The topic of demons seems to be quite controversial among Christians, which is very surprising considering that the Bible mentions demons 70 times. If you believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, then you should believe that demons and demonic oppression are very real and something that every Christian needs to learn about. The Bible makes it clear that we have a very real enemy – Satan. He is out to get us and he starts when we are young. He will not go easy on us because we are little; he will pull out all of the stops and do whatever it takes to destroy us, kill our relationship with God, and steal our hope and joy. It is his sole mission here on earth.
I have been told that it is impossible for a Christian to have demons. There is a school of thought out there that says if you have the Holy Spirit you cannot possibly have demons. The Holy Spirit cannot be near evil at all. If that were true then we would never sin again once we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. If God Himself cannot stand to be anywhere near evil, then why is Satan allowed into His throne room? If the Holy Spirit cannot be near demons, then why when Jesus came upon people who were being tormented by demons, did the demons not immediately run away or leave the person at His presence? Instead the demons addressed Jesus and asked Him what He wanted with them!
Why does the Bible not specifically state a Christian can have a demon? The Bible is clear about this matter actually. Jesus, His disciples and the Apostles cast out demons time and time again in the New Testament. These people were all children of God, exactly as we are, with the exception that they had yet to receive the Holy Spirit. They were not called Christians because the term Christian was not coined until around A.D. 70 in Antioch. The first Christians were actually Jews. Christians experiencing demonic oppression are not limited to the New Testament either. In the Old Testament we read about King Saul who was tormented by evil spirits many times. This evil spirit caused King Saul to try on several occasions to kill David and to wreak havoc around him.
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Galations 5:17
What exactly are demons? Are they the same as evil spirits? There are different theories to what demons are but most likely they are the fallen angels Satan took when him when he fell to earth. They are most certainly his faithful servants who live to do his evil work to cause harm to all humans here on earth. Demons and evil spirits are the same thing. Demons have many disguises in which they try to deceive humans. They come in the form of aliens, dead relatives who speak to us, ghosts, imaginary friends, and the dead who speak through Ouija boards or mediums. The Bible makes it clear once you die you have no consciousness and no ability to communicate any longer. If you have seen a ghost or have talked to a dead relative, you are being tricked by a demon or familiar spirit. You have allowed demons into your life and this is dangerous. You need to seek help from God in getting rid of them and cutting off the rights you have given them to your life.
How can you know if you have demons? I really hate to say this, but chances are pretty good that most Christians do have demons. How does a person let a demon in? There are several ways in which we let demons in. 1) through sin – past or present, 2) through generational and ancestral curses, 3) inviting them in through movies/TV/games/music that are demonic, 4) abuse and/or trauma and 5) being involved with witchcraft of any kind, including the occult, new age and more. These are the most common ways that we let demons in. Once you open up the door to the demonic and agree with it, you have given it rights to stay. Which it will do until the rights get broken and it gets kicked out. With generational and ancestral curses you don’t even have to give it rights – someone else in your family line already has, and it will affect every generation under you.
What most Christians don’t know, and what is rarely talked about in the church, is that deliverance and healing are a must for every person that comes to Jesus Christ. Whether you have been a Christian since a child, or came to Him as an adult, we all have wounds, trauma, and pain that needs to be healed. It could be something that seems small like divorce or verbal abuse from a parent, or something bigger like sexual abuse or drug use. Demons love to ride on pain and trauma and the beliefs that we accept through these kind of situations. If you are verbally abused as a child and told you are stupid, worthless, and never going to amount to anything, you begin to believe these lies and demons use them to attach to you. These lies cause deep roots in you as time goes on, and bury themselves so the belief is so strong that you don’t even remember the events that led to it. You just know you are stupid and worthless. The demons use this belief to wreak havoc in your life and relationships. This is just one of the many ways that demons can use pain and trauma to cause you great harm.
