Introduction to the Spiritual World

There is more to the 3D world we live in than what we can see, hear, touch, taste and smell. There is also a parallel universe called the heavenly realm in which invisible beings are waging a war. All of human history is a great struggle between God and Satan, good and evil. The battlefield is our world and our lives. Our struggle is not against people, but against various classes of fallen angels and demons who work in and through people. (Ephesians 6:12) To some extent, we have all received the blessing and supernatural protection of Jesus and the good angels. But to some extent, we have all suffered defeats at the hands of Satan and his bad angels and demons.

The good news is that we need not wage the war alone. Jesus said, "The thief [Satan] comes only to steal, kill and destroy: I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8b)

Deliverance ministry is an important part of the Christian life. It involves breaking curses upon people and cleansing them of demons or evil spirits in or around them or their property. It is based on the example of Jesus Christ in the Bible. He called it "the children's bread" in Matthew 15:26, which means that it is a special benefit for the children of God, i.e., those people who have repented of their sins and who follow Jesus Christ. (See How to Be Saved.)

Breaking curses

Curses are the opposite of blessings. God promises blessings upon those who obey His commands and curses upon all who break His command:

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." - Exodus 20:3-5

Thanks to Jesus' work on the cross, all followers of Jesus can have their curses broken:

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." - Galatians 3:13,14

Some curses may be broken automatically upon repentance and conversion, but most need to be dealt with one by one afterwards, as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind. Some curses are the result of our own disobedience, and some are the result of our ancestors' disobedience. They can be broken simply by confessing and renouncing the sins (of oneself or of one's ancestors) and then breaking them in Jesus name. Here are some examples:

• "Father, I confess and renounce my sin of trusting in myself or other people instead of You (Jeremiah 17:5), and I break all curses from it in Jesus' name."
• "Father, I confess and renounce my sin of pilfering office supplies (Ephesians 4:28) and break all curses from it in Jesus' name."
• "Father, I confess and renounce the sin of rebellion, as I have disobeyed, resisted or complained to authority figures in my life (1 Samuel 15:22,23, Phil. 2:14,15), and I break all curses from it in Jesus' name."
• "Father, I confess my parents' sins of divorce and adultery (Mt. 19:9), and I break all curses that I have inherited from that in Jesus' name."

In some cases, it will also be necessary to destroy cursed objects (like ouija boards or stuffed kachina dolls) or throw away or delete pagan music or books that promote immorality, idolatry, rebellion or other serious sins or make restitution for damages caused (like paying for pilfered office supplies). It may also mean breaking ties with people who practice or promote such behavior if such relationships cause us to fall back into sin.

What are demons?

According to the Book of Enoch, evil spirits, a.k.a. demons, are the spirits of deceased hybrid (divine-human) beings:

"And now these monsters, who are formed from the spirit and flesh, will be called evil spirits on the earth, and on the earth will their abode be. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies because they are born from humans and from watchers [fallen angels] - the latter were to be separate - but now their beginnings and primal origins are mixed. Therefore they will be evil spirits on the earth, and evil spirits [ruachim] will they be called. As for the spirits of the skies, they will stay in the skies; but as for the land-bound spirits, those born on the earth, on land will be their abode. These monstrous spirits will afflict, oppress, havoc, attack, do battle, ruin, and work destruction upon the earth. Though evil spirits need no food, yet they still hunger and thirst; and they offend. These spirits will always rise up against the children of human-king and especially against women, because they proceeded from them." - 1 Enoch 15:8-12, True Names Version

The Bible discusses these hybrid (divine-human) beings in the Book of Genesis:

"There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown [Giborim]." - Genesis 6:4

Some demons are also the spirits of deceased hybrid divine-animal beings:

"They started to sin against birds, beasts, reptiles, fish, and then to devour one another's bodies - even drinking blood." - 1 Enoch 7:5-6, True Names Version

Basically, demons are squatters who need the body or soul (mind, will and emotions) of a human or animal to live in. (Demons cannot live in a Christian's spirit, since that is owned by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 1:13,14.) Any time a person has an uncontrollable bad habit, it is usually a demon inside causing it. This does not relieve personal responsibility for sinful behavior, but it is a problem that can be resolved once and for all. Deliverance is not the same as crucifying the flesh through self-denial. That is something every follower of Jesus must do every day (See Luke 9:23-25.) Demons cannot be crucified, nor can the flesh be cast out.

