A Case for Deliverance Ministry Within the Church
Nick Ranieri
INTRODUCTION
The mute man spoke.
And her daughter was healed instantly.
So there was much joy in that city.
At once his [Jesus] fame spread everywhere.
This is the fruit of deliverance ministry—freedom, healing, joy, and increased worship of Jesus. And these are just some of the immediate responses to deliverance ministry that the Bible records. I’m an advocate for this kind of ministry because I love God’s people. I so eagerly desire to see God bring the fullness of the freedom, healing, and joy He has purchased for His kids. I long for every person on earth to see the evidence of the kingdom of God, hear the message of the kingdom of God, and come to Jesus. And as I read Scripture I am convinced that God desires this too. Deliverance is a defining marker of Jesus’ ministry because it put the kingdom of God on display. It is a defining marker of the church’s ministry in Acts and in the first century. It is a defining marker throughout early church history. Deliverance ministry ought to be a significant marker within the church today.
One of the major hurdles that hinders the Church from meaningfully engaging in deliverance ministry is the belief that Christians don’t ever need this ministry. Some confess that maybe the most far-off people engaged in the darkest of evils might need it, but not Christians. The argument goes like this: “Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit; they can’t be filled with an evil spirit.” In this paper I aim to make a case that deliverance ministry is still needed today—within the church (I also believe this ministry is needed among unbelievers, but that isn’t the focus of this paper). And yet I know that, in order to make that case effectively, I need to start with the question of whether it’s possible for a Christian to be internally influenced by demons. Unfortunately this is a topic that many well-intentioned Christians have drawn hard lines on. As believers we should be opposed to drawing hard lines where the Bible does not draw them. I eagerly confess that faithful, Christ-loving, Spirit-empowered Christians disagree with my perspective on this topic. This is not a primary issue that we must agree upon in order to have unity. I will gladly link arms with my brothers and sisters who disagree. Nevertheless, I do believe this is a deeply important topic to view rightly, especially because many Christians reject this ministry on the premise that this kind of demonization isn’t possible among Christians. I hold my beliefs with conviction, while also holding them with humility. It is possible that I am wrong on this, although I don’t believe that I am. I am committed to walking with love, unity, and charity on this topic. I am far less concerned with the location of where an evil spirit may be influencing someone, and far more concerned with the actual ministry of driving it away in the name of Jesus. With all that said, I believe that there is good and reasonable evidence that Christians can, in fact, be internally influenced by demonic spirits, while still being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Before I begin, let’s be honest, most people already have a fairly strong opinion on this topic. Regardless of if we’ve examined the Scriptures or seen real life examples of demonic influence, or actually engaged in deliverance, we have an idea of what we would like the answer to be. For some, the answer is driven by emotion. For others, the answer is driven by memories of horror movies. For some, it’s driven by experiences—or lack thereof. Still for others, the answer is anchored in what one hopes to be true or what one feels should be true according to their personal view of the spiritual world. My aim, first and foremost, is to ensure that my answers are driven by the Word of God. I begin by defining my terms.
Defining Deliverance
What exactly is deliverance, anyway? Here’s a very simple explanation: Deliverance is the exercising of Jesus Christ’s authority to drive out demonic spirits from wherever they appear. By definition, there is no drama or theatre or excessive animation required. Very simply, it is the act of commanding demons to leave on the grounds of Christ’s authority. Throughout the Gospels we see that when Jesus commands evil spirits to leave, they must leave. He holds all power and authority over them. In fact, it is only by virtue of our standing in Christ that we have any business engaging in this kind of ministry.
I encourage you to avoid making connections to movies, bad examples, or potential fears as you read the term deliverance. There are many who have done a poor job of properly defining the term and skewed or narrowed its meaning and maligned its significance. In its true essence, deliverance is a wonderful blessing. As Sam Storms says, “Deliverance is a beautiful term that points to the freedom from demonic oppression that Jesus died to secure for us.” When someone needs deliverance, it means that they need freedom from an afflicting demonic spirit. Therefore, deliverance is the casting away of an evil spirit, resulting in a greater measure of freedom for someone who has been afflicted. Deliverance is aptly named, for it results in liberty, wholeness, and joy. Throughout this paper, when I mention deliverance, this is what I am referring to.
Defining Demonization
When most people think about demons having influence in someone’s life—they almost exclusively focus on the idea of possession. In other words, to have a demon is to be owned and dominated by a demon. Many also tend to think in very black and white terms—someone is either fully possessed by a demon or they are fully liberated from them. Some might be surprised to learn that the Bible never actually speaks of Satan or his demons owning anything. The Bible uses the term “daimonizomai” to describe those who are significantly influenced by an evil spirit. That Greek word is most often translated in our English Bibles as “demon-possessed,” but there is never a Greek word for “possession” that stands behind it. Why is that the translation? Clint Arnold articulates a popular perspective:
“The translation was most likely influenced by the Latin church's tradition of using the term possessio to describe a person deeply troubled by a demonic spirit. Interestingly, the Latin Vulgate, however, does not use the term possessio to translate daimonizomai, but the simple expression to have a demon. But it is also important to realize that the English term possess has a long history of usage where the emphasis could fall on control or occupancy as opposed to ownership. This is significant because it is by no means certain that the translators of the King James Version intended to convey the notion of ownership by using the term possession.”
Theologian and scholar, Jack Deere, who excels in Greek and Hebrew studies, adds so much to this discussion that it’s worth quoting him at length:
“Unfortunately, the English translations of our Bible do not recognize that there are various levels of demonic influence over humans. They use demon-possessed to translate the verb in Greek that meant “demonized,” that is, “subject to the influence of a demon.” Like English, the Greek language has different ways to turn a noun into a verb. Linguists classify these verbs as “denominatives,” which is Latin for “from a noun.” In English, if we want to turn theology into a verb, we add ize to the end of the noun and get theologize. The word translated “demon-possessed” is a denominative and should have been translated “demonized.” The context of each passage specifies how much influence the demon(s) has over the person…
Think of demonic influence on a sliding scale from one to ten. At one, I would place temptation. Satan and demons tempt Christians (1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), but not all of our temptations come from demons. Our fallen human nature likely accounts for most of our temptation (James 1:13–18). But if a temptation persistently resists our prayers and often arrives with “supernatural” timing, it may have a demonic base…I think most of our illnesses come from living in a fallen world. But some of our sicknesses may come from demons. I move demonic illness farther up the sliding scale of one to ten to a level four or five. Jesus freed a woman who was bent over by a demon for eighteen years (Luke 13:10–17). A physician would have diagnosed her with severe arthritis or a bone deformity. But Jesus saw the demon locked to her back… Sometimes demons can cause a combination of severe mental and physical illness. I think of this as an exceptionally strong influence, maybe a seven or eight on the sliding scale. The biblical story of the boy who had seizures and often tried to commit suicide is an example of this kind of demonization… I would place the biblical story of the Gerasene demoniac at a level of nine or ten.”
When I talk about demonization, I’m thinking of varying degrees of influence. Everything from persistent temptations, to perpetual struggles, to bodily afflictions, all the way up to the potential of a demon indwelling a person’s body and having influence from within. You may choose to use this word a little differently than I do, but for the sake of this paper, this is what I’ll be referring to when I say “demonization.” Those that are demonized, often need deliverance. It’s not the only thing they need, but it certainly should make the list. By deliverance I mean the driving away of demons from a person’s life with the result that they depend more on Christ.
As a brief caveat, let me address the tendency that exists among some Christians to reject the word “demonization” in favor of the word “oppression.” This word is unanimously accepted as an accurate description of Satan’s attacks on believers even by those with the strongest of opinions against demonization. For many, the word “oppression” feels like a much easier word to get on board with. But does this word really describe anything all that different? In the book of Acts, Peter offers a summary statement of Jesus’ ministry, which of course includes many instances of casting demons out of people. He says, “You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:37-38). It’s notable that Peter did not say Jesus went around healing the demon-possessed; instead, he says that Jesus went around healing those oppressed by the devil. Peter uses a word for “oppression” that’s only ever used twice in the New Testament. Strong’s concordance emphasizes that this word means, “To exercise harsh control over one, and to use one’s power against one.” For Peter, Jesus' closest disciple, oppression was an accurate description of those who were being harshly treated by demons externally and those indwelled by an evil spirit. Should we be so quick to categorize “oppression” as some kind of alternative category of spiritual warfare? I think not. At what point are folks simply arguing over semantics by insisting that oppression is entirely different than demonization?
So, to return to the question at hand, can Christians be demonized? Well, if what we mean by demonized is full ownership, then absolutely not. Christians have been purchased and ransomed by Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; Mark 10:45). We have been adopted by Christ and dwell securely in His family (John 10:28; Eph. 1:5). But if by demonized we mean influenced? Well then, certainly, Christians can be influenced by demonic spirits to varying degrees. That is not a controversial statement. In fact almost every Christian willingly confesses that demonic spirits can influence Christians—mostly because the Bible is very clear on that point. What becomes controversial is to what degree a demon can have influence. Is there a limit to what the enemy can have access to? Is there a “line in the sand” somewhere? And if there is, where is that line? Is it measured by time, by severity, by location? Whatever this limit is, let’s be sure that it comes from the Bible and not just our varying opinions.
I would argue that Christians can in fact be demonized, even internally, and therefore there is a legitimate need for deliverance ministry within the church. I also defend the truth that there is a limit to Satan’s power, which has been determined by the sovereignty of God and the power of the gospel—but the Bible does not tell us this line is physical or drawn at the place of inward versus outward. There is reasonable Biblical evidence to assert that Christians can be demonized from within.
The Case for Demonization Among Christians
The Case from the Greater to the Lesser
Before diving deeper, let me briefly turn our attention to a seemingly less controversial question that I believe proves helpful in thinking about these things. Can a Christian have indwelling sin in his or her body?
I start here because sin is actually far more grotesque, dangerous, and powerful than demons. Sin is the real problem that humanity faces. We learn this in the very first pages of the Bible. In Genesis 3, Satan is portrayed as a crafty serpent who comes to tempt Adam and Eve. It is clear that in Genesis 3:1 this serpent exists, yet harmony remains between man and God. They walk with God, they talk with God, they have dominion over all His creation. The serpent knows that his mere existence does not wreck man’s union with God. However, being the crafty being that he is, he does know one thing that can fracture that union—sin. So he aims to lie and deceive with the specific goal of seeing Adam and Eve sin against God. The moment that they do, everything breaks. Shame, nakedness, fear, comparison, guilt, conflict all come rushing in. The union between man and woman is tarnished. The union between God and man is fractured. All because of one thing—sin. The horror of Genesis 3 for the human race is not a little demon serpent, it is sin. And from that point forward God unveils more and more of His plan to redeem His people from their sins and reconcile them back to Himself.
To be fair, Satan and his demons are a big problem and God has set them in his crosshairs. 1 John 3:8b says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. What are the works of the devil? Here are a few that the Bible mentions: lying, murder, stealing, and destroying. What’s another word we could use to describe all of these things? Sin. The works that the devil seeks to perpetuate in humanity is sin. When Jesus came to earth to save sinners, He came with the primary objective of glorifying God by reconciling His people to the Father. He did this by paying the price for our sins, making atonement. And by taking care of the sin problem, He simultaneously destroyed the works, and the ultimate power, of the Devil. To be clear, Satan is very much involved with trying to keep sinners in bondage to their sin, but ultimately no one is separated from God just because of demons. Unbelievers are separated from God because they remain in their sins (John 8:24). So, let me ask, which is the more serious threat to the human race—demons or sin? It is clear that sin is the true threat to humanity.
Returning to the question of this section. Can sin, being the more powerful and grotesque enemy, indwell the Christian? Let’s see what the Scriptures say. I’ve added emphases to draw attention to indwelling sin.
Rom. 6:12 “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body.”
Rom. 7:8a “But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness.”
