Showing posts with label drug addiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drug addiction. Show all posts

Mar 24, 2011

Removing Demonic Homes - To Bring Lasting Freedom





This message was originally published here by More Than Conquerors Deliverance Ministry.

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What exactly is a demonic home? A demonic home is a fleshly environment by which gives it access and ability to live in a person. This is not a physical home, but a spiritual home. A root of bitterness for example, will create an environment or place in that person's life by which demonic spirits can enter and dwell among. God's Word tells us not to give Satan a foothold or as the KJV says, "a place to the devil."

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. (Eph. 4:26-27)

If we go about casting out demons, but fail to remove the "place" that we've given to the devil (or his demons), then they still have a home within us. Jesus described a demon as a strongman who is armored and keeps his home, but by removing his armor (and take away his home), we can spoil his goods (the area of the person's life that was once held in bondage). Jesus went on to tell us that demons like to return to their homes:

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace [or home], his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.... When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith,I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
(Luke 11:21-22, 24-26)

Demons cannot just come back and reenter a person without having a home there. That is why it is so important that we minister to the whole person, and figure out what is the root to their bondage, then minister to the root so that the demon has no home to return to.

While there are definitely spirits of lust, anger, and so forth, there are also fleshly homes that are created by which they dwell. A spirit of bitterness cannot enter and dwell by itself, it must have a fleshly 'hook' or 'home' by which it dwells.

Examples of Demonic Homes
Please understand that these are only examples, and not every case is the same. Some bondages may be different than the examples below even though the same demons may be at work. These examples are only here to give you an idea of how demon homes work.

Lust and Pornography
Pornography and lust are known to be rooted in a lack of love. If a person grows up not feeling loved, then there's a good chance they will turn to pornography or lust to fulfill that need which was never met by their parents or family. Let's say that we're about to cast out a demon of lust in somebody; let's first look at the flow of bondage here:

An unmet need to be loved and appreciated CREATED a fleshly bondage to pornography WHICH IS a demonic home THAT CONTAINS a nest of demons (lust, pornography, perversion, etc.).

First we need to minister to the root cause to the fleshly problem, then we need to clean up the fleshly problem itself (which is the demonic house), and then cast out the demons. The person must come to learn how they are loved, accepted, and appreciated by their heavenly Father. Then they need to repent and renounce their bondage to pornography, lust, and so forth. Then it is time to begin casting out the demons that have been holding the person in bondage.

Rejection
Next, let's take a young man by the name Joe. Joe has been rejected as a child by his peers, and today has a terrible bondage to rejection, thus making it difficult to create meaningful relationships with others. Joe feels all alone, and even when others aren't rejecting him, he perceives even a simple "no" as a form of rejection. Joe has difficulty receiving correction because he perceives it as an attack on him personally. As a result of feeling rejected, Joe naturally fell into a bondage to rebellion, which set him up for further rejection. Those are just a few of the things that Joe struggles with. We could go about casting out the demon of rejection, or we could minister to the root of Joe's problem. With Joe's situation, the flow of bondage looks something like this:

A deep wound that was created when others rejected him CREATED a fleshly bondage where Joe felt worthless and worthy to be rejected WHICH BUILT a stronghold of self-hate, self-rejection, and so forth WHICH WAS a demonic homeTHAT CONTAINED a nest of demons (rejection, rebellion, self-hate, etc.).

A similar flow of bondage may look something like this:

A deep wound that was created when others rejected him CREATED a fleshly need to be accepted and a stronghold of rejection (or a way of perceiving yourself as rejected) WHICH WAS a demonic home THAT CONTAINED the demons of rebellion, rejection, and so forth.

Bitterness
Let's take a woman by the name Susan who was molested by her father when she was a young girl. Ever since then, she's had a terrible time feeling clean inside, and establishing genuine and meaningful relationships. Such a bondage plays havoc with marriages all the time, as it makes it very difficult for the wife to truly bond and enjoy physical and emotional intimacy with her husband. We could start out by casting out the demons which entered in through the molestation, OR, we could minister to her in such a way that brings true and lasting freedom. Susan's flow of bondage might look something like this:

A deep wound and feeling "used" that was created because of the molestationCREATED a feeling of unforgiveness and hatred towards her father (and often men in general) WHICH IS a demonic home THAT CONTAINS spirits of hate, anger, resentment, and so forth.

Our first step is to deal with the wound, and let Susan know that she had a right to hate and be angry with her father for the terrible thing which was done to her. It is a right that God gives us, but He also asks us to yield that right to Him. God's Word tells us to let God avenge wrath (see Romans 12:19), for when we give Him that right, He says that He will repay. Much of the problem with unforgiveness is that we don't really believe that God will bring justice to that situation. Susan must realize that although her father is off of her hook, he's still accountable to God for his actions. Susan has also lost sight of what Jesus has done for her, and what a steep and terrible price that Jesus paid for her own sins. Dealing with the unforgiveness root will tear down the demon house, so that when the demons are cast out, they have nowhere to return to.

Exceptions
Sometimes you cast out demons first, depending on what the Holy Spirit leads. There are valid situations where it is best to get rid of the demonic factor first so that you can more clearly deal with the root issues. Sometimes demons must be cast out before the person can freely receive healing to their damaged emotions. However, use caution when going after the demons up front, as the they love to return when their fleshly house still exists. This is why I generally like to take the safe route (laid out in this teaching) as a default method, unless the Holy Spirit prompts me otherwise. However, be prepared for the Holy Spirit to lead otherwise, because there are times when I believe it is necessary.

