Spirits - A Christian View

When Deliverance is Difficult

Whenever you are in the process of delivering a person or situation from the influence of unclean or demonic spirits, it is highly desirable to conduct the deliverance session in both an effective and simple manner. That desire is often not the reality of deliverance because of three factors I would like to discuss in this post.

The Foundation:
There is one fact and belief absolutely essential for any deliverance team. They must fully believe and totally comprehend the fact that Jesus Christ has absolute authority and power in the spiritual universe. Because Christ is all powerful, no spirit can withstand a command given in his name since his name represents both his authority and spiritual power. If a deliverance session runs into resistance or difficulty, it is not because of a lack in the Name of Jesus, but in other factors which must be dealt with before deliverance is possible. Here are three of those factors

Attachment:

One of the primary reasons that deliverance may fail is because the person needing deliverance wants to continue the attachment to the spirit. One reason for this is that the person enjoys the “thrill” of being connected to the supernatural. This excitement acts as a reinforcer, and the person does not want to give up his psychological attachment to the spirit, even when the spirit is abusive or unhealthy.  Unless there is a true desire for repentance and freedom from the spirit, deliverance should not be attempted. There is a clear warning in this process of attachment for ghost hunters and others seeking contact with spirits. Attachment can become an addiction, and no matter how the addiction is justified, it can cause much damage and harm.

Mental Illness:

Various forms of mental illness can be easily confused with spirit oppression and possession. Attempting to deliver a person from mental illness misses the point. Mental illness, as the term implies, is a sickness which needs to be addressed through the spiritual gift of healing and not deliverance. If the person continues to experience such phenomena as delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and a lack of contact with reality after a deliverance session, then you can be sure you are dealing with an illness and not spirit possession.

Lack of Faith:

If Christ has no role or meaning in the life of a person, then there will not be sufficient faith in his power or authority for deliverance. By rejecting Christ the person is also rejecting deliverance and will stay in captivity to the spirit influencing his life. Of course, Christ can deliver non-believers as a way of showing them who he is and the authority that he has in the spiritual universe, but someone who has repeatedly been influenced by demonic or unclean spirits and still has not committed to Christ, more than likely will reject deliverance. Salvation should come first before deliverance is attempted. As a matter of fact, the very commitment that the person makes to Jesus will bring about deliverance on its own.

Conclusion:

Deliverance can be a fight. Certainly, a deliverance session is a form of warfare against spirits who do not have the best interest of their victims in mind. With faith and determination, we can weld the powerful Name of Jesus as our means of bringing about deliverance, but we may have to deal with attachment, mental illness, and a lack of faith in Christ before we attempt deliverance