Rom. 7:17 “So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
Rom. 7:23-25 “but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Matthew 15:18-19 “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
James 1:14-15 “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
2 Cor. 7:1 “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
It is clear that the Bible teaches us to be on guard against sin having its way within our very bodies. As Charles Spurgeon once preached:
“It is a doctrine, as I believe, taught us in the Holy Scriptures, that when a man is saved by divine grace, he is not wholly cleansed from the corruption of his heart. When we believe in Jesus Christ all our sins are pardoned; yet the power of sin, albeit that it is weakened and kept under by the dominion of the new-born nature which God does infuse into our souls, does not cease, but still tarries in us, and will do so to our dying day. It is a doctrine held by all the orthodox, that there dwells still in the regenerate, the lusts of the flesh, and that there does still remain in the hearts of those who are converted by God's mercy, the evil of carnal nature.”
Here’s where we must hold two Biblical truths together. In one hand we must hold the truth that Jesus has destroyed the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8), He has defeated sin and death (Rom 6:6-8), and the work of salvation is finished (John 19:33). In the other hand we must hold the truth that Satan still holds much power in this world (1 John 5:19), sin is still a daily battle for Christians (1 John 1:8), and there is real danger in the temptation that comes for Christians (Matt 26:41). It’s easy for us to feel like those truths contradict one another, and yet they do not.
So, can sin indwell a Christian? Clearly the answer to this question is, “Yes.” We can simultaneously be redeemed Christians, full of the Holy Spirit, AND have sin dwelling in the same body. This is not something we ought to be content with, however. We should pursue Christ and present our members to God as instrument for righteousness. Ultimately our desire is to have zero sin dwelling within our bodies. I long for what the old hymn, Come Thou Fount, says, “Oh that day when free from sinning!” But until that day of glory, we fight and struggle against sin with the power of Christ.
Most Christians do not have a problem confessing that sin can dwell within our bodies. Yet for some reason we have a tendency to be far more appalled by demons than by sin. I think in large part it is because we are simply more comfortable with our sin and often downplay just how horrific it is. In fact, at times we even welcome sin and pursue it because of the benefits we feel from it. We may cringe at the thought of welcoming an evil spirit, but we often nod our heads and open the door when the temptation to slander comes knocking. In reality, it is sin that separates man from God—not demonic spirits. Sin is the true offense. Sin is what we long to rid the body of.
Author, Neal Lozano addresses this with potent clarity:
“Part of the problem is that the demonic world has been hidden. We do not understand it, and we tend to be afraid of that which we do not understand. Fear is one of the biggest obstacles in our cooperating with the Lord to set us free. The images of evil spirits lurking around us or inside of us trigger one of our most fundamental fears: There is something wrong with me that I cannot do anything about. Like Adam and Eve, our response is to hide. Talk of evil spirits can bring up fears such as ‘Do I have a spirit?’ We picture a foul little demon hiding in us in a secret place. Frightening! Gross! That is partially true, but the truth is the spirit is no fouler than the sin it hides behind. The sin we have accommodated, the thought pattern that offends the One who made us, the despair we carry and have grown used to, the lust we secretly feed, the unforgiveness and bitterness we nurse—these are the expressions of the influence of evil spirits. This is what they look like, but they don't look so bad to us because they are our demons.”
If it is true that Christians redeemed by Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit can have sin dwelling within their bodies, it is no more foul or violating to suggest that demonic spirits could indwell their bodies as well. In fact, I believe Scripture would tell us, it’s actually the lesser concern.
The Case from the Scriptures
Over the years I have heard many boldly assert, “The Holy Spirit and a demon cannot inhabit the same space!” The idea being that sin and evil cannot dwell where God dwells. This sounds like an accurate theological statement about God’s holiness. But the Bible never says it. In fact, if that were true then we would be doomed. The very essence of the gospel is that God comes to dwell among us on earth—where sin, sickness, demons, rebellion, and darkness also dwell. It’s good news that God comes close to those entangled with darkness and brings them freedom. Yes, God can inhabit the same space as a demon. First off, He is omnipresent. That means there’s not a place in existence where God is not fully present. If it were true that God and a demon cannot be in the same space, then there would be no demons in existence because of God’s omnipresence. Regardless of whether this offends you or not, you need to know that God can inhabit the same space as a demon. But as followers of Jesus we are sternly warned to pay close attention to ensure that this never happens in our hearts and lives! We are warned to keep sin, evil, and the Devil out of our lives because it makes no sense for God to share a house with demons. It’s not that it’s theologically or materially impossible for God to be in the same location, it’s that it is spiritually detestable to Him and it should be to us. The Spirit dwells in us, let us make sure nothing evil also dwells in us. Let us search the Scriptures and see if it gives us reasonable evidence that demons can influence Christians from within. Keep in mind that every command listed here is written as instruction to Christians.
Col. 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
In the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Colossian church he reminds them that they have been rescued by Jesus and belong to Him. He says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). He affirms the glorious news that they are safely in the kingdom of Jesus. And yet one chapter later he warns the Colossian Christians to be on guard against the philosophies and deceit that come from human traditions and elemental spirits. That word for elemental spirits is widely considered to be a reference to demonic spirits. As Christians firmly planted in the kingdom of God, he still urges them to be vigilantly guarded against the Devil’s tactics on their minds. Think about this tactic of the enemy for a moment and what Paul is warning them against. How does one become captive to the philosophies of demonic spirits? What does that practically look like? And where else would that captivity be located than within the body and mind? Paul is asserting that there is a way for Christians to be led astray and to therefore come under demonic bondage—in their minds. I will remind you that the mind is inside the body. So Paul is warning Christians to be on guard against allowing the philosophies of demons to hold their minds captive and wreak havoc from within.
1 Tim. 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”
Here Paul brings attention to the dangers of false teachers who were leading Christians astray. These teachers taught doctrines that must have been appealing, but ultimately they contradicted the Scriptures. Paul urgently warns them to stand firm and not be swept away or to devote themselves to the teachings of demons. Wrapped up in all of this is the idea that to hold to false doctrine is to devote yourself to the spiritual entities that perpetuate them. He gives the warning because some Christians are being enticed to do just that. Why give the warning if it’s not a danger? And here’s a sobering question: could it be possible that we have some beliefs that are not Godly in origin? In other words, might we be devoted to some ungodly beliefs about ourselves, about God, or about others? I’m sorry if this offends you, but you and I both almost assuredly have some ungodly beliefs wreaking havoc in our lives. What might happen to the Christian that never turns from those ungodly beliefs and instead hardens their hearts to those things? Is it possible that they are inviting the enemy to hold sway in their hearts, minds, and beliefs? That shouldn’t scare us, but it should lead us to a humble examination of our beliefs, and ultimately to repentance.
James 3:14-15 “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
James calls out the source of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. He says it’s “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.” But notice where those things are located—within the heart. Once again the Biblical instruction is to not allow demonic wisdom to take up residence in your heart.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
This is a heavy verse. It awakens us to the true nature of Satan and his wicked plans. He desires to devour every Christian. Granted, this verse isn’t talking about demonization per se, but it is showing us the potential for Christians to be devoured by the enemy if they are not watchful and sober-minded. If Satan can utterly devour Christians, it’s quite logical to conclude he can influence them from within as well—if they allow him.
Acts 5:3 “But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?’”
We have no reason to believe that Ananias and his wife were unbelievers. The fact that Peter is appalled by their high-handed sin tells us just about everything we need to know about their standing in the community. Peter never suspected that Ananias and his wife would sin so grievously. Their unrepentant greed and lying had serious consequences. Peter describes their sin as allowing Satan to fill their hearts. It seems pretty clear that Peter is inferring it is possible for Christians to allow Satan into their hearts through their rebellious, unrepentant sin.
Luke 13:10-17 “Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.”
Jesus refers to this woman as a “daughter of Abraham.” We must inquire what He means by using that term. I believe it’s clear that when Jesus uses this term, He is affirming someone’s genuine faith and salvation. He uses this phrase one other time, in Luke 19, to affirm the salvation of Zacchaeus. “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham’” (Luke 19:9). It is clear Jesus has used this phrase to call someone a genuine believer. Here in Luke 13, Jesus’ response to the ruler of the synagogue implies that because this woman is a daughter of Abraham she ought to be loosed from her bondage to Satan. Is Jesus saying that purely because of her Jewish biology she ought to be set free? By no means! The New Testament repeatedly teaches that Jewish biology does not make someone a true son or daughter of Abraham (Gal. 3:7; Rom. 2:28-29). Rather He seems to be calling her a true daughter of Abraham, one that truly believes and is counted as righteous. It’s on that basis that the bondage to Satan ought to be loosed. So, the woman is most likely a believer in Yahweh and true follower, yet she is in bondage. Jesus says that because of her faith, Satan has no right to hold her in bondage. Therefore, He commands Satan to leave. This is exactly what we do in deliverance ministry among Christians. Because the person belongs to Christ, we command the enemy to leave—it doesn’t belong in that person’s life. Non-Christians, on the other hand, are under the dominion and kingdom of darkness—Satan does have a claim over them. But in the life of the Christian, all demonic spirits are invaders that ought to be driven out. So here is a true believer and follower of Yahweh, full of faith, and yet bound with disability by Satan. Many folks dismiss this story because it happens pre-Pentecost, before the Holy Spirit came to permanently indwell God’s people. Hear me, Pentecost was a game-changer! It ushered in a new era of Christian living! I recognize there is a difference between this woman and Christians filled with the Spirit since Acts 2. But at minimum one must recognize that in Jesus’ day, true followers could be bound with disabilities by Satan. The precedent is right here. Where does the Scripture say that after Acts 2 Satan can no longer harm or afflict God’s people in this manner? Is this no longer possible because Jesus has ascended and the Holy Spirit has come? Did the Devil’s ability to afflict believers like this suddenly disappear and the Bible is just completely silent about it? Many Christians boldly assert that because the Spirit dwells within us these kinds of things no longer happen. This is one of the examples of where people draw hard lines where the Bible does not. You will be hard pressed to find where the Bible says this is no longer a possibility. In fact, we read numerous warnings about the enemy’s strategy to bring harm to Christian’s bodies, both externally and internally.
1 Corinthians 5:5 “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
This was Paul’s instruction for the Corinthian church as they dealt with how to exercise church discipline on a Christian who wouldn’t repent of his sins. This man was a Christian and yet in order to save his soul, the church needed to hand him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh. Now, there’s lots of discussion about what exactly “destruction of the flesh” means. But at minimum, it means handing him over to Satan for serious affliction in his body—which, reasonably, might even include death. We know that he’s considered a Christian because Paul is hoping for the salvation of his spirit. Paul seems to envision the reality of serious, unrepentant sin leading to demonic consequences in the body.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 "Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Here Paul shares that God ordained some kind of affliction in his life in order to keep him from becoming conceited. Given all that God revealed to Paul, there was a real temptation for him to become prideful. So what does Paul say that God allowed into his life? Paul calls it a “thorn in the flesh.” Identifying Paul’s thorn has been a fascination of scholars and theologians for centuries. There’s no shortage of opinions, ranging from a physical ailment like blindness, all the way to a viciously persistent temptation from the enemy. Honestly, we have no idea what exactly this thorn was. But Paul’s explanation of his “thorn in the flesh” was to call it a “messenger of Satan.” It’s clear that God has allowed Satan to be intimately involved in this affliction. The intricacies of this passage are beyond the scope of this paper; for this conversation I simply want to call your attention to Paul, the apostle, who is filled with the Holy Spirit and who wrote the majority of New Testament books, has something “in his flesh” that he calls a “messenger of Satan.” I ask you, is it reasonably possible that this means some kind of demonic affliction in his body? I think it would be irresponsible to definitively conclude that it is not.
Gal 4:8-9 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”
Paul, writing to Gentile Christians who had a past in idolatry, warns them about the dangers of going backwards. They were being specifically tempted with a law-centered approach to gaining favor with God rather than relying upon the true gospel of grace. For Paul, to do that is to enslave yourself to demons. Clint Arnold, who is an expert in the historical and cultural background of Paul’s letters and has written extensively on demonic influence within the early church, says the following about this verse:
“The language is strong. Just as these Gentile believers had been in bondage to Satan prior to their turning to Christ when they were in idolatry, Paul now fears that they will be re-enslaved…The language of slavery once again points to the biblical understanding that believers can yield themselves to a very high degree of demonic influence and control in their lives.”
