness I do not believe he was just making a pun on the two types of spirit involved when he said, “Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead be filled with the Spirit [Holy Spirit]” (Ephesians 5:18). When he says, "Instead, be filled with the Spirit,” one has to ask, instead of what? While there certainly is a pun here on the alcoholic spirit in wine, I believe the implication is far deeper. This final injunction comes right at the end of nearly two chapters of various warnings. It seems as though Paul is saying that the practice of all the things he has been talking about will lead to being filled with an evil spirit that is given a right by the sin; whereas believers should, instead, be constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit as a result of living a life that is pleasing to the Father, for “your life must be controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave his life for us as a sweetsmelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God” (Ephesians 5:2). Living and moving under the anointing of the Holy Spirit (as opposed to experiencing an anointing at a particular charismatic meeting) is largely a consequence of being obedient. Anointing follows obedience. This interpretation of Paul’s teaching is wholly consistent with experience in ministry. The fact that persistent sin can give entry to the presence of an evil spirit, even in the life of a believer, is daily evidenced as we bring help to those in need. Time and again we find that the powers of darkness have been given rights through the continuing practice of sin, and, once having entered, the evil spirits have carried out a work of devastation in the life of the believer. For example, we never cease to be amazed at the extent of sexual sin there is in the Body of Christ. Often when people begin to tell their story we find that demonic power, which entered through wrongful sexual relations, has been controlling their lives. The
demonic consequences in these cases, however, are not restricted to just the sexual arena. It is not unusual, for example, for spirits of infirmity to enter in this way bringing with them a harvest of physical illness. In another place Paul warns the Corinthians that if they have sex with prostitutes, for example, then they become one flesh together (1 Corinthians 6:16). In an act of ungodly intercourse it seems as though the demonic has free access to transfer between the partners, so people will pick up demons of all types from their sexual partners. The demons are certainly not prevented from entering a believer in that sort of situation. Satan (demons) will walk across the welcome mat, whoever puts it down, be the sinner a Christian, a Buddhist, a New Ager or an atheist. Satan is no respecter of persons, and if Christians give demons rights, they must expect that there will be consequences. The scriptural principle of sowing and reaping is not discontinued for believers! Rarely, in our experience, has it been that Christians who have entered into sexual sin have not needed deliverance, as well as the experience of deep repentance. Repentance and forgiveness, without the offer of deliverance, will deal with the eternal consequences of the sin, but will leave the person unhealed and battling with the demons for the rest of his days. There are many people we have delivered of evil spirits who had lived for years thinking that they had not been forgiven for a sexual indiscretion of their youth. They have had to battle endlessly with lust, guilt and the spiritual, and sometimes physical, consequences of their sin. In practice, they were forgiven of the sin the first time it was truly confessed and repented of, but the demons had not been cast out even though the legal ground they were standing on had been removed at the cross.
The healing, and consequential relief that is experienced by those who have been set free from spirits that had controlled them for much of their lives, has to be seen to be believed. The victory Jesus won for us on the cross is for time as well as eternity. We must set people free in time, therefore, as well as proclaim the forgiveness of God to those who have been trapped into sin. Those who would, with a measure of smugness, consider themselves “clean” in the sexual area and believe, therefore, that they cannot be affected by the demonic, should be on their guard. For there are many other ways that demons can enter the believer; it is not only through sexual sin. For example, James tells us that “if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don’t sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic” (James 3:14-15). No wonder Paul draws his letter to the Ephesians to a close with that great teaching on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). He knew the attacks that Satan would, through demons, make on believers. But he knew also that if we stand firm, wearing and using all the protective armor that God Himself has provided, then we need not fear the attacks, for with the shield of faith we will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the evil one. Paul made his understanding of spiritual warfare very clear when he said, “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age” (Ephesians 6:12). The war is on and the devil will do all he can to undermine believers and control them through demonization. Praise God, however, that if we do sin, and confess that sin, not only will God forgive us, but He will also cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The deliverance ministry is just one facet of the provision God has made
for the cleansing of believers from the consequences of their sin.
14.5 The Teachings of Demons (1 Timothy 4:1-5) Paul warned Timothy that in the last days some will abandon the faith, will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons. He said this was something that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him (1 Timothy 4:1). Clearly Paul is talking here about people who were once believers—they must have been to have abandoned the faith they once had—but who have come under the control of demons and are now leading others into error. Paul obviously had no problems with believing that believers could become demonized and, as a result, eventually abandon the faith. For him it was a fact of experience that he was sharing with his young student of the Lord, Timothy. The difficulty with this passage is not so much Paul’s assumption that believers could be led astray in this way, but the illustrations that Paul uses to demonstrate the ways in which people have abandoned the faith. First he describes them in devastating words as people who are deceitful liars with dead consciences. One is led to expect from this that Paul would now tell us the unspeakable things these people now believe and do. But the only illustrations Paul gives are of people who teach that it is wrong to marry or that it is wrong to eat certain kinds of food! These things are hardly the most unforgivable of sins and, in many quarters, would hardly raise a Christian eyebrow, especially the question of not eating certain foods. After all, what is wrong with vegetarianism, for example? But Paul says here that everything God created is good and quite categorically states that no food is to be rejected and that all should be eaten after a prayer of thanks. What I believe Paul is hitting at here is those who would teach
the doctrines of man as a substitute for life in the Spirit. Ultimately this is idolatry and a form of spiritual adultery—idolatry because one ends up worshiping rules instead of God, and spiritual adultery because in obeying such rules one has given the heart to the proponent of the rules, even if that person is oneself! At this point one begins to see the dangers and deceptions of the New Age movement, which says that each person already has God within him or, more blatantly by some, we are all gods! Once religious practice becomes more important than the foundational principles of living the Christian life, then one is on a potentially very slippery slope indeed, with man (or a denomination) proclaiming principles that are of man, as opposed to God. The dangers of such deception are limitless, giving credence and acceptance to a multitude of “Christian” heresies that are taught by their proponents as the law of God, as well as to false religions, which make no attempt whatsoever to make Jesus central to their life and doctrine, and to philosophies that owe nothing to the mainstream patterns of Christian belief. In the myriad of New Age philosophies that abound, the devotees submit their lives to an amazing variety of disciplines, which are adhered to with the religiosity of a zealot! One very wellknown international actor, for example, publicly states that he begins each day with two hours of yoga. There are few Christians who would claim to begin the day with two hours of prayer! The world is very accepting of all manner of beliefs and practices, except, that is, the committed Christian’s standpoint that Jesus really is the only way, the only truth and the only life. In New Age there are no absolutes, only mutual acceptance and respect for whatever set of rules a person wishes to adopt and live by. Hence the plethora of confusing beliefs and practices, all of which aim to attract followers, and all of which effectively proclaim that they are right!
Confusion reigns. Anyone can proclaim a new belief or philosophy and label it— for example, color therapy, aromatherapy or crystal healing—and gain instant acceptance from a gullible world, which seems strangely blinded to the fact that the very existence of so many apparently confusing, and often conflicting, systems of belief instantly exposes the deception behind their claims. Having ministered to many hundreds of people who have dabbled in a huge range of false beliefs, religions and practices, and found that almost universally they needed deliverance from the demons that entered in through their involvement, it is abundantly clear that Satan is behind all such false belief systems and that, to quote Paul again, they are nothing but the deceptions of “lying spirits and... the teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1) and are promoted by “the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God" (Ephesians 2:2). There are few Christians who would disagree with the general proposition that demonization is a likely consequence of involvement in the occult. Paul goes much further than this, however, and implies that demonization will also be the result of adherence to other religions and even of submitting to the teachings of men (heresies) that are propounded within the broad framework of mainstream Christian belief. He even includes among such “heresies” rules and regulations about what one does or does not eat. So his comments are very far-reaching, and, if true, have enormous consequences for the Body of Christ in terms of what we teach, the significance we attach to our denominational peculiarities and how we minister to those in our care. One of the hallmarks of Paul’s teaching is his constant emphasis on obedience to the Spirit of God as opposed to the rules
and regulations of man—a theme that was never far from Jesus’ teaching as He battled with the Pharisaism of His day. At this point, therefore, one must ask much more direct questions about whether or not experience lines up with the above interpretations of these Scriptures. I begin by referring back to the quote at the head of this chapter from a report of the Seventh Council of Carthage, in which it was stated that heretics must be exorcised and baptized before being admitted into the Church. This statement is interesting on at least two counts. First, if exorcism (deliverance) was necessary for a former heretic, then it was also their experience in the earliest days of the Church that demonization was a consequence of allegiance to heresy. Heresy is deviation from Christian truth, not beliefs that make no pretense at being associated with Christianity. This report would, therefore, lend strong support to Paul’s contention that even minor deviations from the teaching of Jesus can be demonic. Not only does the report imply that the demonic is behind heresy but that adherents to heresy will receive demons into them that have been given a right through wrong beliefs! Second, the report states that both exorcism and baptism are necessary precursors for a heretic to be accepted into the Church. No exception is made for heretics who had previously been baptized but had fallen into error. It seems here that a practice had grown up where cleansing by water was seen as an important step toward the reinstatement of a believer into the main body. Third, exorcism and baptism were only offered to those who were now professing faith in Jesus and had been born again, which means that the act of being born again had not in itself dealt with the demonic, but that further ministry, following conversion, was also
necessary for deliverance. Our experience in ministry would also support and underline both Paul’s teaching and the report of the Council of Carthage. We have not only delivered Christians of demons that have entered through their former espousal of false religions, such as Buddhism and Sikhism, but also of demons that have been tied to the dictates of every mainstream Christian denomination there is. One man who had been converted to Christianity from Sikhism some five years before we ministered to him was stunned at the extent of demonic power that he was delivered from when his former false beliefs and practices were fully renounced and the demons addressed directly. There was much violence and anger expressed by the demons as they were challenged and dislodged from their residence. This particular story underlines how important it is to deliver people of religious spirits when they are converted to Christianity out of false religions or the cults. For example, if a Jehovah's Witness (one of the most legalistic of the modern-day cults) becomes a Christian, not only does he need to renounce his past beliefs and receive Jesus, but he must also be delivered of the demonic spirits that entered him through his espousal of the beliefs and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. If he is not delivered, then the religious spirits will continue to operate inside the person, doing all they can to distort the new faith with the religious legalism of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. That is why converts from some of the more fanatical cults are often fanatical for Jesus after they are converted. Jesus does not require demonically inspired fanaticism in the Body of Christ, but people who will listen to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit, instead of the dictates of demons, and be obedient.
Demonically inspired fanaticism will not be a winsome influence in the Church that will bring many people into personal faith, but will alienate many who might otherwise be drawn to Christ. We need to heed the words of Jesus to Simon Peter when he tried to oppose what God had planned for Jesus’ life and death. Addressing Peter, He said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way” (Matthew 16:23). Religious spirits are not only given a right through false religions and the cults, however. Within the confines of the mainstream Christian denominations there is much taught as the law of God that are, at best, denominational precepts. Unfortunately, whenever the dictates of a denomination become more important than responsiveness to the Spirit of God, a gateway to demons is made. We have seen people come into marvelous freedom in Christ through being delivered of Brethren spirits, Anglican spirits, Catholic spirits, etc. Satan is a very religious being. After all, he was responsible for worship in heaven before being thrown down to earth, so he is very happy to encourage religion, provided it is devoid of the very breath of God that comes from Jesus being right at the center and living under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Religious spirits are responsible for much bondage inside the Church, as people stand up for beliefs that are not central to the faith and in so doing create division between believers. Creating division is one of Satan’s primary tactics for causing chaos in the Body of Christ. Seeing the consequences of such bondage in the lives of many people, and of how demons will hang on to all religious practices that are peripheral to serving Jesus, helps one to understand the significance of the words that God gave Isaiah to say to Judah in condemnation of religious practices that are corrupted by the sinfulness of the participants (Isaiah 1:10-20).
Superficially there seems very little difference between all the different clamoring voices of the New Agers, with their different beliefs, and the equally large number of different clamoring voices inside the Church implying that they have the only true mandate from God as to how a church should be organized and what it should believe! It is right that Christians should be organized into churches for fellowship purposes, but as soon as they proclaim any form of exclusive doctrine or practice that forms part of the basis for membership of that church, then we must be on our guard against the dictates of "lying spirits and the teachings of demons"! Discerning the controlling bondage of religious spirits is not always easy, but unless they are discerned and dealt with in a radical way, not only will individuals be subject to the doctrines of demons, but so, too, will the churches to which they belong. A church fellowship is a corporate entity in its own right, and once demonic power has been given rights over the fellowship through the deceptive teachings of the leadership, then that demonic power will remain long after the original leadership, which gave it access to the fellowship, has moved on. For example, there are many churches that were partially financed in their construction with money from Freemasons. Some even have special Masonic foundation stones or symbols built into their designs. Freemasonry is a form of idolatry, which always gives access to demonic power. Spirits of Freemasonry over a church will be directly opposed to the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, and these must be dealt with if the people are to be free to move forward under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Returning now to Paul’s comment about not eating certain types of food, I remember ministering to a man in whom the demons were manifesting strongly, but initially they would not leave. They appeared to have a legal right to be there. The man had formerly been
involved in a New Age household, which, through the influence of New Age philosophy, had become vegetarian. After conversion the man renounced all his New Age beliefs but remained a vegetarian because he thought it made sense. While I was ministering to him, the Lord drew my attention to this by a word of knowledge, and I asked him, therefore, if he would renounce vegetarianism also. He declined, the demons would not go and I was unable to minister to him any further. An hour later he was back, realizing that if the demons that had come into him through his New Age involvement would not go because his vegetarianism was giving them a legal right to be there, he would prefer to give up being a vegetarian than continue to be demonized! Immediately after he renounced vegetarianism, he was free to be delivered, and in a relatively short period of time a large number of spirits left. Refusing to eat all that God had made available for him to eat had given sufficient ground to the enemy for him to be held deeply in bondage, graphically demonstrating the truth of Paul’s words to Timothy about the teachings of demons. I am not saying by the above that in order to be set free we must eat things we do not like—that in itself could be a powerful bondage upon us! But it does seem that if we refuse to eat certain categories of food for pseudo-spiritual reasons, then we are introducing a form of bondage into our lives that Paul describes as a "doctrine of demons.”
14.6 In Conclusion There are many other passages in the epistles that could be expounded to help us understand the significance of the demonic, but space precludes other than comment on the above sections, which are of particular relevance. It is clear that for the early Church, deliverance ministry was a routine and normal part of church life. Also, there are plenty of warnings in the epistles about the consequences of behavior patterns that give grounds for the enemy to attack and invade.
Chapter 15: Demonization of Christians Most of this first part has concentrated on looking at the various passages of New Testament Scripture of particular relevance to the deliverance ministry. The next part is devoted to the principles that must be applied in order to minister healing and deliverance and set people free from the powers of darkness. Before we move on to the practice of deliverance, however, there is one major area that needs to be independently addressed, even though it has already been extensively touched on when commenting on the various passages of Scripture that have been analyzed in earlier chapters. The threads need to be drawn together so that readers will have a concise understanding of this key issue, which is frequently the source of much discussion and, not infrequently, unnecessary contention. Throughout the text of this book it has been assumed that Christians can be demonized, for the extensive experience of deliverance ministry that our teams and I have shared in has been almost exclusively gained when ministering to believing Christians. If Christians cannot be demonized then none of the many thousands of people we have seen delivered of evil spirits, including quite a number of Christian leaders, can have been born again of the Spirit of God! Clearly that is not an acceptable conclusion! Statements such as the above, however, are not adequate evidence to convince those who are heavily entrenched in the opinion that a Christian cannot be demonized because, they argue, there is no way that the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit can coexist. The presence
of the Holy Spirit, they say, would automatically preclude the possibility of an evil spirit being present. Sadly, this theological viewpoint is considerably at variance with experience. Where theology and experience are at such variance with each other, one must either have the courage to (1) investigate the experiences that others relate and, if necessary, reassess one’s theological position as a result or (2) dismiss the experiences of others as deception and heresy and remain in an entrenched position, not daring to face up to the real world outside. No amount of honest investigation can shake the foundations of true theology. This whole issue cannot be discussed at the level of finding proof texts to justify one’s viewpoint. For, try as you may, and others before me have looked very hard, you cannot come up with any text that uncompromisingly wins the point for either side of the discussion. Nevertheless, I personally have no doubt that the balance of Scripture, as I trust is evident from the earlier chapters in this book, gives plenty of support to the belief that Christians can be demonized. Neither can you, however, find a text that proves one way or the other that Christians can get cancer. Experience, however, indicates very strongly that Christians can, and do, get cancer. Everyone reading this book will know of Christians who have died from the disease. Jesus died so that all the powers of darkness could be defeated. The consequences of the Fall were, therefore, dealt with at the cross. If, as a result, one concludes that Christians must be free from all demons, one also has to conclude that Christians should be free from all sickness. Experience, however, is too much at variance with this conclusion for it to be anything else but vain imagination. Sickness and disease are clearly products of the Fall and we have the ministry of Jesus to demonstrate that much sickness can be a direct consequence of the presence of demons. Also, the experience of
thousands of practitioners of Christian healing is that Christians can be demonized, and, therefore, any theological position that does not allow for this possibility must also be suspect and subject to reappraisal. I believe there is a clear pathway through this particular theological jungle, but for those who have been entrenched in the theology of “Christians have no demons,” it will take a certain amount of courage and humility to traverse it, especially for those who come from churches in which such a belief is part of the doctrinal basis of their denomination. Those who hold a dispensationalist conservative viewpoint, which not only rejects the possibility of Christians being demonized, but also questions the practice of the gifts of the Spirit (through which people can be delivered) will have yet greater problems to overcome. It will also not be easy for those who accept the theoretical possibility that Christians can be demonized but consider it to be a very rare condition and, therefore, not significant within the broad ministry of the Body of Christ.
15.1 Can a Christian Be Possessed? I agree 100 percent with the view that a born-again Christian cannot be possessed by a demon! The word possessed implies not only occupation but a total takeover of ownership. It is not a word that appears anywhere in the New Testament with reference to either demons or deliverance. Both the Authorized Version and the New International Version of the Bible wrongfully translate the Greek word daimonizomai, meaning "demonized” or “having a demon,” by the word possessed. This simple translational error has led to much confusion and misunderstanding. If I possess something, I own it; it is mine. When people receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they are born again of the Spirit of God, they are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light and ownership of their lives has changed hands. From that moment on they are rightfully possessed by the Holy Spirit. The word that most graphically expresses our salvation is redeemed. The literal meaning of redeemed is "bought back." This implies that mankind once enjoyed a direct uninterrupted relationship with God, but that at the Fall mankind switched his allegiance to Satan and the powers of darkness, and through the incarnation and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God redeemed those who would believe and receive this salvation. Literally, He bought us back (repossessed us) and the price paid was the blood of His Son. A price was paid for our redemption. So when we talk of possession we are talking about ownership, and a Christian can rightfully say, “I have been bought back from the hands of the enemy and God now possesses me.”
Possession and demonization are very different. If I buy a house, I possess the land it stands on, the structure of the building and any defects it may have as well! The fact that I possess the house, however, does not mean that it is now totally free from defects that originated during previous ownerships, including, for example, all the woodworm that may be resident in the roof timbers. That is a far more accurate picture of the process of conversion than one that says the moment a person is born again all the problems and defects that were evident in a person’s preconversion days are immediately resolved. It is, in fact, the experience of most Christians, especially those who have been converted as mature adults and not as children, that problems can even increase after conversion, as the spiritual battle for occupation of the land, which is now possessed by the Holy Spirit, begins in earnest. At conversion the process that the ancients called “sanctification” begins, as the Holy Spirit works in our lives to clean up the mess that has been left behind by the previous owner. When a house changes hands the woodworm becomes subject to the new owner also. If at that point, a pest control firm is called in, the house is delivered of its unwelcome occupants. If the new owner ignores the woodworm, however, the chomping of the timbers will carry on uninterrupted until there is a crisis requiring radical action. If, when a person is converted, the new Christian is not, at that point, delivered of the evil spirits that have previously been in residence, they will continue to operate in the person’s life, limit the effectiveness of his Christian life and cause maximum hassle and sickness to the believer. Jesus never said to the disciples that when people respond to the preaching of the Gospel all the demons would automatically pack their bags and leave. He told them to take action to cast the demons
out, as well as preach the Gospel. The practice of deliverance ministry was considered by Jesus to be an essential adjunct to preaching the Gospel. Ah, but, some might say, the disciples were ministering in prePentecost days, before the Holy Spirit was made available generally to the Body of Christ, and that is why Jesus had to tell the disciples to cast out the demons. Now that Pentecost has come, they argue, and a person has been filled with the Holy Spirit, deliverance ministry is not necessary, because no evil spirit can live within a person at the same time as the Holy Spirit. I will return to a discussion of that particular question in a moment. But supposing for a moment that the above supposition was a correct one, where do we stand as far as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is concerned? As we have already seen, the Commission contained the foundational precepts for the growth and development of the Church. In the Commission Jesus made it very clear that the first disciples were to teach all new disciples to do exactly the same things as Jesus had taught them to do—which, of course, included deliverance. What He did not say was "do everything I’ve taught you to do, except deliverance, for after Pentecost you won’t need to cast out demons, because they will then leave automatically when someone gets converted and is filled with the Spirit.” If deliverance ministry was not going to be relevant for converts to Christianity, it would have been absolutely essential for Jesus to build an exclusion clause into the Great Commission, thus indicating that casting out demons had been a short-term expedient, only of relevance to believers who had followed Jesus during the three short years of His ministry on earth.
15.2 Can a Christian Have a Demon? Not only do I contend that Christians can still have demons in them after conversion that were there before conversion, but that Christians can receive further demons through the practice of sin and other possible entry points (see part 2). This is not a theoretical view but is based on extensive experience of healing and deliverance ministry. Our experience has been gained, almost totally, in ministering to believing Christians. If Christians cannot be demonized, then none of the many thousands of people we have seen delivered of evil spirits could have been born again of the Spirit of God—or, we were mistaken in thinking that they were being delivered of evil spirits. Clearly, the experience of many people, right across the world, means that neither of these conclusions is acceptable. Returning to the text of the New Testament, we find that the Greek word associated with the presence of an evil spirit is daimonizomai, meaning, literally, “demonized” or “having a demon.” To have a demon is very different from being possessed by a demon. I see no conflict between the theologically sound perspective that at conversion we become possessed of the Holy Spirit and the fact that after conversion people can still be demonized through having a demon that has not yet been cast out through the ministry of deliverance. Much of our work in ministering healing and deliverance to people has been in casting out spirits that have lain dormant in the Christian for many years, some having entered even in the womb of the mother. Each of us is walking toward wholeness in our Christian pilgrimage, and as the Holy Spirit exposes darkness, then it is our responsibility to see that the light of Jesus Christ is brought to bear on
the demonic and the powers of darkness are cast out. It is as unrealistic to say that once a person is a Christian he will never need any more physical or inner healing as to say that he cannot ever need deliverance ministry. It is a fact of ministry experience that the greater the gap between conversion and deliverance ministry taking place, the more difficult the ministry often is. It seems as though the demons learn, in time, how to hang on in the Christian with some determination and practice ways of avoiding detection and eviction. But at conversion, or shortly after, the demonic seems to be in such a state of shock at what has happened that, if deliverance ministry follows quickly on conversion, major strongholds can be dealt with relatively easily. For example, spirits of rejection often lie deeply entrenched, and helping Christians in this area of their lives can sometimes require extensive and loving ministry. At one of our recent healing services, however, at which we always preach the Gospel of salvation, a lady gave her life to the Lord and was converted. Her counselor not only led her to the Lord but also ministered, immediately, to the whole person. She discerned a deep root of rejection that had come in through the lady’s mother. In a matter of minutes the spirit of rejection that had dominated and controlled this lady’s life was exposed. She was delivered, and the transformation in her life was instant and dramatic. Conversion and deliverance were dealt with naturally, at one and the same time. I believe this was the normal practice of the early Church and that one of the major reasons why deliverance ministry among Christians is often so hard is that the Church has not been ministering the New Testament pattern for salvation, healing and deliverance. As a result, years of consequential hurt, pain and demonic maneuvering have to be uncovered and dealt with before the demonic can be fully exposed, identified and cast out.
15.3 How Can an Evil Spirit and the Holy Spirit Dwell within the Same Person at the Same Time? Propositionally, it seems unlikely that an evil spirit and the Holy Spirit could dwell within the same person, ft seems even more unlikely, however, that the sinless Son of God could come into a broken and demonized world that was under the rule of Satan and governed by an army of evil spirits. The only reason why Jesus did come into such a spiritually hostile environment is summed up by John, in what is arguably the most well- known verse in the whole of the Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son..." (John 3:16, NRSV). Love is, always has been and always will be the reason why God has conducted Himself as He has with reference to the human race. It was because of love that God sent Jesus; it was because of love that Jesus came; it was love that gave Jesus the determination not to shrink from the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane; it was love that enabled Jesus to give up His life into the hands of cruel soldiers who drove the nails through His hands. Love is the only force that has ever motivated the heart of God, who is love. In response to the love of the Father, Jesus came to earth. He did enter a world that was sold out to Satan. He did coexist with Satan and his demons on earth, in spite of being the sinless Son of God. He did not look at the earth, see the ruling spirits in control and decline to visit the planet. He did not say, “That place is too demonized for me to get involved.” No, He actually chose to risk everything for the sake of rescuing lost mankind. In the same way the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, continues the work of rescue, enters people at
conversion and begins the process of reclaiming the ground that the enemy has for so long been occupying. Let me ask another question that may help to clarify confused thinking. Which of the following is more unlikely? That the Holy Spirit will remain inside a person who, by an act of his will, chooses to sin and speak out cursings through consecrated lips, or that the Holy Spirit will remain inside a person who battles against the attacks and temptations of a resident demon, but chooses not to allow his lips to be used sinfully? James tells us that blessings and cursings can be spoken out of the same lips (James 3:9-10)—lips that belong to converted people in whom the Spirit of God dwells! But, surely the Holy Spirit would be so grieved by the practice of sin that He could not remain inside such a sinner? Not so. John, in speaking to Christians, tells them that if they do sin, God is faithful and just (the price has been paid on the cross) and will forgive them for what they have done (1 John 1:9). He does not say that if they sin, it is evidence that the Holy Spirit is not in them. By the same token, and to me equally significant, one cannot say either that if a person has a demon, it is evidence that the Holy Spirit is not in them. Conversely, and perhaps even more significantly, one cannot say that because a person has the Holy Spirit in him there cannot also be an evil spirit present. It is only because of the love of God that, in His mercy, He does not totally withdraw His Holy Spirit from us when we sin. That, to me, is an even greater miracle than that God in His mercy should allow the Holy Spirit to enter and remain inside a person who has not yet been freed from all demonic power. David, after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, feared on this count and was grateful for the love and mercy of God (Psalm 51:11).
When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit, having first wooed the person to the point of commitment, then enters by right, because Jesus has been invited to be Lord. But sanctification is not an instant process, and it is often many years (and sometimes it never happens) before a person has come to the point of allowing the Lordship of Jesus to become reality in each and every area of his life. We minister to many Christians, for example, who are not infrequently in significant leadership positions but are still wrestling with major sexual problems. They are embarrassed and guilty about sharing their problem, but it has got to the point where they cannot any longer cope with the guilt of masturbation, and, sometimes, open sexual sin. It is abundantly clear that Jesus is not Lord of their sexuality, even though in every other area of their life their Christian behavior and witness is often exemplary. Some such people had never realized that they were not just struggling with the flesh, which we all have to contend with, but a spirit that was occupying the flesh and continually putting them under compulsion to sin. The Lordship of Jesus has certainly not become reality in that area of their life, but if the desire of a person’s heart is to be free, it is then possible to minister deliverance so that he can be set free to walk cleanly before God. The real problems in ministry arise when in the heart the person so enjoys the sin that he does not want to be set free! Thank God that the Holy Spirit does come into our lives and begins His liberating work. If He were to wait until all our demons had been cast out before entering our lives, none of us would be either saved or delivered, and we would be destined to a Christless eternity!
15.4 Scriptures Often Used to Question the Validity of Deliverance Ministry in Christians If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free. John 8:36
If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17, RSV
The argument runs something like this: When you are converted, you are set free from the powers of darkness and you move from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light. If you are now in the Kingdom of light then the kingdom of darkness cannot have any further influence on your life, and Christians cannot, therefore, be demonized, because there are no demons in the Kingdom of light. The above two Scriptures are often quoted as supporting this view point. However, the context in which they are quoted usually varies markedly from the context of the original writings. It is easy to be deceived, by depending on proof texts quoted out of context, into adopting a theological position that does not accord with experience. Many have foundered spiritually in this way by trying to fit Scripture to their own narrow-minded theology and have limited the ways in which God is allowed to act in their lives.
Nowhere is this more the case than in the whole area of deliverance ministry. Where theology and experience have become incompatible bedfellows, something must be wrong. To pretend that Christians are not being healed through deliverance and to continue to preach and teach that Christians can’t be demonized is naive to say the least. John 8:36 is commented on in detail in chapter 13, in which it is seen that the whole discourse revolves around Jesus telling some Jewish believers in Him that they were still in bondage to their “father the devil.” They could not cope with the idea that Jesus was expressing and finished up by trying to stone Him to death. The reaction of some sectors of the Church today to the idea that Christian believers might be demonized is not dissimilar. They may not use weapons of stone to attack those who do minister deliverance to Christians, but the words that are sometimes spoken betray hearts that are hard as stone toward the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing renewal and freedom to believers who have formerly been bound by the powers of darkness. The very people who should be rejoicing at the works of God refuse to acknowledge one of the main ways that God brings healing to His people. I find it hard to understand how people can pray for someone in their church to be healed, and then oppose the ministry of Jesus through which their prayers are answered and that person is eventually healed. Such opposition from people can be understood in two different lights: Either they consider deliverance of Christians to be a naive deception of those conducting the ministry, or they themselves are demonized and are led to oppose the ministry of deliverance by the demonic and so remain in bondage to the enemy. If they genuinely believe the former, they are in danger of grieving the Holy Spirit by
denying His power to deliver. And I have delivered enough people of religious spirits to believe that there is a distinct possibility of those who oppose deliverance being demonized themselves. Those who quote, "If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17, RSV) to support their opposition to deliverance ministry are confusing the eternal and temporal dimensions to the Gospel. Of course a believer is a new creation in Christ. His spirit, which was formerly dead to God because of sin, has come back to life, and when he is born again he is certainly a new creation. Using this verse, however, to support the contention that because the new has come people cannot still be demonized is committing theological suicide. For if the new has come in this particular way, then there is no way that a Christian can ever again be sick, let alone demonized. Experience, however, would indicate that Christians do get sick, and, therefore, the implied contention that this verse refers to the total renewal of the flesh life on conversion, must be fallacious. As has already been stated, the root of the problem lies in the confusion there has been over the word possession. After conversion there has been a change of ownership—the house is under entirely new management. But the house still needs some refurbishment and redecoration (cleansing, healing and deliverance) even though a new owner has taken over.
15.5 In Conclusion While there is no particular Scripture that states unequivocally that Christians can have demons, there are many verses that clearly assume that they can. Experience undoubtedly supports this viewpoint, and the evidence of many Christians who have been healed through deliverance confirms the supposition. Not only can born-again Christians be afflicted by the presence of demons, but there is little point in pursuing deliverance ministry with nonbelievers. For unless a person is born again, the demons will seek to return as soon as they can, as Jesus warned in Matthew 12:4345: “So when it is all over, that person is in worse shape than at the beginning” (see also Luke 11:24-26). Deliverance ministry is primarily for Christians, described by Jesus in the healing of the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter as "the children’s food” (Matthew 15:26). If a church is not involved in deliverance ministry, it is making nonsense of Jesus’ command to the disciples, and the whole Church, to cast out demons.
PART 2: THE PRACTICE OF DELIVERANCE MINISTRY
Chapter 16: Deliverance and Healing Once it has been established that Christians can be demonized (have a demon), it is only a short step to the next conclusion that, when the Holy Spirit (light) exposes the presence of a demon (darkness), deliverance ministry is required. The person is “sick” because he has a demon, and part of the process of healing is to order the demon to leave. Up to that point it sounds simple, and, essentially, much deliverance ministry is simple to carry out. However, there is one very important stage that cannot be avoided, without which the person is unlikely to be set free. And even if some deliverance ministry does take place, without this they will always be vulnerable to the danger of further demonization. The legal right to the demon’s presence must be removed. Propositionally, the legal right of all demons was removed at the cross, so that when a person believes and receives Jesus for himself, no demon has any right to be there. However, we are living in the dispensation when the writing is on the wall of time for Satan and all his forces, but the battle still has to be taken to the enemy until Jesus comes again. The war is still on even though the outcome is certain. Systematically removing the rights that the demonic has used for the transference of demons into a person, either before or after conversion, is a vital part of deliverance ministry. If this is not done, the ministry is unlikely to be either effective or long lasting. Counseling and consequential “groundwork ministry” are vital steps
toward healing through deliverance. In the first part of this book the scriptural foundations for deliverance ministry were firmly established. In this second part we concentrate on how to prepare a person for ministry by removing the rights that the demonic has claimed and exercising the victory of the cross in a person's life to bring about deliverance and healing. No one disputes that the ministry of Jesus included healing and deliverance. These are vital elements of the Gospel for bringing hope to the hopeless, healing to the broken, restoration to the sick in body, mind and spirit and freedom to those who are oppressed or held captive by the enemy. They are part of the rock on which the ministry of Jesus was founded and they are still essential elements of making disciples in the 21st-century church. This part of the book is designed to help people put in place a solid foundation of understanding for an effective healing and deliverance ministry.
16.1 A Balanced Healing Ministry In His ministry Jesus dealt with every type of healing need and ministered to each individual according to his personal situation. Through the cross Jesus made it possible for the Church to continue His healing ministry. Satan seeks to bring chaos and disorder. Healing is the restoration of God's order to the spirit, soul and body. The fact that Jesus' first act of healing involved the casting out of a demon (Luke 4:31-36) is an affront to some twentieth-century minds, and many would want to dismiss the deliverance aspect of Jesus’ ministry as a delusion of first-century understanding. But to do that, by necessity, labels Jesus as having been deceived by the limitations of His own culture— hardly an acceptable conclusion about the character and spirituality of the Son of God! The healing ministry of Jesus was totally balanced—this means that He ministered healing to the spirit, soul and body of people as well as delivering them from the powers of darkness. In view of the fact that sickness and disease are consequences of the Fall, it seems hard to understand how any form of Christian healing could ignore the possibility of there being a demonic dimension to the healing ministry. But it was only when I myself began to pray for the sick, and came up against situations that did not respond to more traditional healing prayer, that I became aware of the present-day need for deliverance ministry. Neither my upbringing nor my church experience prepared me for this ministry. In some ways this is very surprising. For it is in the Scriptures that the instructions to cast out demons are so clearly written down. And both my family upbringing and the churches I have been associated with have underlined the vital importance of knowing and applying the Scriptures so that our lives are lived in
harmony with their teaching. I might have expected, therefore, that such a vital part of the gospels would have been carefully established in my life from an early age. But in common with most Christians of my generation, it seems that the whole area of deliverance was a theological blind spot, caused either by the mistaken belief that demons are only found in the "heathen” parts of the world, and therefore we need not worry about them in Western "Christian” lands, or by the deception that demons cannot possibly affect Christians, and therefore deliverance ministry is quite irrelevant to the modern Church. If I had been brought up in Africa or India, my perception would have been radically different. For there, and in many other parts of the world as well, the spirit realm is so much a part of the culture that any expression of Christian faith that does not have an answer to this vital area of life would not be very credible to much of the local population. It is widely believed by rationalistic Western man that education and civilization either get rid of demons or enlighten us to the "truth” that demons don’t exist and so they no longer need to be considered when explaining conditions or phenomena that are said to have only perfectly logical scientific explanations. Is it not possible that science is only producing rational explanations for the way the demonic has operated in causing some diseases? Not only has lack of belief in the supernatural affected the rationalistic world, it has also dominated much religious thinking. Such rationalistic thinking has no expression in Scripture, where a recurring theme is the direct intervention of God in the affairs of man. And if one can so lightly dispense with such a large sector of the ministry of Jesus (one third of the recorded healings of Jesus were deliverance ministries), one has to ask if there is anything in the Word
of God that is not open to doubt and disbelieving scrutiny. Thankfully, I was taught that spiritualism and all other forms of occult involvement are dangerous. But I was never told that if I did these things, I might become demonized. Nor was I warned of the many other ways in which the demonic could gain a foothold in my life. I knew what sin was but not that the continued practice of sin could give rights to the demonic in my life. I knew all about confessing sin so that I could be forgiven, but I never learned that I might also need cleansing from the consequences of sin, including deliverance, if my sin had led to demonization. With the benefit of hindsight, I now see that a whole dimension of spiritual understanding was completely missing from my Christian education. Not that anyone had done this deliberately—I had, like so many others, simply been taught out of the limited experience of others. My own experience paralleled that of many—hence the need in the first part of this book to explain in detail the scriptural foundations and practical outworking of the ministry of deliverance as practiced by Jesus, which was so effective in bringing healing to those who sought out His help.
16.2 Early Beginnings God gave me the vision for the work that has become known as Ellel Ministries some ten years before I was led to the building, Ellel Grange. During those years of praying, waiting, planning and preparation, I had very occasionally encountered the demonic when praying with people in need, though I had mostly failed to recognize just what was happening. One girl, I remember, gave a remarkably good imitation of a wildcat. I have seen this sort of thing on various occasions since then, but at that time it was a frightening experience and I was profoundly relieved that it didn’t last too long! On other occasions I became aware that some less obviously demonic symptoms may also have had a supernatural origin. These could not be explained in any other way than by the activity of malevolent supernatural beings, probably called demons, behaving remarkably like the “creatures” Jesus dealt with and expressly told the disciples to cast out.
16.3 At Ellel Grange By the time the doors of Ellel Grange were eventually opened in November 1986, I had come to realize that deliverance ministry is a vital part of healing, and was beginning to teach others that this is the case. I had no doubt that demons are real and that Christians should have the power and authority to cast them out. We soon discovered that many of the people who came for help, especially those with long-term problems, were caught in a demonic web and were in need of deliverance. One young man was brought by his pastor. For two years the pastor had given John and his wife first-class counseling. But in spite of such excellent support, the relationship was getting progressively worse, and John was in a pretty bad way. There seemed little we could do to help that had not already been done by the pastor. So we simply prayed and asked the Lord to show up any darkness in his life. I’ve since come to realize that, when prayed in faith, that is quite a “dangerous” prayer! As the Holy Spirit came upon him, there was a strong physical reaction in his body as the demons reacted to the presence of God. His fingers went stiff, his body went nearly rigid and he slid off the chair onto the carpet and slithered across the floor, vomiting. Clearly, John had a problem! I remember telephoning another member of the team very late at night and shouting into the phone, "Help, get here fast!" as the demons in John began to manifest violently and turn our beautiful lounge into a furniture battlefield. John was eventually delivered, not just of one but of many demons, and years later he and his wife are still getting along well. I now know that without deliverance there would have been no answers and no hope for John. The relationship would probably have broken
up, and John himself would be in a very bad way. John was the first of many such people whom God sent along as we entered on a crash course in deliverance ministry. Another was the very first person to come forward for ministry at the end of our first healing service at Ellel Grange in January 1987. Lawrence stood at the front of the meeting trembling from head to foot. All eyes were on his heavily tattooed figure and violent-looking body, wondering what we would do with such an unlikely candidate for Christian healing. He said, “I’m filled with fear.” I touched his shoulder, and there was such a violent reaction from deep inside him that he crashed dramatically forward onto the floor. At that point discretion took over, and we decided not to minister to him in front of everyone else. So we asked him to come back later in the week with his pastor. When he came, we found out more of his story and realized the wisdom of not always dealing with everything that presents at a healing service right away. Lawrence told us how he had sold himself to Satan while in prison, but how later in solitary confinement he had read a Gideon’s New Testament and found Christ. The powers of darkness in him were strong, but such was the grace of God that the Lord took us by the hand and showed us step by step what to do in order to bring him through to deliverance. Less than twelve months after commencing the work, the Lord led us to conduct our first deliverance ministry training course. We didn’t have all the answers—no one ever does. But as we shared what the Lord had already given to us, we began to see revelation dawn in the eyes of those brave souls who had risked their reputations to be there. Even Anglican vicars went home knowing they now had keys to help people in their churches.
We have now conducted a deliverance ministry training course on hundreds of occasions. There are always people in the course who are healed through deliverance, as revelatory knowledge undermines demonic strongholds. People who previously might not have considered that they had any personal demonic problems are set free from the powers that had been at work deep within their lives. While this book does set out much of the information on the practicalities of deliverance ministry taught in the courses, it is not intended to be a substitute for setting time aside for a period of teaching and training to learn about this ministry firsthand, in fellowship with other Christians. Even if books had been widely available in Jesus’ day, I don’t think He would have limited His teaching of the disciples to asking them to read a manual!
16.4 Foundations for Deliverance Ministry For some people, there will be a strong temptation to start reading this book in the middle and get straight into the practicalities of deliverance ministry! If you are one of those who have skipped the first part, may I encourage you to read the first part first, before continuing with this part. As a result you will find yourself far better equipped to minister healing in the Body of Christ. The Scriptures are our primary source of knowledge, and it is vital that we understand from the Word of God the reality of what deliverance ministry is all about and the source of our authority over demons. By way of summary of everything that has gone before, the foundational Kingdom truths that underpin all Christian ministry are listed here for ease of reference: 1. God is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 2. God created all the supernatural beings in the angelic realms. 3. God created man as a spiritual being, gave him a soul and placed him inside a body for the duration of his life on earth. Man is, therefore, also a trinity—of spirit, soul and body. 4. Lucifer (as he was probably then called), one of the archangels, was expelled from heaven because he wanted to attract to himself the glory and worship that was rightfully due to God. He then became known as Satan, the adversary. Some of the angelic hosts joined in the rebellion with Satan and were also expelled from heaven.
5. Jesus saw Satan thrown down to earth. 6. On earth Satan continued his rebellion against God by tempting man to worship him and disobey God. 7. Man sinned (joined in the rebellion) and became alienated from his Creator. 8. Man then became vulnerable to Satan and the supernatural beings under Satan’s control, known as fallen angels, demons or evil spirits. 9. These powers of darkness have no flesh life of their own and seek to occupy the bodies of men and women in order to pursue their rebellion against God and His creation, man, by keeping people in bondage to Satan and away from a restored relationship with God. When an evil spirit is inside a person, the person is said to be demonized. 10. God prepared a way of escape (salvation) for mankind and sent His own Son, Jesus, to earth. Jesus showed us what God the Father is really like and died on the cross for the sins of the world. As many as believe in Jesus for themselves are born again of the Spirit of God and are released from the only wages that Satan pays, death, and receive, instead, a free gift from God, eternal life. 11. Jesus began His ministry by fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1 by preaching the Good News, healing the sick and casting demons out of the demonized. He told the disciples to do the same. 12. In the Great Commission, given by Jesus before He returned to heaven, He told the first disciples to go and
make more disciples, then to baptize them and finally to teach them to do the same things that He had taught the first disciples to do. In this way the embryonic Church was commissioned to preach the Gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons. 13. In the Acts of the Apostles, the early Church began to fulfill the Great Commission by preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and delivering the demonized. 14. This Commission has never been rescinded, and therefore today’s Church is still commissioned to preach the Gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons. 15. When a person becomes a Christian, there is a change of ownership. The new Christian is then “possessed of God”—the word possessed implying ownership. Any demons present before conversion do not necessarily leave at conversion, but they do not possess (own) the Christian. A born-again Christian cannot be possessed by demons, but the territory of his life can certainly be occupied or oppressed. Therefore, a Christian person can still be demonized and in need of deliverance. 16. Generally speaking, deliverance ministry is only for Christians. It is only Christians who can be filled with the Holy Spirit and be protected, therefore, from the dangers of reinfestation. 17. Demons occupy territory through the rights they have been given through sin, abuse, generational powers, etc. Recognition and removal of the rights that demons have is a vital part of deliverance ministry.
18. Christians have been given Christ’s authority over the powers of darkness, so believers are able to deliver people from demons in the same way that Jesus did. 19. Until Jesus comes again He expects the Church to remain faithful and obedient to their last instructions— which embraced evangelism, healing and deliverance. 20. Only when Jesus comes again will Satan and all the powers of darkness be finally dealt with when they will be condemned to the lake of fire.
While you may consider that all the above points are obvious, it is sometimes because the obvious is overlooked that the powers of darkness can be in a position of strength in a person’s life. For example, if a person is not willing to believe that he could be demonized, then healing that requires deliverance is rarely possible, because the person is giving the demons a right to be there through unbelief.
Chapter 17: Preparing the Ground—Foundational Teaching for Healing and Deliverance
17.1 Jesus Shares His Ministry with the Disciples There is no doubt that Jesus saw deliverance as a vital part of His ministry and strategic to His mission as the Messiah. Deliverance ministry demonstrated to the world His absolute authority over Satan and the powers of darkness. This simple fact is at the root of all the opposition there is to the practice of deliverance ministry in the Church. In Luke 9:1-2 it is recorded that Jesus shared this authority with His disciples. They were the first to be given His power and authority both to heal the sick and to cast out demons. But just as the gospel accounts give no detailed instructions as to how Jesus expected the disciples to heal people from sicknesses and disease, neither do they give any instructions on how to deliver people from demons. It is for this reason that in the first part of this book I spent so much time looking at the lessons we can learn from the deliverance ministries actually recorded in the gospels. It seems that Jesus’ method of teaching healing and deliverance was largely experiential. In practical terms it reduced to something like this: 1. Listen to what I say. 2. Watch what I do. 3. Then do it yourself while I’m watching. 4. Then go off and do it by yourself.
Then come back, tell Me all about it and share your problems.
1. Listen to what I say. 2. Watch what I do (repeating as many times as are necessary). But remember, I’m going back to heaven before long, so get lots of practice while I'm still around!
We have found this system of training members of our own team to be highly effective. It enables people of all intellects and personalities to learn together in a safe environment. The disciples had three years of being taught in this way. It must have been an amazing experience for them to watch Jesus at work. They were seeing things that had never before happened in the history of the world! It must have been a traumatic experience for them to discover that stages three and four were to be part of their training. In Luke it is carefully recorded that this is exactly what Jesus did with the disciples: “Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. Then he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:1-2). What an incredible Commission! If the first part of His teaching method was "Listen to what I say,” then surely there should have been detailed instructions in the gospels about how to heal the sick and cast out demons but, strangely, no such manual can be found—-just a command to go and do it. Not much comfort to the educated world, which sets great store by the ability to learn a formula or technique and then pass examinations to
prove they are qualified!
17.2 The Teaching of Jesus So what do we find when we look at the teaching of Jesus that is recorded in the gospels? What we actually see is basic teaching about the Kingdom of God—about love, forgiveness, not hating one’s brother and stories that illustrate foundational truths of what we now call the Christian life. Not much, you might think, to help a trainee disciple cast out a demon. But you would be mistaken! There is much vital information here. It is significant that most of the major healing ministries that Jesus carried out were in the context of His teaching ministry. For example, at the beginning of the discourse on the feeding of the five thousand, Luke comments that “he welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing” (Luke 9:11, NIV). Jesus knew that many (but not all) of the things that people suffered from were there as a consequence of sin and relationships that had gone wrong. Sickness, and much suffering, usually has a root cause, and if the healing Jesus ministered was to be of permanent value, it was essential that people should know the truths that would help them put the foundational things right in their lives. Dealing with root causes is vital. The disciples had to learn that foundational teaching, rather than the technique of deliverance, was the way to unlock root problems. This was a lesson that the Lord taught me in prayer and vision long before Ellel Ministries was established and long before I had ever had any significant experience of healing or deliverance. The second part of Luke 9:11 was imprinted upon my heart by the Holy Spirit as absolutely foundational for the ministry to which He was calling me. Welcome, teach, heal— and in that order.
If a loving welcome did not undergird the reception that people received when they came for help, they would be unlikely to listen to the teaching they needed to hear. And if they had not heard—and understood—the teaching, then ministry to them would be hard and largely ineffective. It was a difficult lesson to learn, for instinctively one wants to rush out and see miracles begin to happen! Plowing patiently through foundational teaching was not what I first envisaged the healing ministry would be all about. I questioned the Lord as to whether or not I had heard right, but He gave me no other keys. It was only when I took God at His word, and accepted that He knew what He was doing, that He opened my eyes to see just what He could and would do with such simple teaching. In a vision the Lord then showed me how people would come, some of them in great need, for what we would later call “healing retreats.” I saw the people arriving full of problems and with various physical conditions. I taught through all the basics of the Gospel that God had shown me were critical to them, and then He showed me what would happen as a result. Years later I would often weep before the people as time and again I saw just how faithful God had been to the vision He had given. I began to see people being healed and delivered as they received the teaching and allowed it to break down strongholds in their lives. I saw that even though we did have to take up authority over the powers of darkness to cast out demons, it was the truth that Jesus taught that had the potential to set people free. But that truth had to be taught in such a way that people were not bored by dry theology or left feeling they had been rejected or condemned by a God who was far too distant to be interested in them. They had to be captivated by the love of a God who had made such provision for them, in spite of the rebellion of sin that was in their hearts. And it worked—the teaching struck home and miracles of healing began to
take place. None of us on the team will ever forget Pat, who at the end of the first night of an early healing retreat, stomped out of the meeting angry at me for saying that she must forgive those who had hurt her. She had hung on to the bitterness for thirty years and no one was going to tell her to let go of it now! She went home, and that night the Lord would not let her sleep. At half past one in the morning she sat up in bed and decided to obey. First she wrote out a list (she called it her “hate” list) of all those she needed to forgive. Having done that, she prayed through the list, forgave them all and fell into a deep sleep. The following morning she was woken by the ticking of a clock. Quite a miracle in itself, for she had taken both her hearing aids out the night before. She had been almost totally deaf in one ear and 80 percent deaf in the other. God had worked a miracle during the night by healing her of deafness without anyone even praying for her hearing. She came running back the next morning to tell us what had happened. At the end of the retreat she asked for prayer for her back—the real reason why she had come on the retreat—and we watched as the Lord moved upon her by the power of the Holy Spirit. So heavy was the anointing of God on her that she could no longer remain upright and she crashed to the floor. She felt God working on her spine. After some time she got up, removed the heavy plastic tube she had been wearing to immobilize her spine and protect it from further damage and started practicing physical exercises on the floor. God had worked an amazing miracle in her life. The doctors had previously told her that her spine was so damaged that within twelve months she would probably be in a
wheelchair and would never walk again! God had indeed honored His word. Here was a classic case of the teaching on forgiveness being absolutely essential. Without it she would definitely not have been healed. It seems that her physical conditions were partly a consequence of the bitterness that had controlled her.
17.3 Basic Principles The basic foundational teaching that the Lord gave to us as a preparation for healing and deliverance has now been repeated several thousand times on healing retreats, conferences and church visits. It is not new teaching, however, for it is all contained within the Scriptures. Outlined here are the key parts of the teaching that are implicit in the gospel accounts and that we have found to be so effective in preparing people for healing and deliverance ministry.
17.3.1 Who and What We Are before God I found, much to my amazement, that many people, even though they had been in churches for years, had little or no real understanding about how God created them and how He desires us to function in the world that He created. So the basic information on our creation by God as body, soul and spirit became an integral part of the teaching. For many sick people it was a profound revelation to realize that their bodily symptoms might have a root in their emotions and that there might just be a connection, for example, between the cruel way in which their fathers had related to them as children and the condition they were then experiencing forty years later.
17.3.2 How We Can Be Sick We can be sick in any or all of the constituents of our created being: body, soul or spirit. The soul also has three main constituents: the mind, the emotions and the will, and again we can be sick in any or all of these. Then we can be sick because of the presence of an evil spirit (demon) that is operating in some area of our lives. There are, therefore, six primary ways in which people can be sick. i) In the body Physical illness and sickness of the body is more obviously identifiable. When some part is malfunctioning or damaged through injury, or when we have an infection that, for some reason, our body is unable to fight, then we are said to be ill. ii) In the mind The mind is different from the brain—it is part of the soul. One could have, for example, cancer of the brain, which is a bodily disease, but at the same time be of sound mind. Conversely, there are many people who are remarkably fit physically, with no diseases of the brain, but whose minds are quite out of control. When the functioning of the mind is no longer under the ordered control of the person, we would say that he is mentally ill. iii) In the emotions Emotions are our feelings. When we are hurt in our emotions, then we can either express our hurt rightfully and receive healing for the pain, or the hurt can be repressed, causing short-term pain and sometimes long term damage.
For example, if a girl is sexually abused by her father, the emotional pain is intense (“Why does my daddy do things like this to me?”). But because of fear of what might happen to her if she "tells,” the pain is usually repressed and not exposed for healing. Long-term emotional damage and demonization can occur as a result, and this can be devastating. Sometimes the damage does not surface until years later when, for example, her marriage relationship falls apart because of sexual problems. iv) In the will Many people are sick because they do not have the strength of will to make wise decisions. They are victims of the condition described in the well-known Scripture “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41, NASB). Their wills are too weak (sick) to either resist the pressures people put on them or overcome the temptations that are put in front of their flesh. v) In the spirit The most important healing people need is to have their spiritual relationship with God restored. Outside of a personal relationship with Jesus, the spirit is dead (very sick!) to God because of sin, and the spirit, therefore, needs to be born again. When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit can then fill him. It is the Holy Spirit who brings the gifts of healing and gives us the authority to keep demons out after we have been delivered. It is sometimes through their problems that people realize the consequences of being out of fellowship with God. When they see the connection between life in the Spirit and the consequences in the flesh, it brings home to them their desperate need of really knowing God. Some, also, have been very crushed in the spirit by those around them, and it is as if the very core of their being has been trampled on.
To be healed in the spirit, therefore, is the most important and primary healing that anyone needs. Such healing has both eternal and temporal consequences. vi) Through the presence of a demon Another way a person can be sick is through the presence of a demon. When I have explained to people about the powers of darkness and the reality of evil spirits and what they can do in people’s lives, I have found that for many people it is a great relief to realize that there is another possible reason for their condition. These six ways of being sick are not mutually exclusive. Longterm physical disability will, for example, cause much emotional pain and damage. It is not unusual to find people who are suffering in most, if not all, of these ways. In cases of long-term illness, there is almost always a demonic dimension that has to be dealt with at some point in the ministry. Failure to realize this when ministering healing will leave some people feeling better initially but still carrying within them the root cause of more potential symptoms and illness. Understanding the ways people can be sick helps them to appreciate what critical factors may be operating in their lives. We have found that explaining these things right from the beginning of each healing retreat means that people are then far more open to listen to God, realizing that what is being said really matters and is relevant to them.
17.3.3 The Need to Forgive Others In the Lord’s Prayer it is clear that Jesus made the forgiveness of our own sins conditional upon our willingness to forgive the sins of others. In Matthew 6:15 He reemphasized this teaching by saying, ‘‘But if you do not forgive others, then your Father [in heaven] will not forgive the wrongs you have done.” These are devastating words to the unforgiving and bitter of heart, for no one likes to be told that his sins will not be forgiven. But that is exactly what Jesus is telling those who are unwilling to give to others what they so dearly need from God for themselves. Many people would like to think that it doesn’t really matter what you believe or what you do, because God is so loving that He wouldn’t withhold forgiveness from you or not allow you to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Such beliefs, however, are not consistent with Scripture, and while some would say it is too hard to tell hurting people such uncompromising truth, I would respond by saying it is more harmful not to tell them the truth in love as Jesus clearly demonstrated in His life and teaching. In practice, we have found that sharing truth with deep love and compassion makes it possible for people to both forgive and receive forgiveness. To know that they are forgiven, sometimes for the very first time in their lives, can be the most significant healing experience they will ever have. The relief is profound as the influence of the powers of darkness is broken down through the application of truth. Many times we have witnessed enormous battles with the resident demonic powers as they have employed every weapon in their armory to try to prevent a person speaking out forgiveness of an
individual who has, for example, abused him sexually. The demons can try to take away the voice so he can’t speak, make him want to escape and physically run away, attack his breathing, introduce distraction after distraction, bring on sudden bouts of diarrhea, clamp the jaw together, make the person want to strangle himself—in fact, anything to stop biblical truth from being applied. Once the words of forgiveness have been spoken out from the heart, the power of a demon that has been controlling him through the sin of unforgiveness has been broken, and deliverance can then take place. We have probably seen more healing and deliverance take place through applying the principles of forgiveness than through any other spiritual discipline. It’s not that the Church hasn’t known these basic truths before; it’s simply that often it has not had the courage or conviction to tell people the truth as Jesus said it. Some theologians have tried to modify the teaching of Jesus to make it more palatable to the questioning, rational mind. This will never bring people through to healing or deliverance. It is only as the unchanging truths of Jesus and His teaching are applied in a person’s life that “God [can] transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind” (Romans 12:2). We have found, however, that when people have been very hurt, they can initially make a choice to forgive through an act of their will. But as the Lord continues to bring healing, layers of pain may surface. Some people may find it necessary to keep on forgiving until there is no longer any residual pain associated with the damage. When Simon asked Jesus how often he needed to forgive, His response of “seventy times seven” could just as easily relate to forgiving the same person many times for the same offense (when different levels of pain surface) as forgiving someone for a series of different offenses.
17.3.4 Confession and Forgiveness of One’s Own Sins After unforgiveness of others, hidden and unconfessed sin is probably the greatest guardian of demonic power and sickness. Many hidden sins that have left a poisoned thread through people's lives go back years and years, even into childhood. Many people are plagued with guilt, secretly believing that these sins, often of a sexual nature, are so awful that they could never be forgiven. First John 1:9 is an important and favorite verse to share with those who know they have sinned: “But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.” This was a word spoken to Christians, so John expected that Christians would fall into sin. We certainly can and do! Fortunately, God in His mercy made adequate provision for our fallen nature. But there are times when the consequences of our sin can leave us sick or demonized, or both, as well as in need of forgiveness by God. The Scripture in James 5:16 is harder for many Christians to accept than 1 John 1:9: “So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed.” Most people like to think that their sins are personal and private and that any confession will be to God alone. It is not easy to tell anyone else what they have done. The shame or embarrassment is more than they can stand. And yet in this chapter James paints a cameo of a sick person who calls the elders together to anoint him with oil. Confession of sin takes place before healing occurs. The implication is that sickness can sometimes be a consequence of sin, and in these cases, if there is to be healing, then the sin factor must be resolved first. God can sometimes allow sickness in our lives so that He may get our attention and speak to us clearly. God does not send sickness without cause, but it is on occasion allowed as a consequence of both personal sin and the fallen
world in which we live. Persistent sin creates a prime entry point for the demonic, and demons often bring with them sickness and infirmity. We have found in our counseling ministry that to be straightforward about the sins of the past and to allow them to come to light, without being judgmental, is a vital step in preparing people for deliverance. Why would God consider this process to be so important? I believe there are several factors at work here: 1. Every one of us will be blessed by knowing that there is at least one person who knows the worst about us and still loves us. 2. Sharing one’s sins with another deals with one’s pride— often the primary obstacle to healing (see James 5:16). 3. One of the best deterrents against future sin is the fact that someone already knows about our weakness. 3. Healing and deliverance ministry will be strengthened by the scriptural principle of two or three agreeing together in prayer (Matthew 18:19). 4. Self-deception is not such a danger when another godly and Spirit- filled person knows about the sin and is willing to help us with accountability if necessary. 5. Sin is very often at the root of a demonic stronghold that is being tackled, and help to overcome this is sometimes needed for deliverance. 6. Other areas of healing are likely to be necessary, such as emotional healing.
While God can sovereignly heal without the intervention of a third party, Jesus instructed the disciples to go and heal the sick, and it is our experience that incisive ministry by someone else in these areas is usually more effective. It also introduces an objective third party who is able to hear from the Lord for the sick person. For example, the rich young ruler needed to be confronted with the sin of his own heart, in which the love of his wealth was clearly stronger than his love for God. Sin needs to be exposed, confessed, repented of and dealt with. Then one can minister healing and deliverance with much greater confidence that the ministry will be effective and long lasting. It is a privilege and a responsibility to hear someone else’s confession. It is vital that those who are asked to do this should always be totally confidential, never gossip about other people’s sins, be totally nonjudgmental in their responses and have an attitude of humility. Those traditions that incorporate confession as a regular part of their Christian practice have no problem with this and will readily understand the importance of dealing with sin in this way But there needs to be a caution here, for if confession becomes too much a part of tradition, as opposed to being a genuine response in the heart to conviction of sin, then the very practice of confession can become a stumbling block to being forgiven and healed. That may sound hard, but the key lies in one’s understanding of the word confession. To confess sin to God does not mean to tell God what we have done wrong. The fact of the situation is that God is omniscient (knows all things), and He already knows about our sin.
The word confess means something more than just telling God what we’ve done wrong. Where there is sin, it must be owned. People need to recognize what they have done and decide how they are going to put situations right where another person has been involved and there have been consequences. The primary meaning of to confess is to agree with God’s verdict on the sin that has been committed, to recognize that its practice has been an act of rebellion against God and to repent of (turn away from) the sinful behavior. Far too often confession has been treated as something that is said (and not done) just to try to clear the conscience, without there being any real intention of turning away from the continuing practice of that sin. Jesus taught that we must continue to forgive our brothers till seventy times seven, and while this implies He will continue to forgive us in the same way, I do believe that His heart is grieved by our continuing in willful sin. There can come a time when our supposed confession is just a religious practice and carries with it the stink of spiritual death as opposed to the seeds of new life. For confession to be real it has to be from the heart.
