This stuff will set you FREE!

1. An Introduction To Deliverance

2. Can A Christian Have A Demon?

3. Deliverance From Evil Spirits

4. The Process Of Deliverance

5. How & Why Spirits Transfer Between People

6. Freedom From The Deep Hurts of Rejection

7. Untangling Damaging Soul Ties In Relationships

8. Deliverance from Incubus/Succubus Spirits

9. Prayer Of Release For Masons And Their Descendants

10. Confronting Familiar Spirits

11. Apparent Demonic Groupings & Manifestations

12. Spiritual Warfare Prayers

Seiwyn Stevens (Adapted by Karen Sackett)

If you or someone you love is a descendant of a Mason, I recommend that you pray through the following prayer from your heart. Don’t be like the Masons who are given their obligations and oaths one line at a time and without prior knowledge of the requirements. First, bind spirits of deception, antichrist, witchcraft, and death in the name of Jesus Christ. Then read it through so you know what is involved. It is best to pray this aloud with a Christian witness or counselor present. We suggest a brief pause following each paragraph to allow the Holy Spirit to show any additional issues that may require attention.

Father God, creator of heaven and earth, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. I come as a sinner seeking forgiveness and cleansing from all sins committed against You, and others made in your image. I honor my earthly father and mother and all of my ancestors of flesh and blood and by adoption, but I utterly turn away from and renounce all their sins. I forgive all my ancestors for the effects of their sins on my children and me. I confess and renounce all of my own sins. I renounce Satan and all of his works in my family and me.

I renounce and forsake all involvement in Freemasonry or any other lodge or craft by my ancestors and myself. I renounce witchcraft, the principal spirit behind Freemasonry, and I renounce Baphomet, the Spirit of Antichrist and the curse of the Luciferian doctrine. I renounce the idolatry, blasphemy, secrecy, and deception of Masonry at every level. I specifically renounce the insecurity, the love of position and power, the love of money, covetousness, and greed, and the pride that would have led my ancestors into Masonry. I renounce all the fears that held them in Masonry, especially the fears of death, fears of men, and fears of trusting, in the name of Jesus Christ.

I renounce every position held in the lodge by any of my ancestors, including Tyier, Master, Worshipful Master, or any other. I renounce the calling of any man Master, for Jesus Christ is my only Master and Lord, and He forbids anyone else having that title. I renounce the entrapping of others into Masonry, and observing the helplessness of others during the rituals. I renounce the effects of Masonry passed on to me through any female ancestor who felt distrusted and rejected by her husband as he entered and attended any lodge and refused to tell her of his secret activities.

THE BLUE LODGE

First Degree: I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the First or Entered Apprentice Degree, especially their effects on the throat and tongue. I renounce the Hoodwink, the blindfold, and its effects on emotions and eyes, including all confusion, fear of the dark, fear of the light, and fear of sudden noises. I renounce the secret word, BOAZ, and all it means. I renounce the mixing and mingling of truth and error, and the blasphemy of this degree of Masonry. I renounce the noose around the neck, the fear of choking and also every spirit causing asthma, hayfever, emphysema or any other breathing difficulty. I renounce the compass point, sword or spear held against the breast, the fear of death by stabbing pain and the fear of heart attack from this degree. In the name of Jesus Christ, I now pray for the healing of the throat, vocal cords, nasal passages, sinuses, bronchial tubes, allergies and asthma, for healing of the speech area, and the release of the word of God to me and through my family and me.

Second Degree: I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Second or Fellow Craft Degree of Masonry, especially the curses on the heart and chest. I renounce the secret words JACHIN and SHIBBOLETH and all that these mean. I cut off emotional hardness, apathy, indifference, unbelief, and deep anger from my family and me. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray for the healing of the chest/lung/heart area and for the healing of my emotions and ask to be made sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God.

Third Degree: I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Third or Master Mason Degree, especially the curses on the stomach and womb area. I renounce the secret words MAH-HAH-BONE, MACHABEN, MACHBINNA and TUBAL CAIN, and all that they mean. I renounce the spirit of death from the blows to the head enacted as ritual murder, the fear of death, false martyrdom, fear of violent gang attack, assault, or rape, and the helplessness of this degree. I renounce the falling into the coffin or stretcher involved in the ritual murder. I renounce the false resurrection of this degree, because only Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life! I also renounce the blasphemous kissing of the Bible on a witchcraft oath. I cut off all spirits of death, witchcraft, and deception and in the name of Jesus Christ I pray for the healing of the stomach, gall bladder, womb, liver, and any other organs of my body affected by Masonry, and I ask for a release of compassion and understanding for my family and me.

YORK RITE

I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the penalties and the curses involved in the York Rite of Freemasonry, including these degrees:

Fourth Degree: Mark Master, the secret word JOPPA, the keystone/mark, and the penalty of having the right ear smote off causing permanent deafness and the right hand chopped off for being an imposter.

Fifth Degree: Past Master, with the penalty of having my tongue split from tip to root.

Sixth Degree: Most Excellent Master, with the penalty of having my breast torn open and vital organs removed and exposed to rot on the dung hill.

Seventh Degree: Holy Royal Arch, its secret words JAH-BU-LON and the penalty of having my brain exposed to the scorching rays of the meridian sun. I renounce false communions or Eucharists, all mockery, skepticism, and unbelief about the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Eighth Degree: Royal Master, the oaths, secret words and curses.

Ninth Degree: Select Master, and the penalties of having my hands chopped off to the stumps, my eyes plucked out from their sockets, my body quartered and thrown among the rubbish of the temple.

Tenth Degree: Super Excellent Master and the penalties of having my thumbs cut off, my eyes put out, my body bound in fetters and brass and conveyed captive to a strange land.

Eleventh Degree: Knights Order of the Red Cross and the penalties of having my house torn down, the timbers thereof set up and I being hanged thereon.

Twelfth Degree: Knights Templar, the secret word KEB RAIOTH, and penalty of having my head struck off and placed on the highest spire of Christendom.

Thirteenth Degree: Knights of Malta, the secret word MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ.

ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE

I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite including:

Fourth Degree: Secret Master, the secret word ADONAI, and the penalties of all former degrees.

Fifth Degree: Perfect Master, the secret word MAH-HAH-BONE, and the penalty of being smitten to the earth with a setting maul.

Sixth Degree: Intimate Secretary, the secret word JEHOVAH, and the penalty of having my body dissected, and my vital organs cut into pieces and thrown to the beasts of the field.