Eph 4:26-27 (NIV) “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
This verse may be the most significant for the topic at hand. The Greek word that is here translated as foothold is the word topos. It is an expression that most commonly refers to inhabitable space. You’ll find it repeatedly throughout the Bible to refer to room (topos) at the inn (Luke 2:7), or a seat (topos) at a dinner table (Luke 14:9). It was used to refer to cities and villages, even Jesus said that He goes to prepare a topos for us in heaven (John 14:2-3).
Some try to argue that this word simply means opportunity or that it is only used metaphorically. But inhabitable space makes much more sense contextually in Ephesians and especially when talking about spiritual powers. Paul uses spatial language all throughout Ephesians, particularly when referencing spiritual realities.
Again, Clint Arnold’s notes are helpful here:
“Even more to the point are passages that illustrate the use of topos to refer to the inhabiting space of an evil spirit. Jesus said in proverbial form that "when an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places [topos] seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house [oikos] I left'" (Luke 11:24). In the Book of Revelation, after Satan and his forces are defeated in the war in heaven, there is no longer any place (topos) for them there (Rev. 12:7-8).”
It seems incredibly clear that Paul is warning Christians to not harbor anger—and that by doing so we open the door for the devil to gain a ground of operation. Paul is essentially saying, “Don’t give the Devil space, land, authority, or influence in your life. Don’t allow him to take advantage of your unrepentant sin and gain a foothold in your life to launch further attacks from. Don’t give the Devil inhabitable space.” It seems arbitrary to try and nuance this out to say that the inhabitable space is “in my life”, but not “in my body/mind.” Don’t give the devil a foothold. Period.
These are just a few of the instructions in the New Testament regarding the dangers of demonic influence that lead me to very reasonably conclude, Christians can be influenced by demons from within. You may read all of those verses and conclude that every single one of them is warning Christians about the enemy’s power to afflict from the outside, not the inside. I believe that is a mistake, but that is a possible conclusion. But in order to come to that conclusion, you must find alternative explanations for the phrases that explicitly reference the body. What every reader must acknowledge is that these Bible passages use language that reasonably refers to influence within the mind and the body. Therefore, there is clear Biblical support for believing that it is possible for Christians to be demonized from within.
The Case from The Temple
It is not just explicit verses in the New Testament that support this. There are various themes, movements, and concepts from Scripture that support this as well. The Jewish temple serves as a great example. First, God’s benevolent presence is the most precious gift we can ever encounter. This is the major reality that distinguishes Israel from every other nation. Moses said, “Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exod. 33:16b). In light of this, it’s clear that one of the greatest gifts God ever gave the people of Israel was the gift of the temple. God graciously created a way for His presence to dwell in their midst on a regular basis. Because of the weightiness of this, He gave them many specific instructions for how to build the temple and properly access it. Priests had to be clean, sins had to be atoned for, and strict procedures needed to be followed. All of this was God’s grace at work so that the people wouldn’t die and the temple wouldn’t be defiled. Yet time and time again Israel still defiled the temple of God. Astonishingly, they even brought idols into the temple of God, set them up, allowed them to dwell there, and even worshipped them (2 Kings 16:10–18; 21:3–7; Ezek. 8:5–16; Jer. 7:30). And remember, these idols represented real demonic spirits (1 Cor. 10:20a; Ps. 96:5). The Bible says that what Israel sinfully worshipped and sacrificed to were not just statues but demons (Deut. 32:17). You can read a detailed story where this happened in 2 Kings 23. It would have been absurd to assert, “The temple of God cannot have both the presence of God and the presence of idols, like Asherah and Baal. It’s not possible!” All one would have to do is read the pages of the Old Testament and see that Israel repeatedly brought idols into His presence, and in doing so, invited demonic spirits, inside the temple. It’s horrific to realize, but the temple was often filled with both God’s presence and demonic idols. It should have never been so! And yet the people persistently rebelled against God’s instruction.
In similar fashion, the church is now called the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; Eph. 2:22). We are the dwelling place for the presence of God. Not that He is contained within us, but He is pleased to have His presence dwell in us. Could we, in our sinful tendencies, ever repeat the sins of our spiritual ancestors and allow demonic things to come into the temple of God? Is it even possible for that to happen? Well, Paul’s letters to the Corinthians seem to be quite concerned with this very idea. In the ancient city of Corinth, the Christians were being invited to go into the pagan temples and participate in meals. The table was a big deal in the first century. Who you shared meals with was significant. It communicated a partnership, a belonging, a community, a bond. To break bread and partake of the cup was to say, “I’m with you and you are with me, for better or worse.” The Corinthian Christians were insisting that it was okay for them to go to temples and eat food sacrificed to idols. Essentially saying, “It’s fine! It’s just a meal!” Paul urgently disagrees, “No it’s not.” He writes to tell them that when they worship idols, they fellowship with demons. Paul says, “No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1 Cor. 10:20-22). Paul is concerned about Christians having fellowship with demons. The Greek word he uses for fellowship is derived from the root word koinōnía. It describes a mutual belonging to one another. It’s the same word Paul uses to describe our participation (koinōnía) in the Lord’s Supper when he says, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation (koinōnía) in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16). Paul’s concern is that the Corinthians were seeking to engage in the same kind of fellowship and belonging with demons as they were with Jesus. When he says, “you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons”, he isn’t implying that it’s practically impossible. If it were impossible there would be no need for the command. He’s urging them to realize that it is theologically senseless to engage in that kind of behavior! He’s saying, “Don’t do this!” It’s the same kind of instruction Moses gave to Israel about not worshipping idols (Exod. 20:4-5). The danger is real. To worship idols is to engage in partnership and fellowship with demons. Christians must never do this!
In 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 Paul addresses this idea once again. He calls upon the theological truth that the church is the temple of the Living God. And because the Holy Spirit dwells within the church, he urges them to not bring idols in. He says, “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:15-16). The word Belial was commonly used in Paul’s day to refer to Satan. The same word is regularly used in the Old Testament to describe Satan’s activity against the Lord (Deut. 13:13; Judges 19:22; 1 Kings 21:13). Once again Paul commands them to avoid this because there is a real danger of bringing demonic things into the life of Christians—it brings defilement. Paul calls Christians to cleanse themselves of this defilement in body and spirit. Notice that Paul just assumed that those who have been engaging in this kind of behavior are now in need of cleansing in both body and spirit. If demons can’t do anything within a Christian why would Paul stress the need for cleansing the body and spirit of their defilement? It seems quite reasonable to conclude that Paul believed demons could defile a Christian’s body and their spirit, and therefore they would at times need cleansing from that defilement.
The Case from Church History
Let me first confess that the witness and practices of the church’s history can sometimes be overplayed and overemphasized. We should never base our beliefs or practices solely upon church tradition. At the same time, there is great value in examining how the early church put into practice the teachings of the Scriptures. Especially given that deliverance is often attacked by those ignorant of church history as “new” and a “modern trend.” That could not be further from the truth. When it comes to the demonization of Christians and deliverance among Christians, the early church affirmed and practiced this on a widespread scale. It is difficult to find any voices contradicting these beliefs or practices for at least the first several centuries. It would be far too lengthy to list every quote from the early church on this topic, but below you will find several reputable early church sources that confirm the belief that Christians could be demonized and affirm the practice of deliverance among Christians. I reference these quotes not to advocate that one must believe everything quoted, but simply to show that it was common among the early church to practice deliverance among Christians.
Tertullian (A.D. 160–220)
Tertullian was an instrumental church leader, and one of the most impactful Christian theologians in history. He wrote extensively on the doctrine of the Trinity, refuted dangerous heresies, and is even called the “Father of Latin Christianity,” because he was among the first to write theology in the Latin language. In his work De Spectaculis, Tertullian provides warnings for how the church should relate to the theatre, a known place of debauchery and immorality. He is outraged at Christians who attend and cheer the blatant pagan practices at the theatre. He warns that participating in those things may lead to demonization. He says, “Why, then should such people not also be susceptible to demoniac possession? The Lord Himself is witness to the case of the woman who went to the theater and came back possessed. Accordingly, in the exorcism, when the unclean creature was rebuked for having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied, ‘And in truth I did it lawfully, for I found her in my domain.’” Notice, this was a widely circulated story of a known Christian who became internally demonized by participating in blatant sin and idol worship. Here we have a clear example in church history of an established theologian teaching about the dangers of demonization for the Christian.
Origen (A.D. 185–254)
Origen was an important church leader in Alexandria (Egypt) and Caesarea (Palestine). Here he mentions the authority of believers to cast a demon out of themselves. He says, “Anyone who vanquishes a demon in himself, e.g. the demon of lewdness, puts it out of action; the demon is cast into the abyss, and cannot do any harm to anyone.” Whether or not you advocate for “self-deliverance”, we can agree that Origen is very plainly teaching about the reality of Christians needing deliverance from demons.
Shepherd of Hermas (early second century document)
This book came about in the early church and was widely popular and respected by the church for the first few centuries. In fact, it was under consideration for acceptance into the Biblical canon. Here the author describes what happens when the Devil comes upon Christians who are firm in their faith versus Christians who are weak in their faith. “So also the devil comes to all God’s servants to tempt them. All those who are full in the faith resist him mightily, and he leaves them alone, because he finds no place [topos] where he can gain entrance. So then he comes to those who are partially empty, and finding a place he enters them, and then he does what he wants with them, and they become enslaved to him” (Shepherd of Hermas, Mandate 12.5). Once again, another example of a teaching that Christians, if they were weak in their faith, could be susceptible to demonization.
Hippolytus (A.D. 210)
Hippolytus was a church bishop in the early third century and one of the more influential theologians of his time. He wrote about the conditions for admission to baptism. “If anybody has a demon, then let him not hear the Word from the teacher before he has been cleansed” (Apostolic Tradition 16,8). And further: “From the day that they [who are to be baptized] are elected, let there be laying on of hands with exorcism every day. When the day of baptism approaches, let the bishop perform exorcism on each one of them, so that he may be certain that he is purified. But if there is anybody who is not clean, he should be set aside because he did not hear the instruction with faith. For the alien spirit remained with him” (Apostolic Tradition, 20,3). He also states, “And when the presbyter takes hold of each one of those who are to be baptized, let him bid him renounce, saying, ‘I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy service and all thy works’” (Apostolic Tradition, 21.9). And finally, he lays out instruction for the church leader performing deliverance before the baptism. The leader would anoint the person with oil and say, “Let all evil spirits depart far from thee” (Apostolic Tradition, 21.10).
Here Hippolytus is stressing the need for deliverance for those about to be baptized. I remind you that those who are headed to the pool for baptism are those whom the church has deemed Christians. There are no known unbelievers being brought into baptism. If demons just automatically go away when someone becomes a Christian and is baptized, why the heavy emphasis on doing this before baptism? It is reasonable to conclude that many in the early church believed that is was extremely unwise to move forward in the Christian faith after conversion without receiving deliverance from demons.
Eusebius (3rd-4th century)
Eusebius cites a Roman bishop named Cornelius (c. A.D. 250) who says that there were fifty-two exorcists serving in the church at his time (Eusebius, History of the Church, 6.43). Cornelius tells us that these exorcists ministered to a convert named Novatus, a future presbyter in the Roman church, after a spirit “entered into him and stayed within him for a considerable time,” causing him to become desperately ill. Again, notice how common it is to do deliverance with converted Christians.
In the early church, driving out demons from new Christians was not at all unusual. Jeffery Burton Russell describes the standard practice of performing exorcisms (or deliverance): “Until about A.D. 200, baptism was often preceded by a rite of exorcism. Beginning about 200, the exorcism and formal renunciation of Satan were incorporated into the baptismal rite. Tertullian and his contemporary Hippolytus helped standardize the practice. From their time onward, the renunciation of Satan was the first important act of baptism.”
The Apostolic Constitutions (4th century work)
For this reference, please note that “energumen" was the term for believers who still had a demon inside them. “Catechumen” was the term for believers going through catechesis awaiting baptism. These terms will be referenced in a few places in the following quotes.