17.3.5 Forgiveness of Oneself Every one of us has made mistakes, and some of these have been serious, leaving us scarred in a variety of ways. I often ask people at a meeting to put their hands up if they have ever said to themselves, I will never forgive myself for... It is always a revelation to people that more than half of those present have at some time or another held themselves in bondage through making such a statement. It is even possible to place a curse upon ourselves by being in bondage to an experience of the past for which we are unwilling to forgive ourselves. We can effectively give permission to the enemy to hold us to the guilt of what we did. It is not surprising, therefore, to discover how often we have to deliver people from a spirit of curse that has come in through having such an attitude. Scripture tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, He “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13, NRSV). The effects of every single curse that the enemy might place upon us were dealt with at Calvary, and if we refuse to forgive ourselves, we spurn the provision Jesus made for us on the cross. Understanding curses and how they work is vital to the deliverance ministry. In essence, a curse is something that is said or done against us or others that gives rights to the demonic to exercise power over people. Curses can be applied through the malevolence of someone else. It could be through overt witchcraft or, for example, through the hatred in the heart of one person toward another. The words spoken by religious folk against Mary Magdalene for pouring out that precious ointment on Jesus were, in effect, curses. If it wasn’t for
Jesus’ immediate commendation of her action, and His condemnation of her accusers, these curses could have been arrows of guilt in her heart forever. Alternatively, the curse can be self-applied when we choose not to forgive ourselves for something that, if it has been rightfully confessed, God has forgiven. Satan rejoices when we continue to condemn ourselves because of failures in the past. I am sure Jesus saw this danger in Simon Peter after the resurrection. If Jesus had not gone to him and personally recommissioned him at that point, I have little doubt that Simon Peter would have finished his life as a bitter, twisted old fisherman plying the fishing grounds of Galilee and wondering what might have been. He would have placed himself under the curse of never having forgiven himself for denying Christ three times before His crucifixion. Forgiving oneself for the mistakes of the past is a liberating experience that undermines the roots of much demonic power. The deliverance that follows can bring deep healing in areas of the person’s life that seem, superficially, to be totally unrelated to such self-cursing. But in reality, Satan is no respecter of persons and will use any opening we provide through sin to gain access for the demonic.
17.3.6 “Forgiveness” of God I have placed the word forgiveness in quotation marks because there is no way that God can sin, and so in practice there is nothing for which He needs to be forgiven! However, I have met many people who blame God for things that have gone wrong and live out their lives holding Him responsible for what was a consequence of either their own or another’s sin. More often God is blamed for things that are a product of Satan's current stranglehold on the world—this can become a curse on their lives. The solution is to repent of blaming God for things that were not His responsibility, to forgive the real human culprits (if there were any) and to tell Satan that there is no way we are going to let the consequences of any attacks of his be ground for demonic access. The first few chapters of Job are very revealing in this respect. They are a telling commentary on the source of many alleged "natural" disasters.
17.3.7 Acceptance of God as He Is God is God. And no amount of wish fulfillment on behalf of man will change His character. He always has been and always will be true to Himself, His word and the revelation of His nature as seen in His Son, Jesus. Unfortunately, there are many people who are not happy with God. They construct their own caricatures of how God ought to behave and what He ought to be like, and then they worship the god they have constructed in their own minds. This is simply a form of idolatry, where men construct an idol of wood or stone, endue it with certain characteristics, work out a belief system associated with the idol and then live in fear lest they should offend the god they have made with their own hands. What happens is that a demon takes up residence over the idol, assumes the characteristics that have been imposed upon it by man, and then rewards and punishes the worshipers according to how they appease the demonic demands of the idol, which has now become their god. The individual worshipers then become demonized with a spirit that is under the control of the ruling spirit of the idol. The Greeks and the Romans, who had so many idolatrous gods, were intelligent people. They would not have been deceived easily into such wholesale idolatry if the demons behind the idols did not work for and against them in this way. If things were going badly for them, it was assumed that they had offended their god and he would need placating with some form of sacrifice, religious routine or gift. The whole cycle of idolatrous worship as a form of appeasement is totally dominating and destructive to the living relationship that God desires to have with all His people. The
“demands” of God for a price to be paid for man’s sinful disobedience were met at Calvary when Jesus died for you and me. There are no more sacrifices, no appeasements that can or should be made. As Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30, NIV). So when people become religious, often in an attempt to atone for their own sin, they are telling God the Father that His act of supreme love in giving His only Son to die at Calvary was an inadequate sacrifice. As I see people making renewed pledges to God as a direct consequence of trying to atone for their own sin, I understand more and more how God must hate religion that is simply a cover for a sinful heart that has not found its rest in the living God. The message of Isaiah 1 has not changed or become out of date! The issue is far deeper and more fundamental than "What can I do to make God accept me?” The issue is one of resting in what God has already done, being motivated by love, not fear, and by an act of one’s will, choosing God for who He is and not because one is afraid not to. It’s a question of “Whom do you really love?” A man who remains faithful to his wife, or a woman to her husband, only out of fear of what their partner might say or do if their unfaithfulness were ever exposed, is permanently in danger of committing adultery. But a man or woman who truly loves, and is committed to, his or her partner will find that to be a sure defense against the possibility of unfaithfulness. The Old Testament describes the people of God as having committed spiritual adultery when they went after other gods. If a person’s spiritual heart is not anchored in and by the love of God, then, like a man who is not secure in his wife, he will be prone to
wander and worship at the feet of other gods. That is spiritual adultery—giving one’s heart to a false god. Ultimately, all spiritual adultery is the substitution of demons in the place of the true and living God. Service of God that is even partly motivated by fear, as opposed to love, will always be found wanting when the evil day comes, as the apostle Paul assures us it will (Ephesians 6:13). While there is a necessary place for a holy and rightful fear of the living God, if fear is the only motivating factor in the relationship between God and man, then the relationship is unhealthy. All this may sound a long way removed from the lives of those who are in need of healing through deliverance. But it is much closer to home than many people realize. For example, there are many who have come to us for help who respond with fear and terror when we start talking about God as our loving Father. For them a father is someone who treats you unfairly or cruelly, abuses you or even punishes you for doing nothing wrong. I well remember the woman who cried out in anguish, “Don’t ever talk to me about God being a father.” There was real venom in her voice. She hated her father, who had done unspeakable things to her. She assumed that if God was a father, then He would be just like her human father, but a million times worse. She had blackened the loving character of God by projecting onto Him the sinfulness of her parental upbringing. The God she worshiped was not someone to whom she could respond in love, but someone from whom she was recoiling in terror and fear. Repentance over her sin in believing that God was like this, forgiveness of her human father and then deliverance from the spirit of fear, followed by healing, were essential stages on the road toward wholeness. Jesus told the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) not so
much to show how a sinner can come back to God, but to demonstrate the real character of His Father. I am sure that the crowd who listened to Jesus on that day would have expected the story to include hard words of condemnation for the son when he returned home after such a wicked and wasteful escapade. But no, the father’s arms were open wide, and he ran, threw his arms around the son and welcomed him home. That is a very accurate picture of the nature of God the Father. To see Him as He really is and run into His arms is one of the most secure and liberating healing experiences. Others project a character onto God that is basically spiritual make- believe with Christian overtones. They cannot cope, for example, with what Jesus said when answering Thomas’ question about the way ahead: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV). So they succumb to a demonic deception by inventing a God who allows them to think that any sincere spiritual path will eventually lead to heaven. They preach a brand of universalism that is clear heresy, imposing upon God supposed characteristics that are wholly foreign to the Scriptures. Such universalists need to be involved in delivering people from the religious spirits that have been in control of these other alleged alternative paths to God. They will then have a very different perspective on whether or not they belong to God or the enemy. The venom that can be expressed by the demons when they are exposed has to be experienced to be believed. There are as many distortions of the character of God as there are heresies and false religions. Without repentance over these attitudes and beliefs, many people will remain locked into demonic strongholds.
One man I ministered to was quite shocked and upset at the demons that were manifesting in him but would not leave. I knew in my spirit that the demons were being given a right by some false belief. He had already renounced the New Age movement, of which he had been something of a disciple, and it was the spirit of the New Age that was mocking both him and me. Further conversation exposed that, as part of his New Age commitment, he had become a dedicated vegetarian. With regard to eating, Paul makes it quite clear that "everything that God has created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks” (1 Timothy 4:4). Vegetarianism that is tied to religious beliefs is, I believe, a deception of the enemy that can lead people into spiritual bondage. I asked him to renounce vegetarianism. He refused, saying that he didn't think it really mattered. Once more I tried to deliver him, again unsuccessfully; so I asked him again. By this time he was desperate to be free and made a choice to bring his life wholly in line with God. It was only with great difficulty that he managed to speak out the words of renunciation. The spirit of the New Age then manifested itself, and the man was delivered immediately. It was quite a lesson—both for him and for me. Acceptance of the truth of God’s Word and the character and nature of God as revealed in Scripture and in the life of Jesus is a primary foundation stone on which to build a ministry of healing and deliverance. We cannot play around with heresy and expect God to bless our lives. People who play with fire are likely to get burned.
17.3.8 Allowing God to Accept Us The converse of accepting God as He is, is allowing God to accept us as we are. Salvation is a gift we can only accept; it cannot be earned. The blood of Jesus was shed so that we may be set free. The price paid for our redemption cost God everything He had. The old hymn “Just As I Am” expresses the theology of the Gospel perfectly. Whatever our situation, whatever our state, once we have heard and responded to the Gospel, we come to God through Christ Jesus just as we are. There is absolutely nothing that any of us can do to earn a place in heaven or buy our salvation. One of the wonders of the cross is that no one is excluded from receiving the free gift of God’s grace. Only recognition and confession of sin are necessary. Unfortunately, there are some people who cannot cope with such free grace. They have been used to buying their way through life (anything free must be second rate) or impressing people with their wealth, looks, clothes or personality. They hear the Gospel, recognize they are sinners, look at themselves, see what a spiritual mess they are in and rush off to try to improve their image for God. Such imageimproving activity may range from joining the choir to teaching in Sunday school. Commendable though such activities may be, if the motive is to try to impress God, then they will count for precisely nothing in His eyes. None of us can make ourselves good enough for Him. Another old hymn, usually sung at Easter, also expresses this aspect of the Gospel perfectly: There was no other good enough,
To pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate, Of heaven and let us in. When it comes to salvation, there is only one thing that impresses God the Father, and that’s a robe of righteousness, won for us on the cross through the shed blood of Jesus. When people feel compelled to try to make themselves good enough for God because of the shame they feel when they become aware of their sin, it is usually because there is a demonic stronghold in charge. So often we have seen people being held into the bondage of their past by guilt, shame, self-rejection, etc. Demonic bondage results, and deliverance and emotional healing are then needed.
17.3.9 Accepting Oneself God created us as we are, and each and every one of us is special to Him. Not to accept the person we are and to dislike, or even hate, the personality He gave us is to imply that God made a mistake when making us. That is sin. There are many people in deep need of healing and deliverance for whom the root of their problems is selfrejection. Self-rejection becomes a curse with enormous consequences. Its outworking is at the root of many types of sickness and causes much insecurity. It is a wide-open entry point for the demonic. To reject oneself is a spiritual act (remember that we are primarily spiritual beings to whom God gave souls, and we are living temporarily in a body). Self-rejection makes people very vulnerable to demons that can then enter their lives and give them ways of coping that lock them into demonic control. Self-rejection is the outworking of initial rejection from others. It results in much emotional and spiritual distress. Demonic powers will always try to take advantage of those who are vulnerable to deep emotional distress. Some children are never wanted from the moment of conception. Their spirits can sense the rejection, even in the womb. When they are born they already know they are a nuisance. They reject themselves because deep down they have ceased to believe they should be here at all. They feel that they should never have been born. Others are born a boy when the parents wanted a girl, or vice versa. The child senses the disappointment, and if the parents are not willing or are unable to put this right by repenting over their attitude, such children may subsequently reject their own sexuality. This is one
of the possible root causes of homosexuality or lesbianism. Some children are not endowed with the physical build, or natural good looks, or intelligence, or athletic ability that other children seem to have. They sense comparisons being made and start looking at themselves critically and subjectively. They then realize that what they are experiencing is a result of how they are, so they start to reject those aspects of their being that are causing the problems. In adult life people can be equally cruel in their reactions to the tall, the thin, the fat, the not-so-pretty, and consequential selfrejection becomes a way of life. Others, at the other end of the physical scale, can come to reject their physical beauty or shape because of the unwelcome attention they get that may lead to unhealthy adulation, sexual molestation or even rape. Whatever the source of self-rejection and however understandable it may be, it still needs confessing as sin. This will then lead to deliverance of any demons that have gained access and open the person up to the inner healing that is always necessary alongside the ministry of deliverance. Some will find it very hard to change a lifetime's self-rejective thought patterns and behavior. For some there could even be a false demonic personality to deal with that has taken advantage of the attitude of the heart to give the individual an identity and significance wholly at variance with God’s plans and purposes. Often, these demonic personalities have so interwoven themselves with the real personality that separating out the person from the demons can require very skillful counseling and spiritual discernment. To come to the correct spiritual understanding of creation, to see that we are spiritual beings whom God chose before the
foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) and to recognize that in a fallen world there will be distortions that the enemy has tried to bring about is a profound spiritual step. Simply to recognize that God had a plan and purpose when He made us and to start, by faith, accepting the person we are is a foundation stone for ministry that will release the enemy’s hold on the many aspects of life in which the demonic can have a field day. I sometimes ask people to speak out loud something like this: “I am special. God created me for Himself, and I thank Him for the spirit, soul and body that He gave me. I accept them as a gift from God and repent over all wrong attitudes I have had toward them. I unconditionally forgive every person who has thought, said or done things to or about me that have made me want to reject myself. I dedicate my life afresh to the One who made me, and I rejoice in His goodness.” A prayer of this nature, said from the heart, is life changing and will very effectively undermine demonic strongholds. To try to cast out demons without establishing a right foundation for healing can be a futile exercise.
17.3.10 Accepting Others There is a divine law of human nature that applies to all people: If you accept others as they are, they become more acceptable. If you reject them, they become more objectionable. A rejected person is a hurting person. A hurting person will often behave irrationally and lash out at those who reject and hurt him. But accepting people as they are is never easy. Because of the way relationships have been with certain people in the past, especially if they have said or done unpleasant things to us, accepting them and ceasing to judge them is sometimes a major hurdle. Learning to accept the person who hurts us but to reject the sin involved in his behavior is an important step toward remaining whole in the future. Jesus encouraged us not to judge, criticize or condemn others (Matthew 7:1). This does not mean you have to condone behavior that is totally unacceptable, but it does mean that you must still act in a loving way toward them in spite of their behavior. Jesus went on to warn in verse 2 that "God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.” So, what happens in the demonic realm if we start criticizing and judging people instead of accepting them? First, because of our sinful attitudes, we open ourselves up to doing the enemy's work of being an accuser, so that in time we will become known as a person with a critical spirit. Our cooperation with the enemy invites a demon to overlay our personalities with its particular characteristics and job function. The presence of a demon must never become an excuse for sin. We all have free will to choose, and no matter how much pressure a
demon may apply, there will always be a way out of the temptation if we want to look for it. The key lies in the disposition of our will. But it will be a struggle to be set free without real repentance and deliverance. Second, we become potential agents for Satan and start firing his darts for him. When people are hurt by our cutting remarks and the hurt is not properly dealt with, then unwittingly we can become the agent of demonic transference, and an evil spirit can gain access to the person we have unfairly criticized. Many marital relationships founder because one partner continuously makes comments, either directly or through looks or innuendoes, that are critical and judgmental of his or her spouse. This can go on for years until the criticized and judged partner can stand it no longer and appears to leave very suddenly. But, in reality, the marriage had probably been over for years, dealt hundreds of tiny death blows with the eyes or the tongue. Outsiders are rarely aware of the poisoned arrows that, over a long period of time, have destroyed the relationship. Unwarranted critical attitudes are a subtle form of manipulation and control—“If you do what I want, then you won't be hurt by my comments.” No one would actually say that in a relationship, but that is the underlying manipulative threat. Such control is as witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23), for it is rebellion against God’s plan and purpose for mankind and destroys the sense of free will that God has given to each one of us as His precious gift. Third, a critical and judgmental spirit is like the worst kind of infectious disease—very catching. Once wrongful comments have been made, in the life of a church, for example, gossip often takes over, others join in and before very long a spirit of criticism becomes a ruling spirit in the fellowship. It is very significant that the Scripture
says, "See to it that... no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15, NIV). I have seen this happen, and it is poison. It spreads like a brushfire and is wholly destructive of Spiritfilled Christianity. Resolution of such a situation requires corporate repentance, cleansing and spiritual warfare. Failure to accept others as they are has devastating long-term consequences, both on the perpetrators and the victims. The family relationship in which most harm is done through such wrongful attitudes is that between parents and children. If lack of acceptance of certain individuals is a real problem, then it is unlikely that the person will be able to receive healing or deliverance.
17.3.11 The Lordship of Jesus Christ There are many, many people who are in desperate need. They want to be healed. They have symptoms that control their lives, and they say they will do anything to get rid of them. It comes as quite a shock to some to discover that, in ministry, we are sometimes more concerned about their personal relationship with Jesus than about their symptoms. That is not to say that we are not interested in their condition— we are, desperately. But we have learned from experience that the most important healing anyone can ever have is healing in the spirit, through having a personal relationship with God. Continued weakness in this area will have consequences in every other part of the being, and while healing of symptoms is important, spiritual wholeness is an essential step toward remaining healed. When Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV), He was not arrogantly projecting Himself, but in the simplest possible way telling us of God the Father’s plans for the restoration of a rightful relationship between the Father and His children. When it comes to living in fellowship with God day by day, there is only one question that really matters: “Who is Lord of your life?" Sadly, there are many Christians who have never grasped the significance of this question. They have no problem in believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died and rose again from the dead, that He ascended to glory, that He sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church and that one day He is coming again as King of kings and Lord of lords. However, the reality of day-to-day living under the Lordship of
Jesus Christ is often quite a different story. Anyone can sing the song "He Is Lord,” but the key is to mean every word of it, for that is exactly what He is—Lord of all. God has given each of us free will with which to make choices. While Christians know that Jesus is Lord of all, they also have to choose to invite Jesus to be Lord of each and every area of their being— body, mind, emotions, will and spirit. For many, failure to let Jesus be Lord is the root of all their problems. An ungodly way of life has led them into situations that have subsequently created havoc in their lives. So a starting point for much of the counseling and prayer for healing and deliverance we conduct has to be the very simple question, 'Are you willing to make Jesus Lord?” For if Jesus truly is Lord, then there is no blockage to the flow of the Holy Spirit, and the way is open for the deliverance of any evil spirits whose rights are undermined by Jesus becoming Lord. Many people are in need of deliverance ministry simply because they have not been willing to give Him the rightful place in their lives. Many people ask me questions such as, “How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?” I usually answer by asking them, "Who is Lord of your life?” For if Jesus truly is Lord, then the Holy Spirit will rejoice to fill them to overflowing, but if there are areas of their lives where Jesus is not Lord, then they are likely to have problems experiencing the fullness of the Spirit of God. (Remember also that some people who have problems feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit may also be in deep need of emotional healing. If the emotions have been damaged by the hurts of others, people may have built many defensive walls around their emotions so that now they cannot feel anything at all, let alone the Holy Spirit.) Many religious people find that their practice of religion becomes Lord of their lives and not the living Lord Jesus Christ, and that they have unknowingly submitted themselves to the control of
religious spirits, from which they will need deliverance before they can truly know the indwelling power of God. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is the single most important issue that those in need have to resolve. That is why in every healing service I conduct, I include an opportunity for people to confess their desire for Him to be Lord of their lives. There really is no other worthwhile foundation for life (1 Corinthians 3:11).
17.4 In Conclusion The teaching that is most helpful to those in need of healing and deliverance is simply the foundational truth of the Gospel. But these truths must be presented in a way that helps people to understand their significance. When these issues are faced and dealt with in people’s lives, we can expect to see God move in great power on those who come to Him through Jesus.
Chapter 18: Some Observable Symptoms of Possible Demonization One of the dangers of writing this chapter is that the uninformed will try to use it as a guide to other people’s demons. It is not intended for such use! But I do want to share from the extensive experience that the Ellel Ministries team has had over the years in bringing healing through deliverance to many hundreds of people. Real-life observations, the accuracy of which have subsequently been demonstrated through effective ministry, will help counselors confront the demonic and bring healing to those for whom they pray. In using the information in this chapter, however, please ensure that you do not reach conclusions about any one person just on the basis of the information you read here. It is absolutely vital in counseling a person that you listen both to his story and to the Lord for yourself. God intends for you to use the gift of discernment of spirits and not to depend solely on what you read in books. In most cases there will be more to deal with than just the demonic. It is vital to assess deeper healing needs, especially ones that are rooted in the emotions, as well as the effect of demons. There is some overlap between this chapter and the next. This is deliberate. The two chapters approach similar material from different viewpoints. In this chapter we look at some of the things that can be directly observed in a counselee and that can sometimes be attributed to the presence of the demonic. In the next chapter we look at the different routes through which the demons are able to gain a foothold in a person’s life (Ephesians 4:27).
This chapter is not intended to be a comprehensive encyclopedia of all observable symptoms. It is simply a guide to those most commonly seen. The sections have been arranged alphabetically, and no significance should be attached to the order in which the material is presented.
18.1 Addictions One of the hallmarks of demonic activity is behavior that is out of control. This is especially true with regard to the intake of addictive substances. Once a person is unable to modify his behavior through freewill choice, it is clear that control is no longer in his own hands. Chemically addictive substances (such as nicotine and drugs) require more of the same in order to maintain the chemical cycles in the body that have been initiated through first taking them. Treating the body in this way is rebellion against the Holy Spirit, whose temple the body is (1 Corinthians 6:19). Rebellion opens the door for the demonic, which then further holds the person to the addiction. Freedom from addiction requires repentance over mistreating the body, exercising of the will in wanting to be healed, deliverance from any demons that have gained access through the addiction and a disciplined lifestyle from then on. Similar considerations apply to the excess intake of substances that, in themselves, are not chemically addictive in moderation. Alcohol, chocolate, sugar and sweets would fall into this category. For many people who have become addicted, the root cause lies much deeper than the superficial addiction. Their addictive behavior can be a form of compensation for underlying problems. If, for example, a boy’s deeper need is to be healed of the rejection that he has experienced from his father, it will not be enough just to minister healing for the addiction. Unless the parental problem is dealt with, the boy will be just as vulnerable either to further addictions or to some other form of behavior that, at its root, is a cry for help.
The underlying needs of the addicted must be carefully assessed in order to bring full healing. Equally, however, if the demonic dimension is ignored in this healing process, it is not generally possible for someone to come easily through the other side of an addictive problem.
18.2 Appetites Out of Balance A healthy diet and appetite are important foundations for healthy living. Failure to look after the body that God has given us is rebellion against the Holy Spirit. The most common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia. With anorexia the person eats the bare minimum of food and gradually wastes away. With bulimia the person may appear to be eating normally but then, in private, will frequently induce vomiting to get rid of the food before it can be absorbed into the body’s system. Bulimics also commonly binge on food in private before vomiting. Both of these eating disorders are a form of rebellion— ultimately against the body. There is usually an emotional root, but in order to bring healing one must also deal with the demonic strongholds that have gained access. The rebellion, which may have given the demonic access, is usually against someone else, such as a mother or father, and is often an attempt to punish the parents for some real or perceived ill-treatment. This is distinct from either meanness or greed—both of which can be demonic strongholds, also leading to either undereating or overeating. Additionally, people may be very overweight because they eat for comfort. They are not overeating out of greed, but such is their emotional state that they eat to hide the pain they are feeling on the inside. Another demonic stronghold that can control eating has its roots in sexual abuse of females—especially if a girl has been abused at or around the age of puberty, when her physical sexuality was starting to develop. She may then associate an attractive body with vulnerability to being abused. She hates the abuse and makes the decision either to overeat so as to be very overweight, ugly and unattractive to an
abuser, or to under-eat so that she becomes anorexic, her periods go into remission and her sexual features fail to develop. Such decisions may not be conscious but are made at a subconscious level. Eating disorders that are allergic reactions to specific substances are of a different nature. The body is unable to absorb certain otherwise normal substances without producing a bodily reaction with unpleasant, and sometimes life-threatening symptoms. Medical treatment focuses on the chemical reactions involved, but it is important to question what has caused the condition. Many allergic conditions are present at birth; therefore, these conditions are likely to have been inherited from one of the parents. The question then has to be asked as to whether there is any sin in the generation line that has given rights to the demonic, resulting in spirits of infirmity being able to cause the allergy. We have found, for example, where there has been witchcraft in the generation line, especially with regard to the use of potions and remedies with an occult dimension, that there can be a demonic curse generating the condition that manifests as an allergy.
18.3 Behavior Extremes God is a God of variety! One look at creation confirms the enormously varied nature of the created order. There are billions of people on the face of the earth, but no two either look exactly alike or have identical giftings or interests. Within this enormous variety of people, there are ranges of behavior that are acceptable expressions of their differences, but there is also behavior that is beyond the limits of acceptability. God made people to coexist in meaningful relationships. Satan will always try to oppose God’s plan and purpose, so it is not surprising that one of Satan’s tactics is to try to push people to extremes so that their behavior is unacceptable to others, and they then become isolated from and rejected by society. Or, in the context of the local church, they become fringe members who are not really in fellowship with others. There are many behavior patterns of this nature that tend to alienate people from friends and neighbors. In most cases there is a demonic dimension to this behavior. Where demons are either responsible or partly responsible for extreme behavior, either they will usually have ridden in on a relationship that has gone wrong, or they are a consequence of generational sin.
18.4 Bitterness and Unforgiveness Jesus highlighted the importance of forgiveness throughout His teaching. He went further than saying it was important—He categorically stated that if we are not willing to forgive others for the things they have done to us, then His Father in heaven would not forgive us for the things we have done (Matthew 6:15). These are some of the most salutary words in the whole of the Bible. When people realize the importance of forgiveness and understand the significance of Jesus’ words, they usually want to forgive even those who may have terribly abused them, realizing that the abuser’s behavior is often a result of the way they themselves had been treated. But once the decision to forgive has been made, the battle with the emotions begins. Working through the pain of feelings that have been damaged by the hurts and abuse of others is not easy. When someone understands the necessity to forgive but then finds it impossible to make the choice, one has to ask whether or not there is a spirit of unforgiveness or bitterness that is holding the person in bondage. Without an understanding of deliverance ministry, it would be impossible to release such people into the healing that begins with forgiving those who have hurt them.
18.5 Compulsive Behavior Patterns By “compulsive behavior patterns” I am referring to the compulsive repetition of otherwise normal activities. Washing the hands excessively or checking that the doors are locked or the gas is turned off are typical examples. People who do such things want to be rid of the habit; there is rarely any question of a person thinking that what he is doing is either acceptable or tolerable. They usually feel cursed by the condition, and in practice that is almost always what they are! One lady wanted to be free of the compulsion to wash her hands up to twenty times a day. Her whole family was affected by her behavior. She had no idea why she did it. As we prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to expose the root of the problem, she suddenly looked terribly afraid. As we looked at her, we saw the eyes of a child being terrified by the opening of her bedroom door in the middle of the night. The memories, which had been totally buried through the trauma of that night, came flooding back. She remembered a man coming toward her, forcing her out of the bed and masturbating into her hands. He then fled, making threats against her if she ever told anyone, and left her with her hands covered in semen. She went to the bathroom and tried to wash her hands, but she couldn’t get rid of the smell no matter how hard she scrubbed. So she kept on washing, and no one knew why. Forty years later she was still washing, compelled by the demons that had come in during that moment of extreme fear and trauma. Deliverance led to healing of the behavior pattern, beginning the journey toward complete healing from other consequences of the abuse as well. Wherever there are compulsive behavior patterns such as this, one is coming up against
demons. Compulsion is a hallmark of the demonic.
18.6 Deceitful Personality and Behavior Deception is a trademark of Satan. People fall into temptation when they have been deceived. We all have free will, however, and the capacity to make rightful choices. When people learn that by telling lies or being deceitful in their behavior they can get away with sin and get their own way, they may then make a conscious choice to use deception as a matter of course. At that point, in effect, they invite a spirit of deception to help them. When that person seeks help later in life, the counselor will need to be very discerning to separate out truth from lies. For such is the depth of this deception that people may not even know themselves whether or not they are telling the truth. Until the spirit of deception has been dealt with, healing and deliverance are very unlikely to occur. One man I ministered to began to tell lies at school to get himself out of trouble. He found that it worked, and he continued to tell so many lies that he found himself telling lies even when the truth would not have gotten him into trouble. Years later the process of healing could only begin when he faced up to what he had done as a child and forgave the parents who had put him into such fear of punishment that he looked for a way out. The demon that came in at that point had controlled him for a generation.
18.7 Depression Depression is a broad term that covers a wide range of behavioral symptoms. For some it manifests as an all-embracing blackness from which there seems no escape. For others it results in a total lack of motivation to do anything, loss of appetite, erratic sleep patterns or inability to concentrate. And still others are affected by either the seasons or the weather. During the summer they are fine, but in the winter they might as well not be alive. Some people appear to be more vulnerable to depression, particularly artistic or sensitive people who may not have any way of discharging their creativity. It may seem as though there is no obvious cause and that the only solution is temporary or permanent medication. But there is always a cause, even though for some the origin may lie in the sins of previous generations or in the attitude of someone else toward them. It would be wrong to give the impression that depression always has a demonic origin. It doesn’t. More often than not the root is in the emotions or in damaged relationships. But most people who suffer regularly from depression are also affected by the demonic. Once the damage has been done to the emotions, the person is very vulnerable to demonization and then to control by demons that will, unknown to him, hold him into the symptoms. When someone is depressed in this way, all relationships become hard, none more so than the relationship with God. Depressed people need to be understood in this respect, for there are many who have been further depressed by the naive “pull yourself together” and “take it to the Lord in prayer” camp. What has been said by friends, with a supposedly good motive, has only served to make them feel guilty about not having any desire to read their Bible or spend time praying, or about the lack of joy in their lives.
Unfortunately, the standard medical treatment for depression involves varying degrees of medication that have the dual effect of controlling the depressive symptoms and making it very hard to minister to people when they are so controlled by the effect of the drugs. It is much easier to pray with people for healing when you don’t have to battle through a chemical screen. Seasonal depression is known to be associated with the excess of melatonin, the production of which is suppressed by light. Treatment involves providing additional light to the sufferer during the winter months. However, it is interesting to consider whether or not there might be a demonic curse in operation that causes the excess melatonin in the body. Certainly there seems to be some evidence that a demonic link has been passed down the generation line through ancestral worship of the sun or some other aspect of the seasons, and that the depression is a curse that has been given rights through the idolatry involved. Ministering to depressed people requires patience and discernment as the roots of the condition are slowly and lovingly exposed, and step by step, God brings both inner healing and deliverance.
18.8 Emotional Disturbance We all have feelings. God gave us emotions so that we can both express those feelings and enjoy every aspect of human living. Emotions, however, can get out of balance and can be damaged through the relationships and circumstances of life. There are some people whose emotional responses never seem to be right. They may be either excessively expressive, be quite inappropriate for the situation or appear to be completely absent. For example, a person may sob his heart out over what others would consider to be a trivial matter, or at the other end of the scale, be totally unmoved by something traumatic. While demonic involvement is not usually the primary cause of the emotional condition, it would be unusual for there not to be some powerful demonic hold over the emotions that has been given access through the distress that caused the situation in the first place.
18.9 Escapism When people run away, it is not always they themselves who are doing the running. Many times in meetings where there has been a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit, individuals have not been able to stay in the meeting. Sometimes they have had to hang on to their chairs to stay as long as possible, but suddenly it becomes too much for them and something snaps inside. They get up and run. Escaping in this way is usually not the will of the person but the will of the demons inside the person who are struggling to stay in control when the person is under such a heavy anointing of God. The person is not generally aware of what is happening, and it can be quite a relief for him to learn that there is the possibility of an alien demonic will affecting him. Sometimes people have said they have struggled for years with this sort of thing without having any understanding as to why. Similar feelings are experienced by some people at Communion services. They are physically quite incapable of either going up to the front of the church to receive Communion or staying in the seat if they are in a church whose tradition it is for the bread and wine to be brought to them. Such strong reactions to Communion usually indicate that somewhere in their own lives or on their ancestral lines there has been some involvement in either witchcraft or Satanism. While physical escape from Christian meetings is very real, there is another form of escape that can also have strong demonic power behind it. Individuals may "escape” into themselves, into a hobby, into watching television, watching soaps, reading novels—to name but a few. Once absorbed in their chosen escapes, they become almost immune to the presence of other people.
Such behavior is frequently evidence of a serious relationship breakdown that has not been acknowledged. The participants cope by so absorbing themselves in their escapist activities that the need to face up to the pain of the relationship is kept well buried. This is a classic way of coping with marriage problems. Superficially, one might see this as simply a matter of resolving the relationship issues. But once a married couple have opted for mutual coexistence, as opposed to a godly marital relationship, they have walked away from God’s best for them. Satan rejoices to see marital relationships either being less than God intended or, ultimately, failing. Once the partners in the relationship have opted for division, Satan has been given rights and the demonic then reinforces the division by driving one or both of the partners into their own escapist activities. If one or the other wants to try to sort it out, he not only comes up against his own and his partner’s pain, but also against the demons that have a vested interest in keeping the couple apart. It has been interesting to observe from time to time that some people who behave like this within the close confines of a marital relationship can be radically different people in a different environment with different people. The escapist behavior seems to fly out of the window when opportunities for painless relationships are possible. It is not in Satan’s interest to have people working through their own difficulties and receiving healing, so he ensures that they enjoy themselves with other people when they are apart and retreat into their own shells when they are together.
18.10 Fears and Phobias Fear is a gift of God. It keeps us from doing things that would be harmful to us. Without godly fear very few people would survive childhood, such are the risks and dangers that we all face day by day. But as with every good gift of God, Satan will seek to distort the truth and hold us in the bondage of error. When we have a frightening experience, Satan will seek to hold us into the trauma of that experience by using it as an entrance gate for the demonic. When someone is controlled by irrational fear—and there are many hundreds of different fears that Satan uses in this way—there is almost always a demonic stronghold behind the manifesting behavior. Jesus is described as perfect love, and Scripture tells us that perfect love casts out fear. It is only in the name of Jesus that the power of the spirit of fear can be broken and cast out. It is truly amazing to see the difference in people’s lives when the fear that has been controlling them (often for most of their lives) has been cast out and they are free to be themselves. I have seen people healed so that they are suddenly able to drive again, fly in an aircraft, face up to people they were frightened of, eat food they had previously associated with some frightening experience, have sexual intercourse again with their husbands or wives and many, many more similar things. Christians have a tremendous responsibility to minister the healing love of Jesus into people’s lives so that fear is no longer the god that determines their life patterns and behavior.
18.11 Guilt and Self-condemnation When sin has been confessed and forgiven, then there is no need for the sinner to remain guilty. If a person continues to feel guilty after the sin has been rightfully dealt with, then it is likely that he has been vulnerable to a spirit that is holding him into feelings of guilt and condemnation. Separating out the demonic counterfeit from real feelings is not easy. Satan does not want Christians to walk in the experience of forgiveness through the work of the cross. If Christians feel forgiven, they will then behave as if they are forgiven, and that makes them powerful witnesses for the Gospel. So Satan will do all he can to hold people into the experiences of sin through the overlay of emotional reactions and demonic counterfeit feelings. It should also be noted that if someone refuses to forgive himself for what he has done, then he opens the door to the demonic in such a way that almost endless feelings of guilt and selfcondemnation are inevitable consequences.
18.12 Hearing Voices Hearing voices is far more common than most people realize. Many who suffer from this have been reluctant to own up to having the symptoms for fear of being labeled mentally ill. I am not referring here to dreams in which people have transitory experiences of someone speaking out in their sleep, but rather the ongoing experience of having a voice speaking things into their mind very regularly. For some people the voice never seems to stop. Whenever these symptoms are prevalent, there is a spiritual dimension to the condition. In some cases it may be that there is a strong soul tie to someone who, knowingly or unknowingly, is impressing his thoughts and words on the person who hears the voice. Counseling to investigate whose voice it might be that is constantly or regularly heard will help to determine which soul ties need to be broken before deliverance of anything demonic can take place. Some people hear more than one voice, and for them each voice will probably need to be tackled separately. The peace and silence that people enter into after deliverance is almost unbelievable for them to experience. It’s a miracle— the miracle of the work of the cross in overcoming the power of the enemy.
18.13 Hereditary Illnesses When a patient experiences major symptoms, the doctor will usually ask if any other member of the family has ever suffered in a similar way. He is looking for medical clues in the generation line that will help him with his diagnosis and treatment of the patient. I ask a similar question but with a different objective. Remembering the Scriptures that remind us that the sins of the fathers are visited on the children (Exodus 20:5; Lamentations 5:7) encourages me to realize that when a sickness appears to have passed down the generation line, what is actually being passed down may be the spirit that has induced the symptoms in each generation. We have seen very significant deliverance and healing take place as we have confronted these powers and as the people involved have forgiven their ancestors for whatever it was they did that gave rights to the demonic to come down the line. While the idea may be foreign and even repugnant to some theologians and medical practitioners, the hard experience of past years lends ample evidence to the belief that spirits of infirmity can come down the generation line and cause sickness in this way. Conditions ranging from rhinitis (an acute form of sinusitis), which a lady had for 25 years, to double kidney failure have been totally healed through deliverance of the spirit of infirmity that had come down from the ancestors and was causing the condition in the present generation. Wherever there is evidence that a condition has been prevailing in a family line, the possibility of such spirits being present must be seriously considered. When people die, demons don’t. They are spiritual beings without a home of their own, and they will simply try to occupy another human being to continue their job function. Through sin they
are given rights to the children and the children’s children so that the most likely recipients of demons, following death, are members of the family involved.
18.14 Heretical Beliefs Satan is not just behind false religions. He is also at work within Christian denominations to spread false understanding of the Gospel and to encourage divergent views of the truth and, ultimately, heretical beliefs. Once people have accepted unscriptural beliefs, they are then vulnerable to receive a spirit that will hold them into the false belief and blind their eyes to the truth—just as Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). In this ministry we have found it of vital importance not to depart from the foundational truths of God’s Word. It is only through adhering to the truth that we are able to discern where there is deception at work. There are many occasions when we have spoken out truth in a ministry and the demons from inside the person have commented sarcastically with words like, ‘‘We know that’s true, but he doesn’t believe it, and he is giving us the right to stay!” Demons have a very acute understanding of what is truth and what is error. Equally, they have a very precise understanding of the truth of God’s Word and know that when people don’t believe it, they are given the right to lead the person into deception. Once a person has fallen for deceptive beliefs, especially about the foundational tenets of faith, the authority of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, he is then very vulnerable to further demonization that will control his mind and his understanding. We have begun to see how hardness of heart toward the Lord in one generation, as a result of deceptive beliefs, can have the effect of producing physical heart conditions in succeeding generations. While there may be obvious medical reasons why a heart
condition has developed, one has to ask where those obvious medical conditions came from. This is an area where I believe God will bring much understanding to the Church as Christians are obedient to the Commission of Jesus to go and heal the sick and cast out demons. We have begun to see how the words of Leviticus have a very real meaning in the present day, where it says that the consequences of breaking God’s covenant will include experiencing “sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life” (Leviticus 26:16, NIV).
18.15 Involvement in False Religions Satan was thrown out of heaven because he wanted to take for himself the worship that was rightfully due to God. Pride in himself led to his fall from grace and glory. As god of this world, he continues to seek out those who will worship him, but with the exception of overt Satanists, who know exactly what they are doing, Satan has worked a major deception on the whole of mankind by initiating a plethora of religions, each with its own belief system and behavioral code. In spite of the fact that Jesus made it very clear that there is only one way to the Father and that He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), the proponents and followers of other belief systems also think they are right, or else they would not make such deep commitments to the tenets of their own faith. The claims of Jesus Christ, however, stand unique above every pretender to the throne of truth, for no other founder of a world religion has ever claimed to be God and then demonstrated the truth of His claim by His words and actions. Behind every false religion there is a demonic power seeking to enmesh the worshipers in its hold. When people have been involved in deception, even in a passing way, then they have laid themselves open to receiving a demon that will hold them into the deception they have embraced. While a person may be converted to Christianity through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, deliverance following repentance is the only way that a person can be healed of the consequences of the idolatry that every false religion entails.
18.16 Irrational Behavior When a person behaves quite normally most of the time but every now and again breaks out with irrational and unacceptable behavior, there has to be a reason for the conduct. The husband of one woman I ministered to only behaved in this way once. Early in their marriage, which was of nearly twenty years’ standing, she had burned some food and served up a meal that he found unacceptable. Any normal husband would have made light of the matter and had a good laugh about the situation as he encouraged his wife. Not him—he lost his temper in a quite bizarre way, threatening her with all sorts of things if she ever did anything like that again. She was traumatized by the experience and from that moment on never put a foot wrong. The spirit of fear she had received ensured that she always did everything her husband wanted. The spirit of fear was controlled by the spirit of domination in her husband, so that the husband never needed to display his temper again. The spirit of fear did the job for him. Everyone at the church and all their friends and their neighbors thought he was a model husband, she was a model wife and they had a perfect Christian marriage. In practice it was a sham of a marriage held together by fear arising out of the one outburst of irrational behavior from a husband who did not understand anything about love. The husband had his own needs, but there was no way he was going to let anyone get near enough to help him. His wife just had to suffer the dreadful consequences of a lifetime spent meeting his wants and never daring to step out of line. Outbursts of irrational behavior are usually powered by the demonic. But they will also have a root, often long buried, in the hurts and pains of the past, or even in the ancestral line.
18.17 Lack of Mature Relationships Some people find it very hard to maintain mature adult relationships. Frequently they behave in very childish ways, and their adult peers tend to be similar people who, to some extent or another, are locked into experiences of childhood. This book is not the place to discuss in any depth the problems associated with what some people refer to as ministry to the inner child. What is being dealt with is brokenness of the personality that can occur during the traumas of abusive childhood experiences. Understanding this specialized ministry is beyond the scope of this book, but it needs to be stated here that what these people experience is real and not imaginary. In our experience there has always been a demonic dimension to such situations, but it would be unwise to launch into deliverance ministry without reaching a deep understanding of what it is that has caused the brokenness in the first place. Otherwise much damage could be caused to already broken people. A different aspect of immature relationships is typified by the person who never seems to be real. You never quite know who you are talking to, or whether or not you have ever known the real person. He can even have a different voice for different occasions. Usually, where the different aspects of personality are well developed, there is quite a complex demonic stronghold behind each deceptive behavior pattern. At the root of the person’s problem will usually be some fairly major reason to enter into deception in order either to cover something up or to behave according to the expectation of others. If a child is not acceptable to his parents unless he behaves in a certain kind of way, then the child is under pressure to perform, even though the required behavior is inconsistent with his God-given
giftings and personality. Once the pattern has been established, repeating the trick for a variety of circumstances in adult life is not difficult. Once again, healing is a mixture of healing from the consequences of the past and deliverance in the present.
18.18 Legalism and Spiritual Bondage Jesus reserved some of the harshest words in the Bible for the Pharisees— the religious leaders of His day. He called them “whited sepulchers,” indicating that for all their religion they might as well be dead. They burdened people with the fine details of the Law, but their hearts were a million miles away from having a meaningful relationship with God. Pharisaism is not dead, only today we call it “legalism.” The same spirit that drove the Pharisees of yesterday drives the legalists of today. Paul summed it up succinctly when he said, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6, NIV). It is a similar spirit that places the dictates of a denomination above the Lordship of Jesus. While none of the denominational leaders would ever see that they were doing that, when you place equally sincere leaders from radically different denominations side by side, and realize that they are saying very different things with equal conviction, it is not hard to see that they can't all be right. Satan loves division, and if he can turn Christians against each other through the requirements of a legalistic spirit, he will have succeeded in insulating the Church from the dynamic of Holy Spirit life. Many local churches are locked into tradition, another manifestation of the bondage of legalism. "This is how we’ve always done things, and we don’t intend to change!” has been the stone against which many an enterprising young minister has stumbled and lost his vision. The curse of tradition ensures that the spark of real spiritual life, through which God is always doing new things, never gets fanned into a flame. When dealing with demons, we have to remember that they can
operate over a group of people just as easily as in and through one person. A local church fellowship needs to question, when it is experiencing opposition, whether there is some aspect of its history that needs to be repented of and dealt with. It may just be that the battle is with spirits of death (the curse of legalism) that have been given rights through the legalism of previous leaders of the church.
18.19 Nightmares When we sleep we slip into the subconscious. During those nighttime hours, we are not fully in control of all that happens in our minds, and it is important for Christians, before we go to sleep, to ask the Lord to guard our minds and keep us from the attacks of the evil one. The Lord’s Prayer is particularly relevant at this time: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13, NIV). A nightmare is a dream that brings with it fear, panic or frustration. Frequently people wake up from a nightmare in a state of distress, and it can then take some time before they are able to return to sleep. Some nightmares are recurring in nature or subject. Invariably, when there is some form of regular pattern to the nightmare, the scenes are being generated by demons that, when the defenses are down during sleep, push up into the subconscious and cause distress to the person. The source of the nightmares could be trauma, abuse or some frightening experience of early childhood. The actual incident is often not accessible to the conscious mind, but the demons that gained access through the incident never forget how they got in and, whenever they are able, will try to distress the person. Sometimes nightmares are caused by demons that gained access to the mother or the father and have passed down into the children. Sometimes children will tell of nightmares that couldn’t possibly relate to anything that has happened in their own lifetimes, but the events described are very real, and from an earlier age. Demons don’t forget! And when they gain access to the succeeding generations through the sins of the fathers, they will continue to relive the route through which they gained access in whomever they happened to be
in at the time. Deliverance from the spirit that is causing the nightmare is a necessary part of healing when there is a demonic dimension to dreams and nightmares. Sleeping pills are not the answer!
18.20 Occultic Involvement The word occult means “hidden.” What is most hidden in the occult is that Satan is the one being worshiped through all occultic activities. For some people the fascination of occult things draws them toward one form of occultic activity after another. And once the door is open to one practice, it is but a short step to experimenting with whatever may come along next. Behind each of these practices is demonic power, despite the conviction of practitioners that they are dealing with a neutral power or worshiping God through their own particular favored channel. Satan has power, and he does use it to draw people into his control. That is why things definitely happen when people get involved with the occult. The fact that something spiritual happens does not mean that it is of God. Scripture warns us that the days will come when even some of the very elect might be deceived. We have been warned that Satan can come as an “angel of light” to make us think that we are in touch with God. When people have been involved with the occult, it is absolutely essential for them to make a total renunciation of every demonic power that has influenced, controlled or occupied them through their involvement. In Paul’s day, those who had books of magic had to burn them (Acts 19:19). Destruction of occult objects, associated with whatever practice people have dabbled in, is an important part of repentance. If someone is not willing to get rid of his occult objects, one has to suspect the reality of his confession. Deliverance is vital; otherwise people’s experience of Christianity will always be colored by their experiences in the occult. They will slot Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit into an occult framework, so for them Jesus will be like the manifestation of a
demon that they can use for their own ends. In practice, the demons use the people, but occultists believe they are controlling and using the power and are unaware of the demonic dimension.
18.21 Out-of-control Tongue James talked about the tongue as a fire that is in danger of getting out of control. When demons speak during ministry, they use the tongue. At times like that it is easy to spot demonic activity. It is much harder to discern when demons are speaking out through the tongue of a person during normal conversations. Our experience indicates that this is far more common than people realize. If a demon wants to influence others, it can only do so through the speech or the behavior of the person it is in. James described the wisdom of this world as being demonic (James 3:15), and when we remember that it is Satan who, for the time being, is god of this world, it is not hard to understand the thrust of James’ argument. I have often heard in Christian meetings, especially church council meetings, a voice that speaks out with what seems to be wisdom. But, at the same time, I have had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It is the wisdom of this world trying to divert the people of God away from the plans and purposes of God. We must be on our guard against the voice of the enemy speaking out through the lips of Christians in order to undermine the work of the Spirit. A tongue that is not under Holy Spirit control is in danger of getting out of control. Most people will know of at least one, and probably more than one, person whose tongue gets out of control from time to time. In order to avoid conflict, you find yourself tiptoeing around the individual so as not to cross him and risk the cutting edge of his tongue. We should not need to be in such fear— especially of fellow Christians. But it is a fact of experience that many Christians are not free of the demonic power that was controlling them before they became Christians. They have carried over into their Christian lives the same ungodly way of dealing with
people that they found worked when they were operating fully in the world. The tongue is capable of speaking out the wonderful truths of God’s Word and of blessing and encouraging people, but it is also “a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire” (James 3:6, NIV). No wonder demons like to control the tongue: They can do so much harm through its use. And when a person does not allow the Holy Spirit to control his own tongue, you can be pretty sure that what comes out of the mouth will be influenced by the demonic and, on occasion, be the very words of demons.
18.22 Recurring or Long-term Sicknesses Some people seem to get everything. Whatever sickness is going around, they get it. As they have progressed through life, their days have been highlighted by one sickness after another. While some people may remember life by the good experiences they have had, these people remember that it was the “year of mononucleosis" or “the year they got meningitis.” Where people are so vulnerable to one sickness after another, there is often a spirit that is inviting spirits of infirmity in at regular intervals. I once tried to pray for a person who was regularly sick. Without telling him in advance what I was going to pray, I took authority over the ruling spirit of infirmity. Up to that point he appeared to be really blessed by the prayer, but as soon as I prayed very quietly against the demon I knew was there, he quickly came to himself, sat up straight and said, “Don’t ever pray for me again like that.” The demon had risen up and taken charge, and the time of prayer was over. Normally the demon was very happy for anyone to come and spend time praying for the man. It knew that ordinary prayer was no threat to the demonic. But as soon as I exercised God-given authority, the demon was immediately on the defensive and made sure that the man terminated the prayer session immediately. A spirit of infirmity of this kind has generally been given rights to rule so strongly through some experience in the past when sickness was welcomed and used by the person for his own ends, either to gain attention or to get his own way. Using sickness like this is dangerous, for it is making a declaration that sickness, which is a direct consequence of the Fall, is good and is to be welcomed.
Satan loves it when people pervert scriptural truth and walk into his camp. Whenever people use sickness to manipulate other people, or for any other reason, they open themselves to demonic control that will only be dislodged through deep repentance. I have sensed there are many people who come for prayer for physical healing who would love to lose their symptoms but would never repent over using these or other symptoms to get their own way. Not surprisingly, they don't get healed. I am not saying that all people who are not healed are like this, but that all who are sick need to examine themselves and ask the Lord to show them if there is any situation from their past that the enemy could have taken advantage of.
18.23 Self-centeredness There are some people who are only capable of sustaining a conversation if they are talking about themselves. Self-idolatry and self-elevation reign supreme. All forms of idolatry are sin, and selfidolatry was the foundational sin for which Satan was thrown out of heaven. So where someone always puts himself forward and expresses interest in other people only as a conversational tactic to turn the conversation back to himself, one has to suspect that there is a powerful demonic stronghold operating on his personality. Helping such people to see themselves as others see them is not easy. So deep is their arrogance and self-importance that they seem totally impervious to seeing or understanding anything that they haven’t first thought of. It would not be unusual with such people to find that there is a generational line of similar characters and that the real battle will be with a familial spirit that has held the whole family in bondage for generations.
18.24 Sexual Aberrations All sexual expression is a form of worship, whether the participants are aware of this fact or not. Some marriage services contain the vows, “With my body, I thee worship.” God designed sexual intercourse to be the means by which mankind would procreate. Sharing in God’s creativity is worship of the Creator. The psalmist says that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). When we get involved in the praise and worship of the Creator, then we are open to receive blessing from Him. Continuing the theme that sex is worship, therefore, we can expect God to bless sexual activity that is godly in nature as He rejoices in the creativity of His children. Conversely, however, we cannot expect God to remain on the throne of a relationship that is ungodly. He cannot bless that which is contrary to His Word and laws. There is another one, however, who will rejoice to “bless” such activity and to take the throne over the relationship. Wherever ungodly sex is taking place, Satan will be there—not to bless, but to try to take God’s place, receive the worship to himself and curse the participants. That is why there is so much sexual activity in the rituals of Satanism and witchcraft. Satan rejoices to receive the worship that this entails and trap the participants into the demonic bondage that ensues. It is a fact highlighted by extensive experience that the soul ties established through ungodly sexual activity are a prime entry point for the demonic. If, when counseling someone, it becomes clear that there has been ungodly sexual activity, then it would be reasonable to expect that there is demonic power attached to the sexual sin. Satan
uses these soul ties to hold people in demonic chains throughout their lives. In practice, we have found that when people get this area of their lives sorted out and cleansed by God, an enormous amount of healing and deliverance can then take place.
18.25 Suicidal Tendencies Taking one’s own life is the ultimate sin against one’s own body—it is rebellion against the Holy Spirit, whose temple the body is. I am not saying that there can never be forgiveness for those who have taken their own lives. God is the righteous and merciful Judge to whom each of us must answer, both for the things we have done to ourselves and for those things we have done to others. I have no doubt that there will be many people who have committed suicide who, when they stand before the Lord, will be amazed at God’s love and mercy as they realize they have been more sinned against than they have sinned themselves. That is not to say, either, that we can look lightly on suicide or suicidal tendencies. If Satan can persuade someone to take his own life, he has scored a major victory. In our experience, there is always a demonic dimension to suicide attempts or desires. In most cases the person has been so hurt by the way he has been abused or treated that the future seems utterly hopeless. And if there is no hope for tomorrow, it is but a small step toward saying, “I might as well die today.” In these cases the demonic entry point is invariably the trauma or pain associated with the experiences a person has been through. There are, however, those who feel suicidal for whom there has been no obvious trauma, abuse or tragedy to make them want to run from this life. There is an inner blackness and compulsion to die. In these cases there may be some deeply hidden abuse that has never come to the light of the conscious memory but has opened the door to demons that have a powerful effect on the person’s way of life. Alternatively, the person may have received a spirit of death down the generation line or from someone else close to him who has died, which will continue to drive and motivate him, even though he
himself has no personal reason for wanting to die. Another possible source of feelings of death could be an attempted abortion by the mother, leaving the growing person with feelings that he is not wanted and shouldn’t be there. The overwhelming blackness of such feelings leads almost inevitably to occasional thoughts of suicide. In all cases of suicidal feelings, one should be aware of the demonic possibility. At recent Christian meetings, in various countries and places, when I have asked how many people at some time of their lives have thought about suicide, there have always been about 50 percent of the people present who raise their hands. Suicidal feelings, even in the Body of Christ, are far more common than one might expect.
18.26 Undiagnosable Symptoms It is not unusual for people to have aches and pains that on medical investigation do not appear to have any known cause. The symptoms persist, but no matter what treatment, or even surgery, is prescribed and carried out, the person remains unhealed. We have found in many cases that such persistent symptoms can be demonic and are caused by a spirit of infirmity that has either come down the generation lines or has entered through shock, trauma or even sexual sin. In experience we have found this to be particularly common where there has been an accident at some time in the distant past. The physical injuries have healed to some extent, but there is then a persistent symptom that fails to go away. The trauma of accidents makes people vulnerable to the demonic, and following such incidents people often need deliverance as well as physical healing. We have found, too, that where there has been heavier involvement in occult activities, and a person is later converted and sets out to be healed and delivered, there can be demonic curses that will cause apparent physical symptoms even when there is nothing medically diagnosable. Another source of physical pain is emotional pain. The body reflects the pain in the soul. Physical treatment has no effect, because it is the emotions that need to be released and healed.
18.27 Violent Tendencies Violence against another person is another form of rebellion. Violence removes free-will choice from the victim and is contrary to God’s created order. The person who perpetrates violence opens himself up to being used by the demonic, and the trauma associated with being a recipient of violence leaves the victim vulnerable to the demonic at the time of attack. The demonic can transfer to the victim directly from the perpetrator of violence through the ungodly soul tie that is created through the attack, or through the fear that is a natural consequence of being attacked in this way. Where a person has regularly demonstrated violent behavior, it is not unusual to find a lot of buried anger from much earlier in life, often associated with abuse or unreasonable physical punishment. We have also seen that violence in one area of life can be an uncontrolled outworking of demons that have been given rights through the controlled violence of activities such as the martial arts. Most people are ignorant of the occult foundation of many of the martial arts and of the spiritual danger they are in when participating in such events. Churches that allow martial arts classes to take place in church halls (along with yoga and any other occult-based activities) are opening their whole work up to control by demonic power.
18.28 Withdrawn Antisocial Behavior Man is a social being. God intended people to enjoy relationships with each other and to grow and benefit from the experience. He did not intend people to be forced to withdraw into themselves so that they live out most of their days in the isolation of loneliness. Those who behave in this way have little control over their desires and, while they might like to be different, know that their wills are not strong enough to rise above their feelings. Usually that is because there is an alien will that is affecting or controlling their feelings, and there is a battle going on inside for supremacy. If you are fighting a hidden enemy without knowing of its existence, victory is rarely possible! To bring healing, deliverance is necessary, but it is also essential to explore the reasons why, in the first place, the person may have made a choice to want to be alone. The demonic will usually ride in on the feelings and choices of a person at the time the crisis first became apparent. If the person is not healed, then the doorway for further demonization will remain open. Invariably the root will have its origins in a relationship that has caused hurt and pain—usually in childhood. Sometimes, those who have done the “damage” may not even be aware of the fact that they have done anything to affect the welfare of the child. It could even be that the enemy has taken advantage of experiences in infant hood or before birth, in the womb. This is especially the case if, for example, an unmarried girl gets pregnant, and she spends the whole of her pregnancy hating the child in her womb. The spirit of the child will sense these feelings from the spirit of the mother and come into the world knowing that the person entrusted with his welfare wished he did not exist. Rejection has been established at the earliest possible
moment, and the demonic will feed on the emotional damage that has already been done to the child.
18.29 In Conclusion: A Note on Medical Practice I realize in writing this chapter that many people with medical experience might be saying that these things can’t be true, because there are well- known medical reasons for the conditions described, and these have nothing to do with demons. As a scientist myself, I understand the dilemma that faces those involved in the scientific process when considering these issues. There is, however, no conflict between scientific observation of what is happening to a person and discernment of the spiritual roots of the condition that has been observed and measured by the scientists. It’s largely a matter of whether one is studying the chicken or the egg! The presence of either an excess or a deficiency of a chemical in the body, for example, is real and measurable. The excess or deficiency of the chemical is known to cause the symptoms that the person experiences. In the case of a deficiency, where there is a synthetic or a natural source of the chemical, then the observable symptoms can be removed, or at least improved, by the patient taking the substance by way of a prescribed medicine from his doctor. The person is said to be healed. I would, however, disagree with this description of the person at this stage. If the dietary supplement was removed, there is little doubt that the original symptoms would return very quickly. The person is not healed, therefore, but a temporary cure has been effected through applied medication. This is a wholly acceptable and commendable medical practice, and there are many millions of people around the world who are rightfully thankful to God for the medications that keep them healthy and, in many cases, keep them alive.
However, when it comes to healing, what we are concerned with is not just the removal of symptoms through applied medication, but the restoration of the body’s system so that the person is whole without the need for any applied medication. We are taking the investigative process one stage back from the scientific and measurable, asking why it is that the body’s systems have been so distorted that medication has become necessary. At this point we can ask many more questions that are not generally open to scientific investigation, questions such as the effect of emotional pain and damage on the body’s system and, more specifically with reference to this book, the physical symptoms caused by demons that have a specific job function to come against the person they occupy and oppose the work of God in his life. We are beginning to see some significant breakthroughs in various areas of ministry and believe that as the Body of Christ seeks to be obedient to the commission to heal the sick, God will bring revelation to those who pray for the sick, just as He has brought knowledge and understanding to those who have sought to treat the sick through medical means. There is no primary conflict between those who minister healing through deliverance and the medical profession. But there is a need for medical practitioners to be willing to see that there might just be another dimension to the conditions that they spend their lives seeking to cure. Equally, there is a need for those involved in healing and deliverance ministry who might, somewhat naively, want to undermine or attack the medical profession, to realize that doctors are not the enemy, but people who are fulfilling an essential, difficult and God-given task. But there is also a need for the medical profession to be more aware of the dangers of some alternative medicines and the
alternative spiritualities that can lie behind them. We live in a world that is increasingly dominated by what are broadly termed “New Age practices.” Many of these, which are increasingly condoned within the medical profession and given such credence in the popular media, have their origin in the occult, and doctors need to be aware that some of these will appear to effect a "cure” without the person actually being healed of the condition. For those who have been "cured” through practices whose foundation is demonic, it is possible that their original symptoms are now being controlled by a higher demonic power. Deliverance from any such powers is likely to result in a return to a manifestation of the original symptoms. The person can then be truly healed of the condition following any deliverance from powers of darkness that may have caused the condition in the first place.
