Chapter 4 -
Becoming free
Occultism, spiritualism and false anointing in general are activities
under the same enslaving yoke. Their practice always leads to formation of
demonic bonds and causes a degree of restlessness such as man has never experienced
before beginning such practices. The most serious consequence of occult
activity is that it blocks us from entering heaven. We learn from the Bible
that magicians, witches, murderers, and others living in sin can never inherit
the kingdom of God:
- (Gal 5:19-21) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, jealousies, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies,
21
Contentions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which
I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which
do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
- (Rev 21:7,8) He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be
his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the
fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part
in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
- (Rev 22:14,15) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city.
15 For
without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.
However, if you have received a false anointing or gotten involved with
the occult do not stay there. You can be freed.
Below, we explain the steps one
must take to be freed from the enemy’s bonds. Becoming free involves:
- Freedom in Jesus Christ
- Handing over your life to God
- The prayer of abandonment or breaking away from the enemy
- Confessing sins
- Resisting the enemy
- After-fight
- Reading the Word
- Objects
- Curses
- Inheritance
FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST. Keep in mind that you have already turned to
Jesus Christ and received Him into your life so that you may experience
salvation. Unfortunately, there are many people in the church who think that
they are saved but who actually are not saved. They may have grown up in
Christian homes, visited church meetings regularly, may have even testified,
but they lack the life within and have not been born again.
That is why it is extremely important for you, too, to rest
assured that you have received Jesus Christ and salvation and that this is not
something you’re just imagining. Jesus Christ is only waiting to step into your
life so that you may become a child of God:
- (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
- (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name
Another important matter is that only in Christ Jesus can you be freed
from guiding spirits, lying voices, false anointing, and every other expression
of the enemy. Medicine and psychology can help people and should not be
belittled, but they cannot help free us from the bonds of dark powers. Jesus'
defeat of Satan is the true foundation for freedom. You must turn to Him in
order to be delivered from the enemy’s grip. Read about the victory of Jesus
over the enemy below, along with descriptions of how some people have
received help:
- (1 John 3:8) ... For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the devil.
- (Hebr 2:14,15) For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he
might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage.
- (Col 2:15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a
show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
- (Luke 11:20-22) But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt
the kingdom of God is come on you.
21
When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace:
22 But when
a stronger than he shall come on him, and overcome him, he takes from him all
his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.
- (Luke 8:2) And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits
and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
- (Acts 8:5-8) Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and
preached Christ to them.
6
And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip
spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7
For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that
were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame,
were healed.
8 And
there was great joy in that city.
HANDING OVER YOUR LIFE TO GOD. An important step to take
toward being freed is to hand over one’s whole life to God and want to follow
Him with all one's heart. This is important because only a person who wants to
give up sinning and making wrong choices can experience lasting freedom. If a
person continues his sinful ways and does not feel genuine sorrow (2 Cor 7:10)
for his wrongdoings, then the person will never be permanently freed. Even
though the person is freed from evil powers for a while, they will always try
to come back because the person’s impenitence is like an open door through
which evil powers can enter.
Indeed, it is a problem that many only seek relief for
their difficulties and troubles but do not desire to serve the Lord and live to
please Him; they want Jesus to guarantee them a way out of their problems, but
they do not wish to change within. Likewise, they still live under the
impression that they can win something by this delay and impenitence, even
though the truth lies in the opposite direction. Jesus said very clearly that
the person who wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life
for His sake will save it:
- (Luke 9:23,24) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For
whoever will save his life shall lose it: but whoever will lose his
life for my sake, the same shall save it.
The following statement made by Sven Reichmann helps us understand this.
He makes the point that if we defend our sinful attitudes such as unforgiveness
and bitterness then we cannot experience true freedom. On the other hand, if we
feel godly sorrow for our sins, then we are often cleansed from all evil powers
automatically:
God often makes an open
suggestion: "Forgive. Do it for your own sake so that you would get well
and rid yourself of all this!” God urges you, he leads helpful people to you,
but He cannot act on your behalf. You must do it yourself. You must see that
vindictiveness binds you to inability and slavery.
There are many
examples. Each person has his own unique situation. Therefore, there are no
ready-made operation models for deliverance. But the Holy Spirit is our
assistance when we truly want to be freed both from slavery and from lust. When
lust is gone, slavery will also disappear. Then you no longer need to command
it to leave your life. It is true that sometimes God can give a special command
to use authority in deliverance, but generally godly sorrow leads to salvation.