Seventh Degree: Provost and Judge, the secret words HIRUM-TITO-CIVI-KY, and the penalty of having my nose cut off.

Eighth Degree: hitendant of the Building, the secret word AKAR-JAI-JAH, and the penalties of having my eyes put out, my body cut in two and my bowels exposed.

Ninth Degree: Elected Knights of the Nine, the secret words NEKAM and NEKAH, and the penalty of having my head cut off and stuck on the highest pole in the East as a monument of my villainy.

Tenth Degree: Illustrious Elect of Fifteen, the secret word of Elignam, and the penalties of having my body opened perpendicularly and horizontally, exposed to the air for eight hours so that flies may prey on it, and for my head to be cut off and placed on the highest pinnacle in the world.

Eleventh Degree: Sublime Knights Elect of the Twelve, the secret word STOLKIN-ADONAI, and the penalty of having my hand cut in twain.

Twelfth Degree: Grand Master Architect, the secret word RAB-BANAIM, and penalties.

Thirteenth Degree: Knight of the Ninth Arch of Solomon, the secret word JEHOVAH, and the penalty my body being given to the beasts of the forest as prey.

Fourteenth Degree: Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Mason and the penalty of having my body cut open and my bowels given to vultures for food.

COUNCIL OF PRINCES OF JERUSALEM

I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Council of Princes of Jerusalem degrees of Freemasonry.

Fifteenth Degree: Knights of the East and the secret word RAPH-O-DOM.

Sixteenth Degree: Prince of Jerusalem, the secret word TEBET-ADAR, and the penalty of being stripped naked and having my heart pierced with a poininiard.

CHAPTER OF THE ROSE CROIX

I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Chapter of the Rose Croix degrees of Freemasonry.

Seventeenth Degree: Knights of the East and West, the secret word, ABADDON, and the penalty of incurring the severe wrath of the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Eighteenth Degree: Knight of the Pelican and the Eagle & Sovereign Prince Rose Croix of Heredom, the secret words IGNE NATURA RENOVATUR INTEGRA, and the penalties of being forever deprived of the word, to be perpetually in darkness, my blood continually running from my body, to suffer without intermission the most cruel remorse for the soul, that the bitterest gall mixed with vinegar be my constant drink and the sharpest thorns be my pillow and death on the cross complete my punishment. I renounce and reject the Pelican witchcraft spirit, as well as the occultic influence of the Rosicrucians and the Kabbala in this degree. I renounce the claim that the death of Jesus Christ was a “dire calamity,” and also the deliberate mockery and twisting of the Christian doctrine of the atonement. I renounce the blasphemy and rejection of the deity of Jesus Christ, and the mockery of the communion taken in this degree, including a biscuit, salt, and white wine.

COUNCIL OF KADOSH

I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Council of Kadosh degrees of Freemasonry:
Nineteenth Degree: Grand Pontiff and the secret word EMMANUEL.

Twentieth Degree: Grand Master of Symbolic Lodges, the secret words JEKSON/STOLKIN and the penalties of all former obligations.

Twenty-first Degree: Noachite of Prussian Knight and the secret word PELEG.

Twenty-second Degree: Knight of the Royal Axe and the secret words NOAH-BEZALEEI-SODONIAS.

Twenty-third Degree: Chief of the Tabernacle, the secret words URIEL-JEHOVAH and the penalty that the earth should open up and engulf me up to my neck so I perish.

Twenty-fourth Degree: Prince of the Tabernacle and the penalty that I should be stoned to death and my body left above ground to rot.

Twenty-fifth Degree: Knight of the Brazen Serpent, the secret words MOSES-JOHANNES and the penalty that I have my heart eaten by venomous serpents.

Twenty-sixth Degree: Prince of Mercy, the secret words GOMEL and JEHOVAH-JACHIN, and the penalty of condemnation and spite by the entire universe.

Twenty-seventh Degree: Knight Commander of the Temple, the secret word SOLOMON and the penalty of receiving the severest wrath of God inflicted upon me.

Twenty-eighth Degree: Knight Commander of the Sun, or Prince Adept, the secret word STIBIUM and the penalties of having my tongue thrust through with a red-hot iron, my eyes plucked out, my senses of smelling and hearing removed, my hands cut off and in that condition to be left for voracious animals to devour me, or executed by lightening from heaven.

Twenty-ninth Degree: Grand Scottish Knight of Saint Andrew and the secret words NEKAMAH-FURLAC.

Thirtieth Degree: Council of Kadosh, Grand Pontiff, and Knight of the Black and White Eagle, the secret words EMMANUEL, STIBIUM ALKABAR, PHARASH-KOH and all they mean, with all the former penalties applied.

CONSISTORY OF SUBLIME PRINCES OF THE ROYAL SECRET

I renounce the oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me and the curses involved in the Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret degrees of Freemasonry, including:

Thirty-first Degree: Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander. I renounce all the gods and goddesses of Egypt which are honored in this degree, including Anubis with the ram’s head, all sun gods, including Ra, Re, Aten and Osiris; and Isis the sister and wife of Osiris and also the moon goddess. I renounce the mother goddess Diana or Artemas. I renounce the Soul of Cheres, the false symbol of immortality, the Chamber of the Dead, and the false teaching of reincarnation.

Thirty-second Degree: Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret and its secret words PHAAL and PHARASH-KOL. I renounce Masonry’s false trinitarian deity, AUM, and its parts: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. I renounce the deity of AHURA-MAZDA, the claimed spirit or source of all light, and worship with fire, which is an abomination to God, and the drinking from a human skull in some rites.

Thirty-third Degree: Grand Sovereign Inspector General, the secret words DEMOLAY-HIRAM ABIFF, FREDERICK OF PRUSSIA, MICHA, MACHA, BEALIM, and ADONAI; and its penalties being all the former ones, including having my tongue torn out by its roots. I renounce and forsake the declaration that Lucifer is God. I renounce the cable-tow around the neck. I renounce the death wish that the wine drunk from a human skull should turn to poison and the skeleton whose cold arms are invited if the oath of this degree is violated. I renounce the three infamous assassins of their grand master, which are law, property and religion, and the greed and witchcraft involved in the attempt to manipulate and control the rest of mankind

SHRINERS (This exists in America only)

I renounce the oaths taken by my ancestors or me and the curses and penalties involved in the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. I renounce the piercing of the eyeballs with a three-edged blade, the flaying of the feet and being forced to walk the hot sands upon the sterile shores of the Red Sea until the flaming sun shall strike me with a livid plague. I renounce the madness, the hoodwink, the mock hanging, the mock beheading, the mock drinking of the blood of the victim, the mock dog urinating on the initiate, and the offering of urine as a commemoration. I renounce the worship of the false god Allah as the god of our fathers.

