Demonization and the Life of the Believer

Practical Deliverance for a Life of Holiness

Demonization of Christians

“All victory begins with the name of Jesus on our lips, but it is not finished until the character of Jesus is in our hearts”  Francis Frangipane

 John Wesley’s concept of Sanctification.

 Lifestyle of “ongoing deliverance” where God gains more influence over our lives and “the world the flesh and the devil” lose influence.

What Can Demons Do to



External

Saints?

influence - yes  But what about

Internal

influence?

 Questions this raises:  How can demons be there if Christ and the Holy Spirit are there?

 Doesn’t talk of internal control imply possession of some sort?

 The term “demon possession”  Gk. verb

daimonizomai

in KJV translated “demon possessed” 

daimon

= demon 

Daimonizomai

= demonize 

Essential meaning: “

to subject to demonic influence”

 Demonize is compatible with varying degrees of control  Can be used to refer to Christians

 How can demons inhabit someone if Christ inhabits him or her?

 The fallacy of this kind of thinking. Based upon an understanding of space not applicable to the spirit realm.

 Similar problem with the meaning of “spirit-filled”  Scripture does teach there are degrees of yieldedness to the control of the Holy Spirit

 According to Fred Dickason’s exhaustive study we can’t say conclusively that scripture teaches that a Christian may or may not be demonized.

 Leaves us some freedom to let reason & experience guide us

 “The possible demonization of true Christians is the single most controversial area in spiritual warfare today.”--Ed Murphy  Most exhaustive study - Fred Dickason,

Demon Possession and the Christian

 Demon possession - NO  Because possession implies ownership

“I have encountered from 1974-1987 at least 400 cases of those who were genuine Christians who were also demonized. I would not claim infallible judgement, but I know the marks of a Christian and the marks of a demonized person. I might have been wrong in a case or so, but I cannot conceive that I would be wrong in more than 400 cases”- Fred Dickason

 Conversion transfers us “from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light”  At conversion, “There is an invasion of the Holy Spirit that breaks most of us free from direct internal demonic attachment” (Tom White)  Extra biblical (can’t cite explicit scriptures to substantiate)  But not anti-biblical

Major Causes of Demonization

 Demons do not have automatic access to human beings  Conditions must be met to give them a legal right to be there  “doorways or pathways” “sin handles” “airplane runway” “ground”



“Demons cannot live in a person unless two conditions exist: (1) they must have discovered and ‘entry point,’ an emotional or spiritual weakness through which they can enter, and (2) they must have a ‘legal right,’ a right that accords with the laws of the spiritual universe, allowing them to be there” --Charles Kraft

1. Persistent Sin

 “Be angry but do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil”(Eph 4:27)  Sins that are especially prone to open doorways:  involvement in occult practices  idolatry  bitterness and hatred  persistent sexual sin or fleshly indulgence  The sins of the flesh (Gal 5:19)

The Continuum of Sin (Ed Murphy)

Thought Choice Demonization Habit Loss of Control Bondage Almost Total Control

2. The Victimizing Sins of Others

Two helpful books:  Charles Kraft,

Deep Wounds, Deep Healing

 Mark Johnson,

Spiritual Warfare for the Wounded



These victimizing sins of others cause us trauma. Basically trauma can be broken down into two types:



A. Type A Trauma



The bad things that happen to us.



B. Type B Trauma



The good things that didn’t happen to us.

 Four Kinds of Abuse: Sexual, Physical, Psychological, Religious  Not the wounds themselves, but our

reactions

(shame, anger, rage, bitterness) and the

lies

we believe as a result

 According to Charles Kraft, Wounds and reactions/lies are like

garbage.

Garbage often attract rats (

demons).

 Real problem is the garbage so the garbage, not the rats, is the focus of ministry.

 Not all woundedness has a demonic component to it.

3. Generational Sin

    The Sins of the fathers.

I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:5-6) Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment. (Lamentations 5:7) “The Lord is slow to anger…yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation (Num 14:8)

Confessing the Sins of the

 Daniel 9:4-19

Ancestors

 Nehemiah 1:6-7  Ezra 9:5-15  Lev 26:40:“But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers…then I will remember my covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will remember the land.”  See Jim Goll,

Father, Forgive Us!

Russ Parker,

Healing Wounded History

Craig Hill,

The Ancient Paths

Wasn’t that superseded acc. to Ezekiel 18:1-20?

 “The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.”(Ez 18:20)  Distinction between

guilt consequences

for sin and of sin (Ez 18:19-20)

A Corrective but not a Denial of the Con sequences of Generational Sin  Scripture supports “the law of hereditary tendencies and punishments that fall not on the original offenders, but on their children, and the law of individual responsibility” --E.H. Plumtre  Jn 9:2--Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

The Nature of Demonization which is the Result of Generational Sin  Not necessarily a direct demonic transference, but propensities, weaknesses, greater potential for open doorways.

 “Spiritual dedications and commitments made by our parents and ancestors have a direct impact on us. Demonic spirits associated with these past vows will claim their rights on the next generation. Similarly, evil spirits will seek to exploit the familial patterns of sinful behavior in the succeeding generations.

“If there is, for example, a pattern of sexual sin or marital unfaithfulness in the family of a new Christian, this will likely be an issue he or she will struggle with. This may, in part, be explained by genetic predispositions as well as by a set of poor examples, but there is probably also a spiritual, supernatural aspect to it. This is an area where Satan will strike by powerfully tempting the individual working in concert with the sinful inclination already there” --Clinton Arnold

“ I have frequently found inherited spirits in people whose parents or grandparents, or both were involved in witchcraft or occult organizations such as Satanism, Freemasonry, Mormonism, Christian Science and the like. Such generational spirits tend to cause similar emotional problems, sins, illnesses and compulsions from generation to generation in the family.”--Charles Kraft

The Cross and Ancestral Sin

 “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.”(1 Pet 1:18-19)  “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”(Gal 3:13)

Additional Avenues



Soul Ties.



Accidents.

Results of Demonization



Harassment

flies around a .

Much the same as a hornet person’s head, annoying and distracting him, so it can be with this level of demonization. The demon does not keep the person away from his or her appointed course, but does discourage him/her.

seek to bother and

Results of Demonization



Oppression

.

This level of demonic activity is much like a fog that settles in upon a person.

The individual finds it more difficult to stay on track, and often battles varying levels of emotional and spiritual oppression.

It can be more difficult for a person to keep focused on what is true and right.

Results of Demonization



Affliction

.

Jesus often cast-out demons when people suffered from physical sickness. At this level of activity, demons seek to bring emotional, spiritual, and physical suffering to a person in an effort to defeat and demoralize them.

Results of Demonization



Bondage

.

The demon spirit is exercising a certain level of control in an area of a person’s life. This demonization is possible because of personal choices that give room for this type of bondage. Despite personal efforts to move beyond the problem of sinful behavior, the individual finds it difficult to resist, and repeatedly fails to find freedom

 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

(Colossians 2:15).

“There is no such thing as deliverance for immaturity.”

– David Seamands.

Two Approaches to Deliverance Ministry



Neil Anderson - a truth encounter model. Steps to Freedom in Christ. Deal with the individual not the demons.



Charles Kraft - a power encounter model. Deal with the individual and the demons.

Charles Kraft On Deliverance

A Power-Encounter Approach

Getting Rid of Demons

1. Deal with the Garbage First --persistent sin issues --emotional wounds 2. Exercise Discernment - Discernment is both ‘Natural’ and ‘Supernatural’ --Look for Behavioral Clues and Overt Manifestations of Demonization

Behavioral Clues that there



may be Demonization

Compulsive Behavior  Disturbing Dreams  Strong Urge toward suicide or murder  Strong self-rejection  Involvement in homosexuality  Involvement in the occult  Serious generational dysfunction  Paralyzed or Passive Will  Pain that moves around in the body

