Invisible Enemies

by Jim Croft

  When the daughter opened up to Lydia about her marital problems, Lydia asked if the young woman had ever had any contact with the occult. She told Lydia of the owl incident with her mother and her own pledge to a sorority honoring the owl as its symbol.

  Lydia led her through a renunciation of the sorority oath and encouraged her to get rid of any affiliated items. The young woman was wearing her sorority ring, an owl-shaped diamond cluster. She took it off and threw it into the trash. The affiliated demon was commanded to come out of her, and it did. Subsequently, her relational troubles subsided.

  How to Clean House

  In general, cleansing a home of anything related to idolatry and the corresponding evil spirits is a simple procedure. If children are present, the parents should gather the family to explain what has been happening and what is to be done about it. The process should be relaxed without any sense of fear or alarm.

  First, all the family should join in a prayer of repentance from and renunciation of any preoccupation with any form of idolatry. This might include interest in paranormal literature, movies, TV programs, websites or computer games. The family head leads the family in repentance, the family reciting the words during the leader’s pauses.

  They should then renounce curses. The family head again leads the family in prayer. The prayer might be something like this: “Father, we renounce any type of physical, emotional or financial curse penalty that came upon any member of our household for dabbling in forbidden areas.” (Describe any known specific consequences: financial problems, unending medical issues, incessant child-parent squabbles, etc.)

  Next, all should go room by room commanding any demons to leave the family’s bodies and lives in Jesus’ name.

  Finally, if there are any articles in the home that represent idolatry, they should be destroyed.

  Most of the time one cleansing session is effective. At times a repeat cleansing may be necessary, and the process should be repeated as before.

  If you are the one who has allowed demonic entry into your home by your personal practices, you can follow the steps for cleaning house privately. If you have been reciting mantras while doing yoga, for instance, quit both. If you are into karate, aikido or jujitsu and practice any of the spiritual applications, repent, renounce and quit.

  Helping Others

  If you know people who have occult items in their homes, you might wonder whether or not to broach the subject. My personal policy is to remain quiet about this, unless they want to talk about problematic situations they are facing. In that case, I share the concepts of these chapters. My objective is to persuade them to repent and to banish the defiling items from their homes.

  If you find that you are in regular contact with someone who has opened the gateways to invisible enemies, and you feel that you should address the situation, remember that the conversation of Christians is to be seasoned with the salt of grace. We must approach both the unconverted and the believers we consider to be in error in a gracious and redemptive manner. Rather than make hurtful and inflammatory comments, we need to recognize that their interest in idolatrous items and occult material may actually be a cloaked, albeit misdirected, longing to experience the Kingdom of God. Believers should respond with grace and understanding when listening to others as they speak of their spiritual journeys. Only after listening politely will we be in a position to offer biblical options that can better satisfy their thirst for supernatural experiences.

  Here is the main point, whether the need is for you or for someone who has come to you for help: After acknowledging the particular sinful involvement, repentance and renunciation are necessary for any needed deliverance to take place.

  A Word about Children

  Special cautions need to be exercised when dealing with children and teens. Most of us do not live in closed religious communities like the Amish or Hassidic Jewish families. Inevitably, our children will have interaction with children whose parents do not share our values. The peer pressure on them can be formidable, since our children may not be permitted to read popular books, listen to the latest musical groups or play questionable computer games.

  For the parent, harping is counterproductive. As parents, we need to evaluate when to yield and when to stand our ground. Our God is gracious. The passing fads of Harry Potter books and rock music do not represent the same level of danger as séances, Ouija boards and demonic role-playing games. Parents ought to explain any necessary prohibitions without any sense of alarm, and in a manner appropriate to a particular child’s age and temperament. With teens, it is prudent to lay out the case for nonparticipation and then let them make their own decisions.

  I know of many Christian parents who have handled this sensitive area in this way. Their kids made it through the minefields of their teen years without incurring infestations by demons of the occult. I also know of parents who issued prohibitions at fever pitch. Sadly, many of their kids rebelled and opened themselves to the very practices the parents were so strenuously prohibiting.

  There is another factor to consider. You can be assured that whatever you say to your kids about demons, curses, Satan and similar subjects will reach the ears of adults who do not understand. That is all the more reason to monitor the intensity of what we say, so they do not encounter unwarranted criticism. I am not suggesting that we should compromise essential tenets of our beliefs. I am suggesting that it is best to pursue peace and not set up our children (and ourselves) for unnecessary controversy.

  If Your Family Objects

  If you have family members who are less spiritually aware, act judiciously about house cleansings. Never act rashly. You must be careful about destroying family items that are jointly owned. The ideal approach is to wait for a relaxed setting to discuss what you have discovered. When you sense the moment is right, state your desires to discard certain objects and books. If you approach others on the basis that you understand your request sounds strange, but to be patient with you, most will respond reasonably. In other words, the request can be, “Will you let me do it for my sake?”

