DELIVERANCE FROM THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

SERIES: DELIVERANCE

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:12

For truth our battle is not with flesh and blood, it is with unseen forces, powers of darkness.

How can one obtain deliverance from these powers of darkness? An understanding of the operation of the powers of darkness will help us understand how to curb their activities. Let us see:-

1. DEMONS AND HOW THEY OPERATE.

• Demons are fallen angels that look for human bodies to possess in order to carry out their assignments.

Demonic assignments are ultimately found in John 10:10.

• To steal.
• To kill.
• To destroy.

Demons exist in an hierarchy in the kingdom of darkness as we can see in the scripture quoted above:-

• Principalities
• Powers
• Rulers of darkness.
• Spiritual wickedness.

The following are some of the symptoms of demonic operations in a life.

1. Sexual immorality.
   • When one is held bound to a particular sexual perversions, he needs to know that he/she is under demonic bondage.
   • Sexual immoralities are not just natural as some would say, but they are prompted by demons.
   • Some of these perversions include fornication, adultery, lesbianism, homosexuality, masturbation, incest, beastiality etc.
   • All these are contradictions to God’s order on sexual order.
2. Emotional imbalance.

• People who lose their emotional balance easily attract demons into their lives.
• Some people have boiling anger, loss of memory, unusual withdrawal from people.

3. Slavery to bad behavior and habits.

• Uncontrollable bad habits are results of demonic influence over a life, stealing, cheating and the likes still come under self-dominating habits.

4. Speech pervasion. Foul language, immoral speech comes under demonic influence.

ANTIDOTES TO DEMONIC POSSESSION.

• Watch what you see, hear or touch.
• Be careful to allow a bad trait become an habit.
• Don’t join bad company or negative people.
• Close all the entry points of demons into your life. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears, palm of your hands, sole of your feet, your head, your belly baton, your genitals.
• Avoid places that are devoted to demons, clubs, bars, brothels, cemeteries, etc.
• Take note that you cannot pray that the demons or satan should die.
• As a believer, you have been given power to bind demons and to cast them out in the name of Jesus Christ.
• When you bind satan and his demons, you render him powerless, you neutralize his power and authority.
• You can only keep the devil and demonic influence out of your life by totally resolving to live a holy life.
• Final destruction of satan and his demons would come only after the second coming of Christ. When the devil and all his demons and agents would be cast into the lake of fire forever.
• Until then, you can be sure that demons and satan would constantly come back to try to gain access.
• When satan tempted Jesus Christ, Jesus defeated satan, satan left Jesus Christ for a while, he came again and again-Luke 11:24.

THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD.

• The power of “IT IS WRITTEN”-Matt. 4:4-10.
• The power of the written word is very potent in keeping the devil at arm’s length.
• When satan hears “It is written” he shivers knowing fully well that the scriptures cannot be broken and that he cannot contend with the power of the word of God.
• Every believer should be versed with the word of God, to quote it correctly.

FORMS OF DELIVERANCE.

• There are two types of deliverance, self-deliverance and assisted deliverance.

Self-deliverance

• Through the use of the word, a man may administer deliverance into himself/herself.
• Through sustained deliverance each one of us, as children of God should learn to take charge of the devil and his agents each day through prayer and confession of the word of God.
• When the life of a man has been saturated with the word of God and he lives by the word of God, his life becomes too hot for demons to inhabit.

Assisted deliverance

• Assisted deliverance is needed where a person discovers that despite all his personal prayers, he/she feels that he is enslaved in doing one thing or the other that is sinful.
• In such a case, a visit to someone of higher anointing and grace becomes necessary-James 5:14.
• When your faith cannot carry you through a problem, seek for assistance or help from a higher authority.
• Pleading the blood of Jesus Christ, calling upon the name of Jesus Christ, pointing the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, appealing to the empty tomb, the power of the resurrection becomes real driving every evil authority upon our lives.
• Those who love the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they have the seed of the life of Christ in them-1^st John 3:9.

CONCLUSION

• Deliverance means total freedom from yokes and burdens of the demonic kingdom, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit-Isa. 10:27.
• The power of God’s presence can deliver us totally from the bondages of sin, sickness, afflictions, demonic oppressions, curses, evil covenants and negative cycles of life.
• Trust in the power of God for your deliverance.