ALL OTHER DEGREES, SECRET LODGES AND SOCIETIES

I renounce any other secret words, attributing false gods’ names to God, and idolatrous symbols, such as:

• the Horus, or All-Seeing Eye, which was the emblem of Osiris (the sun god), the creator worshipped by the ancient Egyptians and passed off on current day Masons as the eye of the one true God;

• the G, which the lower degree Masons are told represents geometry or the Great Architect of the Universe (who upper degree Masons learn is Lucifer) but actually can stand for whatever god one chooses, and in books for the upper degrees means “Generating Principal” (phallus);

• the Blazing Star, actually symbolizes various pagan gods and witchcraft;

• the obelisk, which symbolizes a phallus or penis as an emblem of resurrection (but not Christian resurrection);

• the mark in the form of squares and angles which marks the person for life;

• the point within a circle, which the first three degrees of Masons are taught represents the individual Mason inside the bounds of Masonic duty, but which is revealed to the upper levels Mason to represent the sexual union of Osiris and Isis, signifying the prolific powers of nature;

• the Masonic square and compass which likewise represents the sex act;

• the Apron, a symbol of the Masonic belief that salvation must be earned which is a direct violation of Scripture;

• the jewel or talisman that may have been made from this mark sign and worn at lodge meetings;

• the Shriner’s fez, which celebrates the Muslim massacre of 50,000 Christians in the Moroccan city of Fez;

• and all others.

I renounce all allegiances to individuals or organizations that are in conflict with the primary allegiance of my life, Jesus Christ, as revealed in God’s word, the Bible.

I ask God to cut off all these curses and their effects on my family and me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray for the healing of the any area where healing is needed by any of us.

I renounce all the other oaths taken by any of my ancestors or me, the rituals and the curses of every other lodge, degree and order involved in Freemasonry anywhere in the world. These include, in part. Prince Hall Masonry (the lodge structure for American Blacks), the Allied Degrees, the Grand Orient Lodges of France, Italy, Central and South America, the Red Cross of Constantine, the Order of the Secret Monitor, the Masonic Royal Order of Scotland, the Order of Amaranth, and the women’s Orders of the Eastern Star, of the Ladies Oriental Shrine, and of the White Shrine of Jerusalem; the girls’ Orders of the Daughters of the Eastern Star, the International Orders of Job’s Daughters and of the Rainbow; and the boys’ Order of De Molay,

I renounce involvement by any of my ancestors or me in all other secret societies with ties to Masonry, such as, Mormonism, the Royal Order of Jesters, the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows, the Independent Order of Oddfellows and its women’s auxilliary called the International Association of Rebekah Assemblies, Buffalos, Druids, Foresters, Orange, Elks, Moose and Eagles Lodges, the Ku Klux Klan, the White Supremacy Movement, the Grange, the Woodmen of the World, Riders of the Red Robe, the Knights of Pythias, the Mystic order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, and their effects on me and all my family. I renounce the New World Order, the One World Government, the Uluminati, the Theosophical Society, Cabala, and any other organizations involved with the Masons in the satanic conspiracy to rule the world.

I renounce the ancient pagan teaching of the First Tracing Board, the Second Tracing Board and the Third Tracing Board used in the ritual of the Blue Lodge. I renounce the pagan ritual of the “Point within a Circle” with all its bondages and phallus worship. I renounce the occultic mysticism of the black and white mosaic checkered floor with the tessellated border and the five-pointed blazing star. I renounce the symbol “G” and its veiled pagan symbolism and bondages. I renounce and utterly forsake the Great Architect Of The Universe, who is revealed in the higher degrees as Lucifer, and his false claim to be the universal fatherhood of God. I also renounce the false claim that Lucifer is the Morning Star and Shining One and

I declare that Jesus Christ is the Bright and Morning Star of Revelation 22:16.

I renounce the All-Seeing Third Eye of Freemasonry, or Horus, in the forehead and the obelisk and their pagan and occult symbolism. I renounce all false communions taken, all mockery of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, all unbelief, confusion and depression, and all worship of Lucifer as God. I renounce and forsake the lie of Freemasonry that man is not sinful, but just imperfect, and so can redeem himself through good works. I rejoice that the Bible states that I cannot do a single thing to earn my salvation, but that I can only be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross of Calvary.

Father God, I repent of and seek forgiveness for the sins committed by my ancestors and me

• of walking on unholy ground, including Freemasonry, Mormon, occultic and pagan property dedicated to the worship of false gods;

• for the sin of idolatry committed by my ancestors and me of looking to anyone or anything other than the one true Savior, Jesus Christ, for salvation, rescue, protection, or provision;

• for all subversion of justice practiced by the Freemasons or any other organization to which my ancestors or I belonged;

• for the collaboration of the Freemasons in the satanic conspiracy to rule the world.

Father God, I confess to You that when my ancestors and I complained against You we gave Satan a legal right to put the Destroyer in our bloodlines. And when we rebelled against You and rejected Your rightful place as our God, we gave Satan a legal right to deceive us with all the gods of the gentiles. Some of us committed the sin of idolatry by joining Freemasonry. Even if they (we) joined Freemasonry ignorant of its true nature, we are nevertheless guilty of all of its sins. I acknowledge your justice in putting a curse on our bloodlines for this sin and the many sins that followed either by commission or by allegiance to the organization committing the sins. These sins include, in addition to those already confessed, all of the atrocities of satanic ritual abuse practiced at secret levels of Freemasonry: blasphemous rituals, blood sacrifices, animal and human sacrifices, sexual sacrifices, rape, bestiality, sexual immorality, illegitimate births, breeding babies for the purpose of sacrificing them, torture, murder, violence, and mind control (by ElectroVoltOverLoad, withholding normal love, soul shattering, torture, programming and demonization) of infants and children, plus any others. Thank You for Your mercy toward me when You called me to Yourself and gave me faith to believe in Your Son Jesus’ atonement for me on the cross. He was made a curse for me so that I no longer have to live under any curse. I ask You, Father God, in the name of Jesus, to forgive all of this generational iniquity in my bloodlines and cleanse it away so the curses do not come down to me or to my children to a thousand generations. I ask You, Jesus, to cleanse my body, soul, and spirit and to deliver me of all the effects of this generational iniquity.

