Why every believer needs deliverance from evil spirits

Our compassionate Saviour and almighty Creator, Jesus Christ, began His earthly ministry by proclaiming that He has come to “set at liberty those who are oppressed”. Indeed, many believers have experienced greater intimacy with Jesus after they have been delivered from the oppressive traps, afflictions, and strongholds that Satan and evil spirits had placed in them, as a result of their own as well as their family’s history of iniquity. Therefore, they are able to walk away from sinful compulsions that have hindered them, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and draw closer to God. This is why Jesus taught His disciples to ask God to be “delivered from the evil one” and called deliverance the bread reserved for God’s children. In fact, deliverance is one thing that distinguishes Jesus’ ministry from all the anointed prophets of the Old Testament who raised the dead and healed the sick. We need to understand that deliverance is Jesus’ gift to all New Testament believers. It is not some ‘fringe activity’, it is absolutely crucial. Without deliverance, many Christians struggle to break out from cycles of sin, negative thought patterns, and unnecessary hindrances. This is not the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. It is the work of evil spirits who come to kill, steal from and destroy. No believer should tolerate or make excuses for the evil spirits in their lives, we would be profaning the price Jesus paid with His own blood for our deliverance. Jesus came to set at liberty all who are oppressed, and that includes us.

(简体中文 > 为什么每个信徒都需要从邪灵中得到释放 | 繁體中文 > 為什麼每個信徒都需要從邪靈中得到釋放)

 

Luke 4:17-21 NKJV  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Matthew 6:13 NKJV  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Mark 7:26-27 NKJV  The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Mark 1:27 NKJV  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Luke 4:35-37 NKJV  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

John 10:10 NKJV  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Signs of Christians under demonic oppression

God loves us exceedingly. The presence of evil spirits does not hinder His love for us, but it does hinder our ability to receive the fullness of it. 

Christians that are oppressed by evil spirits will:

1. Have difficulty hearing God’s voice clearly
2. Struggle to experience deep joy and peace from the Lord
3. Not feel a deep assurance of God’s love in their hearts (they only know about God’s love on an intellectual level) 
4. Find it hard to bring their thoughts under control, it is a constant battle to think godly thoughts 
5. Feel tormented in their minds, there is a bombardment of unwelcome thoughts
6. Have compulsions to be proud, to judge and to condemn
7. Continue to struggle with fear, dread, and anxiety 
8. Keep falling back into cycles of sin 
9. Read the Bible but won’t remember much of what they have read
10. Find their thoughts about God constantly being ‘snatched away’ (Matthew 13:19)
11. Keep experiencing unexplainable delays, problems, and repeated battles 
12. Feel heavy and sluggish 
13. Have suicidal or self-destructive thoughts
14. Have emotionally cold and stony hearts 

All these are signs of evil spirits stealing, killing and destroying. 

It is NOT the result of being ‘rejected by God’, ‘not trying hard enough’, being a ‘bad person, being ‘helpless’, being ‘born this way’, having ‘poor memory’, suffering from a bout of ‘bad luck’, and so on. 

Every believer’s life is to bear the good fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The good fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in deliverance

Christians who have been delivered of evil spirits, on the other hand, say that they: 

1. Feel closer to God and feel His love
2. Are able to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice more clearly
3. Have clearer, more peaceful, and less confused minds
4. Feel cleansed and purified inside
5. Experience significantly fewer intrusive thoughts 
6. Feel much lighter physically, burdens and weights have been lifted off
7. Are more joyful and more hopeful
8. Feel the freedom to love, to respectfully say no, and to build healthy boundaries
9. Are able to genuinely care for others with genuine tenderness
10. Are much less defensive and argumentative 
11. Find that things around them look brighter and clearer
12. Observe their facial features become softer, more radiant, and even look more youthful 
13. Are physically healed of long term ailments 

For real life examples, please refer to the testimonies section of this website. These are all testimonies from Christians.