Chapter 19: How Demons Enter Knowing how demons enter is a major key to their eviction. A demon can only enter a person if it has the right to do so. Removing this right is foundational to effective and long-lasting deliverance ministry. Jesus introduced the concept of demonic entry points when He commented on the condition of the woman whose back was bent double through having a spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:10-17). He stated categorically that she had been bound for eighteen years, which meant that nineteen years ago she had been free. Something must have happened eighteen years previously through which the demon gained access. It may be that she had been sexually abused or suffered an accident, or perhaps a member of her family with a similar condition had died. We may not have been told in the Scripture exactly what happened to her, but we are told specifically that the woman in question was a “daughter of Abraham”—a phrase that is generally understood to mean a committed believer in God, not just a Jewess. So in one and the same story, Jesus made it clear that believers in God can be demonized and that there was a specific time in her life when she was vulnerable and became demonized. Counseling will expose many facts about an individual, some of which the counselor will recognize as potential demonic entry points. When the symptoms that the person has are matched by the evidence of potential entry points, it is reasonable to consider the possibility
that the person's problems may have a demonic origin. Natural observation and spiritual discernment can, and should, go hand in hand. Discernment of spirits is a gift of the Holy Spirit, but God has also gifted us with natural abilities that must be used as we minister the love of Jesus to those in need. For example, there have been many times when I have had no particular spiritual discernment that a person’s problems were demonic, but having observed the symptoms and recognized a possible entry point, I have first dealt with this in the appropriate way (e.g., through repentance of sin). Then I have addressed the demon that I believed lay behind the problem and have seen the person healed through deliverance. Unless the entry point is fully dealt with, any such demon is unlikely to go when commanded to do so, as it will hold on to the rights that it has claimed. The importance of dealing with the root cause of a demonic presence in the appropriate way cannot be overemphasized, hence the importance of this chapter.
19.1 The Generation Line There are many Scriptures that carry with them an unpopular message. The second part of Exodus 20:5 contains one of these, where it says the sins of the fathers will be visited on the children until the third or fourth generation. “Why?” people ask. “That’s not fair. After all, doesn’t Jeremiah tell us that the children’s teeth will no longer be set on edge by the sour grapes the parents have eaten?” (see Jeremiah 31:29). The questions and reactions can come thick and fast when it is first suggested that people could be demonized as a result of the sins of their fathers. Yet for many people, as soon as they hear this teaching, light dawns. At long last they are hearing a credible reason for the problems they have had to endure for so long, and, often for the first time, they have heard a message that carries with it the hope of an answer. So let’s examine the various reasons people propose as to why this teaching is either wrong, unpalatable or not relevant to the present day. This teaching is contained within the Law; we live in days of grace, not of law, and therefore it is not relevant for believers in this Christian era. It is, however, part of the Ten Commandments given by God through Moses to His people for the whole of time. Jesus made it clear that none of the Law would pass away until the end of all things (Matthew 5:18), which must be after Christ comes again. We are, therefore, still living in the dispensation of time for which the Law is relevant.
In saying this, however, we must distinguish between dietary or ceremonial laws, which were only appropriate to Jewish rituals of worship and which were abolished in the New Testament (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:14-15), and the moral laws that were reinforced in the New Testament and are still applicable today (Matthew 5:27-28; Mark 7:21-23). We cannot ignore any part of the basic moral and behavioral commandments. If we were to pick and choose which of these instructions are relevant to us today, where would we stop? If we reject the commandment that carries with it consequences to the children if it is broken, should we not also reject the other side of this commandment, which promises blessing to children born into a godly generation line? Or even reject other commandments such as "Do not commit adultery”? If we accept any of these commandments, we must accept them all and then wrestle with the consequences, believing that God included them there for our good. We may live in days of grace, but that doesn’t mean that all people born after the coming of Jesus will be saved. The remedy for sin still has to be applied. If people choose not to believe in Jesus, then no amount of protestation about so-called days of grace can change their eternal destiny! However, the fact that we do live in days of grace means that the consequences of the sins of the fathers on the children can be dealt with through the cross. It was through the punishment He received that we can be healed. But just as the work of the cross has to be applied personally into each believer’s life, so the work of healing and deliverance must be applied to the lives of those who have been damaged by the sins of their fathers. It does not happen automatically. No wonder Jesus commissioned the Church to heal and deliver
as well as preach. He knew that only if the Church ministered full salvation could the children whom He loved so much be liberated into the freedom that had been won for them. There cannot be any generational demonization, for it’s not fair that people should suffer for the sins of their parents. Unfortunately, the world’s concept of fairness is not directly relevant to the situation. Fair or not, people do suffer because of the sins of the fathers. It is inconsistent with experience to pretend that they don’t in order to win a theological argument! Newspapers are filled every day with stories of how children have suffered because of what parents have done to them. If a father chooses to abuse his daughter, that child has been dreadfully damaged through the sin. It is naive in the extreme to suggest that this particular child has not suffered because of the sins of her father. We live in a fallen world, and Satan has been fighting a dirty game ever since the Fall. One could say that it isn’t fair that our earliest ancestors sinned in the first place and gave Satan rights over the whole of God’s creation, including you and me. But they did, and we have all suffered as a result. Conversely, one could say also that it wasn’t fair that Jesus should have to die on the cross, being punished for things that He had not done. That certainly was not fair, but He did, and I thank God for the fact that He loved us so much that He allowed His Son to die there in your place and mine. What about the prophecies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah? Do their prophecies not imply that the children cannot be harmed as a result of the sins of the fathers, by saying that the children’s teeth will not be set on edge? (see Jeremiah 31:29; Ezekiel 18:1-4).
No, they don’t. What these passages are referring to is the guilt for the sins of the fathers—not the damage done as a result of the sin. Ezekiel makes this very clear. He says, "The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son” (Ezekiel 18:20, NIV, emphasis added). So the child who is abused is not guilty and will not be punished by God for the sin of the father. The father will be judged for his own sin. Ezekiel 18:4 makes this plain by saying, “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (NIV). Clearly Ezekiel is not talking about immediate physical death, or there would have been no one left alive in Israel within a very short time of Ezekiel speaking these words. He is talking about eternal death as a consequence of sin and the resulting judgment of God. A careful reading of Ezekiel 18 expands this teaching in unmistakable words, spelling out how judgment will fall on the perpetrators of sin, not on those who have been damaged as a result of the sin. Ezekiel explains that no matter how bad a father has been, if the son chooses to live well before man and God, then he will not come under judgment. What Ezekiel does not explain, however, is how much harder it is for people to be obedient to God when they have been so damaged through the sins of their parents. The Jeremiah 31 passage has a slightly different emphasis. The whole of this passage is related to the future prosperity of God’s people. And it is clear in this case that Jeremiah is referring to a time when Jesus is reigning here on earth. Verse 34 says, "None of them will have to teach a neighbor to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest.” This cannot refer to the time we live in, for very few people know the Lord. It is a clear reference to the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-6), when Satan and all the demons will be bound. Then there cannot be any generational demonization, because at that time there will be no demons! When
interpreting prophecy we must be careful to relate the prophecy to the right time for its fulfillment. The Scriptures say that “if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17, RSV). Doesn't this suggest that once a person is a Christian, there cannot be any remaining consequences of the sins of the fathers? Yes and no. Yes, in that the old era of alienation from God has passed away because the spirit has been born again of God. But no in that the moment a person becomes a Christian, he is not given a new flesh life to replace the old. The consequences of damage that has been done in the past are still there. It is only by the ministry of healing and deliverance, following the receipt of the gift of salvation, that the work of the enemy down the generation line can be undone in a person’s life. It is when a person becomes a new creation in Christ that it is then possible for the work of restoration to begin. One has to look also at the evidence of the counseling room and be honest about the people who walk through the door. Time and time again we have looked at the consequences of the sins of the fathers in people who, as babies, were deserted by their parents, or whose mothers were prostitutes, or whose grandparents were in witchcraft or... I could list here a hundred or more different possibilities from our counseling files. We must now ask the much more fundamental question: Having accepted that the sins of the fathers are visited on the children, how does it work? It is easy to understand the physical consequences to a battered child or the social consequences of being brought up by alcoholic or drug-addicted parents. But when we look again at Exodus 20:5, we see that the sins of the fathers are visited on the children because of
the sin of idolatry—the sin of worshiping something or someone other than the true and living God. The consequence of this sin is not so obvious. Superficially one might be tempted to wonder how there can possibly be any consequences at all other than perhaps through the vindictive activity of a malicious God who rejoices to punish people for things they have not done. But is that really the character of God? If we want to know what the character of God the Father is like, we only have to look at Jesus. For Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9, NASB). We see nothing malicious or vindictive in Jesus. Indeed, we see the very opposite. So, clearly, there must be some other means through which the sins of the fathers have an effect on the children. At this point we have to introduce the possibility of the demonic. For all false worship is ultimately the worship of Satan via the worship of demons. Demons are behind all false religion and everything that would raise itself up as an idolatrous object, relationship or activity. Satan is an imitator, not a creator. Just as when a person worships the true and living God, God by the power of the Holy Spirit inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), and when a person gives his allegiance to a false god, he comes under the influence of the evil spirit behind the false god that will seek to indwell the “worshiper.” Not all such worship is obviously of idols—there are many objects, activities (especially of a sexual nature), recreations and even pets that can become idolatrous through the devotion that they are offered. As Paul says about money, it is the love of it that causes
problems, not money itself (1 Timothy 6:10). One might say about sexuality that it is the lusting after wrongful sex that causes problems, not sex itself, which is a rightful and wonderful gift from God. So idolatry (and most sin is ultimately a form of idolatry) gives the demonic a right of entry. And once the demon is in, it is only through repentance and deliverance that the person can be set free. Furthermore, the demon is not just restricted to the person who has sinned, but it will seek to transfer down the generation lines to future generations. The sin of one generation “uncovers” the next generation, leaving the children unprotected in the area of that particular sin. This whole area of transference down the generation line is therefore a major topic in deliverance ministry. Additionally, there is also the possibility of transference to anyone with whom the individual has a soul tie. So we have introduced here both the problem of transference and the importance of soul ties. These are vital keys to understanding how to deliver people from demons so that they can stay free. Much more will be said about them later. With generational demonization, transference can take place to the next generation at conception, at the death of the parent or at any time in between these two extremes—although conception and death would appear to be the most commonly encountered moments of transference. So, in addition to the natural consequences of the sins of the fathers (e.g., abuse, poverty, violence, deprivation, etc.), we also see that there is a spiritual (demonic) dimension that must be taken into account when ministering healing to those in need. For what we are often dealing with are demons that have come down the family line
and are now a curse on the present and succeeding generations. Even the medical profession asks questions such as, "Did your father or grandfather have this?” Doctors know that it is not unusual for a particular medical condition to be dominant within a generation line. What the doctors rarely recognize is that in some of these cases they are looking at the consequences of generational demonization and not simply a prevailing physical condition or something genetic. An eighteen-year-old girl stood at the front of one of our healing services and told me the doctors had given her less than twelve months to live because of a viral condition affecting both of her kidneys. She had already had prayer for the condition, but there had been no improvement. As she stood there, I sensed the Holy Spirit telling me to ask her about her mother. She told me that she was adopted. Her mother had been unmarried and, when she became pregnant, had offered the child for adoption. She had no idea who her real parents were. Recognizing that her parents had therefore been in sexual sin, I asked her if she would forgive her natural mom and dad for their behavior and then thank God for her life. After she had done both of these things, I broke the curse that was upon her because of the sin of her parents. I took authority over the spirit that had come into her at conception and ordered it to leave. She immediately felt something happening in her stomach as the spirit began to move and come out. It came up through her chest and she coughed and spluttered for a little while as the demons were cast out of her body. An eighteen-year-old member of our young people’s team was alongside me that night to get ministry experience. She had never prayed for a sick person before. I asked her to lay her hands on the girl’s kidneys and pray for healing. The girl felt things happening in her kidneys. Twenty minutes later she bent down and touched her
toes, something that previously would have been impossible for her because of the pain. She wrote to me six weeks later, saying that she had been back to the hospital. The doctors had reexamined her, found nothing wrong and told her to go and live a normal life and forget all about their previous diagnosis. This was a classic case of generational demonization, where the demonic power in the child was given access through the sexual sin of the parents. The girl’s sickness was a direct consequence of the spirit assigned to curse the next generation. Without deliverance ministry, there would have been no healing, and without dealing with the specific entry point there would have been no deliverance! In this case the generational demonization was only from one generation to the next, but the Scripture talks about the consequences affecting three or four generations. And if any one of those three or four generations enters into further sin of a similar nature, a new cycle of three or four generations is begun. In practice, therefore, the generational consequences can be indefinite as one generation after another compounds the ancestral sin. It is also worth noting that Deuteronomy 23:2 appears to indicate that where sexual sin is involved, the generational consequences could be up to ten generations, for that is the length of time that these people would be excluded from the assembly of God. In the gospels the disciples saw a blind man and came to Jesus with a question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2, NIV). In this case Jesus replied, “Neither,” but the question itself would not have had any relevance unless, in their discussions with Jesus, it had been accepted that it was possible for someone to suffer as a result of the sins of his parents. With generational demonization, one often sees a repetition in
the next generation of the same sort of demonically induced symptoms as were evident in the previous generations. These can be physical symptoms, emotional conditions, psychological or psychiatric conditions, spiritual blind spots, etc. For example, one may discover that, as long as people can remember, all the women in the family have been asthmatics. Or, as one man said to me, "My great-grandfather was an adulterer, as was my grandfather. Then also my own father, and now I’m just the same.” What he was describing was the activity of the spirit of adultery that had been passed on from one generation to the next and induced in each one the behavior pattern of adultery. Each generation has its own free will to choose and say, "No, I will not commit adultery,” but the continuous pressure from a demon within is hard for people to withstand forever, and the time may come when the will is finally broken and the individual gives way to temptation and ends up in the despair of unwanted sin. It is easy to understand with the hindsight of many ministries how wise some sectors of the early Church were to insist that people went through deliverance ministry after conversion and before baptism and Church membership. In some parts of the world, this is still common practice. They knew that unless the converts were delivered of both the demonic powers that had controlled their own pagan lives and those that had come down the generation lines, they would end up with a demonized Church that would quickly assume an attitude of compromise with the world and would decline into patterns of spiritual death and religious routine. I believe there would be a far stronger Body of believers if this were normal practice throughout the Church today.
Unless the leaders of the Church embrace an active and ongoing deliverance ministry, I believe that every move of the Spirit of God will, in time, be quenched from within through demonic pressure. It is small wonder, therefore, that Satan so opposes and seeks to discredit the deliverance ministry, for if the Church is being obedient in preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons, the Body of Christ will be a force that cannot be stopped from within or without.
19.1.1 The Principle of Covering God intended children to be covered (protected) by their parents and be brought up “in the nurture of the Lord.” That means that parents are meant to be in loco parentis for God and bring up their children to know God as Father. The covering that parents should provide for their children is rather like an umbrella. No matter how hard it rains, if a person remains under the cover of the umbrella, he will remain dry. But if there is a hole in the umbrella, those under it will get wet in the area where the hole is but will remain dry everywhere else. So if a father willfully enters into sin, he is blowing a hole in the cover (puncturing the umbrella) so that those under the umbrella then become vulnerable in the same area. Or, to be more specific, if the father becomes demonized through a particular sin, then the children are made vulnerable to the influence of the same demonic power. When the father, whose preceding three generations had committed adultery, looked at his son and asked, “What hope is there for him?” we could explain to him what had been happening in the demonic realms and assure him that he could make a choice to turn from the sin, forgive his ancestors and be delivered of the spirit that had induced adulterous behavior from one generation to the next. There was hope, but without the ministry of deliverance, one generation after another would be cursed with the sinful behavior pattern that was originated by the great grandfather’s sin. No wonder the writer of Lamentations said, "Our ancestors sinned, but now they are gone, and we are suffering for their sins” (Lamentations 5:7) and in Leviticus we read, "Your descendants will
confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors, who resisted me and rebelled against me” (Leviticus 26:40). It is important to remember also that a godly covering provides secure protection under which children can grow up in the nurture of the Lord. No wonder Satan does everything he can to lead the parents into sin so as to try and claim the children for himself through the holes blown in the generational umbrella! The other side of this is also expressed within the Ten Commandments: “I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws” (Exodus 20:6).
19.2 Personal Sin Satan and his demons are in the business of promoting sin. But that is not to say that every time one commits a sin a new demon enters. It doesn’t. However, the ongoing practice of sin that remains unconfessed and unforgiven will inevitably give rights to the demonic to enter and control a person in specific areas of his life. And it is not unusual for an apparently isolated instance of a particular sin to have opened the way for demonization. Satan is no respecter of persons, and he will take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to him to dominate and control people— especially those who are seeking to live for Jesus. There is a remedy for sin. It is detailed in 1 John 1:9. These are words to Christians. Confession, forgiveness, cleansing—and in that order. If we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to His promises. He is also just, in that the price that has already been paid by Jesus is sufficient to cover every sin. So He will forgive—He has to be true to His own Word. But the promise goes on to say that not only will He forgive us, but He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Where the demonic has entered through sin, then the cleansing process must also include deliverance. Why should sin be an entry point for demons? The answer is both simple and profound: Sin is rebellion against God. Satan began that rebellion in heaven when he sought to take for himself the glory that was the Father’s alone. Satan continued that rebellion on earth by tempting man to join with him in it by committing sins. Sins are things that we do that are contrary to the will, plans and purposes of God. We commit sins because we have a sinful heritage. When we sin we are not only rebelling against the living God, but we are also offering worship to Satan. All sin can be considered
idolatry, for through it we place Satan ahead of God in our lives. Once we have understood the nature of sin in this way, it is not hard to take the next step toward understanding that when we worship Satan we are making ourselves vulnerable to being occupied by one of Satan's agents, an evil spirit. Once such a spirit has gained access through sin, it will create pressure from within us to continue sinning. There has been a shift of ground. Previously we would experience temptation from the outside, as Jesus did in the wilderness when He consistently resisted the attacks of Satan. But if we open up doors to the demonic through our sin, the attacks come from the inside and are far harder to resist. Because the demons then have access to our thoughts, they will seek to deceive us into thinking that their thoughts are our thoughts and make us think that we want to do the things they want us to do. Having gained access, demons will seek to strengthen their position. Each time we succumb to further similar temptations it is as if the demons are able to increase their hold by putting down fresh roots. The more well-worn the pathway of sin, the harder it is to get a particular demon out. More will be said later about the process of deliverance, but I would not want people who, even now, are sensing a demonic grip around some area of their lives to think that there is no hope of deliverance. There is. The primary keys to deliverance from demons that have entered and established themselves through personal sin will always be confession and repentance. Confession is not just telling God that we have done wrong when, once again, we are caught in some sin. It is seeing the sin for what it really is and agreeing with God’s verdict on both sin in general and our sins in particular. To agree with God over something means to say that God’s perspective on the matter is now more important than our own and we
are willing to lay down our own will in favor of His. That is part of true worship. As Jesus said to the woman at the well, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24, NASB). We cannot worship God in truth if we are allowing sinful deception to determine our relationship with Him. Repentance is the positive act of turning from the sin now and on future occasions. We always have a choice over whether or not we sin, no matter how demonized we might be. Satan is not able to take away our free will. But the more we have sinned, the more power the demons have to influence our decision making and the harder it is for us to say no. Holy Spirit-inspired determination to say no is one of the most powerful and effective deliverance tactics. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, however, we are beaten before we even start! Each time we resist demonic pressure to sin we force the demonic more out into the open, and it has to loosen its grip. The old hymn “Yield Not to Temptation” contains in one of its lines a very powerful truth of enormous significance in the battle against the demonic: “Each victory will help you some other to win.” Full confession and heartfelt repentance will always undermine the rights of the demonic. Without such, however, no amount of commanding the demonic to come out will have any effect. This is probably why Jesus tackled the sin in the paralyzed man’s life before attempting to heal him of the paralysis (Luke 5). Failure to confess and repent is probably the greatest single reason why some attempts at deliverance ministry are unsuccessful. The best defense against demonization through personal sin is immediate confession and repentance. When we have been caught in sin, our natural reaction is to hide in an attempt to conceal the sin either from God or the people we have sinned against, or both (e.g., Genesis 3). But if when we have sinned we immediately come to the
Father in true confession and repentance and ask for His forgiveness, then we continuously remove the ground on which the demonic would want to stand. The longer we wait before coming to God, the deeper rooted the demonic will become, and the harder it will be to gain one's freedom from the clutches of the enemy. One problem some people have with personal sin is that the sinful lifestyle or characteristic has become so much a part of them that they are not even aware they are committing sin, let alone aware of the fact that they may have been demonized through the sin. An important prayer, which should be part of the devotions of every one of us who would seek to be obedient to the Lord, was expressed by David in the last two verses of Psalm 139 when he cried out to God to test him and expose anything evil there was within him. For the heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and left to our own understanding we will never be able to accurately discern what is truth and error in ourselves. It is only God who knows us that well. It is only He who can be trusted to expose all that is bad (so that it can be dealt with appropriately) and bless that which is good. In recent years I have ministered to many elderly Christians, some of them with well-known and established ministries. In the confidence of the counseling room, they have shared their inner problems, and some have been brokenhearted over the way they have had continuous struggles with temptations, often of a sexual nature, that they have been powerless to fight off. In many cases, such people have never understood that they are not just fighting temptation from without, or their own fallen flesh nature, but are struggling with demons within that have never been recognized. It is impossible to fight an enemy whose identity is never recognized. How Satan must rejoice when Christians are taught that they cannot be demonized. No other teaching gives such rights to the
enemy to walk all over the saints of God unrecognized and unchallenged. What a relief it is for people to realize that the thoughts and temptations they have battled with for years have an origin that can be dealt with through deliverance. Usually with such people, when their whole life’s story is laid out, one will find some sexual sin earlier in life that has been dealt with in terms of confession and repentance ("It’s all under the blood,” they’ll say) but that has never been dealt with in terms of cleansing and deliverance. There are few people I counsel who do not have some sort of sexual skeleton in the cupboard. Opening the door can be painful, and requires much humility and honesty, but without such radical ministry the person will have to live with demonic pressure from within for the rest of his days. Jesus commissioned the Church to cast out demons. How it must grieve the Lord when He sees the saints of God still struggling with unrecognized demons, when the blood of Jesus was shed so that both the guilt and power of sin could be broken. It has also been a fact of common experience to see that much of the physical infirmity people have is a long-term consequence of the demonic that entered through sin early in life and that, unrecognized, has eaten away at the very foundations of their existence. All sin needs to be dealt with in the same way, but there are certain areas of sinful activity of greater significance as far as demonization is concerned, and they require separate treatment.
19.3 Occult Sin The occult is the broad term that is given to practices, often of a religious nature, whose power source is most definitely not of God. Occult practitioners range from those who clearly know that their particular brand of occultism relies upon the power of demons (e.g., witchcraft) to those who would not even recognize the existence of demons but have been duped into the fringes of a demonic power system that subsequently influences them (e.g., casual attenders at a yoga class). The word occult simply means “hidden,” and as such is a very accurate description of the way Satan tries to operate in this world— secretly and in such a way that people are deceived into offering worship to him, sometimes without realizing that he even exists. For in offering Satan worship they are saying yes to the demonic, and once occultic demonic power is operating in people’s lives, then Satan has a handle on them that is not easy to remove. Without deliverance ministry, they are stuck with this for their own lifetime, and, according to the Word of God, their children could suffer for three or four succeeding generations (Exodus 20:5). The warnings in the Scriptures are many and varied. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14 the Lord, through Moses, warned the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land not to use divination, consult the spirits of the dead or do any of these disgusting things that are detestable in the eyes of the Lord. In 2 Kings 21:6 Manasseh, the king of Judah, reintroduced a number of evil practices, including divination, magic and consultation with mediums and fortune-tellers. This disobedience led to the eventual downfall of Jerusalem in 598 b.c. For ease of reference, all the Scriptures referring to the dangers of occult practice are collected
together in appendix 2. What we have found in experience is that Satan does not often wait for a second invitation to invade a person’s life through involvement in the occult. Many of the people we have counseled have been demonized through just one encounter with a fortune-teller or a gypsy palm reader, an Ouija-board session, the "prophecies” of an astrologer or any of a hundred other possibilities. Involvement in the occult is serious and dangerous and is the root of many people’s problems. I am constantly surprised at how many people who come to us in need have dabbled in some aspect of the occult or have had parents, aunts, grandparents, etc., who took them, even as young children, to an occultist of one brand or another. There is only one way out, and that is through the power of the name of Jesus. The steps to freedom are as follows: 1. Willingness to recognize the nature of the sin—idolatry, which is ultimately the worship of Satan. 2. Full confession of all known involvements. (As ministry proceeds, the Lord may expose deeper involvements that had previously been hidden from memory.) 3. Repentance from the heart and with the will. (Being sorry is not enough. The will must be consciously involved in choosing to turn away from all such practices in the future.) 4. Deliverance from the demons that have entered (or controlled from the outside) through the occult activity. 5. Healing of the spirit, soul and body from the damage that has resulted from the demonic activity in the person.
The treatment has to be radical and determined. Half-measures are not enough. Satan knows whether or not we are serious about repentance, and if there is any doubt in our hearts, then the demons have a right to remain there by our own decision, and no amount of shouting at them will have any effect. James put it very clearly: “When you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-8). If there is full repentance, then all Satan's rights are removed, and the demons, when challenged, will have to leave. (Normally they do not leave of their own free will without being ordered to do so. Remember that they, too, are under orders from Satan to hang in there and fulfill their job function.) Many people are in total ignorance of the dangers of the occult, or of the fact that some of the things they thought were harmless were occult activities. A checklist and descriptive glossary of the more commonly encountered occult activities is listed in appendix 3. I would strongly recommend that people should prayerfully go through the list, asking God to show them anything they have been involved in personally (knowingly or unknowingly) or anything in their generation line that has been affecting them without their knowledge. One person we counseled could not get beyond the word kabbalah in the occult checklist. She had no understanding of what kabbalah was or of anyone in her family that had been involved. But the Holy Spirit told her that she must renounce the sins of her ancestors in this respect. She did so and immediately spirits that had entered the family line through the practices of kabbalah manifested
violently in front of us. God is a revealer of secrets, for “everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes” (Hebrews 4:13), and "he reveals things that are deep and secret; he knows what is hidden in darkness, and he himself is surrounded by light... there is a God in heaven, who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:22, 28).
19.4 Some Alternative Medical Practices When people are ill they will try anything that seems to offer them hope. Often when people come for help through prayer, we find that it is only after having tried everything else that they have eventually resorted to the possibility that God may be able to help them. The first place they look is almost always the conventional medical profession, but after exhausting the medical possibilities without healing or relief of the symptoms, people begin to search farther afield and wonder if there are any other avenues that they ought to be trying. When they start looking at alternative medicine, they find many differing options. All sorts of practitioners are willing to offer the earth and charge expensively for the privilege. Alternative medicine is big business. Some of it is completely aboveboard and genuine. But there is much more that is either plain quackery (at best) or is dependent on demonic power (at worst). Much harm can be done by trusting oneself to practitioners whose framework of operation could more accurately be classified as of the occult than as a branch of medicine. I have separated these alternative medical practices out from the occult in order to draw attention to their dangers, which might otherwise be lost in a much larger occult checklist and be overlooked by people who would feel sure they have never been involved in any occult activity. Appendix 4 lists some of the suspect alternative medical practices that we would advise Christians not to be associated with. I fully recognize that the practitioners of some of these alternative medical or pseudo medical procedures may be completely ignorant of the powers that lie behind the treatments they are offering. Listing these practices in the appendix is in no way meant to be a personal criticism of individuals, whose integrity is not in question. But it
would be wrong not to warn readers of the potential demonic dangers. For those who have been involved in any of these alternative medical practices, there is the possibility that, as a result, demons have been given rights in their bodies, and they are in need of deliverance. We have ministered to many people who have had to be delivered in this way, quite a number of whom had experienced significant healing of symptoms through the suspect alternative medical practices they had tried. There is no doubt that many of the demonically empowered healing practices do, in fact, work. Indeed, if they did not work to some degree, they would not draw people’s attention and interest. The Scripture makes it clear that the enemy is a great deceiver, and he is quite capable of using demonic power to bring a measure of healing in order to fulfill his wider objectives. But what we have observed is that a subtle exchange often takes place. A symptom may be removed, but a far deeper spiritual bondage is entered into. For example, one person who went to a spiritualist healer for his condition was healed quite dramatically of the obvious symptoms of his illness, but shortly afterward he began to develop other symptoms. For many years he endured the trauma of one operation after another for a developing series of problems, but at the end of the day he still had the strange symptoms that had commenced following his visit to the spiritualist. What he then needed, after confession and repentance, was deliverance from the spirit of infirmity that had come into him through the medium and tormented his life ever since. It is common at this stage for the original symptom, which is no longer demonically subdued, to return. Further ministry is then possible so that the person is genuinely healed of the original condition.
Similarly, on numerous occasions we have had to deliver people of spirits that have entered through acupuncture. Sometimes, as the Holy Spirit has exposed the darkness, they have experienced intense pain at the exact points where the acupuncture needles had been inserted, identifying the specific locations where demons had entered. Many of the healings that people have experienced through demonically empowered alternative medicines can seem to be permanent healings while the individual remains an unbeliever. But when a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit will gradually bring light into the darkness so that the demonic has to be exposed, and deliverance and true healing can then take place. Often we see that demonic medicine will also lead people into a spiritual wilderness. After using occultic methods, the individual seems to lose a sense of trust and dependence on God and assumes an attitude of independence from the Lord. The simplicity of the Gospel is no longer attractive to him. We have also seen people who have followed the alternative medicine way of life then go on to adopt superstitious behavior typical of people with an occultic background.
19.5 Religious Sin A friend of mine commented, “It seems that Christian demons are some of the hardest to get out!” What a statement! How could there possibly be such things as Christian demons? My friend was not actually suggesting that demons can be converted, but that religious spirits, which have taken on the character of Christian behavior in order to deceive, are the hardest to positively identify and the most difficult for the host to admit having. Both Isaiah, in his message from the Lord to the leaders of his day (Isaiah 1), and Jesus, in His words to the Pharisees, were utterly contemptuous of those who were religious but whose hearts were a long way from being in fellowship with God. Listen to what the Lord is saying to you. Pay attention to what our God is teaching you. He says, “Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough of the sheep you burn as sacrifices and of the fat of your fine animals. I am tired of the blood of bulls and sheep and goats. Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? Who asked you to do all this tramping around in my Temple? "It’s useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins... No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil and learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.” The Lord says, "Now, let’s settle the matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash you as dean as snow. Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool.
If you will only obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces. But if you defy me, you are doomed to die. I, the Lord, have spoken.” Isaiah 1:10-20
What the Lord was telling Isaiah to say was that religious routines, without the heart being in harmony with God, were sheer hypocrisy and such a burden to the Lord that He could not stand it. But nevertheless the Lord still promised the people good things if they would only get themselves right with God and live in obedience to Him. That message has not changed. God still patiently waits for us to turn to Him in spirit and in truth. When Jesus spoke those words to the woman at the well, they cut right to the heart of all relationships that God longs to have with His people. God is a spiritual being, and if we try to relate to Him only through the flesh of our bodies and our souls, then no matter how hard we try, our religious expression will always fall short of what God desires and intends for us. Satan does all he can to occupy that spiritual dimension so that in the spirit we are not relating with God but with powers of darkness under Satan’s control. In order to do that successfully, Satan will often send a religious spirit whose job function is to simulate a form of Christian life that is soulish rather than spiritual. So in His guidance to the woman at the well, Jesus said that you must worship God not only in spirit, but also in truth. There must be no hypocrisy. What we say to God must be a rightful expression of our true desire and not what we think God would like to hear. Isaiah summed all this up very accurately. This is why Jesus was able to look at the tax collector, whose
heart was right before God as he confessed his sins, and commend him for his honesty. He then made a stark contrast between this man and the religious leader who, in his hypocrisy, could only thank God that he wasn’t like other men, while in reality he was far worse (Luke 18:9-14)! He may have gotten all the rituals and words of the religious routines correct, but his heart was not right before God. In contrast to him, we have seen people who are still quite highly demonized and struggling to overcome their problems but have hearts toward God that are utterly pure in desire and intention. The religious person, who is controlled by religious spirits that “dot the i’s and cross the t’s” of religious practice, is as much in need of deliverance as the person who is repenting of a lifetime of occult practice. For in reality, there is not much difference between the effects of occultic spirits that control the spirituality of man and religious spirits that also control the spirituality, but through having learned Christian behavior patterns! I am not saying that either of these categories of people cannot be born again while having such demons—many of them are. But equally, there must be a large number of people who think they are born again because they are adept at using the right sort of Christian language and doing the right sort of Christian things but who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Satan is a very religious being. When in heaven, he sought to gain for himself the worship that was due to the Father, and it was for this rebellion that he was expelled by Michael and his angels. So it should not be considered surprising that some of the most effective demonic powers in Satan’s armory are the ranks of religious spirits that subtly try to divert people from worshiping God and lead them into giving homage to a substitute. In ministering to people who have been demonized through
involvement in some of the heavier occultic practices or through being deeply committed to a false religion, or who are descendants of people who have been involved in this way, it is a matter of relatively common experience to find that there are even demons with specific job functions of imitating God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This means, for example, that the demons are quite happy for the person to sing songs like “He Is Lord” that refer to the Lordship of Jesus. For when there is a demon present who has taken the name of Jesus, and the person does not know the real Jesus for themselves, then the deception is complete.
19.5.1 Religious Practices Any religious practice that becomes more important to a person than God Himself and the relationship he has with God is a potential target for demonic deception. For the religious practice becomes an idol, and the person is involved in idolatry. We have seen that within the life of the Church there are many things that can become idolatrous. Some examples are: the choir, the music group, the organ, the pews, the previous pastor, the stained-glass windows, the graves in the graveyard, the tradition of the church, the founders of the church, the routine, the prayer book, the hymnbook, the chalice, the pulpit, the sacrament, the sermon, the midweek meeting and even the Bible. Bibliolatry is just another subtle form of idolatry. We have had to deliver people of religious spirits attached to a wide variety of religious objects, traditions or practices. Then there is the whole range of expression of the Christian faith. Demons are adept at being liberal, high church, evangelical, conservative, left-wing, right-wing, charismatic, non-charismatic, charismatic evangelical, charismatic Catholic and a wealth of other combinations too numerous to mention! When one begins to explore this whole area, it becomes increasingly obvious how critical the gift of discerning of spirits is to the Body of Christ. For without the exercise of that gift, we have no chance whatsoever of discerning between the real and the unreal, or the religious and the genuinely Spirit-filled. We are then vulnerable to electing people to key church positions on the strength of their personalities (very dangerous) or as a means of appeasing people (in reality appeasing their demons) to avoid the backlash there may be if these people do not get the jobs they want.
One of the ways Satan uses religious spirits most effectively is in the election of officers to key positions in the Body of Christ. If Satan can ensure that people who look right, but who at heart are not (even though they believe they are), have the decision-making positions in a fellowship, then he has a strategic fifth column neatly in place that will block every genuine move of the Holy Spirit. They may also try to obstruct the appointment of every person whom the Lord sends to put his foot down for God in that particular local church. The election of Stephen and the other six men to serving roles within the emerging New Testament Church is a highly significant passage of Scripture. Even though the jobs in question were not, primarily, up-front spiritual positions, the injunction was not to get just anyone who might be willing to help, but to “choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). We overlook this caution at our peril. It is better to have no one in a particular office than to have a person who is not filled with the Holy Spirit occupying a key role. For if we elect people who are not filled with the Holy Spirit to any office within our churches, we are in danger of handing over the spiritual life of the fellowship into Satan’s hands. That is why so many of our churches are moribund, just puttering along at the lowest level of spiritual life with no apparent hope of climbing out of the trough of mediocrity.
19.5.2 Denominationalism Once a denomination becomes more important than the relationship each member of the denomination has with the Lord, then denominationalism has taken over. Those who are members of that local church are then in danger of being occupied by a religious spirit whose job function is to perpetuate the character of the denomination, as opposed to encouraging believers to live lives that demonstrate the character of Jesus. A classic case is to be found in the early history of Methodism. John Wesley died an Anglican priest. He never had any desire to leave the Church of England, but the Church of England could not cope with the fire of God within him, his love for Jesus or his discipling of believers. His followers so adopted his lead that they instituted a denominational structure that took upon itself the name of Methodism, following the gibe that was thrown at John in his earlier Oxford days of being methodical in the practice of his faith. It is interesting to observe that the Methodist gibe came from the years before he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, when he was very religious but was not truly born again of the Spirit of God. (This latter experience took place some years later at Aldersgate Street, at a Moravian meeting in London, after his return from the new colonies of America as a failed missionary.) Many of the early Methodists were truly filled with the Holy Spirit, but it was not long after John Wesley's death that the new denomination settled down to perpetuating Methodism and its particular emphases, rather than encouraging a total commitment to the service of Jesus Christ. Although much good was, and is, done through those within Methodism who are on fire for God, the seeds of denominationalism gradually became a stranglehold from which the
denomination has never recovered. It seems as though it was a masterstroke of the enemy to get the new grouping labeled by a name that had its roots in religiosity rather than Holy Spirit anointing. I would caution any who think their own denominations must be all right because I am using the Methodists by way of illustration. For not only have I cast out religious spirits of Methodism, I have also delivered people from spirits associated with the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Brethren and Congregationalist churches and just about every other denomination you can think of, including some of the modern-day new churches. It is not unusual for people who are being delivered of religious spirits to experience severe head pain or the feeling of tight bands around their heads as the demons manifest and are expelled. We have seen that these spirits can also be the source of mental and physical infirmity. Satan will use any door he possibly can to invade people and attack them in body, soul or spirit.
19.5.3 Heretical Beliefs The borderline between heretical beliefs and false religions is very thin, though it is recognizable. For example, I have no difficulty in including Freemasonry among false religions (Freemasons worship a god whose very name, Jahbulon, incorporates the names of Baal and the fertility goddess of Egypt!), along with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and many others. But I would have more difficulty in classifying Christian organizations who may not fully accept the authority of Scripture as false religions when they also subscribe to the majority of mainstream Christian beliefs. Much of the first part of Healing through Deliverance was spent in substantiating the position that Christians can have demons and that deliverance ministry is for them. It was seen that the belief that Christians cannot be demonized is a deception designed to keep people in bondage to the enemy without hope of any healing through deliverance. Ignorance of the enemy’s ways makes it impossible to counter his attacks. However, there are other false beliefs, some of major significance, that also need highlighting in this respect. For the purposes of this exercise, I am defining a heretical Christian belief as an aspect of belief that we have found, in ministry, gives rights to demonic religious spirits and from which people have subsequently needed deliverance. As such, I admit that it is an experiential definition, but it is one of very considerable significance, especially when it is understood that we are talking about a wealth of experiential information from a number of different people operating in different areas of Christian ministry across the world. If a belief has given rights to an evil spirit (i.e., become a
demonic entry point) instead of opening the door for an anointing of the Holy Spirit, then one is standing on pretty strong ground in questioning the origin and nature of that particular tenet of a person’s faith. Of course, one has to be on one’s guard against deception, for Satan will certainly want to confuse the Body of Christ on these issues. That is why I emphasize that what I write here is not just the experience of one person operating in a spiritual vacuum, who could be in danger of being deceived. This is the condensed experience gained from ministering to many people and gathering information from many different sources and ministries. In the following pages I will look in detail at beliefs concerning the Scriptures, the gifts of the Spirit, baptism and universalism. There are many others that could have been picked out for attention, but once readers have learned to understand the principles, they will be able to recognize other possibilities for themselves. For example, beliefs about the Second Coming, creation, heaven and hell, the sacraments, ordination, etc., that run contrary to the collective teaching of Scripture will inevitably prove to be an entry point for religious spirits. We need to be very much on our guard against regarding any of our beliefs and practices as more important than either our relationship with Jesus or the authority of the Word of God. After swallowing an unscriptural view as if it is truth, the way is open for a spirit of deception to enter the mind and lead the person away from the truth into further deception.
19.5.4 Wrong Attitude to the Scriptures Satan and demons hate the Scriptures, for they know them to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God, written by the Holy Spirit through men. They know that the Word of God is truth and that inside every believer is an innate recognition of this fact. That is why Satan will sometimes even try to use Scripture (suitably distorted to achieve his objectives) to tempt people, as he did with Jesus in the wilderness. Christians are more likely to respond to a temptation that is dressed up in scriptural clothing than one that is a more obvious lie from the enemy. We have seen in many ministries that demons know Scripture extremely well and are well versed in how to counter the arguments of Scripture. The ultimate example of this is the demons of Satanism, which have so distorted the Word of God that they have convinced Satanists that the satanic bible is the one that is total truth and Christians are the ones who have twisted the truth for their own ends. One such demon even tried to persuade us to believe that it is Christians who will one day have to face Satan, and not Satan who will have to face Jesus! People can be deceived by the arguments (lies) that demons speak, but the demons themselves know the reality of God’s Word and need no convincing of its truth. Satan’s kingdom is a kingdom of fear. It is fear of punishment that holds the demonic powers in a hierarchy of satanic control in this dispensation. The fallen angels were expelled from heaven, along with Satan, and all that waits in eternity for the powers that joined Satan’s cause is the lake of fire described in Revelation. The idea of the Second Coming is utterly horrific to the
demonic powers, for they know that the coming of Jesus into the world for a second time will herald the beginning of eternal torment for them. Through fear of Satan, the demonic powers are, in this age, held into the workings of the satanic web, which has been carefully constructed down the ages to enmesh as many human beings as possible and take them with the demons into eternal punishment. The very name of Jesus spells freedom to those who believe. Those who would question the truth of the Word of God need to see the horror on the faces of demonized people when the demons have been exposed and, as part of the process of deliverance, we have read from Revelation 20 and 21 or the words of Jesus about the "eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). There is no doubt that the demons (supernatural spiritual beings who know the real truth about Jesus and the Word of God) know that every word of Scripture is true and that those who trust in the truth of God's Word are a real threat to them. It is interesting to observe that a less faithful attitude toward the Scripture usually goes hand-in-hand with the brands of Christian belief that are either religious (without any belief in the need for a personal relationship with God in Christ) or liberal (without any recognition of the personal nature of evil, and probably with a rampant disbelief in the actual existence of Satan or any of his demons). The only attitude toward the Scriptures that puts the fear of God into the demonic is one of absolute trust in the inspiration of the Bible by the Holy Spirit. We have seen armies of demons put to flight by those without theological training but with a trust in the Word of God, which Paul described as the very sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). Equally, I have seen people with a string of theological qualifications powerless to wage war against the enemy.
One cannot take part in or even observe this ministry of healing and deliverance without being challenged to the core about one’s attitude toward the Word of God. Disbelief in the truth, authority and/or authorship of the Scriptures is a demonic entry point of major proportions.
19.5.5 Abuse of the Gifts of the Spirit Even in circles that believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, there are those who have such a distorted view of the New Testament Church and the gifts of the Spirit that they deny the reality of those gifts for today. They propose, for example, that God intended the gifts of the Spirit to die out once the first generation of Christians had used them to demonstrate the truth about Jesus. All Christians from that point onward needed to have only faith (not sight) in the fact that these sorts of things did happen once. They would probably argue that to seek the gifts today is evidence of lack of faith. This sort of belief generates a somewhat surprising marriage of the traditional conservative evangelical and the liberal positions—two strands of Christian tradition that rarely have anything in common. One might be tempted to say that if there is anything that draws such widely diverging traditions together in unity, it has to be either God or the devil. As the belief is, in fact, a denial of part of the Word of God (written by the Holy Spirit), one has little difficulty in recognizing the source of the deception. One major difference between the rigid conservative evangelical viewpoint and the liberal position, however, is that the conservatives sometimes say that those who use the gifts of the Spirit (especially speaking in tongues) are using demons themselves or operating in the occult. The liberal who does not believe in the existence of demons would not make such an accusation and would probably refer to simple delusion. C. Fred Dickason, writing from the conservative viewpoint in his otherwise excellent treatise on demon possession and the Christian, unfortunately concludes that “spiritual gifts and tongues in the early church were [only] evidence to the Jews that Jesus had
replaced Moses and that His Gospel was the truth.” He goes on to say that he doubts if “there are any tongues from God today in the New Testament sense.” (Kurt Koch, in his books on healing and deliverance, makes a similar mistake.) As evidence to support his viewpoint, Dickason states that he has delivered people of tongue-speaking demons that came in through the laying on of hands. In one instance of ministry to a lady, he says that the demon admitted it had come in “to give her what she desired and lead her astray.” I believe the key to understanding what was going on in this case lies in the sentence quoted above. She was seeking the gift and not the giver. This simply emphasizes how vital it is for all aspects of our faith to be Jesus centered; otherwise the dangers of deception are immense. In cases such as this, Satan will always be on hand to deceive people into receiving a demonic imitation of the real thing. The evidence of such a deception does not deny the possibility of tongue speaking being real; the very reverse is the truth. Satan only tries to imitate what is real, or else the deception would not be a temptation, for it would have no significance. I, too, have delivered people of demonic tongues, but that doesn’t mean that all tongue speaking is demonic. In a body of people either speaking or singing in the Spirit, it is not difficult to discern a tongue that is not of God. Often it seems spiritually harsh or strident, and one has an inner witness in the spirit about the source of the tongue. The gift of discernment is given to us by God to distinguish between those things that are from Him and those things that are not (1 Corinthians 12:10). One would not need this particular gift if the need to distinguish between the true and the false was not going to occur. To declare that all must be false is to deny the reality of a
precious gift that God has given to bless His people. While such a belief system may be convenient, nonthreatening, non-demanding and risk free, it does not have any scriptural warrant or experiential support from Church history. One could present similar arguments about the use of other gifts of the Spirit as listed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Romans 12, etc. But the conclusion in each case would be the same. Failure to accept that it is God’s desire to bless His people through the use of these gifts, and that as believers we should use them in all Christian ministries and spiritual warfare, is a demonic entry point that will hold the local church into the dictates of religious routine as opposed to the liberating dynamic of Holy Spirit life. One senses that some church fellowships are like strong fighting men who are restrained by chains that are held in position by a massive padlock called unbelief. Often it is fear in the leadership that keeps their eyes so closed that they cannot even see the chains or the padlock, let alone put the key of faith into the padlock and liberate the congregation into actually being the Body of Christ.
19.5.6 Universalism The universalist ultimately believes that all people will be saved and that it does not really matter what you believe. They say that God is a loving God and He would not want to see any one of His children suffer the judgment of eternal punishment described in the Scriptures. Rather than accept that Jesus is Truth, they invent a character for God that is more compatible with their own sensibilities and more tolerant of their own unbelief in the Scriptures and the character and claims of Jesus as revealed in them. God is indeed a God of love. He is also a righteous and holy God of judgment and mercy. The Scriptures say that it is not the Father’s will that any should perish. But the universalist takes this Scripture in isolation and quietly glosses over the wealth of teaching, from most books of the Bible, that reveals the Father’s heart for His children and the plan of salvation that was completed in the coming of Jesus so that those who believe on Him should not perish but have eternal life. There is a ruling spirit behind universalism that is totally at variance with the work of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Word of God. It is a spirit that blinds the eyes and the understanding of people to the real truth about Jesus and plays on their emotions in an effort to convince them that God cannot also be a God of judgment. The demons know only too well that judgment awaits them and that the resurrection of Jesus was ample evidence for them that what Jesus said about the judgment would certainly come true. During a recent ministry, an angry demon that was being cast out cried, "If all Christians believed in the Bible as much as you and I do, we wouldn’t have a chance!” Universalism is a heresy and a deception. Those who have been
brought up in churches that have preached a universalist gospel need to repent and turn from such beliefs, place their belief wholeheartedly in the Jesus of the Scriptures, ask God for forgiveness and receive eternal life. They will also need deliverance from the demons that have tried to cloud their minds and hide them from the truth. Where a minister of a church knows that previous ministries have had a universalist (or other heretical belief system) emphasis, it will be necessary for the minister to repent on behalf of his predecessors and to take authority over the demonic powers that have been given rights over his church. Without such action he will be continuously fighting unseen demonic powers that are hanging on to the rights given to them by previous leaders of the church.
19.5.7 False Religions I have given some considerable space to helping readers understand some of the ways the demonic can be operating in churches, as this area is generally much less understood than the more obvious demonic power behind religions that are clearly heretical in their attitudes to the person of Jesus Christ (e.g., Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christadelphians), or are specifically nonor anti-Christian in their belief systems (Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.). All of these are deceptions. Many of them are hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of years old. They were devised by Satan as a means of attracting worship to himself via the deceptions of religious demons. There seem to be as many forms of religious expression in the world as there are races or cultures. Each of them holds its own religion up as the truth, but clearly this cannot be so, for one person's truth conflicts with that proclaimed by another equally convinced worshiper of a different God. When people have been converted to Christ from these other religions, they not only need to proclaim their faith in Jesus, but they also have to turn their backs on the beliefs and powers behind their former religion. Churches operating in Eastern cultures know this only too well, and it is quite normal in East Asia, for example, for new converts to be taken through a course of deliverance ministry as part of their Christian initiation. Would that the Western Church might begin to realize that when people are converted in their countries, it is from just as pagan a cultural or religious background as is found in other parts of the world. The only difference is that the nature of the demonic power controlling their earlier lives may not have the character of a known
false religion, but may be of atheism, materialism, agnosticism, etc. If we were to recognize the amount of work there is to do in the lives of new Christians so that they can be cleansed and made whole, then the Church itself would have far fewer problems in the future, having to battle, usually unknowingly, against the resident demonic powers that lie hidden in its members. For ease of reference an outline of the belief systems of the better known non-Christian religions is provided in appendix 5, along with details of the more commonly encountered wrong beliefs that are regularly found within the Church. For those who have been actively involved in the practice of one of these religions, there is likely to be a group of demons attached to each aspect of demonic deception. Deliverance, therefore, is not necessarily of just one demon, but may require systematic repentance and deliverance from each demonic stronghold in turn.
19.6 Ungodly Soul Ties This and the next section (on sex and sexuality) need to be read side-by-side. Sexual relationships that are outside God’s plan and purpose will always introduce ungodly soul ties into a person’s life and make that person vulnerable to the demonic. A soul tie is a relationship in which we are either rightfully bonded or subject to bondage. I am using the word bond to indicate a rightful and healthy relationship and the word bondage to indicate a relationship that is unhealthy and has in it an element of being tied against both the free will of the victim in the relationship and God’s plan for healthy relationships between human beings. In the Old Testament we have a description of the relationship between David and Jonathan, and it was said that their souls were knit together in love (1 Samuel 18:1, KJV). This was a healthy and godly relationship that clearly brought great blessing to them both. In contrast, there was an obviously ungodly relationship between Saul and David, in which Saul tried to dominate, control and eventually kill David. These two extremes of relationship typify the differences between bonding and bondage, between godly and ungodly soul ties. There are many basically godly relationships that can also have an ungodly dimension to them. For example, a father has a godly relationship with his daughter, but if that father chooses to sexually abuse his daughter, he would introduce another soul tie into the relationship—one of bondage as opposed to healthy bonding. As a general rule, godly soul ties are God’s provision for healthy nurturing and for relationships throughout life, whereas ungodly soul ties will lead to sickness, and more often than not, the danger of being demonized.
19.6.1 In Family Life We cannot choose our parents or the family into which we are born, yet the first people we have soul ties with are members of our family, as a direct consequence of our conception and birth. If parents have a godly relationship with each other, and in turn establish a godly relationship with each child, providing each one with a healthy parental bonding and adequate discipline without unnecessary domination or control, then the child will grow up in the security of a soul tie that will be liberating for life. Children will learn from their good parenting how to develop healthy relationships with other children, and as the children grow up the soul tie with the parents will steadily mature and change so that the parents will be able to release their adult children into the world, free to be men and women in their own right. With parental soul ties like these, maturing adults are free to relate to God without the imposition of unhealthy parental pressures and free to choose a mate with whom a godly soul tie can be established without claustrophobic parental control. Such ungodly controls can lead both to wrong choice of a marital partner and the eventual destruction of the marriage relationship. An upbringing with ungodly soul ties can produce a harvest of problems and pain. For example, if the parents themselves have a selfish, body-centered, sinful and immature relationship, children born to them will not be equipped to relate rightly in their own lives. The children will not be able to relate well with their peers at school, as they will be reflecting the inadequacies of their own parenting in these relationships. Many teachers see the relationships between the parents lived out in the playground. The boy who gets his own way by hitting the girls has probably learned the technique from
a father (or possibly a grandfather) for whom it is an effective means of dominating his wife. An ungodly marriage relationship will inevitably lead to parentchild ties that have an ungodly element within them, and there is likely to be more bondage than bonding between the parents and the child. Bondage leads to rebellion. This is sometimes known as bitterroot judgment, where the sinful attitudes of one generation become reflected in the pressures and pain experienced by the next. It is a cycle from which the only way of escape is through the saving, healing and delivering power of Jesus. The natural reaction of a child to parental soul ties born out of bondage is to escape. Deep down such a child is suffering from rejection. There are a number of well-worn paths that children follow when they are seeking to break free from the chains that rejection has placed upon them. The extremes are total retreat into an externally passive personality (but inside there will usually be a cauldron of pain, ready to erupt like a dormant volcano without prior warning), and at the other end of the scale is the rebellion of teenage years that can manifest itself in drugs, violence, promiscuity, crime, running away and a host of other rebellious activities. The range of potential behavior patterns is almost limitless, as is evidenced by the heartbreak of many parents of teenage children. Within all this hurt and pain, the demonic can have a field day. The entry points created by ungodly family soul ties are enormous, many of them having a root in rejection. But once the reaction to ungodly parental soul ties has set in, be it one of rebellion, passive sullenness or a mixture of both, the demonic will then further ride in on all the sinful behavior patterns that are then established.
19.6.2 Abuse of Free Will All abusive relationships result in the formation of ungodly soul ties, whether the abuse is that of parents who simply reject their children for any of a variety of reasons or the more overt abuse of sexual handling or manipulation. The key to understanding whether a soul tie is godly or ungodly lies within the scriptural understanding of what it means to live in the free will that God intended each of His children to exercise. God intended free will to be exercised within the secure framework of parental discipline, which is gradually enlarged and relaxed as the child prepares for adulthood, and the even more secure framework for living provided by a direct relationship with God, as the child finds personal faith in Jesus and is equipped for life in spirit, soul and body. Free will is perhaps the most precious gift that God has given to mankind. The fact that man used his free will to sin by turning his back on the God who had made him did not cause God either to turn away from His creation or to take away man’s freedom to choose. God does not want to have relationships with people who are compelled to relate to Him whether they like it or not. He gave us free will to choose who we should relate with and how we should spend our lives. His desire is that, through faith in Jesus Christ, we should choose to reenter the covenant relationship with Him that was destroyed by sin. We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), and, among other things, that must mean we should have the same attitude toward others that God has toward us. We must respect the free will of others and choose not to dominate or control them against their will. To do so runs contrary to God’s creation ordinance and is in direct rebellion
against God’s plans and purposes for mankind. But take note, godly discipline of those for whom we have responsible care is not the same as domination and control. Without discipline, children (and adults!) will not learn how to use their free will in such a way that they will avoid further problems. The Scripture describes rebellion as being “as bad as witchcraft” (1 Samuel 15:23). It is not insignificant, therefore, that domination and control of others (often through fear or direct demonic intervention) are hallmarks of witchcraft practice. These are the methods and tactics of Satan. When domination and manipulation are used to control people with whom we have soul ties, the effects can be as devastating as the direct actions of witchcraft. This is graphically illustrated when at a public meeting I ask all those who sense in their spirits that they have been dominated and controlled in an ungodly way by their parents to stand. Often as many as 30 to 40 percent respond. I ask them all to forgive and honor their parents (for however bad the parents may have been, they were the vehicles for God’s creativity, and we are commanded to honor them), and then I break the ungodly soul ties that have existed between them and their parents. I am usually cautious only to do this when there is also a significant ministry team available in the meeting with me, for the reaction can be instantaneous. The moment the soul ties are cut, both the demonic power that has been held in by them is free to go and the emotional pain that has been created by the domination and control, often over decades, is free to be expressed. The healing that flows from times like this is quite extraordinary. The letters that follow such meetings, describing
physical as well as emotional and psychological healing and healing of relationships, have to be read to be fully appreciated. It is only when one sees the extent of demonic bondage that is controlled by ungodly parental soul ties that one realizes how vital the deliverance ministry is for bringing people through to wholeness. Those who seek to heal parental relationships using an inner healing model only will often come up against the demonic without recognizing it. Clearly some demonic entities are dealt with, almost by accident, in this way. But sadly, it has not been unusual for inner healing ministries to go on for weeks, months and even years trying to cope with what is believed to be just emotional pain. In practice, what is being encountered is an unrecognized demon that is both enjoying the attention of continuous ministry and delighting to occupy the time of both the counselor and the counselee in totally unfruitful ministries. Demons cannot be “inner healed.” If that lesson alone could be learned and appreciated by those who practice inner healing but who don’t either believe in or have an understanding of the need for deliverance, many otherwise extensive ministries could be brought to a speedier conclusion. I am not saying that inner healing is not necessary and important—it is. For almost as big a problem can be caused by those who only want to cast out demons and have no appreciation of the need for inner healing— especially of damaged emotions. Both ministries have to go hand-in-hand in a balanced way for maximum benefit. All ungodly soul ties, whatever their origin, seem to be a direct channel for the demonic to use as an entry point. In ministry to people with complex problems and complicated personal histories, we have found that systematically dealing with any necessary repentance or forgiveness associated with particular relationships, and then breaking
the soul ties, has been a very effective foundation for healing and deliverance ministry. Sometimes, the demonic has been so undermined by this procedure that deliverance has happened spontaneously as soon as the soul tie has been cut. But many times we have found that commanding the demons that came in through that entry point to leave has resulted in extensive deliverance ministry taking place.
19.6.3 Potentially Dangerous Relationships The following are the principal ungodly soul ties that we have found to be regularly used by the demonic as powerful channels for demonization to take place. i) Sexual partners other than one’s husband or wife It is rare to find that a person has not picked up demons through having immoral sexual relationships. Sex is primarily spiritual, and so when people enter into sexual relationships that are sinful, they should not be surprised that the demonic will take advantage of the channel that has been opened up through sin. (Whether they are aware of the spiritual dimension or not is irrelevant, as far as the demons are concerned.) We live in an age when it is relatively rare not to be ministering to people who have had more than one sexual partner, and it is not unusual for people to talk about ten or more sexual partners that they have had over the years. In addition to the demonic factor, which is so powerful in all such cases, there is also the fragmentation of the spirit and soul that takes place every time a person has sex with a new partner. When two people are joined together in sex, it is not just a bodily union. It is also a soul and spirit union. A husband and a wife are spiritually aware of each other at all times because there is rightfully something of each other’s spiritual being in each of them— that is part of the mystery of marriage. But this spiritual transaction is not only a consequence of sexual relationships that take place inside marriage; it is a consequence of all sexual relationships, whether they take place inside marriage or not. So when a person has had sex with many partners, it is as if his spirit (and soul) is spread out all over the
place. Often people will describe it in words such as, "I sometimes wonder who or where I am.” When people have truly repented of their sinful sexual behavior, and the ungodly soul ties have been broken, we have then found it to be an important part of the ministry to ask God to bring back to the individual every part of him that has been attached to the different partners involved. Very often people will describe what happens in words such as, “I felt myself coming back together—for the first time that I can remember, I feel whole.” The dissipation of the spirit and the demonization of the person that happen through sexual sin helps one to understand why Satan pushes this particular temptation so relentlessly. Sexual sin leaves people very vulnerable to the enemy, often laboring under overwhelming guilt, and in bondage to the demonic in a wide variety of ways. Sex was designed by God as His way of allowing mankind to express his creativity. Satan cannot create; he can only distort. To distort what God planned and purposed in sexual relationships for mankind is a major achievement for the master deceiver. The voice of the tempter—“Has God really said that it’s wrong?”—has trapped countless millions of people into relationships through which people have, as it were, sold their birthrights for a few minutes of pleasurable acceptance. While there is sometimes a potential danger of disease from a promiscuous lifestyle, there is always a real danger of demonization, as well as consequential spiritual blindness, in the lives of those who have an undisciplined sexual life. I realize that some people reading this may suddenly be feeling uncomfortable as they review both the potential and the real consequences of their previous indiscretions and wonder if there is any way back for them. There is, so be encouraged!
We have seen countless people set free, some very dramatically, from their pasts and liberated into being the people God intended them to be. But there is no shortcut to restoration that does not go via the cross. The Scripture says, “Confess your sins to one another... that you will be healed” (James 5:16). We have found, especially in the area of sexuality, that confession of sin to someone else, followed by the necessary prayer ministry, has had enormous healing consequences in the person’s life, sometimes, even, of a dramatic physical nature. We have usually found that the first sexual partner is the most significant. The moment a person loses his virginity is a spiritually traumatic occasion, usually surrounded with extremes of emotional feelings ranging from elation to disappointment. If this moment does not occur within the spiritual security of a godly marriage, it can be accompanied by heavy doses of guilt and fear as well. That is a moment when the participants are especially prone to the demonic. Another time of intense demonic activity is when a person betrays his marital partner and commits adultery by having sex outside of marriage. At that moment the marriage vows are broken, and spiritually an act of divorce has taken place. In the spiritual realms it is as if the innocent partner has already been divorced by the intent of the guilty one, because a new spiritual union has been established in addition to the original one. Divorce and remarriage have taken place simultaneously! No wonder the consequential spiritual pain associated with adultery is so great that there are very few relationships that fully survive the experience of adultery, irrespective of whether it is ever found out. If it is never found out, the marriage relationship will suffer in many intangible ways, with the other partner often left wondering what they have to do to please the one they married.