Now dear Father God, I ask humbly for the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, to cleanse me from all these sins I have confessed and renounced, to cleanse my spirit, soul and every part of my body which has been effected by these sins, in Jesus name!

Lord Jesus, I ask You to destroy the spiritual equivalents of the physical objects used in Masonry that I now symbolically remove and give to You

• the hoodwink (a blindfold)

• the veil of mourning

• the mail around the neck

• the noose, which I cut from around the neck and gather together with the cable-tow running down the body

• the ring of the false Freemasonry marriage covenant, which I renounce, from the ring finger of the right hand

• the chains and bondages of Freemasonry on the body

• the ball and chains from the ankles

• all Freemasonry effects, regalia and armor, especially the apron

• all KKK or other secret organization regalia

I renounce every evil spirit associated with Masonry and witchcraft and all other sins and, in the name of Jesus Christ, I command Satan’s evil spirits to be bound up into one, leaving nothing of evil remaining, and to leave me now, touching or banning no one, and to go to the place appointed for you by the Lord Jesus, never to return to me or my family. I claim the promise of God’s word that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be delivered. Jesus, I ask to be delivered of every spirit of sickness, infirmity, curse, affliction, addiction, disease or allergy associated with these sins that I have confessed and renounced and I ask You to heal me and my family of all effects they have had.

I surrender to God’s Holy Spirit and to no other spirit all the places in my life where these sins have effected me. I ask You, Lord, to fill me with (and baptize me in) Your Holy Spirit now according to the promises in Your word. I take to myself the whole armor of God promised in Ephesians 6 and rejoice in its protection as Jesus surrounds me with His Holy Spirit. I enthrone You in my heart. Lord Jesus, for You are my Lord and Savior, and my source of eternal life. Thank You, Father God, for Your mercy, Your forgiveness and Your love, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This material was adapted by Karen Sackett, of Shield of Faith Ministies, Minneapolis, MN, and further modified by lay counselors at Christ Church Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Anderson, SC. The original “Prayer ofRelease for Masons and Their Descendants” is contained in the book Unmasking Freemasonry, Removing the Hoodwink, by Seiwyn Stevens, ISBN 0-9583417-3-7, and combined with information from Greg Lambert’s book. Masonic Symbolism Explained. ISBN 1-877203-04-1, both of which can be obtained through Jubilee Publishers, P.O. Box 36-044, Wellington 6330, New Zealand, or by visiting their Internet site, www.jubilee.org.nz, where additions are made to the prayer periodically.

Bind the Enemy from Interfering

Heavenly Father, we come before You, trusting in Christ’s payment for us and we ask that You would bind and gag all evil spirits and forces of darkness in, near and around us, so that they may not interfere with us now. We acknowledge that You are the Ruler “Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” You have told us, in Your faithfulness, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” We claim our position with You, through Your Grace and ask that as it is written, so it be done. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ we ask and in faith we receive. Amen.

Breaking Curses, Spells and Incantations

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You as Your child, born again, redeemed and washed in the blood of Jesus. I declare that You, Jesus, have redeemed me from the curse of the law having become a curse for me. I proclaim that I am a partaker of the inheritance of the saints of God. I give thanks unto You, Father, for delivering me from all the powers of darkness and translating me into the kingdom of your dear Son.

As one who is covered with the blood of Jesus, I here and now reject and disown all the sins, pacts, dedications, curses and occult selections of my ancestors or any relatives, specifically (name of person(s) responsible for the curse, if known), which has been passed on to me intentionally or unintentionally. In Jesus’ name, Father, I ask to be redeemed and cleansed from all evil curses, incantations, dedications, spells, pacts and familiar spirits passed on to me from my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, ancestors, relatives or any other person, specifically (name of person(s) responsible, if known).

I now appropriate in my life, Jesus’ work on the cross to free me from all curses. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I now rebuke, break and loose myself and all my children or children to be, from all evil curses, charms, vexes, hexes, spells, incantations, jinxes, psychic powers, bewitchments, pacts, dedications or sorcery, that have been put on me or my family line or by any other person or persons, (person’s name if known), or from any occult, cultic, satanic or psychic source. I declare that all these curses, dedications or pacts are null and void, in Jesus’ name. I reject every way in which Satan may claim ownership of me and I command all these connected and related spirits to leave me now and never return, in Jesus’ name. I declare that I am totally committed and completely signed over to my Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Breaking Satanic Dedication and Covenants

I renounce ever signing my name over to Satan or having my name signed over to Satan. I announce that my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I renounce any ceremony where I may have been wed to Satan, and I announce that I am the Bride of Christ. I renounce all satanic assignments, covenants, pacts and dedications that I made with Satan, or that were made for me. I announce that I am a partaker of the new covenant with Christ.

I reject and renounce all curses and assignments made for me or by me for the service of Satan. (Stop here and renounce any specific pacts remembered.) I trust only in the shed Blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. I look to the Holy Spirit for guidance. I renounce all guardians and surrogate parents assigned to me by Satanists. I renounce all baptisms, rituals or teachings by Satanists. I announce that I have been baptized into Christ Jesus and my identity is now in Christ. I renounce and reject all demons and familiar spirits attached to any part of me, by Satanists. I reject all spirit guides assigned to me.

I announce that God is my Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit is my guardian. By this, I am sealed until the day of my redemption. I accept only God’s assignment for me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Canceling Assignments

Father, we come to You, covered in the Name and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We acknowledge that You are the ruler far above all principalities, mights, powers and dominions. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ we ask that You would break all assignments, spells, curses, incantations, vows and other forms of harm set against (me, us, name of system or insiders affected) by (name or entity if you know it..)

In Jesus’ Name we ask that You would cancel any such assignment and prevent all influences by forces of darkness. All evil spirits and forces of darkness allowed access through this assignment, we renounce you and all your works and all your ways in the Name of Jesus. I am a child of God and you are trespassers here. In Jesus’ Name you are commanded to depart, never to return.

Father, we ask that You fill us with Your presence and bring light fully, setting darkness under Your feet. Thank You, in Jesus’ Name we ask, in faith we do receive, Amen.

