by Jim Croft
For the next 29 years I was further encouraged as the episodes of frustration with my parents seemed to fall within normal ranges for an adult child toward parental authority. I did not know that the rage was lying dormant. Then in 1995, an event took place that initiated the process of truly getting free.
That year, I was in a minor car accident. The air bags in my car, which should have deployed normally as the result of a fender bender, instead, exploded. At that moment, tiny particles from the ruptured air bags went directly into my eyes. As a result of that explosion, I was rendered legally blind.
Within about two years of that accident, to my dismay and that of my parents, my intolerance of them resurfaced with a vengeance. Even though I loved them deeply, our interaction was as explosive as those air bags. During that time, if my mom or dad tried to speak into any issue of my life, I erupted in absolute fury.
Most of our family visits during those days ended abruptly after a couple of hours. At most, visits with them would last a day before the fury broke out. The irony of my situation was that by this time I had ministered deliverance to thousands of people on four continents, yet I did not have a clue that my problem was demonic in nature. I thought it stemmed solely from my parents’ unwelcome habit of sticking their noses into my affairs. To my shame, my animosity even continued in me following their deaths. Frequently, at hearing favorable memories of them, I would feel compelled to refute what was being said with negative tidbits of gossip and unflattering remarks.
At the age of 66, I sought the Lord earnestly about this matter of my rotten attitude toward my parents. As I prayed I saw, in my mind’s eye, Jesus taking me back to my months in the incubator as an infant. I began to sense how I had felt at that time. Revelatory insights came instantly. The lack of familial attention and affection had made me feel abandoned and irrelevant. The repeated pounding of those painful emotions had wounded my soul, allowing the entrance into my life of a demon of hatred toward my parents.
Once I recognized that truth, I asked the Lord to deliver me and to give me His peace. He did so through a symbolic vision. I saw Jesus blessing children. He reached over a number of the children surrounding Him to pick up a tiny infant to embrace. As He smiled down at the baby, I recognized its face as my own. With that revelation, the presence of God flooded every fabric of my being. And at that moment, the demon that had sparked my rebellious animosity toward my mother and father left me. Today, any mention of my dad and mom evokes within me expressions of fond appreciation and love for them.
I cannot explain why, following the car accident, those disdainful emotions resurged in me after so many years of dormancy. It is a mystery, as are many facets of the deliverance ministry. Dealing with the demonic realm is similar to the mystery of male/female relationships in that it is not an exact science.
There may be one of two explanations for those calmer years. Possibly, I was inhabited by two closely related spirits. (At times, evil spirits can affect a person in a cluster.) All I can surmise is that one demon left when I first received deliverance ministry. The other did not. The other explanation could be that there was only one spirit of parental rebellion that slyly chose to lie dormant for all those years. I lean toward the latter view.
What I have shared so far in this chapter punctuates three realities. First, the devil plots his schemes years in advance in people’s lives, only to have them erupt strategically at the most inopportune time. Second, demons do not play fair, and Christians are as susceptible to their treachery and influence as anyone else. Third, the good news is, of course, that freedom is available in Jesus’ name.
Biblical Protocol
One common denominator for Christians who have demonic issues is that deliverance was not ministered to them at salvation. In fact, they were not evangelized in keeping with biblical protocols. I am not aware of one single traditional Christian denomination that practices authentic, full-blown New Testament evangelism.
Jesus and His disciples set the pattern for evangelism. The certifying signs identifying them as representatives of the Kingdom of God were healing the sick and expelling demons (see Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20). The example they set was duplicated by Philip the Evangelist and the apostolic ministries of the early Church.
Philip was the only Bible character specifically labeled with the title of evangelist. His ministry brought people to faith in Jesus’ divinity and Lordship. He did not consider his efforts for new converts complete unless they had been baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit. But that was not all: He further emphasized healing the sick and expelling demons (see Acts 8:5–8, 12, 14–17).
Most contemporary people come into the spiritual dimensions of Philip’s ministry more or less on “the installment plan.” The first installment is saving grace; the second, water baptism; the third, the infilling of the Holy Spirit. To the glory of God, considerable numbers eventually discover resources of teaching about faith for physical healing. Relatively few, however, are ever informed that deliverance from evil spirits is as applicable today as it was in the first century.
Similar to what I experienced, even after years of devoted service to Christ, too many godly people are left adrift to struggle with demonically inspired aspects of sin, inner conflict and relational dysfunction.
Dispelling an Incorrect Premise
Those who oppose the idea that a believer might be troubled by demons often lean on an error-ridden cliché: “God will not dwell in or use an unclean vessel.” This concept is easily dismissed by the teaching of the Bible. The apostle Paul, for instance, thanked God for the members of the church at Corinth, and commended them for not failing to exercise all of the spiritual gifts that bear witness to the indwelling Holy Spirit. In the same epistle, he rebuked the Corinthians for their widespread immorality (see 1 Corinthians 1:4–7; 5:1).