There are many couples who carry on living together in a married relationship in spite of one of the partners having committed adultery. But one has to ask questions about the quality of the marriage from that moment on. To come through the experience with both partners fully healed requires full confession and repentance, followed by total forgiveness. Then, because a divorce has already taken place, there should be a renewal of one’s vows to each other before God and witnesses (a remarriage). At that point the relationship has a chance of being even better than it was at its best before the adultery took place. But if the adultery remains a secret sin, the marriage will be so impaired spiritually that there will be consequences at every level. While this section on soul ties is not a treatise on divorce and remarriage, it does need to be said in passing that there are occasions when the person who goes off and commits adultery is not, before God, the initially “guilty party” in the breakdown of the relationship, even though he or she is the one caught in the act. There are many marriages in which the superficially "innocent party” has so subjected his or her partner, often with deep rejection and belittling behavior, that the "guilty party” has already been divorced by his partner and, literally, been driven away from the marriage. I do not say this to excuse the sin involved in adultery, but rather as a caution to counselors to tread gently when trying to help people who have suffered the pain of such marital problems. It just may be that the superficially innocent party is the more guilty! It is too easy to tread heavily on the toes of the hurting. Jesus' attitude to the woman caught in the act of adultery was one of compassion and forgiveness. Let us not go beyond the attitude that Jesus had. But remember He also said, “Go, but do not sin again” (John 8:11). ii) Sex before marriage
A sinful sexual relationship can also take place between those who are intending to get married. Those who anticipate marriage and commence a sexual relationship outside the security of the marriage bond are just as vulnerable to the demonic as those who are promiscuous without any intention of getting married to each other or those who commit adultery outside of marriage. One person who confessed that she and her husband had commenced sexual relations together three months before they got married (neither of them had ever had sex with any other partner either before or after marriage) had become an epileptic shortly after they married. We did not know this when we first ministered to her. But she heard and understood the teaching and wanted to put it right before God. Immediately she confessed the sin, the ungodly dimension to the soul tie with her husband was broken and the powers of darkness were commanded to leave. As they did, she collapsed and manifested all the symptoms of having a grand mal epileptic seizure on our meeting room floor. Ten minutes later she had a second fit, but then she got up off the floor claiming to have been completely healed. We asked her why she said that. She told us that she was on the highest possible safe dosage of anti-epileptic drugs allowed and still she had many seizures. Every time she had a seizure it would normally take two to three days in a darkened room to recover from the pain, the trauma and the flashing lights. But after two seizures in the course of her prayer ministry, she got up immediately and felt great. Three years later she wrote telling us how she had come off all her anti-epileptic drugs (in cooperation with her local doctor) within a matter of weeks. Since then, she has had no further seizures and has not been on any medication either. In her case the sexual sin had opened up a demonic doorway for two spirits of infirmity causing epilepsy to come into her, and as soon as her relationship (which had
become ungodly) was consecrated before God in marriage, the condition began to manifest itself. I doubt if the spirits of epilepsy would have manifested at all if she had decided to continue in a promiscuous lifestyle with other people. In that case they would have then been passed down the generation line to her children who would have been wondering where the epilepsy had come from. Many people are suffering from the effects of demons that have gained access through the sins of their fathers without ever realizing it. There is only one answer: forgiveness of those in the ancestral line, repentance for any known sin, cutting the soul ties and deliverance, leading to healing. One must not conclude from this story that all epileptics have committed sexual sin—they haven't. Nor should one conclude that all those who commit sexual sin are likely to become epileptics. But in her case that was the outcome. The potential nature of the demonic that invades a person through sin can vary from straightforward spirits of lust to spirits of infirmity bringing a specific disease— sometimes the consequences are related to whatever demons were in the person one had sexual relations with. As I ministered to one man, who had established many soul ties with a variety of sexual partners, I systematically asked God to break the ties and took him through deliverance for the first four of the partners. But when I came to the fifth, a demon roared from inside the man, “You are not having her!” It transpired that this particular partner had been into active witchcraft, and through sex with her the man had picked up some powerful witchcraft controls. While the kingdom of darkness that ruled in the man was not too concerned about losing the demons associated with the first four partners, the demons that came from the fifth were very important in the demonic kingdom. A real power struggle ensued until the rights of the demons to stay had been fully dealt with through repentance and deliverance
had taken place. iii) Inside marriage As was hinted above, all may not be well within a marriage relationship, even if the partners appear to be living happily together and neither of them has tried to escape into an adulterous relationship. There are many marriages, even Christian ones, that are often very well camouflaged for public observance but fall a long way short of the relationship that God intended them to have—a joyful, love-filled union of spirit, soul and body with: • complete trust on both sides of the relationship; • mutual respect for each other as people; • appreciation and encouragement of each other’s gifts and abilities; • an uninhibited sexual relationship that is the fruit of harmony in spirit, soul and body; • physical care of each other and the children that God gives; • joint desire that God’s will for their relationship should come first at all times; and • no domination or manipulation from either partner!
I realize that in describing a marriage in the above terms I am describing a relationship that is probably of a standard rather above the average marriage, be it Christian or otherwise. But what I can say
is that the farther from the ideal a couple goes, the more likely it is that the ungodly dimensions to their relationship will provide entry points for the demonic. Too often we have counseled people who have behaved within a relationship as if they have absolute liberty to treat their husbands or wives without respect, using and abusing them and then complaining when they cannot stand it any longer and the relationship breaks down or, even, they go off with someone else! Manipulation and domination within the marriage relationship is responsible for a huge amount of marital unhappiness and is nothing but sin. Marriage does not entitle either partner to use the cover of a marriage bond to tie the partner into being the victim of what has become an ungodly soul tie. Sadly, there has been very little training within the Church as to how marital partners should behave toward each other without resorting to manipulation or domination. This whole area has been given scant attention. Most people are ignorant of the huge amount of damage that is caused, and the extent of demonic power that is liberated, when marital relationships become ungodly in this way. For example, some of the classic tactics used by partners against each other are as follows: Early in the marriage the husband will lose his temper violently. Then such is the wife’s fear of it ever happening again that for the rest of the marriage she tiptoes around her husband so as never again to awaken the “sleeping giant.” Thus the husband has his wife totally controlled through fear. That aspect of the marriage is ungodly and demonic. Should she ever be allowed to receive help, the wife will eventually need to have the ungodly dimension to her marital tie dealt with and be set free from the spirits of domination and fear that formerly held her in bondage. And the husband will need to be in
deep repentance over what he has done. He will also need to seek the Lord over his own personal needs, which have made him behave in such a way. When a man behaves like that, and such behavior is very common, it is indicative of his own deep needs, possibly arising out of childhood rejection and fear. On the other side of the relationship, a wife can belittle her husband, especially in the sexual area, and use sex as a system of reward and punishment in order to keep her husband exactly where she wants him. Usually, neither party can fully understand what is happening, but at heart the husband will know that his manhood is belittled, and she will know that if she does not control this area of the marriage, she will lose the power she needs to control him and stay secure. These are just examples. There are many other ways in which ungodly distortion of the marriage can take place, but at the root they are usually variations on the theme of manipulation, domination and control. In all such cases the ungodly soul ties need to be cut so that people can be set free from the demonic dimensions involved and hold up rightful spiritual authority within the marriage that can then become godly. The process may be painful, but without such courageous action, the only future for the marriage is more of the same, with the prospect of things getting steadily worse until old age, when the remaining fruits on the tree of marriage will be unhealthy and bitter. Finally, before moving on to other soul ties, it needs to be said that even though two people are married, they are not allowed to use each other sexually in acts that would otherwise be categorized as abusive or perverted. We have counseled many couples, one of whom feels like a victim of sexual abuse. This is usually the result of the husband wanting the wife to do things (such as anal or oral sex) that she does not want to participate in. We have found, in ministry, that
perverted sex, even inside marriage, is a direct demonic entry point, and that even married couples who have practiced sexual perversions have needed deliverance as a result. Equally, it needs to be said that sexual intercourse is a normal, rightful and necessary part of married life. Paul makes it very clear that there is only one reason why intercourse should be discontinued within marriage, and that is for prayer, and only for a short season, because of the dangers of temptation arising through the consequential frustration (1 Corinthians 7:5). The husband or wife who denies his or her partner regular and willing sexual relations is abusing the other partner. I have counseled many a man who is made to feel like a “dirty old man” for desiring sex with his wife. But we have also counseled many women whose husbands in middle life have allegedly lost interest in sex with their wives. Sometimes I have felt that the wife’s attitude to her own body has been a definite discouragement to the husband, but on other occasions I have wondered if the reason why the husband has lost interest in his wife is because he is getting his sexual fulfillment elsewhere, either through another relationship or, more commonly in a Christian marriage, through pornography and masturbation. The opportunity for ungodliness in the soul ties between husband and wife are many and varied. Wherever there is ungodliness there is also the potential for demonization. It is a fact that the greatest potential pain and joy is found in relationships with those who are closest to us. Breaking the ungodly ties and being delivered from the demonic are necessary foundations for healing between marital partners. iv) Parents and children
Most parents rejoice in the gift of children. They enter fully into the fun (and frustrations) of raising a family. However, for some parents, their whole identity can get wrapped up in the role of being a parent. This can especially be the case for the mother. If the marriage relationship itself is insecure, or if she does not have a career to take up again after the children have matured, then definite precautions need to be taken against potential problems. God did not intend our whole identities as people to be tied up in our children’s dependency on us. For some women the presence of dependent children gives them their security. They provide affirmation and cherishing, and if these essential ingredients to marital life are not provided by the husband then Mom feels like a spare part without a future once the children grow up and leave home. So a woman in this situation will do all she can to continue the years of dependency for her children well beyond the age of growing up into adulthood (individuation) so as to extend the years of her usefulness. However this is dressed up, it is ultimately sin, for it is an attempt to deprive the children of their free will and independence, without which they will never make it successfully into the maturity of adulthood. They are especially unlikely to make successful marriages, because the ties to Mother will be too strong for the offspring to relate rightfully with his or her new partner. The scriptural formula for a successful marriage in this respect is to leave and cleave. The leaving of the parental home and security must be clear and definite. The specific meaning of cleave in this context is to join together in a marital relationship independent of all other human relationships. The word used for leave implies a severing, not just a waving good-bye till next time we meet! That does not mean to say that parents will never see their
children again. What it does mean is that the children will be free to relate with their parents in a mature and adult way and will not be afraid to establish adult relationships with their parents, for they know that they will not be dominated by them. It is only when parents are willing to "lose” their children in this way that they “gain” them as friends for the rest of their lives. I have always been astonished at the amount of demonic power that is exercised over children by parents in order to hold them in bondage. When the ties are cut, the release of emotional pain and subsequent deliverance is often quite astonishing. What is also of great significance when praying for physical healing is that sickness and infirmities that have been passed down the generation line are often transferred through a dominating parental relationship. When that ungodly soul tie is cut, illness that has previously resisted every other form of prayer is suddenly free to be healed through deliverance. Would that in every marriage service both mother and father of the bride (and not just the father as is our tradition) “gave away” their daughter, and both parents of the bridegroom would equally release their son. Much heartache and many mother-in-law problems would be instantly resolved!
19.7 Sexual Sin I have already touched on many different aspects of sexuality, sexual sin and sexual relationships in the above sections on the demonic dangers of ungodly soul ties. Sexuality has implications across many frontiers of life, and in this section I want to draw together the different ways in which sexuality can be distorted by the enemy, so creating a wealth of demonic entry points that he delights to use. Part of the advantage in this area has been handed to the enemy by the Church through its failure to teach sexual ethics in a positive and helpful way to the succeeding generations of young people who have passed through its hands. The Bible does not adopt this coy and prudish attitude to sexuality. In many places it is very explicit in its descriptions. By way of contrast with the Scriptures, casual observers of the Church’s teaching might be tempted to think that sexual reproduction was not the way Christians are born into the world, for they must have their own special sanitized and sexless way of creating children! The mode of reproduction for mankind was a supreme part of God’s creative act in making men and women. In it He chose not only to share with mankind His creative power, but to give to mankind something unknown to the whole of the rest of creation. For only man, and not dogs, monkeys or any other creature, is described as having been made in the image of God. Human beings have the ability to know each other in the spirit as well as experience each other with the emotions and be connected, via the sexual organs, in the flesh. Intercourse that does not reflect this divine and spiritual knowing is less than God intended for mankind. Strange though it
may seem, especially to those who only associate prudishness with Christian belief, it is only believers who truly know God who as a result are able to truly know each other (spiritually, as well as in the flesh) and for whom sex has the potential of being the very best that it can possibly be! To propound a theory that a good sexual relationship in marriage and Christian belief go hand-in-hand may be considered, by some, to be going beyond the bounds of propriety, and for others with traumatic and painful experiences in the sexual area both inside and outside of marriage, to be beyond the bounds of possibility! All people come into marriage with a range of hurts and difficulties. If these remain unhealed, then they will affect, to one degree or another, the sexual relations of the respective partners. However, I believe that where there has not been an irretrievable break-down of the relationship through undealt-with sin or hidden sexual abuse to one or both of the partners, and both partners are willing, restoration of a joyful sexual relationship is not only possible but highly desirable. And make no mistake, this is one area of Christian healing that Satan will fight tooth and nail to oppose. He cannot stand the joy that marital partners will experience together, and he fears the consequence of two people who are rightfully married fulfilling their full potential before God. Two who are fully joined together and who are totally fulfilled in every aspect of their relationship are a very powerful combination in which the enemy will have to struggle to gain a foothold. By placing emphasis in the above comments on sex inside marriage, I am only emphasizing the fact that God intended sexual union to be restricted to relationships within the marital state. I am not saying that single people do not have sexuality, or that they do not have sexual problems. The sexual problems of the single state are often far greater, especially living as we do in an era where the social
climate is one that encourages a very lax attitude toward sex outside of marriage. The demonic problems created by sexual sin clearly affect both the single and the married, but often in very different ways. A spirit that entered a girl through sexual abuse may so work within the girl to prevent her from ever wanting a married relationship because of the sexual content. But as a person she is desperate for love and companionship. So she is held in the painful tension of longing for a relationship that, by an act of her own will, she has chosen to deny herself. All the signals that then go out to men are that she wants friends but no intimacy. But there are not many men who would willingly choose to enter a marriage on these terms, and so many potential marriage relationships never get off the ground. If the demonic dimension is unrecognized, then there is little hope for a full resolution of the problem. Since sex is such a spiritual matter, it is clearly very important that people should understand the ways in which Satan will pervert sexuality so as to destroy the spiritual dimension that gives Christian sex inside marriage such wonderful potential, and will cause frustrations, and even desperation, in the single person. Our experience in the counseling room would indicate that, for many Christians, their sexual relationships fall a long way short of Gods intention. It is important that people should understand the ways in which the enemy creates problems so that they can be overcome. The following are the major ways through which the demonic invades the life of man and affects sexuality:
19.7.1 Generational Sexual Sin As referred to earlier, the sins of the ancestors can result in demonic power affecting subsequent generations. For example, a family history of adultery will not only make the succeeding generations more accepting of adulterous relationships, but a spirit of adultery is likely to be in operation, forcing members of the family down this particular track.
19.7.2 Sexual Abuse Wherever there has been sexual abuse, however light or heavy it may have been, there is a likelihood of demonization that will always seek to distort and damage godly relationships. For example, a girl may have been sexually abused only once in early childhood. Traumatic though the event may have been at the time, it is likely to have been well buried among the other events of the past. However, the demon that came in through the incident has not forgotten, so when the girl marries a Christian man, the demon (often a spirit of fear) will do all it can to interfere with their sexual relationship. Distress in this area will create maximum havoc in the relationship and destroy much of the potential before God that the couple has as man and wife. It is not unusual, therefore, to find that spirits that came in with the abuse surface shortly after marriage, although they are usually not recognized for what they are. Unless the woman is delivered, the couple are likely to experience a lot of pain together before being forced to settle for a very inadequate sexual relationship, or abandoning the relationship altogether. Along the way they may have been encouraged by a range of marriage counselors, usually not Christians, to try all sorts of different ways of improving things, even including the use of pornography or varieties of perverted sex. With such methods there may seem to be some temporary improvements in some aspects of sexual function, but always, the end result is that the couple has given access to more demons through these practices, and the eventual result is yet greater problems from which they will have to recover. It sometimes seems as though the couple has been handed a spade with which to dig their own grave. You cannot improve sexual relations that are in a state of
dysfunction due to spiritual problems by conduct that is aimed at improving only the fleshly area of the relationship through the soul and the body. In saying this I am not saying that there isn't a place for advice and counseling to help with the emotions and medical advice to help with any actual physical problem that either the man or the woman has, for clearly there is. What I am saying is that unless the spiritual (demonic) problems are resolved, no amount of help or counseling will offer more than short term hope, and when this is dashed the result is yet greater pain and despair.
19.7.3 Dominating Soul Ties Dominating parental soul ties spell disaster for healthy sexual relationships inside marriage. A dominant soul tie with Mother, for example, will often result in the child having a spirit that has gained access through the mother. Such an evil spirit can even mimic the character and dominance of the mother, so that even if Mother is many miles away, the person feels the pressure of the mother's influence. Marriage is a rightful breaking away from parental cover. A dominating maternal spirit will always oppose such attempts at liberty. This is experienced most obviously in the bedroom. Some men, for example, have recounted to me how when they are having sex with their wife, it seems as though their wife’s mother is around, and sometimes, worse than this, as if at those times the wife has almost become the “mother”! In practice, what these men have been coming up against is the spirit of their wife’s mother manifesting in order to oppose the liberty that the wife has set her heart on by getting married. For illustration I have used an example of a man coming up against the spirit of the mother in his wife. In experience the reverse is just as common. A woman will come up against the spirit of her husband’s mother, which so dominated him that he is not free to relate to his wife as a wife, but only as a mother substitute. Many is the marriage, Christian or otherwise, that has foundered on this particular rock. It is easy to see, with this understanding, how important it is to break the ungodly soul ties to parents and deliver people of all controlling and dominating spirits that have come down the generation line. Indeed, without such freedom the scope for a healthy
and liberating sexual relationship inside marriage, and a healthy and controllable sexuality for singles, is considerably limited, with the result that sexual temptation, of varying types from pornography to having a lover, becomes ever more difficult to resist.
19.7.4 Premarital Intercourse and Trial Marriages All forms of sexual relations that are not within the secure bounds of a marriage relationship are sin. Sadly, sexual sin is not often openly confessed and dealt with fully before God. Unconfessed and therefore unforgiven sin gives clear ground to the enemy for demons to enter and stay. Every time a person has sex outside of marriage, an ungodly soul tie is established and the demons are given rights of entry. The deeper a person enters into such immoral relationships, the stronger becomes the hold of the demonic on the participants, and this can then become a gateway for further, and sometimes extensive, demonization. In counseling we have found it necessary to explore (gently) this whole area of previous sexual relationships, especially with people who appear to have been suffering for a long time with problems (medical or otherwise) that have persisted without apparent reason or that have been undiagnosable. For example, it is not unusual to find that spirits of infirmity or of the occult have taken advantage of an ungodly soul tie and transferred across from one sexual partner to the other. God’s standards for sexual relationships as set out in the Bible may seem, to some, to be out-of-date. It does not take much experience in this area of ministry to underline that it is the participants in sexual sin who are out-of-date!
19.7.5 Oral and Anal Sex God designed man and woman to be able to have intercourse by the insertion of the male sexual organ into the female one. Subsequent orgasm is then a source of intense pleasure for both partners and the ejaculation of the sperm into the female is the means of fertilizing the eggs so that reproduction may occur. Ejaculation of the sperm into any other orifice is a perversion of what God planned and purposed for mankind, and is not known even in any of the animal kingdom! We have found that when people, married or not, have indulged in such perverted sex, demons with a similarly perverted character have also entered. The consequences have been everything from physical infirmities in and around the organs involved, often of a medically undiagnosable nature, to an increasingly lustful desire for more and more perverted sex. It is a pathway that the demonic will always encourage people to walk down, once having entered through the gateway of perversion. There are no grounds for encouraging oral or anal sex, even in the case of people who for other physical reasons find normal sexual intercourse a human impossibility. Oral and anal sex are major demonic entry points.
19.7.6 Homosexuality and Lesbianism The homosexual lifestyle is expressly forbidden in Scripture. There are several references underlining this in both the Old and the New Testaments (e.g., Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-32). No amount of reinterpretation of the Scripture in the light of social or cultural considerations can so moderate the implications of the Word of God on these issues as to convince even the most liberal of theologians that the Scripture says anything else but that in the eyes of God homosexuality and lesbianism are wrong. What I have observed, however, is that among those who advocate such things as the “gay Christian movement” there is a marked aversion to respecting the authority of Scripture on anything. Once having declared that homosexual relationships are acceptable, one can do nothing else but adopt an equally liberal view of the rest of Scripture. There is then no longer any standard that can reasonably be upheld that is based on scriptural truth. Indulgence in homosexual relationships of any type provides such clear grounds for the demonic that it is rare to find someone who has been the victim of homosexual abuse or someone who has willingly, even in ignorance, had such contact with people who is not demonized and in need of deliverance. For example, there are many men who as young boys were wrongfully touched by older men in homosexual abuse. This victimization, as well as intentional homosexual involvement, can sometimes lead to demonically induced impotence inside an otherwise godly marriage. The worldwide scourge of AIDS is a disease that has been spread extensively through homosexual immorality. Even medics of no Christian belief spell out clearly that if there had not been homosexual relationships between men, AIDS would not have spread
in the way that it has. But now the disease has spread, and many people, the world over, who have had no homosexual relationships have become victims. The sins of the fathers have been dramatically visited on the children in the case of babies born to those who have been infected by HIV. There are many potential causes of homosexuality, but I believe that in all cases the option of condoning homosexual sin, on the grounds that the homosexual person did not choose to be homosexual and therefore has no personal discretion in the matter, avoids the issue of a spiritual source being at the root of the homosexual tendency. I believe that following confession and repentance, homosexuals can be delivered and healed and that this should be the normal Christian response to a homosexual who seeks help. It does not help the person to condone the sin attached to the lifestyle when he knows in his spirit that God has made it very clear that homosexual sin is contrary to His plans and purposes for man. The basic possible causes of homosexual tendencies, as seen from the deliverance viewpoint, are as follows: A) A generational spirit of homosexuality being passed down through either the mother or the father. This could come from the parents themselves or from much further back in the generation line. The curse of sexual sin in the line would appear to go much further back than the curses of three or four generations for idolatry. Deuteronomy talks about ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:2). The generational sin could be anal sex between a married man and a woman. Their son could then receive a spirit that will induce anal sexual behavior, which can be with either a man or a woman. Once the behavior is repeated with a man, the door is wide open to receive a spirit of homosexuality
on top of the spirit of perversion through anal sex. B) Rejection of the sexuality of a baby so that deep down it receives the message in its spirit that it is of the wrong sex. (Remember that sex is spiritual, and sexual expectations of the parents will inevitably affect the spirit of the baby.) The child will then, probably subconsciously, try to live up to the sexual expectations of the parents and perform as the opposite of what he actually is. Rejection by parents is fertile ground for the demonic and will form an effective gateway for a spirit of homosexuality to enter the developing child. C) Rebellion against parents who only love the child because of his gender. For example, a boy who is specially loved by his father because he is male may feel rejection in every other area of his life and rebel against his parent’s preference for boys. D) Homosexual sexual abuse is perhaps the most common source of homosexual demonization. Not uncommonly, it can even enter through children abusing each other, especially if there is a generational spirit of homosexuality in one of the children that will push the child into a behavior that he or she has not been trained in by the parents. E) Maternal domination leading to homosexuality or paternal domination leading to lesbianism. The man who is so dominated by his mother that to look for a wife would be seen by his mother as rejection of her will often look to other men for sexual fulfillment and enter a homosexual lifestyle as a result. The reverse happens with women who have been wrongfully controlled by their fathers.
f) Willing homosexual relationships. Some people who have no previous background of homosexual relationships, either personally or generationally, are willing to try anything. Male or female homosexual relationships are just one of the world’s deviant possibilities that the demons suggest to the potential libertine. Demons will use any of the above routes to enter a person and distort his sexuality. There is a way back, but it requires a determination to bring one’s life into harmony with God’s will. The gateway is full confession and repentance. Unless the homosexual is willing to see that homosexual or lesbian behavior is sin, there cannot be any deliverance, and the Christian homosexual is condemned, therefore, to a lifetime of sexual pain.
19.7.7 Fantasy and Pornography The use of pornography for obtaining illegitimate sexual pleasure and inducing sexual lust leading to the orgasmic relief of masturbation can be the source of extensive demonization. But using pornography in that deliberate way is very different from noticing images of nudity, which are indeed hard to ignore totally. We live in an age when pictures of the naked body, especially of women, are pushed daily in front of men and women on news and magazine stands, especially in the Western world. This is the world in which Christians have to live without being trapped into the lustful consequences of pornography. The Scriptures encourage us to be in the world but not of the world (John 15:19; 17:1-26), so there must be a way through the overt sexual jungle of the Western world, enabling people to live in the midst of such things without so entering into personal sin that the demonic is given a direct right of entry. I know that in writing on this subject I will be saying some things that will be very good news for those who feel cursed by the problem and will be the cause of much repentance for those who are willingly caught up in the demonic web of pornography. Indeed, it may highlight the need for deliverance. The key to this whole area lies in Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount about looking at a woman to lust after her. Jesus said that this is equivalent to adultery. The borderline of danger will vary enormously from person to person. For some men, just seeing the fully clothed figure of a particularly shaped woman can begin a mental train of thought that, if left unchecked, will lead to lustful sin. For others, the point of danger may be when something much more overtly sexual is seen. But in all instances the entrance gate is the eyes. No wonder the Scriptures say, "If your eyes are sound, your
whole body will be full of light" (Matthew 6:22). Every one of us must be on our guard against the deliberate seeking out of pornographic material. At that point the danger of demonization is great. The key to a holy life is Holy Spirit control of the thought life. But the Holy Spirit will not force God’s way of life upon us against our free will. There has to be an act of our will to walk away from pornographic material before the Holy Spirit will empower us in the fight. But there are many people, men especially, who are so drawn by pornographic material that no matter how hard they try, the compulsion to look at or think about sexually stimulating material, often to the point of masturbation, is so great that it seems beyond their power of control. Then, when it is all over, the guilt clicks into place, bringing with it condemnation and the sense of yet another failure. In such cases the demonic is usually at work. Spirits of lust that entered through the eyes induce the cycle and then, to complete the victim’s misery, leave the person with the burden of guilt. The beginnings of demonization in this area are usually early in life when children accidentally come across an adult magazine and feast upon it in amazement. They can hardly avoid the front-page offerings on full display on most newsstands, and these alone can be sufficient to lead to the demonization of a vulnerable child. Others may see some pornography that is secretly passed around at school, inadvertently come across a naked person or see a couple making love. Early in life it can all seem very exciting, but gradually the need for more and more explicit material gives way to greater lust and sin. Many people have entered promiscuous lifestyles that began with becoming demonized through looking at pornographic pictures, and from then on the demonically empowered downward spiral became a
pattern for life. They justify it by thinking of it as a form of secret sexual sin, which, they feel, borders on the acceptable because it does not involve anyone else. They feel their secrets are secure because no one else can find out about what is really happening beneath the surface. This is a situation that affects many Christians, even leaders who may hold key positions in Christian ministry. Many is the man, often much later in life, who has battled with the problem in isolation for upwards of twenty years and has shared his heart with a member of our team, sometimes even with the belief that because of this particular sin he could not possibly be accepted into the Kingdom of God when he dies. What a relief it is for him to know that there is hope, there is deliverance and there can be a new beginning, even though the disciplined way forward is not easy. The devil does not give up lightly those whom he has controlled through pornography. In this day and age, television and the Internet have become the major purveyors of pornography that Christian men need to guard against the most. With the advent of satellite and digital television, bringing pictures on hundreds of channels from a dozen different countries, sexual images can be viewed almost continuously in total secrecy. No one else will ever know what they are looking at, not even the “man at the video shop." With regard to the Internet, people can choose from literally millions of different sites, many of them free, to indulge their sexual tastes and imaginations. Those who have a problem in this area should have the courage to own their difficulty, share it with a trusted friend and subscribe to one of the monitoring sites that tells the friend when anything unwholesome is being viewed, for what is lusted over in secret will have its outworkings in life. It is what happens in the secret place that determines the power
and spiritual authority of the life God has given us to live. Just as the secret place of prayer is the source of tremendous strength, the secret place of pornographic indulgence will be the source of weakness, defeat and failure. It will be the place where power is handed over to the demonic and people are no longer just battling with their own temptations, but also with an inner demonic power of sexual lust and addiction that has them in its grip. There can even be a secret dependence on pornography inside marriage. In such cases it is usually seen as compensation for the disappointment of a marital sexual relationship that falls a long way short of God’s best, and from which there seems no legitimate way of escape. A poor sexual relationship, therefore, can in itself be a contributory factor to demonization through use of pornography, though this should never be allowed as an excuse for sin. Without deliverance and healing for marital problems, such men are condemned to being vulnerable to a steady decline in the marital situation until the marriage reaches a low level of mutual tolerance with no apparent hope of any improvement. Paul certainly saw the marital relationship as a legitimate and godly means of dealing with sexual desire. In 1 Corinthians 7:9 he expressed this directly and succinctly by saying, “It is better to marry than to burn with passion”! How important it is, therefore, for both husband and wife to work at their sexual relationship so that it becomes the fulfilling union that God intended. All viewing of pornography is a potential entry point for the demonic, whatever reason is put forward for its use. Sadly, there are some marital counselors, even Christian ones, who are clearly not aware of the dangers of demonization, who advise couples having a rough time sexually to indulge in a bit of pornography to get them sexually excited! Whatever short-term gains there may be from such “therapy,” the long-term pains are not worth it.
19.7.8 Bestiality Along with homosexuality and other sexual perversions, the Scripture is quite specific in forbidding sexual relations with animals. Under the Law, both human and animal participants were to be put to death for taking part in such ungodly practices (Leviticus 20:15-16). Death was the normal remedy for perverted sexual behavior. Some say that bestiality might have been the original source of AIDS. It is interesting to speculate that in those days, before Jesus had come and given the ministry of deliverance to the Church, the ultimate sanction of death followed by the ritual provisions of the Law for being cleansed after being in contact with the dead (Numbers 19) was the only way of preventing the demons that were given rights through the practice of sexual perversion from gaining access to the generation lines of God’s people. Certainly, without such radical action, it seems that there would be no way of preventing the demonic from cursing succeeding generations. It only takes a moment’s contemplation of this for the spiritually sensitive to realize and appreciate the wonder and miracle of Jesus’ coming to earth and His sacrifice upon the cross. At Calvary the price was paid for all our sins so that instead of our having to die to pay the price that must be paid for our sin, we look to the One who was sacrificed on our behalf and praise God for the forgiveness that is ours because He died in our place. We have ministered to many people who, in the privacy of the counseling room, have confessed to having indulged in bestial sexual relations. In the case of willing participants, it is usually men who have experimented by having sexual relations with a wide range of animals from dogs to cows.
Very often, however, bestial sexual activity is forced upon someone against their will. Women are made to submit to dogs or, in some perverted rituals, have snakes inserted inside their sexual organs. It sounds bizarre and extreme, but we have ceased to be surprised at the extent of sexual sin or the things that people have to confess when God challenges them to make a fresh and clean start with Him. Bestial sex always results in demonization. It is one of the extremes of sexual behavior, and it so perverts the nature and character of the wonderful plan that God had for men and women together that demonization is inevitable in the case of willing participants, and almost inevitable for those who have such horrors forced upon them. It would take a woman of unusual fortitude and spirituality not to be so traumatized by the experience that demons could not take advantage of the situation.
19.7.9 Transvestism and Transsexuality A transvestite is someone who dresses up in women’s clothes as part of the expression of his sexuality. A transsexual person is someone who not only dresses up in the clothes of the opposite sex, but actually wants to be a member of the opposite sex. Such people often have drug treatments and physical operations to change their external appearances and sexual organs to make them effectively the opposite of the way they were at birth. The possible roots of such behavior are similar to the roots of homosexuality. In many cases, childhood rejection of their God-given sexuality gives the impetus to dress up in the clothing of the opposite sex. In other cases a generational spirit with this particular character is passed down the generation line. Young boys have often been caught trying on their mother’s underwear. One man I counseled was so fascinated by ladies’ underwear hanging in front of the fire to dry on wash day that he was taken over by a compulsion to wear it. The compulsion controlled his life. We now know that it was not a compulsion that took him over at that point, but a demon. It then controlled his sexuality from that moment on. As with homosexuals, there is no route to wholeness that does not include deliverance, but there is much emotional healing that is necessary as well. The biggest problem, however, is the will. If the person who is seeking help does not, in his heart, want to give up the lifestyle, then no amount of counseling will ever bring him to the point of being delivered. There has to be a ready acceptance that the practice, which is condemned in the Scripture (Deuteronomy 22:5), is contrary to God’s desire for him.
19.7.10 Sexual Abuse All sexual abuse leaves people vulnerable to demonization. For a full discussion of sexual abuse as a demonic entry point, please refer to section 19.8.4 below.
19.7.11 Summary The consequences of all wrongful sex, whether entered into willingly or unwillingly, are more extensive than just demonization. All aspects of the damage need to be ministered to in order to bring healing. This is not a book on the whole range of healing ministries, but it is important to mention the other areas of healing that may be needed, so that no reader of this book will think that healing of the severely damaged is just a matter of casting out a few demons. Casting out demons is essential, but our job as ministers of healing is to heal people—not only to cast out the demons. The havoc caused in a person’s life through many years of being demonized requires careful, thorough and loving ministry. The principal areas that may need to be addressed are: a) damage done to the relationship between God and the person involved. b) establishment of ungodly soul ties with other participants, whether willing or unwilling. c) guilt and condemnation experienced. d) rejection—so often a prime cause of sexual sin or a consequence of offering one’s body to another for sexual purposes and being rejected by him. e) emotional disturbance and distress (short- and longterm). F) any breakdown there has been in the unity of the spirit, soul and body, leading, especially in the case of the
traumatized and the abused, to a separation of the spirit and soul from the body as a means of protecting oneself from the consequential pain. A variety of possible out-of-body experiences are often indicators of such breakdown. g) dissociation, where people consciously opt out of reality to overcome the consequences of inner pain or their own ungodly choices.
19.8 Hurts, Abuse and Rejection Jesus was devastatingly direct in His comments about anyone who should offend against a little child. He said that it would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be cast into the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6). Why was Jesus so severe in His comments? I believe that part of the answer lies in the trauma and consequential brokenness to a person when they are at their most vulnerable, robbing them of so much. But I believe the other part of the answer lies in the understanding Jesus had about the demonic consequences of the damage caused to the child in this way. I have not yet ministered to anyone who was seriously abused (sexually or otherwise) who did not also need deliverance ministry. The trauma of abuse opens wide the door for the demonic to take advantage of the pain. The consequences of abusive behavior would be awful enough if one only had to consider the emotional or physical consequences, but the demonic controls that are put upon children through abuse leave people dominated by demons for the rest of their days, and without full deliverance there can be no true healing. In the section on soul ties, we looked at the whole area of godly and ungodly relationships between people. A soul tie is a bonding (good or bad) that holds people into a relationship whether they like it or not. When people are abused, an ungodly soul tie is established between the abuser and the abused. This acts rather like a demonic tube along which the demonic can transfer from one person to the other. This is especially the case if there has been an emotional or sexual bonding between the abuser and the abused. In these days when there has been so much publicity about sexual abuse, we tend to think that this is the only kind of abuse that can cause serious harm to people. But when we seek to look at people
as God sees them, we gain a much wider understanding of the significance of abuse and rejection. We can see how there is the potential for creating opportunities for demonic entry from the moment of conception onward, certainly long before any act of sexual abuse could ever be physically possible. It is important to appreciate that a person is a person from the very moment the sperm and the egg join together to form an embryonic human being. The arguments by the pro-abortionists about whether life begins at twelve weeks, fourteen weeks, twenty-eight weeks or birth are all built on the dictates of secular convenience as opposed to the reality of spiritual truth and understanding. In that minute assemblage of living material is all that is needed to determine the sex, character, personality, body shape and looks of the person, but more important than the flesh potential (soul and body characteristics), is the fact that the spirit of the child already resides there. The spirit, whom God knew as a spiritual being before the moment of sexual union created the right physical environment for the person’s creation as a human being, is sensitive to the spiritual powers (both good and bad) from those earliest seconds of life. We have, for example, delivered people of a spirit of rejection that entered during the very act of sex that resulted in the embryonic child. I think, especially, of a woman who was conceived in rape, where neither father nor mother had any sense of wanting or owning the product of intercourse. Such rejection is a particularly powerful and dangerous form of abuse. The dynamics of acceptance and rejection are very powerful. A loved and accepted child grows up in the security of relationships that are non-abusive and safe. But a child who is the victim of rejection is vulnerable to being accepted and “owned” by the demonic, causing much pain and anguish throughout life.
The spirit of rejection that rides in on the pain and trauma of rejection by those who should be in a position of loving care and responsibility can sometimes have a root so deep in a person’s life that to separate it out from the true God-given character of the individual requires very deep discernment and a major anointing of the Holy Spirit. People often ask how it is that such strong demonic power can enter into a person through hurts, abuse and rejection. The answer would seem to lie in the effect that such behavior has on the spiritual unity and integrity of the victim. The three-stranded structure of man as a spirit, soul and body is a powerful defense against the enemy. (‘A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” [Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV].) But when, for any reason, there is a breakdown in the defensive wall that keeps the person whole, then demonization is an almost inevitable consequence. Any behavior that makes the victim want to “run away from himself or herself” is potentially dangerous. A clinical psychologist recently told me that one of the common threads that goes through the case notes of those women he counsels who have been sexually abused is that almost all of them have had out-of-body experiences. By this he means that they could describe leaving their bodies and looking back at themselves from a distance, or going for a walk in the garden, or going off with an imaginary friend. They had taught themselves that to be out of their bodies when unpleasant things were happening to them enabled them to cope with the pain. Such behavior is the beginning of what the occultists describe as astral projection. Astral projection is a demonically executed occultic technique by which a person learns how to leave his body deliberately. Demonization as a result is inevitable. Children who are brought up in witchcraft or Satanism are taught how to astrally project at the earliest of ages, for it is a prime way of ensuring that the
demonic is able to enter and control the young child. Once the integral unity of the spirit-soul-body entity is broken down, demonization is easy. When, through abusive behavior, a child (or an adult) learns to cope with the pain by running away from himself and into a fantasy world of projected living, demonization readily follows. A gateway is opened up between the body and the spirit-soul part of his being, and the demonic is able to ride straight in and set up a control base. Rejection, a spirit from the abuser, a demonic fantasy friend, fear and confusion are but some of the possible evil spirits that will take up residence, and that, when the Lord opens up a way for personal ministry, must be dealt with through deliverance. All forms of abuse are rejective in their nature. But care must be taken to distinguish between godly discipline and physical abuse— they are very different. Excessive and unfair physical punishment will initiate a reactive cycle in the victim, but failure to discipline a child who knows he has over-stepped the mark will also induce a rejective cycle. Unless the child receives the discipline he needs and deserves in a measure appropriate to the misdemeanor, the spirit of the child will sense that the parent does not really care for him and rejection will take root. The modern movement away from physical discipline of children (in some countries it is now illegal to physically discipline even your own children!) is a demonic deception designed by the enemy to induce rejection and then premature independence in the children. As a result, when children grow up, they will not be responsive to those who could lead them wisely through the temptations and testings of life. Children do need to become independent of parents, at the right age. But if independence has been entered into prematurely as a consequence of rejection, then the damage caused will produce a defensive wall that the parents (and
others) will come up against time and time again. The following list of opportunities for demonization to occur through hurts, abuse and rejection is not meant to be all-embracing and complete. While it does cover the primary types of problems encountered, it should be treated as a guide to problem areas as opposed to a comprehensive checklist.
19.8.1 At Conception The act of intercourse may be loving, but any resulting conception may be unwanted. If the mother, especially (though not exclusively), reacts negatively when she realizes she is pregnant and persists in her rejection of the child within her womb, then the spirit of the child will sense what is going on in the mother and begin to feel rejected. This then creates the spiritual environment for a demon to start claiming the child, and there is then a danger that a spirit of rejection will enter the hurting child and take over spiritual responsibility for the emergent human being. Many mothers may go into a state of shock on finding out they are pregnant, but within 48 hours they come right around to the idea and even start knitting! What I am saying here is that if the mother (and father preferably as well) change their heart attitudes to the initially unwanted child, then no long-term harm will be done and rightful acceptance will overcome any danger of a spirit of rejection gaining a stronghold on the child. Sadly, many totally rejected babies are aborted and are never given a chance in life. In common with most people who have been working in this area of spiritual ministry, I believe that all aborted babies are treated by God as children who have died before the age of accountability and will reach their spiritual maturity in heaven. These children’s teeth will certainly not be set on edge by the sins of their fathers (Jeremiah 31:29). They will not come under judgment or suffer eternal death because of the sins of their parents.
19.8.2 Single Parenting and Unwanted Pregnancies God intended babies to be brought up in families, and that means under the loving nurture and care of both a mother and a father. Many mothers conceive children outside the security of a stable permanent relationship and are forced to go through their pregnancies alone. In these circumstances a loving mother and a supportive family can help enormously to minimize the spiritual damage of an absentee father during those early months. But children need fathers as well as mothers, and mothers need husbands (as well as parental support) to provide them with the spiritual, emotional and physical cover that is so necessary to their security during this sensitive time of their lives. The developing child can experience a sense of rejection by the father he has never even known, and in many cases a spirit of rejection will gain entrance as a result. The consequences of a spirit of rejection entering in these circumstances can be many and varied. One of the most common problem areas is sexual development into one of the extremes of sexual behavior (heterosexual promiscuity or a homosexual lifestyle). It is not unusual for the period of pregnancy in these circumstances to be one of great trauma and even violence for both the mother and the father of the child. The father, who only wanted a sexual encounter with the mother, feels trapped into a relationship he never wanted. He goes along with it for a time, but inside the resentment and anger come to a boiling point, there is a violent quarrel and the relationship is over. There are times when we have delivered people of spirits that have come in at such critical times in the pregnancy. The Holy Spirit
has sometimes shown them (many years later) exactly what was happening while they were in their mother's womb. Later, when they have checked out the details with the mother, they have found that the circumstances were precisely as God had revealed through the ministry. When parents are going through stormy passages at any time, the children often suffer. This can even be the case during pregnancy. The child cannot assess the situation and account rationally for the difficulties the parents must be going through. So, often the child looks at what is going on and assumes that he or she is the source of the problem. In some cases the presence of the child may, indeed, be the problem, but whether or not the child is the source of the problem is largely irrelevant—what matters is that the child believes he or she is the source of the problem and, therefore, not only feels rejected but begins to reject him- or herself as well. So rejection is followed by self-rejection, and ultimately, the child grows up to be afraid of further rejection. One can then have three spirits working together against the child’s welfare: rejection, self-rejection and fear of rejection. An unwanted pregnancy need not be when the parents are unmarried. A child may come along at a very inconvenient time for the mother’s career, and she may be angry at having to interrupt the successful development of her business life. The family budget may already be over-stretched, and another mouth to feed may be a financial disaster. Or the mother may be well over forty, with her other children already teenagers, and suddenly along comes another child. The reasons for rejecting a child in the womb arc many and varied, but, whatever the reason, the demonic will try to take
advantage of the parents’ sin in rejecting the child God has created. Failure to accept people as they are leaves them vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks, especially with unborn children whose right to godly parenting has been shattered by the pain of rejection.
19.8.3 Rejection of Sexuality Rejection of the sexuality of a child can have long-lasting and permanent consequences. Each child that is conceived is given his or her own sexual identity, and there is nothing that man can do to change what God has created. During pregnancy, however, some parents begin to build up an expectation that the child is going to fulfill their heart’s desire and be the boy or girl they long for. If, when the child is born, he is indeed what the parents long for, all may be well, but there is a danger at that point of the child only being loved because he has fulfilled the wishes of the parents with regard to his sexuality. There are two extremes of danger in bringing up such a child. First, the child can then do no wrong throughout his childhood and is, therefore, thoroughly spoiled. The consequences of this can be devastating, especially to any future children who do not meet the sexual expectation of the parents and feel rejected as a result of the preferential treatment that the first child has received. Second, at the other extreme, the child may start to feel that he is only acceptable because of his sexuality, and not because of who he is as a person. Ultimately, to accept a child only because of his sexuality may have fulfilled the expectations of the parents, but such acceptance is at the cost of rejecting the child for who he is. At this point the child is very vulnerable to demonization. It is clear, therefore, that the only safe reaction to the sex of children is to rejoice in whatever sexuality God has given them and not to either prefer one child because of his or her sex or reject another child because he or she does not have the “right” sex. In this way the children who are conceived will not only travel through
pregnancy secure in the knowledge that they are acceptable, irrespective of their sexuality, but when they are born they will not have to endure the extremes of either adulation (for being the right sex) or despair (for being the wrong sex). There is no doubt whatsoever that when children are born they sense things spiritually that they cannot articulate or understand, especially if there is something about them sexually that is not up to expectation. They may not be able to express the feelings of rejection, but I believe that deep down, children know that there is something about them that is not up to expectation. Many times we have delivered people of demons that have entered at this precise stage of life, given rights by the wrongful attitudes of the parents toward the sexuality of the child who has just been born into the family. Rejection of sexuality can, and often does, have long-term sexual and emotional consequences. It is one of the most common root causes of homosexuality in both men and women. One homosexual man I counseled had been dressed in pink clothes for the first five years of his life so that his mother could live out the fantasy of having the daughter she longed for instead of the son she got. As such a child grows in maturity, subconsciously he will start living up to the sexual orientation that was desired for him by one or both parents and the demonic homosexual spirit becomes deeply ingrained in the whole personality. The demonic root is rejection (of the sexuality of the child), which can become a platform for homosexual spirits to then enter and develop the deviant sexual lifestyle.
19.8.4 Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse is a specific form of rejection. It would require a whole book to explain the consequences of being abused in this personal and very intimate way. To understand why sexual abuse is a form of rejection, we need to remember that mankind is more than a body, for we have a spirit and a soul as well. When a person is sexually abused, it is the body that is the focus of attention by the abuser. The spirit and the soul of the victim are, therefore, being rejected. It is almost as if the abuser tries to erect a barrier between the body of the victim and the personality of the victim in order to pretend that the person is not being harmed by the act and so minimize the guilt consequences of what he or she is actually doing. However, sexual relationships are spiritual in nature, and no sexual contact, of any sort, can be experienced without there being a spiritual consequence. The Hebrew word for sexual intercourse is the same word that is used for knowing God. It is the deep and intimate knowing of another person, which God planned and purposed for men and women when He created our sexuality—a knowing that transcends all three facets of man’s creation as spirit, soul and body. So no matter how hard an abuser may try to insulate his sin from the person inside the victim’s body, he will never be able to do it. An ungodly soul tie is always established between the victim and the abuser, creating a spiritual channel through which demonic transference can easily take place. Once the abusive spirit has entered the victim, it is never content to lie low and do nothing; it will always try to encourage activity of a similar perverted character in the victim. Many abused
children, in their turn, have to wrestle with desires to abuse, and some give way and become abusers themselves. I haven’t yet ministered to a sexual abuser who wasn’t first abused as a child. a) What, then, is sexual abuse? Sexual abuse is usually thought of as the abuse of a young girl by a man. While this is, perhaps, the most common form of sexual abuse, abuse of young boys by women is not unknown, and the abuse of young boys by older men is very common indeed. The abuser can follow a sequence of abusive behavior that can include any or all of the following: a) Visual abuse and voyeurism b) Uninvited caressing c) Handling of the sexual areas d) Anal handling e) Masturbation in front of the victim f) Forced oral sex g) Mutual masturbation h) Intercourse/rape i) Anal intercourse/rape j) Bestiality k) Ritualistic sex l) Incest—sexual contact of any degree with a member of
one’s own family other than one’s spouse m) Marital abuse—sexual demands and practices that go beyond the rightful physical relationship that God planned and purposed for men and women All sexual abuse has spiritual consequences, leaving the victim wide open to the danger of demonization. The demonic can enter directly through the abuser (and usually does), but in addition there is the danger also of demonization through fear, confusion, deception, pain and other emotional traumas. b) Consequences of sexual abuse However, I would not want those who are reading this book in isolation from our wider teaching on sexual abuse and sexual relationships to think that I believe demonization is the only consequence of abusive behavior. It isn’t. The consequences are far wider and can include any or all of the following: a) Confusion • of identity • of sexuality • of physical identity • of emotions b) Regression • to childhood experiences of abuse • to childhood emotional behavior
• to childhood physical conduct c) Repression • of memories • denial that anything happened when it obviously did d) Fantasy • living in a fantasy world of unreal memories • relationships with fantasy friends • living in fear of fantasy enemies e) Fracture of trust • inability to trust people, even those who are obviously trustworthy f) Rejective behavior • leading to self-rejection and fear of rejection g) Rebellion • refusal to conform or cooperate • irrational anger h) Secretive lifestyle i) Loss of personal pride in appearance j) Masking of sexual characteristics through the extremes of
anorexia or overeating k) Guilt l) Fearful demeanor m) Inability to respond to love, which sometimes does not become obvious until after marriage, when the sexual side of the relationship disintegrates through apparent frigidity n) Promiscuity—some abused people respond to their premature sexual maturity by giving it license in promiscuous lifestyles o) Wanting to die p) Physical illness—often as a long-term disability or infirmity that becomes camouflage for the real underlying problem q) Damage to the spirit—internal anger becomes focused on God, and relationships with Him become impossible And there are many more. But the above should be sufficient to indicate that when ministering to the sexually abused, we are dealing with a complex web of pain and damage that has been built on the initial platform of rejection and the abuser’s intentions. Sadly, each time a person responds to the pain of the past with a new ungodly behavior pattern in the present, the demonic grip can tighten as further demons are given rights in the person’s life. For example, a teenage response of promiscuity to a childhood pattern of abuse introduces fresh demonic power with every promiscuous relationship. While I thank God for all the secular agencies that have sprung up in recent years to help people who have been abused, ultimately, they can do little more than show people how to live with the
consequences of the abuse. It is only Christian ministry that can bring real healing so that the victim can walk away from the abuse with a purpose for the future that is not tied to the pain of the past. No other form of ministry has the authority to deal with the powers of darkness that have entered the life of the victim through sexual abuse.
19.8.5 Physical Abuse Physical violence hurts much more than the body of the victim. Violence against the body of a person is an offense against the person in the body. The physical pain may be great, but it is inconsequential when compared with the long-term emotional and spiritual damage that is done as a result. A child instinctively knows if he is being fairly punished for things he has done wrong, and deep down he will accept the punishment as acceptance and loving care, even though there may be a superficial reaction that would seem to indicate otherwise. But when a child is violated physically, the very opposite occurs. The child knows that the punishment is a form of rejection, and the gateway between the body and the soul-spirit is in danger of being opened up to the demonic in much the same way as happens when a person is sexually abused. An ungodly soul tie between the abuser and the abused is established, and a spirit from the abuser will commonly enter the child along with a spirit of rejection. Demonic imaginary friends (sometimes mistaken for “angels”) are also a very common manifestation of the presence of demons in the physically abused. They become a listening ear that always understands. What the child can never understand, however, is that the demonic friend is working hand-in-hand with the demons in the abuser, in order to increase the demonic stranglehold on the victim. Unknown to the victim, the demons that have already entered will encourage a behavior pattern calculated to induce violence from the abuser. Having achieved this objective, the same demons (or other demons working in partnership with them) will then turn into a comforter so that the victim is encased in a demonic web of punishment and comfort. It’s as if the higher demonic powers have to
be appeased by a regular cycle of such behavior. Satan is a deceiver who will even send a demon dressed as an angel of light if such a garb would suit his purposes, so we should not be surprised at any of his tactics. He is no respecter of persons and will seek to demonize a child at the earliest possible age. He knows that the younger a child is when the demonic strongholds are established, the more difficult it will be for that child to come to personal faith in Christ and, should the child be converted, it may still be hard for the new Christian to be set free from the powers of darkness. The more one ministers to people who have been demonized through abusive behavior, the more one understands how important it is for Christian parents to be the godly cover for their children that He intended them to be. Satan will exploit every possible weakness in the parents to infiltrate the children. Through ministering to the abused, one sees, almost by default, the things that really matter in bringing up children. For in this ministry one sees the things that close the door to the enemy and make it impossible for the demonic to enter. One also sees the things that do open the door, resulting in demonized children. A very brief summary of the requirements of good Christian parents, arising from the above, could be written down as follows: a) parental unity in spirit, soul and body relationships; b) parental acceptance of the child, irrespective of its gender, personality and gifting; c) godly discipline, so that the child will grow up in a secure framework; and, above all, d) sacrificial and unconditional love, so that the child really knows that he or she matters to the people to whom God has entrusted
the child’s welfare. I can see now, with the benefits of both experience and ministry hindsight, that any failure in any of these departments will be taken advantage of by the enemy, resulting in the danger of the demonic having access to our children.
19.8.6 Emotional and Psychological Abuse Sexual and physical abuse are readily identifiable and recognized. However, the emotional and psychological abuse that a large number of parents or substitute parents subject their children to is far more difficult to resolve. This type of abuse is also a common experience of many adults. Domination and manipulation are sin, irrespective of whether the victim is a young child, or an old man, or one's husband, wife, son or daughter, friend, associate, colleague, fellow church member, etc. Any behavior that seeks to take away the godly free will of another is abusive behavior and will lead to problems of varying degrees. The abuser already has the problem, and the victim often responds to the abuse in such a way that the door is opened to the demonic. Again, all such abusive behavior is a form of rejection in which the free will of an individual to be the person God intended him to be is overlooked and the person is therefore rejected. At this point a few things need to be stated to avoid any confusion. I am not saying that parents should always allow children to have their own way because God has given them their free will. That is a recipe for disaster. The child has to learn that the overall happiness of a Christian family is achieved when we willingly submit one to another and that the parents hold everything in balance by seeing that no one member of the family dominates unfairly to the detriment of others. Neither am I saying that there are not times when the head of the family has to make major decisions that would seem, on the surface, to override the interests of the wife and/or the children. But in a godly, ordered relationship, such decisions will be made with the wife’s support, and the children will take their behavioral cue from
the attitude of their mother toward their father. Nor am I saying that there will not be times when the wife will seek to influence her husband over issues that at first he may not be willing to consider, either on her own behalf or on behalf of her children. None of these things is either domination or manipulation if it is carried out with full respect for the various positions held in the family by the different members. But I am saying this: Violation of the free will of an individual to be the person that God has planned and purposed is rebellion against God. Manipulation, domination and control are the tools of witchcraft, and it is not surprising, therefore, that the victims of manipulation, domination and control can be demonized as a result. No one would doubt the fact that those who dabble in witchcraft are likely to be demonized, and therefore no one should be unduly surprised to learn that those who use the tools of witchcraft (even though they may not be overtly involved in what is generally understood to be witchcraft) are using demons, albeit unknowingly, to get their own way and are running the risk of their victims being demonized as a result. One of the most common problem areas in this respect lies in the relationship between parents and their children. God’s intention for children was that there should be a steadily changing relationship between the child and the parents from day one of the child’s life. Gradually the protective barriers are meant to be dropped as the child grows in age and maturity, until age eighteen, nineteen or thereabouts, when the child is mature enough to go his own way and start to live life as an emergent adult. Of course, the child can come back of his own free will time and time again to seek care, help, love and advice from the parents. That is fine, provided the child is totally free to come and go as and when necessary. Some will need to return
in this way more than others. But problems arise when the identity of the parents is so wrapped up in their children that they do not have a mature identity of their own in order to cope with life after the children have left. For many parents, the impending crisis of the children no longer needing them is something that they try to stave off with ever-increasing intensity as the children get older. Emotional blackmail, control and domination ensure that the child is never mature enough to totally flee the nest and remains forevermore under the domination of Mother or Father, or both. The greatest danger is maternal domination, especially in a family where the mother has never been out to work and has been treated by the father as an unpaid housekeeper and child rearer instead of an equal partner in a dynamic and loving relationship. Once the children no longer need their mother, the rejection felt is so intense that the mother will do everything she possibly can to make herself vital to the son or daughter who is desperate to leave home. The mother-in-law jokes are all founded on the factual experience of many people who have not been able to escape what they see as the emotional and psychological control of a mother-in-law who tries to control the marriage (and the marriage partner) of her offspring. These are, indeed, very choppy waters to sail through. On the one hand there is the command to honor one’s parents, and on the other hand there is the scriptural injunction to cleave to your new partner. The conflict can be very great, and the guilt that is loaded on by some mothers who try every emotional trick in the book (from a checkbook to waterfalls of tears) can weigh heavily on the conscience. Unless one stands up to the dominating parent and holds up a rightful spiritual authority, one is not truly honoring the parent (who
needs help to come to maturity and whose job it should be to let the child go). Not to stand strong on this issue could then create a crisis in one’s own marriage that is likely to cause intense pain and possibly precipitate separation and divorce unless nipped in the bud very early in the marriage and resolved accordingly. In ministry we have had to break the soul ties to mothers (and fathers) on too many occasions to count. The demonic power that has been locked into the victim through such domination and control is sometimes awesome to behold. It comes as a major and traumatic shock to some people to realize how much power has been exercised in this way. For others, who have felt the chains wrapped tightly around them, it is no shock at all—just a relief to be rid of the bondage. Many have experienced significant physical healing through deliverance from spirits of infirmity that have been given a right to transfer down the generation line as a result of the sinful abuse of the children. There are many other relationships that can be dominating, manipulative and, therefore, abusive. The effects are much the same as the above, so I will simply list some of them here for ease of reference: a) Husband by wife b) Wife by husband c) Parents by children d) Child by older or younger brother or sister e) Child by aunt, uncle or grandparent f) Employee by employer
g) Minister by members of the congregation h) Congregation by the minister
19.8.1 Separation and Divorce How we respond to things that happen around us can, in large part, determine whether or not the demonic is able to take advantage of the pain we experience. Nowhere is this more the case than with regard to marital separation and divorce. Separated and divorced people have, for a very long time, felt like second- or even third-class members of the Church. The rejection that can be heaped on them by some members of the Body of Christ can sometimes be far greater and more painful than the rejection experienced in the breakup of the marriage itself. We have had a number of letters from divorcees pleading for help in this area. I can understand a church fellowship that does not want to give the impression that they are condoning or encouraging divorce. That is right and good, but it is very different from holding the divorced in a state of suspended judgment so that they never feel accepted as part of the fellowship. This is not the place to go into the whole ethics of divorce and remarriage, but I would say that on the basis of the many people we have counseled in recent years, there is a lot of hypocrisy in the Church on the issue and an unwillingness to face up to the real issues involved. Not all parties to a divorce are acting sinfully, but this is not a message that people who have suffered the intense pain of divorce have often been given by the Church. It has sometimes been the failure of the Church to understand and support those who are going through marital breakup that has given additional ground to the demonic to take advantage of the situation.
All separations involve rejection. Even in the case of one partner leaving to establish a relationship with another person, the one leaving may be doing so because of the rejection he or she has gone through. And the one who is left behind finds it hard to see, in the midst of their own rejection, that their behavior may have contributed to the breakup. Counseling those going through separation and divorce is a skilled and necessary operation. There does need to be rightful accountability brought to those who are sinfully responsible for the breakdown of a relationship. Those suffering the pain of divorce as participants need to guard against bitterness, and those who are alongside the individuals involved need to minister in love with unconditional acceptance—the best antidotes to the attacks of the demonic. Ministry to the divorced must include, at an appropriate moment, the cutting of the soul ties to the previous partner. But counselors need to be especially sensitive here to choose the moment for this wisely. There won't always be demons that are then free to leave, but often there are. When a relationship has reached the point of no return, it is usually only after many years of trauma, and during this time there are many points at which the demonic could have entered. It also needs to be remembered in ministering to the divorced that the reason why the divorce occurred at all may well lie in the dim and distant past, long pre-dating the marriage. It is always helpful to seek to bring healing to these areas at an appropriate time so that, in the event of a second marriage, the same mistakes are not repeated. A further demonic entry point in divorce situations can be in the lives of the children—especially if the behavior of the parents is such that the children are made to suffer the pain of marital dispute. The
trauma the children experience can itself be a demonic entry point creating the possible need for careful ministry at a later date.
