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. Colossians 1:13,14 ESV

Deliverance ministry is a hot topic and for some, it is a lucrative business. It is a topic I have discussed both in writing and on my podcast several times. It is a topic worth discussing as there are concerns surrounding its practices, namely that it is only for believers in Christ according to many who hold to this doctrine. Before I go any further, I do want to state up front as I have in the past that this is not to deny the existence of the demonic or of Satan. The Bible speaks of demons and Satan, and we know Jesus Christ cast out demons as did the apostles of Christ. Jesus demonstrated His power and authority over Satan and demons. He has conquered the enemy, and as believers in Christ, this brings us great joy. At least, it should.

I recently heard a deliverance minister pose numerous questions in response to those who oppose or question this type of ministry. I took time to listen to the rebuttal and to think on these questions. Some of the questions were as follows: If deliverance isn’t for today, where did all the demons go? Where does it say in the Bible that demons leave after someone is born again? Can you show Scripture where it says Christians cannot have demons? If deliverance is not for believers, would a demon not come back seven times worse? Who needs deliverance if it is not for Christians?

I took time to read through the four gospels as well as the Acts of the apostles, focusing on accounts of casting out demons or the mention of demons and Satan. While reading and studying them, I noticed some interesting details. For instance, those who were set free from demonic powers and had demons cast out did not profess faith in Christ as the Messiah while demonized. Nor were they indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Rather, the demons were the ones professing and acknowledging Christ Jesus as the Son of God. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, “the New Testament does not separate the actions of the person from those of the demon.” The Holy Spirit had not yet been sent to dwell within believers; Jesus cast out demons to demonstrate His power over the devil and demons as the Messiah.

When looking at the passages regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32, Mark 3:22-30, Luke 11:14-23), Jesus responds by explaining a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand and Satan cannot cast out Satan. When looking at the Complete Word Study Dictionary, the author stated, “Jesus Christ had absolute power over demons. It is impossible for a demon to indwell a believer in whose heart Christ dwells.” This leads me to ask, how could God cast out demons from a believer and it not be a divided kingdom?

I noticed the gospel of John mentions nothing about demons. The devil is mentioned and noted as a liar and a murderer. It seems John’s focus in his gospel was on Jesus as the Messiah and on the cross where evil was defeated. I know Judas has also been mentioned in deliverance ministry, noting him as a believer indwelt by Satan. However, Scripture seems to support Judas being an unbeliever chosen by Jesus Christ to be an apostle and to fulfill Scripture and the plan of redemption, which included the betrayal of Jesus (John 13:10, 6:64, 6:70-71, Acts 1:16).

Here are some thoughts to consider on the matter in light of Scripture. Deliverance for Christians does not appear to be the same as for unbelievers. Scripture does not support born again believers having indwelling demons. Believers are not empty; we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us (Matthew 12:43-45). Scripture does support born again believers belonging to God and walking in the way of sanctification and understanding what Scripture says about facing temptation and sin. With regards to the devil, we are told to resist, to stand firm, and to be sober and vigilant (James 4:7, Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 Peter 5:8). We are not instructed in the Word to cast out demons from Christians. We also find in Scripture we face three opposing areas in this life: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our battle as believers against the enemy is from without, not within. It would be foolish to deny the presence of the devil just as it is equally foolish to place more emphasis on the devil while negating personal accountability for flesh and the temptations of the world.

As for the presence of demons in the world, demons exist. However, the focus of believers in Christ is to be on Christ Himself. I have heard deliverance ministers talk about the power of the Holy Spirit in them to cast out demons from fellow believers, and I simply wonder if these professing fellow believers have a different Holy Spirit than the deliverance ministers. The need for proper Biblical literacy and discipleship is vital in the life of Christians. To be frank, the question should be asked with genuine concern and compassion if salvation has truly come to many of these individuals. The proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ should take precedence, and the true gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). This good news has power over any demon, and those who are in Christ are to be discipled in and by the Word of God so as to know the ways in which to walk that glorify the Lord.

Good News, Dear Believer

Deliverance from indwelling demons is for unbelievers. Believers in Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We have Scripture to instruct us in how to deal with the devil. We submit ourselves to God. We resist him. We stand firm on the Word of God. We are continuously discipled in the Word, which is one of the reasons many fall prey to improper teaching about this. There is an appeal to experience, but other religions also lay claim to casting out demons or exorcising evil spirits with similar manifestations and similar success. Is their experience as valid? We must go back to Scripture.

The greatest deliverance for the born-again believer is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If the Holy Spirit is strong enough to save us, He is strong enough to keep us from demonic indwelling. Christ Jesus delivers us from the penalty and the power of sin by His sacrifice, His propitiation. One day, we will be saved from the presence of sin as well as the world, the flesh, and the devil. I would say little is made of what Christ did on the cross and His atoning finished work when discipling professing believers into the teaching of perpetually needing demonic deliverance. In all likelihood, there are many individuals returning for further deliverance from demons. They are told that several deliverance sessions may be necessary in order to be free in spite of deliverance ministers commanding all spirits to go in the first session. This is a contradictory message without true victory.

We as believers need to hear the gospel and to be reminded of why we need Christ and the victory we have through Christ. We have great hope. It does not mean we will not have difficulties, temptations, and trials. We are not to look like the world or to be hopeless like the world, and those who are unbelievers and most certainly could be indwelt by demons need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is powerful enough to overcome every demonic entity and to bring true freedom. This is the greatest deliverance.

To hear a more in-depth topical Bible study related to this blog post, listen to this latest episode of The Lovesick Scribe podcast: The Greatest Deliverance – The Lovesick Scribe Podcast | Podcast on Spotify