  If the answer is no, it is better not to make an issue of the matter. Let it go. God knows your heart and you have done all that you can do without making Him the family’s enemy. Most times, there will be no spiritual repercussions when you are submissive to the sensitivities of a marriage partner.

  The prophet Elisha was used of God to heal the heathen officer Naaman of leprosy. Naaman repented of and renounced his former idolatries. There were, however, extenuating circumstances: Naaman was required to accompany the king of Syria as he worshiped the false god Rimmon. It was Naaman’s responsibility to steady the king’s hand as he bowed to the idol, which necessitated that Naaman also bow before it. Elisha told Naaman not to be concerned about the matter and to go in God’s peace (see 2 Kings 5:17–19).

  We can believe God for the same latitude. Your private repentance and renunciation will be fruitful. You have done all that you can do to break relations with the world of the occult and false religions. God knows your circumstances and will graciously give you deliverance and peace from all curses and demonic attachments.

  Chapter 9 will help you diagnosis whether or not you need deliverance. It will also walk you through the self-deliverance process.

  There are no sure-fire formulas to identify what gives demons entrance into people’s lives. While we usually find dots connecting sin to affliction from evil spirits, it is possible that there can be instances of affliction that have no traceable path to sin. Be that as it may, the failure to confess known sins prior to deliverance can frustrate attempts to expel evil spirits.

  In addition, believers are God’s representatives. Even as He forgives our sins against Him, we are to forgive the sins of others toward us. Jesus warned that unforgiving people would be turned over to the torturers. It is probable that the tormenters to whom Jesus referred were symbolic of evil spirits (see Matthew 18:34–35). Many who come for deliverance stubbornly holding on to gr
udges have already experienced demonic torture. Their condition will continue until they make the decision to forgive everyone who has offended them.

  As you begin the process of self-deliverance, you can ask yourself some helpful questions to diagnose areas where you might have powers of darkness lurking. The material below will help you consider several categories that are often nesting places for invisible enemies. It will ask you pertinent questions and suggest the names of related demons. This is based on material you have already studied in this book. This is not an exhaustive list; it is designed to prime the pump of your thinking. Take notes, as you will use them later.

  The most reliable Person to help in this endeavor is the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to bring to mind any other areas not listed here where you might need help. Let the Spirit of God within you pose the right questions. If your answers suggest the presence of an evil spirit, ask Him to give you the name or function of the particular demon involved. Identify the evil spirits you suspect by names denoting their functions.

  After you have prayerfully considered the categories and their questions, you will be directed to go through the preliminary steps of repentance and renunciation of known sins. Then refer to your list and command the demons to leave you one by one. I have provided three interrelated prayers that affirm your authority over the enemy. Within a few minutes, you can be liberated from your uninvited passengers.

  Category Questions

  Here, then, are questions in various categories to help you get started, followed by the process of self-deliverance.

  Motivation

  Why do you want to be set free? While it is legitimate to seek deliverance for your own welfare, there are higher reasons in God’s economy. Are you willing to use your new liberty to serve the purposes of God’s Kingdom and to bless those whose lives you touch? If not, spirits of pride and self-centeredness might be the problem.

  Addiction Issues

  Are there particular sins, habits and practices to which you feel enslaved? Do you find yourself repeatedly committing those sins regardless of your efforts to stop? Vulgar and profane language, pornography, compulsive lying and any habits harmful to your body are examples of this problem. Out-of-bounds sexual practices, drugs, alcohol and tobacco can all have attached spirits of addiction. Lying and obscene expletives are often demonic compulsions.

  Relationships

  Are you plagued with problems in your interpersonal relationships? That is often a common arena for demonic activity. Evil spirits have humanlike psychological characteristics and emotions. They possess intelligence and the ability to communicate. Demons use those capacities to project their perverted emotions of anger, fear and pain into the souls of those whom they inhabit. Their intelligence enables them to pinpoint the weaknesses and emotional wounds of their hosts.

  Evil spirits are restless. They cannot endure a host having productive, deep, enduring relationships. Once again, the intelligence of demons and their familiarity with the host equips them to know opportune buttons to push to insert their negative thoughts. Demons do so in every aspect of life including marriage, parent-child relationships, vocational settings and church relationships. Their objective is to influence those they inhabit to wander restlessly from relationship to relationship seeking satisfaction and not finding it.

  Do you have a history of broken relationships? Are there people who have wronged you whom you have not forgiven? Is anger, fear or pain nearly always lurking beneath the surface as you interact with certain people? Do you anticipate rejection rather than acceptance when contemplating visits with family and friends of the past? Are you fearful about making new friends? Do you desire to cultivate meaningful relationships, yet find yourself seeking isolation more than fellowship?

  In such cases, evil spirits of unforgiveness, rejection, alienation, fear, anger and divorce are common. People who wander from one marriage to the next are frequently inhabited by spirits of adultery, hatred of men or hatred of women. Nomadic demons drive people from one job site to the next.