Cleansing Occult Participation

Dear Heavenly Father, I have confessed all these occult sins of seeking from Satan, the help that should come only from You. I repent of all these sins of occultism, idolatry and any oath I may have made to any false gods and ask to be forgiven. I repent for seeking aid, knowledge, power or comfort from the kingdom of darkness. I repent and renounce those occult sins and idolatry that I cannot remember. I close all doors or openings in my life to all occult and psychic practices and spirits of darkness. I ask You, Heavenly Father, to seal them with the precious shed Blood of Jesus Christ, never to be opened again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Confession & Deliverance From Specific Occult Sins

Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You and renounce all sinful, occult practices and idolatry of seeking information, knowledge, healing, comfort, identity or power from any occult, psychic or secret source.

I renounce ever reading books about the black arts, parapsychology, magic, satanic rituals, including the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the Satanic Bible, books on false religions, and other satanic books and writings.

I renounce all sins of divination, including: palm reading, fortune telling, tarot card reading, tea leaf reading, the crystal ball or crystal gazing, candle gazing, Ouija Board, ESP, telepathy, horoscopes, automatic hand writing or spirit writing, astrology, water divining, the rod and pendulum.

I renounce trance channeling, consulting familiar spirits, clairvoyance, communication with the dead, séances, consulting counselors from the spirit realm, consulting wizards, ascended masters, spirit guides, wise masters, fortune tellers, witches, shamans, mediums or spiritists.

I renounce all demonic, occult or psychic healing practices, including pow-wow healing, charming to heal, pendulum healing, magic healing, psychic healing, magnetism or Mesmerism.

I renounce all use of occult power, casting spells or witchcraft, voodoo, black and white magic, Santeria and other forms of local witchcraft.

I renounce magical or occult hypnosis, metaphysics or mind science, yoga, transcendental meditation, sorcery, astral projection and soul travel, table lifting or levitation, using pyramid power, mind control or mind manipulation, amulets and charms, power crystals and religious medals. I renounce heavy metal music, satanic rock and black rock, watching occult movies and all demonic role-play games, such as Dungeons and Dragons.

I renounce all secret oaths to pagan gods as part of initiation ceremony into organization, fraternities, sororities and other organization, which practice these ceremonies.

I renounce being involved in or in contact with secret lodges or societies such as Freemasonry and their organizations, the Eastern Star, Rosicrucian’s, Edgar Cayce’s teachings and readings, Erhard Seminars Training (EST), Scientology, Eastern mysticism, Spirit-ism, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism, Unitarians, The Way, Unification Church, Armstrong-ism, Worldwide Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, the New Age and its practices or any religion or organization of an occult nature.

I renounce and repent of ever taking part in any of these practices or organizations. I ask You Father, to forgive and restore me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Confession of Faith and Position in Christ

Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge there is only one true and living God who exists as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I recognize Christ Jesus as the Son of the Living God, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us.

Jesus, you are worthy to receive glory, honor and power for You have created all things and in You, all things have their being. Father God, You have proved Your love for me by sending your Son to die for me. When I accepted You, Jesus, as my Savior, I was saved by Your grace. This was a gift from You and not the results of any works on my part. I acknowledge that all my sins are forgiven in Christ. All charges that were against me were nailed to the cross and canceled; therefore, the devil has nothing with which to accuse me. You redeemed me from the kingdom of darkness, translating me to Your kingdom. Now I am made right with God. With You, Lord Jesus, I can do all things. When I was saved, your Holy Spirit came to live within me. I am conformed to the image of Your Son.

Jesus, You came to set the captives free, those bound by sin, psychic or occult powers. I declare that it is God’s truths that will set me free. Jesus, You have all authority in heaven and on earth. You have conquered and disarmed all evil principalities and powers. You made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Now I am seated with You in heavenly places. Jesus, You have authority over Satan and all his demons and they are subject to You. I stand strong in You, Lord Jesus, and resist Satan and all his evil schemes. Jesus, I am covered and protected by Your precious Blood. Your spiritual weapons are mighty to tear down all strongholds of the enemy in my life. Jesus, bind and rebuke all evil spirits and powers of darkness that would seek to interfere with this time of ministry. I renounce all counterfeit gifts and works of Satan in my life. I take my position in Christ and declare that You, Jesus, are my Lord and my God. I look only to You, Jesus, as my deliverer and healer. You know all my special needs and concerns. I claim Your word which says, “All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be set free.” I call on You now, Lord Jesus Christ, to set me free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Creating a Safe Place

Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and that all we have is a gift from You. We ask now, in accordance with Your will for us, that you create for us (or whoever its for) a place of light and safety, so that they may come and fellowship with You, as Your children, in peace and truth. We ask Lord Jesus, that You would be present in it and protect us (or them). May this place of safety be used to draw others within, to You. ” ‘For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst’ “. We ask that You would set angels from Your heavenly host to guard and protect it and us, according to Your Word, which says “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Thank You for Your promises and presence, Father, for in Jesus’ Name we ask, according to Your Word, and in faith we receive. Amen.

Forgiveness

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for Your love and kindness toward me. It is Your kindness that has led me to repentance, turning from all my sins and turning to you.

I admit that I have not been kind, patient and loving to others when they have offended me. I have allowed bitterness and resentment to grow in me, separating me from others and You, Father. At times, I have forgotten this unforgiveness in my heart. This unforgiveness festers deep within me, at times beyond my conscious reach. This affects every aspect of my life and gives the enemy a right to torment me as stated in Matthew 18. I confess that this unforgiveness and bitterness is affecting my life and relationships today. Because of these past hurts, I acknowledge the inability to love or trust others.

I understand that forgiveness is not an emotion but an act of my will. I now choose to exercise my will to forgive others as You, Father, have forgiven me. Father, I know that You are a searcher of the heart. I ask You to search my heart. Reveal to me any hidden and secret unforgiveness or bitterness toward others that have hurt or offended me. I choose not to be ruled by a spirit of bitterness. I choose to forgive and have a spirit of peace and love in my heart. I repent, forgive and release these people right now.

I ask you, Heavenly Father, to forgive me and restore me as I forgive those who have offended me. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring everything to our remembrance. Dear Holy Spirit, I am asking You to bring to my remembrance anyone I have to forgive and I will forgive them in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Removing Blocks & Illusions

Lord Jesus, in obedience to Your Word, which instructs us to stand firm and resist the devil, we ask You to reveal to us all structures and entities in this place that are not grounded in truth. Shine Your light into the darkness here and make clear to us all illusions or false images created by the enemy or by own minds, Lord Jesus, and remove them. According to Your will, lead us into all truth and protect our mind from deception, so that we may serve You in all honesty, to Your glory. In Your Name Lord Jesus, the Name above all names, we ask these things and we receive them in faith. Amen.