A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
Luke 9:38-42
What is deliverance? Deliverance is when you use the authority of Jesus Christ to remove or cast our demons from within your personal being. Demons can attach themselves to you on the inside or the outside. They cannot be where your spirit is if you are a Christian, that is where the Holy Spirit lives. They can be just about everywhere else though. A Christian cannot be possessed, because that means you are being controlled by the demon. That is not possible thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit. Deliverance is for Christians, not for those who haven’t accept Jesus as Savior. If you do not have the Holy Spirit and try to remove demonic oppression, the demons will just come back in full force. There is nothing keeping them out. If you have the Holy Spirit and break the rights and kick them out, they cannot come back. That doesn’t mean they won’t try!
There are some common signs of the presence of demons inside of you. Here is a list of some of the problems that can be attributed to demonic oppression.
stuck in sinful behavior that cannot be stopped no matter how hard you try
chronic pain that has no relief, such as back pain or headaches
chronic diseases such as fibromyalgia or cistic fibrosis
eating disorders of all kinds
suicidal tendencies or fascination with death
any kind of addiction, including pornography, drugs, alcohol, etc.
uncontrollable moods that can’t be explained, such as always being angry, sad or anxious
inability to read the Bible or pray; feeling disconnected from God
hearing or seeing strange entities; demons, dead relatives, animals that follow you, voices in your head
Feeling tired all the time or unable to stay awake, especially during church or Bible study time
These are just some of the many ways that demons can affect your life. This does not mean every one of these things is demonic. There is no absolutes here. This is just to give you an idea and an understanding of the basics of demonic oppression and why deliverance is necessary and important for all believers. Deliverance is the first step to healing. Once you go through a deliverance session, then you can begin to heal inside pain and trauma that have been stored up during your life. Without deliverance, healing does not come as easily or completely.
There are many types of deliverance. As a new believer I knew I had serious problems because I was always angry for no reason, began to feel disconnected to God and then had an unexplainable sickness that I could not cure no matter what. I had so many prayer sessions from many people who I looked up to as prayer warriors or had the gift of healing and I never could get complete relief, if any at all. I was tired of suffering an knew there was more to life as a Christian than being miserable. Christ has promised us victory and freedom here and now. I knew I should be able to experience it, but could not. Finally I found a deliverance ministry that goes for the head demon inside of a person. Once you get to the head demon and break it’s rights, you can kick him out and all the minions underneath it as well. Otherwise you can keep kicking demons out, but the head demon can bring more minions in because he is still there.
When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
Matthew 12:43-45
There is nothing to fear in the face of demonic oppression in any way. Jesus has defeated Satan and has him under His foot. As believers Jesus has given us power and authority over the devil and his dark forces as well. We just need to first accept that they are indeed working to destroy us, then we need to find out how they are doing it so we can stop it. Any person can do deliverance on themselves if they so desire. If you pray earnestly and ask God to help you, the Holy Spirit can guide you through deliverance. Some people will have very few and some will have many. It does not matter how demonized you are, because no one is out of reach of the hand of God. Truly it is God Himself that does the deliverance and it is only guided by humans. It is only by His power and Jesus name that we are freed and released from demonic oppression.
If you suspect demonic oppression in your life, then I say rejoice. Yes, rejoice. The first step to deliverance is knowing you have a problem! So praise the Lord. Many people cannot even believe they could have demons (mostly because the demons inside them are convincing them so they can continue to stay!) so they cannot reach out for help. Getting help is the second step. You are not alone. Whatever pain, ailment, or other problems you are experiencing right now, GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED YOU! He knows your pain and He is right there with you. He has not relegated you to a life of suffering, but of freedom! He has brought you here to this place right now so that He can begin to walk with you in freedom from this bondage. This is the first step and He is going to continue with you in this journey until He has given you full restoration!! Believe it! Do not give up. No matter how hopeless it may seem or how hard or how many obstacles come in your way, do not give up! God has not given up on you!!
And just know, that whatever the devil has done in your life is for a good reason. You have a calling on your life! You have work to do for the Kingdom of God. The devil knows this and he will stop at nothing to keep you from doing God’s work. Take heart in this and know that the devil cannot stop you, unless you allow him. Stand up and fight, and if you are too weak, then ask God to fight for you. He will hold you up with His mighty hand until you are strong enough to fight side by side with Him. If you have any questions or need prayer, please feel free to contact me! Be blessed!
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
