Welcome to Word of Life Study Series- The Authority of the Believer! This will be our last episode for this season. Our Christian experience is grounded in the Word of God, so when it comes to the practical application of deliverance ministry- the Bible is our textbook. The Scriptures are full of teaching and examples of what deliverance ministry should look for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. Is the Devil or just the Flesh
When I talk about the “Flesh” I am talking about the old sinful human nature that is still left in the bodies of every Christian alive on the earth today. This means, that believers is Jesus Christ are very capable of committing sin. We are perfect now through righteousness in our born again spiritual natures, just not perfectly walking it out in our daily lives. Some things that folks attribute to the devil are really nothing more than works of the flesh. Most of the time Christians just need to learn how to bring their flesh under the dominion of their recreated spirit- that's called sanctification.
2. The difference between Oppression, Obsession and Possession
To really understand how demons affect people, it’s also important to understand the difference between oppression, obsession, and possession. Many people use these terms interchangeably when they are actually referring to three separate degrees of demonic influence. The primary way Satan tries to gain access to people is through their mind and body. However, the enemy cannot possess a Christian in their spirit- Holy Spirit is already there!
3. Spiritual Warfare: Are we Wrestling or Resting
Spiritual warfare and demonology are subjects some Christians are overemphasizing today in a way that is not in line with the Word of God. Many believers become fearful if we talk about the devil, demons, and evil spirits and their activities. The other extreme is when people seem to think it would be better not to even mention the devil or evil spirits. We need to know our enemy. The Bible says we are not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices and schemes. One of Satan’s devices is to get people off into the extreme, even in the area of spiritual warfare.
4. Pulling down Strongholds
Evil spirits like to remain in the locality where they have established strongholds. The Bible gives us an example of this in Mark chapter 5 when Jesus delivered the madman of Gadara. When traveling, it can be easy to discern what kinds of spirits are in a given locality. The evil spirits that dominate a city will try to get into the local churches, if allowed to; the church of Corinth in the Bible is a good example- 1 Cor. 5.
5. Praying Scripturally
How can we pray so that our prayers will affect change in our cities/nations? Only the Word of God will prevail over every circumstance, demon or force of evil. A revivalist once said, “It is no more supernatural for believers to have a revival than it is for farmers to reap a crop.” The same principles for sowing/reaping a crop apply to both the natural & spiritual realms. We prepare the ground of people’s hearts through scriptural prayer. The Word has to be sown in people’s hearts through the preaching/teaching of the Word. The Word and Prayer working together results in signs and wonders – revival in the land!
6. Is Deliverance Ministry Scriptural?
If you are a Christian, healing and deliverance belongs to you. The word “deliverance” doesn’t just mean deliverance from demons- there’s a greater application. We’re talking about freedom from anything that would try to bind us is part of our redemptive rights in Christ. The greatest form of deliverance ministry is getting the Word of God into f