Much more information about the identity of demons is available from Christians who have actually interrogated demons and cast them out of people. Just search Frank Hammond, Win Worley, Derek Prince, Jay Bartlette, Shannon Davis, Charles Costello, Josef Jazinski or other deliverance ministers. See also Origin of Demons by Tom Brown.

Basic steps to get deliverance

Deliverance can be a very difficult and complex ministry. Sometimes, it can be dangerous if people are presumptuous (see Acts 19:13-17). However, it is a good thing, and getting started is not difficult if a person is humble and honest.

1. It is usually best to be saved before starting. (See How to Be Saved.) Otherwise, there's a good possibility that a demon that gets cast out will go and get seven other spirits that are more wicked than himself and attack the person (Mt. 12:43-45).


2. It is important to want deliverance. Only desperate people get delivered. Meditation on Scripture will help a person identify sin, bad habits and evil spirits. Then, he or she can begin to call out to God for deliverance. Psalm 116:4 says, "Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul." The good news is God promises that "Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered." (Joel 2:32)


3. Do spiritual inventory and confess all known sins of oneself and ancestors. This breaks the legal grounds for demons to stay. One of the most common things blocking deliverance is unforgiveness, so be sure to tell God that you forgive anyone who has sinned against you (Matthew 6:14,15; 18:21-35.)


4. Do physical inventory and destroy any cursed items that give demons a legal right to be there. These can include any of the following:
   
   • Illegal drugs
   • Ouija boards
   • Tarrot cards
   • Pentagrams
   • Hexagrams
   • Horror novels
   • Literature or music that promotes sexual immorality, idolatry or rebellion
   • Statues of pagan gods or saints or Mary
   • Rosary beads
   • Dolls and stuffed animals
   • Artwork or artifacts depicting pagan gods or that are related to idol worship or summoning spirits
   • For a longer list, see also House Curses.
   • When in doubt, throw it out!
   
   
5. Command the demons by name or function to get out in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is called self-deliverance. Demons are spirits, which are like wind, so they usually come out through coughing, yawning, burping, sneezing, farting, crying, screaming or in other ways. For modesty, it may be good to find a quiet place not in public view. However, priority should be given to doing it when the Holy Spirit provides an urge to do so.


6. If deliverance doesn't happen, then prayer and fasting may be needed (Mt. 17:14-21).


7. In many cases, it is also best to seek the help of Christians with experience in deliverance ministry. There are many methods of spiritual warfare that take time to learn, just as it takes time to learn a vocation or how to play a sport. The fastest path to success is usually to learn from experienced deliverance ministers who love Jesus and His Word. This can be done in person or via radio or audio recordings. Again, just search for Frank Hammond, Win Worley, Derek Prince, Charles Costello, Josef Jazinski or other deliverance ministers. You may also want to ask people at institutional churches, but don't be discouraged if they tell you that Christians can't have demons. This is Satan's best defense - simply make people not believe it's possible.


8. Use the power and authority God has given you (Luke 10:19, Eph. 1:19-21, 2:6) to bind up demons and loose good angels to help out (Mt. 16:19) and apply the blood of Jesus (Rev. 12:11). Also, sing praises to Jesus and read the Word of God out loud. Demons hate these things. Learn to think like a soldier and fight demons, not people (Eph. 6:10-20). All it takes is faith. If you lack faith, ask for more (Mt. 7:7,8). We can bind the demons in other people too and help them get free (John 8:31,32) and have their souls restored (Psalm 23:3).


9. When Jesus does deliver you from a demon, give thanks and honor to Jesus! He's our deliverer! You will feel different and overcome bad habits. You'll have more inner peace. You'll find yourself being able to do things you never did before. Some people also say they even feel lighter. Some even look better! It's a process, though, like peeling back the layers of an onion, so keep listening to the Holy Spirit, keep battling the demons and keep learning new weapons of warfare (2 Cor. 10:3-5)