At least four other Bible passages either hint at or proclaim that Christians can host evil spirits. First, the New Testament speaks of nine gifts of the Holy Spirit that are meant to be used for Christian assemblies and for evangelism (see 1 Corinthians 12:7–11). One of the gifts, the discerning of spirits, enables Christians to distinguish one type of spirit from another type of spirit.
Discernment uncovers that which is not obvious. There is not much point in applying the gift of the distinguishing of spirits toward unbelievers who might attend a church function, for it would be evident that Christ’s Spirit does not dwell within them. It is within the context of believers ministering to believers where discernment becomes a necessity (see 1 John 4:1–4).
Second, Paul warned his constituents that it is possible for Christians to receive a different spirit from the Holy Spirit who took up residence within them at salvation (see 2 Corinthians 11:3–4). The passage contains the phrase “if you receive a different spirit.” The word for receive is the same word used for receiving the Holy Spirit, which is an inner reception. The Greek word for different denotes “another spirit of a different sort.” If a spirit differs in sort from the Holy Spirit, it has to be an unholy spirit, essentially a demon.
The third passage indicates that Christians can become infested by evil spirits after their conversions. Revelation 18:1–4 urges God’s people to come out of Babylon lest they receive her plagues. Those plagued will become the dwelling places for demons. The passage conveys the understanding that Babylon is the worldly system that encourages immorality. We all know of Christians who are living examples of having one foot in the Kingdom of God and the other in the kingdom of darkness. They do so at great risk of becoming the habitations of evil spirits.
The fourth passage that refers to evil spirit activities within Christians is James 3:8–13. Through symbolism, the verses give a subtle hint about demonic infestations. The apostle questioned how his constituents were able to bless the brethren in church and later curse them at home. He wanted to know how the single faucet of the human mouth could bring forth two contrasting types of water, fresh and bitter. With tremendous understatement, Jame
s feigned confusion about the matter.
Actually, James was very well aware that Jesus had said that the Holy Spirit within believers would be like a spring gushing forth rivers of living water from the mouth of a Christian (see John 7:37–39). James’s innuendo was that one mouth (faucet) bringing forth both freshwater and saltwater indicated the presence of two springs rather than just one. One spring was the Holy Spirit, and the other spring an unholy spirit.
The fact that God dwells in and uses unclean vessels is evident. Far too often we hear news broadcasts about champions of the faith, people who have had genuine conversion experiences, being caught in scurrilous sins. After being exposed, most speak of incessant attempts to shake free from their temptations, with continual prayers of repentance and vows to sin no more. When citing reasons for the persistent failures, a common thread appears in the responses of many: “I felt helpless. There was something in me that drove me to sin.”
That describes precisely the activities of demons.
Confusing Terminology
There is a term used in numerous Bible translations that leads Christians to think that deliverance could not be applicable to them. The term is demon-possessed. The word possessed is the stumbling block. It implies ownership by demons, suggesting that a person is under their complete control. Believers reason that possession could not be possible because they have voluntarily submitted the ownership of their lives to Christ and are able to function normally in most aspects.
The use of the word demon-possessed is an unfortunate translation. It presents a skewed perception about the actual condition of most of the people to whom Jesus ministered deliverance. The majority of people brought to Jesus had the ability to function normally. With most, demonic activities were restricted to isolated aspects of their lives. The madman who lived in tombs and the mute boy who had seizures were exceptions.
The word demon-possessed is a translation of the Greek word daimonizomai. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary defines this as “to be exercised by a demon or to have a demon.” That rendering of daimonizomai is used in this example from the gospel of John: “Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’” (John 10:21, emphasis added).
“Demon possession” is a misleading, inaccurate translation. A definition of daimonizomai that is more in keeping with the biblical meaning is “under the influence of an evil spirit in a specific area of one’s health, emotions or personality.”
Forget Hollywood
If you have based your concept of Christians being afflicted by demons on the dramatizations of the entertainment industry, be assured it does not depict New Testament deliverance with even the slightest note of authenticity. Most commercial depictions emphasize ancient rituals of exorcism that have little in common with the biblical methods. When we know our authority in Christ, deliverance holds no dangers for us or for the people we help.
Do people occasionally convulse, wrench, cough or vomit? Yes! Do demons ever speak from people’s lips during deliverance sessions? Yes! Such happenings, however, are rare. And when they do occur, they are like snapshots taken at spontaneous, temporarily embarrassing moments. No one would interpret them as being representative of a person’s entire life and demeanor.
Consider this thought. Prior to deliverance, demons regularly drive their hosts to commit undignified acts. Arguments ensue over nonsense. Eyes bulge and blood vessels swell under the heat of out-of-control emotions. Husbands put their fists through walls and later have to face the quizzical expressions of visitors to their homes. Wives and mothers throw tantrums in front of the kids, and let loose with shrill screams within earshot of the neighbors. Demon-inspired actions can cause people years of embarrassment. In comparison, any antics an evil spirit might display when commanded to exit are momentary.
It is highly unlikely that you would have acute verbal or physical manifestations during deliverance. If it begins to happen, the strength of your human spirit can enable you to regain control so the session can continue. If you happen to spit out something, the novelty will soon pass. The truth is you have eliminated far more and far worse in the course of a bout with the flu!