In the Apostolic Constitutions we have a prayer recited by a deacon on behalf of an energumen. It says, “And after their going forth let him [the deacon] say: Pray ye that are possessed by unclean spirits. Let us al earnestly pray for them: that rod, who is the Lover of men, may through Christ rebuke the impure spirits: And rescue his suppliants from the tyranny of the enemy: That he who rebuked the legion of demons, and the devil, the beginner of wickedness, may now rebuke the apostates from ungodliness: And rescue his own handiwork from their influence: And purify those whom he with so much wisdom made: Again let us earnestly pray for them: Save them and raise them up. O Lord, in thy might: Bend your hands, ye energumens, and be blessed.”
The Clementine Homilies (3rd century)
This document is a collection of sermons from the early church. One homily states, “For all things are done to the believer, nothing to the unbeliever. Therefore the demons themselves, knowing the amount of faith of those of whom they take possession, measure their stay proportionately. Wherefore they stay permanently with the unbelieving, tarry for a while with the weak in faith; but with those who thoroughly believe, and who do good, they cannot remain even for a moment. For the soul being turned by faith, as it were, into the nature of water, quenches the demon as a spark of fire” (Clementine Homilies, Homily 9 Chapter XIV).
You may not agree with the teaching in that homily, but note that it was common thought and consistent teaching that Christians could have demons tarrying with them for a while if they were weak in their faith.
The Recognition of Clement (3rd century)
This was an early church document referenced by several early church fathers such as Origen and Eusebius. It states:
“There is therefore a measure of faith, which, if it be perfect, drives the demon perfectly from the soul; but if it has any defect, something on the part of the demon still remains in the portion of infidelity; and it is the greatest difficulty for the soul to understand when or how, whether fully or less fully, the demon has been expelled from it. For if he remains in any quarter, when he gets an opportunity, he suggests thoughts to men's hearts; and they, not knowing whence they come, believe the suggestions of the demons, as if they were the perceptions of their own souls” (The Recognition of Clement, Book IV).
St. Pachomius (ministered either 340-349 or 390-405)
Pachomius was a minister ordained as a bishop by church father Athanasius. He relates the following story about his ministry:
“They likewise brought to him from a monastery a brother who was being tried by demons. When our father Pachomius spoke with him, he answered well as one who is in no way tried by demons. He said to the brothers who had led him to him, ‘I assure you, this demon is hiding in him and will not speak to me by this man's voice; but I am going to examine his whole body till I find out which of his members he is hiding in.’ While he was examining his whole body, he came to the fingers of his hands and said to the brothers, Here is the way the demon got in by, I have found it in the fingers of his hand" then when he came to his neck, the place where the demon was, [the demon] made a great outcry and the man gave a violent jerk, and the four men were hardly able to hold him. Our father Pachomius took hold of the place where the demon was and prayed to Christ for [the brother] that he might cure him. While he was praying the demon came out of the man who was immediately restored, thanks to our brother Pachomius' prayers. All the brothers who had seen what had happened gave glory to the Lord for his mighty works which he shows forth through his saints.”
Note that this is a story of a “brother” from a monastery who is being internally afflicted by a demon. In other words, this is a Christian man. Stories like this abound in church history.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
It is no exaggeration to call Augustine one of the most influential figures in all of church history. He was a prominent theologian, prolific author, and a bishop in North Africa. His writings are among some of the most widely read in history, including Confessions, and City of God. Here Augustine tells the story of people being delivered from evil spirits. He says, “At the house of the Christian Hesperius, in the Fussala district, at his country house called Zubedi, there was a severe affliction caused by evil spirits to his household, his servants, and his cattle. He requested that a presbyter come and offer the body of Christ in sacrifice there; and when this was done, the trouble immediately ceased by the mercy of God.”
In this story of deliverance, the remedy comes through fervent prayer and partaking in the Lord’s Supper. Only Christians are to observe the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. By deduction, it’s clear that this is a story of Christians being delivered from demons.
Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua, Canon 35 (5th century)
This 5th century document functioned like a manual for church discipline and order. “Statutes of the Ancient Church” would be it’s name in English. In it we find instructions for those performing deliverances/exorcisms. Remember the definitions of energumens and catechumens. “Let an exorcist when he is ordained receive from the hand of the bishop a book in which are written exorcisms, the bishop saying to him, 'Receive and commit to memory [these words], and have power to lay hands on him that is possessed, whether he is baptised [energumen] or a catechumen.’” Andrew Daunton-Fear, a lecturer at St. Andrews Theological Seminary, references this quote and says, “By this time, clearly some of the spontaneity had gone from exorcising and yet the belief remained, as in the pre-Nicene period, that a Christian could be possessed.”
In closing this section, I call you to contemplate just how widespread the belief was that Christians could be demonized. This alone may not be enough to fully affirm that reality, but it ought to weigh heavily on our minds that the early church taught that Christians could be demonized and practiced deliverance on a widespread scale.
The Case for Deliverance Among Christians
The Case from Sanctification
Sanctification is the gloriously beautiful and messy process by which God matures us and makes us more like Christ. God deserves all the glory for this work! And yet I have found that many Christians seem to believe that God’s sanctifying work simply happens automatically—almost entirely separate from the believer’s knowing involvement. While yes, much of God’s work is a mystery and there are many things He does quite powerfully on his own, sanctification very much involves the Christian. Throughout the history of the church, theologians from Chrysostom to Augustine to Luther to Calvin to Wesley (and so many others), have stressed the idea that God’s sanctification intimately involves the Christian’s obedience and faith. Philippians 2 captures this dynamic well when Paul describes both God’s work and the importance of the Christian following the Lord closely. He says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). The more we trust and follow the Lord, the more we will find Him sanctifying us. Certainly it is true that there are areas in our life that need specific tending to. We cannot simply assume that our addictions will vanish apart from us bringing them to the Lord in repentance and fighting temptations in the Lord. We cannot simply assume that our unforgiveness will vanish apart from us confessing our unforgiveness and actually forgiving those who have wronged us. The same is true about driving away the enemy. If the enemy is present in any area of our lives, it would be wise for us to tend to that area, and specifically seek cleansing from defilement.
Take the land of Israel as an example. Throughout Israel’s history the people would repeatedly set up high places and idols in the land. These were absolute thorns in the side of Israel. The mere existence of these places brought defilement and the temptation to worship false gods. Read 1st and 2nd Kings are you’ll be banging your head against the wall over how many times a king sets these up or fails to take them down. But notice this, those idols and high places did not simply disappear once Israel started worshipping Yahweh again. They needed to be intentionally removed and driven away. It wasn’t enough for the kings, priests, and leaders to worship Yahweh, they also needed to physically remove the idols from the land. Repeatedly in the Old Testament even the good kings were described as following God and yet not removing these places. Regarding King Asa we read, “But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days” (1 Kings 15:14). Or take King Jotham who was described in this way, “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 15:34-35). Ultimately, Israel’s failure to tear these down led to their exile in Assyria. Simply walking in obedience to God didn’t mean the idols automatically disappeared. The high places had to be removed. In the same way, when demons are present in the lives of Christians they must be removed and driven away. Turning your attention to God is good, but faithfulness to God requires that we remove the idols from the land. That’s what deliverance does. By standing in the authority of Jesus and commanding demons to leave we are removing the high places, smashing the altars, and renouncing the false gods we once worshipped.
Additionally, much of Paul’s writings in the New Testament encourage us to seek more of God’s presence and reign in our lives. Yes, we already belong to Him. Yes, He is already present in our lives. But there is always more space to yield to Him; there is always more to give Him access to in our hearts and minds. That’s why Paul says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:14-19). Upon our salvation, Christ began to dwell in our hearts through faith, and yet Paul is praying that Christ would dwell more so within our hearts. It’s not as if upon salvation absolutely every trace of the presence of sin completely vanished. Yes, the work of Christ is finished but we are still called to yield more and more of our lives to Christ, inviting him to dwell even more richly and freely within us. This is relevant because many believe that upon conversion every trace of the enemy immediately vanishes. That’s just not the biblical witness. If it’s possible for Christ to dwell more richly in some areas of our hearts, it implies that there are some places where we have not yet given him full rule and reign. And if Christ doesn’t rule and reign in those places of our hearts, I must ask, who does?
Similarly we must pay attention to the means by which God will bring full defeat to Satan. Yes His work on the cross completely secured victory over Satan. But God also tells us that we are involved in the crushing process. Paul says, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” (Rom. 16:20). Standing in the authority of Christ and commanding the enemy to leave is part of our protection against the evil one. To neglect this is to neglect one of the blessings of sanctuary that God provides for us. This would be similar to the chef who refuses to use his knife. He might have an incredible palette, much skill in creating dishes, and tremendous mastery in blending flavors. But if he neglects one of his tools, he may be left struggling in the kitchen when he needs to dice an onion. To neglect deliverance is to neglect one of the valuable tools God has given us to stand against the enemy and push back the gates of hell. Let us not assume that the enemy loses ground automatically. Let us not neglect our role in standing in the authority of Christ over the enemy. Let us remove the high places and yield more of our hearts to Jesus. It’s part of our sanctification.
The Case from the Gospel of the Kingdom
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “where were all the demons during the Old Testament?” When you open the pages of the New Testament and see the ministry of Jesus, it jumps off the page—there are suddenly a host of demons! Where were they all this time? Why are they just now starting to show up in droves? Well, it’s because Jesus came to earth. The King came to establish his kingdom, and in doing that we witness a clashing of kingdoms. It’s not as if the demons suddenly grew interested in tormenting humanity. They had been doing that for quite a while. Jesus came and turned the lights on, so to speak. He came with the goal of establishing the kingdom of God over and against the kingdom of darkness. In fact, Jesus regularly referred to the “gospel of the kingdom” during his ministry. Note that at the very launch of His ministry Jesus announces, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). The word “gospel” was a Roman term that Jesus’ audience would have been familiar with. In Roman contexts, a messenger would be sent ahead to herald the gospel, or the good news, that the king had won a victory and his rule and reign now bring good gifts to the people. So when Jesus launched His ministry with this announcement He was saying something to the effect of, “The king has come! His kingdom is here, repent of your sins and believe in this good news! Follow me and enjoy the riches of my victory!” The gospel of the Kingdom includes wonderful realities like forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and peace with God. But it also includes the good news that a new King is reigning and that every evil entity that opposes Him will be forced to drop their weapons and bow the knee to Him. The Jewish expectation of a Messianic king who would bring military victory over their oppressors wasn’t entirely off base. God just had in mind a victory over our true oppressors—not Rome but Satan, sin, and death. Jesus says, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt 12:28). The Kingdom of God is wherever God is ruling and reigning. And wherever God rules and reigns, demons can’t. Jesus tells us something important in that verse. Deliverance ministry is a manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven. It demonstrates the rule and reign of Jesus to everyone who sees it. It’s no wonder why so many marveled at Jesus when they saw Him cast demons out. Jesus wanted people to see the Kingdom! Jesus still wants people to see the Kingdom! To deny the ministry of deliverance is to deny the world of a visible manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
To deny the ministry of deliverance is to also deny a massively significant treasure that Christ purchased for us on the cross—Christ’s authority given to us. This is the fruit of the gospel. What the gospel purchased was a new identity for you and me; an almost too-good-to-be-true authority in Christ to command the enemy to flee and watch him bow the knee! The incredible reality that we get to be carriers of the Kingdom of God is now here. We get to participate in demonstrating His kingly rule and reign to a lost and dying world!
The work of Ramsay MacMullen at Yale University is wonderfully fascinating. As an non-Christian scholar, he set out to answer the question of how Christianity became so prominent in the Roman Empire. His conclusion lies in what he calls, “proof and content.” First, Christians would captivate public attention through a demonstration of Christ’s power—through deliverance or healing—and then people would be eager to hear about the Jesus whose name just caused demons and sickness to leave. MacMullen references Saint Athanasius’ (AD 350), recounting of St. Anthony when he said, “We convince because people first trust in what they can actually see, and then in reasoned argument.” First came the demonstration of Christ’s power, then the proclamation of Christ’s gospel message. MacMullen asserts that these miracles “served as proof, not only of divine authority behind Christian teachings, but as a proof of God’s unique claim to His title, whereas other supernatural being served only to be called daimones."
