Following Nick’s article on demons and spirits, one of our readers commented that we perhaps needed a follow up article on deliverance ministry.
To form our study on this issue, Nick Thompson and Kathryn Price struck up a conversation on Zoom, which you can see here. If you prefer to read, however, the transcript is below.
Nick – I’m struck by the fact that our modern world is infected by many evil spirits and demonic forces, yet its reality is simply ignored by many of the mainstream churches who, broadly speaking, deny the existence of these spiritual forces.
Kathryn – I wonder if it’s not so much denial, as a reluctance to address what can seem quite a difficult, or even scary, area. In my involvement with Methodist and Baptist churches, the leadership at least is open to the need for driving out demonic influences, though it never seems to be touched on in church services.
To be honest, I’ve been rather surprised recently by how often the need to drive out evil spirits has come up. Do you think it’s increasing?
Nick – Well, I believe there is a veil of protection that has loosely protected us, but since the legalisation of witchcraft, that veil has progressively thinned.
Kathryn – Yes, though even more simply, many people, since it has been allowed, have been inviting in evil spirits through Ouija, tarot, and the rest. And anything else that opens the mind up to external forces, through perhaps drug use or emptying the mind rituals.
Nick – You mean like mindfulness?
Kathryn – Not really, that’s a misconception, mindfulness focuses on a particular very simple reality or sense, such as the feel of water on the skin. That’s simply a useful technique to slow a racing, highly anxious mind. No, I mean more things like Buddhist meditation, which seeks to empty the mind - which clears space for malign forces. And there’s a greater interest in the paranormal, people seeking this out. But few want the paranormal to affect them directly. So, it seems more of us need to be aware that we may find ourselves in a position of needing to do exorcism. So I guess we need to be prepared and know what’s involved. The Bible is obviously our first point of call, isn’t it, Nick?
Nick – Absolutely, and the first point to realise is that Jesus never used any form of rite or magic words. He simply prayed, then commanded the evil spirits, who obeyed him. I would also note that the disciples did the same, commanding them to leave, in the name of Jesus.
Kathryn – Yes – no magic formula or ritual!! It’s the opposite of witchcraft. And that’s something we need to be aware of, isn’t it? There are churches and groups who have performed exorcisms that more closely relate to witchcraft than Christianity, with rituals, violence, torture and starvation – often against children.
Nick – There is never a place for that. It’s absolutely wrong, and entirely contrary to every single teaching in the Bible.
Kathryn – In my experience, which, to be fair, has always been essentially a cleansing of places where evil spirits have had a strong influence, rather than necessarily of a person, it has been a mostly calm and peaceful affair. We have prayed, spoken Jesus’ lordship over the place, perhaps read some scripture, and clearly, but in a normal voice, told the spirits to leave.
Nick – Quite right. It is Jesus who is the ultimate authority over these spirits. As the gospels, particularly Mark’s, demonstrate, spirits are silenced by a word spoken with divine authority. When this happens, the person possessed doesn’t need any preparation, the deliverance is instant and achieved because the spirits obey. The ministry of exorcism continued in the Acts Church with the invocation of Jesus’ name, demonstrating there is certainly power in the name of Jesus. And this continues in the early church. By 350AD, there was an order of exorcists. These were quite different from pagan and Jewish exorcists who used incantations, spells and rites, whereas the church exorcists simply spoke in the name of Jesus. The Greek word ‘exousia’ is used in these circumstances and translates as ‘authority’.
It's the authority given by Jesus that is needed, and this is done in the name of Jesus. Though it may not always be as peaceful as your experience – we can see in Mark 9, for example, the spirit shrieking and throwing the boy into a violent fit before coming out. We need to be prepared for that to happen. But it’s not for us to shriek and be violent – we can stay calm!
Kathryn – Absolutely. I guess we very much need to be in the right place spiritually to be involved in this.
Nick – We certainly need to be in a right relationship with God. It’s dangerous otherwise. See in Acts 19, where the seven sons of Sceva were trying to use the name of Jesus to drive out spirits the evil spirit answered them, though they were not believers. A spirit answered them one day, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Kathryn – So, it’s not for those not right with God. But even if we are right with God, we also need to ensure that we are prepared. Praying to prepare ourselves.
