Invisible War - Spiritual Warfare 401: How to Gain Deliverance from Demonic Influence, Part 2

What would you do if you strongly suspected someone was under significant demonic influence is deliverance ministry for today is exorcism something just for movies does it take a professional. What do you do when there is genuine evidence of demonic influence in the life of someone you want. That's what will cover today. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips her Bible teacher of this international discipleship program today.

Chip wraps up his series. The invisible war learned a lot about spiritual what it is, therefore, and then how to battle with one of the moment life respond once Georgia part two of his message as he digs into Ephesians chapter 6 for some answers on the subject of deliverance ministry there is a supernatural world and the supernatural mindset so just want to let you know that this is very common. The New Testament writers provide clear direction here that this wasn't a valid ministry.

We got James chapter 4 right submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and healthfully will flee from you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts, you double minded� There's a very clear process of submission to God resistance of the enemy and very specific steps you take with your actions with your heart and then he says you humble yourself and then God will exalt you in due time, and then a contemporary balance ministry.

The deliveries do exist, write down the name Mark Pugh back.

He's got a book called overcoming the adversary Dr. Michael Pocock of Dallas seminary is the head of missions department and all around the world firsthand with all of this in the Neil Anderson if there's there's reputable people who are balanced and do deliverance ministry.

Now here's why some of us are very suspect of this is here some of the problems extremism and fanaticism tend to negatively color this ministry mean you don't have to be flipping the channels and have some personalty to stomp out all join me right now were stopping everybody you know you're the guy that I told you about unity brought them up demonizing their kicking him. I mean there's there's kooky, kooky, wacky, weird stuff when it comes to in this people that use it for manipulation. But let me just give you a little overview of some of the problems and men.

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Another one of the problems of the confusion concerning demon possession which is about internal control versus oppression of believers clouds the ministry and its validity.

So you know horse believers are taught. Jesus lives in me. I cannot be demon possessed. So all this deliverance ministry completely unimportant. Michael a Pocock in his writings has a continuum and he talks about demonic influence can be over here all the way over here but he talks about. It begins with oppression that can move to harassment than to obsession into compulsion and then the appearance of possession just total control of at least unbelievers of fear and ignorance of because many people to simply ignore. This can't be. This is like I've had people say one person started reading the book and was thinking about doing the series and I got like into two chapters in some weird stuff happen. I'm not doing that in doing that is to speak well and want to say that because when appropriate, the kind used want to be blind and live in fear and so if the victories already done yelling there's just people at you.

You know what I want crazy stuff happening in my life translation. I want my life and my comfort on my terms. I want to do anything that sort of rocks the boat of my life. Instead of being aware and becoming an ambassador in a follower and a disciple they can make more of a difference of those who engage in this ministry are often tempted by pride, where they become singularly focused. They fall into theological air and I start to go beyond Scripture and I think one of the other problems is assigning blame of all one's problems to demonic influence versus assuming personal responsibility and using biblical common sense because ministries into question units were the devil made me do it now now now here's the fight I told you little early about the note I had some notes that didn't come out quite right in. My first thought was in the enemy's messing things up. My next thought was, and you didn't review the notes and guess what I'm thinking. Both are true and I I'm I'm I'm thinking you know human error in trying to mess people up and getting frustrated. Of course, so what will. Here's what you should be getting. This is a valid ministry from Jesus all the way through the early lives of the church you should know there's some very clear problems that make many people suspect of it for very good reasons. Third, here's some causes of demonic influence.

In other words, if you start with oppression, harassment, obsession and compulsion. In other words, these are some of the ways that people knowingly or unknowingly get involved in demonic influence. One is yielding to sin. John 834 says is that when you commit a sin you become a slave to it. If you ever work in you know like downtown University team rehab type places inner city homeless people, drug addictions, sex addictions, there is an amazing connection between demonic influence and people that have addictions am I saying that every addiction is demonic influence know what I'm saying is, once people surrender themselves and bind themselves in addictions and perversion that the enemy that strongholds that they become slaves because the BMI was accomplished, what is Satan's goal to kill to steal and destroy. When you find people make decisions and we can kill ourselves with food. We can kill ourselves with media right is not just drugs and you know alcoholics and cocaine addicts see as long as we can keep thinking like that. These are issues for those people out there what what if we have some strongholds. What if workaholism can think anybody's ever had that problem or people pleasing or codependency. What if there's something inside of you that because of your family of origin you please people all the time so you get overextended and is ruining your health is ruining relationships and no matter how hard you try.

