Ephesians 6:12 (Amplified Bible)
12For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (New Living Translation)
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 [a]We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
I was brought up with these scriptures and with an understanding that as believers in Jesus we are engaged is a spiritual battle between angels good and evil where the spoils of war are the souls of men. But in recent times I have been finding the Holy Spirit rapidly leading us into new levels of understanding in this arena.
The first thing you have to understand is that as Christians we are at war with demons; and these demons are doing everything in their power to destroy you at every level - spiritual, mental/Emotional(the soul) and physical. That is what the above scriptures are telling us. We in the west totally underestimate the battle that is raging for our souls and generally do not take seriously the enormity of this battle.
I also want to point out that Christians CAN be and DO get demonized. Now I am not going to argue about “possession” or “oppression” or such. These are terms that have come out of the middle-ages rather than out of scripture. The original ancient Greek does not tend to use such terms – but simply states “demonized”. The point I want to make is that if casting out of demons was not for Christians, then we would be left with trying to cast demons out of people that refuse to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour – a process that we are actually warned against as it can make matters worse! For further information on can a Christian have a demon, look at James Brandt’s writing on the subject at http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/christian_demon.php.
SOME BASIC KEYS ON GETTING FREE.
Deliverance is not about demons, it is about getting free. The focus is on finding that freedom, not finding demons. There are some key areas for each of us to look at in our own lives – and the lives of those around us to find freedom from captivity by the enemy or even just from our own “stinking thinking”:
(From James Brandt’s website)
Inner healing: Many times when a person has been abused, rejected, wounded, or hurt in some way, there is an emotional wound that needs to be healed. Demons will use these wounds and weaknesses against the person, as leverage to hold them in bondage and get them to re-open doors so that they can re-enter. Inner healing is a vital step in the overall restoration process that needs to take place in the lives of many who are seeking deliverance. There is more information on this process in the teaching Steps to Inner Healing on the same website as above.
Tearing down strongholds: Strongholds are incorrect thinking patterns that people develop over time, and are often set up and nurtured by demons through lies and deception. Demons thrive on strongholds, and use them to hang around a person and torment them. I recommend reading the teaching on Strongholds for a clear insight into exactly what a stronghold is, and how to go about tearing them down. Failing to tear down strongholds can hold up a deliverance and prevent us from walking in complete spiritual freedom.
Removing legal rights: Legal rights are things that give demons permission to enter and remain in our lives. Before demons can often be cast out, it is important to address and remove these legal rights. The teaching on Legal Rights lists the most common legal rights and how you can go about removing them. Failing to remove legal rights can hold up a deliverance very easily.
Casting out demons: This requires two basic elements: knowledge of your authority in Christ Jesus over the powers of the enemy, and faith in that authority. Demons are cast out with a simple spoken command, such as, "I command the spirit of fear to come out in the name of Jesus!" You can learn more about your authority and how it works from the teaching on Spiritual Authority.
ITS ALL SPIRITUAL
The reality is EVERYTHING that takes place in our life is spiritual. We are a triune being – having a body, a soul (the seat of our emotions and will or mind), and a spirit (the eternal aspect of our being). Separate the spirit from the body and the body dies. Even something as simple as painting a wall or mowing the lawn is spiritual in that the fullness of our being continues to function and interact even while we perform “physical” tasks.
And how much of what we call physical or mental illness could actually be spiritual? For instance mental illness is commonly attributed as the by-product to some sort of physical imbalance in the individual. Is it possible on occasion that both the mental illness AND the physical imbalance are BOTH the product of a spiritual intrusion in the being of the individual that then displays symptoms in the form of mental and/or physical imbalance? Conversly, could something as supposedly simple as a physical illness effectively “lower the defences” of the individual in such a way that a spiritual intrusion can take place? When you view the person as a triune whole you can begin to see how closely one can affect the other.
In my own life, I have had a demon cast out me on 3 different occasions – once through simply commanding it out of myself! I have also cast a number of demons out of others. Sometimes this has been with “spectacular” manifestations, but most of the time it is a “simple” process with very little physical activity. Dealing with demons, be it casting them out or removing the “footholds” in our life that they seek to use, is certainly not something to be feared. But instead, as a believer, should be celebrated as we are getting victory over the enemy where he has been having victory over us. So do we go looking for demons everywhere. Certainly not. Remember it is not about finding demons but finding freedom – and that may come through healing the wounds in our spirit or unbinding ourselves from silly and ungodly thoughts or emotions. But it is definitely worth taking a “seek and destroy” attitude to the power of the enemy in our lives and to look carefully for areas that the forces of darkness may be using as leverage against us. If in the process of doing this we find something that has “taken up residence in our house”, at that point we can simply boot the trespasser out!
It is also great to get tooled up on this form of ministry yourself. While it is NOT something to be taken flippantly (See Acts 19:13-16), we are all called to this ministry (See Mark 16:15-18). You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of good reliable books and ministry tools on the subject and I encourage you to invest in them.
If you believe you need or would like ministry in this area, you can email us privately at withoutwallsbendigo@live.com.au and we will be happy to communicate with you.
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