For more, see
What it feels like to be purified by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit makes heavenly realities manifest through us

Renewing our minds about deliverance

1. We need to take up our authority and have zero tolerance for the enemy

Every believer who has the Spirit of the Almighty God in us should not tolerate the work of evil spirits in their lives. (See “How evil spirits can oppress Christians who have the Holy Spirit” below) 

The Lord Jesus has given all His believers the authority to cast out evil spirits in His name. This does not require a seminary degree, that is just a piece of paper compared to the power of our Almighty God. Deliverance is the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers who pray in the authority of Jesus’ name.

Luke 9:1-2 NKJV  Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 

In addition to that, Jesus has left the work of deliverance to us and He will not take back the authority or work He has already given us. As the body of Christ, we are to mature and do the same things Jesus has done. In Jesus’ very own words, casting out spirits is one of the basic marks of someone who believes in Him.

Luke 10:19-20 NKJV   Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

John 14:12 NKJV  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Mark 16:17-18 NKJV  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

2. We need to reflect God’s image more and more

One key goal of deliverance should be to remove the unseen roadblocks that hinder us from reflecting God’s true image and nature. This is made possible when we “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit”. As more and more footholds and darkness in our flesh and spirit are removed, the more we can be filled with God’s light and increasingly reflect His glory. Hallelujah! (Study 2 Corinthians 6:14-18,7:1)

2 Corinthians 6:14-18,7:1 NKJV  Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

3. We need to put down unbelief and humanism

Unbelieving Christians tend to excuse away demonic oppression with man-made explanations because they refuse to accept that these struggles are spiritual in nature. Due to the infiltration of humanistic doctrines into religious systems over the years, we have now come to believe that as long as we try hard enough, we have more self-discipline, we fast long enough, we pray more, and so on, that we will eventually have victory. The focus is on self effort. Let us remember that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” Such weapons come from the Holy Spirit, not our human ability. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Sometimes, we even resort to self-medicating with new age and pharmaceutical solutions and live no different from the world. Is this the abundant life that Jesus promised us? We can do things that grieve and even quench the Holy Spirit, thereby exacerbating our condition.

4. We need to remove the obstacles to our destiny 

Evil spirits cannot rob us of our salvation or snatch us out of God’s hand, but they can steal our spiritual blessings from heaven, kill our destiny and calling, and destroy our supernatural joy and peace – if we let them. Our journey on this earth will be made many times harder when we do not first deal with the invisible enemies that constantly oppose us. We need to take up the authority that Jesus paid with His own blood to give us and evict these enemies out of our lives.

John 10:28-29 NKJV  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 

5. We need to be much better testimonies of God’s power and kingdom

Casting out demons is a powerful demonstration of the kingdom of God. It is a power encounter where the believer wins! The devil knows that if he can keep Christians blind to this authority to cast them out and keep us feeling defeated, depressed, joyless, anxious and striving, then very few of the lost would be attracted to the gospel. What better way to smear God’s name than to smear His beloved children. It is a victorious believer who is an asset to God’s kingdom and a danger to Satan’s kingdom. 

Matthew 12:28 NKJV  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Additionally, evil spirits need to inhabit or use human bodies in order to carry out their evil lusts through the works of the flesh. Examples of works of the flesh include sexual perversion, outbursts of wrath, cursing and tormenting human beings, murder, drunkenness, drugs, and so on — and even better if evil spirits can do it through God’s children. The more they can diminish and corrupt the light of Christ in this world with darkness, the more their domain on earth can be secure, at least for now.

Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

6. We still need to be committed to the Lord and obey Him 

Deliverance does not substitute or diminish the need for our personal commitment to obeying God. Neither does it make our problems go away.

In fact, those who go for deliverance without cultivating a habit of spending time with the Lord, studying the Bible, and other spiritual disciplines will soon fall back to their old ways. They must cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit and listen to His counsel, and not the voices of their old enemies. To illustrate, wild dogs that have been thrown out of a house can still bark outside and make us think they are still on the inside, when this is not true. They can no longer bite, attack and harm us, they can only make noise and try to find a way back in when we are not looking. We need to ask the new Owner of the house, the Holy Spirit, for wisdom, discernment, and protection. After evil spirits have been cast out, we will find listening to His voice significantly easier.