If
one regards this sorrow as too difficult and tries to protect himself from it – as sometimes
happens in conversations – it may be that he will never be freed. But if he has this
one goal, to be pure and free, then God Himself will step forward as the helper.
(17)
The prayer of ABANDONMENT OR breaking away
from the enemy. The prayer of abandonment or breaking away from all the works of the
devil after receiving Jesus as the Lord and Savior is also important. It is
important especially for those who have been involved in occultism and sorcery,
because these people have always made a voluntary union with the powers of
darkness. When they say the prayer of abandonment, they nullify this union and
the devil’s ownership of them.
Kurt Koch has much experience in this area. He wrote that
the prayer of abandonment is very significant among those people burdened by
occultism. These people may have drifted into bondage as a result of their own
actions or by way of inheritance through families that practiced sorcery, for
example. He writes that if the burden is substantial it may be difficult for a
person to utter this prayer:
As comes to the pastoral care
of occultist people, the significance of the prayer of abandonment is great.
Why? Every sin of sorcery is a union with darkness. When we get into sorcery,
we give to the devil ownership of ourselves. This ownership can be formed when
our parents or grandparents practiced witchcraft. The devil knows the first
commandment "…I who will punish the children for the sin of the fathers to
the third and fourth generation". The powers of darkness take advantage of
their ownership, and the descendants of those people who have practiced sorcery
do not know anything about this because they may never have practiced sorcery.
The devil expresses his rights when a man whom he possesses turns.
In the prayer of
abandonment, a person legally breaks off this ownership. The physician of the
soul, who is present, or even a few brothers, can witness the breaking off of
the ownership.
Modern
theologians laugh at these issues, but the devil takes them seriously. Hundreds
of cases prove that he takes them seriously. (…)
If the burden is
heavy, the prayer of abandonment will raise great difficulty. (18)
The following prayer is a model that can be used to break away from the
enemy. If this prayer is very difficult for you to say and you feel you are about to lose
consciousness, you can command the devil to leave and remain bound in the name
of Jesus Christ. If necessary, you can repeat this prayer until you can utter
it without difficulty:
In the name of Christ Jesus, I break away from your power, Satan, and
from all the powers of darkness with which I have been involved and served. At
the same time, I also break away from any witchcraft practiced by my
forefathers and my parents, and I hand over my life to Jesus Christ who is now
my Lord and my Savior!
CONFESSION OF SINS
- (1 John 1:7,9) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us
from all sin.
9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
In the verse above, we are taught to confess our sins in order to
receive forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Jesus.
This confession of sins and feeling genuine sorrow are key
to being freed from the enemy’s chains. The doors to the devil and evil spirits
that were opened through sinful behavior can be closed simply by confessing our
sins and expressing honest sorrow. It is that simple.
An unclean conscience and darkness are always the
precondition for evil spirits – they work in the dark – but if a person brings
the things he has done into light by confessing them to God, all the legal
right these powers have to act in one’s life is broken. They no longer have the
right to affect him, and can easily be driven away. This does not always
require a separate command; they will disappear automatically when a person is
broken enough before God, that is, when the person is genuinely sorry for the
things he has done.
Corrie ten Boom explains the importance of confessing sins.
She wrote that when people understand the message of Deut 18:10-13 -- that
they have acted against God -- and when they confess their sins, they are immediately
freed:
In the same way as Elisha
sent 'the son of the prophet' back to the place where he had lost the axe and
where the miracle took place (2 King 6:5,6), I too send people back to the
place where they have, being guilty of sin, opened their hearts to the devil. I
ask Jesus our Savior to close the door where they have opened it. Firstly, it
is necessary to convince people that they really have sinned! Deut 18:10-13
proves this. Confession is necessary, and after it we can claim that the
precious promises of purifying belong also to us (John 1:7-9). How many people
I saw freed when they acted obediently according to this word! (19)
So, if you want to be freed from the chains of occultism or other dark
influences, you must bring these before God, and then you can command the evil
spirits to leave.
Below are some examples
of prayers that we can use to confess our sins and command away evil
influences.
The most commonly found
activities include spiritualism, spirit healing, and making our mind passive (which
provides one of the widest gates for the devil to walk through), but we can
also be guilty of very ordinary sins such as harboring bitterness and accusing
others as well as feeling self-hatred. These, too, must be confessed as a sin
against God if we are to be freed.
