Archive for the ‘Delivedrance dictionaryh’ Category
Posted by owner on
August 13, 2010
Deception The Bible portrays Satan as a “liar from the beginning,” with deception as perhaps his primary strategy. We see that strategy employed in the temptation of Eve, described in Genesis 3. God had warned Adam against the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and identified “death” as the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit. Satan attacked, asking “did God [really] say.” He denied the consequences God had laid out, arguing “you shall not surely die.” Satan even impugned God’s motives, suggesting “God knows that you will be like him.” With her trust in what God had said and in his motives eroded, Eve relied on her senses to evaluate the fruit. Since it looked good, and smelled good, and since it seemed to Eve that to “be like God” in any respect was a desirable thing, Eve ate. Eve had been thoroughly deceived, with tragic results.
This early Genesis scene provides a template of Satan’s strategy of deception. In his word God provides an accurate description of reality, marking out how we are to live our lives in fellowship with him and to avoid the disasters that follow when we stray. Satan focuses his efforts on distorting our understanding of reality and on undermining our commitment to live by God’s revelation. When a person has been deceived he is left with his or her distorted perceptions of what will help and not harm, and is forced to rely on illusions when making moral decisions.
The Bible portrays humankind’s cultures [called “the world”] as a web of distorted ideas, desires, and passions under the control of “the wicked one.” Trapped in distorted ideas about ourselves, about God, and about every aspect of our life on earth, we are vulnerable to manipulation by demons. Deliverance thus calls for more than casting out any demons that may have found an opening. Deliverance requires closing open doors by teaching the truth about God, ourselves, and how to live a life that is in harmony with the Holy Spirit. The truths that Paul emphasizes in Ephesians as the “armor of God” are critical for lasting deliverance.
Deliverance. In its broadest sense “deliverance” involves guiding Christians into the fullness of the new life which Christ won for us in his cross and resurrection. More narrowly, deliverance is viewed as freeing believers from the influence of demonic powers who are intent on thwarting God’s purposes in them. In the narrower sense, deliverance often involves healing deep emotional wounds and casting out demons who are oppressing believers with psychological and/or physical disabilities. More broadly, deliverance involves discipling by providing the teaching, fellowship, and encouragement which enables believers to grow to maturity in Christ.
Deliverance Evangelism. In cultures in which demonic activity is widespread, effective evangelism often involves open, public conflict with evil spirits. As demons are cast out and demonically caused illness and afflictions are healed, those who have lived their lives in fear of supernatural beings realize the power of Jesus and come to him for salvation. Many revivals in the developing world feature deliverance evangelism.
Demons. They go by a number of names. The gods of the pagans named in the Old Testament are identified in both testament as demons (cf 1 Cor. 10:20). In the Gospels they’re known as demons and. evil spirits. In the Epistles they’re called powers, authorities, rulers, and principalities. Whatever name is used, “demons” are spirit beings who were created as angels, but followed Satan in his original rebellion, becoming demons. Like angels, demons are individual created beings. Unlike angels, they are utterly hostile to God and to human beings. Because God loves humankind, Satan and his demon followers hate us and are intent on doing us harm.
Demonic Oppression. Deliverance ministers have attempted to catalogue ways in which demons can adversely affect [oppress] human beings. Any such catalogue includes far too many items to list here. However a sampling shows that demons cause, or exacerbate, addictions and dependencies, feelings of anger, anxiety, and bitterness. Demons encourage manipulation and controlling behavior, depression, lying, anxiety and fears. Demons have also been associated with financial bondage and physical disabilities. Demons operate through cultural forms, from music to occult practices, as well as directly in our lives. They stimulate pride and rebellion, strife and hostility. It is not an exaggeration to state that demons may be involved in any harmful aspect of our lives. But it would be an exaggeration to claim that each problem a person has has its source in demonic oppression. Generally demons do not create our problems, but where problems exist they will seek to make them worse.
Demonization. This is the transliteration of the Greek word used in the Gospels to describe demonic activity. The verbs associated the daimonizomai make it clear that in some sense demons are “in” a demonized person, and that they can be “cast out.” Demonization, then, is the term the Gospel writers chose to describe the presence of one or more demons within the life [personality] of an individual. Unfortunately, the Greek word is often rendered in English versions as “demon possessed.” See below.