19.8.8 Death Death can seem to be the ultimate rejection for the person left behind. Facing up to the reality of life’s partings and learning to accept them is a vital part of being a mature man or woman. Some people, however, have never accepted the death of a loved one, and this in itself has given opportunity to the demonic to control a person. It is not unusual to find that a demonic spirit has taken on the character of the person who has died, and this then acts as a controlling influence on the living. It is always necessary in such cases to ask God to release the person from every ungodly attachment he had to the dead person as a precursor to deliverance ministry. The release experienced when this is done is sometimes very dramatic, as the living person, who has become demonized through the pain and trauma of separation, is set free from demonic control through which he can also be held in bondage to grief.
19.9 Through Trauma or Accident Trauma and accident are part of life's experiences. Even Christians are not exempt from occasional crises and problems. We live in a fallen world of which Satan is the god (2 Corinthians 4:4). There are many things that happen in this world as a consequence of the Fall, and it is wrong to blame God when things appear to go wrong. It is only when Jesus returns as King of kings that Satan's reign will come to an end and the Kingdom reign of God will be ushered in on that great and wonderful day. In the meantime, God has promised to be with us always, right until the end of the age in which we live (Matthew 28:20). But that promise is not unconditional. It is related to our willingness to be obedient to the Commission that Jesus gave to the Church—to make disciples and teach them to do all the things that Jesus taught the first disciples to do. We have found, through extensive experience, that moments of great trauma or major accident are also times of great spiritual sensitivity. We are then vulnerable to the supernatural in a way that we are not at other times, and if we are not secure in God’s love and care when the evil day comes (as Paul assured us it would in Ephesians 6:13), then we are vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. The enemy is no respecter of persons, and he does not think that because someone is going through a traumatic experience he will leave him alone out of the kindness of his heart! There is nothing kind about the heart of Satan, and he will choose these very moments to try to gain a spiritual advantage and place one of his “arrows” (demons) inside those who are suffering. No wonder Paul encouraged us to wear our armor at all times!
The sort of traumas that people have gone through that, in our counseling experience, have proved to be common entry points for the demonic are such things as major illness, unemployment, accidents, abuse and fear.
19.9.1 Major Illness Sudden illness affecting the individual concerned or a close member of the family is always a traumatic experience. Perfect health on one day can be replaced by fear of death on the next. The trauma experienced by a parent when a child is suddenly taken ill is often far greater than that of the child. The very word cancer strikes fear into the heart of an individual, and I know of cases where the fear of getting cancer has been the doorway through which a spirit of infirmity causing cancer has walked right into a person’s life. This can frequently be the case when a close member of the family is dying from cancer. The fear of someone else getting it gives a right to the infirmity to transfer and induce similar symptoms. We have ministered to many people who have developed cancer symptoms subsequent to another member of the family dying of the disease. The symptoms frequently appear in the same organs as, and in a way similar to, the cancer of the previous patient. For those who live alone, the trauma of sickness can induce fears such as “Who is going to look after me now? How am I going to cope?”—with the result that some will conclude they cannot cope, and fear of the future will induce further demonic sickness and possibly eventual death.
19.9.2 Unemployment Unemployment is always difficult to handle but especially when it comes suddenly. Someone may go out to work one day, full of expectation, but return later that same day devastated by the news of getting fired. The trauma of such an experience can open wide the gateway to rejection, leaving the person unable to cope with life, believing that he is unwanted. The spirit of rejection makes him turn in on himself and lose heart and hope. If approached in the right way, termination can become a wonderful opportunity for people to put their lives back on a new footing before God and establish themselves, perhaps for the first time in their lives, in the place that He intended them to be. Many is the person who can look back on termination as the greatest moment of opportunity God ever gave him. Hope is always the antidote to fear, and with hope, all that the enemy might want to do through the trauma of unemployment can be refused, because our security is not in earthly support and fulfillment but through being in the place of God’s appointment.
19.9.3 Accidents Incidents such as car crashes are high on the list of potential demonic entry points. Often, in ministering to people with long-term accident injuries that refuse to heal, we have found that a spirit of fear or a curse of accidents is at the root of the condition. Sometimes the accident itself was demonically induced in order to fulfill the terms of a particular curse. This is especially found to be the case when people experience repeated accidents for no apparent reason. They may also have been generationally affected by a spirit causing accidents that has come down the family line. A curse of accidents such as this can be placed upon a person or his ancestors knowingly through witchcraft or unknowingly through hatred, bitterness or motives of revenge. We have sometimes seen that when the spirit of curse of accidents is challenged, the person suddenly experiences pain in areas where there was no pain before. The demon often manifests itself in the place where it first affected either the person or one of his ancestors. People who have suffered accidents are also often broken on the inside through the trauma they have experienced, resulting in a restriction on their ability to be fully healed physically. Dealing with the inner brokenness has become a major area of teaching within Ellel Ministries, and we have seen many people wonderfully healed of the long-term consequences of accidents through a combination of inner healing of the brokenness (Isaiah 61:1) and deliverance ministry.
19.9.4 Abuse (See section 19.8: Hurts, Abuse and Rejection.)
19.9.5 Fear Fear is invariably an entry point for demons when people are going through a traumatic experience. Fear of the unknown, fear of what’s going to happen next, fear of dying, fear of a hundred and one different things that can grip the heart of man from time to time can be used by Satan to control people. Fear controls vast areas of some people’s lives, and the demonic thrives on the opportunities that fear gives to the enemy. During moments of great trauma, people are spiritually vulnerable. A road accident, for example, can give the demonic a prime opportunity to take advantage of the traumatized state that accident victims often experience. It is only much later, often years later, when the person is still suffering the effects of the accident that we have been able to piece together what actually happened as the demons have been forced to identify themselves and then be cast out. In some cases the demon that entered made the person afraid of cars, or traveling, or that particular stretch of road, or that particular driver. In all cases the effect was long lasting and demonic, but curable through deliverance, provided that the person was willing to forgive anyone responsible and to deal rightfully with any other basics that had not been resolved in his or her life.
19.10 Death (Including Miscarriages and Abortions) 19.10.1 The Transition of Death The moment of death is a moment of transition—a transition from the limitations of the body, which we were given by God at our conception, to all that lies ahead of each individual. The Christian who trusts in Jesus knows from the Scriptures that after death there is a time of separation (of the sheep from the goats) and then a time of judgment. Jesus talked at some length about "the age that is to come.” Matthew’s gospel records that He told several stories to illustrate the eternal consequences of our earthly actions and behavior, including the story of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The implication of this parable is that none of us can know when either our time to die will come or when the Lord Himself will return again the second time in glory. It is incumbent upon us to be ready so that when that moment comes, we will be part of the Bride of Christ, the Church. At death, the body becomes an empty shell—the person that was in the body has gone. For him the end of life on earth has come, and his future rests in the love and mercy of Jesus his Savior and God his heavenly Father. From that moment he is outside the limitations of earthly time, but for those who are left behind, there is a range of consequences that the demonic will do everything possible to take advantage of. Demons do not have bodies of their own. They seek to fulfill their master’s (Satan’s) wishes through occupying the bodies of
human beings and diverting people away from the Lord Jesus Christ so that they do not become Christian believers. Inside a Christian they will try to minimize the effectiveness of his Christian walk and his influence in the church to which he belongs. For this reason it is not unusual to find demons more obviously at work in believers than in unbelievers. Within them there is work to be done. Within unbelievers, however, who have set their will to serve themselves and turn their backs on God, the demons will normally maintain a very low profile, knowing that they can always increase their level of activity if there is a change in the spirituality of their host. The moment of death is of great significance. A dead body is generally useless to demons. Therefore death is not only a time of transition for the person who died, but a time of redistribution for any demons that were present. However, demons cannot just move from one person to another without having rights, so during the person's lifetime, the demons inside will encourage him or her to establish ungodly soul ties with a variety of other people so that at death, transference can be effected relatively easily. At death it seems that the demons will use these ungodly soul ties as one of the ways of entering someone who is still living. The demons will also use any spiritual weakness in our own being as a point of transference. For example, if someone is very afraid and has a spirit of fear, then this may be used to give further demons a right of entry from the person who has just died. I realize that, in opening up this whole discussion, I am touching on a sensitive and potentially controversial issue. In the Old Testament Law, there are detailed provisions laid down on how to protect oneself from the dangers of coming into contact with someone who has recently died. Numbers 19:11 states
quite unequivocally that a person who "[touches] a corpse [is] ritually unclean for seven days,” and in verse 14 this is extended to anyone who is in the same tent (building) at the time of death of the deceased. The words used to describe the uncleanness always seem to imply “ritual uncleanness.” Careful reading of the Scriptures demonstrates that ritual uncleanness is always associated with something spiritual that is making the person, place or object unclean. Hezekiah became king of Judah after a period when the Temple had been used wrongfully in forms of occult worship. The Temple was described as being ritually unclean as a result, and the priests were instructed to make themselves ritually clean and then to make the Temple ritually clean according to the Law of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29). Ritual uncleanness is always associated with something of a spiritual nature that is actually defiling people, places or objects, or in other words, spiritual beings and powers that have been given rights there as a result of what has previously happened to the people, places or objects. So in Numbers 19 it is made very clear that those who have been in contact with the dead are in danger of being ritually unclean. Why? Some commentators have tried to sidestep the issue by saying that this was God's way of ensuring that if a person came into contact with someone who had died from a contagious disease, then washing would minimize the risk of infection, for the means of cleansing that is prescribed in the Law involves being washed in the water of purification. However, if that really were the case, it would not make sense to prepare such cleansing water by sprinkling the ashes of a sacrificed red heifer on the water as part of its preparation. Running water from a stream would be the only sensible medical advice to give to
someone who wanted to wash away any traces of disease from his body. Therefore, the only possible way of interpreting Numbers 19 is that the water of purification had been specially prepared and consecrated (see Numbers 19:1-11 for the procedure) and that the water so prepared was endued with a spiritual power that could deal with the defiling spiritual powers that may have transferred from the person who had just died. We have found, in many hundreds of ministries, that to break all attachments there might have been between a person and someone who has died is a very effective way of dealing with the powers of darkness and removing their rights to be in their new host. So often we have seen how the demons have induced exactly the same symptoms in the new person as were prevalent in the person who died. The spirits of infirmity continued their same job function, unchecked, after transfer. The use of the water of purification, as prescribed in the Law, is definitely an Old Testament procedure for dealing with such spiritual powers. It is interesting to note, however, that the water required the sacrifice of a perfect red cow that had never been put to work. When Jesus died on the cross, He became that perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice. Just as in the wilderness the people were to look in faith to the bronze serpent that was lifted up for their healing from the poison of snake bites, so we are to look to the Son of God, who was lifted up on Calvary, so that we may be healed from the poison that the enemy has injected into us spiritually and be set free from the consequences. When Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), He stressed that they were to baptize believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We have found in ministry that when in baptism we recognize the power of the name
of Jesus to save, heal and deliver, on many occasions people have come up out of the waters to be immediately delivered of the powers of darkness, which could not stand the consequences of their obedience and the cleansing powers of the consecrated waters into which the person was baptized. It is interesting that Paul comments on the cleansing of the Church by water in Ephesians 5:26, saying that God made the Church clean by washing it in water. We have also found, in some very heavy deliverance ministries, that if we give the person receiving ministry consecrated water to drink, the effect on the demonic can be dramatic and immediate. By “consecrated water” I mean water that has been prayed over so that it may be filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a power impartation when that is done, similar to the power impartation that takes place when a person receives the laying on of hands. We first discovered this when a person we were praying with asked for a glass of water. I went to the kitchen to get one, but on the way back the Lord spoke to me very clearly and told me to bless the water by the laying on of hands. I did so, took it to the room and gave it to the person to drink. She took one sip, spat it out and the demon speaking out through her said, “Get me some proper water!” We got some water that we did not pray over. She was then able to drink the whole glass without any problem. She said that the water actually tasted different, and because it was unconsecrated the demons had no problem with allowing the water to enter her stomach. But a member of the team then laid her hands on the lady’s stomach and consecrated the water that was now inside. There was an immediate reaction, as if the water was boiling in her stomach, and she went into immediate deliverance. This experience was part of the learning program God was putting us through at the time—not a technique to be recommended for future ministry!
We have found in experience, therefore, that the principle of Numbers 19 holds true for today. The only differences between then and now are that the sacrifice has already been made by Jesus, so, mercifully, no more red heifers are needed, and that He has given believers power and authority through the impartation of Holy Spirit power. Because of the cross, Christians can be in a position of victory. Because of the possibility of demonization, death is a time of danger to the living, for any spirits that were resident in a person who has just died will seek to find a new home as soon as possible. This point only serves to emphasize how vital it is that we do not have ungodly soul ties with anyone and that we are always living spiritually clean lives ourselves. When counseling people, especially those with long-term problems, we will ask about deaths in the family as a matter of routine. Often, by dealing with things that have transferred from certain individuals, we have been able to short-circuit many hours of ministry as people have been set free from the powers that had been controlling them. We have found in experience that often what we call a “guiding spirit” of the person who has died has attached itself to the person we are praying for. This is a demon that has taken on the characteristics of the deceased. Such a spirit has often been with the person throughout his life. These guiding spirits are the ones that spiritualist mediums summon up when a person consults the medium with a view to speaking to someone who has died. The guiding spirit, who knew the deceased extremely well and is, therefore, able to deceive with an amazing degree of cunning and accuracy, leads people into false beliefs about the nature of life after death and into the deceptions of spiritualism. By addressing and
casting out the guiding spirit of a dead person, we have seen very significant things happen in the living person's life as he is healed of the conditions and symptoms that have come down the generation line through the deceased.
19.10.2 Related Issues There arc several other aspects of death that the demonic can latch onto that need to be noted when ministering to the living. These have been touched on in other sections, but for completeness of this section I will repeat them here briefly. a) Grief This is a necessary process. Without the expression of grief, there cannot be full healing from the bereavement. But sometimes a demon will ride in on the emotional trauma, and then the person never seems to recover from the bereavement. If after three months or so, there is not a marked change in a person’s condition following the grief of bereavement, it is not unreasonable to suspect that there may be spirits of grief operating. One lady I knew was still grieving the loss of her husband fifteen years later. The grief being expressed at that time was totally demonic. After deliverance she was healed. b) Shock This is especially relevant in the case of sudden deaths. The trauma of being bereaved without warning affects people deeply, so emotionally they are wide open to demonic attack. Even if people have been ill for a long time before dying, the effect on the living can still be just as great as if the person had been suddenly killed in a car accident. From the moment they first knew that their loved one was dying, some people have the capacity to put all their emotions "on hold” so as to support and encourage the one who is dying. When it is all over, the shock of not having a patient to sustain can be very traumatic. c) Loneliness
This is particularly common when a long-standing and devoted marriage is ended by bereavement. The loneliness felt is very intense, and demons will ride in on the emotions, especially if the one who is left behind does not have the support of children or other close members of the family to encourage him at that time. d) Rejection For some people (especially children), losing a loved one is nothing less than being rejected by that loved one. It’s almost as if they feel the person has died deliberately and left them behind. When this happens there is usually a deep root of rejection already in the person, which the demonic takes advantage of to bring in a spirit of ultimate rejection through the death of the person on whom the bereaved depended.
19.11 Curses (Including Inner Vows and Pronouncements, Wrongful Praying, etc.) Curses are words that are spoken against another person with intent to harm. The words in themselves have no authority to hurt anyone; it is the spiritual power behind the words that enables the terms of the curse to be fulfilled.
19.11.1 God’s Curse Before looking at the consequences of curses spoken by human beings, we need to ask what it means in the Scriptures when they refer to God’s curse being upon someone for breaking particular aspects of the Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15-68). In these cases the curse is a form of judgment for disobedience and rebellion. When we sin we move outside God’s covering, and we place ourselves, therefore, under the covering of Satan. Generally speaking, God’s curse is brought about through the loss of protection as a result of our own willful decisions. It could be understood to mean the withdrawal of blessing. In some cases, however, God may act summarily to execute judgment on certain individuals. Scripture says clearly that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19) and that we are not to take judgment into our own hands. In cases where God acts in this way, the actual fulfillment of the "curse” is probably executed by angels, as is specifically stated in the case of Herod (Acts 12:23), who chose to allow the people to worship him as if he was God. In the Old Testament an evil spirit is also described as having been sent by the Lord to trouble King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14), indicating that ultimate power, even over Satan’s forces, is still in the hands of God and that God can, if He wishes, use an evil spirit to fulfill His purposes. With regard to the curse of God, Paul said Jesus became cursed for us (Galatians 3:13) and redeemed those who believe from the curse of the Law. The way God’s curse is lifted from mankind is through the cross. Confession, repentance and then forgiveness are the basic requirements for being set free from the general curse that is upon mankind because of sin. They are the specific requirements for each one of us if we find that we have sinned specifically and, as a result, have put ourselves once again under God’s curse through
further rebellion. Thankfully, it is very clear that John was writing to believing Christians when he said that “if we confess our sins to God... he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing” (1 John 1:9). John expected that believers would sin, and he made certain that they knew there was a remedy for sin. The process of sanctification sometimes seems long and hard. Paul cried out in anguish that the good he wanted to do, sometimes he couldn’t, and in contrast he would find himself doing the bad things that in his heart of hearts he did not want to do (Romans 7:14-25). Paul’s experience was the same as that of all who would set their hearts to follow Jesus. The closer we walk with God, the more conscious we become of sin within. The greater the intensity of the light, the easier it is to see the dirt! There are some Christians who, because of sins they have committed in the past, read Hebrews 6 and end up in deep despair and condemnation. This is a common experience of elderly people who have striven all their lives to serve God, often against overwhelming temptations they have struggled with desperately. They can look back on lives that have been well spent in God’s service, but the closer they come to the end of their days, the more aware they become of their failings. One of Satan’s names is "accuser of the brethren,” and he loves to send an evil spirit to do just that—accuse the saints of God of every misdemeanor they have committed and refer them to Scriptures that are devastating if taken out of context and away from the balance of Scripture—especially to those who long to be pure in heart and are the most desirous of serving God. But Satan always has been an expert at quoting Scripture. That was the technique he used with Jesus. How easy it would have been for Jesus to have heard Scripture being quoted and deduced that what
was being implied through the Scripture must, therefore, be true. Satan is a liar and he will not hesitate to read, interpret and use even the Word of God if it suits his purposes. How careful we must be in the way we use Scripture, and how discerning we must be when other Christians (or non-Christians for that matter) quote Scripture to us. It is not so much the words that are quoted that matter, but the spirit that lies behind the words. No wonder it is necessary for one of the gifts of the Spirit to be the ability to discern the difference between those things that come from God and those things that don’t (1 Corinthians 12:10). The Hebrews 6 passage, which those who do not fully appreciate that they have been freed from the curse of the Law so often stumble against, is specifically directed at those who have abandoned their faith, not those who are still battling and pressing on, notwithstanding the occasional fall or problem on the way. There is a wealth of difference between those who have abandoned their faith and those who are struggling with the realities of their faith in the midst of a fallen world and within a body of fallen flesh. I would much rather have an employee who makes mistakes, learns from them and keeps pressing on than an employee who sits back and does nothing in case he might make a mistake. As the wisdom of the world would confirm: “The man who makes no mistakes does not make anything”! It is important that we encourage those who are still battling on for God and remind them that because of Jesus, they are redeemed from the curse of the Law. They have been snatched out of the hand of the devil, whatever a lying spirit might try to whisper in their hearts. If we capitulate to the taunts of the enemy with regard to our past, then we give rights to the enemy to demonize us through doubt and unbelief. We have delivered people from many spirits that have
taken advantage of such situations—spirits that have named themselves as despair, fear of God (not the holy fear of God, but a wrongful fear arising out of not being able to trust in the blessings of salvation), unworthiness, guilt, etc. Paul tackles the problem of Christians who have sinned (not built rightfully on the foundation of Jesus) in 1 Corinthians 3. There he likens what we do with our Christian lives to a building and says that there will even be some whose whole building will be destroyed in the fire of God’s judgment because there is nothing worthwhile to preserve, but even so “you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).
19.11.2 Satan’s Curses When it comes to curses that are not of God, we are dealing with something very different, namely evil spirits that have specific job functions to fulfill the terms of the curses that are made by men against their fellows. For those who feel that no curse anyone else can place against them could ever hurt them, there is encouragement to be found in the Proverbs, where it says, “A curse without cause does not alight” (Proverbs 26:2, NASB). Broadly speaking, this means that if we ourselves are not giving any rights to the enemy in our lives, then no matter what Satan, demons or malicious people might throw at us, the curse cannot affect us spiritually. The caution I would issue with respect to such a verse is this: Who of us is so confident of our walk before God that we are absolutely certain we are not giving any cause to the enemy to land a curse on us? Pride is a deadly enemy! Remember what the Scripture says about the heart and its deceitfulness. I believe that other than the fear of God, there are few greater inducements to living a holy life than the fact that our behavior and the attitudes of our hearts can open the door for the enemy to gain access. Praying the psalmist’s prayer of self-examination—"Test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24)—is an important discipline for the believing Christian. Remember also that the ongoing attacks of the enemy can have the effect of wearing us down and making us less resistant to his taunts and testings. We need to be on our guard that we do not let our defenses slip and give the enemy grounds for curses to be able to land on us and make their demons stick.
Having ministered to many hundreds of people who have been the victims of a curse, I know from much experience that the wiles and the determination of the enemy to neutralize the power of the Body of Christ is such that he will stop at nothing to fulfill his purposes. Curses are one of his favorite means of operation, especially by using areas of vulnerability and channels of curses that we would not normally suspect as being dangerous. Most people who use curses against others are not aware of the damage they are doing. Very few appear to understand that when they speak wrongfully against someone, they are creating an opportunity for the enemy to attack and possibly demonize the person they are speaking about. Those are strong words, and they are not said lightly. I will never forget the minister who had to resign his ministry position on health grounds, or so he thought. He suffered a breakdown and could not carry on. Little did he know at the time that the vehemence of the words being spoken to him and about him by members of the congregation was such that he was the victim of cursing from the moment he walked into the parish. He was a godly man and was determined to give the Holy Spirit freedom to operate in the church. But the opposition that came from the members of the church, who had so recently appointed him, was vehement. They wanted a vicar who would do what they wanted, not what God wanted. After a time he began to react against some of the things being said. His emotions were raw, and he and his wife did not know how to protect themselves or have the wisdom to move to a place that did want to hear the message God had called them to proclaim. Other problems in their lives, which had been dormant for years, began to raise their heads, and after a few years they resigned, not only from that church, but from the ministry.
Satan had cursed them, and they were now in need of more than just a sabbatical period of tender loving care. They were both in need of major deliverance from all the spirits of the curse that they had taken onboard through the words of some of the congregation. When they came for deliverance, both they and we were shocked at the strongholds that the enemy had managed to put upon them through what they had suffered. We have seen on many occasions how the curses spoken by Christians give even more power to the enemy than those spoken by unbelievers. Such curses give the demons rights that directly undermine the life of the Body of Christ. Wrongful praying (when we are asking God to do things that are motivated by wrong desires) is a particularly powerful form of cursing that other writers with more experience than I have also given testimony to. For further understanding of this important area, I suggest you read Derek Prince’s book Blessing or Curse. Curses from men fall broadly into two categories: First, there are deliberate curses applied by those who are working within the occult, know exactly what they are doing and, whether they appreciate it or not, are using demons to invoke harm upon the victim of the curse. Second, there are those that may not be placed deliberately but are curses nevertheless, because they fall into the general category of words spoken against another person that are contrary to God’s plan and purposes for that person.
19.11.3 Deliberate Curses Placed by Men We can learn much from the ways in which those who deliberately place curses operate. They cannot, generally, just choose someone at random and speak a curse against him. In order to be effective, they have to have some form of link with the person that can be used as an access point to the victim. It’s almost as if the demons that will fulfill the curse have to have knowledge of the victim or a means of identifying him. That is why something that belongs to the person is used in cursing rituals. An object the victim owns (see also the next section) is frequently used, such as an item of clothing or a piece of jewelry. When an object or a piece of clothing is stolen, for example, it can be used to try to curse its owner. Alternatively, a curse (demon) can be attached to the object and then it is returned to the owner so that the demon of curse is able to operate directly against the victim. Something of the person’s flesh is especially powerful. Nail clippings, hair trimmings and blood are frequently used. The Scripture talks about "the life being in the blood,” and the use of someone’s blood in the cursing ritual, as a means of linking a curse directly to the victim, seems to be one of the most powerful means of controlling people through demonic cursing. Another method of linking the curse to the victim is the use of his photograph. This is more commonly a voodoo practice, where the photograph is used instead of a voodoo doll to put physical pain and symptoms into the victim. For example, by stabbing the doll or the photograph in specific places, the voodooist can use demons to induce identical symptoms in the body of the victim. In countries where voodoo is a basic practice of native
witchcraft, people are often in great fear of the voodooist, for they know what has happened to other people who have fallen victim to his activities. The voodooists are often used in a commercial way and are employed by people to place curses on victims—even competitors in business. Whenever occultists are used like this to curse victims, whether through voodoo or some other occult practice, they will invariably need something of the person in order to establish a spiritual linking with the intended victim so that the demons will be able to identify the victim and do what is asked of them. What the above discussion establishes for us is that a linking is required between the one who curses and the victim who is cursed. Without that linking, the curse cannot be directed to the victim and it will not work. Even with such a linking, however, the curse will not necessarily work. I have heard those who have been involved in the evils of the occult say that they found it was harder to put curses on some Christians than others. Reduced to a simple rule, the closer a person walks with the Lord, the less landing ground there is for the enemy’s curses. We have found in some ministries that when people started to develop strange symptoms for no apparent reason, sometimes these were the consequences of occult curses. At other times people suddenly started having strange accidents or things would begin going inexplicably wrong with their relationships or their work. Ministry in this area has often depended on having a correct word of knowledge about the person being prayed with. At other times when we have suspected a curse and challenged the spirit of curse causing the problems to surface, the demon has often spoken out how it got into the victim. Once the person has forgiven the person, known or unknown, who placed the curse (or who paid the
occultist to do so), then deliverance can take place, and usually there is an end to the signs or symptoms that were indicative of the curse being present. When ministering to people who have been actively involved in false religions or occult practices that, as part of their rituals, invoke curses on others, one can expect to have to deal with many, many different curses of a wide variety of types during the course of the ministry. All witchcraft, Satanism, Freemasonry and other secret orders (of which there are many) have built curses into all their rituals either to try to prevent people from leaving the organization or, if they do so, to hold them into the spiritual bondage they willingly entered into while a member of the group. Some of these curses are curses of death, so it is not unusual to find that after someone has been delivered of a spirit that was attached to a particular ritual, the spirit of curse that was a guardian of the ritual immediately comes into action and can sometimes try to make the person stop breathing or want to commit suicide. The demon has a right to do this, given by the individuals themselves when they willingly spoke out their acceptance of the terms and conditions of membership or of power elevation within the organization. For example, the curses of Freemasonry are different at each degree to which the participant rises. We have seen that these curses can be passed on to the children in accordance with the words of Exodus 20:5—the sins of the fathers are visited on the children unto the third and fourth generations. Daughters of Freemasons whom we have ministered to have often manifested symptoms of the Masonic curses precisely in line with the actual words of the curses invoked by their fathers as part of their ritual initiations into each degree. Another aspect of cursing through Freemasonry is that these
curses seem to particularly affect Christians who renounce either their own Freemasonry or that of their ancestors. Freemasonry is a form of “prosperity cult" for those involved, whereby one Freemason is pledged to help his brother Freemasons. When people renounce Freemasonry, the spirit whose job function it was to encourage prosperity reverses its role in order to fulfill its anti- Jesus objective. Prosperity becomes a curse of poverty that acts against financial interests, especially of believers. We have found in ministering to those affected by Freemasonry that there is often a spirit attached to this. We can also testify that with some of these people, when that curse of poverty was broken there were noticeable differences from then on. As people are set free from all these things and delivered from the demons that have been at work in their lives, the wonder of the cross comes more and more sharply into focus. When Jesus died He made it possible for people to be set free from every curse, because the consequences of all curses were laid upon Him, and it is as a result of what He suffered that we can be healed. Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 53) in which he describes how the One who was to come would make healing possible, was amazingly accurate.
19.11.4 Nondeliberate Curses By “non-deliberate curses” I mean curses that are spoken by people against others, but not with the specific intention of bringing harm to the person in the sense that is described above. But our ignorance of how the demonic takes the things we say and do does not prevent the demons from using us to hurt others through our words. For example, the enemy can latch on to what we may say in a fit of temper and make it stick in the mind and the emotions of the person spoken to. If the words are believed and accepted, the demonic can then establish itself, holding the victim to the words that have been said. However, for this to happen, as with the deliberate curses described above, there has to be some connection between the one who curses and the victim. This brings us back to the importance of soul ties. More often than not, when people say things to us that really hurt us, they are said by people with whom we already have a soul tie. It is only because we are close to the person that the words have any power to affect us. If someone we have never known swears at us abusively for no apparent reason, we will normally just shrug it off. While we may remember the incident, there is no power to hurt or control us implicit in the words. But if a man comes home from work one day and abusively attacks his wife for something she is supposed to have done (or not done), she is likely to be devastated by the encounter, and the wound will go very deep. If she dwells on what has been said and begins to believe the lies that have been spoken about her (e.g., “You are useless”), then the enemy can use the soul tie between her and her husband to lodge a spirit of failure deep inside. Once there, it will do everything it can to
make the poor woman live up to the expectation of being a failure, and she will be made to experience on the inside what the spirit keeps telling her, until she has so convinced herself she is a failure that her whole world begins to fall apart. Sometimes in public meetings I have taught on this whole subject of failure and sensed that many people present have been laboring, not just under the problems they have encountered in life, but from the effects of a spirit of failure that has been inducing much of the damage. When the demons behind this are addressed and ordered out, it is not unusual for quite a large percentage of the people to go through deliverance as they are set free from the bondage they have been in. So what we are looking at in this whole discussion are negative and destructive words spoken (and even prayed!) by people close to us with whom we have a soul tie. Such words, when believed and accepted, become a landing ground for the demonic. Children are especially vulnerable to the criticisms spoken over them by parents, because they instinctively believe what parents and other adults who have some responsible care for them say. They accept the good and the bad without question. They are encouraged by the good. They are destroyed by the bad. Some of the things people have told us about things that were said to them by their parents have appalled us as we have stood by them in their walk toward wholeness. The pain of remembering things that had been said was sometimes so great that it was hard for them to forgive, even though they realized that without such forgiveness the demonic power behind the words could not be broken. Actual examples of things we have come up against, as a result of which people have needed both deliverance and healing, are as follows:
Said by parents to children • “You are useless.” • "You'll never be any good. You’re just like your mother.” • “Big boys don’t cry” (accompanied by a beating for crying even though there was a good reason for crying, when age seven). • “You’ll never get married. Who would want to live with you?” • “You’re ugly.” • “You’ll never get a job.” • “Never trust men. They’ll only get you into trouble.” • “You’re really wicked; you’re evil.” • “You’ll never change; you’ll always be the same.” • “It’s in the family—you’re bound to get it.” Said by husbands to wives • "Why can't you cook like my mother?” • “You are pathetic.” • “You dress like a clown.” • “When I see you in bed, I feel like sleeping in the spare room.” • “Why can't you be like John’s wife?”
Said by wives to husbands • “I wish I’d married a real man.” • “All you’re interested in is sex” (to a man who was heartbroken by his wife’s total lack of interest in him as a person). • “It’s a pity the children haven’t got someone they can look up to.” • “You’re just like your father—useless.” • “No wonder you can’t get a job. I wouldn't employ you for anything.” Said by a congregation to its minister • “It’s a pity Mr. Jones had to retire” (Mr. Jones was the previous minister). • "l used to enjoy visits from the previous pastor!” • “We’ll pray him out of here; he’s not for us!” • “Don’t think you can change anything here.” • "If you preach more than ten minutes, we’ll all walk out.” • “We pay you to do what we tell you.” Said by a minister to his congregation • “You’re all dead.” • “I wish I’d never come here.” • “If you think you can change me, think again.”
Said by an employer to employee • "You never do anything properly.” • “If you carry on like that you’ll make me bankrupt.” • “I’ll run my company my way. Stuff your Christianity.” • “A monkey could type quicker than you.” How we respond when statements like these are said to us determines what hold, if any, the enemy is able to exercise over us in our lives. These are some of the possible arrows that Paul was talking about when he wrote in Ephesians 6 about fending off all the fiery darts from the evil one with the shield of faith. We can either hold up our shield of faith and, with godly authority, refuse the influence of such words in our lives, or we can accept the words, dwell on them and believe them. As soon as we do this, we have given the enemy a right to walk all over us, and at some time in the future we may need deliverance.
19.11.5 Self-cursing and Inner Vows Unfortunately, children rarely know how to handle the sort of situation when cruel words are spoken against them. The arrows usually find their target. Inside, the child (and often the adult) will make an inner vow. This is a form of self-curse through which they determine not to let these things happen again, whatever it may cost. For example, a natural response to the beating given to a sevenyear- old boy because he was crying is to say, “I will never cry again." One man of 46 I ministered to had done just this, and from the age of seven until the age of 46, he never cried. But the price he paid for such control of his rightful emotions was high. Because his emotions were now demonically controlled through the curse and the consequent inner vow, he ended up in deep depression and had to have medication for most of his life. He only half lived, such was the crippling effect of both the depression and the drugs. Healing for him began with forgiving his father and renouncing the inner vow he had taken. When we make an inner vow against ourselves, which means that some part of our lives will be lived in a way that is contrary to God’s plan and purposes, then not only do we limit our potential as people, but we invite the enemy to control us in that area. Many people have subsequently realized how stupid it was for them to say such a thing and then found that they could not break free from the situation. They did not realize that they were fighting the demonic, and it was only after deliverance that they were able to begin the long process of restoration of rightful thought patterns and behavior. For example, one girl who had been heavily abused had made many inner vows, two of which were ‘‘I will never sleep in a bed again” (she had concluded that beds were dangerous and decided not
to use them again) and "I will never trust a man again” (because men do nasty things to you). While she had tried to overcome these things of her own accord, she had found it to be quite impossible. It was only after she had been delivered of the spirits that were controlling her as a result of the self-cursing through inner vows that she could be healed. She was eventually set free from the bondage and was able to both sleep in a bed again and, after a period of time, begin to see that not all men would abuse her and that she could even look forward to having a loving relationship with a man. Some of the inner vows that we have had to set people free from are as follows: • I’ll never forgive myself. This is a very common response to a situation that might have been avoided, but something went wrong. People can then blame themselves for the rest of their lives. • I’m ugly, thick, useless, a nuisance, etc. These are inner vows that are a direct response to believing that what others have said against them must be true. • I’ll never speak to _______ again. These are inner vows that are a direct response to damage caused by a certain individual. • It’s not safe to look attractive. If I make myself look attractive, I may get abused again. Deliberately getting overweight, or becoming anorexic, are typical responses that can hide one’s sexuality in such cases. • No one loves me, so I won’t let anyone get close to me. The
pain of having trusted someone who let them down makes them conclude that no one can really love them, so they become emotionally reclusive and live behind sealed walls. • I want to die; I’m better off dead. This occurs when the pain of living is so great that people conclude the only sensible answer to their situation is to take their own lives. This is far more common than most people readily admit. When I ask in public Christian meetings how many people have felt like committing suicide at some time in their lives, I usually find that at least half the people put their hands up! • I’m not going to grow up. This is the response of a child who fears the world of grown-ups because of what some of them have done to him or her. • Parents can’t be trusted. This is the response from a child when betrayed by a parent. One person we prayed with was left for “five minutes” by his parents, who went off and enjoyed themselves for five hours. The distress caused by this one incident had been lifelong. • Sex is dirty. This is the response of a child who asked her parents questions about the facts of life. Her response to her parents’ embarrassment was to conclude that sex must be very dirty. Sexual problems in marriage had their origin in demonic control of her sexuality through this inner vow. • All dads hurt children. This is the response of a physically abused child to an eventual foster parent. The demons attached to the inner vow prevented a relationship with the man who was trying to rescue the child from the past. For those who are trapped in life by the spirits of a curse that
have been put upon them through the deliberate malicious intent of occultists, the thoughtless verbal attacks of those who oppose us in various ways or as a result of our own making of inner vows, it is encouraging to remind ourselves of the truth stated so clearly in God’s Word: “You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised. The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who are his.... [And] you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people, and how very great is his power at work in us who believe” (Ephesians 1:13-14, 18-19).
19.12 Cursed Objects and Buildings When we understand that the way a curse is applied to a person is through the agency of unclean spirits, it is easy to understand that unclean spirits could also be attached to objects and buildings, so that those who come under the influence of such places and objects will also come under the influence of the demons attached to them. A much fuller discussion of this important topic will be found in part 3 of this book. Those who have come under the influence of cursed objects have sometimes become the victims of deliberately applied occultic power, but often the victims have come into the ownership of something that has been cursed or has been to a cursed place, and they have no framework of understanding to see how it is possible for them to be suffering as a result. Second Chronicles 29 is particularly significant as a point of scriptural reference in this respect. After the Temple in Jerusalem had fallen into pagan occult use, King Hezekiah came to the throne and determined to clean up the situation. Not only did the priests have to make themselves ritually clean after the time of apostasy, but they also had to make every object in the Temple ritually clean so that it would be freed from all the powers that were inevitably attached to the objects that had been so defiled. Occultists attach great power to objects that have had a Christian use and are then stolen and given a pagan use. They recognize that demonic power that can be wielded through the blatant misuse of objects that were formerly consecrated to God is far greater than with any other object. That is why there is a thriving black market in stolen religious objects in parallel with a rise in Satanism and witchcraft in the Western world. There has also been an
enormous rise in the theft of religious objects from churches— especially chalices and other church silverware. As a result, many churches in the U.K. that were formerly able to be left open for people to use as a sanctuary at any time have had to be locked at all times other than when services are taking place as a deterrent to thieves. Ministers, and all those responsible for church buildings, not only need to be guardians of the contents, but need to be spiritually discerning people who will sense when something is not right and exorcise the building of anything that has either been left behind by visitors (“worshipers”) to the church or that has been done deliberately through rituals taking place in or around the church at night. This gives an additional modern- day insight into how important it is to follow the early Church's example and only appoint to offices in the church men who are "full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:3). How else could they discern those things (of a spiritual nature) that are not of God? When God gave Moses the instructions for dedicating the Tent of the Lord’s Presence, He said, “Dedicate the Tent and all its equipment by anointing it with the sacred oil, and it will be holy” (Exodus 40:9). The implication of this significant verse is that all the objects that were used for the tent and its contents were unholy, and they needed to be consecrated so that they would become holy. This is a fallen world, in which, for the time being, everything is under the control of the god of this world (Satan). Prior to consecration, therefore, all the materials that had been used for making the tent and its contents were subject to the influence of the enemy. In order to remove the right that Satan would otherwise have had over the objects used in the worship of the true and living God, there had to be a ritual cleansing (exorcism) of everything so that Satan could have no influence over the worship of God by His
people. This is the origin of services consecrating buildings to be used in the worship of God. With regard to the ground on which churches are actually built, it is interesting to note that in Exodus 3:5 Moses was told to take off his shoes because the ground he was standing on was holy. It had been made holy by the presence of the living God, who spoke to him out of the burning bush. The most interesting point about this encounter is not that the ground on which God was standing was holy (that, I presume, is obvious!) but that the ground on which Moses had been standing was unholy by comparison. So it is not only objects and buildings that need to be made holy by consecration, but also the ground on which the building is standing. Such acts of consecration deal with the claim that Satan would otherwise have (as god of this world) to the land and buildings involved. But where objects, land and buildings have, additionally, been used by man in any form of occult worship, there is additional direct demonic power that has been attached to the site through the agency of man’s sin. So not only do they then need consecrating to God, but first they need to be exorcised of all demons that have been attached to them through the sins of those who have previously used them. I use the word exorcism here deliberately to distinguish it from the word deliverance, which I have used for setting people free from the presence of evil spirits. The word exorcism is not used anywhere in the Scriptures to describe the deliverance of people from demons, but it does have a specific and very relevant meaning in this whole area that seems to be much more appropriate for the specific deliverance of inanimate objects and places. Many of our ancient churches, following the instructions of Augustine, were built on the ancient pagan worship sites in the
villages and towns of our land in the U.K. While the buildings would have been rightfully consecrated to God when constructed, I do wonder if the ground on which the churches were constructed was exorcised of the demons that had been given specific rights there, often through human and animal sacrifice to the demonic deities and ultimately, therefore, to Satan. There are a number of buildings in which Christians continued to have problems over a long period of time and which we have dealt with in this way. When the powers attached to the land were challenged, it was not unusual for there to be some very considerable demonic power unleashed as a result, especially on sites where sacrifices had taken place. But when the ground has been thoroughly and rightfully dealt with, there has usually been a marked change in the spiritual atmosphere inside the buildings. Returning now to cursed objects, we have sometimes found that people we have tried to help have struggled to get free, and we have struggled to set them free! In a number of these cases, we have come up against objects they own that have been cursed and, therefore, hold an enormous amount of demonic influence over them. Usually the objects involved are items of jewelry or, if not jewelry, items of significant value. This is one way of ensuring that the person will think twice about throwing such items away and will want to hang on to them for their monetary value. We have found that the only wise policy with all such objects is to adopt the procedure followed by Paul in Acts 19:18-19 with regard to occult books, which, in those days, were exceedingly valuable. They had a bonfire and destroyed them. You only have to see the response from the demons inside a person, when it is proposed that we destroy the object that has been used to give them power, to realize how vital a part of the ministry this is for those who either have been in the occult or have been
cursed through owning occult objects. The demons will sometimes scream out in terror and produce all sorts of “rational” arguments why the objects shouldn't be destroyed, and in the end, when they see that the person’s will is set on getting rid of the accursed objects, the demons will sometimes even try to use supernatural strength to prevent what is going on! Cursed jewelry is often inherited, so one of the questions that we need to ask people who have suddenly started having strange problems in their or their family's lives is “Have you inherited any objects that might have an occult background?” We have found that sometimes people have kept Freemasonry objects belonging to a deceased relative, and the demonic resistance to the destruction of these has been as great as if the objects had been used in witchcraft. For this sort of reason, I would advise people never to purchase secondhand jewelry (one has no idea what curse might be attached) and to inquire very carefully about the provenance of gifts that are handed down the family line before accepting them! Secondhand engagement rings, for example, can bring with them a curse on the whole marriage if they have been wrongfully used by previous owners. If they were sold by the previous owner because of a broken engagement or a divorce, a ruling spirit of division could affect the next person who wears the ring. At the very least all secondhand jewelry should be exorcised and reconsecrated to the Lord. All cursed objects are not necessarily jewelry. Children, for example, place far greater value on a favorite toy than on a piece of gold. We have seen how children brought up in homes steeped in witchcraft are sometimes given a special toy that has first been demonized by cursing. This toy then acts like a demonic watcher and comforter for the child, and an unnatural attachment to the toy will hold the child in bondage, not just in childhood but later in life as well.
Ungodly soul ties of domination and manipulation are encouraged and strengthened by special gifts from the one who dominates through obligation, guilt and weakness. They have often been handmade, with many hours of work being put into the toy, so that the recipient would feel guilty about ever treating such an object as "just another toy.” While most people would have a very pure motive in making and giving such a toy, the motive may not always be as pure as we may be led to believe. In general, it is only objects that have been specifically used in occult practice that need to be physically destroyed, but I would strongly recommend that if there is any unnatural attachment to any gift or object, then it should certainly be prayed over, and any ungodly soul tie there may be between the owner and the giver should be cut. I have seen that when this is done, the gift can then be viewed more rationally, and while it may still be appreciated for what it is, it no longer holds the dominating and manipulating power that it did previously. Finally in this section, I must refer to buildings that people have visited, through which they may have inadvertently been demonized. Sometimes it is simply that people have been unwise, not realizing the demonic danger they have been in by visiting, for example, the temples of other religions, or other places where demonic power has been given rights through the false worship that has been offered there. Sometimes visitors are asked to take off their shoes before going in such temples. If people do that, they are in effect offering worship to the demonic deity that reigns over the temple! Therefore, it is not surprising that some people, even committed Christians, who visit such places can pick up a spirit that has been given a right through their action. We need to be on our guard against such possibilities.
At other times people have been demonized through a house they have owned (or sometimes just visited). The previous owners of the house gave rights to the demonic through the things they did in the house, and subsequent owners then walked into the spiritual tidal wave of opposition that was left behind. This would especially be the case if the new owners of the house were Christians, whose very presence is quite naturally a threat to the resident demons. This underlines the importance for Christian families to treat their own homes as a temple (in the Old Testament sense) and dedicate both the ground and the building to the Lord, having first cleansed them of any demonic power that has been in residence as a result of the activities of previous owners. We also know of instances where the previous owner died in the house, and although he may not have been into anything particularly occultic, his association with the house was so strong that the demons that left the body at death remained tied to the property and continued to “own” the property, as it were, on behalf of the person who died. Sometimes the guiding demonic spirit of the person has even manifested in the house as a ghost. This can also happen if there has been any past tragedy in the house, especially sudden violent deaths or suicides, where the demonic power has been operating powerfully as a result. In some of these instances, we have found it helpful to have a Communion service in the house as part of the re-dedication of the property, making a statement to all the powers of darkness that it is because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that Christians need not fear the activities of Satan and can live in freedom from the ongoing influence of his demons in the house.
19.13 Addictions There are three main categories of addiction. The first two could also be described as compulsive behavior patterns. First, there are addictions that are totally unrelated to the chemical constitution of the body, because they are not connected in any way to the intake of either foreign substances or excessive amounts of substances that are only normally taken into the body in small quantities. The addiction is not to a substance but to a particular behavior characteristic (such as washing the hands, looking at pornography, etc.). Second, there are addictions to the intake of food substances that are not themselves chemically addictive in the way that drugs are (there are no chemical withdrawal symptoms if the addictive material is not available) but without which the victim cannot cope. Third, there are addictions to those substances, such as drink, drugs and cigarettes, that contain chemically addictive substances for which the person develops a craving as a result of the withdrawal symptoms that are experienced if the body does not have further supplies. In addition to the chemical-based addiction, there is also the addictive behavior associated with taking in the substance—for example, going to the bar, associating with smokers, etc. The behavioral addiction reinforces the chemical addiction and vice versa. With all three of these addictive patterns, we have encountered demonic control that makes it very hard for the individual to renounce and walk away from the addiction. When there is a demon inside whose job function is to control the person through the addictive pattern, it is that much harder for the victim to break free from the addiction.
Addictions do not normally start by someone choosing to become addicted to something. They are usually a reaction to something else that is going on in the person’s life or a response to someone else who encourages the behavior in question. Almost all the addictions in the third category are of this latter type, where there is social pressure to conform to whatever the group is involved in. If one group member smokes, it is hard for any of them not to smoke. If one takes drugs, then they all give it a try. Once a person has started on an addictive lifestyle, be it behavioral or chemical, the enemy will do all he can to demonically tie the person into the lifestyle. But there is no point in just trying to cast out whatever demon may have gotten in. First of all, the right the enemy has been given needs to be undermined. Sometimes this will be a case of confession, repentance and forgiveness, but rarely is it so simple! Addictive patterns are almost always a reaction to gaping holes in a person’s life that are not being filled in a rightful way. A person may be deeply rejected and craving acceptance, so he will keep the company of drug addicts who accept him unconditionally as one of them. A person may be going through a breakdown in the marriage relationship, so he will seek comfort in eating chocolate because there is no comfort to be found in relationship with his marital partner. Much obsessive addictive behavior also has roots in emotional damage that will need healing. Demons will also be present, but unless healing is brought to the emotions, deliverance will not be a fully effective means of healing. Another example of how demonization occurs through addictive behavior is when a young man is first curious, and then fascinated, about sex, and he becomes hooked on pornography. Before long his craving for heavier and heavier pornography is such
that he cannot stop. A demon has filled his eyes with lust. He is addicted to the desire and is now controlled by the demonic. When helping addicted people, the root must be identified and the real need met; otherwise one could spend hours in ministry trying to cast out demons of this addiction and the other without ever touching the real problem at all! The main problem areas that need to be examined when looking for the roots of addictive behavior patterns are as follows: • Rejection • Fear • Loneliness • Sexual problems • Relationship breakup • Abusive background (especially sexual) • Control and domination It will be obvious from the above short list that when dealing with addictions, one may be tapping into the demonic at a much deeper level than the superficially obvious. Unless this is done, whatever ministry is given is likely to be only topdressing, with little lasting consequence. While rejection, fear, loneliness, etc., are often root causes of addiction to cigarette smoking and drinking, the peer pressure to smoke and drink may be the only reason that it was commenced. Often people really do want to give the habit up, especially smoking, and they have tried everything they know. With them, ministry can be
relatively simple and effective as the demonic that controls the lungs and the need for nicotine is addressed and expelled. The spirits usually come out on the breath from the lungs, often with much coughing and spluttering. Those who have been delivered of addictive spirits attached to smoking, however, do need to be very disciplined when it comes to their behavior from then on, for it would not take much to descend once again into a behavior pattern that would allow the demonic to reenter. Once there is a weakness, that area has to be doubly protected through obedience and strong Holy Spirit-inspired self-discipline.
19.14 Fears and Phobias The Scripture tells us, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18, NIV). The converse of this would seem to indicate that unless we are living in the experience of the perfect love of Jesus, we are vulnerable to fear. And there is much truth in that statement also. For it is only the perfect love of Jesus, and the total security that He gives to members of His family, that will protect us from all the crises and difficulties of life. There are many life experiences that can cause great fear to come upon us. Many of the things that have been discussed in the previous sections, such as sexual abuse, accidents, rejection, witchcraft, etc., are potential entry points. Young children are especially vulnerable to fears and find it hard not to dwell on the things that have happened to them, but worse still, on what might happen in the future. Fear of the dark, fear of waking up, fear of not waking up, fear of men, fear of women, fear of failure, fear of spiders —the list is endless. Not all fear is demonic, for rightful fear is a God-given gift that is designed to protect us from harm. It is right that we should be afraid of crossing the road in front of a truck or of putting our hands in a fire. Fear of things like this is critical for the preservation of life. But Satan will always take what God has given and distort it for his own purposes. For example, God created sex, but Satan encourages the abuse of sex. Similarly, God created fear, but Satan tries to control our lives through fear. If we give way to the fears that we experience from time to time and dwell on them, the enemy will make the most of the situation and give us a spirit of fear that will then hold us in bondage, even in circumstances when, rationally, we know there is no reason to be afraid. The way out of irrational fears is
to confess them as sin, invite Jesus to replace the fears with His perfect love and deal directly with the demonic through deliverance. There is an answer. God has promised to provide us a way out.
19.15 Fatigue and Tiredness Whenever we get overtired, we are vulnerable both to temptation and to the possibility of consequential demonization. There are many people who claim encouragement and protection from that wonderful verse of Scripture: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, KJV). God has promised that He will strengthen us and enable us to cope with whatever pressures we come up against. So why, if that is God’s promise, should tiredness and fatigue be a demonic entry point? One reason is that many of us are tired because we are doing things that God has not asked us to do. We cannot claim the benefits of God’s promises without also walking in the way of the godly. So often people will try to use God’s promises as a cover-up for their sin, thinking that everything will be all right. Not so. If we are filling our lives with activities and programs, which may in themselves be good yet are not the will of God for us, then we should not be surprised if, when we are tired and exhausted, the enemy gains a foothold in our lives and we end up falling into sin and being demonically affected as a result. God has given us bodies that need rest and sleep. God has promised to sustain us so that whatever the pressure we are under, He will enable us to cope. But my understanding of Scripture is that this only applies if we are doing those things that are of Him. The fact that we may be busy doing things that sound good and occupy our time to the full does not necessarily mean that they are right. Let us be careful not to fall into the sin of presumption and become vulnerable to the enemy as a result.
19.16 In Conclusion In this chapter we have seen that there are many different ways that the enemy can use to infiltrate our lives. The list covered is by no means comprehensive, and in the course of ministry people will come up against many other possibilities, although most will fit into one of the above categories. We have found that one of the most effective means of satisfactorily completing deliverance ministry is to deal with the entry point and remove the rights on which the demon is depending for its security. In this way one is not only dealing with the deliverance, but removing the access route by which a further demon might try to enter. Healing can then follow so that the objective of ministry can be fulfilled—that the people of God should be able to walk in obedience, fulfilling God’s divine purposes for their lives and enjoying the blessings that He desires to give liberally to His children.
19.17 For Caution and Encouragement Because this book’s focus is on demonic activity and entry points, we must be very careful not to take on board fear or become obsessed with the idea that everything is demonic! Remember, Satan would want to take us way out of the balance intended by God in this area. Physically, if we could see all the germs surrounding a cup, we would not drink from it, but we do because in practice we are naturally immune and in part we are protected by hygiene routines. So it is with the demonic—believers have a godly built-in resistance, and we also have God’s Word, which if adhered to, keeps us healthy and clean. Above all we depend on Jesus and the finished work of the cross, which will protect us, cover our mistakes and warn us of all impending danger if our hearts are turned toward Him. And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-1
Chapter 20: Preparing a Person for Healing through Deliverance The final chapters of this book explain the practical ministry of healing through deliverance in a way that can be easily understood and applied. The ministry procedures emphasize how important it is to see that correct foundations are in place in the lives of those in need, as well as to see people set free from all that oppresses or controls them. The healing ministry has many aspects to it, deliverance being just one. Emotional and physical healing often go hand in hand with deliverance. As Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 12:9, there are gifts (plural) of healing, and it is important that those who minister deliverance should always maintain a wise balance between the different aspects of healing that an individual may need.
20.1 Introduction When a person asks for counseling and prayer ministry, it is often a last resort. By the time most people seek such help, they have often exhausted all other possible sources of available assistance, ranging from seeking advice from a neighbor to seeing their local doctor or being referred to a consultant at the local hospital. Many will also have tried various alternative medicines, and some will have dabbled in remedies and treatments of dubious origin or even consulted an occult practitioner such as a spiritualist healer or a New Age therapist. There will also be those in the local church who have been prayed for by the fellowship (at a distance) because they are sick, or who have been to the Communion rail for prayer during a Communion service, or who have had the laying on of hands at a healing service—but appear to be no better. In our experience, the most common reason why so few people get healed through these more routine opportunities for healing prayer is that those who are praying are praying about the symptoms, whereas they should be praying about the situation that underlies the symptoms. Quite simply, they may be praying for the wrong thing! However, there are many people who only want prayer for their symptoms. They are not at all interested in God bringing order to all areas of their lives, and it is not surprising, therefore, that healing through prayer usually eludes them. Each time a person asks for prayer, no matter how low-key the request may be, it is a cry for help. The sensitive minister will respond to such cries by making an opportunity to talk personally with the individual and gradually finding out what is lying behind the sickness or circumstance that has prompted the request for prayer. If a
church has a ministry team, then members of the team can be asked to spend time with each person who asks for prayer, so that there is no danger of people being un-cared for and slipping through the ministry net. In churches where there is already an established healing ministry, asking for prayer with members of the healing team should be a normal and wholly acceptable part of the ministry of the church. Even then, however, there will still be those private or shy people who find it very hard to share their problems and their needs— especially with someone they have to worship with week after week. Great sensitivity is needed to encourage them to be open to God as they share their situations with someone they can learn to trust. At the other end of the scale will be those who want to share a fresh need every week. While some people do have more problems than others, sometimes it will be necessary to encourage them to walk in the healing that God has already given and grow stronger in their faith before proceeding to the next stage of their healing. Godly discipling is a very important dimension in the whole process of Christian healing. When asked questions by the rich young ruler, Jesus had no hesitation in telling him that if he was going to progress with his faith, he had to do something about his wealth, for it was getting in the way of his relationship with God (Luke 18:18-23). And when Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He sidestepped the theology and made sure that Nicodemus realized he had to put things right in his own life first and be born again of the Spirit of God (John 3). Jesus never displayed hypocritical respect for a person’s position or standing in society. He spoke the truth about their situations, irrespective of whether or not they wanted to hear it. Just after Simon Peter had that amazing revelation about the very
character of Jesus as the Messiah, he started speaking words that were prompted by the devil. Jesus did not ignore these words, as we might have done out of deference to Peter’s position as a leading disciple with very special giftings, but publicly rebuked the enemy, who was using Peter to speak out lies (Matthew 16:13-23). There are times when we might be tempted to avoid speaking the truth out of deference to, or fear of, the person being prayed for. In the local church, it is especially difficult for people to face potentially embarrassing personal issues, for they fear their local reputations may be sullied if they are really truthful about themselves. It is clear from the contents of this book that it is important to assess any potential demonic dimension that may be contributing to a person’s sickness, especially in the case of long-term conditions. However, when ministering to people in need, it is also important to remember they are people and not just objects out of which you are going to try to cast a demon. Any demons present in the person have gained access through specific rights given during the person’s lifetime or through his generational line. Unless those rights are properly dealt with, any deliverance ministry may only be short-term in effect. Preparing a person to receive ministry is, therefore, a vital part of the process of seeing people set free from the powers of darkness. Hence the importance of this chapter. When one is dealing with a specific physical symptom, it is often possible to minister directly into that situation alone and to limit any questioning about things that may be directly associated with the condition. But in the following guidelines for preparing a person for ministry, it is assumed that the person is willing to get his whole life in order and is not just asking for prayer for healing from the flu!
20.2 The Ministry Team Over the years, Ellel ministry teams have ministered to many thousands of people. Based on that experience, we want to underline the value of adhering to the basic primary guideline of never ministering alone. If we step outside of what is both scriptural provision and common sense, we run the risk of putting ourselves and the ministry of healing in danger. Why is this so important?
20.2.1 This Is What Jesus Told the Disciples to Do. Jesus sent the disciples out to minister healing and deliverance in pairs (Luke 10:1). There is no doubt that He did this both for their encouragement and for their protection. We should be careful not to do otherwise. It is different if ministry is taking place in the context of a large public meeting when there are many people around. In these circumstances, we allow one-on-one ministry, since there are plenty of people around to bring extra help if necessary. But in all other circumstances, it is a rule of Ellel Ministries that when ministering to individuals, it is vital that the ministry team consists of at least two people.
20.2.2 There Is the Power of Agreement in Prayer. Jesus further encouraged His disciples to minister in pairs when He said, ‘And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). This Scripture has been taken wildly out of context by some people who think that if they simply agree (in the flesh) about anything they want (rather than need), God is duty bound to supply! It is necessary to understand the true meaning of agreeing together in prayer. The psalmist states, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4, NIV). The key to blessing lies in the relationship each one has with the Lord. It is only as we delight ourselves in Him that the desires of our hearts will become those that are on God’s heart also. Each of the two who are agreed together in prayer need to be delighting themselves in the Lord and hearing from Him for themselves as to what God’s will and purpose is. When they find that they have independently heard the same thing from the Lord, they can agree together about what God is saying and go to the Lord with tremendous confidence and faith, asking Him to fulfill those desires that have come from Him in the first place. When praying for an individual, the strength that is given to the prayer when two are agreed together in this way has to be experienced to be understood. Deuteronomy 32:30 expresses it like this: One could chase a thousand, but two could put ten thousand to flight! Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 18:20 that wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, He is present with them.
Again, this requires understanding. It does not mean that God is not with individuals when they pray alone. I believe this Scripture can only be fully understood in the context of spiritual warfare where two fighting together are infinitely stronger than two separate people fighting alone. There is a special blessing from the Lord upon those who come together in prayer, fellowship and warfare to both uplift Jesus and to bring down the work of the enemy. The combined power of two people counseling and praying together is very much more than the simple addition of one plus one.
