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For those that might not know deliverance ministry is a very important aspect to many that are born again believers in Jesus Christ. Deliverance is simply the supernatural power of God that breaks the power of demonic forces operating in the lives of God's people. There are countless testimonies across the globe of how God delivered people from drug and alcohol addiction or even other ungodly practices. So there is plenty of proof in the pudding and great examples in the scriptures as it relates to the ministry of deliverance.
I am a product of deliverance as well as a Christian minister that has been trained to flow in deliverance. But over the years I have noticed and become more aware of a number of dangerous and outlandish teachings as it relates to deliverance and spiritual warfare. Typically history will show that whenever something "new" is introduced to the body of Christ we will see extremism or people taking things too far in one direction.
This is true and can be seen a lot with deliverance teachings. I am seeing too many believers living on edge afraid of demons "attaching to them" at any given moment or feeling that they must engage in constant spiritual warfare. It is sad to see Christians spend more time binding demons than sharing the gospel, praying or even thanking God for His goodness.
Below I have listed 5 reasons we need balanced deliverance teachings:
1. The emphasis has been taken off of Christ and His redemptive work. Many are so engaged in battling the "enemy" constantly they never rest and acknowledge the miraculous works of Christ, and the authority we have as believers. The hyper-deliverance teachings have people fearful of demonic attacks at all times. When people have that type of mindset my response is what was the point in Jesus dying on the cross if I have to peek over my shoulder the rest of my life. Unbalanced deliverance teachings are putting people in more bondage.We have authority over the enemy and yes weapons will form but they will NEVER prosper [Isaiah 54:17].
2. We are teaching more about demonic spirits than the Holy Spirit. We are not to be ignorant of the enemy but we cannot spend so much time teaching on demons and devils that we never teach people about the Holy Spirit, His role in the lives of believers, renewing the mind through the Word of God and so forth. Too many believers as soon as they accept Christ are immediately given a crash course on demons and warfare. If more believers were taught about the Holy Spirit we would see a major change.
3. Deliverance is being taught many times without an emphasis on personal responsibility. Many people want to blame demons for scenarios caused by bad decisions, sinful choices, and poor stewardship. [Example: Overspending while blaming the enemy for "attacking" their finances]
4. There is an over abundance of believers that are convinced witches and warlocks are attacking them 24/7 even on social media. This hyper spiritual warfare mindset has people suspicious of everyone including other believers. Any disagreement on social media for many is a demonic attack, warfare and persecution.The constant fighting and bickering among believers under the guise of spiritual warfare and demonic opposition is sad and embarrassing.
5. There is a demon for just about everything. Yes, I know and believe that demons are real but at this point the list of demons is growing by the minute. Unfortunately this feeds into the mindset that demons are the cause of all problems in the lives of believers with no consideration for personal responsibility or other natural causes. [Example: I have literally seen people binding the spirit of "diabetes" while the person receiving prayer continuously and habitually ate; fried foods, junk food, and fast food all while disregarding all of the doctor's orders.
I believe the ministry of deliverance is a miraculous ministry that frees people from demonic bondage. But I also see how we have become one-sided to the point people are looking for the devil in everything. And I always tell people if you look for the devil hard enough in everything you will always find him. Lastly, Jesus didn't exhaust Himself 24/7/365 warring and being consumed with demonic forces and neither should we. We need a healthy BALANCE!
Balanced deliverance teachings will:
Teach believer's to renew their mind through the Word of God
Explain the difference between demonic attacks versus bad decisions and the consequences of sin
Ensure people understand everything is not demonic or spiritual in nature somethings are natural
Teach on the Holy Spirit and how no spirit is more powerful than the Holy Spirit
Teach on spiritual warfare from a biblical and relevant perspective
Teach on personal responsibility, and the importance of discipline as a believer
Teach believers about fasting and praying, holiness and consecration
There is more that can be added but this is just a short list. :-)