Demon Possessed. The translation of the Greek diamonizomai (demonized) as “demon possession” has unfortunate connotations. This translation suggests that demons control those who host them, while the Greek term merely indicates that a demon or demons have in some sense taken up residence in the host. Deliverance ministers are convinced that only in extreme and unusual situations does a demon actually control a person. What demons seem to do is to fasten on something already present in an individual’s personality or makeup and exaggerate it. Thus a person who has difficulty with his temper may be pushed from anger to rage. But the temper problem was the person’s before any demons were involved. For this reason a deliverance minister will normally attempt to find the root of the anger and deal with it as well as expel the demon.
Demonic Manifestations. Demons generally prefer to remain hidden both from an individual they inhabit and from others. The overly dramatic exhibitions portrayed in such films as The Exorcist are far from typical, although such phenomenon as levitation have been documented, as have exhibitions of unusual strength, falling to the floor, facial and vocal changes, etc. Most deliverance ministers prefer to minimize such manifestations and do so by commanding the demons not to cause any kind of disturbance. At the same time, it is important that any demon “surface” [by speaking through the victim] to confirm its presence.
Discernment. In the context of deliverance, this term is typically used of the ability to identify the presence of one or more demons, and also to confirm that they have left following an exorcism. So used, “discernment” sometimes refers to a natural talent for assessing evidence of demonization, and sometimes refers to spiritual insight given directly by the Holy Spirit. As a natural talent discernment is a skill, gained by experience, for reading clues in a person’s behavior or responses that indicate the presence of evil spirits. As a spiritual gift, discernment is a Spirit given ability to sense the presence of evil spirits, that at times may include specific information about those spirits. It is extremely helpful to have a person with a gift of discernment present when ministering to someone who may be demonized.
Dissociation. This is a phenomenon in which a person [typically a young child] deals with some extreme trauma by separating himself or herself from the experience. The product is one or more alters . . . personality fragments whose experiences and emotions are walled off from the dominant personality. Once called “multiple personality disorder,” the phenomenon is now understood as “dissociative identity disorder” [DID], and treated by seeking to make the primary identity aware of the alters, ultimately integrating them into the whole.
The reason that DID is significant for deliverance ministers is first, that a dissociated identity that surfaces during a session may be mistakenly identified as a demon, and second, that demons may be linked to one or more of the alters but not to the primary identity. It takes great skill and understanding to work with individuals suffering from DID, especially if one or more alter is demonized.
Posted by owner on
July 18, 2010
Casting out Demons. The New Testament makes it clear that, in some sense, demons [evil spirits] can reside “in” human beings. Thus the Bible speaks of evil spirits “leaving” a person, and of Jesus “casting out” evil spirits. When evil spirits leave a person, the problems they caused [often in the Gospels illnesses or disabilities] are healed. Jess did more than demonstrate his authority over evil spirits. Jesus also gave his followers authority over demons. This authority was not only given to the Twelve disciples, but on one occasion Jesus gave authority over demons to 72 individuals he sent out to preach (Luke 10). The 72 acted “in Jesus name” [a phrase that means they acted “under the authority of and through the power of”] Jesus. No mere human has authority to expel evil spirits, but Jesus is the ultimate authority in the spirit realm as well as in the material universe.
The Book of Acts reports additional instances of casting out demons, and writers in the early centuries of our era frequently report that ordinary Christians continued this ministry. Today deliverance ministers continue to act in Jesus’ name, and find we today can also cast out demons. Most agree that casting out demons does not require any special gifting, but that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit Christians today also have the authority to expel demons in the name and power of Jesus Christ.
Cessationism. This is the term used to describe the belief of some Christians that the so-called “sign” gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with the end of the apostolic period. “Sign” gifts are the more obviously supernatural abilities listed in the New Testament as spiritual gifts, such as the gifts of miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues, etc. The argument for cessationism is based in part on 1 Corinthians 13:8 [“whither there by prophecies, they shall cease; whither there be tongues, they shall be stilled”]. This application of 1 Corinthians 13:8 is questionable, however. Still, the proponents of cessationism rely primarily on the argument that such gifts were necessary only when the canon of Scripture was incomplete. With the completion of the canon, the argument goes, there was no need for supernatural signs to authenticate teaching. So the gifts were done away with. This argument assumes that there is no other function for the so called “sign” gifts in the life of the church than authentication, an assumption which many question.
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It seems unwise reject the operation of supernatural gifts a priori on the basis of such fragile arguments. But it is equally unwise to place too much emphasis on these gifts, or to make them a kind of test of a spiritually vital church. It’s clear that while these gifts operated in the Corinthian fellowship. But it is just as clear that Corinth was the only church which the Apostle Paul bluntly calls “carnal” [worldly, immature, unspiritual] (1 Cor. 3:1-3).
