Establishing Foundations: Deliverance

Since we have been conducting some deliverances lately, I thought I should teach about this. Jesus said "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." He says the thief, or devil, is the one who comes to take from us and hold us captive. The Devil and demons want all men bound. This is the spiritual battle of good and evil, against demon activity. Ephesians 6refers to open doors that are demonic in nature. They are the occult, horoscopes, palm reading, tarot cards, horror movies and books, and all New Age and eastern mysticism beliefs to name but a few. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be ransformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. Many things in this day have a measure of truth but not the fullness; these are the angels of light. They appear good, but have evil mixed in. Jesus said he was the way, he was the truth, and he was life.

A person needs deliverance from evil spirits when they no longer have control of their actions. Demons or spirits look for bodies to inhabit, since they have no actual physical form. Deliverance can sometimes be violent. These spirits sometimes start to manifest, speak rudely, or violently, start shaking or stressing people during times of worship or while the word of God is preached. This is because the anointing and presence of God is resident to set the people free. The presence of God causes these spirits to become aggravated. At times, it can appear as if the person is out of control, and having convulsions. The Bible shows this example in Matt 17:14 & Mark 9:14 where the evil spirit would throw the person into the fire. Jesus took authority and cast out the spirit, because he had authority from his father.

The name of Jesus gives us the same authority. Jesus defeated the devil and cast out demons while he was here upon the earth. When Jesus arose from the dead, he gave the church and His disciples this proven authority over demons to minister to those who are held by their grip. When deliverance occurs in a service the congregation needs to stay connected and praying as the person's very soul could be held in the balance. In the name of Jesus we bind the strongman (evil spirit) and cast him out. The evil spirits are subject to us in the name of Jesus, and rendered powerless. After they are cast out, the Bible tells us they will try and return with 7 other spirits, and the person could be worse than he was before. Asking God to fill the void with his love easily stops this.

The important thing to remember about deliverance is Jesus Christ came to set us free from the things that would hold us bound. Deliverance is not something to be embarrassed about, quite the opposite. It is one of the most powerful encounters you can have. It is God showing His power towards you. It shows the depth God is willing to go to free you and show you how much He loves you. If you have been through deliverance, you need to realize how valuable you are to God.