Archive for the ‘deliverance’ Category
Posted by owner on
June 28, 2010
When Lance married Sheri he felt a tremendous relief. He’s been promiscuous before he was converted, and had “fallen” a couple of times after his conversion. He saw himself as oversexed, but knew that marrying Sheri, a very attractive woman, would help him solve his problems. The trouble was that even though their sexual relationship was healthy, Lance was still attracted to other women, and found himself thinking about some he’d known before his marriage.
Karen was frustrated and angry with her mother. She felt mom was always butting into her life. It was one thing when Karen had been a teenager, and consulted mom about everything from what to wear to how to plan her day. Karen was 33 now, a successful businessperson, who was totally capable of making her own decisions. But mom couldn’t see it, and was always offering unwanted advice. It was so bad that Karen found herself reacting with hostility to almost everything her mother said, even though it was obviously devastating to her mother.
What do these two situations have in common?
Soul ties.
A “soul tie” is often defined as an unhealthy and/or ungodly emotional attachment to a person or organization. Such a tie significantly affects a person’s attitudes and relationships, and may open a door for demonic oppression. One of the most common soul ties is established by sexual relationships outside of marriage. Even a platonic emotional attachment to one’s “first love” that leads to day dreaming about him/her or wondering what life would be like if married to the first love rather than the spouse, can indicate a soul tie. Another common soul tie is fashioned between parties in a co-dependent relationship, such as a dominant parent and a child who remains dependent into adulthood. It is also possible to be soul tied to an organization when commitment to that organization involves making oaths.
Most deliverance ministers view such relationships as involving making a covenant which God honors, even when the covenant made is ungodly or sinful. Deliverance calls for choosing to break the soul tie, using a prayer such as the following, adapted from several sources.
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Prayer
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I submit myself completely to You. I confess all of my emotional and physical soul ties. I choose to forgive each person with whom I have an ungodly soul tie. I ask You, Lord, to forgive my involvement in any ungodly soul tie. Lord, I receive your forgiveness. Thank You for forgiving me and cleansing me.
I choose to forgive myself for this involvement. I will no longer be angry with myself, hate myself, or punish myself.
Lord, I break my ungodly soul ties with ______________. I release myself from him/her and I release him/her from me. As I do this, Lord, I pray that You would cause him/her to be all that he/she can be. I ask you to help me become all that I can be.
Lord, please cleanse my mind from all memories of ungodly unions so I am totally free to give myself to You and to my spouse.
I renounce and cancel the assignments of any evil spirits attempting to maintain these ungodly soul ties.
Lord, thank you for restoring my soul to wholeness. I choose to walk in holiness by Your grace. In he name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen
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Often people laboring under soul ties are completely unaware of them, and may even deny their existence. But breaking soul ties can release us from unhealthy patterns of thinking and responding that hold us in 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.
Posted by owner on
June 8, 2010
The Old Testament is clear on one thing. God has spoken to people in dreams and visions. Remember Pharaoh’s dream of the fat and starving cattle? Remember Jacob’s vision at Bethel of steps linking heaven and earth, and Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a massive statue with head of gold and feet of clay? The New Testament adds more testimony. Remember the dream in which an angel told Joseph to take the infant Jesus and flee Bethlehem?
But the question however is, does God speak to us in dreams today? How can we tell if a dream or vision is from God, or possibly from Satan? Or just something fashioned by our own hopes and fears?
It’s Story Time
I’ve known first hand stories of some pretty amazing dreams. By “first hand” I don’t mean they were my dreams. I mean I know the persons who actually had the dreams, rather than hearing about them third or fourth hand.
Take the young newly married woman who dreams she lost her first infant in childbirth and that her in-laws are there, but not her parents. She even dreams a hospital setting and a conversation. Years later as an army wife the dream comes true, down to the very words the in-laws speak.
Take the vision of the mother on vacation who sits up in bed to find an angel sitting beside her. The angel tells her, “Don’t worry, your daughter will live.” She wakes her husband and insists they cut their vacation short. When she arrives home she gets a phone call from her son-in-law, who is overseas, so choked up she can hardly understand him. All she hears is that her daughter is in bad shape . . . and the call is cut off. Two days later they reconnect, to learn the baby has died but the wife will live.
Take the dream of the woman who hears demons threatening her. In the dream she tells them in the name of Jesus to go away. And they do.
Perhaps you’ve had dreams, dreams that were prophetic, dreams that were frightening, dreams that puzzled or comforted or terrified you. Where do such dreams come from?
The Origin of Dreams
At least five possible explanations for such amazing dreams are generally suggested.
1. Faulty memory or imagination. Those dream details are added later, after the event takes place. We honestly think we dreamed them, but we didn’t.
2. Coincidence. We all have dreams just as detailed that don’t come true. Any dreams do, we should chalk it up to coincidence.
3. ESP. People have a natural ability to predict some future events, but that ability operates erratically.
4. Demons. Satan is the source of many such dreams, which are intended to frighten us or to get us to rely on something other than God.
5. God. Such dreams are from the Holy Spirit given for a purpose of his own.
So, how are we supposed to view that powerful, vivid dream that wakes us up or that linger in the morning? That dream which we feel isn’t an ordinary dream.
My first suggestion is that we do NOT immediately jump to the conclusion that the dream is from God, and treat it as revelation. Instead we should follow a sort of check list in evaluating our dreams or visions, and in deciding how to respond to them.