20.2.3 Two Counselors Provide Protection for Each Other and Security for the Person Being Prayed For. When praying with people who are empowered by the demonic, the demons occasionally rise up within the person to oppose those who are praying. There is great security in not being alone when these sorts of things happen. Indeed, two together in ministry is a very effective preventive against anything untoward happening. The protection needed is for more than just the time of ministry, for if the ministry has been one-on-one, when it is all over there is no independent witness to what actually happened in the counseling room. One of Satan’s names is “accuser of the brethren,” and he delights to try to destroy people through gossip, rumor, scandal and lies. While these are tactics that he will always try to use against any Holy Spirit-led ministry, we should try not to put weapons in Satan’s hands that could be used against us. If we minister alone, who is to say what really happened behind the closed door of a counseling room? We have had to pray with ministers whose very reputations were at stake as a result of things that had been said about them in the community. In one particular case, a vicar had prayed with a woman in his study. No one else was present at the time. He rightfully confronted her with things that were going on in her life, encouraging her to put her life in order. She did not like the advice, went away and then made an official complaint to the effect that he had sexually abused her in his study. She told others in the community, and before many days had passed, it had become a major scandal. I am absolutely convinced that nothing untoward happened in
this case. The woman was aggrieved by the straightness of the vicar’s advice to her, and because she was not willing to bring her life into godly order, the demons had a free opportunity to use her to try to destroy this man’s godly ministry. He had made a mistake by ministering to her alone, and in so doing had handed a primary weapon into the enemy’s hands. If he had taken the simple precaution of having somebody else with him, then none of this would have happened. There would have been an independent witness to everything that had been said and done. Sadly, we have also had to pray with women who actually have been sexually abused by their Christian counselors, who had used the confidentiality of the counseling room to allow sexual desires to gain the upper hand. Again, if a third party had been present, it would never have happened. The damage done by incidents such as these are incalculable. When people have had their lives torn apart by the very people they thought, before God, they could trust, it not only has the effect of making them run from Christian counseling and ministry, but it frequently makes them run from God as well, believing it is He who has betrayed them. No wonder Jesus said, “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea” (Matthew 18:6). We have also had to minister into situations where a man being ministered to by a male counselor came under a homosexual threat from the counselor. So, especially in the current sexual climate, it is not even safe to minister alone with someone of the same sex for danger of any subsequent homosexual or lesbian accusations. The counselee also needs to be protected from possible danger. One of each sex ministering to a counselee is probably as near to the ideal as is possible. There are situations, however, where the
counselee may not be ready to cope with this. For example, a woman who has been sexually abused by men could find it very hard to receive ministry from a man, notwithstanding the fact that one aspect of the ministry that will need to be walked through is the forgiveness of men for what they have done. Often, in such circumstances, we have begun the ministry with two women ministering, and a man has been introduced at a later stage to help with the healing of relationships to men. In general, ministry by a man to an abused woman and by a woman to an abused man (when the abuse has been carried out by a member of the opposite sex) can be an important part of the ministry process. In summary, my advice to those who would get involved in the counseling ministry or in praying for healing and deliverance is as follows: a) Never minister alone. b) Always have someone on the ministry team who is the same sex as the counselee. (It is all right for two men to minister to one man and two women to one woman, but never for two men to minister to a woman or two women to a man. The best combination is for one of each sex to be involved in the ministry.) c) If the ministry team is a husband-wife team, then, in the case of heavier ministries (especially where there has been serious abuse or involvement in occult activities), it is always advisable to have a third person present also. The main reason for this is that with some married couples, partners may so submit themselves to the other that they effectively suspend their independent judgment of what is happening, and the couple ends up acting as one person rather than two. It is then possible for the husband-wife team to be deceived into a wrong course of ministry. A third member of the team will help
provide balance or correction, should this be necessary. d) Caution should, however, be exercised with regard to men and women who are not married to each other regularly ministering together, so that no ungodly relationships develop between the counselors. e) Always seek the Lord together for the counselee before meeting with him or her for counseling and prayer. f) Always agree together about the course of action before commencing prayer and ministry. There is nothing worse than the counselors being divided about what to do next. Satan thrives on division! g) Ministry can be spiritually, emotionally and physically exhausting. So, after ministry, pray for one another so that each one will be strengthened, restored and built up for whatever is to follow, and any particular hurts that may have been received during the ministry can be brought to the Lord for healing. For example, it is not unusual for some things said by a counselee to speak, unknown to them, right into the pain of the counselor’s own personal situation. Clearly, this cannot be discussed in the ministry time, but afterwards a few minutes of prayer will go a very long way toward restoring the bruised heart. This has happened to me personally. I was praying into the details of a person’s family situation, when I realized I was talking as much to myself as to the person I was praying for! Immediately after the ministry time I was the one who received further healing and deliverance. If people follow the above basic guidelines, they will find that: a) The combined power of two people counseling together in godly order is much greater than ministering alone.
b) There is protection from subsequent misrepresentation or accusation, or from being misquoted. c) There is always someone of the same sex as the counselee present to help with very personal ministries and the laying on of hands during prayer. d) There is a godly check on the course of the ministry that prevents them from going off track. e) There will be a rightful holding back from new avenues of ministry until both are agreed that it is right. f) The ministry can change from one counselor to the other with regard to taking the lead. The one who is not directly ministering at any one time can be praying for the other. g) They can test and pray about particular words of knowledge that the Lord might give before applying them in the ministry. h) They can encourage each other to grow in faith and expectation. i) They can take time out to talk and pray with each other about the ministry at any time. j) They can remind each other of relevant Scriptures. One can be looking up appropriate Scriptures while the other is continuing with the ministry. k) The mixture of gifts and abilities that two people bring to a ministry enables a wider perspective on the situation. l) They provide physical protection for each other.
m) They can recognize times when the enemy may be particularly attacking their co-counselor and pray for protection. n) It avoids the counselee becoming too dependent on one person. Spreading the ministry among others provides for more balanced relationships. o) It provides for ministry continuity in the event that one of the counselors becomes ill or is called away from a ministry appointment for an unavoidable reason. p) It enables a ministry team to train up other members in the security of a learning situation alongside more experienced counselors.
20.3 Getting Started When a person has plucked up the courage to ask for prayer, it is important that a start is made as soon as possible in beginning to tackle the problem. If the situation is complicated, it may be a little while before in-depth ministry is possible, but at the very least a meeting should be arranged to make an initial assessment of the situation. It will encourage the person to know he is being cared for. It is likely that in a preliminary meeting some things will emerge that will encourage the person being prayed for to do a bit of spiritual homework! We have found that making an initial assessment of the person's needs and situation has been a valuable part of the ministry procedure. This ensures that the best possible ministry team can be arranged for the person and the condition in question. Also, the person will have an opportunity to bring answers to any important questions on areas that were brought to light during the time of assessment. Before any assessment of ministry is commenced, be sure to encourage the person to be totally honest—with God, himself and his counselors. This will be hard, initially, for some. Often people have woven a complex web of “white lies,” half truths or self-deception that can camouflage their past. It may take a little while before people realize that they are not going to be rejected by being honest about themselves and that they are not going to be disapproved of if things are exposed that they had hoped to keep hidden or just did not want to face up to. It is also vital to assure the person that whatever he or she says will be kept totally confidential and that there will be no danger of private information becoming public knowledge. Over the years we
have had a significant number of people come to Ellel for help because in their own churches, private details about individuals had been passed around on the “prayer grapevine” (often known as the gossip line) and, because of this, those with real problems declined to seek help from those who could help them locally but who could no longer be trusted with confidences. Satan loves to destroy the healing ministry through breaches of confidentiality. When you assure someone that your word is trustworthy, be sure never to let any confidential details get into the public domain. It is different if the people themselves choose to tell something of their stories by way of testimony. That is their privilege, but we should never do it for them. If a person has a relatively complex history, it may be necessary to take some notes. If you don’t, you may find your memory fails you at the critical moment, and you won’t be able to remember what to pray for. Even worse, you might start praying with a person about something that has nothing to do with them but with someone else you were praying with last week! Again, always ask permission if it is necessary to keep notes during the course of a longer ministry and always assure the person that any notes you take are kept very securely under lock and key. Locked filing cabinets, to which only those authorized as members of the ministry team have access, are absolutely essential.
20.4 Whose Agenda? When a person asks for prayer, find out why he is asking for help. Generally speaking, his agenda for God will be the healing of the presenting symptoms. While God is, of course, concerned about the symptoms a person is suffering from, He also sees him from a different perspective. There may well be a different agenda that God needs to deal with first. In Luke 5, for example, the man who was paralyzed was brought to Jesus through a hole in the roof by four friends. He had a specific item on his agenda—to be healed of the paralysis. When Jesus looked at the man, He realized that His Father’s agenda for the man was initially different— to deal with the sin. Almost certainly the paralysis had a root cause that lay in unconfessed and unforgiven sin, and Jesus was not just interested in dealing with the presenting symptom of the paralysis, but in dealing with the sin, so that the symptoms would not come back again at a later date. Then there would be the possibility of the man then turning his back on Jesus, who had healed him. Jesus was undoubtedly concerned for the man’s physical welfare, but He was even more concerned for the man’s spiritual well-being. And that is something we must never lose sight of when ministering healing. As we counsel and talk with people, it is vital to seek out God’s agenda for them and to encourage them to lay down their agenda for the time being. We have found that as people do this unconditionally, God is able to meet them exactly where they are. The more open a person is to God, the more powerful the anointing of the Holy Spirit will be upon him during ministry and the deeper will be the blessing that God gives.
As you talk with the person, explore the causes and situations that lie behind the presenting symptoms. Many of the possible causes are specifically described in later sections of this chapter. You will find that there are likely to be a number of situations contributing to the condition, and it may be necessary to unravel quite a tangled web of personal history, so that when it comes to prayer and ministry you will be able to tackle each situation that has been exposed through the counseling in a specific way. Ultimately, God wants to restore His order into a person’s life. That is a vital part of the process of healing. In many situations people struggle with all that this entails, but it is necessary for people to willingly bring their lives under the Lordship of Jesus and into a right relationship with God. God is a God of order. It is dear from Leviticus 26:14-17 that one of the consequences of breaking God’s covenant is disorder, which can lead to a breakdown of health. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that when people bring their lives into harmony with God’s covenant, they start to get healed. The older a person is, the more things there are likely to be that need to be brought into order. And for many, there might be quite a few practical things that will need to be put right—such as forgiving people who have hurt them. Essentially, counseling people as a preparation for healing and deliverance is a process of uncovering the holds that the enemy has gained over their lives and then dealing with them. A person’s spiritual situation needs to be assessed in the light of all the foundational teaching contained in chapter 17. Coming to grips with vital issues such as acceptance, forgiveness, the Lordship of Jesus, etc., will significantly ease the actual process of deliverance. You will find that some of the people coming for help do not really know Jesus, so it may be necessary to lead them into the Kingdom of God before starting to pray further with them. Those who enter the
healing ministry must also be willing and able to be evangelists and lead people to Christ. Over the years there have been many, many hundreds of people who have become Christians through the work of Ellel Ministries. They have come with an agenda for healing but have discovered that their primary need was a relationship with Jesus, the One who is able to heal. It is very hard to pray for people for anything, let alone deliverance, if they are still bitter and unforgiving in their hearts. It is vital to ensure that there is no unforgiveness that can stand in the way of God’s blessing and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. If this groundwork is not done, and an obviously manifesting demon is addressed by the counselor, a considerable battle may ensue if one tries to cast the demon out while it still has rights to be there. The end result may be to disillusion the counselee so that he will be tempted to reject deliverance ministry, and to exhaust the counselors because they are attempting to cast out demons before ensuring that they are in a position of authority. Do not be tempted to go straight into deliverance without first undermining the rights of the demons through good spiritual housekeeping and cleansing.
20.5 Note Any Symptoms That Are Possible Consequences of Demonization Some of the observable symptoms of demonization are described in chapter 18. These will provide you with an outline of the sort of things to look for as you counsel those who come for prayer. Those who pray for healing and deliverance need to model their ministries as closely as possible on the ministry of Jesus. This may sound like an impossible ideal, but the clear evidence of the gospels is that when Jesus met and prayed for people, He had clear insight about what was going on in their lives. He not only knew about their symptoms, but He also knew what they were thinking about and what was in their hearts (Luke 5:22; John 2:25). When Jesus sent the disciples out to preach, heal and deliver (Luke 9), He gave them His power and authority, which must mean that they were also gifted with His ability to see what was wrong with those they were praying for. In I Corinthians 12, Paul formalizes a description of the ministry gifts of the Spirit. The gifts that God has given through the Holy Spirit to His people are to help Christians to be dynamically effective in the ministry of the Gospel. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan, He was dramatically filled with the Holy Spirit, and the crowds heard a voice from heaven saying, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you” (Luke 3:22). From that moment on Jesus moved in the miraculous and dayby-day manifested in full measure the ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit after He went back to heaven, and at Pentecost this promise was fulfilled. Those who were filled with the Holy Spirit were then able to move in the gifts of the
Spirit as Jesus had done. To be baptized in the Spirit is a vital step toward an effective healing ministry. Unless one is moving in the gifts of the Spirit, the potential for healing prayer could be severely restricted to the routines of religious expression. Some people will, of course, be healed in this way, but in general it will only be those who, by the grace of God, have prepared their own hearts for ministry, have dealt with all the obstacles to the work of the Spirit in their lives and are ready to receive from God. In our experience, it is only a small percentage of those in need of healing who come fully prepared to receive healing from the Lord. I have often found that in the lives of even the most saintly of people, there have been strongholds that the enemy has gained, sometimes early in life, that have held power and control. People have needed help to see these things and take the appropriate action to undermine the work of the enemy in their lives. We should expect that the Lord will reveal His heart to us about those who come for prayer. Sometimes He will give a word of knowledge. At other times, through the gift of discerning of spirits, one will have an immediate sense of the presence of the demonic, and at other times God will raise up that wonderful gift of faith to believe for the seemingly impossible. But we should expect that as we wait on the Lord, He will speak to us so that those who are truly seeking Him can walk toward the healing that Jesus offers to those who come to Him. The restoration to the Body of Christ of the full use of all the gifts of the Spirit is a vital step toward the restoration of the healing and deliverance ministry. Teaching that says the gifts of the Spirit are not for today closes the door on so much of the blessing that God wants to pour out upon His people.
There will be times, however, when we do not seem to have an answer. One longs for a word from the Lord to help with a ministry, but nothing seems to happen. At times like this I have come to understand that there can be a number of different reasons, one or more of which may be relevant at any particular time: a) The person’s will is out of line, and he is unwilling or doesn’t know how to bring his life into line with God’s will and truth. b) Intercessory prayer (or fasting) may be required to overcome the enemy’s strategy and release the anointing of the Holy Spirit. c) There may be other areas that God wants to deal with in the person’s life before He is able to bring healing (e.g., unforgiveness). d) The counselors may themselves be overtired and not alert in the Spirit to what God might want to say. e) The situation being dealt with may require others with particular experience to be present for the next stage of ministry (e.g., someone with an understanding of false religions or occultic matters). Satan is opposed to the deliverance ministry because in essence it is this ministry that exposes his plans and purposes for the individual and the corporate body. It is important to persevere and not give up. The ministry of healing is often an intense battle against the work of the enemy, not just in the person’s own life, but also in the family line he belongs to. There are times, too, when the warfare is especially strong because Satan does not want to see a whole church fellowship opened up to the healing and deliverance ministry, and from this point of view,
some ministries might be more strategic than others. So as we minister, it is vital to listen to the Lord as well as the person and to seek God for specific revelation as to what strongholds the enemy has in the person’s life, which will be strategic in the ministry of healing and deliverance.
20.6 Investigate False Beliefs and Occult Involvements Satan is behind all false forms of worship, whether they are open false religions or occult (hidden and secret) practices. He also rejoices when Christians favor heretical beliefs and reject the foundational truths of the Gospel. This is an important area of investigation when counseling people, for when people get involved in any of these activities, they are opening themselves up to the enemy and, through false worship and beliefs, make themselves vulnerable to demonic power that lies behind the false religion. Scripture contains numerous warnings against occult (pagan) practices of worship (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:9-14) and is equally condemnatory about religious routines that appear to be worship of the living God but are filled with hypocrisy because of the secret sin in the heart of the worshipers (Isaiah 1:10-20). When self is on the throne of a person’s life, that person is practicing self-idolatry. God clearly says in His Word that you shall “worship no God but me... because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals” (Exodus 20:3, 5). Whenever we place ourselves, another person, an object, a religion, heretical beliefs, a secret society (such as Freemasonry) or anything else before worship of the true and living God, we are indirectly elevating Satan. Just as God has promised to inhabit the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), so Satan will take specific advantage of such sin and inhabit the “praises” (worship) of those who place him on the throne of their lives. Demons will attach themselves to areas of false worship (e.g., oaths, idols, statutes, rituals, etc.) and will seek to invade and occupy the person who makes himself vulnerable through known or unknown sin.
In ministering to many different people, we have found that the beginning of a particular problem has often been some form of occult involvement or heretical belief or practice. The involvement can be as low-key as visiting a pagan temple while on vacation overseas and taking shoes off as a mark of respect to the worshipers. In Exodus 3:5 God speaks to Moses out of the burning bush and tells him, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (NIV). The principle established here is that the ground, which was made unholy through the Fall and the temporary rulership of Satan over the world, is made holy by the presence of God. When people take off their shoes at a place of worship, they are acknowledging that the ground has been made "holy” by the presence of the “god” that is worshiped at the temple. True holiness, however, is only a hallmark of the one true God, not of the false gods that have deceived the peoples of the world into giving homage to the demonic and ultimately to Satan, the fallen god of this world. So in taking off their shoes, they are in effect giving credence to the belief system and in so doing can open themselves up to the possibility of being demonized. We have seen many people set free from demons that gained access in this way and had cursed them with all manner of bondages and ill health. A few years ago I ministered to a Christian pastor who had formerly been a Sikh. While in many ways he was a very effective pastor, he knew he was being held back in his ministry. It was only when he renounced the spirits of deception that lay behind his former religious life that the demonic power that was still controlling him could be cast out. The anger and threatened violence of the demons was such that he realized in a very dramatic way how he was being held back in his ministry. Often the Lord has drawn our attention to particular items of jewelry. When we have asked about them, there has invariably been
some strong occult association with either the jewelry itself or the person from whom the jewelry came. At times there has been tremendous demonic resistance to removing the jewelry because of the power of the curses that have been attached. Similarly, occult objects may be kept in the house. Usually the person who owns them is totally unaware of the power of the demonic to use such objects as channels into his home and, sometimes, into members of his family. Masonic objects of deceased relatives are typical items of this nature often found stored in the attic. I will never cease to be surprised at what is brought to light by a few carefully directed questions about either dead relatives or living ones who are involved in some odd practice or other. Of a similar nature to spirits that become attached to occult activity are all the religious spirits associated with other religions or heretical, pseudo-Christian beliefs. Scripturally they all come under the general description of “lying spirits,” which Paul warns us people will be deceived by. "The Spirit says clearly that some people will abandon the faith in later times; they will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). They can bind the mind and the understanding so that the person is closed to the work of the Holy Spirit. In ministry I have had to deal also with many spirits that have held people in bondage and that have responded directly, when named correctly, according to the name of the denomination they are attached to. Whenever love for the dictates of a denomination becomes more important than love for and obedience to Jesus, we should be aware that people can make themselves vulnerable to the possibility of being controlled by religious demons. That is not to say that there isn’t a rightful place for order and discipline within a denomination—there is. But let us be sure that we
don’t make heavy burdens for people to carry (like the Pharisees did) that God is not asking them to bear. Finally, in this section we have found, in practice, that there is a demonic stronghold behind each of the major heretical beliefs, and when people give credence to any of these beliefs, they are in danger of receiving a spirit of deception, which will then start to affect other areas of their Christian lives. It is hard, sometimes, for people to see this, but when they do there can be quite a battle to set people free. The demonic power behind such beliefs can be very subtle, and it sometimes requires finely tuned discernment to understand what is happening. In the appendixes to this book is a brief checklist of the primary occult and non-Christian religious systems. Involvement with any of these is likely to be the source of demonic control. It may be helpful to have each person work through this list as a preparation for ministry.
20.7 Check Out the Generation Lines In chapters 18 and 19 it was explained in detail how and why demonic power is able to pass down the generation lines so that one generation can be demonized as a result of the sins of earlier generations. When counseling people, especially those whose problems appear to be long term, it is vital to look carefully at the possibility of generational sin being the source of the present problem. When doctors investigate a medical condition, one of the questions they are trained to ask is about the generational history of the disease: “Did either of your parents or any of your grandparents have this?” The medical profession recognizes that in many cases there is a susceptibility to a condition that can be transmitted from one generation to another. While in some of these conditions there is a well-defined genetic pathway, that is not always the case. We have sometimes found it helpful to prepare a simple family tree of the previous two or three generations, indicating those who have died and when they died and what they died from. The correlation between the death of one person and the onset of related or similar symptoms in another member of the family is often very close. Frequently we have seen people set free from the demons that have transferred at death and then seen the person healed of the condition. We ask about not only physical conditions but also behavior characteristics. Behavior of the person can be influenced by the demonic through the sins of the fathers in the same way as can the condition of the body. Sometimes we have seen how a demonically induced condition has missed a generation. For example, when grandparents die any demons that have rights to the family will pass to whomever they can
get to in order to maintain their presence in the family.
20.8 Explore the Sexual History A person’s sex life is generally considered to be forbidden territory for open discussion. People are embarrassed by the subject and fear gossip. And if they are involved in Christian ministry or leadership, they fear that if dark secrets were brought to the light they may lose their positions and reputations. Pride and fear keep many a person away from the doorway to healing. Satan rejoices in this, for it means that the most powerful means he has of controlling a person by the demonic (through ungodly soul ties) is territory that remains a forbidden subject. We often have to explain in detail how Satan can use sexual sin to affect a person by the demonic before he will see the wisdom of bringing everything into the light. I am sure that Jesus knew the full significance of what He was saying when in His answer to Nicodemus He said, "Those who do evil things hate the light... because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up” (John 3:20). In general, people will be more open about confessing and dealing with sexual sins that were committed before they became Christians. But as Christians are “not supposed to do these things,” to face up to reality when there has been post-conversion sexual sin takes an enormous amount of courage. But we must face up to it, for, sadly, many Christians have taken the world’s standards into the Church instead of taking their Christian way of life into the world. As a result, in the present generation we probably face the greatest incidence of sexual sin in the Body of Christ that there has been since Pentecost. Counselors cannot afford to be prudish or ill-informed about the whole range of possible sexual sin. Neither must they be
condemnatory or judgmental when things do come to the light. It is absolutely vital that those who share long-hidden secrets for the very first time do so in an atmosphere of trust, love, non-judgmentalism and respect. The soul ties that people have established through sexual sin can be used by Satan for the rest of their lives, or until the tie is broken through confession and repentance and deliverance of any demonic powers that took advantage of the sin have taken place. Wrong sexual soul ties can also be established between sexual participants without full intercourse having occurred. For some people the emotional involvement of an illicit relationship can be a significant channel for the demonic. But when intercourse takes place, the act is recognized by Satan as if it was the physical consummation of a “marriage,” for in a godly relationship, once the marital vows have been made, the full marriage is initiated with intercourse. The Church has always recognized that where intercourse subsequently proves impossible (for whatever reason), the marriage can be annulled if the partners so wish, and the “husband and wife” are absolved of their marital vows and are considered as single people. Conversely, when two people have intercourse together, it is as if they are married to some extent because the sexual act, which scripturally consummates a marriage, has actually taken place. So Satan has rights to hold these people together through a “physical marriage” for the rest of their days. This tie can act like a demonic tube through which Satan can affect a person. What has been established in the spiritual realm in this way can only be undone through confession and repentance and asking God Himself to break the soul tie through the work of the cross. When God does this, the healing and freedom from bondage
that can result are remarkable. Satan loves to keep people chained to the sins of their past, but Jesus came to set the captives free. Similar chains will need to be broken when a person has suffered sexual abuse. Even though he did not choose to have the sexual relationship, he has usually been tied to the abuser through trauma and fear. Where there have been many sexual partners, we have sometimes asked people to make a list of the first names of all those they can remember. If they can’t remember names, we have asked them to try to remember something about that person so that when we pray through the list, we can be specific about each relationship. On occasions when there have been too many partners for memory to cope with, we have dealt with those who come readily to mind (usually the more significant ones) and then prayed about the others in a group. We have seen through much experience the wisdom of James’ advice: “So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed” (James 5:16). When people have the courage to bring to the light those things that have been hidden, God is able to heal us of the consequences. Is this not what Jesus was doing when He confronted the paralyzed man in Luke 5 with his sin before praying for healing from the paralysis?
20.9 Look for Signs of Rejection Unhealed hurts from the past caused by rejection are primary entry points for the enemy. While the pain is unhealed and those who have done the rejecting are unforgiven, healing can be an elusive target that is never quite reached. The demons will hang on until there is no longer any ground left for them to stand on. The most common demons encountered in this area of ministry are those that respond to the names of rejection, fear of rejection and self rejection. These three often operate together in the rejected person in an unholy trinity of demonic control. They have the effect of isolating the person from quality relationships with those he knows and loves and preventing the person from realizing his full potential under God. Spirits of infirmity and sickness and a range of other demonic beings seem to be able to enter on the back of this group of rejective demons. While I do not want to give more credence than is necessary to the holds that rejective demons can have, I do want to emphasize that dealing with the emotional roots of rejection and making right choices with regard to ongoing relationships will remove much of the ground on which these demons stand. I would rather spend a few hours bringing deep inner healing to hurting and rejected people before attempting to cast out the demons than risk hurting the people more by trying to cast out the demons at a time when doing so may cause them considerable distress.
20.10 Investigate Other Ungodly Soul Ties In addition to the sexual soul ties, Satan can use people who dominate and control to hold us in the bondage of an ungodly soul tie that was established by other than sexual means. Demons can then use this relationship as a point of transference. When counseling people, I often ask if there is anyone they are so afraid of that they feel obliged to get his permission before embarking on something new. If there is fear then there is likely to be an ungodly domination by that person. If people are afraid to make normal decisions for themselves without reference to someone else, it is likely that there is some ungodly manipulation going on. I remember telling one lady that she needed to go home and tell her mother that she loved her but that this did not mean she had to refer every decision to her for consideration. Her immediate words spoke volumes: "I can’t do that. She’d kill me!” Mothers and mothers-in-law can sometimes be very controlling and have the effect of dominating the whole family. It is right and necessary for parents to hold up godly authority in the family, but when young people grow up, they should develop more mature relationships with their parents. The parents should relinquish their desires to control their children, although much loving advice and support may often still be necessary. Parents can still continue to provide advice and help if it is wanted, but that is not the same as insisting that the “children” do what the parents want.
20,11 Find Out about Accidents and Traumas Accidents and sudden traumas have the effect of putting all the body’s systems into a state of shock. The physiological effects of shock are well known and defined, and there are established methods of care and, sometimes, treatment to cope with the aftereffects. What is less appreciated, however, is that the person suffering the accident is also spiritually vulnerable when trauma takes place, and there is a danger of potential demonization—often through the fear that is associated with the traumatic experience. For example, I have delivered many people of spirits of fear associated with car accidents. These have sometimes been so powerful as to prevent the person from living a normal life. One lady, who suffered a near-miss while on a motorcycle, had been fearful for nearly forty years before she was delivered of the spirit that had come in at the moment of near disaster. The effect of the deliverance was to release her into a much more active life in many areas of her daily routine. Fear had robbed her of doing many things she would otherwise have enjoyed. There have also been times when we have been unable to bring deliverance to a person who has been demonized through trauma without leading him through the process of forgiving the person who caused the accident and, in some cases, breaking the soul ties with the people involved. There may also be sin involved that needs to be confessed, repented of and forgiven. When dealing with the consequences of accident and trauma, one cannot overlook any of the foundational principles of ministering healing—they are all potentially relevant. If the accident or trauma was very severe, the effect on the
personality can be such that there is an inner brokenness of the spirit and soul. This can mean that any demons that entered with the accident may be lodged in the broken part and are not easily delivered. The consequence of this is that a person may have pain arising from injuries that should have healed years ago but never have. The body, which God designed to heal, remains stubbornly afflicted with the consequences of the accident—even ten or twenty years after the event. Isaiah 61:1 tells us that one of the healing works of Jesus would be to “bind up the brokenhearted” (NIV). In some cases healing prayer (as opposed to deliverance) is necessary for the binding up (healing) of the person—even for traumas that happened many years previously. In our experience, we have found that many people were not able to be fully delivered from the demonic that came in through the trauma until the Lord brought healing to the brokenness on the inside. As a general rule, I will ask most of the people I pray for if they have ever suffered any major shocks or traumas. There has been great blessing when ministering in these situations as people have been both healed and delivered. I have come to the conclusion that this is one area of ministry about which Satan has tried to keep the Church ignorant. The effects of such prayer can be dramatic as long-lasting symptoms are finally dealt with and people can be released into the fulfillment of their godly gifts and callings.
20.12 In Conclusion These aspects of counseling are all important as a preparation for deliverance. The order in which these matters are tackled, however, is not usually significant. In a person with many problems, it is not unusual to find that demonic power is attached to many, and sometimes all, aspects of personal need described here. It is important not to forget that for many people healing is a process, as bit by bit the strongholds of the enemy are eroded through prayer and deliverance. There are times when I have talked the person through many areas needing healing and then ministered into each area after the interview stage was over. At other times I have opted to minister into some areas before moving on to investigate other areas. The choice is yours. The most important thing to do is to listen to God about what is best for the person you are trying to help. There are no rules—just guidelines. It is vital that we are sensitive to what God is doing in the person and allow the Holy Spirit to direct the ministry. Some people find it hard to be so flexible in their approaches to personal ministry, but if you study the gospels you will find that Jesus dealt with people differently every single time. He listened to the Father and did only what the Father told Him to do (John 8:28). As far as is possible we should follow this same “Jesus model” of ministry.
Chapter 21: Foundational Prayers The earlier parts of this book have explained how demons can influence and enter a person. The last chapter described important groundwork that should be covered as preparation for deliverance. We now turn our attention to the actual process of deliverance. During the counseling interview, the counselors will have been taking notes of those areas where there is likely to be a demonic problem. It is these areas that must now be addressed. While the person ministering will normally be the one who speaks to the demons and tells them to leave, it is vital to have the active participation of the person being delivered. The counselee should not passively expect someone else to do all the work. Each of us has a will, and if that will is not actively involved, then the deliverance is likely to be incomplete and short-term in its benefit. The demons know whether or not a person's will is really cooperating with both God and the counselor. The man who wanted to be delivered of a spirit of lust so that he could give up his sexual sin did not receive successful deliverance. If he had been really serious about putting God first in his life, he would first have exercised his will and brought his life into order by giving up his sinful lifestyle before seeking deliverance. The demons would then know that his will was in line with God’s will and that, when ordered to do so, they would have to leave. When Jesus healed the paralyzed man (Luke 5), He first dealt with the sin before ministering healing. That is a position of potential victory. It is necessary for the person to have exercised his will by
choosing to make Jesus Lord of every area of his life, by living in a way that would not continue to give the demons further rights through sinful behavior and by wanting to be set free of any demons that have entered. Assuming now that the necessary groundwork has been done and that the person seeking help is ready to proceed, we have found it necessary for the person to pray about those things that have been brought to light through counseling. While it is possible for people to pray silently, we have found that praying out loud is more helpful. It strengthens the counselee’s determination to overcome demonic powers in Jesus' name and ensures that the counselor knows that important things are not being forgotten. As part of their training, Ellel Ministries’ counselors learn to use prayers such as those detailed below at this stage of ministry. Please note, however, that this is not a liturgy of healing that will guarantee that a person receives automatic deliverance! God looks on the heart, and if the person is saying prayers with the lips that are not a genuine expression of the heart’s desire, then any related deliverance is unlikely to take place. There are many different forms of prayers such as these, and it is helpful if counselors get to the point of so understanding the foundational principles involved that they can construct appropriate prayers at the time to exactly suit the situation of the person they are praying for. These prayers will, however, provide a suitable framework on which to build other prayers for particular situations.
To invite Jesus to be the Lord of each area of the counselee’s life We recommend praying in this way for all those seeking help, even for apparently mature Christians. Our experience has proven time and time again that, for many people, the reason they have not been set free is that there are areas of their life that are not rightfully submitted to the Lordship of Jesus but are firmly under the control of either self or the demonic. Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess that I have sinned and acknowledge my need of You. I thank You for dying on the cross for me and accept You as my Savior. I invite You now to be Lord of every area of my life—Lord of my mind and all my thoughts, Lord of my emotions and all my feelings and reactions, Lord of my will and all my decisions, Lord of my body and all my behavior, Lord of my spirit and my relationship with You, Lord of my time, my work, my home, my family, my possessions and all my relationships. Thank You that Your blood was shed that I might be set free. Amen.
To break the links with previous generations Praying in this way does not cast out spirits that have come down the generational lines, but the effect of the prayer is to cut them off from their generational root. Prayer: I unreservedly forgive all my forebears for all the things they have done that have affected me and my life. I specifically renounce the consequences of their sins in Jesus’ name. As a child of God I now claim that the power of the blood of Jesus is setting me free from the consequences of generational sins. I claim my freedom from the consequences of all occult activity on either my father or my mother’s family lines [at this point it is important to specifically name any known occult activity, e.g., spiritualism], from curses and pronouncements that have had an effect on my life, from hereditary diseases and from the effects of any of their sins that have influenced me. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who became the curse for me on Calvary and died that I might be set free. Amen.
To forgive others for what they have done to us Forgiving others is a vital step toward deliverance. Unless people are willing to forgive others, they are not able to receive forgiveness for their own sins (Matthew 6:15). In the middle of the prayer is a space for the counselee to speak out loud the names of all those they know whom they need to forgive. Some names will be harder than others to say. You may need to help the person to persevere as he applies his will to getting through the list. Such is the significance of forgiving others that you may also need to bind any demons that begin to manifest at this point, in order to try to stop the process of forgiveness taking place. The demons will do everything they can to prevent the person from clearing this important ground for deliverance.
Prayer Thank You, Jesus, for dying that I might be forgiven. By an act of my will I now choose to express the desire of my heart and forgive those who have hurt me. [At this point name out loud the people that need to be forgiven.] I release each and every one of these people into the freedom of my forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
For some people, before they are able to forgive certain individuals, it may be necessary to repent of harboring hidden anger, resentment, bitterness, etc., against them. This is sin—even if it appears that such anger and bitterness is justified by what the person has done.
Prayer of repentance for harboring thoughts against someone: Prayer: Father, I confess that, as a result of being hurt, I have allowed myself to hold anger, resentment and bitterness in my heart against [insert here the names of specific individuals]. I acknowledge this as sin, and I now repent and turn from this behavior. I ask that You will forgive me and cleanse me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
To forgive oneself Often people blame themselves for what was obviously someone else’s sin and continue to live in false guilt and bondage. People can also hold themselves responsible for things, such as accidents where no one was obviously to blame, instead of placing the blame on Satan, through whose temptations man became a fallen race and brought upon himself the consequences of sin. Prayer: Thank You, Father, for forgiving me for the sins that I have committed. I now choose to forgive myself for the things for which I know You have already forgiven me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“Forgiveness of God” God cannot do wrong, hence the quotation marks around the heading. But some people blame God for things as if they are His responsibility. They are really blaming God for things that are ultimately Satan’s responsibility, and this needs to be repented of. Prayer: I confess that I have blamed You, Lord, for things that are not Your responsibility. I recognize this to be sin, and I ask You to forgive me. I know that You hate what Satan has done in my life. Thank You for loving me and promising to set me free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
To confess personal sin that may have given rights to the demonic a) Occult sin Prayer of confession: Father, I confess that I have sinned against You and Your Word by my involvement with the following occult practices [speak out here all known involvements]. I acknowledge that ultimately all these practices are the worship of Satan, and I choose now to place Jesus on the throne of my life. I ask You now to forgive me for these and any other occultic involvements that I may have knowingly or unknowingly entered into. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
b) Sexual sin Prayer of confession: Father, I confess that at various times in my life I have been powerless against the continuing attacks of the enemy on my sexuality. I have chosen to sin in various ways and ask You to forgive me for the following: [specifically speak out loud here all the sexual sins that the Lord brings back to the memory. Be patient as it may take the counselee some time to get through the list]. I now agree with Your verdict on my sin. I renounce all pleasure associated with these sins. I ask You to cleanse my memories, heal the hurts and forgive me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
c) All other besetting sins Besetting sins are those sins that seem to continually trip
someone up. They will be different for each person according to his own particular pilgrimage through life. Prayer: Father, I ask You to forgive me for my continual vulnerability to the sin of [insert here the specific sin or sins involved]. I recognize my own part in choosing to sin in this way and ask You to set me free from the chains that have bound me to this sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Repentance from sin Confession of sin and repentance are not one and the same. The prayer of confession is a recognition of the nature of the sin and an admission of responsibility. Repentance, however, is the expression of willingness to turn from the sin. Many people know exactly what they are doing, and may even go to confess their sin regularly, but if they are not turning from the sin also, their prayer of confession is simply a string of empty words that have no effect or power. Prayer of repentance: I now turn from my sin. I ask You, Father, to forgive me for all that is past, give me the discernment to recognize temptation when it comes and the strength to resist it. Thank You that Jesus’ blood was shed that I might be made clean. I ask You to cleanse me now from all uncleanness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
When people have confessed and repented of sin, it is important that we speak the truth of Scripture into their lives afresh and affirm them with the words, "If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV), and remind them that God has said, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (James 5:16, NASB).
Renunciation of Satan’s works Provided there has been true confession and repentance of the above sins, formal renunciation of Satan’s works in the life of a person is not a requirement for forgiveness. Such a renunciation is implicit within the prayer of making Jesus Lord. With regard to deliverance, however, we have found it to be helpful and significant for the counselee to speak out to Satan and all the powers of darkness a formal renunciation of their influence. It is one more step toward undermining the hold that demons may have on the individual. We do not pray to Satan (we should have no desire to ask him for anything), but we can address him in this way—rather like Jesus did when addressing the powers of darkness that were speaking through Simon Peter that tried to divert Jesus from going up to Jerusalem (Matthew 16:23). Personal declaration: Satan, I hereby renounce you and all your works in my life. I, by an act of my will and in the strength that Jesus Christ of Nazareth gives me, close the doors of my life to all the entry points you have previously gained through my sins. I speak out, in the name of Jesus who defeated you at Calvary, that you no longer have any right to trouble me on these specific issues— which have now been confessed, repented of and forgiven, and from which I am now being cleansed by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To break ungodly soul ties The interview stage will normally reveal any ungodly soul ties that Satan has used to bring in the demonic. It is helpful to systematically break these as you minister to the individual. Deliverance may occur after each one of these has been broken, so be prepared. This is a prayer of command that is normally prayed by the counselor for the counselee. Prayer: In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I ask God to break all ungodly spirit, soul and body ties that have been established between you and [speak out here the name of the individual involved]. I sever that linking supernaturally and ask God to remove from you all influence of the other person [name the person again here if you prefer] and draw back to yourself every part that has been wrongfully tied in bondage to another person [again name the person here if you prefer].
This prayerful statement may then be followed up by a prayer for deliverance of any demons that entered through the particular soul ties being referred to at each stage. If you are ready to move straight on to deliverance, continue the prayer as follows: I now speak directly to every evil spirit that has taken advantage of this ungodly soul tie. You no longer have any rights here, and I order you to leave now without hurting or harming [name here the individual being prayed for] or any other person and without going into any other member of the family. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Infilling with the Holy Spirit At this stage it is often helpful to stop for a moment and ask the Lord to anoint the person afresh with the Holy Spirit. It is the anointing that "breaks the yoke.” Stop and wait patiently as you observe what God is doing in the person’s life. Remember that this is God’s work, and it is our privilege to cooperate with whatever He wants to do at this moment. Sometimes I bless some oil and anoint the person. The effect of this is always to bless the person, but on occasion we find that there is a very strong demonic reaction to the anointing with oil. It seems that when the Holy Spirit comes on a person, the primary point of access to the life of the individual is through the spirit. To anoint a person with consecrated oil, however, is to extend that anointing to the flesh, wherein the demonic normally resides. It is not unusual to find that at such times demons will even speak out through the lips of the person saying things like, “It burns, it burns, get it off!” There is no doubt that demons do not like consecrated oil and, equally, that they are not overly concerned about unconsecrated oil. However, it is not the oil, but the presence of the Holy Spirit in the oil, that causes such distress to the demons. I have found on some occasions that it is helpful for the counselee to speak out a prayer of consecration to the Lord, asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. At times like this we have seen people baptized in the Holy Spirit for the first time. It is much easier for people to receive the Holy Spirit in this way when they have brought their lives into order. Prayer of consecration:
Lord Jesus, I give my entire being—spirit, soul, body—into Your hands. I invite You now to fill me with Your Holy Spirit, that I may be totally Yours. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Of course there will be occasions when a person is ready for deliverance ministry without it being necessary to pray through all, or even any, of the above prayers. This is especially the case in a public meeting, after people have been convicted by the Holy Spirit through the teaching and, as a result, have put that particular area of their lives in order. Then it is generally a very simple matter to address and deliver the individual of any demons whose ground has now been removed through repentance. But when a person comes for counseling and help, we have found that to try to short-circuit important preparatory stages has, in the long run, not been a sensible strategy. It is important to realize also that not everybody will need to deal with all the above areas in his life at the same time. On one occasion the counselor might be dealing with occultic sin and will, therefore, use the prayer (or a similar prayer) to deal with this matter alone and follow through with deliverance in this area. Other matters will then be dealt with at another time. However, if the occultic sin is linked with an ungodly sexual relationship, it is unlikely that deliverance will be successful unless both the sexual and the occultic sin are dealt with together. So it is necessary for the counselor to both seek the Lord for wisdom and apply common sense. There are times when discernment is not so much a supernatural gift of God but the practical application of the information we already have.
Chapter 22: The Ministry of Deliverance The key to the actual process of deliverance is authority. Demons are living beings who are in the service of their master, Satan. Jesus never joined in the rebellion that we know as the Fall and, therefore, never came underneath Satan. Satan is the ruler of this world, but Jesus is high over all (Ephesians 1:18-23) in a position of authority and with the incomprehensible power of the Almighty. Satan is under His feet. Jesus gave the disciples His power and authority to go and cast out demons (Greek: ekballo, meaning "to throw out forcibly”). In the Great Commission Jesus told the disciples to teach new believers to do the same things He had taught them to do. Believers are therefore operating underneath the same Commission that Jesus gave to the disciples. God also gave free will to mankind. If a person chooses to continue in a wrong heart attitude, an ungodly belief system or the practice of sin, then any demons present as a result of these things have been given a right to stay. That is why repentance is such a vital part of the process of healing through deliverance. The rights the demons have must be removed. It is only exceptionally that deliverance is permitted without the cooperation of the individual (see Acts 16:18). And even then the implication of Matthew 12:43-45 is that unless the doors are closed to the enemy through faith in Jesus, the latter state of the person could be even worse if more demons subsequently reoccupy the territory.
Assuming, however, that all the groundwork has been done and the person's will is in line with God, then deliverance should be the relatively simple process of exercising God-given authority over a spiritual being that, in terms of authority, is beneath us and whose source of power (Satan) is ultimately under the feet of Jesus. To exercise authority one needs to be in a position of authority. It is vital, therefore, that those ministering deliverance should truly know who they are in Christ. If Satan will allow those operating in the occult to cast out demons (which he does) through occult exorcism so that people will be yet further deceived, he can certainly instruct some demons to come out in response to the commands of "Christians” who may be operating in deliverance but who do not truly know God. After all, Jesus did say that there would be some who had cast out demons in His name to whom He would have to say, “I never knew you. Get away from me” (Matthew 7:23). The process of deliverance is sometimes accompanied by a variety of physical manifestations, but it is important to stress that a person does not have to experience manifestations in order to be delivered. People’s responses to being delivered vary enormously from person to person. The only general rule we have found that applies is that the more thoroughly the groundwork is done, the easier the deliverance eventually is. For example, if a person is truly forgiving and repentant, that will ease the process of deliverance. But if there is still a lot of unhealed emotional pain or buried anger, then the demons can use this to resist deliverance, and the effect can be a display of violence fueled by this source of emotional energy. Some critics of deliverance naively suggest that inner healing is all that is needed. On the contrary, some practitioners of deliverance
disparage the process of inner healing, saying that it is unnecessary. In practice both are essential if full healing is to take place. While inner healing can take place before or after deliverance, our experience is that if none takes place before deliverance, then the process of deliverance is made harder for both the person being delivered and the person praying for deliverance. Sometimes the demons are able to use this pent-up energy to magnify the strength of the manifestations. Unhealed and buried emotions are like food for the demonic, and if there is “stored” anger and emotional pain, release of this anger and pain will be necessary alongside the deliverance. At other times the manifestations that are observed during deliverance are helpful in discerning what is actually going on in the person—especially if it is clear that the person needs deliverance but it is not immediately obvious what right the demons have to be there. This is especially the case when dealing with generational demonization. In these cases the person is largely ignorant of what may have happened on the ancestral line and cannot, therefore, easily confess the sins of the ancestors in order to undermine the rights of the demons. When the demons are spoken to and ordered to leave, they can manifest in the person without actually coming out. The way they manifest often provides clues to their nature. If, for example, there has been generational witchcraft, the body of the person can involuntarily take on a position indicative of a particular ritual. Another person might develop a sudden pain in a particular part of the body, and this can indicate a generational sickness of demonic origin that is being forced to manifest itself prior to being delivered. At other times we have reminded the demon that it is under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and ordered it to speak the truth that Jesus Christ Himself would confirm as truth. This puts the demon
in the same situation as the demon that controlled the Gadarene demoniac. This demon was obliged to answer Jesus’ questions and speak the truth. While I do not recommend talking to demons as a normal means of deliverance, we have found that in some cases (as with Jesus and the Gadarene demoniac) it was a necessary part of the process of healing through deliverance. One should always remember that the only reason for speaking to demons is to effect deliverance. The range of possible manifestations is wide and varied. However, one should never be diverted by the manifestations but rather press on with the deliverance until either the deliverance is complete or it is clear that the demon is not readily coming out. When the demon does not readily come out, it is necessary to go back to the Lord and ask Him if there is anything else that needs to be done first and to go back to the person and ask him what is happening (the Lord will often speak to him directly at this point showing him any rights the demon still has). When deliverance is taking place the person being delivered is generally aware of something happening at the spiritual level, even if there are not any obvious manifestations. It is important to reassure the person when there are manifestations. The person can feel defiled or embarrassed by the demons, especially if they come out with vomiting or some other painfully obvious exit route. It is the spirits that are evil and unclean—not the person. When the demons begin to exit, any of the following manifestations are possible. The first five are manifestations that can also be experienced during an anointing of the Holy Spirit, and it is important to discern what is actually happening. Sometimes it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that stirs up the demonic and initiates the process of deliverance. None of the following manifestations is unusual, although the
more thoroughly the groundwork is done, the less likely it is that there will be any serious manifestations. It is important to keep the eyes open when ministering deliverance—both for the sake of discernment and, sometimes, self-protection.
22.1 Some Possible Demonic Manifestations • Cold: This occurs especially when spirits associated with death or serious evil practices begin to manifest. • Trembling: Either a part of the body or the whole body can tremble gently. • Shaking: When trembling becomes more powerful, specific parts of the body in which the demon has had a stronghold can shake, sometimes powerfully. The shaking can be so strong that the person is thrown to the ground. • Falling to the ground: In the gospel accounts of the healing ministry of Jesus, it is only when demons were encountered that people were thrown to the ground. This contrasts markedly with the phenomenon whereby the Lord causes people to fall gently to the ground and rest in His presence. When this happens demons can be stirred up and even take control. Hence the importance of discernment and monitoring what is happening. • Palpitations: These can cause a sense of panic in the person. This is either natural fear or a consequence of the demonic reaction of having to leave. • Pressure: This can especially be felt on the head or the shoulders. • Physical pain: When a demon is forced to manifest, it will sometimes cause pain in the part of the body that it has influenced. This can be the case with spirits of infirmity or spirits that are attached to the consequences of accidents or
traumas of the past. • Lumps in the throat: The most common exit point for demons is either on the breath or through the throat. It sometimes feels as though there is a physical lump when the demons are on the way out. • Deep breathing: When demons exit on the breath, there is usually a deepening of the breathing cycle, which can sometimes develop into yawning or coughing. Interestingly, spirits of death usually live in the lung area. • Stirring in the stomach: A demon that has lodged in the stomach will sometimes move around shortly before deliverance takes place, giving the feeling of something going around and around in the stomach. At other times a person may feel he is going to be physically sick, although he rarely is. A type of vomiting (or retching) may take place. • Feeling ill or faint: The experience of feeling sick can be felt in various parts of the body (especially the head) and is not just limited to the stomach area. See also “stirring in the stomach.” • Sudden headaches: A common symptom, especially when dealing with mind control spirits or religious spirits or false religions and idolatry. A tight band is sometimes felt around the head, as if the demon is trying to compress the brain. • Unnatural movements: The hands, arms, legs and feet can sometimes move wildly as demons are being expelled. On occasions the movements betray evidence of how the demons got in. At other times the movements may indicate
release of pain at the same time as deliverance is taking place. • Contortions of the body: When spirits are coming off the spine, for example, the back can be arched backward like the sting of a scorpion. The fetal position may also indicate long-buried pain, and it is important to discern correctly what is actually happening. • Screaming: A scream will often indicate a demon leaving, but if it continues without release, there will be emotions involved that need healing. • Pupils dilating: The eye is the lamp of the body. Where light comes in, the demons may also look out. The effect can be for movements of the pupils to be independent of their normal response to light and dark as the demons manifest. • Squints and convergence of the eyeballs: During deliverance it is sometimes helpful to look the person (and the demons) in the eye. There is something about a look that implies authority. The demons will do all they can to avoid eye contact. The most common tactic is to make the eyes diverge or converge so that it is impossible to look into both eyes at the same time. • Pupils disappearing upward: When only the whites of the eye are visible, the demon has taken the eyeball upward so that it is not possible to look the person in the eye. This power is commonly encountered when there is any form of witchcraft in evidence. • Sexual movements (or feelings): When sexual spirits
manifest, they can sometimes make the person have feelings and responses in the sexual area. • Demonic tongues: Not all tongues are of the Holy Spirit. It is relatively easy to sense the harshness of a demonic tongue that is in conflict with the tongues that are a gift of the Spirit. • Sudden violent actions: When ministering deliverance there can be a sudden violent reaction, when a particular demonic stronghold is mentioned—as if it has been suddenly awakened from a long sleep. Be on your guard— especially when dealing with heavily demonized people. • Running away: Sometimes people will be tempted by their demons to get up and run when the possibility of deliverance is near. People need to be encouraged to know that their bodies are their own and they don’t have to obey what the demons are telling them to do. • Hissing: Hissing is a characteristic of the snake. It is not surprising, therefore, that demons that are subject to “that old serpent, the devil,” should manifest in this way. Hissing can also indicate spirits that imitate members of the cat family. • Burping: Where demons have been present in the digestive system, there may be manifestations of burping. • Swearing: People who do not normally swear at all can suddenly break out into the foulest language when a demon is exposed and forced to the surface. Demons do not like being expelled. • Snarling and barking: These are characteristics of animals,
usually dogs. Where animalistic spirits manifest, it is usually indicative of false religions, witchcraft or Satanism having some influence on the person or his generational line. • Roaring: Usually spirits of the larger cats (lions, jaguars, etc.). Again, these are most often associated with the higher occult powers. • Bellowing: This sounds like an angry bull. It is usually evidence of strong rebellion. • Pungent smells: When some demons leave, there is a nasty smell left behind. Again, this is only normally experienced when dealing with high powers of occult rituals. • Clawlike actions: This is evidence again of animalistic spirits. These spirits might have accessed the family line through bestiality or through idolatry of the animals or their images. • Slithering across the floor like a snake: This is a more powerful demonstration of a snakelike spirit than hissing.
As soon as any of the above manifestations occur, quietly exercise the authority you have in Jesus Christ and order the demon to leave without hurting either the individual or anyone else. There may be resistance, but if all the rights the demons had have been undercut, there should be no reason why they won’t leave. If, after a little while, the demon is seen only to be manifesting and not actually leaving, backtrack and ask the Lord to show if there
is anything else that needs to be done before the demon is free to leave. It sometimes happens that there is another demon holding in the one that is manifesting, and that demon will need to be delivered first. When dealing with heavily demonized people, the controlling spirit will sometimes manifest in order to distress the person and try to terminate the ministry. It will only do this when it has a wellorganized defense, which may have to be broken down before the stronghold can be demolished. When the defenses are down, even apparently powerful demons are reduced to size and are not stronger than others. A demon is only as strong as the defense or rights it has. There is no specific scriptural instruction for telling demons where to go, so I usually tell them to go to the "dry and waterless places,” which is the place Jesus said they would go to when they come out of a man. We do not have authority to cast them into the abyss. Even the demons that faced Jesus knew that there would be an appointed time for this to happen, and they challenged Jesus as to whether or not He was going to deal with them in this way before their appointed time. If Jesus chose not to send them into the abyss, we shouldn’t even try. We can banish them from the person who has just been delivered, and we can banish them from our own local space (home, church, etc.), which should be cleansed territory, but we have no authority to take demons out of circulation. They have chosen to be under Satan’s authority, and there they will remain until Satan himself, with all his demons, is thrown into the lake of fire at the end of time as we know it. If no obvious manifestations or deliverance occurs, yet you are convinced there is a demonic presence, then pray determinedly into the situation. Some demons will try to hide in order to avoid being
delivered. Address yourself to the particular area of sin (or problem) through which the demon came in and ask the Lord to expose any darkness that is there. Deliverance is but one aspect of our great salvation, so ask the Lord to send His angels to minister to the person you are praying for. We have sometimes heard the demons cry out in terror when we have prayed in that way. We do not have authority over the angels—they are at the disposition of the Lord—so we must ask Him to send them. Quietly, but firmly, remind the demons that they are under your authority and that their master (Satan) is under the feet of Jesus and command them to leave in Jesus’ name. It is not necessary to raise the voice unduly or get agitated, although when exercising authority it is not unusual to find that most people raise their voice a little.
22.2 Exit Routes of Demons The exit route of the demons is sometimes indicative of the way the demons came in. When the demons are cast out, they generally leave in one of the following ways: a) Lift off with no obvious manifestations b) Through the throat and mouth (occasionally nose), with deep yawning, burping, coughing, vomiting, choking, breathing, etc. c) Through the eyes—the eyelids sometimes flick noticeably during deliverance of demons that have come in through the eyes d) Through the ears e) Off the top of the head f) Through the hands and fingertips g) Through the feet and toes h) Through the sexual orifices i) Through the back passage
22.3 Post-deliverance Care After deliverance has taken place, it is very important to stay with the person for a while to encourage and reassure him. Sometimes he feels defiled by the experience, even though he feels clean inside as a result. Ask God to send the Holy Spirit to come and fill every area that has been vacated by the spirits. Deliverance will generally go in stages. The Lord will bring healing to one area and then allow a space of time before the next area of ministry is begun. In this way the person is strengthened and encouraged to press on to victory. Don't forget that very normal things like cups of tea or coffee are an important part of keeping people encouraged during ministry—as well as keeping the counselors refreshed. In the case of heavy deliverance, it may be a little while before the person can be left alone. When people become experienced in ministry, they will interchange freely between deliverance ministry and prayer for inner healing or physical healing and then back to deliverance. Healing is a process involving all the different aspects of personal ministry. Flexibility is important so that we are able to respond quickly to what God is doing and help the person to flow with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 23: Why Some People Are Not Delivered Throughout this book there is extensive teaching on how to prepare someone to receive healing through deliverance. Implicit within this teaching arc reasons why people may not be healed. The following is a checklist of reasons that the counselor may find helpful when ministering healing through deliverance: 1. The counselee does not really know Jesus. 2. There is no faith that God is able or willing to heal and deliver. 3. There is no belief that Jesus wants to heal the counselee. 4. Life is out of balance—in disorder or spiritual chaos. 5. There is bitterness and unforgiveness. 6. There is unresolved pain or guilt. 7. The counselor is praying for the wrong thing. 8. The counselee believes that “Christians can’t have demons” or is possibly under a spiritual covering that holds such a view. 9. There is unconfessed sin that the counselee wants to keep hidden. 10. Ungodly soul ties are still in place.
11. The counselee is either under or using ungodly domination or control. 12. There are occult powers in place whose control has not been broken, either in the counselee or in those with whom there is a close linking. 13. There is little or no anointing in the place of ministry— due to uncleansed ground, buildings or organizations. 14. There is hidden or unrecognized abuse or emotional damage that still needs healing. Curses of sickness or death are still in place. 15. Generational sin and/or demonization has not been dealt with. 16. There is an inner brokenness through trauma, and deeper healing is needed. 17. The counselee is living in denial of the real problem. 18. The counselee has made inner vows that need to be renounced. 19. The counselee is in disobedience over something God has already told him to do (which he is not agreeing to). 20. The ministry team needs to seek the Lord for specific revelation about hidden demonic controls affecting the individual concerned. 21. The counselee doesn’t really want to be healed. 22. The counselee is not under godly authority.
23. There is a lack of discipling in the local church. 24. There is legalism. 25. There are blocked memories that need to be released. 26. There is passivity. 27. The ministry team members are not in a right relationship with each other and are blocking the anointing. 28. It is not God’s timing. 29. The person is suffering from a sickness that is unto death and needs to be prepared to meet the Lord.
Chapter 24: Advice to the Delivered
24.1 Ten Major Keys to Staying Free After surgery, a patient receives a list of things he should and should not do. In just the same way, after deliverance ministry, there are things we can do to ensure that people grow strong again and are able to withstand the many ongoing attacks of the evil one. Satan does not give up territory lightly, and while he does have to bow the knee to the name of Jesus, he will usually try to regain ground that has been lost. The following guidelines have proven helpful to people who are determined to walk in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. In reality, they are things that we should all be aware of as part of our normal Christian walk and experience:
24.1.1 The Lordship of Jesus Must Be Central in Your Life. The number-one priority must be to ensure that Jesus is given His rightful place in every area of our lives. If there are things we think, say or do that cannot be shared with Jesus, then we are on dangerous ground that Satan will want to take advantage of.
24.1.2 Be Continuously Filled with the Holy Spirit. While the first time someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit is a very special experience, we must not limit our experience of being filled with the Spirit to this occasion. We need to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the full meaning of Ephesians 5:18. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, comforter, exhorter and strengthener. We need Him at all times to be able to live effectively as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
24.1.3 Read the Word of God Daily and Allow It to Minister to You. The Scripture contains everything we need for godly living. It is a helpful discipline to follow a Bible-reading program on a daily basis, with some explanatory or devotional notes. But it is also important that we read through Scripture for ourselves and allow God to speak to us directly through His Word.
24.1.4 Wear the Armor of God at All Times. The armor is for our defense and protection. Study what Paul teaches in Ephesians 6:10-18 and remember that the Holy Spirit will enable us to maintain a godly stand against all the attacks of the evil one. If during the day there have been moments of failure, confess these immediately, ask God for forgiveness and repair the armor, ready for the next encounter. God does not condemn us for moments of failure, but He does expect us to use the means of grace available to us when we have made mistakes so that we can continue to walk tall and strong.
24.1.5 Be on Guard against the Enemy’s Counterattacks. If we have taken ground from the enemy through receiving healing and deliverance ministry, then be sure that Satan will try to win back some of that ground as soon as possible. Regaining lost ground is one of the first lessons of warfare, and Satan knows that only too well. Watch out for temptations, especially in the areas where sin has had to be radically dealt with prior to deliverance. We must ask others to pray for us if we are feeling particularly vulnerable at any time. Be aware that habits need to be dealt with as well.
24.1.6 Be in Good Fellowship with Others. If we remain in good fellowship with other Christians, we will always have a body of believers around us to continue to minister to us when necessary. We also need help to see ourselves as others see us and to pinpoint any areas of our lives where we may be giving Satan some unnecessary leeway. Small fellowship groups within the life of the church are the ideal venue to grow stronger as faith develops. If no such group meets in your own church, see if there is an interchurch group meeting locally or a group from another church that might be willing to have you share in one of its midweek meetings.
24.1.7 Allow the Holy Spirit to Produce the Fruit of the Spirit in Your Life. There is no law against godliness. The fruit of the Spirit is the outworking of God’s Spirit in our lives. If we allow Him to nurture and encourage us, we will quickly find that positive changes begin to happen in our lives. If we struggle with a particular area, then we can ask for further prayer, for there may be another demonic stronghold that needs to be broken or more inner healing that is necessary to provide a foundation for progress.
24.1.8 Walk Continuously in Forgiveness. There is no shortage of opportunities to forgive people. We must maintain a godly attitude toward all those who offend us and not let any more roots of bitterness grow up in our hearts.
24.1.9 Praise God in All Circumstances. Praise is a vital part of Christian living. God does not change in His character, so there is no need to allow changes in our circumstances to change our attitude toward Him. We should not fall into the trap of thinking we should praise God for everything that happens; otherwise we could find ourselves having to praise God for something that Satan has prompted someone to do against us. We should not be praising God for these things, as they are not His choosing for us. But we should never stop praising God for who He is.
24.1.10 Keep the Right Company. The company we keep can strongly influence the things that we do. If a certain group of people has led us into a way of life that is bad for us, then we should think twice before renewing those relationships. We do not want to cut ourselves off from others, but there are times when, for a season until we are stronger, it may be necessary to be very disciplined as to our lifestyle, the company we keep and the places we go.
PART 3: LAND AND BUILDINGS
Chapter 25: Land and Buildings Cleansing of Land, Buildings and Organizations
25.1 How Land Became Cursed Mankind was given spiritual authority (dominion) over the whole of the planet. Through the Fall, whatever man had been given authority over was submitted to the god of this world. In Scripture, Jesus referred to Satan as the ruler or the god of this world. The whole of planet Earth became “cursed,” and was made unholy by Satan’s spiritual control. Not only was humanity changed by the Fall, and now had a carnal nature, but the land that God had given to mankind had also been changed as a result. This was graphically expressed in Genesis 3:17-19 (NIV) when God said to Adam: Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. Because God had given earthly authority to Adam in the first place, God could do nothing to shield mankind from the earthly consequences of Adam’s sin. As a result, the whole of the human race has suffered for all of time and been constantly faced with opposition from the ground, as mankind has cultivated the land to provide himself with physical sustenance. Ground left to itself will quickly revert to its natural (fallen) state. If land that has been cultivated is left untended, it will soon be covered with weeds, and before long there will be little evidence of man’s endeavors to produce crops. In short, the whole of the earth has been cursed through the Fall. Further evidence of what actually happened to the land and the kingdoms of the world at the Fall is seen in the words that Satan spoke to Jesus, during the time of temptation in the wilderness:
The devil led [Jesus] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Luke 4:5-7, NIV
There are several remarkable things about this passage of Scripture, the first being that Jesus did not refute Satan’s claim that all the kingdoms of the world had been given into his control! Jesus recognized that this was a true fact—a direct consequence of what happened at the Fall, when Adam gave away his dominion of planet Earth. The second remarkable thing is that Satan linked obedience to him with worship. If Jesus had obeyed Satan and been willing, therefore, to worship him (what Satan had wanted since the beginning was to be above the Godhead), then Jesus would have received delegated authority from Satan and would then have had control of all the kingdoms of the world. When we obey Satan we are, in fact, worshiping him and giving him the right to control us. We may think we are getting control, but in reality the reverse is happening; we are giving Satan the right to control us! Jesus declined Satan’s offer and did not, therefore, come under Satan’s authority in order to take over the kingdoms of the world. What Jesus did was defeat Satan personally at the cross, maintaining his higher Kingdom authority. Even in this fallen world, therefore, those who are in Christ can exercise a higher authority than Satan, as they have "the right to become children of God” (John 1:12, NIV). This means that the children of God can take up this right and use their authority over the land and organizations for which they are personally responsible and have legal authority over, as implied by Jesus in the Lord’s Prayer, in which the disciples are encouraged to
pray “Your Kingdom come—on earth.” When God called Abram and told him to travel west to a land that “I am going to show you” (Genesis 12:1), he was then asked to walk the length and the breadth of the land (Genesis 13:17, NIV) and mark it out for all time as being specially set apart for the people God had chosen. It was through these people that God would reveal Himself to the world and, also, through whom the Messiah would come. In obeying God, Abram was exercising a higher spiritual authority than that given to Satan. Provided God’s people always walked with Him in covenantal fellowship and obedience, then they could have rightfully expected to know God’s blessing and protection on the land.