His conclusions are coming straight from primary sources in the early church. Take for example second century Christian apologist, Tertullian, who highlighted the evangelistic benefit of deliverance when he said:
“Fearing Christ in God, and God in Christ, they [demons] become subject to the servants of God and Christ. So at our touch and breathing, overwhelmed by the thought and realization of those judgment fires, they leave at our command the bodies they have entered, unwilling, and distressed, and before your very eyes put to an open shame…It has not been an unusual thing for these testimonies of your deities to convert men to Christianity.”
Author David Miller shares his summary of MacMullen’s work when he says:
“The most effective form of evangelism, according to McMullen, was exorcism. His theory that Christians were often called on for exorcism by their pagan neighbors, and could effectually cure the demonization, spreading the reputation and the growth of the gospel. Exorcism was more effective than healing because Christians would manhandle demons, forcing them to confess their activity as hypocrite deities, beg for mercy, scream in torment acknowledging the Lordship of Christ and finally be expelled. McMullen concluded that exorcism was the locomotive of evangelism and the most highly rated activity among early Christians.”
Ultimately, the conclusion is declared:
“The great mass of new members entered under the impetus of this message, won over both by its proofs and its content. It was a great mass indeed: on the order of half a million in each generation from the end of the first-century up to the proclaiming of toleration (AD 313). No other new cult anywhere nearly approached the same success. It can only be called extraordinary.”
I don’t know about you, but I long to see a move of God in our generation so powerful that even the unbelievers have to call it “extraordinary.” I would contend that our world needs these demonstrations of Christ’s Kingly reign just as much as they needed it in the first few centuries after Christ ascended. Our world today is searching for power in all the wrong places. Just on my drive to church each morning I pass by a dozen alternative healing centers and esoteric shops where people can engage in overtly occult practices. People are becoming increasingly brazen in their idolatry, even explicitly worshipping ancient deities like Zeus and Aphrodite. It’s becoming increasingly normal for people to go to psychics, tarot card readers, and necromancers. They are looking for what works, what gives them power and secret knowledge—and many of them are finding what they are looking for. Our culture is ripe for deliverance and demonstrations of Jesus’ power. Jesus always intended for His disciples to follow in the footsteps of His ministry. Yes, Jesus is indeed our Savior first and foremost. Jesus came to complete the work of atonement—and that can never be repeated. But Jesus is also our model. The features of Jesus’ ministry were multifaceted in purpose. He did miracles and deliverances to show His divinity, established the Kingdom of God to show mercy, and demonstrated that He has power and authority. But let us not forget that one of the fundamental purposes of Jesus’ everyday ministry was to teach His disciples how to minister. He is after all, a rabbi. Jesus did these things, taught and commanded his disciples to do them, and then told his disciples to teach others.
I started this section by asking, where were all these demons before Jesus came to earth? Let me also ask: Where are all the demons today? We clearly saw they were quite prevalent in Jesus’ day, so where did they all go? To the Western reader, are they all just in remote places with pagan religions? Are they all just having a field day in Asia, Africa, and unreached countries? Or is it possible that they are just as active today in every corner of the world? Some of us may need Jesus to turn the lights on once again, in our own corner of the world, and maybe even in our own life. Our lack of awareness of demons isn’t proof of their nonexistence. More than likely it is evidence that the enemy is succeeding in his hiding and tricking us into a perilous stupor.
The Case from Everyday Life
Experience must not be the lone basis for anyone’s theology. Theology must be derived from God’s Word and not our experiences. At the same time, if God’s Word says something is true then we should expect to see it bear out. Many are guilty of allowing their experiences or lack of experience to shape their theology more than the Word of God. No one is immune to this. We must be rigorously committed to allowing the Word of God to be in the driver’s seat. It should be the lens through which we view and understand our circumstances and our experiences. For example, Jesus promises us that we will face hatred and persecution when we live for Him (John 15:20). But if we have never experienced some form of persecution and have never known anyone else to experience it either, it should cause us to pause and ask why. Maybe we have misunderstood the Biblical text, or maybe we are not truly living as faithful representatives of Jesus, or maybe we have neglected to be a witness for Christ. If that’s the case, it’s critical that we fight against changing our theology based simply on our experience. The Bible drives theology, and yet at some point our experience will also factor in.
I have witnessed so many real-life stories of Christians manifesting demonic activity in their lives and being delivered by the power of Christ, that it’s hard to remember all of them. I have seen and participated in casting out evil spirits from elders, pastors, deacons, church leaders, and Christians far more faithful than I. Many of these experiences have looked just like the ones we read about in the Scriptures. I share a few stories now.
Sharon
Hear the story of my mother who for 30 years participated in Yoga—a Hindu prayer practice. She had been a faithful Christian for years and thought the yoga was mostly just exercise. She was unaware of the fact she was practicing syncretism, worshipping idols, and putting her body into prayer postures to Hindu gods. During this time she developed acid reflux, which caused her great discomfort and forced her to avoid many foods. The flare-ups would be quite painful and debilitating. One evening she heard a preacher talk about yoga being a form of divination and he called for people to repent. While listening she had one of the most violent, abrupt, and painful bouts of acid reflux she ever experienced. She decided to receive prayer and, if necessary, deliverance too. If you don’t know, one of the goals of yoga is to awaken the “kundalini energy” that Hinduism teaches resides in the base of the spine, and guide it up throughout the body to bring healing and enlightenment. My mom had unwittingly engaged in trying to do this by practicing yoga for so many years. While receiving prayer, the prayer minister commanded a “Kundalini spirit” to come out of her. My mom describes the situation, “Immediately my back was on fire, tingling with pain. I started shaking uncontrollably. I started burping, coughing, and eventually I threw up.” Since then she has experienced zero symptoms of acid reflux and has never gone back to practicing yoga. In her own words, she says, “I know that I was delivered from something I didn’t even know that I had. Jesus wins and I’m so grateful to be free.”
So, what happened there? Well, for 30 years a Christian woman worshipped demons and literally invited them to take up residence in her body—and so they did. All of it was under the guise of exercise, but these demons wreaked havoc on her. She still loved Jesus, followed Him faithfully in many other ways, shared the gospel, and displayed the fruit of the Spirit. She repented of her sins and trusted Jesus to set her free. And He did!
Kent
Meet Kent, a loving father who grew up in the church. He has been faithfully following Christ for decades and is a leader in his church. Kent and his wife tragically lost their firstborn son to stillbirth. This moment was understandably filled with overwhelming grief, trauma, and sorrow. A day meant to be full of joy became the darkest of his life. For the next seven years Kent sought healing from the Lord through prayer, counseling, and Biblical community. God brought him much truth, comfort, and healing during that time. But he still experienced extreme grief on a regular basis. There seemed to be a blockage or a limit on the healing he was receiving for his aching heart. Every day he wore a bracelet bearing his son’s name on it. In seven years he never missed a day of reminding himself of his loss by bearing it on his body. The grief seemed to be energized by a power that was insurmountable. Kent describes it by saying, “I could not shake the underlying sorrow and fear that this was causing in my life.” One morning he felt God prompting him not to put on that bracelet. He didn’t quite know why, but he felt the need to forsake it. Later that afternoon Kent received prayer from some of the leaders in our church. We prayed and begged God to heal Kent of the sorrow and grief that he had been carrying. I was there the day Kent lost his son and have walked with him ever since. I knew there was more behind his grief, it was heavier and more overpowering than it needed to be. I sensed that the enemy was using Kent’s trauma against him, seeking to hold him captive to it—maybe as a way of deceiving him into staying connected to his beloved son. As we prayed for Kent, I can vividly remember commanding spirits of trauma and grief to leave his body. Kent held his hands open as we prayed. Then I commanded a spirit of death to leave him (As a quick side note, if naming spirits sounds strange to you, just look at how the New Testament often names spirits by what they do or cause. See Mark 5:28; Luke 4:36; Mark 9:25; Acts 16:16). As I did this, I will never forget what I saw next. Kent’s hands suddenly appeared lifeless, cold, and covered in a blueish-gray tint—as if his very hands were “dead.” His hands looked eerily similar to what I saw the day Kent lost his son. Tears streamed down his face as we continued to pray. We begged God for freedom, healing, and transformation. Soon the color returned to his hands. “I could feel the weight of sorrow and death leave,” Kent said. God answered our prayers and the enemy bowed the knee to Jesus and left him. From that moment forward, Kent has been a completely changed man. He still misses his son, but the deep sting of grief has been soothed. He is not overwhelmed by his sorrow any longer, he is not captive to his grief. He has become more stable, more bold, more full of joy.
So, what happened here? Kent didn’t commit some giant act of witchcraft or sorcery, he just went through a massive trauma. And the enemy, who plays dirty, sought to trap him in that trauma—and for years it worked. Demons weren’t the source of his grief and sorrow, but they certainly energized it to the point that Kent felt ensnared by it. And this is often what the enemy does. He fuels and energizes pain, temptation, and lies, in order to keep us trapped. Kent needed God’s power to bring more freedom into his life. And God did just that!
Aaron
Aaron has served as an elder of our church for the last two years. As Aaron grew in Christian maturity he began to recognize a struggle with deeply rooted anger that had been with him his whole life. Most of it was entirely unseen. Aaron lives as a joyful and hilariously outgoing man. But for years his anger had bubbled under the surface. After listening to a sermon about bitterness and unforgiveness Aaron began to ask the Lord about whether his struggle with anger had anything to do with unresolved bitterness. He began going on prayer walks to ask the Lord this very question. For weeks on end, every walk he took, God brought memories to his mind of people who had hurt him or looked down on him. As the memories flooded in he could feel the anger rise within. With each memory, Aaron forgave the person and released his bitterness to the Lord. After weeks of repentance and forgiveness, he asked to receive prayer. Aaron was suspicious that his battle with anger was being spurred on by the enemy. The prayer minister commanded a spirit of anger to leave. Nothing happened. The the minister commanded a spirit of rage to leave him. Aaron describes what he felt in that moment: “Instantly I felt a surge of heat all over my body. This lasted for about ten seconds and then I felt it come off of my body.” Something seemed to leave his life that day. In the months that followed, Aaron noticed a huge transformation. Not only did he have more patience and less anger, something else changed. He noticed that his 6-year-old son, who almost never showed Aaron physical affection, began to hug and snuggle him, completely unprompted. “My relationship with my son has blossomed. Honestly, I think this deliverance saved my relationship with my son.” Aaron still has moments of feeling angry, but he describes it as a completely different battle now. “Before it was automatic, 110% rage over small things—I couldn’t think straight. But now, more times than not, I’m able to stand against it. It’s an easier battle,” he says.
So, what happened to Aaron? Bitterness and unforgiveness went unchecked for years under the guise of "just getting over it.” Rather than walking in Jesus’ ways of forgiveness, Aaron partnered with the Devil’s ways of rage and anger. The enemy came into Aaron’s life and stimulated his rage, lying to him that the anger was his protection. He had plans to keep Aaron in bondage to it all his days. Aaron was able to battle, but he needed more of God’s power. He needed the liberating power of Jesus to drive away the remnants of the evil one in his mind, his body, and his emotions. And by God’s grace, he is now a changed man.
Marie (this name has been changed for privacy purposes)
Marie grew up in the church and has been a Christian for many years. She has long served on staff at a local church as a worship leader. For over a decade, Marie has struggled with a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease called Ulcerative Colitis. It is an awful disease that causes bloody diarrhea, incredible pain and cramping, and often comes upon a person urgently and frequently. This disease has been life-altering for her and her family— leading to isolation and sleepless nights. Marie has tried everything but there is no medical cure for this disease. Well, on a seemingly unrelated note, Marie found out that her immediate family members engaged in a religious organization called the Freemasons. If you’re unfamiliar, Freemasonry is a very secretive organization that poses as a social club for the betterment of self and society. But their secret practices are far from innocent. For example, their higher level members engage in pledges and oaths to false gods. In fact, they follow the very ancient pagan and occult practices of invoking demonic spirits and pledging their families in perpetuity to serve them. In essence they are literally asking demons to come and bring blessings and curses upon them and all of their ancestors. These practices are pure evil. So, one day, Marie asked for help in breaking off these family oaths and covenants. We helped her pray and renounce these things, and then we commanded, by name, the specific deities that the Freemasons call upon to leave her life. Upon doing this she began to wretch in pain in her stomach and bowels. Marie described the pain as, “something was grabbing my colon from inside my body.” The pain was intense and undeniably connected with the name of this false god. Upon finishing their time of prayer and deliverance, Marie was shocked. She had no previous exposure to deliverance and had no idea some kind of evil spirit was afflicting her from inside her body. Since then Marie has had no bleeding from the ulcerative colitis. This is a recent story, so time is needed to fully bear this out, but it appears that she has been set free and healed. (Update: Marie has begun to experience the return of some minor symptoms, so we will be seeking more prayer and healing from the Lord.)