Renunciation Prayer

We sometimes use this prayer for those inside who come to the Light. With any renunciation prayer, it’s important that it’s spoken out loud so that the enemy hears it, as well as Jesus. While reading it, dark ones around you may get angry and try to upset you. They may try to distract you, but it’s important that you keep focused, don’t skip any words and keep going till you reach the end.
Dear Lord Jesus, I am coming to You to ask for Your help. You are the only all-powerful and ever-present God. You are the head over all rule and authority and I know you came to set me free. Please protect me and guide me as I speak this prayer.

Lord Jesus, I believe You are the only Son of God. I accept your death on the cross as full payment to God the Father, for all my sins. I give my life, my self and my body to You, Lord Jesus. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and lead me into all truth.

Because I have believed and confessed Jesus Christ as my Lord, I know that I am now a child of God, seated with Christ in the Heavenlies. In the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I order Satan and all evil spirits to release me and remain silent in my mind.

Lord Jesus, you Word states in 1 John 5:16 that “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.” In accordance with this, I ask You to accept my confession not only for me, but on behalf of my alters as well.

Lord Jesus, I ask You to guard my heart and mind and to reveal to me any and all involvement I have had, either knowingly or unknowingly with cultic or occultic practices, false religions, and false teachers. (Make a list of any that come to your mind). I confess any satanic or occultic rituals I participated in, as well as those done by others on my behalf, including: (mention specifically those on your list). Having confessed these things, I ask You to forgive me, Jesus.

Lord Jesus, I ask You to guard my heart and mind at to reveal to me any times when my body has been used, with or without my permission, as an instrument of unrighteousness. (Make a list of any that come to your mind). I confess that my body was used as an instrument as unrighteousness and recognize such uses as sin. I renounce these acts (mention those on your list) and ask You, Lord Jesus to break all ties created through them, and all bondages satan has brought into my life by them. I now present my body to You, Jesus, as a living sacrifice, holy and blameless to You, and I thank You for cleansing and forgiving me.

I reject and disown all the sins of my ancestors. As one who has been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ Jesus, I cancel all demonic working that has been passed on to me from my ancestors. I renounce all satanic assignments directed towards me and I cancel every curse that satan and his angels have put on me. I reject any and every way in which satan or his demons may claim ownership of me. I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who purchased me with His own blood. I reject all other blood sacrifices and I announce that I am eternally and completely signed over to the Lord Jesus Christ and committed to do His will from this day forward.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, I renounce every one of the above sins and any sins like them. I turn away from them all and will do them no more. I totally renounce any past or present association with Satan, his angels or his works. I renounce any satanic rituals I may have said. I renounce all sexual immorality, all demonic assignments, all occult practices, satanism, and any master other than the Lord Jesus Christ. I renounce all pre-marital sex and all alcohol and drug abuse. I renounce any unforgiveness or bitterness I may hold against anyone. I renounce every sin that is against a Holy God and against His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You have completely forgiven me. I acknowledge that the Lord Jesus took all my guilt and punishment for me, on the Cross and there is therefore no condemnation for me. I again cover myself in the blood of Christ, as my protection and ask You Jesus to fill me with Your Holy Spirit, lead me into all truth and empower me to live above sin. I commit myself to the renewing of my mind in order to prove that Your will is good, perfect and acceptable for me. All this I do in the Name and Authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Renounce Rebellion

Dear Heavenly Father, Your word tells me in 1 Samuel 15:23, that rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft or divination, and that stubbornness is like the sin of idolatry. At times, I have sinned against You, Heavenly Father. I sinned by going my own way and doing what I wanted to do. These actions have opened the door for the enemy to have an entrance into my life, to harass and attack me. I now confess this rebellious spirit and humbly repent. I want peace and joy in my heart. Father, I choose to have a humble and obedient spirit. I reject Satan and all his works in my life and body. I ask You, dear Holy Spirit, to reveal to me any areas Satan has gained access to or any hidden rebellion in my heart. I do not want to give Satan any legal right to harass or torment me. I here and now choose to have a humble spirit and a servant’s heart. In this time of ministry, by Your grace, I will accomplish whatever You have called me to do. I choose to walk in the light and I reject all rebellion. I CANCEL all rights the enemy claims concerning me. I claim the cleansing power of the Blood of Jesus over every area of my life and mind, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Repent of Lust & Willful Sin

Dear Heavenly Father, You have told me in Romans 13:14 to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. I acknowledge that I have given in to the temptation to gratify the desires of my flesh. I understand that lust is saying, “I must have this at once.” Much of this battle is in my mind and thought life. Because of my loneliness and inner pain at times, I have entertained lustful fantasies in my mind and thoughts. This only increased the desire to gratify my flesh. I ask You, Father, reveal to me any ways in which I have broken Your moral law and grieved the Holy Spirit.

Father, I am truly sorry. I acknowledge that all my sins are forgiven in Christ. I claim the blood of Jesus over me as my protection. I come before your presence to acknowledge these sins that I might be freed from the bondage of sin. I now confess these sins to You and claim through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ my forgiveness and cleansing. I repent and cancel all access to my life that evil spirits have gained through my willful involvement in sin. I claim the blood of Jesus over me as my protection and command them to leave me now in Jesus’ name. I choose to walk by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Repent of Proud Spirit

Dear Heavenly Father, Your word says that a proud and arrogant attitude goes before stumbling. I know that You hate a proud or arrogant spirit. I want to please You, Father. I do not want to stumble or bring trouble on myself and others. I know at times, in action and attitude, I have had a proud spirit. Because of my woundedness, I believed I knew what was best for me. In the past, I tried to run my life by my own power and resources. I have looked to my own intellect, ability and strength to solve my problems. Jesus, I have not denied myself, picked up my cross daily and followed You. Your word tells me that it is not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit that the victory comes. I have opened the door and given Satan a place in my life because of this spirit of pride.

I now repent of this pride. I also renounce this effort to be self-sufficient and not trusting or coming to You, Heavenly Father. I now come to You, humbling myself, and put my trust in Your mercy and love. It is Your kindness that has led me to repentance. I now CANCEL all ground or openings to Satan in my life. I PROCLAIM that I am covered with the blood of Jesus. I PROCLAIM that you, Satan, have no part in me or power over me. I am a child of God and the Holy Spirit is living within me. I hereby affirm my dependence on You, Father and the work of Your Holy Spirit. I ask You, dear Holy Spirit, for Your guidance, wisdom and power to renew my mind and walk according to the Spirit. I ask for Your grace to help me abide in Jesus and live a life pleasing to You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Warfare Prayer

This prayer is taken from Mark Bubeck’s book The Adversary and was written by Dr Victor Matthews and lightly edited by Neil Anderson. It is heavy and the language and concepts may be triggering (d*m*ns, bl**d, s*t*n, cr*cif*xtion, s*cr*f*ce, t*mple etc.)