25.2 Further Consequences of Sin on Land and Buildings Sadly, however, man’s fallen (carnal) nature continuously caused him to fail so that spiritual authority over the land was not maintained, even though it had been set apart by God in the first place through Abram. Satan’s dominion kept on re-exerting itself as a result of the people’s choices and, in the end, resulted in the exile in Egypt. But God never forgot that the Promised Land had been set apart for His people. After Moses had been God’s instrument in rescuing Israel from the clutches of its Egyptian masters, God spoke to him from the mountaintop and gave the people the opportunity to experience God’s blessings in response to their obedience. The blessings described in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 are not just to the people in isolation, but are also related to the land that they would occupy. The second part of chapter 28 describes the struggles people would have with curses upon them and the land, if they did not choose to walk in that relationship of covenantal blessing with God. It is clear that disobedience to God removes our protection and gives the enemy rights. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the children of Israel eventually reentered the land by crossing the Jordan. They then set about reclaiming the ground and applying the lessons they had been taught through Moses, only now it was Joshua who was applying those lessons. There were also many fresh lessons to be learned as they battled with the ungodly spiritual powers that had been left in place in the land as a result of sin. Many years later, the vision for the building of the Temple was given to David and was eventually realized by David’s son, Solomon.
It was built exactly as the Lord had instructed. As a result, the whole Temple area became holy ground. At the dedication of the Temple the presence of God was so powerfully manifested in this place, which had been cleansed and made holy, that "the glory of the Lord filled his temple” (1 Kings 8:11, NIV) and the people were unable to continue with the service! This extraordinary event was followed by God speaking directly to Solomon, making specific reference to the land and buildings that had been constructed. In this remarkable conversation God promised Solomon that if he walked before the Lord in integrity of heart and uprightness as David, his father, had done, then God would establish His royal throne over Israel forever. But then God warned him that if he did not observe the commands and decrees the Lord had given to him, then Israel would be cut off from the land and the Temple would become an object of ridicule (see 1 Kings 9:4-9). God was warning him that they would lose their authority over the land and the Temple if they chose not to walk in obedience to God. History tells us what happened—how Solomon himself was seduced into worshiping false gods by his foreign wives, and eventually the whole Temple fell into a state of terrible disgrace.
25.3 Hezekiah's Cleansing of the Temple When Hezekiah came to the throne, after his evil father, Ahaz, the Temple had become an abomination. But Hezekiah was determined to put matters right, and he set about the task of rededicating the Temple in a way that has laid down foundations for all time of how to cleanse land, buildings and organizations. The whole story can be found in 2 Chronicles 29. The priests were responsible for the Temple—they were the ones with spiritual authority over the property—so Hezekiah called them together. In his “sermon” he recognized that the Temple, the land and the people were in a terrible mess because of the sins of the previous leaders and the people, so he first instructed the priests to cleanse themselves—to deal with every bit of their involvement in the sins of the past so that they would be personally cleansed and made pure before they started tackling the buildings of the Lord. For how can people who are still unclean cleanse the Temple of God? David expressed it this way in Psalm 24:3-5 (NIV): Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. They then set about the work of cleansing the Temple and the buildings. They removed everything that was ungodly and totally destroyed it in the Kidron Valley, the rubbish dump of Jerusalem.
Those things that had been made for godly purposes were cleansed and restored. And when the whole work was done, once again the presence of the Lord was experienced in the Temple. This whole remarkable story is summed up in 2 Chronicles 31:21: “In everything that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered” (NIV). This is an amazing testimony to what can happen when spiritual authority is re-exerted over land and property that is legally owned by God’s people, in spite of the dominion that Satan had as a result of man’s sinful choice at the Fall. Satan will, of course, always seek to reestablish his own dominion and authority, as soon as those with Kingdom authority move away from their determination to walk in the ways of God. No wonder the repeated injunction in Scripture to God’s people is to walk in obedience and holiness—for in that way the enemy does not have a hold over either them or their property.
25.4 Experiences of Cleansing Land and Buildings Today The consequences of sin are the same now as they were in the days before Jesus came. As a result, we give Satan rights and authority over us. But in these New Covenant days, believers can exercise Kingdom authority over the works of the enemy—both in terms of deliverance of people, as described in the major part of this book, and in terms of setting land, buildings and organizations free from all the influence Satan has gained. Most people will know of buildings they have entered in which they suddenly became aware that they were feeling very uncomfortable, even cold, in that place. They were discerning the presence of evil. Conversely, most Christians will have experienced the reverse, when they have come into an anointed place where praise and worship to Jesus is lifted high and they are very aware of the holiness and the presence of God, The exciting truth, as attested to by Hezekiah, is that the places in which the enemy has had a controlling influence can be set free and transformed into holy ground! Over the years we have ministered in many different church situations where people have struggled to move forward in worship and ministry. Often we have discovered unclean spiritual roots that have never been dealt with. Church leaders have fallen into the trap of thinking that, if they dedicate a building to God, it is automatically cleansed of everything evil from the past. They forget that dedication deals with the future—not the past! Just as believers may need to deal with specific issues in their lives and then receive deliverance, a similar principle applies to buildings and organizations, even churches!
In our own experience the different buildings we have acquired for the work of Ellel Ministries have all needed to be cleansed in different ways. Some needed cleansing from a strong Masonic influence, others from the consequences of sexual sin, which was giving unclean sexual spirits a right to influence people subsequently coming into the place, and yet others from various forms of occult influence. When we acquired Pierrepont, the largest Ellel Ministries Training Center, just south of London, we first dedicated the building and the 35 acres of land to the Lord. But we also asked the Lord to show us anything specific we needed to deal with. Scripture tells us that God is a revealer of secrets (Daniel 2:28), and so we can trust that He will expose the works of darkness in our midst if we approach Him with a humble heart. Pierrepont had formerly been a private boarding school for boys. The headmaster had died and the school had gone bankrupt. What we acquired was a totally empty shell. Almost the only thing that had not been sold in the bankruptcy auction was a small weather station, which had been anchored into a concrete plinth and which was not, therefore, easy to move. But shortly after we had moved in, and after we had prayed for God to show us anything spiritually unholy associated with or on the land and the property, some people telephoned, asking if they could have the weather station for their son to use in their garden. We were happy to oblige, but after the weather station had gone, a small concrete plinth was left in the middle of our lawns. So one of the team was asked to dig it up and remove it. He did so, but after taking up the concrete he found a small glass bottle buried in gravel beneath the plinth. In it were papers pronouncing curses of death and destruction to the headmaster and the school! Within a few weeks of occupying the premises, God had shown us the exact spot where these curses had been buried. We were able to
forgive those who had done it and bless those who had cursed our property, and ever since we have known the amazing blessing of God on the work and ministry at Pierrepont! Not only did we need to know about these curses, we needed to know exactly where they were buried—God showed us both so that they could be dealt with! A minister took our deliverance ministry training course. Not only did he receive personal deliverance for himself, but he was amazed to hear the teaching about setting churches free from enemy control! For a decade he had only managed to sustain a maintenance ministry in his church, with those who had died or moved away being replaced by new people moving into the area. There had been no conversion growth in the ministry. On returning home he researched the history of his church and discovered a number of significant issues in the past that had brought great division into the fellowship. Psalm 133 tells us that where the brethren dwell together in unity, God commands a blessing. The converse of this can mean that where the brethren are in great disunity, and there is bitterness between rival groups in the church, the enemy has a right to curse the life of the fellowship. The minister and his fellow leaders confessed these sins of their spiritual ancestors in the church, spoke out forgiveness and took authority over all the works of the enemy in the place, ordering every associated unclean spirit to leave. They then rededicated the church fellowship and the buildings to the Lord. Immediately they sensed a change and a year later the change had become very tangible. For in those twelve months, after a decade of zero growth, they found that on average one new believer a week was being added to the fellowship. Something radical had changed. In another place the church secretary called and asked for help. Five of the men of the church had died in the previous twelve months, two pastors had come and gone in the previous two years and the
church was declining rapidly. This was our team's first major visit to minister to a whole church in this way. First, we followed Hezekiah’s example and spent time with each of the leaders, facing any issues in their own lives and ministering to them. Then we started work on the church building, which we discovered had been designed by a Freemason and that the whole church, therefore, had a Masonic foundation. The current leaders confessed this as sin, removed the Masonic evidence, forgave the original leaders who had acted (probably in ignorance of the spiritual dangers of Freemasonry) and then we set about cleansing the building and anointing it afresh in an act of re-dedication to the Lord. The Sunday evening service, the final service of the weekend, was very different from the first one on Friday evening! Something of darkness had been lifted from the church. One worshiper who had been away for most of the weekend, and only attended the final service, asked if the church had been redecorated! A year later f was back in that town and met the new pastor, who had come to the church shortly after the cleansing weekend. He thanked me for what we had done. He told us that starting from the day he came to the church, there had been a steady stream of people knocking on his door, asking for help and saying things such as, "Is this a place where I can find God? Can you help me?” One after another, people were being drawn to the church and becoming Christians, even though the church leaders had not launched any evangelistic program. It was as if the holiness of God had been established in the church, and men and women were being drawn to it. People seemed to know instinctively that their spiritual needs would be met there. Seventeen years later my wife and I were guests at a lunch in the British Houses of Parliament. During the lunch, my wife asked
our host how he had become a Christian. Amazingly, he explained that neither he nor his wife had any Christian history in either of their families, but his wife had started going out on a Sunday morning and coming back happy! So he decided to follow her to see what it was all about and found she was attending a church. On entering the church himself, he was overcome by the presence of God. As a result he soon confessed his sins, became a Christian and he and his wife have never looked back from that dramatic conversion moment. Today he exercises a very significant role inside the Palace of Westminster. The church he and his wife had been drawn to was the very church that we had been privileged to cleanse just prior to their conversion! I could fill a whole book with stories such as this, telling of the wonderful fruit there has been over the years through applying these basic scriptural principles to land, buildings and organizations. Every year Ellel Ministries conducts a number of schools on this vital topic of reclaiming the ground and spiritual warfare, often in association with Dr. Alistair Petrie of Partnership Ministries. His books on the subject (see the bibliography) are classics. Attending the school has often been a dramatic step forward in understanding, with powerful consequences in the lives and subsequent ministries of delegates. This is also teaching of vital significance to Christians in the business arena. In our Marketplace Ministry Schools we show how businesses can be held back from achieving the success they deserve through similar problems, and how dealing with ungodly spiritual history and associations can transform the potential and profitability of the business.
25.5 The Practice of the Ministry The process of setting land, buildings and organizations free of specific demonic control is very closely related to the way a person can be set free. The fundamentals of personal deliverance require confession and repentance as the foundation for effective deliverance and healing, where the demonic has gained access as a result of sin. Where someone has been sinned against and, as a result, they have become vulnerable, possibly through trauma, then forgiveness is a very important part of the healing process. Fundamentally one is looking for the ways in which the enemy could have gained rights of entry into a person’s life. In exactly the same way, when dealing with land, buildings and organizations one has to ask the same questions about what can have happened in the past that has given the enemy similar rights —not to enter a person, but to have specific rights and authority in and over land, buildings or an organization. Sometimes these things will be known, such as a former occult usage of a building, in which case the cleansing process can be straightforward and obvious. At other times one has to trust God to expose how the powers of darkness have gained influence, and then act accordingly— either prophetically or through what is often referred to these days as spiritual mapping. On one occasion a member of our team was praying in a church building we were visiting, when he became aware of laughing, vulgarity and ribaldry much more associated with lewd entertainment than church life. When, in a local library, a member of the church researched the early history of the building, he discovered that the site had been used
for a period of time as a location of sexually oriented entertainment. The prophetic word exactly matched the information. Research such as this is sometimes referred to as spiritual mapping. A human being is only directly responsible for what goes on in his or her own life. For example, I cannot repent of sins that someone else has committed. I can only deal with my own sin. In a similar way we do not have authority over someone else’s land or building—we can only deal directly with places for which we are legally responsible. Yes, we can pray for someone else, and yes, we can pray about what goes on in someone else’s building, but ultimately it is the owners of the land or building who have to exercise spiritual authority over what is theirs. They have to deal with it themselves. When dealing with land and buildings, therefore, legal rights are very important. Who are the legal owners of the property? If the owners are not the direct users of the building, are they as concerned to see it set free as you are? If, for example, you are only the tenant of a building, and the landlord is not participating with you in your desire to cleanse the building, you may only have the legal right to bind anything demonic so that it cannot exercise ungodly influence over you and what you do in the building. But if you are the legal owner of the property and you desire to cleanse it, then you have spiritual authority to do so because of your legal authority. Legal authority gives us the right to exercise spiritual authority. So, a believer who understands the Kingdom authority he has as a child of the King, which is a higher authority than that exercised by Satan, can deal systematically with all the holds that the enemy has over the place. Although the process is simple, the effect is profound and can be nothing short of amazing! Many newer churches rent their facilities on Sundays from a local authority or another organization. They have no say over what it
is used for on other days of the week, and on a Saturday night, for example, the place may be used for some pretty ungodly activities. That does not stop them from being blessed by God on a Sunday morning, but it can be very important and necessary to pray through the building every time they meet, using their temporary spiritual authority to cleanse the place afresh from the spiritual influences that have been gained through the usage of other tenants.
25.6 The Cleansing Process 1. Establish who has the legal authority over the land or buildings to be cleansed. Where possible, they should always be involved in the cleansing process. For a local church the one exercising legal authority may be the vicar (in the Church of England), a board of trustees, a registered charity or even an individual who owns the building on behalf of the fellowship. 2. There are always two dimensions to the process, the first being what has happened to the land and buildings before the present owner acquired the property, and the second, what has happened to the property during the present term of ownership. 3. Discover as much as you can about ungodly things that might have happened in the place during previous ownerships—occult activities, use by false religions, sexual license, violence, criminal activities, divisions, financial mismanagement, Masonic linkings, etc. All such things will give Satan a hold over the spiritual title to the property. 4. Confess all that you know has happened in the property —to confess means to agree with what God thinks about these things—and declare that now, as the legal owner, you forgive everyone involved. Be specific about the things you know of. Release them into the freedom of your forgiveness. Then declare into the heavenly realms that you now have legal and spiritual authority and that any powers of darkness operating over the property no longer have any rights to stay. Exercise your Kingdom authority to set the land and buildings free.
5. Then turn your attention to everything you know has happened during the present ownership and deal with it in a similar way. Where there is any personal accountability for these things by those currently in authority, then there needs to be personal confession, repentance and putting things right. 6. After implementing the above steps, we have usually gone around the perimeter of the land, anointing the corner posts and fence posts with oil, declaring the authority of Jesus over the land and telling the powers of darkness that they have to go. We have then done the same for each building, praying and praising in every room of the building, not forgetting to pray in the basements and the attics and over the land under the building. 7. Sometimes it has taken us a period of time to complete this process, as the Lord has progressively revealed more things we need to deal with. It is a process, but step by step you will sense the spiritual atmosphere changing for the good as you cleanse the place and see the name of Jesus and His authority increasingly lifted up over and in the property.
The sorts of issues we have had to face in our own buildings have covered most of the things one is likely to encounter in the normal process of cleansing land and buildings. Sexual issues are very common. Where a building has been polluted by ungodliness in this area, future owners and occupants of the building can find themselves particularly vulnerable to sexual temptations. One pastor could not understand why so many of his people were falling into adulterous relationships—until he discovered that a
former minister had himself had an ungodly sexual relationship in the building that had never been properly dealt with. The people were coming under the influence of a spirit that had been given rights by one of those who had been in authority over the church. Hotel rooms are often used for ungodly sexual relationships or for viewing pornography. So we instruct all our teams, when staying in hotels, to always take up their spiritual authority over the place and bind any sexual spirits, forbidding them to have any influence over them. They can cleanse the room in this way because they have temporary legal authority as hotel guests. One church we visited had had continual problems over its fifty-year history, without there being any obvious reason why that should be the case. The leaders had put it down to the difficult area in which they were seeking to minister. It was only when they discovered that the church building had formerly been used as a Spiritualist temple that the real issues were exposed and dealt with. Finding that there is some form of Masonic history is also a frequent occurrence that needs to be dealt with appropriately.
25.7 Cleansing Organizations Similar principles to the above apply to organizations as well as land and buildings. An organization is an entity that has power and authority—often legal powers and authority—and if the structure has been affected through ungodly spiritual authority or through underhanded or immoral practices, then those who are under the authority of that organization are also in danger of suffering the consequences. A church board, for example, is an organization that is different from the buildings the church either owns or uses. There would be little fruit from praying to cleanse a building if the organization that owns the building is itself unclean through either the sins or associations of people on the board. This is why in 2 Chronicles 29, Hezekiah first addressed the need for the priests to be cleansed before they set about cleansing the Temple. In our Marketplace Schools we often find that people in business may have been struggling for years, not really knowing why it is that the company has never seemed to come to successful fulfillment. On more detailed examination it has been discovered that Christian leaders in business have often been battling against the influence of powers that were given rights through wrong associations, underhanded practices, Masonic control, financial manipulation or sexual misconduct—not necessarily their own activities, but rather a result of historical influences or the conduct of their staff. People have realized the truth behind Paul’s description of the spiritual world in Ephesians 6:12 when he talked about the real battle as being with the unseen spiritual powers. The cleansing process needed for organizations of all types is very similar to that for land
and buildings or individuals. Find out the truth and then through a process of confession, repentance and forgiveness deal with the issues. It may also be necessary to deal with the business ties that an organization has. These can act like a soul tie in a person, holding the organization into ungodliness through the association.
25.8 In Conclusion Land and buildings are vulnerable to spiritual influences. God has called us as believers to exercise our Kingdom authority in the arena in which we live. When Jesus sent out the 72 (Luke 10), He told them to tell others that the Kingdom of God had come near. Wherever true believers are, the reign of the King is established in their lives. It is then incumbent upon us to exercise that Kingdom authority as we fulfill God's Kingdom purposes and enter into our own destiny— providing homes for our families and places to meet that are free from the harmful spiritual influences of the powers of darkness, and setting free the organizations and businesses that we operate, from the ungodly influence of the god of this world.
PART 4: POSTSCRIPT, APPENDIXES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chapter 26: Postscript
26.1 In Conclusion I believe I have fairly established in this book that Jesus gave the disciples instructions to cast out demons and that this instruction is implicit within the Great Commission to the whole of the Church for the whole of time. In the incomparable words of his gospel, this is how the apostle John described the impact of Jesus, the Son of God, on the world: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NKJV). As people listened to Jesus teach, and saw Him minister to the needs of men and women, they were witnessing the evidence of this grace and truth being manifest in a fallen world. They saw people healed and demons cast out, and they were amazed. The wonder of the Gospel is that the things Jesus did, He commissioned His Church to do also! We are still, therefore, able to witness the evidence of the truth about Jesus undermining the authority of the powers of darkness and setting the captives free. What a miracle of God’s grace and mercy! All the experience that has enabled this book to be written has been gained in and through the work of Ellel Ministries. When the work first began at Ellel Grange in 1986, there was just a small handful of believing people who were trusting God for His answers to the needs of the many who came through the doors. We didn’t get everything right—we were learning on the hard anvil of experience— but through love and perseverance, little by little we learned the lifechanging lessons that have formed the content of this book.
Today, over twenty years later, the work has grown in a way that is beyond human understanding, but entirely within the understanding of the love that God wishes to pour out on His people so that they will have hope and know His healing. As the years have gone by, I have realized how deeply the Father longs to see His children enter into their destiny here on earth—and not just in heaven after their earthly lives are over. As I write these final words, I am thinking of the woman whose life was devastated by a tragic accident and whose only future was a lifetime disability pension and no hope of ever being normal. Today she is healed, restored, married and enjoying bringing up her family. She was delivered and healed. I am thinking of the young man who was on the downward spiral of a drug-induced life sentence. Today he is rebuilding his life on godly foundations. He was delivered and healed. I am thinking of the couple who had been married for eleven years and had been told by the medical profession that they would never be able to have children. Today they have a growing and happy family. The mother was delivered and healed. I am thinking of the lady who had no memories whatsoever from before the age of eighteen. In midlife she was in psychiatric care with a lifetime disability pension and no prospect of ever being normal again. Today she is full of life, restored to her family, has been off all medication for many years and, with the approval of her medical practitioner, has given up her disability pension. She was healed and delivered. I am thinking of the many who have been crippled by trauma as the result of accidents, who today not only know that their eternal destiny is in heaven, but that Jesus is Master of their earthly destiny
also. They were healed and delivered. I am thinking of the Anglican minister whose ministry was being drawn to a sad and hasty conclusion as the pressures of the job and his circumstances crushed him and made him unable to function. Today he is fully restored, the roots of his inner issues having been dealt with, and he is back at work, fully fit. He was healed and delivered. And I could go on. Every day I hear the stories that come in from Ellel Centers around the world of what God is doing. I marvel at His faithfulness and would encourage you to believe that God wants to bless and empower His Church everywhere to set the captives free so that every local church becomes a place where healing and deliverance are part of the normal salvation ministries available to members of the fellowship. I pray that this book will have confirmed to you that Jesus' teaching about healing and deliverance is truth that comes from the heart of the Father, and will have renewed a desire in your heart to see that same truth lived out today in the life of the Body of Christ.
26.2 Further Training I am often asked how people can get involved in this ministry in their local area. It is worth remembering how Jesus did it. He enrolled His disciples in a special three-year training school! Along the way He was continually teaching them, both through the public experience of His ministry and the private times of sharing when He and His disciples were alone. He then sent them out to gain experience for themselves as, little by little, He prepared them to be the apostles who would take the good news of salvation into all the world. Faith is important, but training is also a vital ingredient of the learning process. While this book will give you much knowledge and insight, we would urge you to take the time to gain understanding through participating in training courses that will equip you for the task. There are many different opportunities available around the world. The courses and schools conducted by Ellel Ministries are all associated with our different centers in many different countries. They cover topics as wide-ranging as Acceptance and Belonging, Healing for Abused People, Healing through Deliverance, Ministry to Men, Love’s Healing Power, Sex and Sexuality, Rejection and Freedom from Fear. Below you will find a list of all Ellel Ministries Centers, with their contact details. Up-to-date information about what is happening at all our different centers can be found on our website www.ellelministries.org
26.3 International Training Schools (at Ellel Pierrepont and Ellel Grange) While all our centers are open to people from all over the world, there are two centers in the United Kingdom that run specific programs of longer- term training. These schools are specially geared for leaders and counselors from all over the world who want to move forward with a greater understanding and experience of what it means to proclaim the Kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons. The NETS School at Ellel Pierrepont is a program of four tenweek semesters (terms). NETS stands for Nine-Eleven Training School. The name originates from the foundational Scripture for the ministry, Luke 9:11, which says that Jesus welcomed the people, taught them the Kingdom of God and healed those in need. Students may enroll at either the Foundational Level or the Diploma Level. The first two semesters equip the students in the foundations of salvation ministries, enabling them to understand and minister in evangelism, healing and deliverance. The third and fourth semesters are optional— many students can only manage two semesters—but they are essential for those who want to take their studies to the Diploma Level. The third semester is specially geared to teacher training and mission and incorporates a season of practical firsthand experience in places such as India or Africa. The final semester provides an opportunity for deeper level study and personal mentoring in leadership. The first semester of the NETS School is also available as the standalone nine-week Flagship School at Ellel Grange, the international headquarters of the ministry. This is particularly geared to those who would not expect to be able to take time out for the
longer period of study at Ellel Pierrepont.
26.4 Specialist Schools (at Ellel Scotland) Ellel Scotland is a retreat center in the Highlands of Scotland at which a series of specialist international schools are offered that are not generally available at other Ellel Centers. These focus on topics such as: • Christian Leadership • Marketplace Ministries • Reclaiming the Ground and Spiritual Warfare • Prayer and Intercession • Sitting at the Feet of Jesus • Bridge from the Head to the Heart For details of these and other specialist schools, please consult: www.ellelministries.org.
26.5 Ellel Ministries Centers International Headquarters Ellel Grange Ellel, Lancaster LA2 OHN, UK t: +44 (0) 1524 751651 f: +44 (0) 1524 751738 e:
[email protected] Ellel Glyndley Manor Stone Cross, Pevensey, E. Sussex BN24 5BS, UK t: +44 (0) 1323 440440 f: +44 (0) 1323 440877 e:
[email protected] Ellel Pierrepont Frensham, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3DL, UK t: +44 (0) 1252 794060 f: +44 (0) 1252 794039 e:
[email protected] Ellel Scotland Blairmore House, Glass, Huntly, Aberdeenshire AB54 4XH, Scotland t: +44 (0) 1466 799102 f: +44 (0) 1466 700205 e:
[email protected]
Ellel Ministries Africa PO Box 39569, Faerie Glen 0043, Pretoria, South Africa t: +27 12 809 0031/1172 f: +27 12 809 1173 e:
[email protected]
Ellel Ministries Australia Headquarters (Sydney) Gilbulla, 710 Moreton Park Road, Menangle, 2568, NSW, Australia t: +61 (02) 4633 8102 f: +61 (02) 4633 8201 e:
[email protected]
Ellel Ministries Australia (Perth) Springhill, PO Box 609, Northam, WA, 6401, Australia t: +61 (08) 9622 5568 f: +61 (08) 9622 5123 e:
[email protected] Ellel Ministries Canada Derbyshire Downs 183 Hanna Rd., RR#2, Westport, Ontario, KOG 1X0, Canada t: +1 (613) 273 8700 e:
[email protected]
Ellel Ministries Canada West 10-5918 5 St SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2H 1L4, Canada t: +1 (403) 238 2008 f: +1 (403) 281 0583 e:
[email protected]
Ellel East Veresegyhaz, PF17, 2112, Hungary t/f: +36 (28) 362396 e:
[email protected]
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Appendix 1: Qualities of a Christian Counselor The opportunity to minister to the lives of others is a privilege that should not be taken lightly. The following list of qualities of a Christian counselor is not meant to be a guide to perfection, but an objective toward which all who are involved in personal ministry to others should aim so that we can be as effective as possible in the work God has called us to do. The first few qualities, however, are foundational and essential, and it is vital that people see these as requirements rather than optional possibilities! If, however, God waited until we were perfect before using us, none of us would ever be acceptable! It is most important that our hearts are right toward God and that we are willing to allow Him to change and develop us so that, as willing servants whose calling in life is to look after the hurting and broken "sheep,” we can bring hope and healing to many. These notes were originally compiled for the use of Ellel Ministries associate counselors and ministry teams, but the principles embodied in them are applicable to counselors all over the world who wish to help people find their healing and destiny in and through Jesus. 1. Born Again (John 3:3; Romans 6:23): Unless we are born again, we will not, like Nicodemus, be able to understand spiritual matters such as the truths about God, man, salvation, healing and deliverance. Our understanding will be limited by our own spiritual condition.
2. Spirit Filled (Ephesians 5:18): The Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Counselor. It is He who will enable us to counsel with the compassion of the Father and the uncompromising love of Jesus. 3. Exercising the Gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12): Without the gifts of the Spirit we will not be able to fully discern spiritual matters. In counseling, it is vital to know what God is doing in the life of the person, what their human spirit is doing and what the evil spirits are doing. The other gifts, also, are vital for an effective healing ministry. 4. Manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25): It is the love, joy, peace, etc., of God, which should be manifest in the lives of those who truly know Him, that will help people to trust their counselors and receive all that God has in store for them. 5. Walking in the Jesus Model (John 2:25): Jesus always listened to what the Father had to say. So must we when ministering to people in need. What God is saying about the person is more important than what we might think! Jesus brought healing in various ways, but on many occasions He ministered according to the cause of the person’s condition, not just the symptoms, and so must we. 6. Willing to Receive Ministry as Well as Give It (Proverbs 3:11; John 21:15-19; Proverbs 12:1; 13:1; 15:32): None of us are perfect! We must always, therefore, be willing to let God move in our own lives. Anyone who is not willing to receive ministry for him- or herself, when appropriate, is not qualified to minister to others.
7. Well-versed in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 4:6-7; 2 Timothy 3:16): The Bible is our workshop manual for life. It contains insights that will continually illuminate the counseling situation. If we ignore our reading and study of the Bible, we will not be in a position to use this most precious of weapons in the fight to bring healing and deliverance to the hurting and wounded. 8. Active Member of a Local Fellowship (Hebrews 10:25; Romans 12:4): It is essential that we work from a rightful God-given base of authority and order, and not act as lone rangers in the community. We also need the strength and encouragement that comes from corporate worship, teaching and fellowship. If we cease to meet together, we may soon grow cold toward the Lord and/or wander into deceptive beliefs without there being any godly accountability. 9. Denominationally Neutral in Ministry (Romans 12:1): All denominations have their own particular structures and related beliefs. With the mainstream denominations, however, there is, in general, unity with respect to fundamental doctrine. When counseling, however, we must be careful not to emphasize the importance of any particular denomination ahead of the relationship with Jesus. Do not be judgmental or condemning about another person’s church or denomination. If, however, a person has beliefs that are significantly different from mainstream Christian teaching, then some correction will be necessary as part of the ministry process. 10. One Hundred Percent Committed, Ready for Anything and Wholly Available to the Lord (Hebrews 12:1-2): If we are less than wholehearted we will be vulnerable to the
enemy’s attack and more likely to give up when things get tough. Amaziah was less than whole-hearted (see 2 Chronicles 25:2), and he finished up worshiping at pagan idols! 11. Obedient to the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2; Galatians 5:25): Many people are willing to teach truth, but there is a big difference between truth that is known in the head and truth that is applied in our lives. Obedience is one of the major keys to the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 12. Practicing Forgiveness as a Way of Life (Matthew 6:1415): As counselors we will find there are many opportunities to forgive! For example, hurting people can say hurtful things when under pressure, and if we do not forgive them, we could be blocking the anointing through the attitude of our own heart. 13. A Man or Woman of Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17): One of the temptations that faces counselors is only to pray for others and never to seek God in prayer themselves. It is vital that our own relationship with the Lord does not get swamped by the burden of helping others. 14. Confident in Who They Are in Christ (Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:4; Ephesians 1:19-20): Our security is in Christ. If we are not familiar ourselves with all that Jesus has done for us on the cross, and the consequences of our salvation, then it is possible that the demonic powers will be able to exercise authority over us! It is vital that we are aware of our position in Him. 15. Sacramentally Sensitive (James 5:14-16; 1 Corinthians 11:26-32): Some Christians come from a tradition that
attaches little importance to the sacraments; others may be overly sensitive to a sacramental tradition. In the Scriptures, however, anointing with oil, baptism and Communion are all significant. We have found all of these to be important on occasion as part of healing through deliverance. Be sensitive to what God may be asking you to do in this respect. 16. Anointed for the Task (2 Timothy 1:6-7): The anointing of God is more important than the appointment of man. We should continually seek the Lord for a fresh anointing for each ministry we begin so that we will be able to be for that person everything that God wants us to be. 17. Knowledgeable in How to Lead a Person to Christ (Philippians 4:9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5): There will be many times when we have to be an evangelist in the healing ministry, for we will discover that some of the people who come for help do not know Jesus. The most important healing of all is of the spirit, that it may be born again and restored to life in relationship with God. 18. Keeping Their Body as Fit as Possible (1 Corinthians 3:16): The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We need to be available to help others; if we don’t, and unless we look after our bodies, our lives could be limited in their effectiveness. 19. Clean, Well Presented, with No Abnormal Body Odors! (1 Corinthians 14:40): If your body is offensive to the counselee, you may find him or her backing off from prayer because your proximity is off- putting. It is amazing what we (and even those close to us) can get used to that is offensive to others!
20. Willing to Fast (Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 13:2-3): Fasting sharpens the spiritual appetite and makes us more sensitive to God. Make sure you use the time you would have been eating, for praying. 21. Willing to Eat Anything and Sleep Anywhere (Romans 14 and 15; Matthew 18:18-32): When our teams go out on ministry trips, it is important that they are grateful for whatever their hosts are able to provide by way of food and accommodation. Ingratitude gives the enemy a stronghold. 22. Willing to Prefer Others Above Themselves (Romans 12:10): It is important that we don’t let pride and selfimportance get in the way of helping others. Scripture encourages us to humble ourselves! 23. Sexually Well Informed: Many of the people who come for help have problems associated with their sexuality. We must not show shock or surprise when they talk about this area. We need to be well informed so that we will be able to understand just what their problem is. But we must be careful not to allow the need to be knowledgeable to become an opportunity for fantasy indulgence. 24. Well Informed about the Occult (2 Corinthians 2:11): There are many Christian books these days that provide upto-date information about the occult. We need to be familiar with what Satan is doing in this area and understand the importance of dealing with the occult when seeking to bring deliverance. 25. Well Read on the Healing Ministry (Proverbs 8:1-10): God is gifting and equipping many different people with experience in the healing ministry. We need to read what
others are doing so that we can all be built up by the godly teaching and experiences of others. 26. Unshockable (John 4:17-18; John 8:1-11): While the experiences of others may be radically different from our own, we must be careful not to alienate the counselees by overreacting to their testimonies. 27. Morally above Reproach (1 Timothy 3:1-7): If we open the door to the enemy through our own sin, then it will affect our ministry. If we are in deception ourselves, then there is both the danger of further deception and of that sin being exposed and used by the enemy to undermine the validity of what we are doing. 28. Willing to Speak the Truth in Love (Ephesians 4:15): It is sometimes necessary to confront a person with the truth about him- or herself, but it must be done in a way that demonstrates love without compromise. 29. Not Afraid of Physical Touch (Romans 16:16): The encouragement of a gentle touch can be a precious part of the healing ministry. We must be careful, though, to discern when a touch might be offensive (e.g., to someone who has been sexually abused) and refrain from causing more problems by our enthusiasm. 30. Prepared Not to Project Their Own Opinions (Proverbs 3:5-7): Our opinion in a conversation must always be secondary to the truth of Scripture and the needs of the counselee. We must be careful not to let the counseling interview become a platform for our own points of view! 31. Prepared Not to Let Their Own Problems Interfere in
the Ministry (2 Corinthians 12:9-10): Sometimes during a counseling interview, things are said that expose hurt and pain in our own lives. While it is right to make a note of these for future prayer, we must be careful not to let the counseling time be reversed by allowing our own problems to become the center of attention. 32. Willing to Love (and Even Hug) the Unlovable (Luke 5:13): Some people do not naturally invite physical closeness. But they, perhaps above all others, need to know that we love them in spite of their appearance, situation or even body odor. Unconditional acceptance is a vital step toward healing for many people. 33. Willing to Take Attacks without Bitterness or Resentment (1 Peter 3:8-9): If we allow the criticisms of others to affect our hearts, then they will eventually undermine the fruit of the ministry. When we are taking ground from the enemy, he will usually send some people to make it difficult. It is vital that we do not allow such situations to interfere with our relationship with God or with others. Jesus told us to bless those who curse us (see Matthew 5:44). 34. A Servant of Others (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Philippians 2:7): Jesus humbled Himself and came as a servant of others. How can we do anything less than follow in His footsteps? 35. Flexible: There will be times when the needs of the counselee will cut across our own plans and schedules. We must be flexible, flow with what God is doing and be
willing to change things that might not be as important. 36. Able to Keep Confidences: If we break the confidentiality of the counseling room and speak out things that have been said in confidence, we will destroy the trust between counselor and counselee and probably alienate the person from all future healing ministry. If we are not able to keep things confidential, we should not be in the healing ministry. 37. Nonjudgmental (Matthew 7:1-6): If counselees sense the judgment of our disapproval, they are unlikely to be totally honest. If they keep things hidden that need to be brought to the light, they are unlikely to get delivered and healed. 38. Patient and a Good Listener: If we display impatience, especially with those who are not able to express themselves quickly, people will back off from asking for help. Love must be the source of our patience. 39. Polite and Courteous at All Times: This may sound obvious, but it is amazing how, when under pressure, Christians can sometimes appear less than polite! 40. Willing to Give All the Glory to God for Whatever He Chooses to Do through Them (Psalm 96:1-8): God is the Healer. Whatever happens in the Christian healing ministry comes from Him. So we must not try to take the glory for ourselves. Pride is a dangerous trap for an effective healing ministry.
Appendix 2: Magic, the Occult and the Bible Old Testament • Genesis 41:8, 24: These verses show that the power of God was far superior to that of the Egyptian magicians, as God enabled Joseph to interpret the king’s dreams. • Exodus 7:10-12: Again God’s power was proved greater, as the snake that came from Aaron’s staff swallowed the magicians’ staffs. • Exodus 8:16-18: When the Lord caused a plague of gnats that the magicians could not imitate, even the magicians recognized the power of God. • Exodus 22:18: Women who practiced magic were to be put to death. From this verse it would appear that women especially were involved in magic and sorcery. • Leviticus 19:26: God’s Law states quite clearly that we should not practice any kind of magic. • Leviticus 19:31; 20:6: The Lord told the people not to seek out those who consulted the spirits of the dead, because they would make the people unclean. He would turn against those who consulted mediums and would cut them off from His people.
• Leviticus 20:27: The Law demands that anyone who consults the spirits of the dead should be stoned to death. • Deuteronomy 18:9-14: Just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the Lord, through Moses, told them not to practice those things that the nations there did: sacrificing children in the fire, practicing divination, looking for omens, using spells and charms and consulting the dead. God hates it when people do these things. • 2 Kings 9:22: This verse describes the meeting of King Joram of Israel and Jehu, his commander-in-chief. When the king asked Jehu if all was well, Jehu replied that there could not be peace while all the witchcraft and idolatry that the king’s mother, Jezebel, had started was still around. (See all of 2 Kings 9-10.) • 2 Kings 17:17: In a description of the fall of Israel to the Assyrians in 721 b.c., we find that part of the reason for the fall was that the Israelites still consulted mediums and fortunetellers, provoking God’s anger. • 2 Kings 21:2-6: Manasseh, king of Judah (687-642 b.c.), reintroduced many evil, pagan practices. He sacrificed his son as a burnt offering, practiced divination and magic and consulted mediums and fortunetellers. This disobedience of God’s Law led to the eventual fall of Jerusalem in 598 b.c. • 2 Kings 23:24, 26: King Josiah of Judah made many reforms toward returning to God, including banishing all mediums from Jerusalem and Judah. But these reforms did not abate the Lord’s anger or stop the fall of Jerusalem. • 1 Chronicles 10:13-14: Saul died because he was
unfaithful to the Lord and consulted a medium, rather than the Lord, for guidance. • Isaiah 2:6: In his prayer, Isaiah implied that due to the Israelites’ following of superstitions from the East and divination from Philistia, God had forsaken them. In Isaiah 3:1-3, the prophet predicted the downfall of the nation due to practices that angered God, which the leaders of the nation appeared to ignore. • Isaiah 8:19-20: The Israelites were told to refrain from consulting mediums and fortunetellers, even though it had been a custom through divination to do so. The emphasis was to listen to what the Lord had to say, not the mediums. The people were to consult God, not the dead. • Isaiah 44:25: The pagan oracles were proven false in their predictions about Babylon, and this verse emphasizes God's power over the predictions of astrologers and fortunetellers. • Isaiah 57:3: Sorcery was put on the same footing as any other sin against God. • Jeremiah 27:9: The Lord told the Israelites to submit to the king of Babylon, but prophets, sorcerers and mediums were falsely prophesying and telling them not to do so. • Ezekiel 13:6-9: The Lord denounced the false prophets of Israel because they claimed to come from God, but He had not spoken to them. Their visions were false, and their predictions were lies. The Lord cut them off from citizenship in Israel and proclaimed that they would never again enter the land of Israel.
• Ezekiel 13:17-22: False prophetesses were condemned because of their use of magical charms and their attempts to lure people away from the ways of the Lord. They were controlling people by means of these charms. • Daniel 1:20: Daniel and his friends had ten times more wisdom and understanding than all of the magicians and fortunetellers in the kingdom. • Daniel 2: No fortuneteller, magician, sorcerer, astrologer or wizard could explain the meaning of the king’s dream, but Daniel could because God revealed the meaning to him. King Nebuchadnezzar realized that God was the greatest of all gods and the One who revealed mysteries. • Hosea 4:17: The people of Israel had fallen under the influence of pagan worship, here referred to as “the spell of idols.” • Micah 5:12: When the Lord rescued Israel from the Assyrians, He said that He would destroy their magic charms and fortunetellers. • Nahum 3:4: In the fall of Nineveh, the Lord punished the people for, among other things, the use of charms by which they had enchanted other nations. • Zechariah 10:2: The answers given by fortunetellers were lies and nonsense, and interpreters of dreams only misled the people. The use of these things is a sign of a lack of spiritual leadership. • Malachi 3:5: On the Day of Judgment the Lord will testify against those who practice magic.
New Testament • Acts 8:9—24: Simon the magician, on seeing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, wished to buy the gift, even though he had been baptized. This shows that evil powers can still have a hold on a believer. • Acts 13:6-11: Bar-Jesus (Elymas) on Cyprus had magical powers and claimed to be a prophet, but he tried to stop the spreading of the Word. Paul, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, discerned the evil in him and brought about a temporary blindness to him. • Acts 16:16-19: The slave girl was able to tell fortunes only because of an evil spirit within her. • Acts 19:19: Newly converted Christians who had formerly practiced sorcery brought their scrolls and burned them publicly, indicating their complete renunciation of magic. • Galatians 5:20-21: Those who practice witchcraft will not possess the Kingdom of God. • Revelation 21:8; 22:15: Those who practice magic will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur and will not be allowed to enter the city.
Appendix 3: Glossary of Occult Terms
acupressure/acupuncture: An ancient Chinese philosophy and medical technique that defines disease as an imbalance in the flow of “life energy” and redirects this flow by applying pressure or inserting needles on particular points of the body to bring about healing. It is believed that the body has twelve meridians divided into two groups of six lines. One is called yin and the other yang. The life force ch’i is believed to flow along these lines, adept: A member of a magical fraternity. Alchemy: The mystical science of turning base metals into gold and producing the philosopher's stone, which bled the elixir of life, conferring immortality on those who drank it. This reached a peak in the medieval period. Amulet: An object, normally worn or carried, used as a charm to ward off evil spirits and spells. A popular amulet is the proverbial rabbit’s foot, ankh: A cross with a loop on the top. This ancient Egyptian symbol of life is often associated with fertility images of Egyptian gods, who are often shown bearing an ankh. The symbol is widely used in modern- day occult circles. Apotropaion: A charm to ward off evil spirits or the evil eye. apparitions: Specters of dead people, ghosts or phantoms, astral projection: When a person travels outside of his or her own physical body and operates on a different level of consciousness. Those who are adept at this technique are able to travel considerable distances
and report accurately things they have seen in other places before returning to their bodies. Astral plane: Another realm to which those who practice astral projection believe they journey. Also believed to be a dwelling place for the spirits of the dead. Astrology: The belief that celestial bodies influence people and the future is predicted by reading the stars, especially the arrangement of the stars, planets and constellations at the time of birth. See zodiac. augury: The use of signs and omens to foretell the future including divination by observing the flights of birds or studying the droppings or entrails of animals and birds. aura: Supposed energy field surrounding a person, which can be colored and discerned by practitioners and used to diagnose illness. Automatic writing: Messages written by an individual while in a trance-like state. The hand is apparently driven by spiritual forces to write down messages from "the other side." A similar phenomenon to automatic writing is automatic drawing, painting and speaking. The drawings and paintings, for example, can look remarkably like original works of well-known artists. Mediums believe that the dead are expressing their giftings through the living. Creative writers, journalists and reporters are sometimes trained to empty their mind and “write automatically," thus bypassing the mind. avatar: A divine being incarnate as a human, but also a popular term used for a person’s representation of themselves on certain Internet sites, especially for gaming. Birth signs: The twelve astrological signs, known as the signs
of the zodiac, representing the divisions of the heavens. Used for predictions based on birthdates. birth stones: Stones associated with the time when a person is born that carry with them charm capacity. black arts: General name for malicious practices associated with a variety of occult activities. black magic: Magic performed for evil purposes; summoning demons and evil spirits and performing ceremonies in order to bring harm to another person. Black mass: A Satanic parody of the Roman Catholic mass, where communion is desecrated, the Lord’s Prayer is recited backward, sexual acts are practiced and animals or humans (often unbaptized infants) are sacrificed. Blood from the victim is used as a substitute for the communion wine as an offering to the devil. blood subscription: A pact made with Satan in blood in which promises are made to serve evil in order to gain power, cartomancy: Using playing cards as a means of divination or fortunetelling. chain letters: A letter that promises good luck to the recipient if it is copied and sent on to more people. There is a curse of bad luck, however, if the recipient refuses to cooperate, Chakra: A Sanskrit term meaning "wheel,” it refers to the yogi perception of seven vortices on the body that receive and distribute energies through the body. Channeling: A New Age type of spiritism in which channelers open themselves up to the supernatural realms (sometimes in a trance)
and become channels for the communication of messages that are often designed to teach, guide or direct the recipient. The source of the information is sometimes referred to as an “ascended master.” charm: An incantation or object in the occult world that, like a talisman, is believed to contain supernatural powers. Chinese funerals: Ancestral worship is a major feature of Chinese funerals that leaves one open to receive familiar spirits. The ceremonial rituals on the nights of the funeral wake and on the day of the funeral are performed by the temple priest or medium, clairaudience: The extrasensory ability to hear sounds made in the spirit realm or from a distant time or place, clairsentience: The extrasensory ability to listen in to the thoughts of others. clairvoyance: The extrasensory ability to see images that are beyond the physical realm and not ordinarily visible. Also the alleged ability to see events that took place in the past or are yet to happen, cleromancy: A form of divination using the casting of dice, lots or bones. color therapy: A method of treating disorders using colors that are believed to have "corresponding vibrations,” which are claimed to have healing potential. conjuration: The act of summoning up a demon from the supernatural realms. Coven: A group of witches, traditionally thirteen in number, although there can be as few as five or as many as fifty The coven meets together to perform rituals and ceremonies, especially at special festival times (Sabbats). The coven is under the leadership of either a high priest or high priestess. craft: Witchcraft, but also used as a designation for
Freemasonry. Crystal ball gazing (crystallomancy): The practice of staring into a ball shaped glass object for the purpose of fortunetelling. The practitioner goes into a trance-like state and foretells future events. crystals: Some advocates of the New Age believe that crystals have the power to cleanse, heal and restore the flow of energy in the body, as well as bring self-transformation and enlightenment. curse: A prayer or invocation spoken to harm another person or object. Death magic: Evil magic used to bring death to an intended victim. Most closely associated with voodooists but also practiced by other occult groups. deja vu: The feeling of already having experienced a new situation or place, even though it is physically impossible for the person to have been there before. Demon worship: The practice of appeasing the demons in order to earn their protection. Once started, failure to continue to worship turns the “blessings” into “cursings.” devil worship: Different from Satanism, the devil worshiper worships the devil as evil, seeking to emulate him in doing evil and rejecting what is good. disembodied spirits: Believed to be the spirits of dead people that are unable to find rest. divination: Collective name for various occult techniques used to gain information about people and situations, or events past or future. See I Ching.
Divining rod: A forked wood or metal rod used to locate underground sources of water. When the rod passes over the water, the rod moves. djinn: The root of the word genie, an Arab name for an evil spirit. dowsing: The process of finding underground water supply using a divining rod. dream interpretation: The process of using dreams for the purpose of divination. Druid: A priestly class in ancient Celtic societies. It is difficult to determine their exact beliefs as the Druids have left no records, so we are dependent on classical Roman and Greek sources. They venerated nature, transmitted their teachings orally and participated in sacrifice, occasionally human. In the last three hundred years there has been a resurgence of interest in Druidism, known as NeoDruidism, but it has no connections to ancient Druidism. Dungeons and Dragons: An occult fantasy role-playing game where the players closely identify with their characters, who engage in murder, witchcraft, torture, rape, demon-summoning, voodoo, cannibalism and various occult powers to advance in the game. The game has been a significant factor in many documented suicides and murders. ectoplasm: A cold, slightly luminous, whitish substance that comes from a medium’s body that is believed to indicate the presence of a disembodied spirit. enchanting: Exerting magical influences on a person so as to manipulate him or her to the practitioner’s own ends.
Erhard Seminar Training (ERT—The Forum): A religious venture for those wanting to fulfill the New Age quest of self-image enhancement. Evil eye: The ability to gaze into someone else’s eyes and cause bad luck or sickness. Many amulets in the past have been created to protect from the stare. extrasensory perception (ESP): The ability to perceive an event or an idea through a means other than the five senses. Practitioners of divination use ESP. familiar: Any animal that a witch or warlock feels a particular affection for or uses as a repository for evil spirits. feminism: At its extreme, spiritually minded feminists tend toward a form of neopaganism and goddess worship as a vehicle for their feminist beliefs. fetish: An inanimate object believed to be inhabited by a spirit. Findhorn: A New Age community in the north of Scotland that offers teaching in the principles of New Age spirituality. fire-walking: The ability to walk through fire or on hot coals without being physically harmed in any way. Folk charm: A simple action married to a simple spoken formula; easily memorable. A simple spell. fortunetelling: The practice of using various methods of divination to foretell future events. Foundation of Human Understanding (FHU): An institution founded by Roy Masters, an early devotee of hypnotism and mind
control. The disciple of FHU teaching ultimately seeks answers to life in the exercises and techniques offered by Masters, goddess: Supreme being for witches and neopagans, meaning different things to different groups. Gothic rock music: A particularly dark type of occult music, fashion and lifestyle focusing on everything macabre and shocking. Featured by bands such as Black Sabbath, the Grateful Dead, Megadeath and Sepultura. Green Man: The representation of the spirit of the forest, grimoires: The word means “black books.” Grimoires were magician’s textbooks. Also known as the Book of Shadows. Guardian, or Pan: A nature spirit connected to a particular area that incites uncontrollable and sometimes suicidal panic. The Greeks personified the guardian as the sprite Pan, the root of the word panic. guided imagery: Directed visualization exercises resulting in a relaxed or trance-like state. Possibly includes astral projection and the meeting in the supernatural realms with spirit guides, guru: A spiritual master, guide or teacher. Halloween: One of the highpoint festivals of the satanic and black arts. The festival date is October 31, which is celebrated in much of the Western world as a harmless trick-or-treat fun night for young people, handwriting analysis (graphology): A form of divination through which aspects of character, career future, trustworthiness, emotional development, personality type, etc., are believed to be revealed by analysis of the handwriting. heavy metal rock music: The main message of this music centers around drugs, sex, violence, murder, degradation of women
and serious involvement with the occult, witchcraft and Satanism. Hecate: A goddess, originally pre-Greek in origin, but worshiped by the Greeks and Romans, goddess of childbirth and the wilderness, later goddess of sorcery, recently appropriated by neopagans, especially feminist neopagans, as a goddess of witchcraft, hepatoscopy: Divination through examination of the liver, hex: To hex someone means to put a spell on them, usually with the objective of causing him or her misfortune, hexagram: Two triangles inverted one on top of the other to form a six- pointed star. In witchcraft the sign is used to harness and control the power of demons. Homeopathy: An alternative approach to medicine. Patients are given a remedy that causes the same symptoms as their ailment (like vaccination), but in a solution so diluted that it may no longer contain any of the actual remedy. More of a belief system with occult roots than a genuine medical practice. Horoscopes: Charts that predict people’s destinies based on astrology. Horoscopes are also used to predict favorable times and seasons for important events. horse brasses and horseshoes: Amulets that are used to fend off evil spirits. The iron of a horseshoe is believed to provide protection against witchcraft. Often placed over a door or given as a sign of good luck, hydromancy: The practice of divination using observations of water, hypnotism: The practice of putting a person in a trance-like state in order to probe the unconscious or recover memories of the past. Also used by doctors who do not believe in the occult but who do not realize the nature of the spiritual powers they are using. I Ching: A Chinese system of divination involving sixty-four “hexagrams” or six-line combinations of unbroken (yang) and broken
(yin) lines, idol: An image of a deity that becomes an object of worship and adoration. Can also be a person or thing that is an object of excessive or supreme adulation. Imbolg: Also spelled Imbolc or Oimelc. A pagan festival celebrated on the 2nd of February. It is often known by the name of its Christian equivalent, Candlemas. The name in Gaelic means in the belly—the first stirrings in the womb of Mother Earth, incantation: A magical formula produced by repeating certain words, phrases or sounds. incubus: An evil spirit that attaches itself to the sexuality of a woman, initiation: A ritual used to signify entrance or advancement in a religious group. iridology: The process of diagnosing sickness by using the eye like a crystal ball. Changes in the appearance of certain sectors of the eye are believed to correspond to sickness in various parts of the body. Japanese flower arranging/ikebana: Its origins are in the Japanese tea ceremony done by Zen Buddhist monks. It was not just intended to be pretty but to be part of the worship of spirit gods, and teachers of ikebana refer to the "spirit of ikebana.” jinx: To curse with bad luck. Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A book by Richard Bach, allegedly channeled by a spirit and based on New Age philosophy, juju: In West Africa, a magical property bound to a specific object, i.e., a fetish or lucky charm, or a cursed object. Also a name ascribed to spirits in West African lore. Kabbalah: Jewish mystical tradition based on a mathematical interpretation of Scripture. Various magical and occult practices stemmed from the Kabbalah. Growing in numbers, its adherents are recognized by a simple red-string bracelet worn on the wrist, karma:
A complex East Indian philosophy stating that how you behaved in a previous life denotes your status in this life, and how you behave in this life denotes your social status in the next. Interchangeable in modern parlance with fate. Labyrinth: A healing tool where a person walks a path to get to the center to meditate and to leave their problems behind on the way back. Also known as Hecate’s Wheel. levitation: Raising people or objects into the air by using supernatural, not physical, power. ley lines: Lines of energy in the landscape. Supposedly connect significant sites such as stone circles, ancient churches, etc., forming "power grids” that may be tapped for magical purposes, libation: The act of pouring a liquid on the figure of a deity or on the ground as an offering. literomancy: A form of fortunetelling using letters or words, especially Chinese characters but recently also e-mail addresses, lucky charms and charm bracelets: A form of amulet worn by people who are largely ignorant of the spiritual nature of the charm, magic: Dominating or manipulating people or circumstances through occult power and evil spirits. Sometimes spelled "magick” to differentiate from the magic that is the sleight-of-hand of entertainers, magic square: A square array of numbers with the property that the sum of each row, each column and each diagonal is the same. These are connected to the movements on a chessboard, magician: One who practices ceremonial or higher magic. The word is also applied to popular entertainers who use human skill to trick people and do not tap into occult power. mandala: In Eastern religions a circular painting seen as a symbolic representation of the cosmos, sometimes used as an aid to
meditation. mantra: A word (or words) given to a transcendental meditation (or yoga) devotee, which he or she must repeat and meditate on even though the person does not know what it means. The mantra serves as a vehicle through which the subject gets into contact with the spirit realms, martial arts: The various fighting sports such as karate, kung-fu, t’ai chi ch’uan, judo, jujitsu and aikido. The spiritual center of all these martial arts is in Taoism and Buddhism. The religious significance of martial arts is the harmonizing of yin and yang and the ability to harness the power of ch’i, enabling enormous physical feats. Many who practice martial arts are not aware of the religious nature of the sport, mascot: Animal, person or thing adopted by a group as its symbol and bringer of good luck. medium: A person who is open to being used as a channel to communicate with the spirit realm. megalith: An ancient structure consisting of a stone or stones, Stonehenge being a well-known example. Wooden structures are also known, both often approached by a ceremonial roadway, the cursus. The original function of these structures is unclear, whether religious, social, astronomical or a mixture of all three. Such sites have been hijacked by pagan and New Age groups to celebrate their festivals, such as the winter and summer solstices. mesmerism: An alternative name for hypnotism, named after Anton Mesmer, who experimented a great deal with hypnotic powers, metaphysics: A philosophy of principles relating to the supernatural. The scientific study of supernatural things, mind control (Silva): Started by Jose Silva. It has now become a major form of self-help therapy that draws on Eastern religious techniques and occult powers. Believing that God is within opens the door to
mediumship in the mind and being controlled by spirits, mind reading: The practice of using occult powers to divine what another person is thinking. mind science: The practice of metaphysical science in order to prescribe therapy for the betterment of the individual. God is believed to be a concept, and evil a state of the mind that can be changed, mojo: In African-American culture, a bag of significant objects carried for good luck. moonmancy: The practice of divining using the moon as a divining agent. Mother Earth: A personification of nature as “mother,” focusing on its life-giving and nurturing properties. This personification has been worshiped in ancient times and today as a mother goddess. Mother Goddess: Also known as Earth Mother, a female deity of fruitfulness and fertility, with many different names such as Gaia (mother of all) and Artemis of the Ephesians, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. She is still worshiped today, and is particularly popular among feminist groups and wiccans, where she is often portrayed as a Triple Goddess—young girl, woman and old woman. motorskopua: The use of a mechanical pendulum for diagnosing illness. Mysticism: The belief that spiritual union with the ultimate reality can only be achieved through an empty mind and intuition, because God transcends human knowledge. Most religions have mystical branches, which go beyond the purely physical rituals of that religion.
Necromancy: Communication with the spirits of the dead or the practice of divination by consulting them. Often used in seances by spiritualists. neopagan: A follower of a Western religious system that is associated with the worship of nature and the lunar goddess, the occult, ancient Greek or Egyptian religions, ceremonial magic, witchcraft or Druidism. New Age movement: Originated in the early seventies and linked with the beginning of the Age of Aquarius, it is an amorphous spiritual movement standing at variance with the Judeo-Christian heritage and, indeed, secular humanism. Beliefs associated with New Agers are generally rooted in the beliefs of Eastern religions, such as pantheism (God is all and all is God); reincarnation (with rewards, justice and judgment being enacted on people through the nature of their reincarnated self); universalism (all the diverse religions of the world are simply alternative paths to the same god); personal transformation (through mystical experiences and contact with the source of divine energy). New Agers believe in a higher self, whom they refer to as the Christ, and so believe Christ is within all people and all people are potential Christs. The ideas of New Agers are mostly ancient occult beliefs updated for modern-day consumption. New Age symbols: For example, pyramid, rainbow, hexagram, triangle, swastika, unicorn and Pegasus. Numerology: Divination based on the use of numbers. Specific values and meanings are assigned to numbers, and letters are each given a numerical value. The numerical values of people’s names and their birthdates are used to make predictions. Obeah or Obi: In the West Indies, a name applied to folk magic and witchcraft.