Another important matter is being freed from occult abilities and
breaking our connections to the spirit world. These abilities and connections
do not always disappear at the moment of our conversion; if not, then one need
only ask God to take them away. If one still continuously sees into the spirit
world or continues to have out-of-body experiences, or if one’s family
practices occultism (for example), then this kind of specific prayer may be
needed.
Here are some prayers one can
repeat to break the enemy’s bonds:
Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for taking part in spiritualism, spirit
healing, etc. Thank You that You forgive me and cleanse me of all
unrighteousness through the blood of Your Son Jesus.
Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have taken part in
séances, spirit healing, etc. Now you have no more legal right in these areas,
because through the blood of Jesus I have been forgiven. Therefore, I command
you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my surroundings, and never
to return!
_________
Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for emptying my mind and making it passive
for it is not Your will. Thank You that You forgive me and cleanse me of all
unrighteousness through the blood of Your Son Jesus.
Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have emptied my
mind and made it passive. Now you have no more legal right in this area,
because through the blood of Jesus I have received forgiveness from God.
Therefore, I command you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my
surroundings, and never to return!
_________
Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for my wrong connections to the spirit
world! I ask You to take away those supernatural gifts and abilities that are
not from You and also all such connection with the spirit world that is not
from You. Thank You that You cleanse my body, soul and spirit of all
unrighteousness through the blood of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, amen
Now, in the name of Jesus Christ, I command all evil spirits who gave me
the ability to be in connection with the spirit world to leave my life
immediately and never to return!
__________
Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for interfering
with relationships outside marriage, pornography, and other such sins! Thank
You that You forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness through the blood
of your Son Jesus.
Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have interfered
with wrong relations and pornography that are not the will of God. Now you no
longer have a legal right in this respect, because through the blood of Jesus I
have received forgiveness from God. Therefore, I command you now in the name of
Jesus Christ to leave me and my surroundings, and never to return!
__________
Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for my bitterness and my accusations
towards... Thank you that You forgive me and You cleanse me of all
unrighteousness through the blood of Your Son Jesus.
Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God that I have been bitter
towards... Now you no longer have a legal right in this regard, because
through the blood of Jesus I have received forgiveness from God. Therefore, I
command you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my surroundings,
and never to return!
__________
Oh Lord, Father, forgive me for my self-hatred, my suicidal thoughts,
and my self-pity! Thank You that You forgive me and cleanse me of all
unrighteousness through the blood of Your Son Jesus.
Satan and you demons, I have confessed to God my self-hatred, suicidal
thoughts and self-pity. Now you no longer have a legal right in this regard,
because through the blood of Jesus I have received forgiveness from God.
Therefore, I command you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my
surroundings, and never to return!
RESISTING THE ENEMY. In order to be freed, a person must utter the prayer
of abandonment and confess the sins he has practiced. This is important,
because true freedom can never be experienced before one wants to give up sins
and wrong relationships with all of his heart. If a person does not do this, he
may remain in chains forever.
Another part of remaining free is resisting the devil
whenever necessary. The fact is that the enemy will not automatically withdraw
from disturbing people if he has been given a place; he may still tempt them.
Many symptoms in the lives of people are just caused by disturbances and
attacks by the enemy. Here are some commonly seen signs of the enemy’s
influence, some of which are also characteristically experienced by people
under false anointing:
- Great difficulties in
praying and reading the Bible. One can even lose consciousness.
- Moments of forgetfulness
and unconsciousness.
- Presence or/and pressure
from foreign powers.
- Haunting and supernatural
phenomena.
- Uncontrolled outbursts of
anger, sexual daydreams, intense fear, or any sin or lust that is above normal.
These things are a part of our sinful nature, but sometimes the enemy may act
in the background to gain ground because of our former sins.
- Illusions, confusion or
visions are common.
- Feeling intense fear,
doubts and pain.
-
Self-destructive behavior and suicidal thoughts.
- Obsessions where an
internal need drives a person to say or do things that are contrary to his or
her basic nature. Especially, blasphemous thoughts and deeds occur.
- Physical symptoms such as
headache, weakness, dizziness, feeling heavy and general pain everywhere in the
body are common. Some diseases such as epilepsy, deafness, and muteness can
also occasionally be the attacks of the enemy and originate from evil spirits,
even though there may be a medical explanation or injury that has nothing to do
with the devil.
- Voices that are accusatory,
blasphemous or threatening order a person to do something that will hurt
himself or to do something humiliating. Often
these voices may resemble our own thoughts or internal dialogue but express
ideas completely opposite from what we would normally think.
- In pastoral care, a person
may in his mind experience threats, accusations or false statements such as,
"This won't work!” “Get out from here!” or “You can never be freed!”
Internal resistance to pastoral help is powerful
So, if you suffer the
above-mentioned symptoms, you should not remain passive. You should resist the
enemy of our soul in the name of Jesus Christ and based on the blood shed by
Him.
You may experience great weakness or helplessness, but you should remain strong
because you are fighting for your own deliverance.
The following verses advise us to resist the devil in the
name of Jesus Christ. The first of these verses (Jam 4:7) tells us to first
submit ourselves to God with our whole heart, and then to resist the devil.
This is always how it goes:
- (Jam 4:7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- (1 Peter 5:8,9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom
resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brothers that are in the world.
- (Mark 16:17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my
name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues
- (Matt 4:10) Then said Jesus to him, Get you hence, Satan: for it is
written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
- (Luke 10:17-20) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord,
even the devils are subject to us through your name.
18
And he said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19
Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding
in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in heaven.
- (Rev 12:11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their
lives to the death.
The following story written by Neil T. Anderson shows what resisting
means in practice. He describes a woman who suffered from visions of snakes and
who hesitated to resist them in the name of Jesus Christ. However, when she
finally dared to do it, the snakes vanished from her life:
One of the first people with
whom I dealt as comes to spiritual battles and demonic activity was Daisy, a
26-year-old hippie of the 60s. Daisy was in faith and she had a university
degree, but she also had serious mental and emotional problems, which had
developed after her father divorced her mother. Over the course of five years,
Daisy had been in the hospital three times being treated because of paranoia
and schizophrenia. When she had been at my place in pastoral care for three
weeks, she finally got the courage to tell me about the snakes in her life.
"What
snakes?” I asked.
"Well, they
crawl on me at night, when I am in bed," she confessed.
"What do
you do when the snakes come?”
"I run to
my mother. But they always come back, when I am alone.”
"I'll tell
you what you should do,” I said. “When you have gone to the bed and the snakes
come, say aloud, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to go away."
"I can’t do
it,” Daisy resisted. “I am not ready or strong enough.”
"It is not
a question of you being ready; it is a question of your position in Christ. You
are as much entitled to resist Satan and force him to leave as I am.”
Daisy wriggled
before this thought. “Well, maybe I could do it,” she sighed and sounded like
she had just promised to drink castor oil.
When Daisy
marched to my place the following week, she said, "The snakes have
disappeared!”
"Great! Why
didn’t you tell me earlier?”
"Because I
was afraid you too would get them. Now I understand that it was only another
part of the same lie.”
In
the course of a few months, Daisy was freed from the demonic mess and was a
part of the child work of the church. If her problem had been merely
neurological or caused by a chemical imbalance in her system, ordering the
snakes in the name of Jesus would not have helped. But in the case of Daisy,
the problem was spiritual, and five years of hospital care and medical
treatment did not work. (20)
AFTER-FIGHT. When one has been deeply involved in occultism he
might have to fight for weeks, even months afterwards. Even though he has been
delivered, he might not feel peace because the devil continues to harass him.
It is a part of the growing process that a person may have to
experience because he has driven his mind into passivity before and
has allowed room for the devil.
Remaining firm in faith and resisting the devil are
extremely important. When man actively resists the devil and maintains a firm will, evil powers
will eventually be forced to give up. They will be forced to give up because they are no longer
allowed any room.
In her book "Pyhien sota" (War on the Saints, p.
83), Jessie Penn-Lewis wrote about the importance of keeping a firm attitude,
"When the believer keeps his mind in a normal condition of action, he
should sustain firm willpower, i.e., ‘I want my mind not to be passive, I want
to completely control and use all my abilities, I want to be clear of all that
comes from the enemy’. This indicates man’s choice and not his decision to do
these things. The powers of darkness do not care for mere choosing, but they will
surrender powerless when the willpower is manifested in a determined decision.
God gives us power to walk in the right direction, if we choose the right
way."
