Driving home with five high-powered rifles in my car, I had plenty to think about. At his request I had accompanied a colleague to a Bible study where a young married couple were in a unique crisis. Concluding the study I asked my friend to pray. As he ended his prayer, I added, "In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke the spirit of fear in Nigel" (not his real name). There was a loud shriek, and I opened my eyes to see Nigel flat on his back on the floor.
It is amazing what people will cover up. For a long time Nigel had been pestered by voices in his head, telling him he had to shoot his wife. He would come home from work and tell her, "I've got to do it, I have to kill you." He had kept those five rifles in a closet in their bedroom. We did not gain full victory over the demons in this fine young man that night, but we did take the rifles away with us. Two nights later, with the assistance of another colleague, Nigel found release.
Prayer empowers
I asked this colleague to arrange prayer groups on a daily basis over the next few weeks to support Nigel during his time of recovery. He told us that the next day the voices were no longer in his head, but he could hear them outside, taunting and threatening him. Over the next several days they died away completely. I kept those rifles in our home for four months, until I felt I could trust Nigel with them. Today, many years later, Nigel and his wife continue to be faithful church members.
Not all such ministry is so dramatic. I think of a young Adventist man who had convinced himself that he was demon-possessed. We worked with him for two hours, and he had very convincing manifestations, before we decided it was his way of gaining attention from his friends. Another young man had his girlfriend ask us for help and pretended to have a problem just to see if he could trick us.
That is one of the challenges which comes with involvement in this kind of ministry. An almost superstitious notoriety comes to the one doing it, even in the eyes of seasoned Christians who should know better. For this reason I avoid using words like "exorcism" and "possessed" as much as possible because they carry with them such an emotive mystique. I have never asked for this ministry, and I certainly never go looking for it. However, if it presents itself to me, I do not turn from it.
A normal part of ministry
Reading passages like Matthew 10:7, 8, and Mark 3:14, 15, one may well see casting out demons as a normal part of gospel ministry. It is a ministry based entirely upon the victory Christ gained on the cross. In terms of forgiveness granted, guilt banished, and righteousness applied, it may be said that every sinner who accepts Christ and is born again is "delivered" (see Col. 1:13,14).
In all branches of ministry, diagnosis is the first essential. Therefore, the first question we should ask is: Does this problem have an emotional, physiological, or mental cause, or is there something more? Unless there are obvious criteria which cannot be ignored, the best answer is "wait and see." If the person receives help from a source which seems appropriate to the need, but the result is negative, or the problem keeps recurring, there comes a time when investigation from a spiritual perspective becomes appropriate. A respected Adventist psychiatrist once told me this was precisely his experience with a particular patient, who, it turned out, was demonized. He had not believed in demonism until this experience.
Weapons of warfare What are our "weapons of warfare" (2 Cor. 10:4)? The Word of God, the blood of Christ, acceptance of Christ as Saviour and Lord, His victory on the cross, His resurrection, prayer and intercession, repentance and confession, appropriate restitution. With the ministry of the Holy Spirit pervading all the above, Christians are well qualified to exercise the authority delegated to them by the Lord (Luke 10:19). Along with this, it must be understood that there is a strictly legal aspect to deliverance from evil spirits. The redemption which Christ gained for us must be accepted, claimed, and applied, or the spirits will hold their ground.
Note the following important points about this ministry.
1. The Bible and prayer are primary weapons which will discomfort the evil spirits. See Rev.l2:10,11; Luke 10:19; Eph. 1:7; Ps. 35, 51, 107:20; 1 John 1:9; Matt. 28:18, and many more.
2. I find it important to have the counselee repeat prayers of confession and renunciation after me. In doing this they are clearly declaring their choice to the powers of darkness to have Christ rule their lives. On the basis of faith in Him, those powers have no alternative but to retreat.