Confession. One of the realities emphasized in deliverance ministry is that persistent, willful sin opens the door to demons. Continuing in sin provides demons with a “legal right” to be present in a person’s life, and makes it difficult to expel them. Thus those in deliverance ministry recognize the vital importance of confession and repudiation of known sin if a person is to be freed of demonic influence.
The Greek word translated “confess” is homologeo, means to “agree with” or “say the same thing.” To confess a sin is to agree with God that a particular act of ours is in fact sin. Acknowledging sin as sin is the critical step in releasing the power of forgiveness, for 1 John 1:9 states that “if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and [keep on cleansing us] from all unrighteousness.”
While confession is necessary it is not sufficient. If we are to break free and remain free of demonic influence we also need to repudiate the sins we confess. Christ’s death promises us unlimited forgiveness. But for true freedom repudiation of habitual sin and daily choices of God’s will are necessary.
Control. One of the most important issues in deliverance ministry hinges on a misunderstanding caused by the mistranslation in the Gospels of the term daimonizomai [demonization] as “demon possession.” The term “possession” conveys the notion that a demon has gained control over the person he “owns.” In fact demons seldom gain such a grip on an individual that they actually control his or her behavior. Demons can and do influence. They can and do weaken our resolve, or strengthen sinful impulses. But they do not normally override our ability to choose. We remain responsible for our choices…including the choice to follow a course of actions urged by demons.
At the same time, it is true that the more control we surrender to demons the greater influence they will have. For some people this surrender leads to a degree of bondage which is difficult to distinguish from demonic control. Yet some choice does remain, and the deliverance minister will need to help a victim of demonization choose to trust Christ and choose to be free of demons if deliverance is to be successful.
Conversion. Deliverance ministry is not ordinarily an evangelistic ministry. The exception to this is in power encounters where evil supernatural powers are entrenched in the culture and consciousness of a population. Then public exorcisms that demonstrate the power of Jesus are powerful evangelistic aids. But most in Western cultures who come to deliverance ministers for help will already be believers. Even here some who come will not have a personal relationship with Christ. While demons can be expelled from nonbelievers as well as from believers, the nonChristian has no defense against demons who seek to return. Most in deliverance ministry see casting demons from a nonChristian as an opportunity to lead a person to Christ. Such a person will have experienced the power of Jesus over demons, and an explanation of the need for personal relationship with Jesus for future protection gives a compelling reason to accept Christ as Savior.
Counseling. Most professional counselors are unaware of spiritual warfare against evil spirits, and so do not confront demons or even recognize their presence. Even so, Christian counseling may help a demonized person deal with underlying problems which have provided the demons with access to the personality. This may weaken the hold of the demons and make it easier to cast them out. Similarly Christian counseling after demons have been expelled can aid an individual’s spiritual growth, strengthening him to resist subsequent attacks.
As most deliverance ministry is not part of a long-term counseling relationship, it’s important to for a deliverance minister to know reliable Christian counselors in the community. Not all Christian counselors operate from the same theoretical orientation, so it’s important to have an understanding of the contributions different counselors might make.
In some churches those who have experienced a deliverance are encouraged to join Bible study and prayer groups. Frequently participation in such a group is as effective as individual counseling to stimulate spiritual grown and help an individual deal with problem areas. When conducting a FREEDOM WORKSHOP I encourage participants to form a Live Free Support Group that meets every two weeks to help each other apply truths taught in the Workshop about the armor God provides to protect us from Satan’s strategies.
Curses. Derek Prince has defined curses as “words spoken, with some form of spiritual authority, that set in motion something that will go on generation after generation. Behind the words is a spiritual power: God, or Satan.”
This ‘form of spiritual authority” may be the authority of a parent over a child, a pastor or elder or a member of a congregation, or even that of a person over his or her own life. The conviction is that, as in Scripture, curses do have the power to affect persons and events.
A curse need not be a formal or ritual attack, such as a curse placed on an individual by witchcraft. A parent’s off-hand remark, such as “She’ll never amount to anything,” or even an individual’s unhappy complaint, “Nothing ever goes right for me,” may function as a curse. Most in deliverance ministry are convinced that such curses are empowered, either by God or Satan, so that they do affect an individual’s life. A series of accidents, a chronic illness, continuing financial problems, etc. are often viewed as possible consequences of a curse.
It is standard practice for many in deliverance ministry to explore the possibility that a person is laboring under a curse placed on an ancestor, or has been personally cursed by another person, or has cursed himself or herself. The deliverance minister will then lead the person to renounce the 0curse and will break it in Jesus’ name.