In the same way, the following verses show the significance of
resistance and endurance. If we resist and endure, we can achieve true freedom:
- (Eph 6:13) Why take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
- (Hebr 10:35,36) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great
recompense of reward.
36 For
you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might
receive the promise.
Another important thing is to separate faith and feelings from each
other. Deliverance is always based on faith, not on feelings. We live by faith
and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), and feelings are often totally opposite from what
we really own in Christ.
It is quite normal for a freed person to turn to feelings
when he experiences physical or other symptoms, the same kind as before. The
person may think that he or she has not really been freed and saved, but that
the evil spirits have come back.
We should note, however, that one must stand only on faith
and believe that the evil spirits have departed. If we have already confessed
our sins, received forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, and commanded the
evil spirits to leave, then they really have gone. It is a matter of faith, not
of feelings.
It is possible, however, that one
experiences the same symptoms as before but now on the outside – it is quite a
different matter. Every believer can be attacked by evil – even Jesus was attacked in
the desert (Matt 4:1-11) – but that does not mean that a person is under the
power of evil.
The following verses illustrate God’s protection from evil.
If you are struggling with this now, you will be better off trusting the verses
below than your feelings, which change quite a lot:
- (1 John 4:4) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
- (Ps 121:7) The LORD shall preserve you from all evil: he shall
preserve your soul.
- (Rom 8:38,39) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
39
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- (Col 1:13) Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
READING THE WORD
- (Eph 6:16,17) Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God
The verses above describe the shield of faith with which a person can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The word of God is also a tool of grace in deliverance and
the fight. Whenever we read the word of the Bible – especially verses that
explain our position in Christ and as a child of God – we can experience
increasing freedom, when ‘the truth shall make you
free’, as Jesus said (John 8:32). This goes especially to understanding
true righteousness and the grace of God, when we are freed from false
self-accusations and enter a new level in our relationship with God.
The word of the Bible can also help free us from occultism
and other devilish tortures. Reading verses that tell of
the defeat of the devil and his destiny in hell have been found especially good
for this purpose. (Rebecca Brown worked among many
people who were seriously bound. She wrote in her book (Prepare for War),
p. 347, that the Book of Revelation Chapter 18 and the last two chapters of the
Revelation are especially good.). The following verses describing the defeat of
the devil are also good. If reading these verses is difficult for you and you
fear that you may lose consciousness, you can immediately resist the devil in
the name of Jesus and continue reading again:
- (1 John 3:8) ...
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- (Col 2:15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a
show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
- (Luke 10:17-20) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord,
even the devils are subject to us through your name.
18
And he said to them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19
Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject to you;
but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
- (Luke 11:20-22) But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt
the kingdom of God is come on you.
21
When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace:
22
But when a stronger than he shall come on him, and overcome him, he takes
from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.
- (Matt 4:10) Then said Jesus to him, Get you hence, Satan: for it is
written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
- (Matt 25:41) Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart
from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels
- (Rev 20:10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast
and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and
ever.
- Chapters 18-22 of the
Revelation
OBJECTS. Various objects that have been used for occult purposes can present
obstacles to a person’s deliverance. If there are many objects in
your home that have been used in idol worship or have had spells recited over
them, they may be a portal for evil spirits. Many
objects are neutral in nature, but if spells are attached to them then they can
draw a spiritual burden into the home – a burden that will not lift until the
object in question has been destroyed.
The following verses provide good descriptions of what to
do with these objects. One verse is related to Ephesus, where people burned all
their books related to magic. They certainly understood that if they had not
done it, they would have remained under a continuous burden. The bond was
broken in a simple way:
- (Deut 7:25,26) The graven images of their gods shall you burn with fire: you shall not desire the silver or gold that is on them,
nor take it to you, lest you be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the
LORD your God.
26
Neither shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you
be a cursed thing like it: but you shall utterly detest it, and you shall
utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
- (Acts 19:17-19) And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling
at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was
magnified.
18
And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.
19 Many
of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned
them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty
thousand pieces of silver.
As for your own experience, ask yourself whether you want to be freed
from all the chains of evil or do you want to remain bound? If you keep
‘objects which are set apart for destruction’ in your home, you will bring a
curse upon your home.