3. The means of demonic entry and the grounds upon which they stand need to be defined. Seances or Ouija boards are obvious sources, but persistent and indulged hatred, bitterness, lying, unforgiveness, blasphemy, filthiness, just to name some, are equally effective in bringing bondage into a person's life (note Mark 7:20-23). Other means of entry are involvement in heathen worship, hypnotism, occult practices, and similar mind control techniques.
4. Oppression by evil powers may be generationally transferred, that is, passed from generation to generation within families. If that is not credible to you, then think of the trail of violence and child sex abuse passed down the line of families. Often the generation factor is the missing link in finding the source of a problem. Confession and renunciation are effective in breaking this chain of inheritance (see Ex. 20:5 and Lam. 5:7).
5. It is not wise to enter into conversation with demons. If allowed, they will prattle on by the hour through the counselee, or they may choose to hide and play dumb. Either way the Christian has the authority to deal with them.
6. Evil spirits seldom operate alone and are most commonly found in groups. In serious cases they tend to come out one by one, showing their character by physical manifestations in the person. In a matter of minutes I have seen a person demonstrate characteristics of extreme pride, self-pity, anger, over-confidence, hatred, bullying, as each spirit was exiting. Sometimes, however, they will just "pack their bags and go." But there needs to be a double check as this can be a ruse on their part.
7. We should never work alone. This is of necessity a team ministry with one leading and one or two others providing support in prayer, observation, and encouragement.
8. It is of great benefit to have someone with the gift of discerning spirits. While not infallible, if humbly exercised it can save a great amount of time and energy. This ministry is highly demanding.
9. There is no need for shouting, excitement, or demonstrative strutting about. It can be done quietly, virtually no different from a normal counseling session or Bible study. But if time drags on, it is quite in order to have a break with a refreshing drink and a light snack.
10. We need to be sensitive to the feelings of the person in need. They will probably be unraveling some very private material from their past. This may be quite traumatic for them, bringing tears and feelings of shame. They should be constantly reassured that they are doing well. They should be respected, assured of the great love of God for them, and reminded that their pain will soon be just a memory.
11. To dispel darkness, bring in the light. "The entrance of Your words gives light" (Ps. 119:130, NKJV; see also 2 Cor. 4:1-7).
12. Because there are demons which use the name of Jesus, when I am involved in this work I always clearly identify our Lord by titles such as the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus and Jesus of Nazareth.
A wholistic ministry
Deliverance ministry deals with the whole person and for this reason it should not be approached lightly or with brash confidence. Wherever there is the slightest indication to do so, it is wise to have a Christian doctor involved.
People may question why this ministry seems to be such a tedious and time-consuming affair. It certainly did not seem to be like that with Christ and His apostles. But consider the following:
1. This is not the place to ask why, but Christ and the apostles had a degree of power and discerning which is rarely seen today (see Luke 13:16, 8:44-46, 6:17-19; Matt. 14:34-36; John 4:17,18,9:3; Acts 5:3, 13:9,10,14:9,19:11,12).
2. This means that time will be spent discovering from the counselee the vital elements of their past that impact upon their present condition (see Mark 9:17-29).
3. Counselees are often ignorant of the need to be fully self-revealing, or not convinced it is imperative. Thus the grounds upon which the spirits gained access to the life are often only exposed after patient investigation. Sometimes the very points which are important for us to know are hidden from the mind of the person in need, and memory is only prompted by probing.
4. Because the demons were granted certain rights of access to the life, either by the person, or by their forbears, demons will resist and contest efforts to dislodge them until those rights have been negated. I recall a young man who was terrifyingly demonized and was not a Christian. For a long time the spirits physically prevented him form accepting Christ, even though he had a strong desire to do so.
5. Inexperience can be costly in terms of time and effort. For my part, I am grateful I have served an "apprenticeship" in this ministry with a senior man who had experience. It does seem there is a certain fear and even dread of this subject, coupled with strong uncertainties about it. I am still very much a learner and I do not wish to give the impression of any great expertise. I have simply shared what I have learned "at the coal face," and through careful reading. I emphasize the word "careful," for we need to be discriminating in the ministries we accept.