Posted by owner on
June 28, 2010
Binding. Those in deliverance ministry may speak directly to the spirit world to “bind” a demonic power. Such a “binding” is believed to restrict the demon’s ability to act or to harm. The assumption is that the Christian acting under Christ’s authority and in his name can not only expel demons from individuals, but can limit their ability to do whatever they are “bound” from doing. It’s interesting that while the binding language is common in deliverance ministries, when I checked a number of resource books I found none that included “bind” or “binding” in their index. While the language is taken from Matthew 18:18, the theological justification for this practice rests on the gift of authority over evil spirits which Jesus gave to his followers.
Birth. When seeking to help any person, a deliverance minister is likely to explore the conditions of his or her birth. Was he or she wanted by the parents? Were the parents married? Were the parents arguing or under stress during the pregnancy? Was the birth difficult? These and other questions are asked because of evidence that a person’s susceptibility to demonic influence is often established very early in life. Trauma experienced by the mother during pregnancy can have an impact on the fetus, even as trauma at birth can have an impact on the baby. Often a deliverance minister will encourage a person to re-experience these early times while visualizing Jesus present in order to bring healing and close doors through which demons might otherwise enter.
Bitterness. We often inadvertently invite demonic oppression by providing open doors through which evil spirits can enter. One of the most common of these open doors is bitterness over wounds others have inflicted on us. As Jesus pointed out, “such things must come” (Matt. 18:7), and whenever we are sinned against we will feel hurt. It is our response to such wounds that determine how vulnerable we become. If we choose to forgive the persons who hurt us, a potential door through which evil spirits can enter is shut tight. If we hold on to the hurt, feed our bitterness, resentment and anger, a door is thrown wide open. Deliverance ministers will seek to help clients identify any bitterness or resentment they may be holding, and help them intentionally forgive the person(s) who wounded them.
Blaming. Each of us must take responsibility for his or her choices and actions. For instance, realizing that we are responsible for our bitterness and hostility is a first step toward extending the forgiveness that will free us from such burdens. Accepting responsibility for our sins is a necessary step in experiencing God’s forgiveness and moving ahead spiritually. While it’s true that others are responsible for the things they do to us, blaming them rather than forgiving them hurts us more than it does the guilty. For many, blaming others is a primary way we try to excuse our own responses and actions. Unfortunately, playing the blame game rather than taking responsibility for our choices opens another door through which evil spirits may gain access to our lives. Deliverance ministry involves more that exorcising demons. It is a ministry focused on helping individuals rebuild their lives on biblical principles, and blocking avenues of demonic oppression that too many Christians leave open.
Blessing. Most in deliverance ministry put considerable stock in both the power of blessing and of cursing. When completing an exorcism or a prayer healing, it’s common to bless the client with specific gifts that counter the burdens that have been lifted. A person who has held bitter resentment against a parent, but has chosen to forgive him or her, may be blessed with love for that parent, or compassion for the parent, etc. Certainly the Scriptures are filled with examples of blessings, and in the biblical world these blessings were considered to have power to affect the experience and the future of the person blessed. Blessing is an important element in prayer for and with those seeking inner healing and/or deliverance. Like other elements of deliverance ministry, blessing has its own place in the process. Blessing is typically reserved for the conclusion of a process of inner healing and/or exorcism.
Blood. In Scripture blood is the symbol and source of life (Lev. 17:11), and the blood of Christ shed on Calvary is the propitiating sacrifice which enables God to forgive sinners. It’s not surprising that this powerful symbol is adopted for some occult practices, such as the making of blood oaths. Such blood oaths give demons rights to be present in the lives of those who swear them. It is essential to break the power of such oaths by having the person seeking deliverance renounce them and the power of evil which they represent.
Bondage. Some persons seeking deliverance will have struggled with a problem or repeated sin for years. Such a person will often have invested in years of counseling and in heartfelt efforts to break the pattern of repeated behaviors which he or she detests. For example, a person finds himself involved in repeated affairs despite loving his spouse and being riddled with guilt over his behavior. Also lengthy chronic illness, such as the case of the woman in the Gospels who was crippled by back pain which Jesus diagnosed as caused by Satan (Luke 13:10-17), may be due to demonic activity and is also considered bondage. The difficulty in such cases is usually that demons have established a grip on the individual so strong that nothing short of deliverance from the evil spirits can free him or her. Typically it is only after years of struggle, medical treatment or counseling, that such an individual will seek deliverance. Most who seek deliverance will need to be freed from some type of demonic influence. Some will need to be freed from demonic bondage.