Occult: Secret, mysterious beliefs and practices involving supernatural powers that oppose the Kingdom of God. The occult is generally divided into the three broad categories of spiritism, fortunetelling and magic. occult literature: Books focusing totally on the use of occult and Satanic power such as: the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, The Book of Venus, The Other Side, The Greater World, and works by Jacob Lorber, Edgar Cayce, Dennis Wheatley, Johann Greber, Jean Dixon, Aleister Crowley and Anton LeVay. occult symbols: Special symbols associated with various sectors of occult practice, such as eye of Horus, pentagram, yin and yang, etc. om or ohm: Believed to be the sound that brought creation into being. Reported as the ultimate mystical sound, which when repeated sufficiently and with sufficient intensity produces complete harmony of body and spirit. omens: Uncontrollable or unusual events that are interpreted as a means of divination. Ouija board: A board used for communication with the spirit world. Communication is via a pointer (planchette) that moves around pointing to letters, numbers or “yes” and “no.” pagan: From the Latin paganus, meaning an unsophisticated country dweller, now a term describing someone not in an organized religion. In modern terms often called neopagans, palmistry: Divination by examining the lines on the palms of the hands in order to determine the future, pantheism: The theory that God is in fact the earth itself, pantheon: A grouping of deities in a particular religion, parakinesis (PK): The control of objects by the power of the mind and will. parapsychology: The pseudo-scientific study of phenomena of the human psyche that are not interpretable according to normal
scientific methods (e.g., telepathy, clairvoyance, ESP). Pendulum: A small object on a string that is used for dowsing, diagnosis (especially of the sex of an unborn child) and fortunetelling. Involuntary movements of the pendulum are believed to have specific significance, pentacle: A five-pointed star enclosed by a circle, used in Wicca and witchcraft. Pentagram: An occult symbol in the form of a five-pointed star that can be arranged with three points upward or three points downward. If up, the star generally symbolizes human spirituality and is a witchcraft symbol. If down, it indicates darkness and is associated with black magic and Satanism. In witchcraft, four of the points represent the four elements—earth, air, fire and water—and the fifth represents the spirit that controls the elements, phrenology: Divination by examining the shape of the skull, physiognomy: Observation of the features of a person’s face in order to determine his or her character. planchette: A board on which lines, letters or sentences are spelled out without direction from the person resting his or her fingers on the board, plane: Another level of consciousness, e.g., astral plane, poltergeist: A spirit that manifests in physical disturbances such as items moved or thrown; often associated with a specific individual or house, polytheism: The worship of many gods, precognition: Foreknowledge of events, premonition: The ability to see or sense future events, psychic birth: The occult experience “re-birthing,” out of which people awaken to the realization that “all is one.” psychic healing: The use of occult power to bring healing, psychic sight: The ability to see things even when the eyes are closed or, in some instances, when the person is blind, psychography: Spirit writing through the hand of a medium, psychometry: Receiving psychic knowledge about a person or events in a person’s life by handling an object that belongs to him or her. punk rock: Music that carries with it
a message of rebellion against established society—especially against law, religion and tradition, pyramidology: The use of a pyramid, whose shape is believed by some New Agers to balance energy and bring spiritual enlightenment, reflexology: An ancient Chinese and Egyptian practice that involves massaging the feet to restore the “energy flow” in corresponding zones of the body. Reiki healing: A Japanese healing therapy that literally means “spiritual power.” Ki is the concept of universal spiritual energy that is believed to run through our bodies and can be affected by meditation techniques, as in the martial arts. reincarnation: The belief that a person’s soul never dies but passes from one body to another in a cycle that does not end until the person reaches perfection and no longer needs physical existence. remote viewing: The supposed ability to see events far away without leaving the room, as in astral projection. rhabdomancy: See dowsing. rhapsodomancy: Looking for omens in random passages read from a book, often poetry. rolfing: Massage therapy involving intensive manipulation of the connective tissue of the muscles and organs. Sabbat: Also called Sabbath or Witches Sabbath, a gatherings of witches and warlocks. As pagan festivals, there are eight during the year: Imbolg, February 2; Ostara, March 21; Bealtaine, April 30; Mid-summer Solstice, June 22; Lughnasadh, July 31; Autumn Equinox, September 21; Samhain, October 31; and the Winter Solstice, or Yule, December 22.
Satanism: The worship of Satan and the practice of rituals carried out in obedience to Satan. This covers a range of different beliefs. One is a religion founded by Anton Szandor LaVey, whose real name was Howard Stanton Levey (1930-1997), who wrote The Satanic Bible. The religion itself is distinct from actual devil worship, as Satanists see the devil as a good force who imparted wisdom to man—“the knowledge of good and evil”—and as a symbol for exalting man and self-indulgence. In seeking to exalt themselves rather than God, Satanists follow their master, the devil. The Seal of Baphomet, an inverted pentagram with a goat's head inside, is their symbol. Science fiction and fantasy: Not harmful in itself when purely a work of fiction, but in its extremes can encourage an unhealthy interest in the spiritual. Some works may encourage new beliefs or religions, or create new pantheons and mythologies. Scrying: The art of divination practiced by gazing into a reflective surface to receive images that predict the future. seances: Meetings where people come together to contact the spirits of the dead through a medium. shaman: A man who usually takes the role of village healer in primitive or indigenous societies. shape shifting: The ability to psychologically turn oneself into an animal or object by way of trance and/or exhaustion, Silva mind control: See mind control. Solstice: The time when the sun reaches its maximum distance from the equator. There are two solstices per year, the summer and winter solstice, often celebrated by neopagans, soothsayer: Another name for a fortuneteller.
Sorcery: The power to change events and to influence people or situations for harm or good through the control of spirits by the use of black magic, soul travel: When the soul moves outside of the body and is able to look down on the body from above and move short distances away. A less powerful phenomenon than, though similar in nature to, astral projection. spell: An incantation used to harness magical power, spirit guide: A spirit known to a medium or channeler who regularly provides information from "the other side.” spiritism (spiritualism): The conjuring up of demons and the communication with the spirit realms in the belief that the dead can communicate with the living— usually through a medium, stang: Also called a Gwelen, a ritual staff that is forked on one end and used by witches and warlocks to represent the devil, stichomancy: A form of rhapsodomancy. stigmata: The supernatural appearance of bodily marks resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ. superstitions: Irrational beliefs or practices resulting from fear of something unknown, mysterious or imaginary, sympathetic magic: The theory that objects once connected to a person still contain some of the person’s life force and can be manipulated by magic to affect the person. table tipping: A process of divination through the supernatural movement of a table by spirits. talisman: An engraved object believed to harness magical powers to protect the owner or bring prosperity. Tantra: A religious system, originating in India, that attempts to channel the energy of the universe through individuals for some purpose, through sacrifice and rituals, including sex.
tarot: The occult practice of using a set of 22 cards for fortunetelling. Each card has a pictorial meaning, one of which is in the form of a skeleton, representing death. Known traditionally as the Book of Thoth, the origins of tarot cards are obscure but may have started with the Gypsies. The cards number 78, are divided into the Major Arcana and the Lesser Arcana and are used to predict the future, tea-leaf reading: Attempting to find meaning through patterns left in the bottom of a teacup by the residue of tea leaves, telekinesis (TK): The ability to move or control objects using spiritual powers only. Also known as psychokinesis, telepathy: Communication between mind and mind without the use of any normal means of communication, therapeutic touch: Developed by Dolores Krieger. New Age energy manipulation and energy transfer technique—a deceptive form of psychic healing. theurgy: Magic used to become closer to God or more godlike, third eye: The eye of spiritual vision, said to be located on the forehead between the two physical eyes. trance: A hypnotic or ecstatic mental state brought about by exhaustion (e.g., dancing or repeated movements) or narcotics, in which the conscious mind rests, leaving the person open to control by a spirit. An exact parallel is seen in some modern dance music, which, when combined with drugs, produces a state of trance or euphoria, transcendental meditation (TM): A religious system that stems from Hinduism whereby a mantra (a secret sound) is repeated during meditation and the mind is said to be in the deepest level of consciousness, translocation: The movement of a person from one place to another by supernatural means. transmigration: Passage of soul after death into another body, voodoo: A form of religious witchcraft involving rituals, sacrifices, divination and rhythmic dancing. Various deities are worshiped and magic is used to help the sick or bring harm and death to a victim
through the use of potions, incantations, dolls and various rituals, wand or blasting rod: Made from either a blackthorn or a yew growing in a graveyard, it is used as a tool in pronouncing curses, white magic: Magic that is said to have helpful and positive purposes. However, the spiritual powers used are evil spirits, and the Bible makes no distinction between black or white occult practices—all are wrong. Wicca: A neopagan religion, first popularized by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. It is supposedly based on ancient pre-Christian paganism and what was imagined to be Celtic religion, combined with strands from witchcraft. Because it is not an organized religion, there is a wide range of beliefs under the Wicca umbrella, and each individual or group selects or adapts beliefs to suit their needs. Witchcraft: The harnessing of supernatural powers for the malevolent purpose of practicing black magic. Witches generally believe in the great Mother Goddess and her consort Pan, in contrast to Satanists, who believe in and worship Satan. yoga: One of the oldest words in the Hindu religion. Yoga is the path followed so as to realize God within you and is a spiritual discipline aimed at controlling the physical, spiritual and psychic. In the Indian religious tradition, the goal is loss of individual identity and union with the universal one; the aim is to awaken the kundalini power of the serpent lying dormant at the base of the spine. Angas is a Sanskrit word representing the eight limbs of yoga, which are yama (abstinence), niyama (observances), asana (postures for meditation), pranayama (breath control for meditation), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (contemplation). Zen: Or dhyana (meditation). See appendix 5 for definition of Buddhism.
zodiac: The twelvefold division of the sky into signs. The word zodiac simply means the "circle of animals.” Astrologers believe that the sign a person is born under largely determines the makeup, or character, of that person. .
Appendix 4: Alternative Medical Practices Alternative medical practices are not necessarily spiritually dangerous. Whether they are safe or not depends on the beliefs of the practitioner and the spiritual origins of the practice. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines five categories of complementary and alternative therapies. They are: Alternative Medical Systems, Mind Body Intervention, Biology Based Therapy, Manipulative and Body Based Therapies and Energy Therapy. There are many alternative practices and therapies, with new ones constantly appearing. It is important for the Christian to discern the root of these therapies, the power by which they operate, and the character and beliefs of the practitioner as well, before receiving any treatment. The following are some of the alternative medical practices that are known to have spiritual origins or guiding principles of a New Age, occult, or otherwise non-Christian nature: • Acupressure • Acupuncture • Allopathy • Aromatherapy • Attachment therapy • Aura-soma
• Autogenic training and autosuggestion • Ayurveda • Bach flower remedies • Bates method • Bioecological medicine • Biofeedback • Breathing meditation • Chelation therapy • Chinese medicine • Christian Science • Color therapy or chromotherapy • Complementary medicine • Crystal therapy • Faith healers • Feldenkreis method • Flower essence therapy • Guided imagery • Herbalism
• Herbology • Homoeopathy • Hypnotherapy • Iridology • Jin Shin Jyutsu • Kinesiology • Macrobiotic lifestyle • Magnetic healing • Medical intuition • Meditation • Natural health • Naturopathic medicine • New Age medicine • Osteopathy • Past lives therapy • Polarity therapy • Psychic healers • Psychic surgery
• Pyramid healing • Qigong • Quantum-touch • Radiesthesia • Rebirthing • Reflexology • Reiki • Rolfing • Shiatsu • Sophrology • Spiritualist healing • Tantra • Therapeutic touch • Traditional Chinese medicine • Trager approach • Tui Na • Unani • Visualization
• Yoga • Zone therapy
Appendix 5: Glossary of Other Religions The fact that many people from the West are visiting other countries and many people from other cultures are settling in the West, coupled with a post-modern erosion of traditional beliefs, has encouraged a huge interest in other religions, and as a result there has been a large increase in the number of alternative spiritualities available. Aethurius Society, The: Founded by George King, a student of yoga, who claimed to have been visited by Master Aetherius from the Planet Venus. This Aetherius gave him a new Aquarian Age Bible. The society is now a cult that places much significance on its belief in unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and extraterrestrial visits to earth. New Age and Eastern religious practices dominate the ceremonies, animism: The belief that inanimate things such as plants, stones, trees, etc., have a soul or spirit of their own. Animism, which is an important part of the religious beliefs of primitive peoples, can also be understood as an opposite of materialism. Anthroposophical Society, The: Founded by Rudolf Steiner, who fell out with the Theosophical Society because of its overemphasis on Eastern religious ideas and practices. He called his new discipline of anthroposophy a “spiritual science" The theology behind his thinking was a mixture of spiritism, Christianity and mysticism. Reincarnation became a central belief. Steiner had considerable influence on education and established many special schools in which his philosophy could be taught as part of the educational process.
Armstrongism (Worldwide Church of God): Founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, this sect has had worldwide influence via its Plain Truth magazine (about eight million copies were given away freely each month), his radio broadcasts (in the United States and via Radio Luxembourg) and his television broadcasts (largely in the United States). Armstrong denied the Trinity and believed that he alone was God’s true prophet and that all who had preceded him were corrupt and false. He believed that the ultimate objective of man was to progress toward being God. Much of his deceptive beliefs, however, were dressed up in traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs, and to the undiscerning it would not have been easy to see through his persuasive writing and speaking. He attracted many followers and much money into his organization. Following the death of Armstrong, the church began to rethink much of its theology, and the doctrine that humans will one day become God has been made redundant. The church has now dispensed with all its unbiblical teaching and been reestablished under new leadership with normal evangelical beliefs. The church was accepted as a member of the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom in 2000. Ayyavazhi: A sect of Hinduism founded in the nineteenth century and located in Southern India. Baha’i: The Baha’i faith is a nineteenth-century offshoot of Islam. It teaches that all religions contain a degree of truth and that this means they should all be united into a world religion of universal principles. This universalism is at odds with both Christianity and Baha’i’s Islamic parent. Baha’i teachers also proclaim that the world’s nine great religious teachers were all manifestations of God (Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Hare Krishna, Bab and Baha’ U’llah). These nine teachers are represented in the ninesided Baha’i temple in Wilmette, Illinois. Boston Movement or International Churches of Christ
(ICC): A church with a worldwide membership that believes it is God’s only true church and expects rebaptism of those wishing to join. Its members believe no one outside their church can be saved. Brahma Kumaris: Founded in India in 1936 by Brahma Baba, this organization has centers around the world, promoting peace through yoga, meditation and study. Also known as the World Spiritual Organization or the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. Branhamism: William Branham (April 6, 1909 - December 24, 1965) was a Oneness Pentecostal who was converted to Christianity through a Baptist minister. He was a worldwide preacher, healer and prophet. He denied the Trinity and taught baptism in the name of Jesus only. Branham also taught that there were those who were predestined to go to hell and eventually be extinguished by God, while those who followed his teachings and were born of "the righteous seed" were heirs to eternal life. Those predestined to hell were of “the serpent's seed.” Branham believed he was chosen of God from an early age and that he was raised up by God to minister to the Church. His followers were convinced he was a prophet with the power and spirit of Elijah. Brotherhood of the Cross and Star: Founded in Nigeria by Olumbu Olumbu Obu, this brotherhood is loosely based on Christianity but with Muslim influences and with much extra teaching from Obu himself. The doctrine of the movement is vague but seems to include salvation by works, vegetarianism and strict obedience to Obu, who is seen as divine. Buddhism: Founded by Gautama Buddha in about 500 b.c. After intense meditation he received the enlightenment that has become known as Buddhism. In 245 b.c. five hundred Buddhist monks gathered together to write down the collected teachings of
three centuries of Buddhist tradition. But in subsequent centuries the unity of Buddhism gradually broke down so that today there are multiple sects forming what the world recognizes as Buddhism. Buddhists do not recognize a supreme god, and as such their beliefs are more atheistic than theistic. For them God is more a process of being made perfect. Reincarnation is at the heart of Buddhist teaching, with salvation being described as the ultimate escape from the cycle of rebirth. For the Buddhist, salvation is earned by following obediently the eightfold path of right belief, right feelings, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right memory and right meditation. Buddhists believe that this path will ultimately lead to the bliss of nirvana. The Buddhist way of life includes self-denial and a moral code not dissimilar to some of the teachings of Christianity (such as no lying, fornication, theft, murder, etc.). Buddhism is the world’s fourth largest religion (behind Christianity, Islam and Hinduism), with over 300 million adherents. Children of God, The: Formed in 1968 by Moses David, formerly David Berg, this church has undergone many changes, including the renaming of the church as “the Family of Love.” However, the love that is advocated is contrary to that which is advocated by Jesus. While David Berg had some mainstream Christian roots, he quickly left them behind by advocating free love among church members and the use of sexual favors as a means of evangelizing. Christadelphianism: John Thomas founded his teaching through the magazine The Apostolic Advocate in 1834, but the name Christadelphian did not emerge until 1869. He wrote the Christadelphian classic Elpis Israel (an exposition of the Kingdom of God), then Eureka (a commentary on the book of Revelation),
recognizing the supreme authority of the Bible but only as interpreted by him. God exists in physical form and has created men whom He has raised to divinity (pluralism). Jesus is such a man who earned His right to divinity, while the Holy Spirit is an unseen power by which God upholds the whole of His creation. All the faithful will be immortalized on earth and the wicked will be annihilated; therefore, there is no heaven or hell for mankind. Recently the movement has shown signs of wanting to abandon unbiblical teaching and become an orthodox church, but many members still hold to the old views. A smaller group with similar views is called the Ecclesia of Christ. Christian Science: Founded by Mary Baker (Eddy) in the late nineteenth century. It is a mind science of false healing with a doctrine declared to be Bible-based, but the teachings of Mary Baker are regarded as revelation, with more authority than the Bible. God is justified as triune by virtue of being the God of life, truth and love. Jesus is believed to have been human and is now dead, while the Christ and the Holy Spirit only exist in the order of Divine Science. Man is deemed as incapable of sinning; sickness, sin and death are therefore unreality, and the one way to heaven is by goodness as taught in their Divine Science. Church of Bible Understanding: Formerly called the Forever Family, it was founded in 1976 by Stewart Traill. It is an antiTrinitarian movement, rejecting both the word trinity and the concept as unbiblical. Jesus is the Savior, but He is not God. Sin equals worldliness and hypocrisy, and Traill equates this with the older generation, departing from the biblical principle that “all have sinned.” The church is organized into groups: the guardians are leaders, and the sheep are advanced believers, while the lambs are new converts. They meet together as communal units. Church of the Living Word (The Walk): Founded in 1954 by John Robert Stevens. He was ordained by Full Gospel Temple. His
ordination was recognized by the Foursquare Church and the Assemblies of God. However, all of them revoked the recognition due to aberrant doctrines. Basic to Stevens’ understanding is a concept called transference, wherein the person lays aside his or her personal identity and allows him- or herself to become Christ. The church, as well as the individual, is to become a god. “God becoming man means nothing unless we become God, unless we become lost in Him.” The Holy Spirit enables this to happen. Stevens declares that the Bible is an authoritative document, but is outdated and the Church needs new and supplementary revelation, which is to be channeled through him. Confucianism: A humanistic religion founded by the Chinese sage Confucius in the fifth century b.c. His teachings are contained in four books written by his disciples: The Analects, The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean and The Book of Mencius. The doctrine of Confucius instructs on relationships and the basic nature of man in a sixfold teaching of: • Jen—rule of reciprocation of goodness • Chun-tzu—humility, sincerity, magnanimity and graciousness • Te—inspiration and power needed in virtuous rule • Li—reverence, courtesy and standard of conduct • Wen—benevolent acts of peace through music and poetry • Cheng-ming—the correction of roles (Let a father be a father, etc.) Cooneyites: A name given to this group, but members
themselves refuse to have a name. Founded by William Irvine in nineteenth-century Ireland, Edward Cooney was an influential leader of the group. Though it appears to be based on Christianity, the group has many unbiblical beliefs and believes itself to be the only true church and Irvine to have received special revelation. Divine Light Mission: The Divine Light Mission was founded in 1971 by Guru Maharaj Ji, who believes he is the incarnation of the divine. What is taught is a derivative of Hinduism, and devotees receive knowledge directly from Maharaj Ji. It is claimed that the Holy Spirit is knowledge that flows from Maharaj Ji. Maharaj Ji instructs his people to discover the “divine self.” Humanity is inherently divine, and the key to divinity is in being given the proper knowledge to discover the goodness within. Salvation, therefore, is knowledge given by the guru that leads to enlightenment. Druidism: The name means “knowing the oak tree.” A caste of priests among the Celts of ancient Gaul, Britain and Ireland practiced divinition, prophecy, magic and healing, and made animal and human sacrifices. Exclusive Brethren: They share many of the beliefs of mainstream Christianity, but strict control is exercised by the leader who is acknowledged as the “elect vessel” through whom God speaks. Most contact with people or entertainment outside the church is discouraged. Freemasonry: Freemasonry is a worldwide organization that promotes the glorification of man by his own achievements, both within and outside Masonry, and is supported by a tightly controlled brotherhood of Masons to the total exclusion of a believing faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a secret society to which members are bound by powerful oaths and penalties sworn on pain of tortuous death at the hands of brother Masons to protect its secrets.
It is essentially religious, being a mixture of Hinduism, Kabbalism and Rosicrucianism with the pagan religions of Egyptian and Greek mythology. The teachings of Freemasonry bear no relation to, nor are they compatible with, biblical Christianity, and prayers raised in the name of Jesus Christ are forbidden. Freemasonry purports to be a quest for divine light, but the various ceremonies entered into and oaths taken only serve to cause spiritual blindness and darkness, and its claims are false. There are three stages or degrees of membership into Blue Lodge, then a further ten degrees in the York Rite or a further thirty degrees in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, to achieve the title of Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33rd degree. Hermeticism: A set of philosophical and religious beliefs originating in second-century Egypt that influenced alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, modern magick and even tarot. Its main belief is in “the All,” or cause, of which mankind and the whole universe are a part. An important concept, found in other occult circles, is the principle of “as above, so below,” meaning that whatever happens at a higher level also happens on a lower. Hinduism: Hinduism is a modern term to describe the ancient religion of India dating from before 2000 b.c. It has many forms, no formal creed and no one founder. Hindu scriptures are voluminous, but the best known are the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita (song of the Lord). In Hinduism there is one principal god, Brahman, who is a triune god of Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva or Siva (destroyer). There is a level of nationally recognized gods, such as Krishna, Indra, Agni and Durga; a further level of regional gods sometimes referred to as devatas; and then a lower level of local or village gods—a vast army of bhuts (spirits).
Hinduism has been termed as more of a philosophy than a creed and is concerned with mystical insights and mythological exploits of the gods. As with Buddhism, reincarnation is a central belief. The universe is in a series of cycles of growth and decay (kalpa), and the law of karma determines one’s future life here on earth until nirvana is reached, the escape from the cycle of death and rebirth. Relationships are vertical, with a rigid caste system of priests, noblemen, peasants and servants. International Church of Ageless Wisdom, The: The church was founded by Beth Hand. In forming the movement, she taught and preached a mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism, Spiritualism, astrology and yoga techniques, as well as the mystical teachings of Kabbalah. She had previously discarded her Episcopal roots. The church believes God cannot be a person, and therefore Jesus cannot be God incarnate. God is the creator and source of all that is and, as such, is the father of all humanity. As a result, all people are brothers and sisters and sons and daughters of God. International Community of Christ, The (Jamilians): Founded in 1972 by Eugene Savoy, who followed the supposed “secret” or "hidden teachings” of Jesus as well as those of the ancient sun worshipers. Members of the community are taught that they can experience the redeeming power of the sun, that the power in Jesus’ miracles came from the sun and that Jesus will return as a new and radiant sun “unlike any sun that ever shone.” Jesus is essentially one who shows the way to the sun. Savoy also asserts his son Jamil was a reincarnate Christ. ISKCON (Hare Krishna): The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna) was founded in America in 1965 by the guru Swami Prabhupada, who remained its leader until his death in 1977. Hare Krishna was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprobha in the early sixteenth century as the Sankirtana
movement developed from the Hinduistic worship of Krishna (the reincarnated son of the god Vishnu). Krishnans believe in one god, Krishna, that Jesus is Krishna’s son and that salvation must be earned by a series of good works in a cycle of reincarnation until oneness with Krishna is achieved. Part of this is chanting a sixteen-word mantra (called Kirtanya) many times a day. Islam: The religion of Islam was founded by Mohammed (Muhammad) among his family in Mecca, Arabia, but did not emerge as a religious power until he emigrated to Medina in a.d. 622, the year that started the Islamic calendar, now known as A.H. (the year of Hejira). Islam means “submission to the will of Allah,” and its teachings are principally contained in the Koran (Qur’an). Allah is the all-powerful God, while Jesus is among the six major prophets named in the Koran, of which Mohammed is the last and greatest. The six articles of faith to which Muslims subscribe are belief in God, His angels, His books, His prophets, the Day of Judgment and God’s sovereign decrees. The five pillars of Islam are confession of the faith, prayer, fasting, giving of alms and pilgrimage to Mecca. All of these are obligatory duties to be observed, the pilgrimage being required only once in one’s lifetime. Jain, Jainism: A small but influential Indian religion, with an emphasis on compassion and self-control, and a belief in an endless cycle of improvement and deterioration in time. Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society): Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) deny the divinity of Jesus, His eternal existence, His physical resurrection and the doctrine of the Trinity. They believe that the archangel Michael is none other than the Son of God, now Jesus Christ—in other words He had a beginning. Also in
this denial of the Trinity lies the fact that the Holy Spirit is recognized not as a person but rather as the invisible force of God. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe only 144,000 people will go to heaven and that an unnumbered crowd of faithful people will have everlasting life on earth through resurrection, having proven their faithfulness to Jehovah. Unbelievers and Satan will be annihilated in the end. The JWs believe that they are the one true church on earth and that all denominational churches will be the enemy of God in the battle of Armageddon. Kabbalah: Jewish mystical tradition based on a mathematical interpretation of Scripture. Various magical and occult practices stemmed from the Kabbalah. Growing in numbers, its adherents are recognized by a simple red-string bracelet worn on the wrist. materialism: While materialism is not a religion as such, much of the world worships at the altar of materialistic success and makes an idol of wealth. The demonic power behind materialism holds vast numbers of people in a godless lifestyle. Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints): Joseph Smith founded Mormonism in 1830 after claiming that a visitation from the angel Moroni led him to find two buried golden plates on which a book was written in a foreign language. This “book,” which was translated and entitled The Book of Mormon, is considered by the Mormon Church to be the Word of God. In 1842 Joseph Smith became a Mason and adopted many Masonic rituals into Mormon temple rites. Brigham Young, second president of the Mormon Church, taught the doctrine of blood atonement, whereby a man might be killed to save his soul if he committed certain sins such as murder, lying, marrying a black person, apostasy, etc. Young, who had twenty
wives, also instituted the practice of polygamy in the Mormon Church. Mormons believe that there are three separate gods: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the firstborn of God the Father, and He became divine through His obedience and devotion to His Father. The Holy Spirit is not a person, but rather an influence, the light of Christ. Mormons still believe in the resurrection of every living thing and that baptism by proxy for the dead is valid. Regarding death, the ungodly go to the Terrestrial Kingdom, while perdition is for Satan and the fallen angels. They also believe that the New Jerusalem will be built on the American continent and that Mormons must marry in a Mormon temple in order to achieve godhood in eternity. Mormons claim to be the restoration of the only true church established by Jesus Christ. Nation of Islam: Founded in 1930 by Wallace Dodd Ford, who took the name of Fard Muhammad, this group believes that Islam is the true religion of black people. They also preach the superiority of black people and differ from orthodox Islam on several key issues. New Age movements: At the heart of these various movements is the doctrine that “God is within you” and, therefore, the individual is God and can choose his or her own set of moral values, summed up in the statement “If it feels good, do it.” New Church of Jerusalem (Swedenborgism): The church was established in London in 1787 with the belief that the Bible and the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) were the Word of God. Swedenborgians believe that God is three in one—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and that life will continue after death. If an individual lives a heavenly life down here, it will be heavenly there, and vice-versa. Their understanding of the Second Coming of Christ is that it is taking place right now in a new understanding of Jesus
Christ as revealed by the teachings in the New Church, and this new age of Christianity is brought about in our individual and collective lives. Oneness Pentecostalism: Rejects the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity and therefore baptizes people only in the name of Jesus Christ. The movement grew out of the Assemblies of God and has had a number of names: The New Issue, the Jesus Only movement, United Pentecostal Church International, Jesus Name, Apostolic and, of course, Oneness Pentecostalism. Quakers: There is increasing concern that the liberal side of Quakerism has departed from biblical principles and advocates beliefs that tend toward New Age, such as that God is a force or universal spirit, man is essentially good and has God within him, and Jesus is regarded merely as a great teacher. Raelian Church: Founded by Claude Vorilhon, who claimed to have been contacted by aliens in 1973. The Raelians claim that these extra-terrestrials created life on earth and will return to Jerusalem in 2035. The group also claims to have cloned a human being, but produced no proof. Rajneeshism: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh became a guru in 1966, hailing the benefits of open sex and advocating the dismantling of the family unit. His beliefs mainly stem from Hinduism, asserting that all reality is one. The aim of Rajneeshism is to attain enlightenment through reincarnation, love, sex and meditation. Rajneesh died in 1990, having attracted two hundred thousand followers. Many of his followers have now joined the New Age movement. Rastafarianism: Leonard Howell is credited with the six principles that are behind Rastafarian thinking. He stated that:
1. Black men are reincarnations of ancient Israelites; 2. Haile Selassie is the living God and the Emperor of the World; 3. Ethiopia is heaven, and the Jamaican situation is hopeless hell; 4. Blacks are superior to whites; 5. Blacks will avenge themselves against the whites; and 6. Blacks will return to Ethiopia. Father Joseph Owens said, “The keystone of all Rastafarian theology is the divine supremacy of Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia.” Rastafarians claim Selassie is Jesus reincarnate; he is the returned Messiah. Rastafarianism is a rejection of Christianity as being the white man’s religion. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Arose out of a power struggle for leadership of the Mormon Church after Joseph Smith and his brother were murdered in 1844. Brigham Young took the larger group to Utah, while those who remained under Joseph Smith Jr. settled in Missouri and became the Reorganized Church. Neither church recognizes the other. The differences between the two groups appear to be as follows: in contrast to the Mormons of Utah, the Reorganized Church does not practice baptism for the dead, nor does it believe in polygamy; sealed marriages are not conducted, nor are the secret rites prevalent in the Utah Church; and Joseph Smith’s inspired version of the Bible is used by the Reorganized Church, while the Utah Church uses the Kingjames Version. In all other aspects they are the same.
Rosicrucianism: Founded by C. Rosenkreutz in the early fifteenth century under the title “Fraternity of the Rose Cross.” It is a mixture of Hinduism, Judaism, occult, alchemy and Hermeticism (the relationship between the heavenly and earthly spheres). Basic to the theology of Rosicrucianism is the idea that all knowledge of mankind is made available to those who seek to know, and this discovery of the truth is through suffering, contemplation and various ascents of reincarnation. The Fama is the definitive source of Rosicrucian philosophy, but its author is not known with certainty. A collection of seven spirits before the throne make up the triune godhead of the Society. The "Father” is the highest initiate among the humanity of Saturn; the "Son” is the highest initiate of the sun; and the “Holy Spirit” is the highest initiate of the moon. The twentieth century has witnessed the founding of numerous associated orders of which AMORC is probably the best known (Ancient Mystical Order Rose Cross). Sai Baba: An Indian guru who claims to be divine. Most adherents are in India, but there are centers around the world. He also teaches reincarnation and good works. Scientology: Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1955, the Church of Scientology depended heavily on Hubbard’s creative imagination. He combined Freudian psychoanalysis with Eastern thought and ideas from his science fiction writings and produced a religion that has gained a wide appeal with those seeking improved mental health. Scientology conflicts with Christian truth in many different ways. Scientologists believe that there are many gods and that Jesus was much less than godlike. According to Scientology there is no such thing as sin or evil, and hell is a myth. Scientology embraces the reincarnational beliefs of Hinduism. secular humanism: Not a religion, but increasing in influence
and also increasingly anti-Christian, seeking to sideline Christianity in schools, politics and society. Secular humanism would define the world in terms of logic, reason, science and evolution, leaving God out of the equation. Most adherents would describe themselves as atheists, thus elevating man to the supreme place in the world. Seeing religions as outdated, they believe that mankind will gradually overcome its problems, helped by technology. Shintoism: Japanese for "the way of the gods.” It is the national religion of Japan and one of the oldest in the world. It teaches the superiority of the Japanese people. There are various deities: Kojiki, the earliest ancestral god, who created the world; Izanagi and Izansmi, the male and female deities who helped Kojiki, but specially created Japan; and Amaterasu, the sun goddess. They also believe in Kame, the sacred power in both animate and inanimate objects; Harakari, the ceremonial suicide of warriors; and Jigai, which is suicide as atonement for sins. Sikhism: Founded by Guru Nanak in the fifteenth century a.d. in the Punjab province of India. The teaching of Sikhism is that “there is no Hindu and no Muslim,” resulting in a religious combination of both Hindu and Muslim theologies. The sacred scriptures of Nanak, the Granth Sahib or “Lord’s Book,” were written by many authors in six different languages and several dialects, so the average Sikh knows very little of its content. The Granth Sahib teaches the existence of one god, Sat Nam, and the Hindu doctrines of karma and reincarnation. The most obvious sign of a male Sikh is his turban. spiritualism: Spiritualists hold services at which they seek to contact the dead, their aim being to contact spirit guides to help members get in touch with those on “the other side.” They also hold healing services. Sufism: The Sufi Order is a branch of Islam that separated as
early as the late seventh century a.d. and seemingly as a reaction against the formalism and legalism of Islam's early teachings from the Koran. Sufi means "mystic,” and Sufists, in their quest for a deeper spiritual knowledge of Allah, sought a spiritual union through meditation and even twirl dancing (whirling dervishes) rather than by the strict observance of the five pillars, or duties, of Islam. The sacred book of Sufism is the Masnavi, and although some of the teachings are at variance with the Koran, the book still has considerable religious importance throughout Islam. Sufism teaches repentance of sins, the attaining of religious knowledge, the love that exists between God and man and, finally, the union with Allah that is achieved by annihilation (Fana) in him. This latter concept of Fana is one of the strongest differences between Sufists and Islamic fundamentalists who regard the relationship of Allah with man as one of separation between subject and object. Swedenborgism: See New Church of Jerusalem. Taoism: Founded by an enigmatic character called Lao-Tzu in the early sixth century b.c. The book ascribed to him entitled The Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its Power) was popularized in the fourth century b.c. in the writings of Chuang-Tzu. The teachings of the religion embrace stillness, inaction, placidity, quietude, passivity and communing with nature. Herbal medicines have been a part of Taoism since the second century b.c. The central concept of the Tao (way or path) includes the further concept of yang and yin, the opposites of male/female, positive/negative, good/evil, light/darkness, life/death, etc., and the invisible life energy force ch’i, or ki. Theosophical Society: A society founded in New Yorkin 1875 by Madame Helena Blavatsky and Henry Alcott. The society was formed to "establish a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity; to promote the study of comparative religions and philosophy as well as making a systematic investigation of the mystic
potencies of man and nature.” Within this premise is an understanding of God as an impersonal divine source. Jesus was divine, just like all of us are divine, because we are all extensions of God. However, God is latent in all of us, and as we make contact with the deep and hidden knowledge within ourselves, so we are saved. Society members also believe that through reincarnation the latent becomes actual. Transcendental Meditation: Devised by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, it has strong Hindu roots. Its adherents founded the Natural Law Party as a move into politics. Meditation is practiced, and for advanced practitioners there is “yogic flying.” Unification Church (Moonies): Founded by Yong Myung Moon (later changed to Sun Myung Moon) in 1954 in South Korea. He claimed that the truth of God had been sealed into his hands, that the Bible has lost its light and that the revelation of "Moon" in his book The Divine Principle is the true, authoritative source of God's Word. In Moonie teaching, God the creator exists in dual yang and yin form. Jesus Christ was killed by Satan, but He will be born again, and the Holy Spirit is a female spirit working on earth. The original sin of Adam brought spiritual death to the human race, but as it is God’s will that all be restored to Him, all go to paradise until the gate of the Kingdom of heaven is opened. Unitarian-Universalist Association: Unitarians believe in one God but hold that orthodox Christianity has forsaken the real, human Jesus of the Gospel. The Universalist Church seeks to promote harmony between all religious faiths. The Unitarian-Universalist Association, formed in 1961, seeks the development of character and the fostering of the human spirit. Its goal is world community with peace, liberty and justice for all. Reason is the principal authority, rather than the Bible or creeds. Unitarians reject the doctrine of the Trinity, the virgin birth and the belief that Jesus is the Messiah and
God incarnate. Way International, The: Founded by Victor P. Wierwille in Ohio in 1958 upon his resignation from ordained ministry with the Evangelical and Reformed Church. As with many other religious leaders, Wierwille claims that "The Way” is the one true church of God and that he is the only true apostle. The Way’s doctrine teaches that: God is one and He alone is the creator; Jesus was the son of God but not God the Son—He only came into existence when conceived in Mary’s womb; and the Holy Spirit is an impersonal presence or power that God gives to believers. The original success of The Way was due to a powerful and fervent evangelistic program including the study course "Power for Abundant Living” and followed by teaching books, of which the best known are The New Dynamic Church, Jesus Christ Is Not God, The Word’s Way, The Bible Tells Me So and Are the Dead Alive Now? Wicca: A neopagan religion, first popularized by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. It is supposedly based on ancient pre-Christian paganism, and what was imagined to be Celtic religion, combined with strands from witchcraft. Because it is not an organized religion, there is a wide range of beliefs under the Wicca umbrella, and each individual or group selects or adapts beliefs to suit their needs. Worldwide Church of God: Founded in 1933 by Herbert W. Armstrong, who had broken away from the Seventh Day Adventist church and founded his own organization. Through radio, the Plain Truth magazine and later by television shows, he achieved a high profile for his teaching. This included a Sabbath on Saturday and the belief that white Anglo-Saxons were the true descendants of ancient Israel. Recently the church has abandoned some of its nonbiblical teaching and moved toward mainstream Christianity. Zen Buddhism: A development of Buddhism. Known in India
as dhyana, and in China as ch’an, its exact origin is obscure. Legend attributes its origin to a wandering Buddhist master, Bodhidharma. It contains Buddha’s emphasis on meditation to achieve emptiness and the final goal of enlightenment, but it has no sacred scriptures or literature. Its teachings are transmitted from mind to mind, although Zen meditation includes the chanting of sutras, which are texts that summarize the various discourses of Buddha. Zoroastrianism: An ancient religion founded around 660 b.c. by Zoroaster, who preached that Ahura Mazdah was supreme over all other gods and that a cosmic war was being waged between Ahura Mazdah and Angra Mainyu, an evil spirit. All humanity is involved and has a choice to make. Human beings must choose between good and evil and receive reward or punishment according to their choice.
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Occult Bondage and Deliverance. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1970. Kraft, Charles H. Defeating Dark Angels. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1993. Lambert, Lance. Explaining Spiritual Protection. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1991. Lea, Larry. The Weapons of Your Warfare. Milton Keynes, England: Word, 1990. Lee, Nicky and Sila. The Marriage Book. London, England: Alpha Publications 2000. Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters. London: HarperCollins, 1977. MacNutt, Francis and Judith. Praying for Your Unborn Child. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988. Marrs, Texe. Dark Secrets of the New Age. Westchester, 111.: Crossway, 1988. Marshall, Tom. Authority in Heaven, Authority on Earth. Lancaster, England: Sovereign World, 2006. Explaining Binding and Loosing. Tonbridge, England: SovereignWorld, 1991. Healing from the Inside Out. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1988. Living in the Freedom of the Spirit. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 2001. Right Relationships. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1992.
Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cidts. Eastbourne, England: Nova Distribution. The New Age Cult. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1989. Mather, George A., and Larry A. Nichols, Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993. McClung, Floyd. The Father Heart of God. East Sussex, England: Kingsway, 1994. Living on the Devil’s Doorstep. Seattle: YWAM, 1985. Spirits of the City. East Sussex, England: Kingsway, 1990. McCormick, W. J. McK. Christ, the Christian and Freemasonry. Belfast, N. Ireland: Great Joy, 1987. Meyer, Joyce. Battlefield of the Mind. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1995. Approval Addiction. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2007. Beauty for Ashes. New York: Time Warner, 2004. Miller, Roger. Curses, Unforgiveness, Evil Spirits, Deliverance. Germantown: Trumpet of Gideon Ministries, 1994. Minirth, Frank, and Paul Meier. Happiness Is a Choice. Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression. Grand Rapids: Spire, 2004. Mintle, Linda. Anorexia and Bulimia. Lake Mary, Fla.: Charisma House, 2002.
Breaking Free from Compulsive Overeating. Lake Mary, Fla.: Charisma House, 2002. Moody, D. L. Power from on High. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1992. Murphy, Ed. The Handbook of Spiritual Warfare. Nashville: Nelson, 2003. Nee, Watchman. The Latent Power of the Soul. Richmond, Va.: Christian Fellowship, 1972. Release of the Spirit. West Sussex, England: New Wine Press,1965. The Spiritual Man. Richmond, Va.: Christian Fellowship, 1977. Newberry, Paul. Spiritual Fathers. Lancaster, England: Sovereign World, 2003. Oyekan, Prince Yinka. Manipulation, Domination and Control. East Sussex, England: Kingsway, 2000. Parker, Russ. The Occult: Deliverance from Evil. Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1992. Payne, Leanne. The Broken Image. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996. The Healing Presence. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1995. Listening Prayer. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999. Restoring the Christian Soul. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996. Penn-Lewis, Jessie, and Evan Roberts. War on the Saints.
Reprint. Oldbury, England: CLC, 1973. Peretti, Frank. Piercing the Darkness (Novel). East Sussex, England: Kingsway, 1994. This Present Darkness (Novel). East Sussex, England: Kingsway, 1994. Petrie, Alistair. Releasing Heaven on Earth. Grand Rapids: Chosen, 2000. Pfeifer, Samuel. Healing at Any Price? Milton Keynes, England: Word, 1988. Powell, Graham. Fear Free. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1987. Prince, Derek. Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose. Milton Keynes, England: Word, 1990. The End of Life’s Journey. Baldock, England: Derek Prince Ministries, 2004. God’s Remedy for Rejection. New Kensington Penn.: Whitaker House, 2002. Husbands and Fathers. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 2000. The Marriage Covenant. New Kensington Penn.: Whitaker House, 2006. They Shall Expel Demons. Charlotte, N.C.: Derek Prince Ministries, 1998.
War in Heaven. Grand Rapids: Chosen, 2003. Richards, John. But Deliver Us from Evil. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1974. Ridenour, Fritz. So What’s the Difference? Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 2001. Roberts, Derek. Free from Freemasonry. Crediton, Devon: Freedom Ministries International, 2004. Roebert, Ed. Explaining Spiritual Warfare. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1991. Sampson, Steve. Confrontingjezebel. Lancaster, England: Sovereign World, 2003. Sandford, John Loren. Renewal of the Mind. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1991. Sandford, John and Paula. Transforming the Inner Man. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1982. Why Some Christians Commit Adultery. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1989. Healing the Wounded Spirit. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1985. Restoring the Christian Family. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1979. Sandford, Paula. Healing for Victims of Sexual Abuse. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1988. Healing for a Women’s Emotions. Tulsa, Okla.: Victory, 1992.
Scotland, Nigel. Pocket Guide to Sects and New Religions. Oxford, England: Lion Hudson, 2005. Seamands, David A. Healing for Damaged Emotions. Carlisle, England: Paternoster, 1993. Healing Grace. Wheaton, 111.: Scripture Press, 1992. Healing of Memories. Carlisle, England: Paternoster, 1985. Sheridan, Richard and Barbara. Soul Makeover. West Sussex, England: New Wine Press, 2001. Sherman, Dean. Spiritual Warfare for Every Christian. Seattle: YWAM, 1990. Skyrme, Brenda. Martial Arts and Yoga. West Sussex, England: New Wine Press, 1995. Smith, F. Lagard. What You Need to Know About the New Age Movement. Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House, 1993. Smith, Malcolm. The Power of the Blood Covenant. Tulsa, Okla.: Harrison House, 2002. Smith, Pam. Shepherd Love. West Wickham, Kent: Hartfield, 1996. Shepherd Walk. West Wickham, Kent: Hartfield, 2005. Sookhdeo, Patrick. A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Islam. Tain, Rossshire: Christian Focus, 2006. Southern, Jill. Sex—God's Truth. Lancaster, England: Sovereign World,
2006. Stenzel, Pam, and Crystal Kirgiss. Sex Has a Price Tag. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. Strohmer, Charles. What Your Horoscope Doesn’t Tell You. Milton Keynes, England: Word, 1991. Subritzky, Bill. Demons Defeated. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1992. How to Cast Out Demons and Break Curses. Auckland, New Zealand: Dove Ministries, 1991. Sudduth, William. So Free! An In-depth Guide to Deliverance and Inner Healing. Colorado Springs: Arsenal Bookstore, 2006. What’s Behind the Ink? Spiritual Aspects of Tattooing, Piercing, etc. , Colorado Springs: Arsenal Bookstore, 2005. Tozer, A. W. The Radical Cross. Camp Hill, Penn.: Wingspread, 2005. Receiving the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1986. Wagner, C. Peter. Breaking Strongholds in Your City. Ventura, Calif.: Gospel Light, 1996. Freedom from the Religious Spirit. Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 2005. Wagner, C. Peter, ed. Territorial Spirits. Tonbridge, England: Sovereign World, 1991.
Wagner, Doris. Deliverance from Demons (self-published). White, John. Eros Redeemed. Guildford, England: Eagle, 1990. When the Spirit Comes with Power. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1992. White, Tom. The Believer’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare. East Sussex, England: Kingsway, 1991. Whyte, H. A. Maxwell. Demons and Deliverance. New Buffalo, Mich.: Whittaker House, 1989. Wilkinson, Helena. Beyond Chaotic Eating. Horsham, England: RoperPenberthy, 2001. Puppet on a String. Horsham, England: RoperPenberthy, 2004. Snakes and Ladders. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988. Wilson, Earl D. A Silence to Be Broken. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1987. Woodworth-Etter, Maria. A Diary of Signs and Wonders. Reprint. Tulsa, Okla.: Harrison House, 1980. Wright, Henry W. Be in Health Study Guide. Thomaston, Ga: Pleasant Valley, 2005. A More Excellent Way. Thomaston, Ga: Pleasant Valley, 2005. Wright, H. Norman. Always Daddy’s Girl. Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 2001. The Power of a Parent’s Words. Ventura, Calif: Regal, 1991.
The inclusion of a book in this bibliography does not necessarily mean that the author of this book would endorse everything that is said by other authors. Readers are encouraged to use their discernment to test everything and hold on to the good (see 1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Index A abortion, 32, 84, 85, 335, 397, 416, 563 accident, 30, 59, 71, 187, 190, 336, 340, 413-15, 421, 427, 442, 465-66, 480, 510 accuser, 57, 76, 310, 423, 449 acupuncture, 357, 527, 543 addict, 110, 441 addiction, 315, 393, 439-41, 563, 567, 574 adoption, 346 adultery, 43, 86, 128, 170, 264, 277, 304, 342, 348-49, 376, 377, 385, 391, 569 AIDS, 75, 388-89, 393 akatharta, 96 allergic reactions, 316-17 ancestors, 113, 153, 165, 167, 168, 324, 325, 343, 349, 355, 385, 415, 428, 479, 499 angel(s), 45, 55, 59, 65 animals, 40, 41, 115, 358, 393, 394, 482, 483,528
anorexia, 316, 405, 567. See also eating disorder appetite, 316, 319, 520 archangel, 65, 66, 73, 96, 289, 554 armor of God, 96, 263, 489 astral projection, 398, 527, 528, 532, 539, 540 astrology, 528, 533, 553 atonement, 45, 555, 558 Augustine, 436 B balance, 24, 42-43, 185, 198, 211, 212, 284, 444, 445, 451 baptism, 122, 235, 244-46, 251, 266, 348,418-19 bestiality, 393, 483 blood, 166-67, 426, 528, 529 born again, 34, 43, 45, 53, 57, 60, 90, 179, 232, 266, 272, 279, 280, 296, 359 brokenness, 328, 396, 415, 466 buildings, 434-38, 493-99, 501-05 bulimia, 316, 567. See also eating disorder business, 501, 505-06
C cancer, 105, 150, 271, 414 chemical addiction, 439-40 deficiency, 338 imbalance, 31 childishness, 327-28 Communion, 188, 255, 321, 332, 439, 446, 519, 528 compulsive behavior, 318-19, 439 conception, 252, 308, 346, 370, 397, 399, 416 confession, 126, 190, 299-301, 350, 351, 352, 354, 376, 390, 440, 463, 472 consecrated water, 235-36, 419 coughing, 442, 481, 484 Covenant, 49-52, 85, 92, 168, 188, 217, 326, 372, 455, 495, 497, 568, 569 Creator, 51, 59, 61, 78, 334, 345 cross, the, 45, 46, 75, 89, 90, 113, 131, 153, 176, 242, 271, 272, 283, 284, 302, 307, 324, 342, 422, 494 culture, 56, 284, 285, 369, 547 D
daimon, 96, 272, 274 Darwin, 58 deaf and dumb, 43, 152, 157, 175 death, 45, 102, 111 deception, 41, 56, 71, 77-78, 125, 130-31, 144, 194, 218, 219, 220, 230 demonic entry point, 340, 363, 365, 381, 383, 388, 395, 412, 414, 443 denomination, 112, 132, 244-45, 257, 264, 266, 267, 271, 325, 329, 361, 362, 460-61, 518 depression, 78, 319-20, 432, 567 destiny, 36, 60, 87, 93, 506, 510 devil, the, 42, 67, 73-75, 208, 213-14, 238, 260, 263, 366, 392, 447 diagnosis, 67, 93, 284 Diana, 205, 207 diarrhea, 36 discernment, 104, 107, 119, 134, 135, 171, 194, 222, 256, 257, 309, 340, 476, 480 discipline, 173, 239, 315, 370, 372, 399, 408,442, 461,489, 490 discipling, 34, 203, 225, 362, 446, 487
disease, 30, 31, 32, 59, 85, 114, 159, 242, 247, 271, 284, 285, 326, 388, 414, 418, 461 divorce, 376, 411-12 domination, 327, 370, 372-73, 379-80, 390, 408-10, 438, 441, 465, 568 E eating disorder, 316. See also anorexia; bulimia emotions, 60, 62, 63, 101, 106, 117, 187, 295, 296, 314, 318, 320, 321, 336, 374, 432, 441, 478 epilepsy, 114, 154, 156, 157, 166, 378 ethics, 32, 383, 411 euthanasia, 32 Evelyn Frost, 211, 251 evil spirits, 96, 97, 98 evolution, 58, 558 eye contact, 481 F faith, 155, 156, 163, 181, 183, 184, 185, 186, 204, 256, 457, 486 false religions, 264, 267, 306, 362, 368, 458, 481
fear, 21, 62, 68, 110, 111, 117, 137, 138, 162, 173, 176, 189, 256, 287, 304-05, 322-23, 327, 332, 336, 364, 380, 413, 415, 442, 465 forgiveness, 153, 292, 297, 298, 299, 301, 303, 317, 323, 368, 376, 378, 501 formula, 206-07 fortuneteller, 354 Freemasonry, 106, 113, 208, 210, 252, 268, 363, 428, 437, 552 G generational demonization, 120, 342-43, 346 inheritance, 114, 182, 447, 482 sin, 389-90, 461-62, 470 genetic factors, 30, 32, 346, 461 gifts of the Spirit, 229, 251, 256, 365-67, 456, 457, 518 grace, 307, 342 graveyards, 165 Great Commission, the, 34, 185, 191, 240-41, 247, 249, 418 grief, 420 guiding spirit, 71, 153, 196, 420
H heaven, 67, 73, 74, 83, 89, 223, 239, 256, 267, 307, 510 hell, 239 hereditary illness, 324-25, 470 heresy, 65, 266, 306, 368 Hinduism, 541, 548, 551, 552-53, 556 hissing, 482, 483 HIV, 389 Holy Spirit, the, 42, 48, 92, 93, 94, 105, 112, 118, 122, 131, 144, 183, 190, 192, 197 homosexuality, 308, 388-90, 403 I idolatry, 252-53, 264, 268, 303, 344, 360, 389 incantation, 40, 529, 533 inner healing, 23, 33, 309, 373, 464, 478 Islam, 554 Israel, 181-84, 207, 495, 496 J Jahbulon, 167, 363
Jehovah’s Witnesses, 267, 554 K kabbalah, 355 L Lactantius, 40 land, 79, 109, 353, 436, 493-99, 501-05 Law, the, 86, 187, 216, 239, 254, 257, 258, 328, 341, 393, 417, 418, 421, 497 legalism, 112, 187, 257, 258, 328, 329 lesbianism, 308, 388-90, 450 Lewis, C. S., 42 loneliness, 337, 421,441 Lucifer, 65, 67, 73, 82, 289 lust, 86, 113, 118, 161, 169, 170, 345, 390, 391, 392, 441, 468
M manifestation, 108, 114, 115, 146, 157, 159, 175, 478, 479, 480, 483, 484 manipulation, 311,379, 380, 408, 409, 465, 568
masturbation, 277, 381, 390, 391, 404 medical practices, alternative, 543-45 profession, 31-33, 335-36, 338-39, 346 treatment, 316, 320 medium, 219, 220, 420, 523, 531, 535, 539,540 mental illness, 61 Moravian meeting, 362 Mormons, 555, 557
N nakedness, 167, 168, 169, 170 nature of God, 49, 51, 305, 306 New Age movement, 23, 56, 262, 264, 265, 268, 269, 306, 339, 445, 529, 530, 531, 534, 536, 543 nightmare, 329-30 O Origen, 40 organizations, 80, 363, 493-506 Ouija board, 354, 537
P pagan, 219, 251, 253, 348, 369, 435, 436, 459, 537 palm reader, 354 palpitations, 480 paralysis, 114, 190, 196, 351, 464 parents, 181, 182, 188, 235, 245, 246,252,311, 316,319,328, 342, 344, 347, 348, 349, 370-71, 372, 373, 381-82, 387, 389, 399, 400, 401, 407, 409, 410, 430, 465 Pentecost, 48, 93, 182, 183, 192, 274, 457, 556 personality, 32, 34, 60, 119, 308, 309, 319, 328, 397, 403, 466 perverted sexual behavior, 380-81, 388, 393-94 Pharisees, 43, 86, 112, 128, 129, 139, 150, 213, 214-15, 221,227, 328-29, 358, 461 phobias, 322-23, 442 physical healing, 33, 34, 38, 148, 256, 333, 382, 410, 445 pictures, 145, 208, 391-92 political correctness, 32 ponera, 96 pornography, 81, 109, 145, 168, 171, 208, 381, 385, 387, 390-
93, 441, 504 possession, 40, 272, 274, 290 praise, 92-93, 113, 203, 334, 345, 459, 490, 497 prayer, 33, 34, 61, 69, 80, 96, 139, 149, 155-56, 171, 181, 182, 185, 189, 235, 264, 265, 285, 287, 293, 297, 300, 306, 309, 332, 352, 355, 424, 446, 448-49, 454, 458, 466, 468-76, 574 pregnancy, 337, 400 property, 194, 439, 496-504 prophecy, 83, 121, 140, 184, 344 prostitute, 158, 159, 262 protection, 97, 184, 188, 233, 349, 422, 448, 449, 489, 495 psychiatrist, 30, 61 psychologist, 30, 398
R rape, 309, 397, 404 rationalism, 44 reaction, 21, 41, 62, 176, 278, 321, 341, 351, 371, 373, 440, 475, 482 rebellion, 50, 56, 64, 66, 73, 77, 82, 85, 98, 198, 315, 316, 334, 336, 350, 371, 372, 390, 405, 409, 422 rejection, 117, 275, 308, 315, 337, 371,389, 390, 396, 397-403,
406, 408, 410, 411, 412, 414, 421, 464 redeemer, 57 relationships, 50, 293, 310, 317, 320, 322, 327-28, 337, 358, 370, 371, 372, 374, 376, 381, 382, 386, 397, 410, 464, 490 religious objects, 435 religious spirits, 112, 118, 137, 144, 252, 267, 268, 279, 306, 313, 357, 359, 360, 361,362, 364, 460, 481 repentance, 56, 86, 94, 122, 126, 140, 190, 198, 207, 208, 246, 253, 255, 262, 311, 315, 327, 331, 333, 345, 351, 354, 374, 376, 378, 389, 391, 471, 473, 477, 501, 505 restoration, 284, 338, 344, 375 rhinitis, 149, 325 rituals, 115, 116 root cause, 32, 34, 35, 61, 191, 293, 297, 315 ruling spirit, 66, 79, 80, 109, 112, 113,116, 117, 174, 202, 208, 209, 222, 258, 259, 276, 303, 311,332 S salvation, 29, 35, 46, 57, 90, 127, 259, 272, 275, 289, 307, 342, 424, 511, 519 Satanism, 77, 115, 168, 321, 334, 364, 398, 428, 435, 482, 539 science, 32, 211, 285 screaming, 146, 150, 166, 481
security, 370, 376, 377, 382, 397, 400, 414, 442, 449, 453, 519 self-rejection, 117, 307, 308, 401 separation, 91, 396, 410, 411 sex, 168, 169, 334, 391, 402, 434, 450, 451, 452, 462, 520 outside of marriage, 170, 376, 384, 387 sexual abuse, 81, 106, 160, 222, 296, 298, 316, 370, 372, 38586, 390, 395, 403-06, 463 orientation, 32, 308 perversion, 145, 208 sin, 35, 77, 98, 113, 114, 118, 129, 156, 159, 161, 223, 253, 262, 299, 347, 352, 353, 374-85 shaking, 480 shame, 168, 299, 307 shock, 145, 336, 421, 465 Sikhism, 116, 558 sinusitis, 149, 156, 325 snake, 83, 115, 205, 394, 418, 482, 483 sons of Sceva, 48, 100, 205, 207 soul ties, 222-23, 345, 369-72, 373, 374, 375, 376, 380, 386, 397, 410, 412, 417, 429, 438, 463, 464, 474, 564
spiritual mapping, 501, 502 spiritualist, 71, 219, 220, 356, 420, 445, 536, 558 stronghold, 147, 162, 171, 172, 186, 189, 202, 224, 226, 307, 316, 323, 328, 333, 407, 426, 457, 458, 461, 483 subconscious, 329-30, 389, 403 suffering, 44, 91, 149, 293 suicide, 78, 140, 167, 335, 428, 433, 439 supernatural, 42, 44, 68, 108, 129, 133, 164, 165, 166, 207, 218, 229, 285, 289, 437 symptom, 30, 31, 56, 61, 90, 105, 129, 138, 148, 149, 152, 176, 188, 189, 191, 219, 295, 297, 311, 314-39, 356, 414, 418, 420, 427, 454, 455, 456, 466, 481 T technique, 206, 228, 293, 398 temptation, 76, 77, 88, 111, 123, 124-26, 127-29, 130-33, 141, 352, 375 territory, 80, 174, 191, 202, 215, 233, 477, 483, 488 terrorism, 23 Tertullian, 40 Tozer, A. W, 127 training, 23, 25, 34, 41, 292, 469, 511,
transference, 188, 283, 310, 345, 403, 417, 464 transvestite, 394-95 trauma, 145, 175, 190, 323, 330, 335, 336, 396, 398 trembling, 287, 480 U uncleanness, 417, 434, 505, 523 V vegetarianism, 197, 264, 269, 306 violence, 109, 165, 207, 208, 234, 267, 336, 371, 406, 407, 478 vomiting, 316, 479, 481, 484 voodoo, 427, 541 vow, 208, 376, 421, 432-34, 463 W Wigglesworth, Smith, 40 witchcraft, 115, 117, 152, 164, 165, 168, 171, 302, 317, 321, 334, 398, 427, 428, 435, 437, 438, 479, 482 womb, 117, 274, 308, 337, 401 Woodworth-Etter, Maria, 40 worship, 56, 67, 70, 77, 80, 92-94, 116, 129, 131, 167, 208,
253, 289, 303-05, 326, 330, 334, 345, 350-51, 353-54, 359, 369, 436, 459, 49
About the Author Peter Horrobin is the Founder and International Director of Ellel Ministries. Ellel Ministries International was originally founded in 1986 as a ministry of healing in the northwest of England. The work is now (in 2008) established in about twenty different countries, and students who have trained with Ellel Ministries are working in every continent and in well over forty different countries. Peter was born in 1943 in Bolton, Lancashire, England. His parents gave him a firm Christian foundation for life with a strong evangelical emphasis. His early grounding in the Scriptures was to equip him for future ministry. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in chemistry, he spent a number of years in college and university lecturing, before leaving the academic environment for the world of business. He founded his own publishing and book selling companies and then, after fifteen years of writing, publishing and book selling, the doors opened for the ministry to be established at Ellel Grange, a country house just outside the city of Lancaster. Throughout his university and business career Peter had known that he was only “marking time” until his true calling, into some form of Christian ministry, would come to fruition. Peter first knew this calling as a young teenager, but he had to wait nearly thirty years before his life’s work was to begin! In his twenties he started to restore a vintage sports car (an Alvis Speed 20), but discovered that its chassis was bent. As he looked at the broken
vehicle, wondering if it could ever be repaired, he sensed God asking him a question, You could restore this broken car, but I can restore broken lives. Which is more important? It was obvious that broken lives were more important than broken cars, and so the beginnings of a vision for restoring people was birthed in his heart at that time. A few years later, he was asked to try and help a person who had been sexually abused. Through this experience God opened up to him the vision for the healing ministry. He prayed daily into this vision for over ten years before God brought it into being. Many Christian leaders affirmed the vision and gave it their support. Since then a hallmark of Peter’s ministry has been his willingness to step out in faith and see God move to fulfill His promises, often in remarkable ways. After the establishment of a Prayer Support Group, the purchase of Ellel Grange was completed in November 1986. Since then Ellel Ministries has grown very steadily—there is now a full-time team of over three hundred people, running a continuous series of healing retreats and training courses and schools at about twenty different centers around the world. (See www.ellelministries.org for further information.) Peter is also an enthusiast of fishing and Alvis cars. His Complete Catalogue of British Cars, which was first published in 1975, has long been the standard reference work on the history and technical specification of every model of every make of British car manufactured between 1895 and 1975! Peter and his wife, Fiona, live near Ellel Grange and now travel extensively to support and encourage the different Ellel teams. They have a particular responsibility within the ministry for pioneering new developments. Together they teach and minister on many different aspects of healing and discipleship.
For more information about Peter Horrobin, his career, ministry and publications please see www.ellelministries.org or go to his personal website at www.peterhorrobin.com.