Nick – And possibly fasting. In the story in Mark 9 I mentioned, the disciples hadn’t been able to cast out the spirit, and Jesus told them after that this kind of spirit can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. But that’s not always needed. It may be we need to ask God if we need to fast as part of our preparation.
Kathryn – With the dangers involved, we shouldn’t do this alone, should we?
Nick – It may be fine for someone experienced and mature, but is probably otherwise best for there to be more than one. Jesus told us in Matthew 18 that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. He said, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Kathryn – Yes, and when Jesus first gave the disciples the authority to cast out spirits, in Mark 6, he sent them out two by two. So, if someone is needing to do this, it’s going to be best to ask a mature believer to assist. I certainly did, when needing to cleanse homes of evil influences, I asked our church pastor to come and help. Talking of which – I’ve just been involved in exorcising places. I’m not clear of the difference between that and when it’s with people.
Nick – Peter Horrobin, from Ellel Ministries, designates them as two slightly different ministries. Deliverance ministry is for freeing people from demonic possession and exorcism is for removing demonic holds over places, buildings and objects. Nevertheless, the approach remains the same: prayer that addresses the entity and orders it to leave in the name of Jesus. This can only be carried out in the power of the Holy Spirit and by people who are fully reliant on the Spirit and the biblical examples and promises. You must be wholly committed to Jesus and living a holy life to be involved in deliverance.
Kathryn – I remember as a young Christian being at a mass deliverance event and getting scared that the spirits leaving others would then possess me. It didn’t happen, but there were a lot of Christians who seemed to be being delivered of evil spirits. Can an evil spirit really possess a believer?
Nick – The Bible seems to indicate that a believer cannot be demon possessed – 1 John 4:4 says that “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”. The text clearly suggests that it is the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit that protects an established believer from demon possession. But that’s when you consider possession as complete control over someone. The Holy Spirit, who is in us, gives us self-control. So that would be contradictory. Equally, we have to bear in mind the needs of new believers or anyone who has drifted from the faith, but later returns, who may require deliverance ministry.
But many make a distinction between demon possession and demon oppression which I think makes some sense. And believers can be oppressed by evil spirits – we may often consider this to be a spiritual attack. Look at Job – he was a righteous man, but Satan was able to attack him. We may need prayer, and therefore a form of deliverance, from this external oppression. But if we are true believers, it is the Holy Spirit within us – no evil spirit can control us. Deliverance from possession means removing that controlling influence, restoring self-control.
Kathryn – I guess one big challenge is knowing when it is evil spirits, and when there are other factors at play. Some people seem to ignore this spiritual element, others see the demonic at play everywhere. In my experience, it has been God who has revealed to me when we needed to address and exorcise an evil spirit, which has been a fairly rare occurrence. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, should we.
Nick – No, this can be very damaging. It is the Holy Spirit within us that makes us aware of the presence of evil spirits through buildings or in people. I recall some 15 – 20 years ago being on a crowded train and feeling an almost physical reaction in my spirit. Somewhat surprised I was looking around wondering what had happening and caught a lady, dressed all in black and covered in occultic signs and jewellery doing exactly the same thing. It was almost as if our spirits had reacted to the presence of an opposite force.
Kathryn – I imagine that’s why we see so many exorcisms in the gospels – the evil spirits would react strongly to Jesus’ presence.
Nick – And they demonstrated that Jesus was the Messiah – that he had power over Satan – the Adversary. And that power was demonstrated by short, authoritative commands – no touching required.
Kathryn – And of course they demonstrate Jesus’ compassion and love for people, he did not want to see them suffering in this way. It was part of ushering in his kingdom. Then he delegated it to his disciples – to his Church.
Nick – Yes, the church must recognise that God is the last hope of ordinary men and women. The church should be the one human organisation that has a total and complete commitment to the sanctity of human life and self-control. As a result of that we should be the one body within this world that has a care for all who are oppressed, whether that is due to material, physical, or spiritual causes.
Kathryn – Yes, let’s be ready to proclaim the kingdom of God in all ways, just as the disciples were told to do in Luke 9, through healing, deliverance, and calling to repentance, in the name of Jesus, who is much greater than any evil and who is Lord over the whole earth.
Recommended Reading
They Shall Expel Demons: Derek Prince
Casting out Demons: H A Maxwell Whyte
Healing Through Deliverance: Peter Horrobin
Hostage to the Devil: Malachi Martin
Recommended Contacts
Ellel Ministry