Deliverance 

The issue of deliverance is a confused one in Christendom. Though there are some difficult areas in scripture regarding ‘freedom from the bondage of sin’, (IE, when is one ‘demon possessed’, and when is one exercising free will?) still the issue is covered well throughout the context of scripture.

Although such a subject cannot be addressed adequately in a short essay, still I would like to show that the overwhelming evidence in God’s book, is that the factor of ‘freewill’, is the most significant factor we contend with.

Having been “saved” into a Charismatic fellowship, for which I am not totally sorry, I first learned that, “sin could be caused by entities that invade our mind, bodies and will; so we might do the things that we do not want to do”! This idea promotes the thought that I somehow can do many evil things and it is ‘not really ‘me’ that is doing them’. This type of teaching continues, ‘that in order for me to escape the clutches of this entity, I have got to be loosed from them by some sort of exorcism’. However, in order for this to take place, first one must find someone (or they must come across one’s path) who has this gift or is “powerful in faith”.

Unfortunately, in all the years of contact with those that make constant claims about this power, I cannot testify to one obvious and or otherwise proven exorcism. This is not to say that exorcism does not happen, only that it is, at least, rare. Many years ago, right in the middle of the Jesus movement revival; our church held a weekly Wednesday night fellowship. We consistently had several converts every week. One night everyone was especially excited about one convert in particular. Joey was supposedly the son of a very famous satanic high priest in San Francisco. Everyone knew this “high priest” because he frequently stated his anti-Christian views in various national magazines. So the idea that his son was now converted to Christianity and has now joined God’s army, was a wonderful victory!

In those days it was the practice of our fellowship to channel many of the converts into one of the three houses that were used for the discipleship ministry. So that night, Joey was taken to one of these houses.  However, as they were praying for Joey, somehow it was learned that he had many, many demons possessing him. They prayed for him for hours, and every imaginable type of demon was cast out of him. When all was done, Joey settled into the boy’s house and became familiar to all of us.

It seems the demon of shyness never left Joey. He was somewhat heavy and very self-conscious. He was quiet and withdrawn, and though he was around for some time, he never quite fit in. We were all young and full of energy, always willing to be on the go. Many times, late at night, after the evening services, we would go to a friends swimming pool and skinny dip. But try as we may, Joey would not participate. He was so self conscious that he never would take his cloths off; He would go, but all he would do is sit on the side of the pool, quiet and seemingly satisfied with watching our fun.

Joey seemed to never grow as a Christian. I can remember thinking, “how can someone that has come so far, and come from such an evil background, not enjoy the wonderful life of God?” Especially when God emptied him of so much evil.

Months passed, and finally it came to light why Joey never grew as a Christian. It seems there was one demon that never came out during that late night exorcism. As it turned out, Joey was not really a boy, they found Joey was a girl.

Of course, this story is both funny and sad. Joey really did need help, but our group was so involved with the spirits and the supernatural that we could not see the obvious.  What was possibly a wonderful opportunity for Joey, was lost because our focus was on things that probably had no relevance to her real problem. Though Joey obviously needed prayer, what she really needed was some basic information about what is requisite to become a responsible human being; accountable to God and approved by man.

The New Testament is full of; mostly simple information, which tells mankind how to live and prosper. Now pause for a moment, scan your memory about all the scripture says about successful living. What you will find is – in all the counsel that the apostles, Paul, John, Peter, Jude and all the rest give, never once is there counsel to ‘cast out the spirit of…..”. To those that are angry, it says -stop being angry. To those that are fornicators – stop it. To the thief, to steal no more. That husbands should love their wives, not have the spirit of selfishness driven out.

The scripture says that our minds need to be transformed (Rom.12.1-2) This again has nothing to do with a supernatural beings invading our minds, making us do things out of our control. But our minds need a new way of thinking. The proud need to see the value of humility; the self-centered must learn the needs of others; the fearful learn the security of God's presence. When we think rightly, then the 'father of liars' has no place to deceive us; we change as the Holy Spirit has promised to give us the strength to change; but we must first be willing to think rightly. This only happens as we submit to God's ways. 

Spirits are talked about all over the Gospels and Acts, yet there is no instruction regarding them. The absence of that instruction, while there is clear instruction about  life and all it’s issues, should be an obvious guide to us to stay with the basics; give the sincere milk of the word and the young Christian, if he or she is of that appetite, will grow.

The people of the world have many ways to deal with their problems, they can't control their kids so many unnecessarily give them Ritalan. They have guilt, so they get therapy instead of confessing their sins and changing their views on their behavior. They take pills for things they can't get out of their minds, because they refuse to have their minds transformed. 

The bible tells us, "2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue". This tells us, if He has called us to glory and virtue, he gives us what we need to attain it. 

I believe in the supernatural, but it is a very vague area, and dealing with it is largely traditional, speculative and subjective. I’ve learned that where God is not specific, be humble and safe with our teaching. To err may be a good story thirty years later, but it also may be tragic, like the life of Joey.

For similar information as this, see the essay on ‘Christian Magic’

Want to discuss this? pwrouzaud@gmail.com