Responding to dreams:
a simple check-list
___ 1. Let’s acknowledge that most dreams are generated from our own thoughts and experiences. Can you trace elements of your dream to things that have happened to you recently, or to something what you’ve seen on TV or been reading about? If so, you should probably simply forget the dream.
___ 2. Many dreams contain symbols our unconscious uses to deal with deeper issues in our lives. For instance, one friend had recurring dreams of swimming with large, white snakes. Do the dreams you’ve been having contain recurring images? If so, it’s probable your subconscious is trying to deal with unresolved issues. I wouldn’t make any important decisions based on such dreams.
___ 3. Is the dream laden with dread or a sense of evil? During such dreams you can command any evil spirits who may be influencing your dream in Jesus’ name to leave you alone. If you have this kind of dream regularly, consciously plan as you drift off to sleep to exercise this authority within your dream.
___ 4. Is the dream laden with dread or a sense of evil? After awakening from such a dream remember that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, and of love and of self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:5). Praise God that he is in control, and ask him to thwart any evil designs Satan may have, and commit yourself to doing God’s will.
___ 5. Does the dream seem to depict a future event or something happening to a distant loved one? If such a dream does not suggest some course of action simply trust. God knows your future and everyone’s present. Whether your dream was one of trials or exceptional blessings, God will be with you should that future ever arrives. Your task is to remain committed to the Lord and responsive to his leading today. He will be responsible for the future.
___ 6. Does the dream seem to require some action on your part? If so first make sure any action indicated is in complete harmony with God’s will as revealed in Scripture. Seek the advice from Christian friends who know you well before acting on the dream. Intentionally turn your life over to the Holy Spirit and then take any first steps you feel you should. But be ready to respond should the Holy Spirit guide you in different direction.
Conclusions
There is no sure test that can tell us whether a dream or vision is generated by our imagination, by demons, or by God. But there is a story in Scripture that reminds us of an important truth.
The prophets of King Ahab were deceived when God permitted a “lying spirit” to convey a message that they recognized as supernatural in origin, but failed to recognize the message’s deceitful intent (1 Kings 22). God then revealed the truth through the prophet Micaiah, and Ahab was given the opportunity to respond to the truth or to the lie. Ahab chose the lie.
It’s possible that Satan may influence our dreams and use them to spin his lies. But God will never leave us without the truth. His Holy Spirit will enable us to distinguish between the two, as long as we are committed to doing God’s will..
Posted by owner on
March 18, 2010
“He screams and falls to the floor, twitching wildly. Shouts come out of his mouth! “We hate you!” is screamed in a strange, gravelly voice. Then his body is thrown about, as if he were experiencing a grand mal seizure, and green goo spews out of his mouth.”
I suspect this is the image most folks have of what happens when demons are cast out. And who can blame them. This is the image seen on movie and TV screens. It’s even like some of the images of casting out demons found in the Gospels. I can almost hear inspector LeStrad saying to Sherlock Holmes, “It’s a messy business, sir. A messy business.”
No wonder folks are uncomfortable with talk of exorcisms and of casting out demons. No one wants to be involved in such a business. And it’s not just messy. It’s scary!
Is it now?
One of the recurring themes I find in reading books raises a challenge to the idea that casting out demons is either scary or messy. Many portray deliverance ministry as a relatively calm process. Probably the primary reason for this is that today deliverance ministry recognizes the need for healing the emotions and correcting the concepts that give demons a foothold in persons’ lives. As these footholds are dealt with, the demons’ grip on an individual is loosened. When the time comes to challenge the demons and order them out in Jesus’ name, the demons (usually several) have been so weakened that they go without putting up a significant fight.
At one time those in deliverance ministry tended to challenge demons immediately, in a face to face, and power confrontation. While Jesus is the more powerful and most demons were successfully expelled, the experience was draining on victim and exorcist alike. And, unfortunately, those issues in the victim’s life which gave the demons their foothold were not dealt with. That meant demons often regained entry to the individual’s life through the same doorways they had entered initially.
It’s far better for everyone [except the demons, of course] to first deal with the issues in a person’s life that provided demons with their foothold. By this I mean such things as the impact of early abuse, curses, unforgiveness, etc. These issues can be dealt with using what Paul calls the “weapons of our warfare,” which “are not carnal but spiritual.” These spiritual weapons are such powerful armaments as forgiveness, confession, repudiation of past commitments, etc. More equipment in our arsenal of spiritual weapons is developed in Ephesians where the “Armor of God” provides the interpretive key.
As deliverance ministers have come to understand this and to focus on healing the damages which provided the demons with their initial access and with their foothold, casting out demons is hardly the “fight to the finish” it’s been portrayed to be. Also as Christians have come to better understand their authority, it has become more common to command the evil spirits not to harm the victim or to manifest in disruptive ways, as well as command them not to harm the exorcist. Thus in most cases casting out demons has become a somewhat “ordinary” event.
But, the Gospels!
If we read the Gospels we’re likely to get a more violent picture of demonization and of exorcism. There we see demons that cripple and blind, demons that strike persons speechless, or try to kill them by making them fall into fire. In the Gospels we meet the demon possessed man of Gadara, raving, hostile, supernaturally strong, and on the rampage. If demons behaved as they did in first century Galilee and Judea, how can they behave as they’re portrayed in “Are You There, Demon?” in this blog?
That’s a fair question. And there is a pretty fair answer. That answer is rooted in the fact that Scripture describes three periods in sacred history when the Invisible War between God and Satan, angels and demons, broke into the open. At three points in history the supernatural was visible to all involved.