Could it be that your believing a lie could be when you try to break out of that you get opposition, and maybe even harassment. Maybe there's a reason why whatever program you went through didn't work because it was based solely on willpower or psychology, some to send when you yield to sin.

Second, spiritual rebellion mean when and this is life and parenting.

I am you know kids make mistakes and they can fail and they have good attitudes and bad attitudes but when they actively defiantly rebel as a parent you need understand that is not something you ever allow and see. And if you don't start when their small boy. When I get old.

There's not much you can do rebellion. According to Scripture, is like the sin of divination. And when we rebel against God when when you know when God speaks to you cannot mess with you. Just for a minute because because we have an epidemic in the church can I give you maybe the top two or three sins that really good Christian people live with and we gloss over, and I think hinders our spiritual life dramatically. Number one is unforgiveness. We just mean I'll never talk to her again now and and you know all I forgive him, but I'm being passive aggressive and what comes out of my mouth I talk about them. I have anger panties in my mind they don't deserve it. Second one is our money and I don't.

I'm not talking about some legalistic are you typing or not that is a beginning point. It is if God does not have my money. I don't care how you feel how high your hands go up.

How deep emotions and how much you even read the Bible, according to Jesus, if he does not have your money. He does not have your heart. If he does not have your heart he is not your Lord, if he is not your Lord, you are not having the kind of like he wants for you and he's not using you but the key behind why you don't give him your money are you ready as you don't, trusting they don't trust them because you don't think it's good you don't think he's powerful. You don't think he suffered, and that's a very big insult to God and the reason he wants you to give the first portion and the learn to become a proportional giver is one he wants to change the world others.

All these ministries and all these opportunities that are underfunded and he wants to change your heart and if and if you can't trust him with the minimum of the first 10% of your income. How in the world you trusting for your eternal life for changing your children for breaking strongholds so and what I just know it's just epidemic the third area where we seem to just give ourselves the past is in the area of sexual purity we would just come to wear it in our culture today. Believers sleep together.

We watch things. I mean if you can, if I can put you in a little Time Machine and and because of the problems it happened so gradually so gradually so gradually that I can put you in a time machine that would just go back just go back 30 years and then I can sit you down with the world and the culture and what came on the tube and then just out of the blue play just what's normal prime time programming now you can Leave this this is Tara. This is an outrage. But over time we laugh. Over 90% of all sexual activity and primetime TV is by people that are married and and and you understand it's not just pornography. It's it's it's lies about relationships that become norms. There was a day when an un-biblical divorce was seen in the church is not only wrong but we need to address that. That's not true anymore.

There was a day in the church where homosexuality and illicit heterosexual was a sin and now churches are changing. Some Christian institutions and universities are changing and there's just this drift. The Scripture is really clear and it's it's not shame on you. Bad bad bad. This breaks your father's heart. Every command in Scripture is for your good and all-knowing, all wise. I mean, some of you like cars are some of your engineers what you know ever designed the car gives you a manual so it runs great and if it says don't put diesel fuel in a gas car or don't put gas in the diesel car for Sally.

Boy what would a prohibition you know I can't believe it. You don't you tell me what put my car would just keep these limited what happens. And yet you know you know we have a nephew we have someone we care about or what happens is your relationships, and fear of being rejected or being viewed as legalistic.

We've gone through this last 20 years of any level of discipline of spirituality of purity for why don't we legalistic it is grace read Titus two it is the grace of God teaches us to say no to all ungodliness and worldliness and impurity and to live righteous lives.

Grace produces purity and winsome this in love. Here is what here's what you gotta get none of you and most Christians with everything while there can't be any demonic influence in my life will if if there's a stronghold in those areas or others. Yes, there is presently today, and if somehow you rationalized in your mind that you can love Jesus and be sexually impure. You can love Jesus and he doesn't have your money. You can love Jesus and not forgive people you are deluded you are deceived and you on a path of destruction and your reproducing it with the Christians around you and with your children and your grandchildren. Other ways that people, passively get involved his participation in the occult, checked my hearse course scope were on vacation. Palm reader to be funny when we go get that checked out that's that's real, attempting to contact the dead unresolved anger and bitterness we've addressed that from Ephesians 4 2627 and then association with those in Satanic activity. I will never forget. We had a witch across the street from our church in Mexico to an actual horse's head on a on a state can cast spells and I remember come to church one Sunday night, and there about 20 or 30 people walking and they were all dressed in black and they have their faces painted in white and they were of a difficult group in Satanic worshipers and and is weird and in the came to church and so our worship pastor is a have the gift of evangelism and he wanted to really share Christ with the switch so he went over there and you know unwisely by himself and he says about you and I went in there.