Deliverance helps us to have a clearer mind and purer heart to face our challenges but it is no substitute for a personal commitment to walk with God. 

7. We need to put down shame and pride

Our Heavenly Father’s intention is for us to prosper in every way, especially in our minds and hearts and souls. Jesus did not pay such a high personal price for our salvation just to leave us defeated on earth. If our great Saviour would set shame aside and hang naked on the cross to pay the price for our freedom, then should we hold on to any fear, shame, or hesitation of going for deliverance? It is His gift to us and the right of every believer. How we grieve the Holy Spirit when we choose the anxieties of our flesh over Him. Let us not think about what our flesh wants to do but what the Holy Spirit desires to do. Then, we will find life and peace.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 8:5-8 NKJV  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

What keeps us from seeking deliverance is usually:

1. Lack of knowledge of our authority and rights through Jesus Christ
2. Misunderstanding what salvation entails, we have the wrong belief that we remain defeated and sinful on earth and it is only in heaven that we finally find joy and liberation
3. Greater faith in ourselves than in the Holy Spirit’s power to deliver us from sin
4. Too much pride to submit ourselves to prayers that we cannot control
5. Unfounded fears that are not based on God’s truths e.g. fear of demons, fear of judgment 
6. Not being able to see beyond our own struggles, based on what we can see 

Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now 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 do for His good pleasure.

How evil spirits can oppress Christians who have the Holy Spirit

1. Infilling of the Holy Spirit vs. presence of evil spirits

Evil spirits can exist where the Holy Spirit is (we explain why in the next point below).

Human beings live in a physical domain and have physical limitations. Spirits, however, are not limited by physical space, they operate in a different dimension. This is how the man in the region of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1-20) could host a legion of demons, that would have been about 5,000 evil spirits! 

Evil spirits have no problem being present where God is. Satan went to meet God in heaven (Job 1:6), confronted Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) and was present at the Last Supper where he entered Judas (Luke 22:3, John 13:27). In none of these cases did God chase Satan out. 

Therefore, we can be ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit and still have hundreds or even thousands of other spirits in the same domain. This does not mean the evil spirits can “overpower” the Holy Spirit by their sheer numbers. The Holy Spirit in us is infinitely greater, there is no doubting His power. What evil spirits can do, however, is hinder, obstruct and steal what He has planned for us. 

1 John 4:4 NKJV  You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

The Holy Spirit does not automatically drive out evil spirits from us once we accept Jesus as our Lord. Remember that Jesus didn’t cast evil spirits out of people unless they asked Him to (Matthew 8:16). Evil spirits come and go freely, unless we revoke their “right of abode” and give them an eviction order in Jesus’ name. 

Matthew 8:16 NKJV  When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

2. Sin vs. iniquity: Iniquity gives evil spirits their footholds

Iniquity gives evil spirits a right to operate in our lives.

It is helpful to differentiate between sin and iniquity so we do not fall into confusion, condemnation, or feelings of defeat.

Psalm 85:2 NKJV  You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah

To sin

To sin is to fall short of God’s perfect standards. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We don’t always say the most loving things, we make the wrong choices, we hurt others, we grumble, we misunderstand God’s will and intention etc. The Lord does not fault us for these, especially when we follow the convictions of the Holy Spirit and are quick to repent. This does not give evil spirits the right to dominate our lives.

Romans 3:23 NKJV  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

To be in iniquity 

To be in iniquity is to persist in patterns of sin. The devil is full of iniquity and when we choose to follow the patterns of the devil, we become part of his “family”. This is what gives evil spirits the right to oppress us. This is why the apostle James said, “sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death”.