Posted by owner on
June 15, 2010
Abuse Abuse, especially physical or sexual abuse, but also verbal abuse, is widely recognized to make a person vulnerable to demonization. As is the case with other traumas that stimulate intense emotions, abuse seems to open a door through which demons can enter a person’s life. The problem is not so much the abuse itself but the very natural response to the abuse, which often includes fear, anger, hatred, self-loathing and or shame. Many deliverance ministers use questionnaires to help identify possible demonic presences. These questions will always seek to identify any abuse the person seeking deliverance may have experienced, especially when he or she was a child. In deliverance from demonization with roots in abuse it’s important to deal with the underlying emotional damage, typically before commanding the demons to leave.
Addiction The identification of any addictions is an important element aspect of deliverance ministry. By “addiction” deliverance ministers generally mean any compulsion which the individual has tried to break but finds it impossible to control. The category of addictions includes the typical things, such as addition to alcohol, drugs, sex, or pornography. But the deliverance minister recognizes that any compulsion which has gained control over the person should be classified as an addiction, such as an addiction to shopping, to TV, to eating, etc. When a person has tried everything from will-power to counseling to break an addiction and has been unsuccessful, there’s a good chance that demonic oppression is involved.
Anger. Anger is a normal human response in situations where a person feels attacked or mistreated. Scripture recognizes this, and tells us to “be angry, but do not sin.” That is, the emotion itself is not sinful, but a person who becomes angry must recognize the fact that the anger may lead him or her to sin, and thus must be dealt with. At the same time, it is not normal for a person to become angry constantly, or to have fits of rage during which he or she loses control. Charles Kraft who has an active and extensive deliverance ministry has written that he has never ministered to a wife-beater who was not demonized. As is the case with most indicators of demonization, it’s important to deal with the emotional damage that lies at the root of anger. This process, often called inner healing, deep healing, or prayer healing, should generally be done prior to calling out and expelling demons or anger, hatred and rage.
Anointing. In the Old Testament “anointing” indicated both the calling and equipment of an individual for a specific ministry. Kings, prophets and Judges were anointed, usually in a ceremony which involved pouring olive oil on the individuals head. Those in modern deliverance ministry use the term in a related but different sense. Charismatics often use the term to indicate an initial coming of the Holy Spirit on a person, typically signified by speaking in tongues, which many see as a necessary prerequisite for a deliverance ministry. But Charismatics and other Christians also use “anointing” as a special filling of the Holy Spirit that equips a person for a specific task or situation. Whatever underlying meaning a specific deliverance minister may ascribe to “anointing,” all recognize that guidance and empowering by the Holy Spirit is essential in deliverance ministry.
Anxiety. Like other emotions, anxiety may be natural and normal, an appropriate response to a given situation, or anxiety may be demonically driven. Constant anxiety, or heightened anxiety as displayed in panic attacks that do not respond to counseling nor is overcome by medication, is a good indicator of demonization. Those who use questionnaires in deliverance ministry to help them establish the presence of demons will typically include a section which lists a number of emotions, and asks the person seeking deliverance to check any extreme or troubling emotions. “Anxiety” is always found on this list.
Authority. The most basic concept expressed in the biblical words most often translated authority is “freedom of action.” The person with authority is free to act in ways that a person without authority, or under authority, is not. God has ultimate freedom of action; a freedom to act which cannot be limited by any one or any thing. When a person in deliverance ministry speaks of “authority” he or she generally claims the specific freedom to order demons to leave an individual they have been oppressing. It is appropriate to ask, on what does the claim of such authority rest?
Deliverance ministers point to passages in the Gospels in which Jesus is reported to have given his disciples authority to heal and to cast out demons. They point out that this authority was not given just to the Twelve, but also to 72 others who had no claim to being Apostles (Luke 10). Acts reports exercises of such authority by Paul and others, and early Church Fathers portray the casting out of demons by lay persons as a common occurrence. As the church became more hierarchical the role of exorcist was limited to clergy. Today in the Catholic church prayers for deliverance may be offered by priesthood or laity, but only a priest appointed by a bishop, using an established ritual, is supposed to perform an exorcism.
This being said, a number of both Catholics and Protestants today claim the authority which they believe Jesus gives to all Christians to stand against and to expel demons in Jesus’ name. The testimony of deliverance ministers, of those who have been delivered, and of demons who have been forced to abandon their victims, suggests that believers truly are free to act against and to command demons to depart.