I walked into this room. All the drapes and everything was dark and recent candles and evil that I started sharing Christ and then just like Morgan to get out of here and told him never to go back there again, but my point is, every year, campus Crusade, never get jobs and they redo our summer missions and then they were such a blessing because they would help in children's ministry and they do in different churches. We got about 30 to 40 of them every year and every year I knew two weeks in they come up afterwards. A pastor, you realize there's people that know your name and they pray against you. Yet we were down, we were sharing Christ on the beach and their talk about offering animals to sacrifice to Satan, where I lived. You can go on bulletin boards, which is will meet 7 o'clock. Warlocks will meet learn how to cast spells. This this this is America, people the world has changed and I know some of you what happens as though the more godly and more holy and the older you get you what you do you get less and less connected to what's going on in the world. If you a casual glance at movies at games the kids that are built into Netflix, but that are just whole I mean there's a whole shows that are just dark and there were different beings coming from different places you're living in a world that now is very supernaturally and it's a dark and your kids are growing up and your grandkids are growing up in a world where this is the norm. So yes, we need to pray, we need to model, we need to be wise and fearsome New Testament evidences of demonic influence and I'm going to go through these real quickly and I'm gonna ask you as I go through these could you use some biblical common sense don't think either or. Or always think yes this is one thing that happens. For example, the first one is an evidence of demonic influence of severe sickness and untreatable unconventional something. I mean you been to the Mayo Clinic. You had every doctor you done this you've done that you always start with is it physical is it psychological is it spiritual, and there are certain things at certain times, we should at least ask. Could it be that there some demonic influence and all I can tell you is all the medicine of the work may or may not work and just even my own little world. I've had opportunities where people had situations and we pray for them and got supernaturally heals them. I don't understand all that and is all sickness in any way related absolutely not. It's a fallen world there's bacteria, right second is divination, people, people messing around with these things open themselves up to demonic influence sometimes you know and ask their the ability to tell the future. I mean, it apparently was legit and told Paul cast the demon out of the girl.

The evidence of unusual physical strength of the demonic attack known for holding down. I had a few scary experience is not all that sad about not ministry in Santa Cruz anymore.

I remember a guy coming down the middle of the aisle is blazing and then you know a couple guys got him which took about four guys to get this guy and he was come straight for me is like. Thank you Lord. This is, is it unusual, of course, it's unusual, but it is in evidence a split personality we we had a wild situation now is there psychological issues are there multiple personalities, etc., etc. we had a situation of a woman literally that she was this person we finally got leaders together. I know her and this is who she is and this is what she called herself and this is kind person and over here it would be like the direct opposite was a bipolar and finally her and her husband was his godly guy and people come as it is all know that can be her and she could turn it off and turn it on a trip and then we got her with these people and these people and her husband and we did some research and she had dabbled in early in life been involved in the occult, and she wasn't aware of them. When it was happening.

We got around her.

We prayed in got one lady back got rid another resistance to spiritual help sometimes or demonic influence. I don't want your help other voices. This is this is only in my case very very few times and very unit and this is were you tempted to be afraid rather than okay. I obviously was a presence here and you talk into it you dress it directly in here this weird guttural out of a teenage girl and thinking okay and and there's times where it's not two or three little prayers and you there for a couple hours and there's a team praying and in the occult powers we we resolve very we had visual manifestations in our house. We greet all the kind of things you would think and we got to where it was like okay there's a real enemy. He does some things you have to be afraid that this is how you can recognize the cure and this is so so so important. The cure is right back to the core of what Jesus has done victory is through the cross of Christ.

Colossians 214 and 15, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us. He, Jesus has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross when he disarmed the demonic realm, the rulers and the authorities and he made a public display of them having triumphed over them.

Through him, Christ, victory is in the name of Jesus was in the name of Jesus that they cast out these demons. It was the power of the name of Jesus and asked by his victory in the power of the Holy Spirit, he that is in us is greater than he is in the world and now in our sort of final portion here. I need you to lean back and what I want to do and I'll go rather quickly, but I just want to give you an outline beginning.

If there is a unbeliever who you suspect that there is demonic influence and a never go about doing this alone be make sure that there's rural prayer that precedes things that you get the best and wisest help depending on the severity going to say to things is you. You may need someone that has you know a pastor or some people that have really our focus in this area but but I say that, but I also want you to know a casual reading of the New Testament, and at least the first 400 years of the church would say these verses are in here for all of us regular people James for 7 to 10 is it like all superstar people with spiritual warfare. That's for you know it's for us.

I mean the officer was 4 foot 11 my son is 10 years old.