The Exodus. Around 1440 B.C. God used Moses to free Israel from bondage in Egypt. There was open warfare between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt, with the Lord launching a series of plagues which not only devastated the once-fruitful land but in the process exposed the powerlessness of the demon-deities on which Egypt’s prosperity was thought to depend.
8th Century Israel. Driven by Jezebel and Ahab, the northern kingdom of Israel was under intense spiritual attack. The Jewish people wavered between commitment to the demon-god Baal, and commitment to the Lord. The royal family imported hundreds of priests and prophets of Baal to spread the false religion. God countered with miracles performed by the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Again the authentic God’s power was demonstrated and the counterfeit deity put to shame.
1st century Judah. Christ was born in fulfillment of prophecy and began to present himself to Israel as their Messiah. Intense demonic activity marked the period as Satan launched his army of demons to oppose Jesus. Despite Christ’s demonstration of his power by casting out demons and by other miracles, Satan was successful in engineering Jesus’ execution, never dreaming that the Savior’s crucifixion would become Satan’s own death warrant.
Two things are significant for us. First, these three periods in history are the only periods characterized by open spiritual warfare. I say “characterized,” because it is certainly possible that incidents of miracle and incidents of open warfare have occurred at other times and places. But the kind of thing we see in the Exodus period, in 8th century Israel, and in Judah/Galilee during the time of Christ and immediately afterward, is not normative. So simply because we can derive symptoms of demonization from the Gospel accounts does not mean that those demonized in our day will exhibit the same symptoms.
Second, as we move into the Epistles demons, now spoken of in the “powers” vocabulary of the Hellenistic world, are portrayed as seeking to cripple believers in more subtle ways. And rather than emphasize power confrontations, the epistles focus our attention on what we can call “spiritual attacks” and offers us a range of “spiritual” weapons. While there may be incidents where demonization involves a serious physical illness or debility, such symptoms are not necessarily normative. And while some exorcisms may feature an explosive power confrontation, explosive confrontations do not necessarily characteristic of how God or Satan works in this present age.
To sum it up, the “he screams and falls to the floor” demonization and deliverance may occur at times, but this is not normative. What does seem to be normative are hidden attacks on God’s people; attacks which can easily be passed off as a psychological quirk or problem, as the result of a damaged self-image or a lack of self-confidence, as a lack of self-control, as a consequence of childhood abuse. And what is called for to battle the demons who launch the hidden attacks is a kinder, gentler exorcism that focuses first on inner healing and then on expelling the weakened demons who feed on the problem.
In Conclusion
I hope no one is disappointed that I tend to disparage the spectacular, and discount the books that emphasize power struggles with demons who are always scary and who manifest in frightening ways.
I don’t doubt the accounts of such events. I just believe that these are the exceptions rather than the rule. The psychiatrist’s tale of the levitating woman of Massapequa attracts our curiosity and stimulates our awe. But I that suspect Satan chuckles as we focus our attention on the exception, and as a consequence totally miss the rule.
And the rule is that demons are quietly, secretively, at work, intent on ruining the lives and testimonies of Christians, unrecognized and unopposed by the leaders of our churches. If only we recognized that so many of the hurting in our congregations truly are victims of demons, we could easily cast them out.
So I wonder. What kind of impact would Christians who are unhindered by Satan’s demons have on our nation, and on the world? And what could the Lord do with churches that are committed conducting spiritual warfare with the armory that God has provided for us?
Posted by owner on
October 27, 2009
Each Gospel contains at least one comment made by Jesus concerning demons. In this series we look at these comments to see what we can discover.
Jesus on “strong man:
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils (Luke 11:14-23; cf Matthew 12:22-32)
Observations
1. As we saw in our series on Jesus vs Demons, demons can be the cause of a physical disability, and driving out the demon can effect a cure. This does not imply that all illness or disabilities are due to demonization.
2. While the onlookers recognized the demonic origin of this individual’s disability they did not conclude that God was the source of Jesus’ power over demons. His enemies argued that Jesus was empowered by Satan, the ruler of demons. Others, asking for a “sign from heaven (ie., from God)” wanted more evidence.
Given the context, which is late in a public ministry during which Jesus has been known for healings and other miracles, neither of these reaction is warranted. Much earlier a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious court of the Jews, had admitted to Christ, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do the works you do except God be with him” (John 3). The accusation was dishonest, and the request for an additional sign from God hypocritical.
3. In Jesus’ response he depicts Satan as a being who rules a kingdom. In the first century kings were absolute monarchs, standing at the top of a hierarchy. Jesus’ illustration indicates that the spirit kingdom of Satan is organized rigidly. It allows for no independent action by individuals or groups within it. Only by presenting a united front can Satan’s kingdom hope to “stand.’ All must fall in line with Satan’s intents and purposes.
4. It follows that Satan’s purposes were being fulfilled in the activity of the demon who caused the man’s inability to speak. And that Jesus’ healing of the individual was a blow to whatever purpose of Satan the demon was seeking to accomplish.
This raises a question. There are many reports of healings performed by psychics or spiritists. This is especially common in the third world, where many seek out witchdoctors or sorcerers for healing. A book I’m currently reading by Koch, which I’ll review soon on demondope, documents a variety of such incidents. The question is, what purpose might Satan have in performing healings? Isn’t relieving humans of pain and suffering out of character for demons? We can answer that question best by considering Satan’s “interests and purposes.” While benefiting any individual is far from Satan’s intent, and it might seem that healing is a benefit, the fact is that occult healings provide access to humans for demons. As Koch points out, there’s a price to pay for any healing performed by occult means.