Most deliverance sessions are quite mild. Just as most people do not feel demons enter, most people do not feel them leave. The proof of effectual deliverance is not the occurrence of bizarre exits. The proof is measurable changes for the better from whatever maladies of soul the demons were causing.
Deliverance is a wonderful tool the Lord has provided for each of us through His death and miraculous resurrection. There is really no sensible reason not to evaluate whether or not we need liberation, and then pursue it in obedience to the Lord. In the next chapter, we will explore Jesus’ teaching about exorcism, and the most usual gateways to infiltration by demons.
Every time I read through the gospels, I am impressed by the number of people who came to Jesus seeking deliverance from evil spirits. The operative word that captivates me is many. The Scriptures speak about “many” coming to Jesus for deliverance, the casting out of “many” demons and demons coming out of “many” (see Matthew 8:16; Mark 6:13; Luke 4:41).
Jesus cast out demons from people in synagogues and His open-air meetings, as well as while conversing one-on-one. Jesus ministered deliverance to people from every strata of society: working-class people, women of means, children and a madman who lived in tombs. Clearly, Jesus dealt with “many” demons in “many” people in “many” locales. No matter what the venue, deliverance was a dominant theme of His life’s work.
In addition, the Messiah chose His twelve disciples and commanded them to go throughout the cities of Israel casting out demons and healing the sick. Later, He gave the same command to seventy more workers. That adds up to 82 people, or 41 two-person teams, being activated to liberate the oppressed.
At that time, there were no more than a hundred cities and villages in Israel. We can make an educated “guesstimate” that, once commissioned, Jesus’ 41 teams kept their hands to the plow and ministered for a minimum of two consecutive years. The limited number of villages, the large number of teams and the length of the ministry years suggests that each team made more than one visit to each city.
Adding that up, the implications are that many, many people needed deliverance.
It is interesting to note that when the seventy returned to report their success, the aspect of ministry that thrilled them most was dominion over demons. The Lord shifted the focus, encouraging them to keep the joy of eternal life uppermost in their thinking. Nonetheless, the Scriptures convey that at that very moment the Lord was filled with joy because the seventy had grasped the concept of authority over satanic powers (see Luke 10:1, 17–21).
Ancient Jewish Exorcists
In relation to demonic issues, the people of ancient Israel had a distinct advantage over most people of our day. For the Jews of old, concerns about demonic invasions in their lives were no more unusual than concerns about airborne germs are for us. Just as we are not embarrassed to shop for a reputable doctor, they did not consider it humiliating to ask about the name of an effective exorcist. It was customary to seek out whichever source of help—physician or exorcist—the circumstances might dictate.
In the societies of that Mediterranean world, Jewish people were well known for producing skilled exorcists. The exorcists had a ritualistic approach and used a variety of incantations, potions and amulets with their clients. (An amulet is generally an ornament of folk jewelry worn to ward off evil and ensure good fortune for clients of occultists.)
Respected Jewish historian Flavius Josephus spoke of Solomon, son of King David, composing incantations for driving away demons. In his book Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus gives his eyewitness account of an exorcism using King Solomon’s incantations and techniques and suggests that Solomon’s name was an effective tool. This exorcism took place among the troops under the command of the Roman Emperor Vespasian. The officiating exorcist
was named Eleazar.
[F]or I have seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was Eleazar, releasing people that were demoniacal in the presence of Vespasian, and his sons, and his captains, and the whole multitude of his soldiers. The manner of the cure was this: He put a ring that had a root of one of those sorts mentioned by Solomon to the nostrils of the demoniac, after which he drew out the demon through his nostrils; and when the man fell down immediately, he abjured him to return into him no more, making still mention of Solomon, and reciting the incantations which he composed. And when Eleazar would persuade and demonstrate to the spectators that he had such a power, he set a little way off a cup or basin full of water, and commanded the demon, as he went out of the man, to overturn it, and thereby to let the spectators know that he had left the man; and when this was done, the skill and wisdom of Solomon was shown very manifestly.*
*Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, trans. William Whiston (public domain, 1737), 574–576.
Today we might consider this story to be nothing but the showmanship of charlatans. Jesus apparently did not hold that perspective. In Luke 11:15–26, quoting one of His exchanges with the Pharisees, we read His comments on exorcists. When the Pharisees accused Jesus of using satanic powers to cast out demons, He asked how their sons were able to cast out unclean spirits. Jesus’ rebuttal acknowledged that the exorcists did have a measure of effectiveness.
Jesus remarked further about the ultimate results for those ministered to by these exorcists. The implications of His comments are somewhat veiled for us, but were clear to His audience. He seemed to be hinting at the short-lived results of their methods: Even though exorcists routinely conjured demons out, they had no way of keeping them out. After a temporary period, an ousted spirit often reentered his host. When a demon did so, it might take along seven other spirits more malicious than itself. The person’s final condition was worse than it was before getting an exorcism. Not so with the ministries of Jesus and His disciples.