1 John 3:8 NKJV  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

John 8:44 NKJV  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

James 1:14-15 NKJV But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

It takes a tender, compliant, humble, and determined heart to obey God’s Word and follow the Holy Spirit. Often, we harden our hearts towards God because we don’t trust His plan to be better than ours, we are led by our emotions or circumstances, we feel pressurised by outside forces or by people to comply with their ways, we put our faith in the power of money to ‘save’ us, and so on. Even when the Holy Spirit tries to convict us to follow His voice, we simply harden our hearts. The longer we quench the Holy Spirit and keep on practising iniquity, the deeper evil spirits build their strongholds in us.

a) Personal iniquity

We are told, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” The apostle Paul, describes some examples in Ephesians 4; lying, staying angry or bitter, speaking evil, choosing to not forgive, and so on. These are not one-off mistakes, but patterns of behaviour that give the devil a legitimate place in us. How many Christians hold on to iniquity, if not all?

2 Timothy 2:18 NKJV  Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Ephesians 4:25-32 NKJV  Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

b) Family iniquity 

Even if we do genuinely seek to love God and practise repentance, everyone has to contend with a spiritual heritage in their families that have been defiled by iniquity. In every family, we will find patterns related to “the works of the flesh” as described in Galatians 5. 

Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

A family that wholeheartedly follows God will be blessed for a thousand generations and by God’s mercy, a family that practices iniquity will suffer the consequences for just four generations. There are no exceptions to the consequences of iniquity in our bloodline. It is purely the result of living in a sinful world. 

Exodus 20:4-6 NKJV  “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Even king David did not escape such realities. We see that David:

• Was filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:1)
• Was a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22)
• Had great faith in God to defeat Goliath (1 Samuel 17:36-37)
• Made it a point to praise God seven times a day (Psalm 119:164)
• Woke up early in the morning to God and meditated on His Word at night (Psalm 119:147-148)
• Was anointed to chase demons away temporarily (1 Samuel 16:23)

Yet we see that David committed grievous iniquity. He coveted after Bathesheba, another man’s wife, committed adultery with her, lied about it, and later murdered her husband (2 Samuel 11-12). In a time of great lament, David confessed that he had been born into family iniquity. What was the spiritual root for his great weakness in sexual purity? Perhaps it was the fact that his great grandmother was the pagan prostitute who assisted the Israelite spies in Jericho named Rahab. 

Psalm 51:5 NKJV  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 

Matthew 1:5-6 NKJV  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.  David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

If we put on our spiritual lenses and take a look at this from a spiritual perspective, we can discern that the evil spirits who took root as a result of Rahab’s sexual immorality would still have had legal right to operate four generations later, during David’s time. When David failed to resist the temptation to fall into sexual immorality, the iniquity from the bloodline persisted down to his own children; Amnon raped his half-sister, Absalom slept with one of David’s concubines in the open (2 Samuel 16:22) and Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). If only David had the opportunity to confess his family iniquity and cast out his ancestral spirits, perhaps the outcome would have been different!

3. Trauma

Fear is not from God. Someone who is overcome by a spirit of fear will be weakened, tormented by anxiety and insecurity, and not able to think with a sound mind – all classic signs of demonic oppression.

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

1 John 4:18 NKJV There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Trauma, which is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, leads us to develop fears, phobias, and insecurities. These open the door to evil spirits. No one has escaped trauma in their lives, particularly during childhood, when we felt particularly vulnerable. Experiencing rejection, humiliation, verbal abuse, physical pain, abandonment or the sudden loss of something important are all traumatic events. Even where we were passive participants, we can still be traumatised. Examples include seeing someone die a painful death or watching terrifying horror movies. All these can open the door to evil spirits through the impact on our human soul.

While counselling can help address some of our traumas, most of our inner anxieties can only be fully healed through the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s love, and the removal of invisible tormentors.

Trauma is lodged in our souls and there is no one better to heal our souls than the One who is called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Psalm 41:4 NKJV  I said, “Lord, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”

3 John 1:2 NKJV  Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

4. Our covenant with Jesus vs. existing demonic covenants 

A covenant binds two parties. A covenant made with spirits is eternally binding because spirits are eternal. The covenant God made with Abraham, for example, was an everlasting one that extended to all his descendants. 

