DELIVERANCE
Nowhere in Scripture do we see a “ministry of deliverance” but we are all called to a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
2Co 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Demons are found wherever people are. Their mandate is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
It is the right of the children of God to be delivered but it is each man’s own responsibility to hate the works of the flesh, all evil and the devil and be accountable for his life and the decisions he has taken (Matthew 15:22-26, 28; Mark 7:25-29).
AIM OF THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
To lead God’s people out of captivity into purity so reconciling man to his Father.
The Old Testament is a type and shadow of the New Testament. Coming out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and the Jordan, entering into the Promised Land and defeating all the enemies and taking our inheritance symbolizes our walk as a believer. I.e. coming out of the world system, being born again, baptized, spirit filled and then evicting the squatters who have no legal right to be in our lives.
- Deliverance is a process in the Promised Land. We inherit the land by a process of sanctification (Exodus 23:30).
- We are commanded to be holy for He is holy (1 Peter 1:16).
- He has chosen us to be holy and blameless in His sight – set apart (Ephesians 1:4).
- If we are willing and obedient, we will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19-20).
Every Christian who accepts Jesus as his Saviour and Lord and who makes it his aim to follow Him, living in His victory over satan, will be able to find deliverance from all forms of demonic oppression. This he does by faith and obedience. In the book of Joshua, apathy, unbelief and disobedience kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land and possessing their inheritance. These same three sins keep us from our inheritance.(Heb 318& 4:1-2)
METHOD
Deliverance is a ministry of love and intercession that without the anointing of the Holy Spirit would be impossible.
SALVATION IS A FINISHED WORK
Romans 10:9-10. We are saved – GR. SOZO: to save, deliver or protect, heal, preserve, be made whole – salvation includes deliverance from evil spirits. Jesus took our place on the cross.
This is called SUBSTITIUTION. At conversion there are areas of our hearts that did not receive the truth. We must appropriate the work of the cross in our lives in order to experience the finished work.
This process is called SANCTIFICATION. Sanctification begins when a person consecrates his life to God and continues with devotion all his life. In this dedication the person and the Lord work together in the “setting apart” process (Luke 9:23; Matthew 16:24-25).
Matthew 12:28 – “If I cast out devils by the spirit of God then the Kingdom of God is come upon you”. The Holy Spirit sets you free – you come into your inheritance. Deliverance is the working of miracles (Mark 9:38-39; Acts 8:6-7).
THE NATURE OF DEMON SPIRITS
They Have A Personality (i.e. intellect, emotions and a will) (Luke 8:26-35).
Have a personal name – Christ asked the demon for his name (Luke 8:30). Speech – demons spoke to Jesus (Luke 4:33-35, 41; 8:28, 30).
Intelligence – knew who Jesus was ( Luke 4:34; 8:28). Will – appealed to Jesus not to cast them out (Luke 8:32).
Emotion – fear and trembling of judgment (Luke 8:28; James 2:19).
They Are Spirit Beings (Matthew 8:16; Luke 10:20). They are finite and limited in space, time and powers.
They are invisible but are capable of manifestation. When Scripture records their appearance they assume fearsome forms such as animals (Revelation 9:7-10, 17; 16:13-16).
They Are Morally Perverted.
Operate in darkness but may transform themselves into messengers of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Termed unclean spirits or evil spirits (Luke 7:21; Mark 7:25; 9:25). Vicious and powerful (1 Peter 5:8).
They have supernatural strength in controlling men (Acts 19:16; Mark 5:3) and speed in moving from place to place (Daniel 9:21-23; 10:10-14).
CAN CHRISTIANS BE POSSESSED BY DEMONS?
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
A Christian is a person who is convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and acknowledges that he is a sinner (Romans 3:23). He confesses and repents of all his sins (1 John 1:9) and forsakes them (Isaiah 55:7; Proverbs 28:13). He is made aware of the redemptive work of the cross and believes that if he asks God for forgiveness in faith he will receive it (Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 1:18). The Holy Spirit then floods his heart and he places a personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and consecrates his life to Him (Matthew 10:32; 1 Peter 2:9). He believes with his whole heart that Almighty God has saved him by grace and accepts him as he is (2 Corinthians 6:2; Ephesians 2:8-9). As he receives Jesus, he receives life (John 20:31) and is in union with Him (Ephesians 1; John 15:7). This union means that the Father has a true, obedient Son, Christ, in a human container (Colossians 1:27). This union becomes perfected (2 Corinthians 3:18) and results in Christ operating in and as the believer.
CHRISTIANS CANNOT BE DEMON POSSESSED
We are spirit beings, with a soul and we live in a body. The soul consists of the intellect, the will and the emotions. Before salvation ,man is a body with a spirit. His soul and spirit are one because his soul dominates the spirit. Adam was dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). This is bondage. At conversion (born again) the truth separates the soul and the spirit (Hebrews 4:12) so that the sons of God are led by the Spirit through dictating to the body and the soul (Romans 8:14).
At death the body goes to the grave (Ecclesiastics 12:7; Job 21:26; Ecclesiastics 3:19, 21; James 2:26) the spirit returns to God (Ecclesiastics 12:7) and the soul either goes to heaven awaiting the resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-24) or to hell awaiting the judgment (Luke 16:19-31; Isaiah 14:9). Our spirits are saved, “born again”, made alive at the time of salvation, after which our souls become subject to the process of sanctification
(1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Sanctification is not striving to be holier than everyone else. It is the process by which the Holy Spirit brings us more and more, to put to death the old nature (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Corinthians 6:20). We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, bought with a price. Deliverance for a Christian represents the eviction of trespassing spirits who are squatters in our souls and bodies (Mark 1:23; Matthew 11:18; Mark 7:25).
According to 1Peter 1:5, when Christ reigns in a person’s life, that person is kept by God’s power. As a result, “the evil one does not touch him”
1Pe 1:4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 John 5:18 When the Holy Spirit inhabits a person, no demon can set up house as a squatter. Indwelling by demons is only evidence of a lack of genuine salvation.
1Jn 5:18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
1Jn 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
He is God’s seal of ownership and your guarantee of complete salvation.
Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Eph 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
2Co 1:21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,
2Co 1:22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come
Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Rom 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
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