While God transforms evil to accomplish his good purposes, Satan and his demons transform apparent good to accomplish evil purposes.
5. Jesus characterized the demon causing the man’s muteness as a “strong man” who was guarding “his own” house. Many have used this analogy to generate a title for Satan, “Strong Man.” In this passage, however, the strong man is a demon who has such a grip on an individual that the man can be called the demon’s “own house.” The only hope for truly being freed is if someone stronger attacks and expels the “strong man.”
This reminds us that dealing with demonization is a power issue. No matter how powerful a demon may be, Jesus is far more powerful. He and he alone is able to expel demons, and we cast out demons in his authority, relying on his power.
6. Jesus cast out the demon by “the finger of God.” The OT frequently uses the image of a hand or arm as a symbol of power. Jesus’ power is so great that just a finger is needed to deal with demons, however strong they may be.
Conclusions
In this incident Jesus revealed several important facts. First, Satan rules over a kingdom, and maintains control over the demons who are his subjects. The demons are committed to carrying out Satan’s purposes. We can’t imagine that there are “good” demons and “bad” demons who sometimes find themselves in conflict. All spirit beings in Satan’s kingdom are essentially evil, hostile to human beings, and committed to achieving Satan’s purposes.
The view of modern neopagans, that the majority of spirit beings in the unseen world are beneficial and benevolent, has no basis in Scripture. And any “good” such spirits may perform are self-serving [actually, Satan-serving] and intended, in Jesus’ words, to “take possession” of the person “helped.”:
The incident and Jesus’ remarks also make it clear that no matter how strong demons may be, Jesus has more than enough power to overcome them. We are to respect the power of evil. But we are not to have such a fear of evil spirits that we fail to stand against them.
Posted by owner on
October 2, 2009
Studies of events reported in the Gospels
Each of the synoptic Gospels contain certain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The Case of the Uncooperative Demon
“When they came to he other disciples, they saw a large crowd arond them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and rant to great him.
“‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.
“A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid, but they could not.’
“‘O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied. ‘How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’
“So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled as round, foaming at the mouth.
“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’
“‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’
“‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible to him who believes.’
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.’
“When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit, ‘You deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
“After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?’
“He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’”
Observations
1. This story, quoted here from Mark 9:14-29 (NIV), is told also by Matthew (in chapter 17) and Luke (in chapter 9). Repeated reports of any incident in Jesus’ life generally indicate that the event is an important one.
2. In both Matthew and Luke Jesus expresses dismay over a lack of faith. In this account he challenges the father to put complete trust in him. The father does believe, but his faith in Jesus is mixed with unbelief. While trust in God is essential, God doesn’t require a perfect faith to act on our behalf.
3. The child exhibited a number of symptoms that led the father to diagnose his son as demonized. The deafness and inability to speak were presenting symptoms. The timing of the seizures, when the child was near fire or water where his life could be threatened, were further evidence.
4. “When the demon saw Jesus.” We don’t know just how a demonic presence integrates with the human. But however it is done, a demon can apprently use the senses of the human he infests to gain information, and can even speak using the human’s vocal capacity.
5. In this atypical case the demon did not leave quietly. Mark reports that the spirit shrieked and convulsed the child, leaving him unconscious on the ground. In most other cases reported in the Gospels or in Acts evil spirits left quietly, leaving the demonized person healed and rejoicing. A reluctant but quiet departure is probably the norm in most exorcism, particularly if the demon(s) in commanded not to make a scene.
6. The phrase, “I command you,” is significant. As noted in earlier studies, demons are expelled by a word, that that word is a command. Jesus’ authority was such that a word of command was sufficient to expel the evil spirit.
7. The disciples had failed to cast out the demon, and were confused as to why they had failed. Matthew’s Gospel makes it clear that prior to this incident (Matthew 17), Jesus had previously granted his disciples authority to heal and cast out demons (Matthew 10:1). So, clearly, the disciples had expected to be able to deal with the demon plaguing the child–and had failed. Thus that asked Christ, “Why couldn’t we drive it out.”
8. In the other Gospel’s accounts where Jesus decries a general lack of faith. Many take Jesus to be critical of his disciples lack of faith. But we should consider the possibility that Jesus was decrying the crowds lack of faith, rather than the disciples.
When thinking about “faith” it’s always important to be clear that faith has an objective as well as subjective dimension. Subjectively faith is believing, and we can speak of strong or weak faith. But it’s a mistake to assume that the subjective is in view in most Bible Passages. What makes faith valid or invalid is the object of faith. It is the trustworthiness of whom or what we believe in that is the real issue. We may have a strong faith that a bridge we approach will hold up in a storm. But the strength of our faith has nothing to do with the reality. If the trusses of that bridge are about to fail because of metal fatigue, or if the pillars which anchor it have been undermined by currents, the bridge is unsafe however strong our faith in it might be.
Let’s view Jesus’ comment as one about the object of the crowds’ faith rather than the about the strength or weakness of his disciples’ faith. The father of the boy was bringing his son to Jesus, but when he found only the disciples, he turned to them. Possibly someone in the crowd had urged this course. “Here’s his disciples. They can heal and cast out demons. Turn your son over to them.” The problem is, of course, that Jesus was the objective source of authority over demons, however strong might the conviction of the father or even of the disciples that Jesus’ followers could accomplish the supernatural task. When we look to anyone but Jesus, or rely on anyone but Jesus, our faith is flawed in an essential way. If this is what was happening that day, Jesus’ complaint about that “unbelieving and perverse generation” makes total sense. For when he then says, “Have long shall I stay with you and put up with you” it makes perfect sense. Jesus had been with these people for years, but still they did not recognize him as their only true source of hope.