Genesis 17:7 NKJV  And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 

A covenant with someone new does not nullify existing covenants, just as a second marriage does not nullify a prior marriage, until there is a divorce. 

Covenants in the spirit can be made with simple rituals or even just our words. They do not require elaborate ceremonies such as wedding banquets. Jesus made a new covenant with His disciples using wine and Joshua made a covenant with the Gibeonites just by giving his word.

1 Corinthians 11:25 NKJV  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Joshua 9:15 NKJV  So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

Millions of people make lasting covenants with demons every day with offerings of food, drink, burning incense, blood, money, babies, sexual acts, dance, and theatrical performances to false gods, spirit guides, or even their dead ancestors. Let us be clear that these are not merely “cultural practices” or “art performances” but sacrifices to demons (1 Corinthians 10:20-22). Demonic covenants enslave entire families and their descendants.

1 Corinthians 10:20-22 NKJV  Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

If any of our forefathers stepped into a temple and made a $10 donation out of respect for their gods, that would put us in covenant with that temple and the spirits worshiped there. It is even worse if they paid to install their last name on a plaque inside the temple or literally dedicated us to their gods. That gives those spirits a claim to “ownership” that must be renounced in Jesus’ name. Otherwise, we will be oppressed by these invisible forces. If we do not evict them, they will continue down the family line to our next generation. This is why the Lord tells us to not even go near or touch the things that belong to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18,7:1) so we do not give demons yet another foothold. 

Another way we make covenants that give evil spirits access is through our oaths and inner vows. For instance, we may say, “I will never get married!” when God’s plan is for us to get married. Hence, we end up rebelling against God’s will for us. Or we may say, “I will die of cancer one day because cancer runs in our family.” Hence, we give the spirit of death a legal right to shorten our lives. Just as God responds to the words of our prayers, evil spirits respond to the words we use to curse ourselves.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Clearing some common misunderstandings about deliverance

1. Oppression vs. possession

Evil spirits cannot possess or ‘own’ Christians because we belong to God, but they can still oppress us. Possession implies ownership, which evil spirits have no right to. Evil spirits can only deceive us into giving them power and authority over us. 

Let us use an analogy. The children of the president in your country attend school, protected by elite armed forces. Even with that covering, the children cannot escape being bullied and abused if they fall into the wrong circles of bullies and scammers. The more they follow evil-doers, the more they come under their oppression. The bullies and scammers do not “own” the children but they can control them by influencing their thoughts and desires, even to the point of getting them to rebel against their own parents. This is what evil spirits try to do to every human being, to rebel against God.

2. Deliverance vs. exorcism 

Some horror movies depict exorcism as a ritual conducted by a priest who comes with ‘holy’ water, a cross, and various incantations to exorcise someone who is “possessed”. This is not biblical deliverance. 

If we read the accounts of deliverance in the Bible, it only took the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority in Jesus’ name. There was no cookie-cutter ritualistic procedure and He never practiced psychology or incantations on them. Jesus lovingly ministered to each individual differently because He knew them personally and what their needs were. The power of God does not rest in ritualistic procedures. 

In addition, there are some pagan cultures that practice exorcism by asking some deity to cast out other spirits. These are deceptions from the kingdom of darkness, as the following testimony illustrates. 

Testimony

“My mom told me that as a small girl, I used to see a territorial spirit in our family home and would get quite disturbed. This caused my family a lot of discomfort and worry. They were afraid that something bad could happen to me, such as poor health or even death. So, my dad invited his friend who practised Taoism to come and use his black magic on me.

This friend seemed to see what I saw and advised my dad to make two tiny red houses for the entrance of our house, one for the inside and one for the outside. My family had to light incense for these spirit houses morning and night. There are also words written inside them but I don’t remember what they were. After these tiny houses were installed, mom said I didn’t talk about seeing spirits at home anymore, but I continued to feel that someone was watching me. I was fearful and had many bad nightmares. My family thought my dad’s friend had done a great job in “saving” me. But it turns out that whatever this guy did actually created a blockage in my memories. A good part of my childhood memories was stolen from me. When I went through deliverance and cast out those spirits in Jesus’ name, my memories came back!”