Below is a list of objects that can open a conduit for the
devil’s entry into your home. You should destroy them. You could also utter the
prayer of giving up for every object before you destroy it:
- Astrologic, spiritualistic, and
magical literature is one of the greatest channels for the devil‘s entry into
our lives and homes. The best known literature is probably the 6th
and 7th books of Moses (called the Black Bible) that includes an extensive selection of magic spells, and lessons about communicating
with destructive spirits. This book teaches the opposite message from that of
the Holy Bible. Author Kurt Koch provides numerous
examples of injuries done to people and their descendants as a result of
content in this book. In Onko paholainen
olemassa? (Between Christ and Satan) pages 129
through 139, he lists difficult family histories, mental illnesses, and difficulty
for these people and their descendants to turn to Christ.
- Many souvenirs such as idols and statues, fetishes, magic drums, and
masks of the devil can provide a home to evil spirits because many of them have
been dedicated to idolatry and carry spells. People bring a curse into their
home when they bring in these souvenirs.
- Talismans, amulets, and magic
tools that are thought to possess magical powers and which are believed to
bring luck can also be a channel for the devil. Other objects that can be
associated with the devil’s influence include images of saints, statues,
religious relics, and crucifixes.
- Heavy rock (metal, acid, etc.) music may be harmful. Many performance
bands are owned by Satanists who have dedicated themselves to Satan worship.
- Objects placed under one’s skin such as metal needles can be a sign of
the worship of Satan, or to the religious practices of primitive people. One
should have these kinds of objects removed by a doctor, or ask the Lord to take
them away because they provide a channel for evil spirits.
- There are also non-occult objects received as gifts that can carry a
curse and can be difficult to identify unless God gives the person a special
gift of discernment. These objects themselves may be neutral, but the curse
connected to them can bring a burden into one’s home and life.
- Crystals -- especially those used in the New Age movement -- can be
harmful because they have been used in service of evil. Otherwise they are
completely neutral objects.
- Children's toys and games can easily contain signs and objects related
to occultism. It is certainly worthwhile to discuss this threat with your
children and explain why the game-playing must be abandoned and the games
destroyed.
CURSES
- (Pro 26:2) As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the
curse causeless shall not come.
Curses sent by others are also certainly included in those influences
that can bind us. It is very possible that we may be sick and suffer from
problems because hostile people have cursed us or our family. Such curses are
not always easy to discover and it is not easy to know where they came from.
The following letter illustrates this well:
I have just recovered from a
terrible attack of the enemy. Bleeding, heart disease, heart beating and
exhaustion. My whole being is in a state of collapse. Suddenly, I remembered in
prayer to pray against all psychic powers focused upon me (psychic 'prayer').
In faith and by the power of the blood of Jesus, I cut myself off that, and the
result was surprising. Suddenly my breathing was normal, the bleeding stopped,
the exhaustion disappeared, all the pain left and life returned to my body.
Since that moment, I have been refreshed and become stronger. God let me know
that my condition was due to a group of betrayed souls in opposition against me
who directed their 'prayers' against me. God has used me to release two of
them, but the others are still in a terrible abyss... (21)
So if you suspect a curse is the cause of your problems, you can be
freed from these bonds. You can simply command the curse to break and the evil
powers causing it to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. In the same way, you
can ask God for special protection against hatred, and ask that God would break
all ties between you and the attacks of the spirit world. Following is an
example of a prayer with which this can be done:
In the name of Jesus Christ, I break all curses
that have been uttered against me. At the same time, I command all demonic
powers and illnesses in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my
surroundings and my family, and never to return.
And Oh Lord, beloved Heavenly
Father, I ask that You would give me protection against hatred and that You
break all ties between me and the attacks of the spirit world. In addition, I
want to bless those who have spoken ill about me and cursed me. In the name of
Jesus, amen.
INHERITANCE. We do not always pay attention to the effect people
feel from their spiritual inheritance. We inherit both positive and negative
spiritual influences – blessings and curses – that impact our lives. They
can cause consequences to the third and fourth generation (Ex 20:5) and even
farther down our bloodline.
The inherited negative effects are usually caused by sinful
activity in the family. If the parents or ancestors have practiced occultism,
been immoral, uttered oaths (Mormon and freemason oaths can impact
descendants, for example) or have let themselves be healed magically,
descendants may still be under these influences even after their
conversion. We may have received the following things as our ‘inheritance’:
- The effect of spiritual inheritance appears most clearly in the area
of occultism. Occult abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, foreknowledge,
spirit healing, and the common spiritualistic burden are some of those
abilities we can inherit. We sometimes hear about special seer families where
these things are passed on as an inheritance.