Heavenly Father, I bow in worship and praise before You. I cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as my protection during this time of prayer. I surrender myself completely and unreservedly in every area of my life to Yourself. I do take a stand against all the workings of Satan that would hinder me in this time of prayer, and I address myself only to the true and living God and refuse any involvement of Satan in my prayer.

Satan, I command you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to leave my presence with all your demons, and I bring the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ between us.

Heavenly Father, I worship You and I give You praise. I recognize that You are worthy to receive all glory and honour and praise. I renew my allegiance to You and pray that the blessed Holy Spirit would enable me during this time of prayer. I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that You have loved me from past eternity, that You sent the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to die as my substitute that I would be redeemed. I am thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came as my representative, and that through Him You have completely forgiven me; You have given me eternal life; You have given me the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ so I am now justified. I am thankful that in Him You have made me complete, and that You have offered Yourself to me to be my strength.

Heavenly Father, come and open my eyes so that I might see how great You are and how complete Your provision is for this new day. I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, take my place with Christ in the heavenlies with all principalities and powers (powers of darkness and wicked spirits) under my feet. I am thankful that the victory the Lord Jesus Christ won for me on the cross and in His resurrection has been given to me and that I am seated with the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, I declare that all principalities and powers and all wicked spirits are subject to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for the armour You have provided, and I put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace and the helmet of salvation. I lift up the shield of faith against all the fiery darts of the enemy, and take in my hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and use Your Word against all the forces of evil in my life; and I put on this armour and live and pray in complete dependence upon You, blessed Holy Spirit.

I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that the Lord Jesus Christ spoiled all principalities and powers and made a show of them openly and triumphed over them in Himself. I claim all that victory for my life today. I reject out of my life all the insinuations, the accusations, and the temptations of Satan. I affirm that the Word of God is true, and I choose to live today in the light of God’s Work. I choose, heavenly Father, tho live in obedience to You and in fellowship with Yourself. Open my eyes and show me the areas of my life that would not please You. Work in my life that there be no ground to give Satan a foothold against me. She me any areas of weakness. Show me any area of my life that I must deal with so that I would please You. I do in every way today stand for You and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life.

By faith and in dependence upon You, I put off the old self and stand in all the victory of the crucifixion where the Lord Jesus Christ provided cleansing from the old nature. I put on the new self and stand in all the victory of the resurrection and the provision He has made for me to live above sin. Therefore, in this day, I put off the old nature with its selfishness, and I put on the new nature with its love. I put of the old nature with its fear and I put on the new nature with its courage. I put off the old nature with its weakness and I put on the new nature with its strength. I put off today the old nature with all its deceitful lusts and I put on the new nature with all its righteousness and purity.

I do in every way today stand into the victory of the ascension and the glorification of the Son of God where all principalities and powers were made subject to Him, and I claim my place in Christ victorious with Him over all the enemies of my soul. Blessed Holy Spirit, I pray that You would fill me. Come into my life, break down every idol and cast out every foe.

I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. I therefore claim all the will of God for today. I am thankful that You have blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am thankful that You have begotten me unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I am thankful that You have made a provision so that today I can live filled with the Spirit of God with love and joy and self-control in my life. And I recognize that this is Your will for me, and I therefore reject and resist all the endeavors of Satan and of his demons to rob me of the will of God. I hold up the shield of faith against all the accusations and against all the insinuations that Satan would put in my mind.

I do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, completely surrender myself to You, Heavenly Father, as a living sacrifice. I choose not to be conformed to this world. I choose to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I pray that You would show me Your will and enable me to walk in all the fullness of the will of God today.

I am thankful, Heavenly Father, that the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, for destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and to bring every thought into obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore in my own life today I tear down the strongholds of Satan, and I smash the plans of Satan that have been formed against me. I tear down the strongholds of Satan against my mind and I choose to think my thoughts after You, blessed Holy Spirit. I affirm, heavenly Father, that You have not given me the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I break and smash the stronghold of Satan formed against my emotions today, and I given my emotions to You. I smash the stronghold of Satan formed against my body today, and I give my body to You, recognizing that I am Your temple; and I rejoice in Your mercy and Your goodness.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You would renew me with your life; show me the way that Satan is hindering and tempting and lying and counterfeiting and distorting the truth in my life. Enable me to be the kind of person that would please You. Enable me to be aggressive in prayer. Enable me to be aggressive mentally and to think Your thoughts after You, and to give You Your rightful place in my life.

Again, I now cover myself with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that You, blessed Holy Spirit, would bring all the work of the crucifixion, all the work of the resurrection, all the work of the glorification and all the work of Pentecost into my life today. I yield my life to You. I refuse to be discouraged. You are the God of all hope. You have proven Your power by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead and I claim in every way Your victory over all satanic forces active in my life and I reject these forces; and I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with thanksgiving. Amen.

By Chris Simpson

A search of the scriptures seems to reveal 12 demonic strongholds or “houses” that the enemy sends against mankind in an attempt to torment both them and the Father who loves them. The number “12″ in scripture is often associated with governmental order. It is not surprising that Satan would have 12 spiritual agents that he would send against mankind in an attempt to rule and dominate man. It is a clear counterfeit of God’s beneficent loving order and authority intended for mankind.

In the context of ministering to others, we’ve noticed that these 12 particular classes of evil spirits seem to manifest themselves in a person’s personality in very common and understandable ways. What follows is a listing of common manifestations associated with each spirit. In addition, we have compiled an exhaustive list of spirits often encountered when ministering deliverance and corresponding manifestations in one’s personality which often mark the presence of each spirit listed.

1. The goal of this list is two-fold:
   It serves as a tool for recognizing strongholds in your own life so that you can seek deliverance for yourself. Jesus wants to set you free. Since he has paid the price, why not choose to appropriate it in one’s own life?
2. The goal of deliverance is to set you free so that Jesus can use you to set others free. captives free to set other captives free. Deliverance, and salvation, for that matter, is always a means to the end of spreading God’s kingdom. It was never intended to be self- focused. We are set free to set others free in the name of Jesus and by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Hopefully, this list will help those who minister to recognize a spirit by it’s common manifestations.

