Eph 4:25-27 NIV
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
foothold = topos - NT 5117 - meaning "room, place, oropportunity"
How to Help a Person who is Demonized
(possessed = daimonizomai - NT:1139 "to be under the power of a demon")
We try to be flexible and sensitive to God's Spirit, but the guidelines below represent our general procedure in dealing with those who are demonized:
Having received a request for help, we inform the person that we believe that failure to yield to Christ and repent of one's sins will prohibit deliverance from demonic influences (Matt 12:43-45.) It is our conviction that demons can control us only when we have granted them permission by remaining in sin. We always have at least one other believer present in a deliverance session to support our efforts with prayer.
1. We ask the person to complete our Confidential Personal History
2. We prepare for the session with prayer and fasting
3. At the first session:
a. we begin with prayer
b. we ask the person to briefly tell their story including the greatest
traumas they can remember (we are looking for long standing
grudges, grief, guilt, and fear; unforgiveness seems to be the most
common "foothold" used by Satan.)
c. we ask them to give us an idea of:
* how long they have felt captive
* when they started sensing something foreign within them
* how the demonic power shows itself in them
d. we ask them to describe their spiritual journey
e. we ask them if they believe that Jesus, God's only begotten Son, came in the flesh (1 John 4:1-3)
f. we use ourHow to Have a Relationship with God page(attached) to present the Gospel and to discern if Jesus is truly their Lord and Savior (Rom 10:9-10). If they are unwilling to receive Christ, we end that appointment and let them know that we would be happy to serve them at a later date.
g. if we are confident that they are secure in Christ, we proceed to help
them to discern and confess specific areas of sin, seek God's forgiveness, and determine how best to make amends. After they address each area out loud, we inform the demons that their permission to vex the person has been revoked and that in Jesus' name they must leave. We order the demonsto the abyss
(Luke 8:29-31).
h. we generally keep these sessions to 1 1/2 hours or less. If
more ministry is need, we schedule another session as soon as
possible.
i. we review our Many Aspire but Few Attain page (attached) as a reminderof the disciplines that keep us safe and help us grow. We also remind them of the power of God to be found in: the name of Jesus, worshipful music, and a loving environment.
Matt 12:43-45 NIV
"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
1 John 4:1-3 NIV
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
James 4:7-10 NIV
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
How to Have a Relationship with God, Your Heavenly Father
(What the Bible Teaches - Scripture References from the NIV)
The Bible teaches that we are to examine our own spiritual condition.
2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?
The Bible teaches that there is only one way to be saved from our sin.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
1 Tim 2:3-6 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men-the testimony given in its proper time.
The Bible teaches that there are 4 principles that I must embrace in order for me to be in relationship with God.
1. I must believe that I am a sinner. (pisteuo; believe = trust in, rely on, cling to, surrender to)
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
2. I must believe that my sin separates me from God now and for eternity.
2 Thess 1: 8-9 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power
3. I must believe that God's perfect Son, Jesus Christ, became sin on my behalf and paid the full penalty for that sin on the cross.
2 Cor 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
4. Out of gratitude for Christ's sacrifice I must acknowledge Jesus as Lord (boss) and yield to His authority in my life.
Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Kurios; Lord= one in total authority)
Are you a "Christ-liker" or a saved, spirit filled follower of Jesus Christ?