  The Occult

  Occult spirits do not normally become embedded in people whose contact with pagan mysticism and cultural idolatry is restricted to academic studies. Problems typically arise from a more deliberate pursuit, such as consulting a psychic for guidance. The potential for demonization is multiplied when a person adopts psychic practices in order to give guidance to others. Operating Ouija boards, role-playing as demons in games and participating in séances are particularly problematic.

  Have you ever consulted a spiritist, a medium, a fortune-teller or a Ouija board for personal guidance? Do you follow horoscopes? Have you actively attempted to cultivate psychic abilities? Do you call upon the dead for guidance? Is there a familiar spirit you invite to use you as a channel when others ask for advice? Is there something within you that drives you to want to control those around you to the extent that you have been called a control freak? Is your home decorated with images of idolatrous worship? Do you have a library of occult books?

  With all of these questions in mind, consider one more: Are there any previously rare sins, sicknesses, relational difficulties or vocational stresses that have evolved in your life subsequent to your occult interests? If so, the hindrances have little chance of stopping until you repent and renounce the sin of spiritual adultery. If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it is possible you are hosting evil spirits. Demons of divination, manipulation, control and witchcraft are among the usual suspects.

  Curses

  The three major reasons people are cursed are direct disobedience of God’s Word, willful rejection of personal conscience and rebellion against God-ordained authority figures.

  Curses are planted by sowing seeds of disobedience. Demons facilitate the way those crops are reaped. I believe God allowed for this negative alternative to the principle of sowing and reaping in the human experience as a deterrent to sin. Once the wise understand the principle of sowing and reaping, they will heed the caution not to sin.

  Have you purposely rejected the counsel of your conscience by doing things you know should not be done? Have you defiantly rebelled against God’s will and against those with legitimate authority in your life? Did your once-loving spouse suddenly become hostile toward all you represent? Have your hopes of vocational success continually been shattered? Do you continually struggle in your finances, even though your income is sufficient? Do you wrestle with fear at night concerning the day to follow? During the day do you long for the escape of night? Have you helplessly watched your children develop attitudes and friendships that make it almost impossible for you to enjoy them? Do you have physical pain and sickness for which no remedy seems to work?

  Some of the evil spirits that energize the curses implied in these questions are rebellious disrespect, verbal abuse, failure, hopelessness, poverty, pain and infirmity.

  The Mind

  God is not the author of confusion. It is His will for you to be free from anxiety. When conversing with others, do you get confused and have trouble staying on the topic? Does the fear of saying something wrong hinder you from offering your helpful perspectives? Do you have paralyzing fears about routine events of life that others take in stride? Are you hindered from multitasking because you repeatedly redo a single task? Do you have compulsive fixations about cleanliness and the presence of germs? Are you plagued with concerns about people harboring evil intentions against you? Do you take narcotics to numb anxiety? Do you fear losing contact with reality? Is there a history of mental illness in your family?

  These questions expose the possible presence of demons of confusion, schizophrenia, paranoia and various compulsive disorders.

  Sexuality

  After the creation of the first man and woman, God looked upon all He had created and approved all of it as good. The good included the capacity to enjoy sex. The physical union of a husband and wife symbolizes the joy inherent in God’s spiritual union with the redeemed. Satan hates God for choosing ma
nkind rather than him for participation in the divine nature; therefore, Satan assigns demons to defile the act of marriage.

  Sex is designed to be one of many pleasurable aspects of life. The devil’s goal is to pervert that which God designed as good, and drive people to be obsessed with sex as though it were the only important aspect of life.

  Are you preoccupied with sex to the extent that other aspects of life lack your attention? Do you have concerns about homosexual, incestuous or pedophilic fixations? Have you ever engaged in any of those activities? Do you fantasize about any of them while masturbating? Are you guilty of multiple premarital and extramarital affairs? Do you frequently visit pornographic websites featuring deviant sex acts? Have you dulled your sensitivities about engaging in certain sex acts that your conscience initially forbade?

  The aberrant practices that come to mind with these questions are well-known in many societies. To identify the demons involved, call the acts by their common descriptive names, for example, lust, premarital sex, pornography.

  What to Expect

  You are on the brink of getting rid of uninvited enemies you have carried for a long while. The manner in which those evil spirits depart may be a jolt to your senses because of the newness of the experience. You have nothing to fear. Any demons that might inhabit you have already done the worst they can do. As you cooperate with the Holy Spirit in expelling them, they have already been weakened by the power of your authority as a child of God.

  Please let me emphasize again that authentic deliverance sessions have nothing in common with Hollywood’s exorcisms. If, however, you are concerned about what might happen to you on your own, it is fine for you to wait on deliverance until you can make an appointment with someone competent to minister to you. But let me encourage you that you have the ability and authority in Jesus Christ to expel the demons you have identified as troubling you.