It should be noted that even if a person never had anything
to do with these things, the inherited spiritualistic burden will often appear
when the person tries to turn to God. He may feel like he is facing a wall and
may end up in serious battles.
- Inherited behaviors can include same inclination to sinful behavior
such as adultery, alcoholism, lying, exploitation of children; expressions of
anger or rage; feelings of depression and fear. All are very common. One
illustration can be found among people who were raised in an alcoholic family.
The children swear that they will never use alcohol and will never marry an
alcoholic, yet oftentimes they do exactly that. This can be caused by an
influence from the spirit world; an evil spirit is able to influence the
person’s life because it has gained entrance through a sin committed by some
ancestor.
- Illnesses such as cancer, heart diseases and diabetes often run in the
family. They can be caused by some sinful behavior by ancestors (such as fornication),
which opened a doorway for evil spirits.
The impact made by inherited curses is shown in the following verses.
They show how descendants may fall under the influence of the sins of their
ancestors; they can suffer from them and drift into the same ways of life (as
the well-known proverb says: the apple never falls far from the tree):
- (Lev 26:38,39) And you shall perish among the heathen, and the land of
your enemies shall eat you up.
39 And they
that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’
lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away
with them.
- (Ex 34:6,7) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The
LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth,
7 Keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that
will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers on
the children, and on the children’s children, to the third and to the fourth
generation.
- (Lam 5:7) Our fathers have sinned,
and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
- (Deut 30:19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore
choose life, that both you and your seed may live:
- (1 King 15:3) And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had
done before him: and his heart was not
perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
- (1 Peter
1:18,19) For as much as you know that you were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with
the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
It is good to note that we are not always automatically freed from
inherited spiritualistic or other burdens when we turn to the Lord. These evil
influences may still try to approach us in much the same way as those that come
from our own personal past activities.
However, we can break the hold of inherited burdens by
bringing them into the light, by confessing them to God. We can ask Him to
forgive us these sins (this does not mean we can change the destiny of our
dead forefathers, but that we ourselves will be freed from the effect of these
burdens), and also from those sins of which we are not aware. In this way,
we destroy the foundation being used by the evil spirits that are trying to
affect us through the inheritance. We can also ask God to separate us from all
the bad deeds done by our forefathers. The following verses in the Bible refer
to this:
- (Lev 26:39-41) And they that are left of you shall pine away in their
iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their
fathers shall they pine away with them.
40
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their
fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that
also they have walked contrary to me;
41
And that I also have walked contrary to them, and have brought them into
the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and
they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
- (Dan 9:16,17) O LORD, according to all your righteousness, I beseech you,
let your anger and your fury be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy
mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers,
Jerusalem and your people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
17 Now
therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications,
and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s
sake.
- (Neh 9:2) And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all
strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of
their fathers.
- (Jer 14:20) We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of
our fathers: for we have sinned against
you.
You can take all these things before God and confess them to Him. You
can break away from them and command all the evil powers to leave in the name
of Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood that was shed for the forgiveness
of your sins. Confessing your sins and commanding evil spirits to leave can be
done by repeating the prayer below. Also, if you have inherited any illnesses,
you can rebuke them in the name of Jesus and spread oil on the sick spot at the
same time that you ask the Lord for healing:
Oh Lord, Father, I confess to You all the sins of my ancestors and
parents such as witchcraft, spiritualism, spirit healing, immorality, false
oaths, etc. and I break away from them. Thank You that I may be free from the
effect of these sins and from all the evil spirits through the atoning work of
Jesus. Thank You that my spiritual inheritance comes from Christ and not from
the sins of my ancestors. Amen
"Satan and you evil spirits, I have confessed to God the sins of my
ancestors and parents and the false oaths and broken away from them. Now you no
longer have any legal right in this regard, because through the blood of Jesus
these matters have been forgiven and their effect has been broken. Therefore, I
command you now in the name of Jesus Christ to leave me and my surroundings,
and never to return!
The experience described by author Denis Clark
provide a good example of thisactivity. He wrote about a girl who was not
freed until her parents’ sins were brought into the light and confessed. Maybe
this young girl’s case is like that of many people today who are bound in the
same way by family sins:
I will tell another case.