When a deliverance minister conducts an exorcism, he commands demons in Jesus’ name. The focus is still and always has to be on Jesus’s presence and power, not on the minister.
9. “This kind can come out only by prayer.” When asked by the disciple why they hadn’t been able to cast out the demon, Jesus didn’t cite a lack of faith. That comment comes at the beginning of the story, and not as a response to the disciples’ question, Why? Two things are significant about Christ’s answer.
this kind. We learn from other passages of Scripture that Satan’s kingdom is organized as a hierarchy. Evil spirits have different levels of power. I suspect that most demonization reflects the activity of relatively lower level, or ordinary, demons. But now and then a more powerful, higher order demon is involved. And “this kind,” Jesus seems to suggest, are more difficult to expel.
By prayer. This phrase is puzzling, first because the text shows that Jesus commanded the demon, and this word of command expelled it. Jesus did not pray for God the Father to expel the spirit; he did it in the normal way. So it seems unlikely that Christ was telling his disciples to pray uncooperative demons out. Every demon Christ or, later, the Apostle Paul, confronted, was driven out by a spoken command.
There is however one thing that the Gospels make clear. Jesus himself was always “prayed up.” His relationship with God the Father was vital, the bond between the two was uninterrupted, the Son was always responsive to the Father’s will. When one of Jesus’ modern disciples confronts an uncooperative demon, it’s vital that disciple also be prayed up, that his or her relationship with God be vital, intimate, and ever responsive to the Father’s will. I suspect that the prayer Jesus is thinking of is that most basic prayer; prayer seeking and experiencing intimacy with the God who is the sole source of our authority to deal with evil and the demonic.
Summary
This story, told in three of the four Gospels, reminds us who the object of our faith is. Our faith may waver, but Jesus never. The story of the uncooperative demon also reminds us that demons differ in power and authority. While in exorcism we act with an authority Christ has granted believers to expel demons with a spoken command, our present closeness to or distance from God does have an impact on our effectiveness. The stronger the demon infecting an individual, the closer we need to draw to the Lord
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October 2, 2009
I’m not comfortable with every aspect of Deliverance Ministry. Oh, I’m right there when the topic is Deep Healing or Casting Out Demons. I have no trouble being convinced that demons are active in our world and, more importantly, in our lives. I have no trouble believing that many of our physical, psychological and spiritual problems have their source in early-age trauma. But I’m uneasy with the teaching I run into on curses.
I have two books on curses her on my desk. The first is Blessing or Curse: you can choose, by Derek Prince. The second is John Eckhardt’s Identifying and Breaking Curses.
The Authors
Derek Prince (1015-2003) is considered one of foundational writers on deliverance ministry, and many of his over 50 books are seminal in this field. Eckhardt is describe as a man with a “apostolic and prophetic call, who has a daily radio program, “Perfecting the Saints,” and a weekly television program. Eckhardt cites Prince, and clearly follows his lead in writing about curses.
What is a “curse”
Both authors view curses as divine recompense (repayment) for human sin or iniquity. This recompense provides a legal basis for demonic presence in a person’s life, and the curse itself shows up in troubles a person experiences in various aspects of his or her life. The actions which bring about a curse may be ancestral–the “sins of the fathers”–or may be personal sins. Prince lists a number of things which cause curses:
False gods
Various moral or spiritual sins
Anti-Semitism
Legalism, Carnality, Apostasy
Theft, Perjury, Robbing God
Self-imposed curses
Soulish Talk and Prayers
Etc.
Eckhardt’s categories are:
Sexual sins
Financial perversions
Religious perversions
Spiritual perversions
Behavioral perversions
Familial perversions
Perverse speech
The authors find biblical texts to demonstrate the perversions that they believe are the cause of curses.
What are symptoms of a curse?
Both men also list symptoms that may indicate a person is under a curse. Prince lists seven symptoms, and Eckhardt adds two more. The symptoms they list are:
Chronic financial problems
Chronic sickness
Female problems
Being accident prone
Marital problems
Premature deaths
Mental illness
Abuse by others
Vagabondism (constant moving)
While neither would go so far as to argue that every one’s financial problems are the result of a curse, or that every woman who has difficulty conceiving has been cursed, each seems to suggest that many, if not most, such problems are curse related. Thus it follows that if the curses causing problems are “broken,” a person is likely to see an increase in wealth or be healed of curse-induced illnesses, etc.
Generational curses
Pivotal to the teaching of both Prince and Eckhardt is the belief that curses are generational in nature. That is, that the sinful behavior which brings down a curse may have been committed by an ancestor, while the consequence is visited on that ancestor’s descendant. This rather common view is based primarily on two Old Testament passages:
“You are loving and kind to thousands, yet children suffer for their father’s sins” (Jeremiah 32:18, Living Bible)
and Exodus 20:5:
“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.”
The authors interpret these verses in a strictly legal sense. That is, they take the statements as a judicial sentence imposed by God on the children because of their forefather’s sins. However, this is not the only possible interpretation. It is just as possible to understand these statements as descriptive. Taken in this sense the verses state a principle which experience shows works out in every family. If a father is an angry, abusive individual, that father’s behavior will damage his children psychologically, socially, and spiritually. And the impact of the father’s sins echo on through several generations. If a father abuses a son or daughter sexually, that abuse will scar the children in ways that will damage the children’s children and grandchildren.
It seems to me that rather than taking this verse as a judicial pronouncement, it is much better understood as descriptive; as a warning issued by God that our sins have consequences not only for ourselves but also for generations to come.
If this verse should be interpreted as a warning and a description of the impact of human sin, then the basis for the teaching on curses and blessings, which takes the verses judicially, is seriously undermined.
Generational demonization
Part of the reason for the teaching on curses by deliverance ministers is the fact that often demonization has a generational dimension. Most deliverance ministers have deal with demons who have been linked to the family line, not just to an isolated individual. This is frequently the case when there has been occult involvement by parents or grandparents. And the demons have claimed that their legal basis for infesting an individual is that the individual has been dedicated to them by parents or grandparents. In such cases the deliverance minister will lead the demonized individual to go back, confess the sin of his or her ancestor, renounce the relationship with the occult, and remove the basis on which the demon claims a right to be present in his or her life. In this sense, the idea of breaking a curse makes sense.
However, to extend this process to the breaking of other kinds of curses seems to me somewhat suspect.
What’s wrong with the curse theory
As we noted above, deliverance writers on this topic see in curses the causes of such things as illness and financial difficulties. Their response is, break the curse, and gain prosperity and health.
This thinking is in turn linked to other assumptions. For instance, Isaiah 53 states that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. Some deliverance ministers teach that this provides a basis on which a person can claim healing by faith, and that God will then restore their health. I certainly believe that God can and does heal. I also believe that the promise of healing in Isaiah 53 has an essentially eschatological focus. That is, only our ultimate healing is guaranteed. As Revelation 21 states, after Christ returns “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” But that is then, this is now. When Paul’s friend Epaprodus was on his death bed, Paul prayed for him and rejoiced that he recovered. But he didn’t tell the sick man to claim healing by faith. When Paul was ill, buffeted by a messenger of Satan, he asked the Lord to heal him three times. But God’s response was that his strength was to be expressed in Paul’s weakness, and Paul remained subject to what most commentators believe was a painful and disfiguring eye disease.
The notion that our relationship with God is somehow legal — sin, and be cursed financially or with poor health, break the curses and prosper or be healed — seems to me to rob God of his Sovereignty, and to place relationship with him on a tit for tat basis. And nothing that I see in Scripture supports the notion that our God is this kind of Person, or that our relationship with him is this kind of relationship.
Summing up
I do agree that demons can and do enter believer’s lives at through our sinful acts and choices. i have no doubt that in some cases demonization has a generational dimension. And I go believe that identifying the entry point, going back to it for confession, repentance, and forgiveness is an essential element in deliverance ministry. However, I find the teaching on curses and breaking curses questionable at best, rooted in a hermeneutic that is flawed and that results in a distorted picture of who God is and of relationship with him.
You, however, have both the freedom and responsibility of making up your own mind, doing so in the full appreciation of the fact that neither Prince and Eckhardt, nor Richards, know it all.
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September 29, 2009
In our last Jesus vs Demons post we met a man who was at worship in the synagogue with his neighbors. But when Jesus began to teach, a demon within him cried out in fear. The text gives no indication that this man, unlike other demonized individuals we’ve met, had any outward symptoms. No chronic back pain is mentioned. No deafness or dumbness. Seemingly no indication that he was different from any other worshipper there that morning. Until the demon cried out.
Comparing this account with other accounts of Jesus’ confrontations with demons, the text’s silence about symptoms seems significant. While we can’t draw any certain conclusions from silence, this difference from every other account is highly suggestive. And at the least, forces us to ask a significant question. How can we tell–with symptoms or without–whether an individual is demonized?
Testimony of Deliverance Ministers
There’s a very large number of books that have been written by those involved in what is called “deliverance ministry.” “Deliverance” includes freeing individuals from the consequences of deep emotional hurts as well as from demonization. Often deliverance ministers must deal with both emotional and spiritual damage and the demons who use trauma to establish and maintain footholds in individual’s lives. Deliverance ministers with wide experience consistently point out that it is difficult and often impossible to determine whether the many symptoms indicate physical, emotional or spiritual problems or indicate demonization. Most say they have found that it is seldom an “either/or” proposition. Quite frequently a problem may have both physical or psychological causes and the person may also be demonized. The most reliable authors in this area, such as Horrobin in England and Kraft in the U.S., stress the need for deliverance ministers to deal both with the natural and supernatural causes. They tend to first tend to healing of the person, and then or in the process deal with any demons who may be present.
But, How Do We Know?
What I’ve suggested so far should make one thing clear. The kinds of symptoms displayed by the persons Jesus freed from demonization do not in themselves prove demons are present. So it’s unwise when ministering to jump to the conclusion a person is demonized without carefully exploring alternatives.
The first step that many deliverance ministers take is to take a history of the individual and his family. Has he or she been checked out for possible medical causes of the symptoms. Has he or she seen counselors or a psychiatrist. Does the presenting problem–whether depression, bi-polar behavior, whatever–run in the family?
It’s also important to learn as much as possible about the person’s personal experiences. Can he or she identify when the troubling symptoms appeared? What was going on in his or her life at that time? Has there been any involvement in the occult, either personally or by parents and ancestors? Has there been severe traumas? Are there habitual sins? Is there bitterness and unforgiveness? All of these can lie at the root of physical or psychological illness as well as give demons a foothold in an individual’s life. While some of these are markers that make demonization more likely–such as involvement in the occult–any may lie at the root of physical/psychological causation and/or provide a foothold for demons.
Recognizing this, as I noted, the wisest deliverance ministers seek to treat the physical/psychological/spiritual problems first. As Kraft emphasizes, successful treatment of these problems weakens the hold of any demons who may be present and makes them easier to cast out.
But, How can We Know?
Let’s assume the deliverance minister has successfully located a root of an individual’s problem, and successfully dealt with that underlying issue. There remains a question of whether or not demons are present in the individual’s life. So we again have to ask the same question. How can we know?
The deliverance minister so far has used spiritual and psychological resources to bring physical/psychological healing. Now his or her role is to use spiritual resources to deal with an evil spirit-being who has attached itself to the person. At this point we do need to know whether the individual is demonized or not.
The first spiritual resource that should be applied is “discernment.” Discernment is a spiritual gift, which not every Christian possesses. Not every deliverance minister has this gift either. While each Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and the deliverance minister needs to keep open to the Spirit’s leading, this leading is not of itself discernment.
The other night my wife and I were eating with three other couples. One of the husbands spoke of experiencing as overwhelming sense of evil at certain times and places. This is something I’m familiar with, since my wife has the same gift. She senses evil, and can tell the difference between a New Age Tea Shoppe where the owner is playing at the supernatural and a similar shop where demons are active and present. Reluctantly visiting a crystal shop in South Carolina with a friend, she not only sensed evil but had a clear impression of individual entities as they neared her.
So, in some cases, a deliverance minister or a member of a deliverance team will have the gift of discernment and clearly sense the evil spirits who are demonizing an individual.
If a person has consistently demonstrated the authenticity of his or her gift of discernment, that person’s testimony is a strong indication demons really are present.
Is there a Better Test?
In the account of the man in the synagogue, the revelation that he was demonized came when the demon cried out. Commanding a demon to speak in the name of Jesus, a command which may need to be repeated several times using the most likely names of the demon, is the final test.
Those in deliverance ministry agree that when a demon speaks through a person, there is enough change in the voice and in the person’s features to know that it is a demon and not the individual who is speaking.
There are two things to remember. While in ancient times demons were given and responded to personal names, in our era demons are called by the symptom or reaction they cause. Thus a deliverance minister might command the demon Anger, or the demon Depression, etc., to speak and reveal himself. The demon will respond to being named in this way, and at that point the presence of a demon is established. And the name by which he goes is also established, so that he can be cast out.
Summary
It’s difficult to know whether a troubled person is demonized. The same symptoms may be caused by physical or psychological factors or by demons. And in many cases both natural and supernatural causes are present at the same time.
The best deliverance ministers gather all the information they can from a person and then seek to deal with the natural causes, which often serve as entry points for demons, first. There always remains a possibility that demons are also involved. Determining whether or not demons are present calls for spiritual discernment, guidance by the Holy Spirit, and ultimately a revelation by the demon himself of his presence, typically by speaking through the person being ministered to. When demons have confessed their presence and been cast out in Jesus name, then we are certain that they were present.
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September 14, 2009
Studies of events reported in the Gospels
Each of the synoptic gospels contain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The Case of the Easy Cure
“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed the sick” (Matthew 8:16).
Observations
1. The translation “demon-possessed” is unfortunate. The Greek simply means “demonized,” or “has a demon.” The English translation is unfortunate because it implies demonic control or ownership, when the fact is that while demons may be present in a person’s life they are seldom in control of the person’s choices or actions.
2. This individual was “brought to” Jesus. It’s interesting that most who suffered physical illnesses “came to” Jesus on their own. Yet in the incidents recorded in the Gospels, demonized individuals were either “brought to” Jesus, or “were there” when Jesus was. This shouldn’t be taken as evidence that no one who is demonized will come to Christ or one of his people for help. But “brought to” here and in other passages does indicate that there’s a significant role for family and friends in recognizing and seeking help for a person who’s under demonic attack. Often its necessary for family members or friends to take the initiative and “bring” an individual to receive help. What I’d suggest if you suspect demonization is to first talk with someone who understands deliverance ministry. Then if the friend or relative is willing, bring him or her to talk with the same person or whoever he or she recommends. Then, if the demonized person consents, the deliverance process can take place.
3. When the demonized individual of Matthew 8:16 was brought to Jesus, Christ “drove out” the spirits. Again, it’s clear from the fact that evil spirits were driven out of those Christ freed that \ spirits were in some sense “inside” the individual. Charles Kraft makes an important distinction in discussing this phenomenon, and especially addressing the question of whether a Christian can be demonized. The argument generally raised against the demonization of believers is that the Holy Spirit indwells believers, and no evil spirit can keep company with the Holy Spirit. This argument is flawed, however. The fact is that, as Paul notes in Ephesians, believers are to “put on the new man” and “take off the old man.” That is, the believer has two natures, the natural and the born again. Conversion to Christ does not eradicate the old nature which is characterized by sinful motives and desires. Why should we be surprised that while the new nature is energized by the Holy Spirit, evil spirits may be present in and energize the old nature? If evil spirits are present with and working through our old nature [the "old man"], its important that they be expelled and that the grip our old nature has on us be loosened.
4. The text uses the plural, “spirits.” We’re reminded that demons generally work in concert and that most exorcisms involve driving out more than one evil spirit. In view of the legion of spirits Jesus expelled from a single individual–and a Roman legion was made up of about 2,000 men–we shouldn’t be surprised if a half-dozen or more evil spirits are found in the typical demonized individual. Those who do deliverance ministry agree that in nearly every case those who are demonized are infested by several rather than a single demon.