The Bible is the sword of the Spirit's power. God what I'm wanting you to know though is you don't go to this half-baked I mean when I read passages like Michael didn't even mock Satan. He respected his authority and power and said the Lord rebuke you. You just that this is not something to mess around with okay with that said, it's not something to be afraid of, and it's weird and like, oh, forget it. And so, let me walk through here we go. Specific steps for deliverance from demonic influence number one for an unbeliever.

It's to accept Christ. It's it's to understand you don't have the power and John chapter 1 verse 12 but as many as received him to them. He gives the right literally the word is authority to become the children of God, as many as believe on his name.

Second, it is for believer is to confess your sin.

The sum demonic influence among whites were talking it doesn't mean everything is weird. There's oppression. Or maybe it's harassment maybe it made sense so overblown, and you have prayed in and made you even said something like I never saw it like this until now because isn't this what the Scripture does it opens our eyes and you say Lord I have been deceived, my money does not reflect your Lordship and I'm telling you, I'm sorry I thank you that you forgive me and this is my step of faith that my next check is going to look like this and this is a first portion because I trust you.

It's all of the chairs, not 10% 12% 30%. It's all years, you commanded me to declare that I trust you just it's no different than the manna they went out and got the manna just to know will provide an there's a reason why you had to pick up to one day and then another day. The thing wasn't about bread or manna, and it's not about money it's about this or you may say since we always tend to come in you Lorna. I think I'm addicted to romance novels. I think I've some deep resentment toward my husband.

I think we don't have the romance and the marriage that I would want and I vicariously live when I have free time.

My mind is in romance novels and you know an occasional homework. I'm good with but you understand what I'm saying, what, what if we need to work on the marriage through the need to say this really hurts and the need to address some things get substituted for that and what if it seems so benign and it's it it's a stronghold in God. What you have a great marriage and he wants what you reading about in books to be a part and I know you can say that my husband yeah. Guess what, here's what you got. You can't change him, but you can do about what you did and when one person in any relationship takes a step of faith chain reactions. I'm not guaranteeing that everyone's in a change. But God will do in you and through you and for you.

What he wasn't doing before and so you confess it and finally I think I think you know if you're going this way to be light and salt, and what God wants you to do. I think oppression and harassment. I think you can expect those things. Third is renounced the works of the devil, just if you found yourself you know I was just goofing around and it was upon reading deal renounce it. Second Corinthians 4 to if you have any occult objects you know you destroyed. It's an heirloom well. You want that kind air.

If you know these are I don't know where this would be but break break friendships with people in the occult. We always have this tension in the struggle and you need to do it lovingly, kindly and when suddenly, but there's some relationships that the value of the relationship and we quote so don't want to hurt people's feelings.

You can do it in a way that you're involved in this. I know that's very important to you. That isn't something I can be involved in okay I don't want to hear. You know about your readings and what you're doing this and that I'm I'm I need to make a break with that rest in Christ deliverance. You know, Colossians 113 Colossians 214 and 15 memorize a couple of these verses to remind yourself they've been disarmed. You don't have to be afraid they've been conquered a meditate and apply on God's word, have we not talk about that a bit and then engage in corporate prayer and then if necessary, almost hate to say this word with exorcism in the name of Christ.

I've given you an outline here. It's by a spiritually qualified counselor. You know that. Galatians 5 is rural, careful about you when you get to go address something like this make sure you're in good standing, walking with God who manifests humility who wears a spiritual armor who knows the word of God and supported by prayers of believers is very specific situation and there are times where you really do need an expert and sometimes when I explain this. I've had many many calls from people who say would you, and we have the situation or you come in and teach this because this is what's going on and by and large, my answer is always no. I mean this I I am you know II cannot got told you before, I feel like if instead of a pastor I'm a doctor, general practitioner on that oncologist. I'm not a baby doctor. I'm not a surgeon.

I'm not a cardiologist, there are experts in this and I will tell you when when I read the books of the new Andersons or Pocock summing they are.

I'm like I'm like hey guys, all of us regular people. We need to learn and get our game up and then there's there's stuff in expertise and wisdom that I I'm going to handle whatever comes my way, but this is not an area of expertise. This is an area of I've had a lot more experience that I ask for so I know these things are true, but there are certain things in certain times where you need an expert, but here's what I would say I just want to repeat.

