“And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.” (Mark 1:39 NASB)
You don’t have to dig very deep into the New Testament to discover that casting out demons was a normal practice for both Jesus and His followers. The above verse puts deliverance side-by-side with preaching. Think about that: It was as common for Jesus to cast out a demon as it was for Him to preach a sermon.
In stark contrast, you often have to search far and wide to find Christians, churches, or ministries that believe in and actively practice the ministry of deliverance. Even many churches or ministries that affirm the reality of evil spirits and how they can influence people, often do not openly teach about or minister in this area. Why is this the case?
Removing the Obstacles
There is a great need to restore the ministry of deliverance to the church today. If Jesus spent such a great deal of time and energy freeing people from demons, why does it seem so uncommon in much of the church today? If it was basic training for the disciples of Jesus, why is it so rarely talked about and practiced in modern Christianity?
I have found that the need for deliverance is much greater than many people suspect. But there are some roadblocks that keep us from recognizing this need or actively engaging in casting out evil spirits. In my book Keys for Deliverance, I outlined three obstacles that must be removed in order to see deliverance restored to the church.
1. Ignorance
The Bible says that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (see Hosea 4:6). This is certainly true when it comes to the reality of demonic influence and the need for deliverance. Many believers have simply never received any solid teaching in this area. Time and time again I hear people say that they have never heard the topic of evil spirits or deliverance taught in their church. At the same time, people have been exposed to extreme and disturbing Hollywood portrayals. And on top of that, some ministers practice bizarre and unbiblical methods in the name of deliverance. This all leads to much confusion, misunderstanding, and ignorance in the area of deliverance from demons.
In 2 Corinthians 2:11 the apostle Paul says, “…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his de-vices.” We are not to be obsessed with learning about the kingdom of darkness; our primary aim should be knowing God and walking with Him. But neither are we to be unaware of the devil and his workings in the world. The point is clear: if we are ignorant of Satan’s devices, he will take advantage of us.
Proverbs 11:9 says that “through knowledge the righteous will be delivered” (emphasis added). Many people remain under demonic influence, captive in certain areas of their lives, simply because they do not realize the truth that what they are dealing with has a spiritual root or element to it. They have simply never learned about demons and deliverance and how understanding these realities is relevant to their lives. And especially in the Western culture, there tends to be a worldview that denies spiritual
realities, only looking at things from a logical, medical, or scientific perspective. While certainly not all problems are demonic in nature, in many cases there is a need for deliverance that must be discerned and dealt with.
2. Fear
On the opposite side of ignorance is fear. For some, the topic of demons and deliverance conjures up nightmarish images. We might think of horror movies, ghosts, wild demonic possession, or other frightful scenarios. It seems easier to put our heads in the sand than face the reality of an active kingdom of darkness and evil spirits that need to be driven out. Or, fear of the spiritual realm can push some people not to ignore the demonic, but to become overly obsessed with it. Instead of making Jesus the primary focus, we can take on a paranoia about evil spirits and give them too much attention and power. This fear of evil spirits comes from the kingdom of darkness itself, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
We need to take on a healthy and balanced approach to spiritual warfare and deliverance, where we are aware but not afraid. We must not be ignorant of the works of the enemy and our need to destroy them, but we must keep intimacy with God as the highest priority. We must be open and ready to receive deliverance, and equipped to minister it to others, without allowing it to make us paranoid or afraid. This is not always an easy balance to walk in, but with the help of the Holy Spirit and instruction of the Scriptures we can maintain it.
James 4:7-8 gives us some great wisdom in this regard: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Notice that two out of the three commands are God-focused while one is focused on resisting the devil. That is a good ratio. We focus on submitting to God, drawing near to Him in relationship, and fulfilling our purpose in His kingdom; all the while ready to resist the devil so that he will flee. And notice it does not say “ignore the devil and he will flee” but “resist the devil and he will flee.” There is a responsibility to take an active stand against the devil and his demons.
3. Stigma
Another obstacle to seeing the ministry of deliverance fully restored and active in the church is that there is often an unnecessary stigma associated with it. Because of misunderstanding and fear, the thought of needing deliverance from an evil spirit sounds alarming, embarrassing, or shameful. And if you come from a background that inclines toward skepticism and resistance to anything supernatural, the concept of deliverance from demons can easily be seen as primitive, foolish, or superstitious. Without proper understanding, to suggest that a person might need to be set free from the influence of an evil spirit seems insulting or downright crazy!
But this stigma need not be the case. In the New Testament, deliverance from evil spirits was practiced and spoken about openly and plainly. Consider Luke 8:2: “and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons.” Notice first that being freed from evil spirits is paired side-by-side with being healed of infirmities. This is often the case in the New Testament (see for example Matthew 8:16-17, Luke 6:17-19, and Acts 5:16). There is no need to be ashamed if you need healing from the flu, the common cold, cancer, or some other disease. In the same way, there is no shame in needing deliverance from evil spirits. Mary Magdalene was
identified as someone “out of whom had come seven demons.” This was spoken of matter-of-factly, and not something that needed to be kept secret or hidden.
Needing deliverance from evil spirits is much more common than you might suspect. And it does not make you an evil person to need freedom from the torment or oppression of a demon. Jesus ministered deliverance to everyday, synagogue-attending Jews like a man in Mark chapter one and like the woman He called a “daughter of Abraham” in Luke 13:10-17. Even children needed to be delivered from evil spirits (see Mark 7:24-30 and Mark 9:14-29). There is no need to be ashamed if you need deliverance.
Let’s remove the ignorance, fear, and stigma that is often associated with the topic of deliverance from demons. As we do this, we will pave the way for many more captives to be set free!
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About Jake Kail:
Jake Kail was called to ministry in college after a life-changing encounter with God. He is the author of multiple books, and he speaks at churches, conferences, retreats, and other events. His ministry is often marked by encounters with God, healing, and deliverance from demonic oppression. Jake lives with his wife and family in Lancaster, PA where he serves as the lead pastor of Threshold Church. Check out his books, blog, and podcast at www.jakekail.com.