5. Jesus drove out the spirits “with a word.” One of the most fascinating elements in the accounts of Jesus’ confrontations with demons is the apparent ordinary-ness of the event. That is, there was no ranting or shouting. No posturing. No striking a person on the forehead to “slay in the Spirit.” Instead, as this verse specifically states, Jesus simply spokw. He “drove out the spirits with a word.”
It’s important to remember the significance of words. God spoke, and with a word he created the universe. Jesus speaks, and with a word drove out evil spirits. As Hebrews reminds us, “the Word of God is living and active.” As Jesus spoke, his words were infused with power by the Holy Spirit, and no evil spirit could resist that power. In deliverance ministry we speak to demons in the name of the Lord Jesus, relying not on ourselves but on the authority Christ gives to his followers who rely on his cross and resurrection not only for salvation but also for that resurrection power that gives life to our moral bodies. Thus deliverance ministry is a matter of prayer and of words: prayer led by the Spirit, and words empowered by the Spirit. Don’t expect fireworks when demons are exorcised. They are driven out by words, and generally they go quietly.
Conclusions
Even a brief verse like the one we’ve been looking at is packed with significance. It’s important to give each word and each phrase its due as we study, for “unpacking” a verse can reveal many important truths. To me, the most significant thing in this verse is the last one I commented on. Jesus drove out the spirits “with a word.” It’s on the basis of the Word of God that we are qualified for a deliverance ministry, as we’ll see in future studies. And it’s the words we speak in Jesus’ name that no demon can resist, for simple words can be, and are, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who works through us to release the captive, and set the prisoners free.
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August 31, 2009
I mentioned the role of “deep healing” in my review of Charles Kraft’s Defeating Dark Angels. In that book Kraft argued that many in deliverance ministry make a mistake by confronting demons too quickly. Kraft believes that while demons may be successfully cast out of a person by such a power confrontation, the individual may still be left with deep-seated psychological or spiritual problems. Kraft argues that if these problems are left unresolved, the individual will not be truly free even though the demons have left. And, he contends, the inner “garbage” [Kraft's term] may lead to re-infestation by the demons who left or by other demons.
Psychological and spiritual problems
It’s important here to see the significance of our deep seated psychological and spiritual problems. [Examples of such problems are self-hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc.] Such problems serve as entry points for demons, giving access to the human personality. They also serve as what I call “standpoints,” and others call “grounds” or “rights.” Whichever term one uses, these problems serve as a “base of operations” for demons, giving them a place to stand or a “legal right” to be present in a demonized person.
Kraft points out that even if a demon of unforgiveness [whose function it is to further harden the individual's heart and increase the hostility felt by the unforgiving individual] is driven out, the individual still will be unforgiving. The basic problem, that served as the point at which the demon first entered and gave him ground to stand on within the individual, hasn’t been resolved. Just because the demon has gone does not mean that the person has forgiven the person(s) he refused to forgive before!
The solution, Kraft suggests, is to start with the basic problem or problems. Deal first with the unforgiveness, or the self-hatred, or the temper, which served as the demon’s entry point and the ground on which he continues to inhabit the individual. In Kraft’s experience if we are successful in bringing healing to the individual, we weaken the demon(s) hold on the individual by cutting out from under the demon the grounds he had for being in the individual in the first place.
Given this perspective, it’s not at all surprising that Kraft wrote the book I’m reviewing here now. It’s titled, Deep Wounds,Deep Healing. And it’s subtitle is, “Discovering the vital link between Spiritual Warfare and Inner Healing.”
Deep Wounds
In Kraft’s experience the kind of wounds that are most intimately linked to demonization are wounds that area administered early in life. A young girl is ignored by her parents, who can’t be bothered to take time aware from their pursuits to pay attention to their toddler. Or a son’s spirit is crushed by the critical parent who is always saying demeaning things to and about him, Or a young child who is sexually abused by an older brother or an uncle. When such things happen during a person’s earliest years, deep wounds are administered that continue to haunt the person into adulthood. These deep kinds of wounds, Kraft points out, call for “deep healing.”
Kraft in speaking of “deep healing” is not inventing a new ministry. Others have pioneered ministry to the deeply wounded. You may be somewhat familiar with this ministry under such names as “prayer counseling” or “inner healing.” Earlier books that deal with this issue include David A. Seamands Healing for Damaged Emotions, John and Paula Sandford’s The Transformation of the Inner Man, etc.
While Kraft is not unique in his emphasis on this sort of healing, his book is, as usual, lucid, helpful, and filled with stories drawn from his personal experience. It is also helpful because of Kraft’s emphasis on the interrelationships between inner healing and demonization. Once again I’m forced to say, as I said of Defeating Dark Angles, if you could only have a few books on deliverance ministry, Deep Wounds,Deep Healing would simply have to be one of them.
Deep Healing
Kraft does an excellent job of showing us what Deep Healing involves. There’s no way in a post as brief as this one that I can sum up all the insights he shares with us. I can, however, note that at its core deep healing involves guiding an individual back to those terrifying experiences that first caused the wounds, and inviting him to see Jesus present during those experiences, letting the love of Christ bring healing as the Holy Spirit ministers in those awful experiences.
We’ll never understand why God permita such experiences in the first place. But as Kraft points out to those who ask “Why?”
Satan wanted to destroy you.
You weren’t destroyed.
Someone more powerful than Satan was there, protecting you.
In the end, person after person has found freedom from those deep woulds. The scars remain. But healing is possible. And for many, healing has come. And the demons who worked to keep those wounds open and bleeding have be driven out.