So, how do we explain what happened to Marie? She is a Christian who was being afflicted inside her body by demons that thought they had a rightful claim over her based on the sinful oaths of her family members. They, in fact, did not have a rightful claim over her, because she belongs to Jesus. But those oaths needed to broken, and those evil spirits needed to be commanded to leave with the authority of Jesus.
Lilli
A young woman named Lilli came up for prayer because she had been dealing with a huge fear of rejection and loneliness. This fear was introduced into her life shortly after a loved one had performed a tarot card reading for her that said, “The cards say you will never have many friends. You will be rejected.” She had received those words and so far they had played out exactly as read—much like a curse. Lilli was a new Christian and I knew a little bit about her family background with Buddhism. I had a sense she was dealing with something more than just fear. There was something more nefarious at work. I knew we needed to address that tarot card reading, but I also felt prompted to ask her if she had ever spent any time contacting dead ancestors. She said yes, that her mom has an altar in her home where they often contact dead ancestors to seek their blessings. This is called necromancy and it’s strictly forbidden in the Scriptures. I led her in a prayer of repentance for both practicing divination with the tarot cards as well as practicing necromancy. When we got to renouncing necromancy, things got interesting. She said, “I renounce necro…nec…ne…” She couldn’t get the words out and then she broke down weeping and frantically shouting, “No! No! No! No!” She said, “My grandfather! My grandfather!” I asked her if she was afraid to renounce this practice because she would lose connection with her grandfather? With fear, sadness, and desperation in her eyes she said yes. I talked to her about God’s sovereignty and his plan to number our days—and that this was a way of rejecting God’s sovereignty. I also told her that demons are liars and they are posing as your grandfather—it’s not real. She understood. She repented, renounced it, and we began again. She suddenly stopped again and said, “Brenda! Brenda! Brenda!” while desperately looking at her fiancé. I said, “Who is Brenda?”. Her fiancé said, “Brenda is her best friend who committed suicide a few years ago.” It was becoming clear to me that Lilli was afraid of losing the few relationships she did have—even if they weren’t entirely real. We asked Jesus for help—that he would be the companion and friend that she needed. As we began again, Lilli was able to repent and renounce these practices. She renewed her faith in Jesus as her good and sovereign Lord. Then I commanded any spirits associated with those things to leave her life. Her whole body began to shake violently. She gripped my hands so tight that I was losing feeling. She squirmed as though she felt something climbing up her neck and she leaned forward and it looked like she was choking. I continued to command things to leave as the manifestations intensified. The manifestations seemed to come to a crescendo, when suddenly her whole body relaxed and a huge smile came across her face. She felt peace. Fear was gone. In my mind’s eye I could see the word “radiant” right above her. My prayer partner next to me said that God showed him the exact same word for Lilli. We then read the words of Psalm 34:5 over her, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” She received those words with much delight. Lilli has continued to follow Jesus and now lives without the daily fear of rejection. I’ve watched as she has fostered new, profound friendships within our church.
So, what happened? Lilli had engaged in evil and demonic practices and thus invited the enemy into her life. The enemy accepted that invitation and spread fear, panic, and loneliness in her life. She felt it every day in her body, in her mind, and in her imagination. And here’s what’s interesting, all these practices were done long before she was a Christian. These demons didn’t entirely leave her life the day she became a Christian. But then, through simple acts of repentance, faith, and standing in the authority of Christ, those things were driven away for good. Praise God!
I could share dozens and dozens more of these stories. Stories of healings after deliverance, stories of decades-long temptation disappearing after deliverance, stories of life transformation after deliverance. Some of these stories are dramatic and some of them are extremely quiet and calm. But all of them involve Christians filled with the Holy Spirit who are experiencing demonic influence in their life, in their minds, and in their bodies. I have dozens of names of Christian men and women who confess with their own mouths that they were delivered of an evil spirit that attached itself to them. They aren’t ashamed to confess that, they do it joyfully and worshipfully—because it’s their testimony to Jesus’ goodness!
Responding to Real Life Stories
When someone asserts that it’s not possible for Christians to be demonized and need deliverance, I look first and foremost to the Scriptures, then I look to the testimony of church history, but then I point to these people—these testimonies. To the person who does not believe in this ministry, I humbly ask you to explain what happened to these folks. And I genuinely believe that there are only a few options to choose from.
They are delusional. Some will conclude that these Christians are just completely ignorant and mistaken about what happened to them. Their testimonies are filled with error, misunderstanding, and delusions. Their words about what they experienced cannot be trusted.
They are lying. Some will conclude that these folks fell prey to social pressure to act crazy when receiving deliverance. Some will say that the minister suggested they shake, wretch, and feel sensations in their body. Still others will conclude that they faked the whole thing for attention, or that maybe they faked it so that they could feel as though they were turning over a new leaf.
They are not actually Christians. Some will conclude that it was real and therefore the person could not have been a genuine Christian. This is probably the most damaging option of them all. I cannot imagine looking at these precious followers of Jesus, who have displayed tremendous faithfulness and fruit of the Spirit for years, and tell them that they aren’t a Christian—all because they had these symptoms in their life. I can personally vouch for every person I just mentioned, that they indeed are baptized followers of Jesus and affirmed members of our church, displaying abundant evidence of being a Christian.
I’d like to propose a fourth option: it was real, they are Christians, and deliverance was what they needed. The enemy was an intruder in their life who didn’t belong there. But he wasn’t interested in just leaving on his own, the enemy needed to be driven out by the authority of Christ—much like we see in the Scriptures. To the person who does not believe in this ministry, I humbly ask, what do you do when a Christian stands before you begging for help as they explain that they can’t sleep at night because of horrendous nightmares and that they are being choked in their sleep by a dark and heavy presence over them? What do you do when a Christian comes to you saying they’ve tried everything they can but there are audible voices in their head that constantly speak lies to them and accuse them, causing them to want to harm themselves? What do you do when a Christian in a church gathering starts manifesting a demon and contorting their face angrily and speaking in a grotesque voice, completely out of character from their normal demeanor? Trust me, deliverance isn’t the only thing these people need. They need repentance, care, discipleship, holiness, church community… But I plead with you to consider that deliverance is one of the things that they might need. Jesus Christ has the authority to set these people free and he has vested that authority in us. How could we ever consider standing by and watching them suffer when we have the keys to set them free?
The Results of this Ministry
Does This Undermine a Christian’s Gospel Security?
Some will say that if it’s possible for a Christian to be demonized and need deliverance, then it puts a serious dent in the security of a Christian’s position in Christ. If a demon can attack a Christian in this manner, they say, then Christians aren’t really safe in Christ. To be frank, that is nonsense. Our gospel blessings are not unstable. We are secure in Christ, regardless of what the enemy can or cannot do.
We must understand something about the nature of spiritual warfare. The moment someone becomes a Christian, a significant shift happens. One goes from being in the kingdom of Satan to being in the Kingdom of Jesus. Those who belong to the Kingdom of Jesus are safe, they cannot be snatched away (John 10:28). With that shift of kingdoms, a new dynamic comes into play. The target on a new convert’s back grows much larger. That person becomes even more hated by the kingdom of darkness. It’s clear that Satan is very active in working to keep people from becoming Christians (2 Cor. 4:4). But it’s not as though once someone becomes a Christian, Satan picks up his ball and walks home with his head hung in defeat. If anything, the Bible seems to show us that he becomes more interested in attacking than ever before.
But aren’t we safe in Christ? Yes. The truth is, there is a limit to Satan’s influence. Here’s a list of things we know are secure in our relationship with Christ: our forgiveness, our identity, our eternal security, our standing with God, our imputed righteousness, our eternal destiny, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And there are many, many other blessings. I affirm what the Bible says about our protection. Like when Paul says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thes. 3:3). And I feel tremendous comfort when Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). I also affirm what the apostle John says, “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18). Jesus keeps us eternally safe from the evil one. But let us not press the language of Scripture further than it intends to lead us. We know that in saying the evil one does not “touch” us, John is not saying that we are completely insulated from attack. For elsewhere Scripture states that Christians could even be devoured by the evil one. Ultimately, the Scriptures show us that while the enemy hates us and attacks us, we are safe with Jesus. He cannot “touch” our gospel blessings in Christ, or our eternal security.
So long as the Christian stays close to Jesus he is safe. But should we be negligent in our walk with Christ, the Bible warns us that danger awaits us on that road. There is a sense in which we are quite vulnerable should we run from Jesus. Our standing with God is always secure, and yet our experience of fellowship with Him can be interrupted and hindered.
If we are so secure in Christ, then why does this even matter? It matters because if a Christian can be demonized, then there is a very urgent call upon us to be vigilant in standing in the authority of Christ. It would mean that we actually have a responsibility to stand firm, put on armor, walk in holiness, exercise faith, and push back the gates of hell. It would imply that if we don’t do those things, we are susceptible to harm. And the Bible would affirm that again and again. James 4:7 tells us that if we resist the devil, he will flee. The implication is that if we don’t resist him, he will not flee. Part of our protection is our standing against him. Deliverance is a God-given way in which we stand against the enemy. Even more so, it was one of Jesus’ most demonstrated tools.
Does this Matter?
Let’s be frank, at the end of the day, demons are non-spatial beings. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time distinguishing how non-spatial beings relate to spatial realities. When a demon is afflicting a person, which preposition is most accurate? On? In? Beside? Behind? Around? The exact location of non-spatial demonic spirits shouldn’t be our primary concern. In fact, it shouldn’t lead to controversy among us. Our primary concern should be to get it to leave—wherever it may be located.
On the other hand, and here is where this conversation really matters, if the denial of demonization leads a person to be unengaged, then this matters greatly. The unfortunate practical outworking that I have witnessed is that most who deny these things, have minimal engagement in spiritual warfare and lean towards a major underestimation of the enemy. Those that deny the need for Christians to receive deliverance often say that they are still willing to engage in deliverance for non-Christians. But to that person I ask, if becoming a Christian leads to the immediate expulsion of all demons forever then why waste time doing deliverance on a non-Christian? Why not just do evangelism instead? I’d argue we ought to do both! Additionally, many who deny the need for deliverance among Christians assert that they do in fact engage in spiritual warfare but it is expressed in mostly moral terms. They contend that spiritual warfare is about repentance, obedience, and guarding the mind with truth. Those are indeed vital aspects of spiritual warfare, but they aren’t the full picture. Jesus and his disciples seemed to be far more aggressive in pushing back the gates of hell and setting people free. The practical outworking I have seen from those in our church who affirm the need for deliverance, is that they actually move towards spiritual warfare regularly and see many people set free and healed.
Some will continue to object, saying we have no commands to do deliverance in the New Testament letters. To that I say, first and foremost, we have our Rabbi, Jesus—who for three years modeled how to love people with the power of God. He taught the disciples both through words and through actions. He sent them out with his authority to cast out demons, heal the sick, and proclaim the kingdom. He then sent out the broader 72 to do the same. He vested His Spirit and authority in the church, raising each of us up to sit with Him in the heavenly places high above all rule, authority, power, and dominion (Eph. 1:21; 2:6). I want to follow Jesus and do ministry like Jesus. I want to follow the ministry of the apostles who imitated Christ. And when I encounter an evil spirit afflicting a Christian—on, in, or around—I don’t want to sit and argue about whether it is possible or where exactly it is located. I want to stand in the authority of Christ and command it to leave, putting on display the Kingdom of God and setting the captives free. I hope you want to do the same.