2 Cor 5:9-10 NAS
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Many Aspire, but Few Attain
(The Basics Needed to Succeed Spiritually)
A. FELLOWSHIP
1. a good Bible teaching church
2. a life-giving small group
3. a committed mentor
B. PRAYER
1. God talks to you - listening prayer
2. you talk to God - ACTS
Adoration - Confession - Thanksgiving - Supplication
C. THE WORD
1. read
2. hear
3. study
4. memorize
5. meditate
John 15:5
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. NASU
What We Know from Scripture About Satan and His Demons
1. Satan is a being with a personal name. Job 1:7
2. He fell from his position as an anointed cherub through pride over his own
beauty. Ez. 28:11-17, Is. 14:12-14
3. He deceived Eve in the garden. Gen. 3:1-6
4. God put enmity between Satan and man. Gen. 3:15
5. He has access to heaven. Rev. 12:9-12
6. He is the accuser of the brethren. Rev. 12:10
7. He roams the earth seeking whom he can devour. 1 Peter 5:8
8. He hates good men. Job 2:3-6
9. He seeks to destroy fellowship between God and His children. Job 2:4-6
10. He seeks to cause men to curse God and deny Him. Job 2:5
11. He is limited by God in touching His children. Job 2:6
12. He destroys to the limit of his ability through the permission of God.
Job 1:12-19
13. He has many agents on earth who do his bidding. Job 1:15,17
14. He can control the elements and cause storms when God permits. Job 1:18-19
15. He is the propagator of disease in the bodies of men. Job 2:7; Acts 10:38
16. Satan's ultimate abode is the "lake of fire" prepared for him, the demons, and those humans who do not believe in Christ. Rev. 20:10
17. A third of God's angels rebelled with Satan and now compose his demon horde. Rev. 12:4
18. The demons are subject to Christ and to believers by the atonement, the name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Matt. 8:16-17
19. Demons have a hierarchy of rank and exert control over specific geographic locations. Eph. 6:12; Dan. 10:12-14
20. Thousands of them can enter into and take possession of a person. Mark 5:9
21. They have more than ordinary intelligence. Matt. 8:29
22. Their rightful place at present is in the abyss. Luke 8:26-33
23. Demons seek embodiment and can enter into and control both men and beasts.
Mark 5:1-18
24. Demons know their fate and recognize those who have power over them.
Matt. 8:31-32; Acts 19:13-17
25. They can inflict physical maladies. Matt. 12:22
26. They wage war on the saints. Eph. 6:10-18
27. Our resources against them are prayer, self control, and the whole armor of God. Matt. 17:21; Eph. 6:10-18
"He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." 1John 3:8 NIV
Breaking the Bondage of Generational Sin
Ex 20:1-6 NIV
1 And God spoke all these words: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand [ generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
A vital step in obtaining your freedom in Christ is to renounce (to refuse further to follow, obey, or recognize) the sins of your family. The iniquities of one generation can adversely affect future generations unless the sins of the ancestors are acknowledged and renounced, and your spiritual heritage in Christ is claimed. You are not guilty for the sin of your ancestors, but because of their sin, you may be predisposed to certain strengths or weaknesses and influenced by the physical and spiritual atmosphere in which you were raised. These conditions can contribute to causing someone to struggle with a particular sin. To assist you in this powerful process of prayer and discovery a list of common sin areas is given below.
Ask the Lord to show you specifically what sins are characteristic of your family.
ImmoralityGluttonyMaterialism
Eating DisordersChronic IllnessPhysical Abuse
Accident PronenessUnnecessary SurgeriesGrief
Controlling BehaviorsTheftGuilt
BankruptcyExcessive SpendingInferiority
HoardingSelfishnessUnforgiveness
Greed BitternessWorry
CompulsionsSugar AddictionsFear
SmokingChewingPride
Alcohol Abuse Drug AbuseInfidelity
PornographySexual AbuseHomosexuality
IncestMolestationCriminal Activity
AstrologySpells and CursesRebellion to Authority
WitchcraftGamblingBlasphemy
Self-pityDeceptionAbortion
SecretsCover-upsSleep Disorders
RageSelf-centerednessMental Disorders
DepressionSuicideDemon Possession
Pagan Belief SystemsIdolatryVerbal Abuse
DenialCo-dependencyProfanity
HypochondriaPessimismIllegitimate Pregnancy
FatigueCowardiceDivorce
Workaholism People PleasingRole Reversals within the
Home
Phil 3:13-14 NIV
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
*Non-Christian Spiritual Activities that Satan Will Use to Blind Us
(not a complete list)
1 Tim 4:1 NIV
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Because participation in these activities can open the doorway to Satan's influence in our lives and ultimately blind us, we need to confess any involvement with them as sin and renounce any future attachment to them.