I think most of the time until it gets into some bizarre bizarre things that you're thinking of. This is way over my pay grade. But but the same is true, at least for me in counseling. I think most all of counseling can be done with believers with believers helping one another, but there's some counseling but there's some issues that happen to people's lives. Man, I refer I want a godly wise super smart Christian counselor who knows way more than me is way more experience, but I also don't want to say every time there's some demonic type activity that that I outsource it one the things that happens it happened and that's why told the story about Mike my 10-year-old boy. I think I learned more than he did. I mean his attitude. I still remember but I heard it was like happen like you happens and we always kept the bathroom light on you and your kids are small and so I heard what happened and I'm the dad I'm going to go help him and I could see because of that's why he was there and undoes his covers. Does this Lord I'm really tired and I want to get back to sleep.

Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world and this is the victory that is overcome the world. Even those who believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and they overcame him. Satan in the blood of the Lamb.

And they did in the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even unto death. No evil spirits in Jesus name and by his authority. You have to leave right now, so leave and don't come back. He went like this, went to sleep. Boy he really needs my help, and the next morning I just I just wondered I think that's it.

The childlike faith by toting those verses are true. He's 10 years old. He's not sophisticated know better like some of us are thinking maybe I don't know and at breakfast the next day how to sleep okay to be a pretty good fishing well. Did anything happen yeah I had one of the satanic nightmares. Yeah, we have a lot of those in here don't yeah I said will you didn't come and get me. He said that I'm so sick and tired of this, I thought I just did myself. Lord, we are in tremendous tremendous need, but you are the victor you are the king your spirit lives in us and we need each other could give us the grace not to be embarrassed, but to just accept our weakness and her need and say we you help me be bold to ask others to help us. Would you work in these sons and daughters begin deliverance from demonic from his series.

The invisible war. Every believer needs to know about demons and spiritual warfare is a cosmic conflict exploding all around us, its dangerous, destructive, evil, and while we see heartbreaking consequences in the here and now it has sobering eternal consequences as well. Learning about the invisible war allows you to engage the way Jesus did with truth and grace.

We know the truth.

We don't have to be afraid. We speak with grace we have power to persuade. This series is available in multiple formats, a book small group video with study guide CDs and as always, the MP3s are free however you like to study.

We've got the perfect resource to fit your style for all the details, visit us@livingontheedge.org Special offers on the app or give us a call at 888-333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003. I'll be right back in just a minute to give you some very specific application about today's teaching but if you're concerned about our nation and our world and the strife in the chaos and the violence in your ear just really uptight about. So what's really going on and you hear may be other Christians or you watch the news and you are the strong statements and social media postings, here's what I want you to know James chapter 3 says the wisdom that is from the enemy is chaotic, it's demonic. It's divisive. It brings this order so when you see those things. That's not flesh and blood people are not the enemy. It's demonic forces that are causing that level of chaos and disorder Satan and demonic forces are energizing these things seem to be very careful not to attack the people, but attacked the cause and if you don't know how to discern what's from the enemy and what's just natural.

You will be deeply stuck about how to respond in some tough situations right now.

These spiritual warfare cards will give a clear perspective of what spiritual warfare is how to respond and what you need to do once you recognize this isn't just a person's bad attitude. There's demonic power behind this effect. Let me give you a quick description of these cards. These cards are very systematic. They will help you understand the basic principles of spiritual warfare when you're in spiritual warfare.

One of the promises in the Bible about spiritual warfare, how to understand the tactics of the strategies of the enemy, what protection God has given you and actually how to put on the armor of God, and then when necessary out loud how to engage the enemy and when these cards I think it be great for people in your world that you love the you want to help and were living in a world that's getting crazier and crazier. But here's the promise greater is he that is in us that he that's in the world was brand-new set of spiritual warfare. Scripture cards is organized in several categories to help you remember the truth about Satan and his tactics. Remember your position in Christ and then know how to use Scripture to battle and win whether there for you or to give as a gift to help and encourage someone else.

I hope you'll pick up a set or two while supplies last. For all the details on our newly revised spiritual warfare. Scripture cards visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or tap special offers on the app without your strip with his application.

We have come to the end of our study on spiritual warfare and this is the most content filled series I've ever done in my life. If you have not caught all of the broadcast. You can go on the web and you can get all the notes every note, every point. Every verse I have for you.

Second, I highly encourage you make this a study for your small group. I think you can.

A lot of it. I think it's can be helpful and I think it's can it be that balanced approach where we walk right through a passage of these in chapter 6 and do good exposition, but at the same time practical with regard to how Satan and demons actually work. This series is something I think could be a great resource for you.

Your small group in your church. I pray you order it will practice it and you know the truth and the truth will set you free. As we wrap up today's program. Just a quick but important thought Living on the Edge depends on listeners like you to help us continue broadcasting right here in your area.

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This is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge