Introduction to Deliverance (Continued)
James 4:6 tells us He resists the proud, but He gives His grace to the humble. It also says to submit to one another and be clothed with humility. Submission, humility and confession are also keys that unlock our healing and freedom. When we confess our sin then we can be cleansed from our unrighteousness, and it’s also what removes the legal grounds Satan uses against us to block answered prayer. This is also the nature of deliverance ministry, to remove spiritual blocks to prayer so that people can make forward progress in their lives. Many times, people need help identifying what is blocking answered prayer.
We all know people, including ourselves perhaps, that may be saved but not yet free, healed, or walking in victory. There are going to be strongholds in people’s thought processes that need to be dealt with, and agreements with spirits of darkness that need to be renounced in order to put those devils on notice that they are no longer that person's master. If a person used to call on the name of Buddah, Allah, Mary, Catholic saints, or any other names of false gods of other religions, those spirits need to be divorced and renounced through some very intentional efforts in prayer because those are connected to the sin of idolatry. Jesus does not share his lordship with other spirits. But, if no one ever told you you need to enforce your dominion over those spirits through prayers of renouncement, they are often still connected to you, and their assignments need to be broken.
Some of our blind spots involve doors to the enemy that our ancestors opened as well as ourselves. Until the blood of Jesus is applied to those sins, it’s like a swinging door in the spirit realm where the enemy can come and go. The blood of Jesus closes the door so that the enemy is shut out. It is all about applying the work of the cross to our lives. It’s about the blood of Jesus that is powerful to deliver us from evil.
When God first started teaching me about generational curses, it came at a time when we were going through a very difficult time. It was very apparent that there was a spiritual battle because we were being squeezed financially. I was also having some very vivid dreams where I was attacked and followed by satanists and witches, and in every dream they were winning. I knew God was talking but I wasn’t sure about what.Then one night as I was praying the Lord told me to renounce voodoo. I was shocked because my mind couldn’t make sense of what I heard. But as I was obedient to the Lord, I stumbled through a prayer and asked the blood of Jesus to cover voodoo and other sins in my family line. Once I was obedient, I heard his voice very clearly. He asked, “Do you know what doors others in your family have opened a door to?” And I said, “No, Lord, how could I know that?” To which he replied, “That’s my point exactly, Laura.” It’s what you don’t know that is destroying you. The enemy sees legal grounds due to open doors and you don’t even know they exist.
In my early years as a Christian, no one in my life informed me that I needed to tell demonic spirits to leave me. I had no idea because the church didn’t teach it. So even though I was saved, those spirits continued to unravel my ability to prosper.
“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.” Proverbs 26:2.
That word “undeserved” can offend people because no one wants to think they deserve a curse. God doesn’t curse His children, but Satan will gladly enforce a curse if we are careless. We tend to evaluate ourselves by our own opinions but the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light don’t care about our opinions. They only operate by the spiritual laws in His word. People tend to judge themselves by a false standard of their own opinions because it is a form of self deception that offers a false form of comfort. We rationalize what motivates our behavior and think God will accept all our excuses, but Hoseah 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” We cannot afford to make allowances for our ignorance or our disobedience because it leaves us and our family members vulnerable to the enemy.Demons constantly look for areas where people have open doors. They take advantage of our blind spots. So let me just say it again: No one can afford to judge themselves by their own opinions or their own understanding. You will err greatly. The word of God is the standard by which we are judged, by God and by the enemy. God’s promises of restoration are conditional upon our obedience.
The enemy always wants to challenge us for dominion. There are believers that are bound in the area of their emotions. These are indicators that a person needs deliverance. All sin comes from the separation between us and ourselves, yourself and others, or between ourselves and God. Whenever there is something broken in one of these areas, it causes a lack of peace. Other words for peace are serenity, calmness and ease. The word dis-ease comes from the prefix dis, meaning NOT, and ease, which means peace. So, not peace. A lack of peace is the root of all disease. Dis-ease.Spirits of infirmity, sickness and disease can take up residence in our physical bodies. Spirits of infirmity must be cast out before healing can take place in the body. That can be another block to answered prayer. If you pray for healing but you’re not casting anything out, the demons that cause sickness and disease can remain. Jesus ministered healing to the sick often by casting out evil spirits. Luke 4:40-41 is one example. It says, When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
Jesus came to give us rest. His name is Jehovah Shalom. The word shalom is a word that means safety, prosperity, well-being, health, protection, fruitfulness and abundance. Jesus’ name means all of that. So wherever we are disconnected from Him, wherever the enemy is squatting on our land or is lying to us, there will be evidence somehow of a lack of peace and rest. If the enemy has established a stronghold in your beliefs, that will be the place where your mind wanders and there is a lack of peace. If you’re bound by unforgiveness or bitterness, there will be a lack of peace. Those are clues where you need deliverance and healing so that your peace can be restored. The question is, who and what is ruling over your emotions?
This sort of ministry builds up the individual and establishes the work of God.When people receive deliverance, they get healed, and healthy people will bring healing to others. So, it’s also a ministry that releases multiplication of health, freedom and increase to the body of Christ. This is an overview of deliverance ministry and I want to share with you a great resource to the body of Christ. My book, Wisdom to Defeat the Enemy is a deliverance handbook. Whether you are interested in working with God in your own self deliverance or you want to become more informed on how to help others, this is a book full wisdom and truth that will lead you in your journey of healing. It’s available on Amazon.
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