3. Destroy the works of the devil vs. destroy the devil

Jesus may have come to the earth to destroy the works of the devil, but He has not destroyed Satan or evil spirits – yet. God still has a purpose for them in this world before their final judgment. 

1 John 3:8 NKJV  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Proverbs 16:4 NKJV  The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

For example, how can we learn to love our enemies if we don’t have any antagonists? How can we learn to endure if we don’t face obstacles and opposition? How can our love for God be proven to be true if we are not willing to suffer for His sake?

Jesus may have left evil spirits on this earth but He has not left us defenceless. God has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us on how to overcome the schemes of the enemy through scripture and His personal counsel, as well as the power to cast evil spirits out!

Common fallacies about deliverance that Christians fall for

Here are some common fallacies that Christians fall for, based on lies propagated by the kingdom of darkness. Evil spirits will try their best to prevent us from experiencing deliverance and fill us with layers and layers of objections so they won’t lose their ‘homes’ in our bodies! 

Matthew 12:43-44 NKJV “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Fallacy 1: “I am a good person, I don’t have evil spirits.”

Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Only Jesus has walked sinlessly on this earth. The Bible warns us that if we tell ourselves that we are good and do not have sin, we will only be deceiving ourselves. We all have sin and it is unconfessed sin that gives evil spirits a place in us. 

1 John 1:8-10 NKJV  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Isaiah 59:2 NKJV  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

Evil spirits need a host body to carry out their wicked exploits, just as bacteria live in a host body. They will always choose to dwell in human beings, the more unsuspecting the better. There is no human being on earth who does not have bacteria living in them and it is the same with evil spirits. That is why we are called to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit”. We shower our bodies regularly, what about cleansing our spirits?

2 Corinthians 7:1  NKJV  Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Fallacy 2: “Deliverance is for non-believers who don’t know God.”

Unless led by the Holy Spirit, it is actually unwise to cast out evil spirits from anyone who has not made Jesus their Lord and Saviour and has the Holy Spirit inside them – for obvious reasons. They will not have the higher power inside them to keep the demons at bay. Deliverance is for believers who walk in their identity in Christ and have the Holy Spirit who is greater than the evil spirits found in this world. 

1 John 4:2 NKJV  And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Fallacy 3: “I am an ordained minister of God. I am under God’s covering. Demons cannot live in me.”

Spiritual realities are not dictated by human titles. Iniquity gives evil spirits access to any person, regardless of their position in society. In fact, every minister of God is a prime target for the devil. Once a shepherd can be corrupted or led astray, the entire flock will suffer. 

For a vivid demonstration of this, please watch the testimony of Reverend Dr. Joel Leow, a third generation Holy Spirit-filled Anglican Christian minister who has two masters in theology. Reverend Leow never engaged in any idol worship but was surprised to find that he needed to be delivered of many demons. The reverend shares how his cycle of sin was broken as a result. (Note: Teaching Humble Hearts is not associated with the churches mentioned in this video, it is for illustrative purposes only.)

Fallacy 4: “I don’t bother them and they don’t bother me.”

This is one of the worst “self-soothing” falsehoods we can fall for. Evil spirits behave like thieves. In fact, thieves love victims that don’t bother them, as this makes it easy for them to steal as much as they like, without any hindrance. We are told that we “wrestle” with spiritual enemies and to stand our ground. This is a reference to close face-to-face confrontation and resistance, not avoidance or ignorance.

Ephesians 6:12 NKJV  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of  the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Hosea 4:6 NKJV My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Fallacy 5: “Deliverance is only for the weak and desperate.”

