His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:3

Recently, I was listening to a recorded conversation about deliverance ministry, and one of the individuals stated that she would not attend a church where deliverance was not performed on Christians because it was essentially a demon daycare. Another deliverance minister has stated that many pastors do not participate in deliverance ministry because they are working in conjunction with demons. Many people are being conditioned to expel body fluids and to physically manifest behaviors so as to prove that demons are present and are leaving the body of a professing believer in Christ.

Now looking at these practices as an outsider, there are many glaring issues. There is the belief that we give the devil legal rights or permission to indwell the soul or the body. In this teaching, a trichotomous belief (noted in the Word of Faith teaching) is proposed, and while the Holy Spirit is said to only dwell within the spirit of an individual, demons are able to dwell within the soul or the flesh. People are instructed to break various soul ties from past relationships, break generational curses in their family bloodline, perform self-deliverance, participate in mass deliverance, cleanse their homes of demonic objects, and continue to seek out the guidance of these individuals claiming to have power and authority over demons. There are various teachings perpetuated in this teaching, including deliverance to children. There are major concerns with regards to this teaching that is consistently stated to be for born-again believers.

The first major concern is the absence of the proclamation of the gospel. I have listened to countless teachings and read books from these individuals, and the gospel is either absent or significantly diminished. The focus is directed towards demons and Satan, and sovereignty seems to be granted to demons in the believer’s life by way of a person granting legal rights to that demon. Sadly, it is no surprise since the sovereignty of God is diminished in such movements as these. What is interesting to note is that deliverance ministers are placing two kingdoms within a professing believer, and they negate the Scriptures professing that Christians have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God by Christ and the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13,14). They teach people about legal rights to demons while negating Scripture telling believers they are not their own (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). In essence, they have made themselves the mediator between God and man when Scripture says otherwise (1 Timothy 2:5,6).

Another major concern in the modern deliverance movement is the negligence rendered to understanding sanctification. Romans 6-8 helps us in understanding the mortification of sin (Romans 6), the conflict of two natures (Romans 7), and the deliverance of bondage and our victory in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8). Luke 9:23-27 reminds us of Jesus’ call to take up our cross and to follow Him. Scripture consistently reminds those who are in Christ that we are not to gratify the desires of the flesh, but we are to put on Christ (Ephesians 5:17-32, Colossians 3:1-17). Galatians 5 helps us to know how to walk by the Spirit of God versus gratifying the desires of the flesh. It also helps us to see that those who do such things and have not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The apostles were not inspired by the Holy Spirit in any of the epistles to instruct fellow believers in the way of casting demons out of other believers or even oneself. Deliverance maintenance was never encouraged. Rather, they were consistently reminded of the call to progressive sanctification, the deliverance Christ brings from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit has come to indwell born-again believers at the moment of salvation, and He empowers us to kill sin and to walk in the ways of the Lord. God cares about us in whole, and to say that the Holy Spirit would sanctify the spirit only while leaving the believer open to demonic indwelling diminishes the power of God in a regenerated life.

When people are taught these beliefs in the deliverance movement, they are being deprived of the sufficiency of Scripture and ultimately, the sufficiency of Christ. The Word of God testifies of Christ, and the Word is used to sanctify God’s people (John 17:17, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5-7). We come to saving faith through hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:17). When extrabiblical teaching is perpetuated in such a way that God’s Word is not represented correctly, it does not honor God, and it leads people to believe that His Word is not sufficient. What Christ has done is sufficient for us in every area of our lives, and His Word is sufficient for our instruction and correction.

To the born-again believer, you need not fear a demon indwelling you. Scripture helps us to understand that though we do engage in spiritual warfare, the Greater One is in us while the adversary is in the world (1 John 4:4). We stand clothed in Christ, and we trust Him as our Defender and Savior. His Spirit leads us and guides us, and His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). God is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12,13), and we are participating in the process of sanctification while God produces fruit in us by His Spirit. Oh, how sufficient is the truth of His Word, and how sufficient is our precious Lord and Savior! What Scripture says in context is far better than any modern deliverance teaching presented to the masses.

Listen to this in-depth discussion about deliverance ministry and how it diminishes the sufficiency of Christ and Scripture: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: The Weakness of Modern Deliverance Ministry on Apple Podcasts