In any case, when you're finished with the deliverance process, then both the root should be cleaned up as well as the demons cast out. Whatever steps are taken to get there may vary, but that should always be our goal when ministering deliverance and inner healing.

Understanding Bondage
Whenever you find yourself casting out the same demons from the same person over and over again, then there's a good chance there is a demonic home which the demon keeps returning to. I like how Charles Kraft describes demons as rats which feed off of garbage in our barn. We can keep on casting the rats out, but unless we clean up the garbage by which they are feeding, then they will keep coming back. Balanced deliverance ministry is typically focused on cleaning up the garbage even more than casting out the demons, because it is the key to ministering true and lasting freedom. I'm not saying that casting out the demons isn't important (it is VERY important!), but if we keep on casting out the same demons and they keep coming back, what good are we doing?

This is why I highly encourage every deliverance minister to take the time to study and learn the roots of the popular spiritual bondages. Make it your mission to understand what brings on various bondages to lust and pornography, anger problems, and so forth. Yes, there are demons involved in most of these situations, but there are also fleshly roots that we need to minister to, so that when we cast out the demons, they do not return. It is vital for deliverance ministers to take the time to learn and understand the bondages that are plaguing many people today so that we can effectively minister genuine and lasting freedom.

More Than Conquerors Deliverance Ministry can be found Here on Facebook.



Oct 4, 2009

Set Free




She sat in a chair crying. Her tank-top revealed two arms covered with large bruises. We were called after she came to a clinic looking for help. When she mentioned that she cut her wrist intentionally, the receptionist called 911.

She poured out her heart to us over the next half hour, relating her long battle against alcoholism and drug addiction. She then turned to prostitution. It was the only way she could get money for the things she needed. Her life had become one long nightmare of abuse, neglect, addiction and numerous attempts to kill herself. “I’ve tried to kill myself so many times I can’t count them anymore.”

As I walked through the clinic door, I felt the presence of God arrive. That meant He had a strategy. I was no longer the lead paramedic, but His partner; trying to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. I sensed it was going to be an evangelistic assignment.

There are many models of personal evangelism used in the church; some lead a new convert in saying the sinner’s prayer, some explain the 4 spiritual laws, the ‘Romans road’ or the ‘good test’. I seldom use these approaches. They seem rigid and tend to assume a great deal about the person, which may not be true.

I see every encounter as unique. I prefer to let each relationship develop naturally, without a predetermined direction or goal, unless God has given me His strategy in advance. I let the Holy Spirit guide me in the right direction, set the pace and determine the issues.

Sometimes all I do is buy my new friend a cup of coffee and interpret a dream or give them a prophetic word. With others I might answer a few questions they have about God. Sometimes it’s a prayer for healing and a hug. I never really know where an encounter will lead.

When I’m with people who don’t have a relationship with God, I try to approach the situation with only one thing in mind; I know God loves them and want to give them one positive experience with Him. It may be the only one they ever have. I believe I owe that to everyone I meet.

As I listened to her story, I tried to gauge where she was at spiritually. In my mind I ran through a list of questions; How much did she know about God? How desperate was she for change? How did she feel about Jesus? Did she have any negative church experiences? Has God been speaking to her through dreams? Did she want to be delivered of demonic oppression?

In the ambulance, I could tell she was desperate and ready for a serious discussion about God. I told her there was only one thing that could change her life permanently. She beat me to the punch line and blurted out "It's God, isn't it?". In her spirit she knew what the solution was.

Most people in this place have serious identity problems. I spoke to her about the fact that she was created in God’s image, that she wasn’t created an addict or a prostitute and that God would restore her completely to the beautiful woman of strength and virtue she was meant to be. I hammered this topic for quite a while. I find it helpful to speak positively, lovingly and authoritatively against the negative things people believe and to declare the great things God says about them. It seems to break yokes of bondage.

Before we took her inside the hospital she said she wanted to have the new life that I'd told her about – and she wanted it now. I felt it was time to lead her in a simple prayer. This wasn't a time to remind her of her sinfulness. She knew how horrible her life had been. I didn't want to make it worse. We asked Jesus to come into her life and permanently change her in every way. We asked Him to remove her craving for drugs and alcohol and for the new, eternal life that He promised everyone who follows him.

It was a very special moment I’ll never forget. She became very peaceful and relaxed as we transferred her to the emergency room bed. She couldn’t stop thanking me for helping her. I love the way God opens doors.

Will she live free of these things in the future? I can't say. That's a limitation I live with. My influence is small, my time with a patient is short, and I seldom know what will happen years from now. I'm a sower of the seed - one who doesn't know what the harvest will look like.

Our nation is in a tight spot right now in regard to caring for people like my patient. A major problem in our society is the ineffectiveness of our mental health treatment. Most patients are in a revolving – door lifestyle that never ‘cures’ their condition. All we can offer them is medication – and if they stop taking it, they’re back through the revolving door again.

Most people with severe addictions and mental illness are unable to work and have no insurance other than what the government provides. And our government is fast running out of money.

What’s the answer?

Jesus. He's always been the answer. He is the great physician.

When Jesus heals, He doesn’t ask for an insurance card or a deductible. Prescription plans aren’t needed, only divine appointments, and the great physician is always available – He never takes vacations.