It is a very common error to think that it is only those that have very desperate problems who need deliverance. We have an enemy who is like a prowling lion that will steal, kill and destroy at any opportunity. Lions will pounce on even the strongest animal if given half a chance. All it takes is for its prey to be distracted. This is why the Lord tells us to be sober minded at all times. This is not to say that we should live in fear, but that we should live with the spiritual discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Seeking deliverance requires humility, the enemy will try to fill us with pride, fear, shame, or a false sense of self-righteousness to hinder us from seeking freedom through the power of God Himself.

1 Peter 5:8 NKJV  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NKJV  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

Fallacy 6: “What if they come back seven times worse?”

Jesus has warned that “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first…” (Matthew 12:43-45 NKJV) 

This describes someone who is not filled with the Holy Spirit and is “empty”. 

Evil spirits cannot re-enter a believer or bring more spirits after deliverance — unless that person chooses to go back to iniquity and re-opens the door to their enemy. Such a decision would be one that profanes the blood that Jesus shed and insults the Holy Spirit of grace. We may stumble in many ways and fall into sin but it is the person who goes back to a lifestyle of iniquity that will get re-oppressed, sometimes to a worse degree than before because their demons are now back with a vendetta. 

John 5:14 NKJV  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

Hebrews 10:26-29 NKJV  For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

James 3:2 NKJV  For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Fallacy 7: “Evil spirits have been defeated. They can’t do anything to me.”

Yes, evil spirits have been disarmed and defeated by Jesus, but they haven’t lost their ability to deceive, to gain access, and to oppress. When we choose to sin, we are choosing to follow the devil’s ways because he has been sinning from the beginning. That opens the door to oppression. 

1 John 3:6-9 NKJV  Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Fallacy 8: “I have gone for deliverance in the past, I don’t need more.”

Even if we go for a full day deliverance session, we will not be able to remove all the footholds of the enemy, particularly if our families have worshipped idols (demons). Consider the layers of family iniquity accumulated across three to four generations of forefathers: Two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents and sixteen great great grandparents; that adds up to 30 people in total. This fact that we are alive and well demonstrates God’s great mercy to have protected us from much devastation!

We can’t expel all the evil spirits in one sitting. But we can trust that the Holy Spirit will help expel whatever evil spirits that are most crucial to drive out at that point of time. Our role is to invite Him to continuously renew and regenerate us, as we continue to study His Word, spend time with Him, and continue to remove the devil’s footholds. It is advisable to go have at least one deliverance session each year.

Titus 3:4-7 NKJV  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Fallacy 9: “Deliverance sessions are dramatic. I don’t want to embarrass or hurt myself.”

The vast majority of deliverances are not dramatic in any way. 

People will go through great lengths to cut out any cancer in their bodies, even if it means having to endure multiple painful treatments. If we have a form of cancer that will threaten our ability to grow closer to God and stay away from patterns of iniquity, would we not want to do something about it even if it may not be inconvenient? We need to decide who it is we choose to follow; Jesus who came to set us free or Satan who deceives the whole world.

Revelation 12:9 NKJV  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

For more, please refer to the section about deliverance on this website.

Final points on who you go to for deliverance 

It is possible to conduct self-deliverance but if we decide to seek the help of deliverance ministries, here are a few quick suggestions. Some people do have a greater gifting and experience in casting out evil spirits than others. 

1. Check that they have a history of good fruit from their work and have protocols in place that focus on the leadership of the Holy Spirit and that will protect your privacy and dignity. Avoid any one who might want to judge, control, or exploit you.
2. Ask if the ministers themselves have been through deliverance. No one is perfect and having been cleansed themselves, they will be vessels of honour for the Holy Spirit’s work through them. 
3. Most importantly, pray and ask the Lord to confirm your decision.

Good deliverance sessions are not just about casting out the evil spirits but crucially, about removing their legal footholds in us. Deliverance always involves the acknowledgement and repentance of our own iniquity and our family’s iniquity, renouncing ungodly words and oaths, and forgiveness. Then comes the work of renewing our minds on God’s Word and leaning on the Holy Spirit for direction in life. He will keep us on the narrow path to eternal life.

May this sharing be a blessing to you as you seek to love the Lord with all your heart and receive His deliverance from your spiritual enemies.