Do you know who was the FIRST missionary Jesus Christ ever sent out? It was the MOST demonized guy in the Bible. (Mark 5: 8-20). He covered TEN cities alone! So, you see GOD is waiting for us to do our part, and although demons work their magic on us all, we must find a way to work them out, even on ourselves.
There are about 1700 places in the Bible where the words deliver, delivered or deliverance are used.
The New Testament sure spends a lot of time training us up and explaining that our battle is NOT against flesh and blood for it to all be worthless because demons don’t really exist! I can assure you that they do and that they’re real and that the vast majority of people have stuff messing with them that needs to be ripped off and crushed.
If I haven’t convinced you yet, then put your money where your mouth is and go play with a Ouija board. There IS a war between good and evil and I can’t hardly see how you can believe in Jesus and angels, and not think demons and Satan are real. And if they’re real, they’re doing things to slow us down, they’re not just hanging around Ouija boards.
I don’t believe demons can ‘possess’ Believers, but they sure can oppress them. And if you entertain them long enough and give them enough ground and authority, they will run your life completely, so you might as well be possessed for how it looks from the outside.
Some Believers fling open all the doors, throw their arms around them and give them the best seat in the house! Who do you think benefits most from a theology that says demons don’t exist?
Mark 12:43-45 – When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is
worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Get that? You can get free from them and then they can come back if you’re not watching. Even if the house is swept clean and in order. Have you ever met a non-Believer whose “house” was swept clean and in order? That really requires the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, Himself is warning Believer here that they can come back – and they will probably try to come back worse!
The enemy can’t mess with somebody that is armored up and full of Jesus Christ, but as soon as you let your guard down – especially if you stop praying – they are going to find the gap in your armor and rush in and try to wreck you, your life, your family and your ministry. That’s what they do. They seek to kill, steal and destroy. And not necessarily in that order.
FIRST you have to break off the oppressions, THEN you can feed and clothe them. What good is a food pantry or a homeless shelter that doesn’t address the spiritual afflictions first? Which is more dangerous in the long term, that they are underfed or that they can’t work or relate to people well because of the addiction and fear and confusion and hallucinations and voices in their head? If we really loved them, wouldn’t we free them first and THEN feed them? How can they ask to be freed if they have demons controlling them?
2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Clearly the result of all of these afflictions is that they can kill, steal and destroy your life and your quality of life (John 10:10) – and in a Believer, destroy their witness and effectiveness for the Gospel. Since that is the same goal that the demons have, shouldn’t it be obvious that fear is a spirit?
IF the Bible is true and we say we’re Believers, THEN we should not try to explain things away by other means.
IF the Bible says fear is a spirit, THEN it must be so.
IF Believers exhibit spirits of fear oppressing them, THEN demons really CAN mess with Believers.
IF Believers exhibit spirits of fear oppressing them, THEN it’s because we allowed them back in.
IF we allowed them in, THEN it’s probably because we got lazy and didn’t guard the doors.
IF we didn’t guard the doors, THEN it’s probably because we’re convinced demons aren’t real – or can’t hurt us.
IF we have authority to kick them out, THEN we need to get to doing it as fast as possible!
IF we need to break the yokes of oppression, THEN we need to start in the churches
IF there is a war between Good and Evil, THEN both sides have weapons.
IF the outcome is certain, but the battle is in our hands, THEN we better start shooting at something!!
How did spiritual evil get such a strong foothold on this country and on our own lives? Probably because we started preaching that demons weren’t real and couldn’t oppress Believer. That the war was over and we’d already won.
What happened to the Gift of Discernment of Spirits? (I Corin. 12:10) How come nobody asks for that one anymore? Be like Jesus Christ. Go and crush the badness! We’re getting creamed out there because of so many people that insist the enemy isn’t even real or that it’s wrong for us to go after them!
Only the Holy Spirit can defend your “house” well enough to keep the badness out. You can’t do it in your own power. You better lay
everything down and beg for Jesus Christ to take over right now. And you better mean ALL, not SOME of your life. Tell Jesus you’re a sinner, say you’re sorry and ask Him to free you of everything messing with you and take over ALL of your life right now. Go ahead, ask Him. He’ll do it. He wants you. He’s been calling you. How long are you going to put Him off? How long do you want to wait to be free? Believe He is big enough to break all the chains that bind you. In the Name of Jesus Christ and by His redeeming Blood. Amen
Whether you needed that or not, start praying for the Gift of Discernment of Spirits – and don’t stop. Maybe He’ll give you a lot or maybe a little, but ALL Believers need as much as they can get. The gifts aren’t on/off switches, they are dials. As soon as you get SOME Holy Spirit in you, all your dials move off of zero. How much they move depends on your hunger and the Lord’s willingness. But the Holy Spirit in you can recognize all the other spirits around. He’ll teach you how to use it and what to do with it if you’ll listen. Some people sense the spirits in a vague way and some people see snarling black things sitting on people and can smell them and feel them in the “spirit”. Some people see them with their eyes open in the “natural” and can’t shut it off. (That one can put you living under a bridge smoking crack to make it stop if GOD doesn’t help.) Some people don’t see anything, they just ask the Lord what’s going on and He tells them.
