Have you ever heard teaching on cleansing your home of demonic items that may be leaving a door open for the devil to wreak havoc in your family and personal life? Currently, there are teachings and books concerning this very belief. Some teach that anytime you enter a hotel room, you need to cleanse the room because of previous evil and sin having taken place before your stay. I not only heard these teachings, but I also believed them and perpetuated them. According to deliverance ministers, this is included in part of the spiritual warfare we are to engage in as believers. Now, I want to address the straw man in the room in response to my dissenting perspective on this subject, I do not deny the evidence of the demonic nor do I deny we are to engage in spiritual warfare. Though I have experience with “deliverance ministry”, that is not the barometer of truth. In fact, I am embarrassed by my behavior looking back because I believe it contributed to more bondage placed upon others rather than freedom in Christ.

Christians are to engage in Biblical spiritual warfare, and the Word of God helps us to know how to do that according to God’s instructions. Much of what is offered to professing Christians as spiritual warfare in these certain circles seems to be adopting practices held by the occult and New Age with little to no contextual Biblical support and having a strong dependency on personal experience and second-hand anecdotal accounts as the foundation of truth. Frankly, some professing believers act more like pagans than followers of Christ. Speaking of personal experience, I was one of those people.

I was the type of person who attributed all negative situations to the devil and even attributed difficulties in life to specific inanimate objects. I believed in setting an atmosphere in my home to where the devil could not enter. Now there is nothing wrong with playing music in your home. Having said that, when practices like these are implemented with the intention of warding off demons and evil spirits, and when professing believers are told that demons can come into their homes by way of inanimate objects not excluding newspaper ads, we adopt practices more akin to the New Age. I foolishly rebuked Satan in personal “prayer” time and in corporate settings, and I say foolishly because this is not a practice found in Scripture, not even by angels (2 Peter 2:10, Jude 8-13).

You may disagree with me. You may have a personal experience that will not change your mind about what I am about to share. But I ask you to take your experiences and test them according to Scripture and ask yourself, who is at the center of the deliverance ministry? Whose name do you hear the most when reading the books and hearing the teachings? If it is not Jesus Christ, and if the gospel is not front and center, then we have an issue. If sin is not addressed and the devil is ascribed to every problem, we have a problem. The gospel is the answer.

Cleansing Your Home of Cursed Objects

This particular teaching is an aspect of those holding to deliverance ministry. The belief is when individuals are struggling in their personal life or in their family with certain issues such as strife, division, anger, lust, etc., one of the things to consider is the presence of certain objects in the home inviting demons to enter, which in turn allows these demons to affect the individual(s). With this teaching, there is going to be a heavy focus on what we do and the authority we have. There seems to be less of a focus on what Christ has done and placing one’s trust in the Lord. There is little to no mention of sin or works of the flesh in conjunction with these practices and what Scripture has to say to believers in being led by the Spirit rather than the flesh. Those who teach on this may provide a list of items to rid from one’s home, emphasizing caution and the need for discernment in the purchase of items from thrift stores and yard sales. The disclaimer is made of this not being legalistic when making these recommendations. Keep in mind, these teachings are directed toward professing believers in Christ.

Other practices related to this include conversing with demons and obtaining alleged information from said demon about objects in the person’s possession as well as a formula for cleansing the home. This includes removing the item, praying out loud in every room, inviting the Holy Spirit into every room with repetitive prayers, rebuking the forces of evil and verbally telling them to leave, pleading the blood of Jesus in every room, anointing the rooms with oil, and ending again with the command for evil spirits to leave the home.

I do agree with deliverance ministers in their concern for those who engage in practices such as horoscopes, psychic readings, Ouija boards, tarot cards, witchcraft, necromancy, blatant idolatry, graven images, etc. Christians are to have no part in these things. God is the same God of the Old and the New Testament. He forbids such practices (Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Isaiah 8:19). Sorcery is listed among the list of the works of the flesh for those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God in Galatians 5:19-20. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We renew our minds through the Word of God. We remain in the Word (John 8:31,32). The Word is vital in the life of a believer. If we do not understand it and abide in His Word, we will be deceived. We will be led astray. We will believe myths and devices of men and of the enemy, and we will not understand being at peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

This creates further bondage in people to where their freedom is based on their own doing and their own authority, always left looking for a demon lurking behind life’s issues and difficulties in a fallen world. It would seem this belief solidifies the power of witchcraft and not the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a born-again believer. This breeds unnecessary fear and paranoia in people. It isn’t true freedom. We are going to go through difficult times. We are going to face adversity, sickness, trials of all kinds. We will also have times where there is smooth sailing and life is easier. Neither one is indicative of the presence or absence of demons in homes and in objects within those homes.

If there is an epidemic of professing believers in Christ playing with Ouija boards, visiting psychics, and doing other things forbidden in Scripture and they are not being discipled in the ways of God based on Scripture, and there is no conviction of sin, then there needs to be a presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ first and foremost because truthfully, many may not even be truly born again. Another issue could very well be biblical illiteracy. Regardless, the gospel is the answer and repentance is a gift.

The Spirit of the Lord and Liberty

As for this particular teaching, the Bible is silent on demons attaching themselves to inanimate objects. The account of Acts 19 may be referenced, but those who burned their books of magic arts had confessed their sins and believed in the Lord. It is likely they burned the books so that no one else would be deceived by them. Colossians 1:13,14 encourages us as believers saying, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” This is past tense. The Word also provides instruction for being led by the Spirit, killing sin by the Spirit, and submitting to God (Galatians 5, Romans 8:13, James 4:7).

Though there may be disagreement from some, I hope we can agree that Scripture is sufficient in providing the instruction we seek. God does not leave us ill equipped. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, and He will agree with the Word of God. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has defeated the enemy. We are now able by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us to have power over sin in our lives. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). We are to put on Christ (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 3:23,24).

If you have participated in actions in the occult or actions that are sinful against God, repent. Put your faith in Christ alone to save you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Pray and remain in the Word of God. Remove items that would be a temptation to sin without fearing demons are going to infiltrate your home. Remain in a solid Bible teaching church and seek Biblical counsel if necessary. Be discipled in the Word of God. Above all, trust in the Lord and be at peace with God.

If you have been involved in deliverance teaching, and you feel convicted for believing such things, the Lord God is merciful in our repentance (Proverbs 28:13). The gospel is always the answer and is a beautiful reminder to us from what we have been saved, by Whom we have been saved and that we are a new creation in Christ. The old has passed away, the new has come. What Jesus Christ did on the cross is sufficient. As believers in Christ, we are to make much of Christ, not Satan.

Listen to this in-depth podcast episode concerning the subject of cleansing a home of demonic objects:

Biblical Deliverance from Extrabiblical Teaching – The Lovesick Scribe Podcast | Podcast on Spotify