When I was speaking in an Easter meeting, the preacher of the church asked
whether I had ever driven out evil spirits. When I said that I occasionally had
had a right to do so, he asked to bring inside a girl belonging to his church
who was troubled by evil spirits. I demanded that everybody except the
preachers must first leave the room. The girl was brought into the room, but
three men were needed to restrain her. We stood around her, but as soon as the
men loosened their grip, she turned and started coming towards me her hands
directed at my eyes. Her fingers resembled the claws of a hawk. The fight was
soon in progress, but it was not won quickly. In fact, the fight continued for
years after the events of that day. The pastor called preacher after preacher
‘to try their luck’ so that the girl would be freed from the evil spirit, but
nothing helped. Every time the demon was controlled for a while but never
completely overcome. One well-known preacher tried his fists 'against the
demon’, and the poor girl was left with bruises after his treatment.
When I was visiting the
church years from this, I asked to see the girl with another preacher. She was
brought inside, but she looked like a frightened animal. It was no wonder,
since she had experienced so much bad treatment. We assured her that we would
not harm her in any way and that we only wanted to ask some questions. The most
important question concerned her parents. As we listened to her, we understood
that her background included several reasons for why she had this kind of
trouble. We acted according to Lev 26:39-42, and we brought the sins of
her parents and grandparents before the Lord. Without anything being driven
out, the girl completely calmed down and went to the kitchen to help the women
taking care of the food of the conference.
Can demons penetrate the life
of people without the acceptance of God? If they can, they are easy to drive
away. But if the demons appear with the
permission of God, as the Apostle Paul observed, who can then drive them
away? It is impossible without the acceptance of God. In the case described
above, the girl had to repent for her parents. Remember what happened to Job!
That great man was not freed before he repented in dust and ash. Trial and
error will get you nowhere. Are we not obliged to ask God why we cannot drive
out demons? By no means is it enough to say quietly, "The one who is in us
is greater than the one who is in the world.” Has God not said that He will
punish the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who
hate Him? What servant of God could break such a curse in any other way than
relying on the atoning work of Christ when He was cursed for us? In order to
not regard God as unjust, let us remember that He is merciful to thousands of
generations for those who love Him! What a merciful God! (22)
REFERENCES:
1. Raphael Gasson, The
Challenging Counterfeit, eight print USA, p. 89.
2. Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, date
of the newspaper article is unknown.
3. Rabindranath R. Maharaj,
Gurun kuolema (DEATH OF A GURU), p. 183
4. Pat Pulling, Noidankehässä, p. 79
5. Bob Mumford, Suunnitelma
sinua varten (TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT GUIDANCE), p. 17,18
6. Neil T. Anderson,
Enemmän kuin voittaja (THE BONDAGE BREAKER), s. 220
7. The case has been told
initially in Hostage to the Devil. The quote, however, is from Matkalla
utopiaan by Paavo Hiltunen, p. 156-158
8. Kurt Koch, Onko paholainen olemassa? (BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN), p. 187
9. Jorma Pihkala, part
from his public writing, Helsingin Sanomat 2 February 1990.
10. Kurt Koch, Taikauskot
(DER ABERGLAUBE), p. 134
11. K.K.Sarlin, Aikamme profeetta Helena Konttinen,
p. 72
12. K.K.Sarlin, Aikamme profeetta Helena Konttinen,
p. 38-40
13. K.K.Sarlin, Aikamme profeetta Helena Konttinen,
p. 47,84
14. Armas Von Bell, Totuus unissasaarnaajista,
p. 11-16
15. Yonggi Cho, Pyhä Henki ja sinä, p. 100
16. Neil T. Anderson, Enemmän
kuin voittaja (THE BONDAGE BREAKER), p. 172,173
17. Sven Reichmann, Vapauteen kutsutut (KALLAD
TILL FRIHET), p. 141,142
18. Kurt Koch, Voitto on sittenkin meidän
(HEILUNG UND BEFREIUNG), p. 106,107
19. Corrie
Ten Boom, Lyöty vihollinen (DEFEATED ENEMIES), p. 11,12
20. Neil T. Anderson, Enemmän
kuin voittaja (THE BONDAGE BREAKER), p. 61,62
21. Quote from Sielun
piilevä voima (THE LATENT POWER OF THE SOUL), Watchman Nee, p.46,47.
Writing initially in Soul and Spirit by Jessie Penn-Lewis, p. 58
22. Denis Clark, Herkkäuskoisten harharetket,
p. 35,36