Common Outward Manifestations

 Lightheadedness, feeling sick, or like about to throw up  Stiffness or shaking of body  Headache or pain somewhere else in body  Unusual sleepiness

Common Outward Manifestations  Strong desire to strike the counselor  Strong desire to run from the session

Less Common Manifestations

(Usually Indicating More Severe  Demonization) Violent shaking  Violent behavior  Facial and/or body contortion  Screaming, swearing  Speaking with another voice  Throwing up  Eyes glazed, squinted or rolled back  Acting out (e.g. trying to seduce counselor)

3. Conducting the Deliverance Session

 Bathe the session in Prayer (and fasting)  Work in Teams if possible  Begin by taking authority, claiming protection, and forbidding outside help or violence.

 Remember the Person being ministered to.

4. Challenge the Demons

 A Guess and Challenge Approach  Ask permission to test the possibility of a demon’s presence  Challenge one demon by name, if possible.

 Getting information from demons  Discover the hierarchy of demons within the person  Break off any grip demons may have through ancestral sin or curses

5. Expel the Demons

 Take authority and Command it to Leave  If it refuses, command it to tell you what right/grounds it has to stay  Be forceful, authoritative but Patient  How demons come out  person will usually know when they leave  often leave through the mouth, sometimes through other orifices  other signals such as flinch of body

5. Expel the Demons (contd)

 When demons won’t leave  Forbidding demons to return and sealing persons with the Holy Spirit

6. Instruct the person concerning Follow-up

Ten Keys To Staying Free

1. The lordship of Jesus Christ must be central in your life.

First establish lordship by exercising your God given right of free will to be obedient and stop sinning. No demon can force you to sin. Jesus must be lord of our minds. He must be lord of our emotions, how we react. He must be lord of our will and the decisions we make. He must be lord of our sexuality our bodies. The most important decision we make in staying free is this one. If you haven’t won this battle, you will never stay free. The enemy will always find an area where Jesus is not lord of you life and he will exploit it.

2. Be continuously being filled with the Holy Spirit. Note Jesus saying he knew someone had touched Him because power had gone out of Him. When we minister, The power of the Holy Spirit goes out of us to accomplish God’s purposes. We must come back to God for the continued infilling of the Spirit of God. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is when the doors were opened so that the river could flow.

3. Read the Word of God daily and let it minister to you. You cannot use what you haven’t taken in. If you get it in, the Holy Spirit will get it out of you when necessary.

4. Wear the Armor of God at all times.

It is our provision for us to avoid the fire darts of satan.

5. Be on your guard against the enemy’s counter attacks. This is a basic fact of warfare. If you take ground, the enemy will counter attack. Be alert and watch for them. The best defense here is to keep doing what God has told you to do. When you are doing what God is telling you to do, you cannot do what the enemy is telling you to do

6. Be in good fellowship with others One temptation of the enemy is to convince us that we’re such a good Christian that we don’t need fellowship. We all need to have people speaking into our lives and bring correction as well as encouragement. If a Christian is not willing to accept correction, they cannot receive direction.

7. Allow the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Note that fruit grows slowly. We must give people space and have patience with ourselves and others while it is being produced.

8. Walk continuously in forgiveness. You will have many opportunities to forgive. The more free you get the more you will need to forgive because the enemy will put people in our way to trip us up in this area.

9. Praise God in all circumstances. Not praise God for the things that go wrong, but praise Him in the midst of bad circumstances because He still loves us in a world that we sold out to the enemy. Praise Him for who He is because those things that the enemy intended for harm, He can turn to good.

10. Keep the right company.

Not only break soul ties with people we used to know, but sometimes also with people we now know.

Helpful Books on Deliverance

 Francis MacNutt,

Deliverance from Evil Spirits

(Chosen Books)  Charles Kraft,

Defeating Dark Angels

(Servant Publications)  Doris Wagner,

How to Cast Out Demons

(Renew Books)  Noel & Phyl Gibson,

Evicting Demonic Intruders

(Renew Books)  Peter Horrobin,

Healing Through Deliverance 2

(Renew Books)