How Does This Effect the Culture of a Church?
It’s one thing to talk about demonization and deliverance on a theoretical level when this ministry affects real people in real places. Just a cursory search on the internet will expose you to the full range of opinions on deliverance ministry. You’ll find everything from incredible testimonies to vicious critiques and passionate pleases to “mark and avoid” deliverance ministers. I’d like to candidly share how deliverance ministry has impacted the church I help pastor, Gospel City. Nothing theoretical, just a real example of a real church with real people. I want to be honest about both the blessings and the pitfalls that have come with this. First, let me share the wonderful fruit that our elders have observed as a direct result of this ministry.
Vigilant watchfulness towards sin and the schemes of the Devil
Sin and idolatry are dangerous. The Devil is a deceiver by nature. Deception is inherently sneaky and, well, deceptive. Satan is seeking to lead Christians astray through means that aren’t always obvious. So, our church has grown in watchfulness. We ask about the origin of things before engaging in them. We avoid culturally accepted things if there’s clear connections to false gods or other religions. We regularly evaluate if it’s wise to engage in certain practices that we once accepted blindly. Many of our members have turned away from things like yoga, acupuncture, or martial arts because of their overtly spiritual connections to false gods and religions. That may seem extreme to some, but to many of our members it’s become an easy way to avoid entanglement with evil spirits.
We’ve also seen an increased watchfulness for sin in our hearts and actions. Many have become quicker to repent and run to Jesus, quicker to move towards forgiveness, and more urgent in calling others away from sin. This is not done out of paranoia or hysteria regarding Satan, but simply as a way to ensure we don’t carelessly open our arms to the Devil.
On Christmas evening in 2020, I was shaken from my sleep by a loud rattling sound in the kitchen. I stumbled out of bed, grabbed a flashlight, and proceeded to investigate. I eventually found myself on my hands and knees, face to the floor, peering underneath my oven. I could see the slow slither of a long rat tail gliding into the oven. Full goosebumps came over me and my whole body felt completely violated and disgusted. I was paralyzed with fear. I stood in that spot for, no exaggeration, the next two hours looking up pest control places on Yelp. Needless to say, I don’t like rats. We came to find out that we had multiple rats infiltrating our home. Before you feel bad for me, about six months prior a friend of mine was walking in my backyard and pointed out that the vents in my crawl space (California homes have raised foundations with a crawlspace underneath the house) were completely ripped and needed to be replaced. He even said to me, “You should get some new vent covers and close those up before you get some critters.” Obviously I did not heed his warning. And because I didn’t close up the open spaces, we now had rats in my home. Gross.
But thankfully that meant that the solution was simple. All I had to do was get the current rats out of the house and close up the access points. The vigilant watchfulness growing within our church is much like this. We have a deeper awareness of the ways the Devil tends to try and gain access, so we work to identify those gateways and close up any “open vents”—not out of fear, but out of wisdom.
Passion for Holiness
It’s not just about avoiding open doors, it’s about pursuing the things of God. The more we have engaged and taught about this ministry, the more hunger for God I have seen in our church. There is a growing desire to look like Jesus and live like Him. I have observed our people believing that God’s ways are indeed better. They are believing that following Jesus is actually the most joyful, abundant life possible. They are discovering that it is a beautiful thing to live with a clean conscience and a repentant heart, and to walk in God’s ways. Much like the young child who finally comes to realize that their parents are indeed wiser, we are coming to see that Jesus’ ways are truly better. Obedience is really difficult. It’s utterly impossible without the Lord’s power. And yet it’s the road we want to walk on.
Ultimately, we have learned that our protection from the enemy does not rest in our personal holiness. Our refuge is found in Jesus. Our greatest everyday protection comes from repenting of our sins—repenting quickly and honestly. What a counterintuitive reality. As we confess our weakness and inability in this life, we find our strength and power in Christ’s finished work.
Love for Jesus
People are becoming obsessed with Jesus. They are truly experiencing His shepherdly care as He chases us down, guards us, binds up our wounds, and walks with us. We have seen story after story of people discovering that Jesus’ power is far more extensive than they had ever known. As we witness lives changed, we see abundant gratitude to Jesus pour out. I look across the room on a Sunday morning and see those who once lived in bondage, now with hands lifted high in praise. They weep with tears of joy because Jesus didn’t just save them from their sins—though that would have been more than enough— He also saved them from their nightmares, their sicknesses, their fears, their addictions, their trauma, their PTS. Jesus is far better than we ever imagined! And here’s what’s even more amazing, however good we know Him to be today, He’s infinitely better than that!
Multiplication of Ministers
There is a common and growing culture within the church universal, of people showing up and expecting the “professionals” to do the ministry. It doesn’t have to be taught, many of us just instinctively assume that’s the reality. Obviously, that has never been God’s heart for His church. The same Holy Spirit that fills the elders also fills the greeters, the children’s workers, and every Christian in the body. We have all been given the Spirit of God and the gifts of God to build up the church of God. As we teach and model deliverance, we invite the gathered church to do the same. We lean into teaching our church that the authority of Jesus is within every Christian, and deliverance doesn’t require a specific gifting. We have taught simple models of deliverance that are based in Biblical principles and commands. It’s low on hype and drama, and big on a humble dependence on Jesus.
This has led to a huge multiplication of ministers! It’s not just the pastors, elders, or staff doing this ministry—it’s far more! Prayer team members, camera crew, the setup and tear down team, even children, are praying for others and commanding demons to leave when deliverance is needed. It’s exactly what Paul calls the church leaders to do, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). We are far more effective at praying for the sick, the hurting, and the lost because our whole church is moving toward them. What a joy as a pastor to see the people of God mobilizing and walking in the footsteps of Jesus!
Growth in Expectation
Honestly, this is one of the most tangible fruits that I have observed. There is a palpable faith that rises when we encounter a sickness, an ailment, or an obvious affliction from the enemy (I mention sickness, not because all sickness is the result of demonic activity, but because sometimes it is). I can see the wheels turning in people’s minds when a new person shares about their chronic back pain, or when someone says that they just can’t gain freedom over a temptation, or when a food allergy is revealed. This may sounds strange, but I can almost see the excitement rise among our fellowship when they hear these things. This isn’t to be insensitive to people’s pain, but rather to be filled with wonderful expectation and faith-filled wonder, “What is God about to do!?” We of course still know how to mourn with those who mourn and grieve with one another. But we also have a growing sense of expectation of God breaking into our lives with tremendous power! I have seen our church grow in being expectant of God without being presumptuous of God.
Of course everyone knows instinctively that if we never expect God to heal or deliver then we will never ask him to. If we don’t expect him to do these things, we will never move toward praying for the sick or casting out demons. But because we actually believe that the Scriptures show us God’s heart for those in bondage, we move closer to them with eager anticipation. We are growing in our willingness to be the weird one in the room who interrupts the conversation to say, “Can we pray and ask God if He will come and bring freedom/healing right now?” And sometimes God does just that! And other times He doesn’t. So we press on, and often keep praying, with faith and trust in our God.
Power!
A few months ago I was traveling abroad visiting some church partners in the Czech Republic. One day, my friend introduced me to a pastor friend of his who was trying to discern a call to church planting. The man asked me a wonderful question, “Of all the ministry you get to do as a pastor, which is your favorite?” I thought for a moment and then the answer came like a freight train. I answered confidently, “Prayer ministry.” The pastor looked at me with complete shock and a fair amount of confusion. Honestly, I slightly surprised myself with the answer. My new friend was baffled for about thirty seconds until he finally asked me to explain why prayer ministry, of all things, was my favorite. I said to him, “Because as we pray for people, the Holy Spirit often comes in tremendous power. The things that might have taken five years, happen in five minutes. God changes people’s lives through prayer ministry.” I do not intend this to be disparaging to my cessationist friends (those who deny the continuation of all spiritual gifts), but part of why this baffled him is because our experience with prayer ministry does not tend to be common among cessationists. To be fair this man fully believes in the sovereign power and authority of God, but he does not often pray for God to show up in power. We used to be in that place, too. But God has been so gracious, inviting us to ask bigger things of Him—to ask more! And He’s been lovingly changing lives quite often. An anchor verse for us has been Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Eph. 3:20). God truly is able to do far more than we could ever ask Him. And yet Paul says that He does that according to the power that’s already at work within us. The Spirit of God resides with us, and with that comes tremendous power!
Things that people just accepted as, “the way it is” are being rejected. Sicknesses and allergies that people once accepted as, “their cross to bear” are being healed. Sin struggles that just became accepted as, “part of my personality,” are being redeemed. Phrases like, “I’m just an angry person,” are being replaced by, “I’m no longer angry because I was delivered from a spirit of anger.” Unbelief that once seemed to choke out every seed of faith is being driven away and fruit is being produced in abundance. Anxious people with trembling bodies and fear-plagued minds are literally feeling the soothing and calming presence of the Holy Spirit as we call upon Him They are finding peace beyond understanding. Some have seen lifelong depression completely healed in one evening of prayer. People are discovering freedom they have never known as we hold their hands and ask, “Do you want to repent of your sins right now?” People are finding peace like they have never known as we look them in the eyes and ask, “Do you want to forgive that person this very moment?” At times we get to see what feels like five years worth of sanctification happen in just a few moments. I could go on and on and on. I don’t want to overstate. Many times we pray for healing and deliverance and there are no huge displays of power. Many times people don’t find the big breakthrough we are hoping for—that’s okay. We continue to walk with those folks and pray for endurance and comfort. But I can faithfully testify that many times God does show up in great power! Our prayer ministry doesn’t always involve deliverance, but when it does, I know that God often sets the captives free.
Increased dependence upon repentance, faith, prayer, and the gospel
I recently read one of those online articles that warn Christians about deliverance ministries. It said this, “A Christian who resorts to deliverance sessions to gain spiritual victory rather than standing firm in the promises and provisions of Christ has already been greatly neutralized by the enemy.” I’ve heard this critique many times before. The idea is that if you resort to deliverance then you are abandoning the power of the gospel and embracing a superstitious means of victory over Satan. The above quote is quite bold, but it is also reckless. There are probably some Christians who resort to unbiblical means to find victory. But I can confidently assert that the way I have seen our church practice deliverance ministry is standing on the promises and provisions of Christ. Every single time we do deliverance with a Christian at our church, it begins with practices like confession, repentance, renewing our faith in the gospel, declarations about the provisions of Christ in the gospel. In every deliverance we are robustly gospel-centered in our approach. In fact, the only time when we have moved towards deliverance without explicitly starting with those practices is when someone is manifesting right in front of us and it becomes clear that a demon needs to be cast away immediately. Our church does deliverance hinged on the belief that true power is found in repentance and faith. Ultimately, deliverance isn’t possible unless we are dependent upon the gospel work of Jesus. It’s His finished work that accomplished what we cling to in every deliverance session.
As our church has grown in this ministry, we have seen a remarkable increase in dependence upon prayer, a dramatic increase in repentance, a tremendous increase in gospel-centered living, and an undeniable increase in our reliance on the person and work of Jesus. I would push back against that critique I read and say this: a Christian who refuses to engage in deliverance is denying some of the promises and provisions of Christ, and is being significantly neutralized by the enemy.
People Leaving, People Coming.
The hard truth is, some don’t like this ministry. Despite the biblical basis, the historical precedence, and the abundant fruit, some just don’t think this is a viable ministry. For one reason or another, they are uncomfortable with it. I remember having a time of prayer and hard discussion with our elder team as we considered, “Are we okay with leading the church into these things, even if people leave?” The answer was, yes. And, much to our sorrow, some people have left because of it.
But there’s a flip side to that coin. While some despise it, many are starving for it. Many have been longing to find a place that would walk with them in these things and equip the saints to do so. Many are in desperate need of liberation. They’ve tried every possible solution they can think of and they just feel stuck, trapped, in bondage. These are the hurting folks on the margins, the spiritual person open to trying everything but left feeling dry and empty, or the person in such spiritual bondage they can’t get out of the house. There are real people who desperately need help, and many of them need deliverance. I think of the woman in Luke 13 who was crippled for eighteen years. For eighteen long years she literally could not stand up straight or walk normally. Every single day was marked by pain, disability, and frustration. And then one day Jesus set her free from her bondage—which He attributed to Satan. There are people like this everywhere. The more we’ve engaged in this ministry the more we tend to encounter people with utter desperation in their eyes. They so badly want Jesus’ healing and freedom and yet they’ve never known it. And maybe, just maybe, God wants to bring it to them through deliverance. That person is worth the cost. No matter how many recoil at this ministry, I will advocate for and commit myself to ministering to a person who needs freedom.