Just ask for whatever He wants to give you and don’t hold back or be afraid. He knows what He’s doing. But you have to also know that “discernment” means telling the difference, not just seeing the bad guys, but seeing the good guys too – and being able to tell who is on whose team.
You need to have an armor-plated, indestructible, unbreakable, impenetrably hard heart – but just to the right stuff. It needs to be tender toward GOD and His still, small voice and rock hard to everything else – including your own wants and thoughts and pride and self. Only in this way can He direct ALL your paths. (I Corin. 14:20) Toward malice be as innocents (virginal, naive, inexperienced), but toward GOD be mature and experienced. And regardless of the black hats, there’s stuff in YOU that qualifies as “malice.”
You can’t play for both teams. You can’t play footsies with the badness and walk with GOD in righteousness and purity. Time is running out, so pick a team.
Ask the Lord to take control of your thoughts and turn your mind into the mind of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to let you see through His eyes, so that you see the temptations of the world the way He does.
2 Timothy 2:20-26 – But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work. Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong. He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it], And that they may come to their senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him, [henceforth] to do His [God’s] will.
Anyway, here’s the thing, demons are real, people that hear GOD really well and have their Discernment dialed up really high can see them and hear them. People who have authority and are walking in holiness before GOD can rip them off of you and crush them and cast them down. People that are doing deliverance now, need all the ammunition and intelligence about the enemy that they can get. People that have a sensitivity to things of the spirit, but don’t understand what they’re seeing or what to do about it, need to know that they’re not crazy and that they can make a difference in this war if they’ll get up to speed and start shooting at the enemy.
If you pull a demon off of someone that hasn’t learned their lesson from it yet, the person is just going to have to go through it again (probably harder) and you’re getting in the way of God’s refining of them. So always check with the Lord before doing anything. Don’t even try to lift a yoke of oppression off of someone when God put it there to humble or chasten or teach. Don’t assume that everything that is messing with someone needs to be or can be removed at that moment. Just like not everyone is going to get physically healed just because you pray for them. Sometimes God is up to something and it’s not time. Just listen carefully and do what HE tells you – don’t act out of pity or guilt or desire to help, or even worse for financial gain or acclaim or attention.
Many spiritual problems are the result of one of four reasons:
(1) Don’t know GOD’S CHARACTER.
(2) Don’t know GOD’S WAYS OR LAWS.
(3) Don’t believe or trust HIS NATURE.
(4) Don’t call upon the HIS NAME.
Whatever you give the pre-eminence to is what will dominate your life. To be oppressed means to exercise “lordship over” someone/something.
Any problem you cannot overcome by prayer, study, and spiritual discipline may be due to a hindering force that is not flesh, but actually an evil spirit in operation.
Deliverance from evil spirits removes the supernatural part of the problem, so that the person is able to deal with the natural problem.
SQUATTERS RIGHTS
The term “demon possession,” as found in a number of translations, was not correctly translated from the original word in the Greek which is DAIMONIZOMAI. The definition of this word is to be exercised by a demon, or to have (be vexed with, be possessed with-in our possession) demons. The term possession is a misleading translation which pictures someone under total control or ownership. In some cases a person is afflicted by illness and not opposed to GOD and the truth.
DEMONS DO NOT POSSESS IN THE SENSE OF OWNERSHIP.
They inhabit only squatters rights.
The term demonized or vexed by, better reflects the Greek DIAMONIZOMAI (Matt. 15:22) literally a state of demon caused passivity. It refers to the condition of a person who is more or less influenced in various ways by inhabiting demons. A person can be acted upon by a demon without any action on the part of the person.
The amount of their activity depends on the amount of space yielded to them. As long as sinful thoughts remain in the heart, precisely that long do the evil spirits work. The most basic and consequential law of the spirit realm is that nothing pertaining to man can be accomplished without the consent of his will.
Most people believe that the characteristics of a possessed individual involves mental torment, uncontrollable passions and/or violent behavior. The truth is, the devil can bring peace as well as turmoil. Satan doesn’t mind if we are at peace as long as he, and not GOD, is producing it.
BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND
FOR THE MIND TO BE HEALED REQUIRES FOUR THINGS:
A) The mind must be changed: The mind of the flesh is hostile toward GOD and it is utterly unable to be subject to the law of GOD (Rom. 8:5-7). The natural mind rejects the true teachings of GOD because they are foolishness to it (1 Cor. 2:14). Unless the mind is changed, a man cannot get his thoughts off the pleasures and the problems of life. It is occupied with the material things. Repentance means to change one’s mind.
B) The mind must be renewed: “…be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). The mind is the outlet for the spirit. Eph. 4:22-23 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind.
C) The mind must be controlled: 1 Peter 1:13 tells us “gird up the loins of your mind.” In 2 Cor. 10:5 “Casting down imaginations…, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah.”
D) The mind must be occupied: A blank mind produces a passive will. This is one of the basic prerequisites for demonic influence in the life. Phil. 4:8 tells us what to think on. Col. 3:2 tells us to ‘set your mind on the things which are above…”
EVERY THOUGHT SUGGESTED TO THE MIND BY EVIL SPIRITS, AND ACCEPTED, IS GROUND GIVEN TO THEM, and every faculty unused invites their attempted use of it. Our minds become a battleground. Not every battle site is the same, neither are our minds. The grounds of our mind can be categorized like this:
1) UNRENEWED MIND: Rom. 12:1-2 still freshly, wants own way; flesh wars against spirit. Enemy will hid behind our excuses.
2) IMPROPER MIND: Sin in past not repented, unclean–unrighteous ideas.
3) BLANK MIND: Matt. 13:23 Use the mind. It must be actively engaged.
4) PASSIVE MIND: Waiting to be acted upon. (Also see separate section)
5) MISUNDERSTANDING Doesn’t trust and believe the truth and thus accepts a lie. The GOD’S TRUTH: enemy is the father of lies.
6) ACCEPTS SUGGESTIONS The enemy enjoys prophesying to you–man is curious and AND DOESN’T SEARCH OUT TRUTH: receptive (to suggestions on future and circumstances).
Demons possess (1) knowledge (Matt. 10:16–wise as a serpent; Matt. 8:29-31; Mk. 1:24), (2) will (Matt. 12:44), (3) emotions (James 2:19), (4) self-awareness (Mk. 5:9), and (5) the ability to speak (Mk. 1:24). A demon is a person, as seen by these five elements which are associated with the concept of “personality.” They, of course, are spirit beings. The demons’ PRIMARY OBJECTIVE is to destroy the peace and harmony and to introduce as much anguish, grief, misfortune, privation, suspicion, anxiety, and confusion as possible into human life. The demon’s nature is to entice, enslave, torment, defile, harass, compel, deceive, destroy, seduce, confuse, manifest and drive.
THE COMMONEST SYMPTOMS THAT INDICATE THE PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY OF DEMONS ARE:
PSYCHOLOGICAL:
1) Persistent or recurrent evil or destructive emotions or attitudes that can dominate a person even contrary to his own will or nature: resentment, fear, hatred, envy, jealousy, pride, self-pity, tension, anger, impatience.
2) Moods: unreasonable, sudden, extreme fluctuations, open to depression.
3) Various forms of religious error, bondage: i.e., submission to unscriptural doctrine, all forms of idolatry.
4) Resorting to charms, fortune telling, astrology, mediums.
5) Enslaving habits: gluttony, dope, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, coffee, T.V.
6) Blasphemy, unclean language, mockery.
7) Uncontrollable sexual immorality or perversion of all kinds.
8) Persistent or violent opposition to the truth of the scripture
PHYSICAL:
1) Unnatural restlessness and talkativeness, muttering.
2) The eye glazed, or unnaturally bright and protruding, or unable to focus naturally.
3) Froth at the mouth, and fetid breath.
4) Palpitation or unnaturally accelerated action of the heart.
5) Shunning, recoiling from, or fighting against the power of the Holy Spirit.
6) Inability to speak the name of Messiah.
7) Unnatural coldness in the room or the feel of evil/or hands.
8) Often, demons can be the cause of mental or physical sickness and infirmities: (Luke 13:11) insanity, infection, heart disease, cancer, tumors, ulcers, arthritis, paralysis, dumbness, deafness, blindness, insomnia, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, diabetics, and obesity.
HOW SATANIC FORCES MAY ENTER THE INDIVIDUAL
1. THROUGH FLESHLY ACTIVITIES:
GOD does not destroy the will of man. Man can will to sin or serve GOD.
Satan enters through your carnal activity. Satan soon dominates the area of your life which you yield to him. Lust and pride are of the world. Do not entertain any abnormal spirit or they will soon dominate you. Idolatry, turning from GOD to the false activities of flesh, is described as bringing forth fruit unto death.
2. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH REBELLIOUS ACTIVITIES:
1 Sam. 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…”
3 SATAN ENTERS THROUGH ABNORMAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY.
4. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH THE FAMILY LINES:
Sickness, nervousness, rejection, hate, fear and many other abnormal or negative attitudes can come down through the family line.
5. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH A CRITICAL SPIRIT:
Slandering our fellow man cuts us off from GOD’S blessings and leaves us open to Satan. Vain babblings and gossip and critical spirits will eat and produce ulcers and/or cancer, arthritis, and heart trouble.
6. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH WORRY:
Worry demands that you handle it yourself rather than trusting GOD. The negative person has many problems so he seeks release in the spirit of worry. Worry brings on premature death and sickness.
7. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH LAZINESS:
The spirit of tiredness and laziness sometimes enters together. Overwork can also invite evil spirits because resistance drops. Overwork is sin because it is rebellion against GOD’S natural laws of the body.
8. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH CULTS: See occult.
9. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH REJECTION AND SELF-PITY.
10. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH ABUSE OF THE TONGUE:
Words of faith produce victory. Words and thoughts produce life or death. Whichever spirit you yield to will soon dominate you.
11. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH ABNORMAL GRIEF:
Pr. 17:22 A merry heart is like medicine; joy brings GOD into your life.
12. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH FEAR:
Torment is of the devil. GOD moves in peace, joy gentleness, and victory. Train yourself to respond to every situation with joy and peace, this releases the faith flow of GOD.
13. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH DENOMINATIONAL DOGMAS.
14. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH UNFORGIVENESS-HATE-ROOT OF BITTERNESS.
15 SATAN ENTERS THROUGH PASSIVITY.
16. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH FANTASY.
17. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH INVITATION AND CERTAIN TYPES OF MUSIC.
Mk. 4:24 (NAS) “…Take care what you listen to…” Hard rock (much of it) contains teaching that sex, drugs, etc. are good and to rebel. Hard rock appeals to the base nature of man. It does not lift the spirit, only flesh. Look magazine in their August
1967 issue described “rock music” as fast and almost too loud for the normal ear to withstand, it blanks the mind, stuns the senses and forcibly reached out and commands all the nerve fibers and viscera of the body to the extent that you find yourself leaping and twitching to the contagious drum rhythm with unconscious abandon.
18. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH CURIOSITY:
Deut. 12:30 (RSV) “Take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?”‘
19. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH READING OF CULT MATERIALS AND RECEIVING MEMBERS.
20. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH PICTURES, STATUES, AND IMAGES:
Deut. 7:25-26 “The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to GOD. NEITHER SHALT THOU BRING AN ABOMINATION INTO THINE HOUSE, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it: for it is a cursed thing.”
21. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH WITCHCRAFT
22. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH CURSES
23 SATAN ENTERS THROUGH IDOLATRY
24. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH HYPOCRISY
25. SATAN ENTERS THROUGH UNBELIEF
Did You Know:
Protection – “We ask GOD for Your love to flow in this place. We ask for a covering of the Blood of Jesus Christ, and the full Armor of God over and around us, and our families. We ask for warrior angels above, below and around as a wall of protection. We ask that You send Your chosen army to dismantle anything that satan may be sending against us.
Binding –“ In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we bind all demonic spirits present including the strongman and higher powers that have authority over the demons with all persons and pets present, and in this home and property from manifesting, harming us, our families, our pets and our belongings. We bind you from speaking, blocking and counterfeiting the Holy Spirit. We forbid transference into us, our pets, and any of our families. Every demon who is named and commanded to go must leave immediately and all demons under the authority of, and/or in a group with the named demons are commanded to follow”.
Consecrate – Home, property, family, possessions to Jesus Christ. (Simply speak this out)
Acknowledge – “We acknowledge Jesus Christ as Headship over this Cleansing and we give You the control and all the glory. We have no authority, no power, no strength, and no dominion of our own. We do all things through Jesus Christ, who strengthens us. Jesus Christ, we submit to you and ask you to help us take every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ. We pull down all strongholds that would exalt itself above the knowledge of GOD. We bind our minds to the mind of Jesus Christ”. Pray: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
Gifts – “We now Invite the Holy Spirit to release His gifts. We ask for any gift necessary for the task set before us. We ask specifically for discerning between spirits, seer gifting and word of knowledge. I ask for You Jesus Christ, to open our ears and eyes so we can hear you and please help us to recognize your promptings. I pray Matthew 13:16 over them, ‘Blessed are my eyes for they see, and blessed are my ears for they hear’ – Amen”.
Mystery of the Iniquity 