Out-of-body experienceOuija boardBloody Mary
Light as a featherTable liftingMagic Eight Ball
Spells or cursesMental telepathyAutomatic writing
TrancesSpirit guidesFortune-telling
Tea leavesDivinationTarot cards
LevitationMagic--The GatheringWitchcraft/sorcery
Satanism Astrology/horoscopes Palm reading
HypnosisBlack or white magic Seances
Fantasy games w/ occult imagesBlood pacts Good luck charms
Sexual spiritsSuperstitions Violent video games
MormonismJehovah's Witnesses New Age
MasonsChristian Science Mind Science
The Way InternationalUnification Church The Forum
Church of the Living WordChildren of God Unitarianism
Church of Scientology Buddhism (incl. Zen) Hinduism
Transcendental meditation Islam Black Muslim
Native American spirit worship Yoga Hare Krishna
Silva Mind Control Bahai faith Rosicrucianism
Other non-Christian religions Cults Martial arts (mysticism/ devotion to sensei)
TV shows, movies, music, books, magazines, or comics that glorify Satan or our sinful nature
Gal 5:19-21 NLT
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
**False Beliefs Promoted by the Father of Lies
(These lies are propagated through the evil world system over which Satan rules)
1. Believing that acquiring money and things will bring lasting happiness
(1Tim 6:10)
2. Believing that excessive food and alcohol can relieve my stress and make me happy (Prov 20:1)
3. Believing that an attractive body and personality will get me what I want
(Prov 31:30)
4. Believing that gratifying sexual lust will bring lasting satisfaction (Eph 4:22)
5. Believing that I can sin without any negative consequences (Heb. 3:12-13)
6. Believing that I need more than what God has given me in Christ (2 Cor 11:2-4)
7. Believing that I can do whatever I want and no one can touch me (Prov 16:18)
8. Believing that unrighteous people who refuse to accept Christ go to heaven anyway (1 Cor 6:9-11)
9. Believing that I can associate with bad company and not become corrupted
(1 Cor 15:33-34)
10. Believing that I can read, see or listen to anything and not be corrupted
(Prov 4:23-27)
11. Believing that there are no consequences on earth for my sin (Gal 6:7-8)
12. Believing that I must gain the approval of certain people in order to be happy (Gal 1:10)
13. Believing that I must measure up to certain standards in order to feel good about myself (Gal 3:2-3)
from The Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil T. Anderson
Steps to Freedom in Christ
By Neil T. Anderson
1. The first step toward experiencing your freedom in Christ is to renounce (verbally reject) all past or present involvement with occult practices, cult teachings and rituals, and non-Christian religions. You must renounce any activity or group which denies Jesus Christ or offers guidance through any source other than the absolute authority of the Bible. Any group that requires dark or secret initiations, ceremonies, promises or pacts should also be renounced (1John 4:1-3).
2. God's Word is true, and we need to accept His truth in the innermost part of our being
(Psalm 51:6). Whether or not we feel it is true, we need to believe it is true! Jesus is the truth; the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth; the Word of God is truth; and we are admonished to speak the truth in love (John 14:6; Eph. 4:15).
3. We need to forgive others so Satan cannot take advantage of us (2 Cor. 2:10-11). We are commanded to get rid of all bitterness in our lives and forgive others as we have been forgiven (Eph. 4:31-32).
4. We live in a rebellious age. Many people only obey laws and authorities when it is convenient for them. There is a general lack of respect for those in government, and Christians are often as guilty as the rest of society in fostering a critical, rebellious spirit. Certainly, we are not expected to agree with leaders' policies that are in violation of the Scripture, but we are to "honor all [people]; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king" (1 Peter 2:17).