Changed Lives and Abundant Fruit
Last, but not least, we are seeing transformed lives. Deliverance isn’t the only thing that has led to this, but it’s been a major catalyst for many. In large part, deliverance has been a significant influencer for the following real life transformations:
Someone who couldn’t get to church for years is now a well-respected deacon.
Someone with persistent, horrific nightmares has been healed and now has dreams where he victoriously confronts the demonic.
Someone with consistent, weekly night terrors has been healed.
Someone who has struggled with same-sex attraction is now experiencing significant freedom.
Someone who required daily medication for migraines has now been completely healed and no longer needs medication.
Someone with an enslaving addiction to pornography is now walking in freedom.
Someone who heard voices and was repeatedly choked in their sleep is now sleeping peacefully.
Jesus tells us, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16a). And the fruit we are seeing points to God at work. Praise Him!
The Temptations That Come with Deliverance Ministry
Even with such wonderful fruit, we must regularly be on guard for unbiblical thinking and bad fruit. Here are a few tendencies we watch for.
1. The Temptation to Over Emphasize Satan’s Power and Influence
Knowing that we have a real enemy who hates us and despises our very existence can sometimes mean we over-inflate his impact in our lives. Sometimes people feel scared of Satan and his demons. It’s only natural as humans to feel a little spooked when we hear about the ways our invisible enemy tries to attack us. Sometimes people have been a little bothered when we talk about demonic inroads and afflictions. But simply closing our eyes and ears doesn’t make the enemy go away. It is wise to be aware of his schemes, but we never ever have to be afraid.
Sometimes it’s easy to blame the Devil for our problems. There’s a reason why the phrase, “the Devil made me do it” is popular. When you’ve seen Satan play dirty and interfere with the lives of people, it can be a temptation to blame negative circumstances on evil spirits. At times I’ve seen this thinking creep into our midst. We must remember that not every problem in our lives is the result of spiritual warfare. Sometimes there’s a perfectly understandable explanation for why the milk carton is empty when you want a bowl of cereal. Sometimes there’s a perfectly natural explanation for why you ran out of gas on the side of the road and now need to walk a mile to the nearest gas station. It’s probably not because the Devil was trying to ruin your day. Sometimes we can be too quick to blame demons for our sin struggles, our ailments, or our relational conflict. This can sometimes lead us to shirk responsibility, be lazy, or lack compassion for the hurting.
How do we combat this? First, by remembering that Satan and all his angels are created beings who are limited. They cannot be present everywhere at all times, only God can. Second, by remembering that the fallen world is filled with many thorns and thistles that make life difficult—entirely apart from any demonic interference. Third, by believing that God is sovereign. Nothing can happen outside of His Master plan. Our focus in life is Christ and following Him closely. I’m reminded of what Neal Lozano says, “Deliverance is no more about the devil than the Exodus was about Pharaoh.” Amen to that. We do not fascinate ourselves with the devil, we are fascinated by Christ. We fix our eyes on Him and wholly depend upon his mercy in every trial. No matter the source of our struggles, Christ is enough for us.
2. The Temptation to Become Too Focused on Deliverance as the Only Tool
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” That can be quite true sometimes. When you’ve seen deliverance really work in someone’s life, it can be tempting to think that this is what everyone needs all the time. But deliverance is just one of the tools God has given the church—not the only tool. I will say this, deliverance has been so neglected by the church for so long, an emphasis on the ministry is needed. Notice from the church history quotes how prevalent this ministry was for new converts. Those practices from long ago, established a culture of belief that these things were real and that people needed deliverance. Maybe if we took that to heart in the early stages of conversion, it would set us up for more vigilant watchfulness. There is an equal danger in neglecting this tool. If you don’t have a hammer, nothing looks like a nail.
So how do we combat this? By reading our Bibles and remembering that God has fitted us with many tools in our tool belt to better live the Christian life. We listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to tell us which tool is needed for a particular situation.
3. The Temptation to Go on a “Witch Hunt” for Demons
Sometimes God makes it extremely obvious that there is a demon in someone’s life. Other times, a demon’s presence feels more veiled. This is when the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits is particularly helpful. We might ask questions, listen, pray, and ask God to show us if deliverance is needed. Sometimes after trying deliverance, it becomes clear that there was no demon at all. Other times we try casting out several different spirits, and nothing happens… Only to then try casting out one more specific spirit and BAM! There it is, and we drive it away. I share that to say, sometimes these things are a mystery. Because we’ve had experience with demons hiding, it can sometimes make us suspicious that a demon is hiding and we just need to find it. This isn’t a helpful approach. It leads to ministers feeling frustrated and individuals feeling like there is something wrong with them when there isn’t. It can also lead to a subtle mistrust in God.
So how do we combat this? We rely on our sovereign and loving God. In these settings I will often say, “God doesn’t play a cruel game of hide and seek with His kids. If we are asking Him if a demon is here, we can trust that He will show us.” If God shows us something, we can proceed to drive it out. And if He doesn’t, we can move along. That kind of approach protects us from becoming imbalanced. It helps us remember that God is really the one in charge and nothing is hidden from Him. It helps us depend on His leading wholly and completely.
4. The Temptation of the Disciples in Luke 10.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends out a broader group of seventy-two of His disciples with an incredible mission. Jesus tasks them with proclaiming the Kingdom of God and healing the sick. As the disciples return from their mission they are overjoyed with the results. Luke tells us, “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” (Luke 10:17). These disciples had watched Jesus cast out demons up close and personal, and probably never thought they’d be the ones to do it too. But lo and behold, Jesus loves to share His power and authority with His people. The disciples were exuberant over their success in casting out demons, and rightfully so! What an incredible thing it is to see demonic spirits driven away by the name of Jesus and people set free. But Jesus responds to them with a wise re-focus. He says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20).
Jesus knew that his disciples were being tempted to find their joy in the wrong place. This temptation still exists today, and I’ve seen it try to creep into our church. It’s quite a thrill seeing deliverance in action. But deliverance ministry must always result in the praise of God, not a confidence in our abilities. Jesus wanted to remind His disciples that the greatest treasure is not supernatural power, but that their names are known by God in heaven. I am reminded of what Mark says about Jesus’ calling of the disciples, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:14). Notice why Jesus calls his disciples. It’s not just to send them out, it is first to simply have them with Him. Being with Jesus is the essence of being His disciple. To have our names forever written in God’s Book of Life is infinitely more precious than any ministry opportunity we will ever encounter. We do well to believe that wholeheartedly. The Triune God is the prize. He is our joy, our satisfaction, and our pleasure. We may be called to do many mighty things in Jesus’ name, but our true joy is that God loves us and gave His Son for us that we might be with Him.
Each of these errors have a simple solution. Part of pastoring is leading the church into truth; not being afraid of church members falling down or stumbling along. Like shepherds we simply move toward those sheep, pick them up, and help them back onto the right path—and often we do that for each other, too. Seeing something done wrongly isn’t a reason to stop doing it. Seeing something done wrongly is reason to ensure that we do it rightly.
Conclusion
As I sat in the restaurant of a packed hotel lobby in Phoenix, I couldn’t help but stare at a man at a table across from me. His head was in his hands, his fingers pulling tight on his long hair. He was sweaty and distraught. He spoke with frustration to his friends and kept rocking back and forth as if he didn’t know what to do with himself. What made this all the more jarring was that just a few moments earlier he stood confidently in front of the whole lobby performing as a singer-songwriter with excellence. His set was unexpectedly cut short as he could no longer stand on his feet without feeling faint.
As I stared at him across the room, completely disengaged with the people at my own table, I felt the Holy Spirit pull a phrase that sounded like my own thoughts but I knew it was the Lord. “I can help this man,” I said to myself. I then sat there for the next five minutes talking myself in and out of walking over to pray for him. The phrase in my mind slightly changed, “You can help this man.” I knew the Lord was speaking to me. He wanted me to do this, the question was whether I trusted Him enough with the results.
Finally, I pushed myself away from the table and walked his way. I introduced myself to my new friend, Wade, and asked how he was doing. He explained that he felt dizzy, light headed, and had no idea why. He mentioned that he hadn’t eaten in a while and so he ordered a burger in hopes that it would help. “If not,” he said, “I need to go home.” I told him I was a Christian and asked if I could pray for Jesus to heal him. He quickly welcomed that, but before I could pray he blurted out, “It’s probably because of my mom!” I tilted my head and asked what was going on with her. “She’s in the hospital. Doctors have no idea what’s wrong with her. She’s fighting for her life right now,” he said. Sometimes as we stand in the authority of Jesus, people start blurting out things they never had any intention of revealing. I have a friend who likes to describe these moments as, “the enemy showing his guns.” It became crystal clear to me that this man was experiencing spiritual attack. He was so anxious and afraid about his dying mother that he was dizzy, light headed, and unable to stand. The Spirit was revealing the cause of his suffering and also the way forward. I offered a simple prayer to the Lord. I first asked for mercy upon his mom and healing for her body. I then said, “I command all dizziness and anxiety to leave now in the name of Jesus.” I prayed for the peace of God to come upon my new friend. Nothing dramatic happened. He let out a brief sigh and his shoulders sank. I could tell that the peace of God was in fact coming over him. I finished my prayer, shook his hand, and went on my way.
No more than ten minutes later, I returned to the hotel lobby to take my children for a much anticipated night swim. As the elevator doors opened, I could hear the raspy voice and rhythmic guitar of a live performance. A woman in the distance was frantically raising her arms and waving me over—she had been sitting at the table with Wade when I prayed for him. She proceeded to explain to me that thirty seconds after I left, Wade suddenly felt 100% better. All his dizziness and anxiety was completely gone. I looked at his empty place at the table, which held a completely untouched cheeseburger and fries. In that moment I knew Wade had just experienced the power of Jesus. I later found out that after he returned to the microphone he gave testimony to what happened. “I was feeling terrible and was ready to leave. Then some guy prayed for me and put his hand on my shoulder. Suddenly I felt better and didn’t feel like leaving.” When Wade saw me again he interrupted his song and waved me over. He barreled into me with a huge bear hug. “Thank you!”, he said, “I have never felt anything like that before! That was crazy!” Filled with so much encouragement I said, “Praise God! Jesus is a healer! He can heal more than just your body, He can heal your heart too.” Wade smiled and said, “Oh, I know!” He grabbed his guitar and continued to play for the next couple of hours. We went our separate ways. I’m not sure where Wade is in his relationship with Jesus, but I know that on that night God broke into his life to reveal His tremendous power and love for Wade.
This is why we do deliverance—for people like Wade. We don’t do it to be amazing or to put on a show. We do deliverance because we want to love people with the power of God, and lead them to Jesus. Deliverance, simply put, demonstrates His love and power. Our churches need to see and experience more of that love and power Jesus delivers. The lost and dying world needs it too. The question for us is, will we play a part in showing them?
People are seeking power in all kinds of places. They are quick to search far and wide for solutions to their anxiety; quick to try anything to cure their sleeplessness; quick explore every remedy to heal their chronic ailments. People are stuck in hiding and covering up their habitual sins. People are resolved to accepting their self-loathing, their insecurities, their impulsive behavior, and their persistent failures as simply part of who they are, completely unaware that God has the power to set them free. Some simply have no idea that their struggles are being energized by spiritual realities. Some have no idea that their pain may be associated with unrepentant sin and strongholds of the mind. Some have no idea of the areas or ways they’ve partnered with the evil one, and invited his influence into their lives. Blindness and bondage are prevailing in so many places. Church, we can help these people—not with our great power or skills, but with the love of Jesus. We can step into our God-ordained mission of setting the captives free and displaying the loving power of King Jesus. To Him be glory, forever and ever. Amen.