Obviously, this is in not an attempt to create a formula to explain away the work of or the need for the Holy Spirit in all ministry. It should also be mentioned here that there appear in Jewish writings some specific “names” of other demons, as well. We have used this list to help people to search their own hearts in preparation for deliverance ministry and as a tool for ministering deliverance to those in need.

THE ORIGINAL LIST WITH SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS – Isaiah 61:3

Broken hearted, continual sadness, cruel, crying, death, defeatism, dejection, despair, despondency, discouragement, disgust, drivenness, escape, false burden, fatigue, gloom, gluttony, grief, guilt, heartache, heartbreak, hopelessness, hurt, hyperactivity, indifference, inner hurts, insomnia, laziness, lethargy, listlessness, loneliness, morbidity, mourning, negativity, passivity, pressure, rejection, restlessness, self-pity, sleepiness, sorrow, spirit, suicide, tiredness, torment, troubled spirit, weariness, wounded spirit.

SPIRIT OF JEALOUSY – Numbers 5:30

Accusations, anger, argumentative nature, backbiting, belittling, bickering, bitterness, blasphemy, causing divisions, coarse jesting, competition, contention, covetousness, criticism, cruelty, cursing, deception, destruction, discontent, disputes, dissatisfaction, distrust, dreamer, enmity, envy, factious, faultfinding, fighting, gossip, greed, hardness of heart, hatred, hurt, inability to cry, insecurity, judging, kleptomania, lying, malice, materialism, mocking, murder, quarreling, rage, railing accusations, restlessness, retaliation, revenge, sadism, self-centeredness, self-hatred, selfishness, spite, stealing, strife, suicide, suspicion, temper, unforgiveness, unworthiness, violence.

LYING SPIRIT – 1 Kings 22:22

Adultery, compassion, creating doctrines without using the word of God, crying, cursing, deceit, deception, depraved desires, divination, dreamer, drivenness, emotionalism, exaggeration, excessive talking, false accusations, false burdens, false prophecy, false spirituality, false teachers, fantasies, fear of authority, financial problems, flattery, fornication, homosexuality, hypocrisy, insinuations, lies, low self-image, (feel-ugly, worthless), lust, mental bondage, pornography, profanity, religious spirit, seeker of men’s approval, sexual perversions, sodomy, strong delusions, superstitions, uncleanness, vain imaginations, vanity.

FAMILIAR SPIRIT – Leviticus 19:21, 20:6, 20:27, Deuteronomy 18:11, 1 Samuel 28:3

Astrology, automatic handwriting, black magic, Buddhism, certain kinds of rock music, channeling, charmer, charms (good luck) Christian Science, clairvoyance Confucianism, conjuring, consulting of the dead, cults, disobedience, divination , divination, diviner, doctrinal error, dreamer, drugs, e.s.p., enchanter, false prophecies, fear of God, fear of Hell, fear of lost salvation, fetishes, formalism, fortune telling, hallucinations, handwriting analysis, Hinduism, horoscopes, hypnosis, incantation, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, lawlessness, legalism, levitation, Masonry, medium, mind reader, Mormonism, muttering, necromancy, new age philosophies and involvement, obsession, occultism, ouija board, palmistry, passive mind, peeping & muttering, pendulum, rebellion, religiosity, ritualism, Rosicrucianism, Satanism, séance, seduction, self-will, Shintoism, soothsayer, sorcery, spirit guides, spiritism, stubbornness, Taoism, tarot cards, Theosophy, Unitarianism, Unity Church, Universalism, unscriptural deliverance, warlock, water witching, white magic, witchcraft, yoga.

PERVERSE SPIRIT – Isaiah 19:14

Abortion, atheism, child abuse, chronic worrier, contentious, cranky, doctrinal error, (twists the word), evil actions, exposure, false teachers, fantasy lust, filthy minded, foolishness, frigidity, harlotry, hate, incest, lesbianism, lovers of self, lust, pedophilia, pornography, sexual deviation, sexual perversion, sodomy, stubbornness, wounded spirit.

SPIRIT OF PRIDE/HAUGHTINESS – Proverbs 16:18

Affectation, agitation, anger, argumentative, arrogant, boastful, bragging, competitiveness, contentious, controlling, criticism, dictatorial, domineering, egocentric, egotism, frustration, gossip, haughtiness, “holier-than-thou” attitudes, idleness, impatience, insolence, intellectualism, intolerance, irritability, lofty looks, mockers, obstinacy, overbearing, perfectionism, play acting, pretension, pride, pride of education, rationalism, rejection of God, resentment, scornful, self-centeredness, self-deception, self-delusion, self- importance, selfishness, self-righteousness, smug attitude, sophistication, stiff-necked, stubbornness, superiority, theatrics, vanity, wrath.

SPIRIT OF WHOREDOM – Lev. 19:29 & 20:5, Num. 25:1, Hosea 1:2

Adultery, chronic dissatisfaction, emotional dissatisfaction, exhibitionism, exposure, fantasies (lust), fornication, frigidity, harlotry, homosexuality, idolatry, incest.

Love of (lust for): body (sexual), money, the world, position, authority, social standing.

Lust (all kinds), masturbation, pornography, prostitution, seduction, sensualist, sexual, sodomy, transvestites, uncontrollable sexual desires, unfaithfulness, weakness, worldliness.

SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY – Luke 13:11

Allergies, arthritis, asthma, bent body/spine, bleeding, cancer, chronic diseases, colds, diseases, disorders, epilepsy, feebleness, fungus infections, hallucinations, hay fever, heart attack, impotent, infections, insanity, lameness, lingering physical trauma, lingering spirit, madness, mania, mental illness, oppression, paralysis, paranoia, physical disorder, retardation, schizophrenia, senility, sinusitis, spirit of death, torment, virus, weakness, wounded spirit.

DEAF AND DUMB SPIRIT – Mark 9:25

Accidents, accidents by burning, accidents by drowning, blindness, convulsions, crying, deafness, destruction, dumbness, ear problems, emotionlessness, epilepsy, eye diseases, fear of fire, fear of water, foaming at the mouth, gnashing of teeth, infections (chronic), inner ear problems, insanity, lunatic behavior, madness, motionless, pining away, schizophrenia, seizures, sensing `the approach of death’, stupors, suicide, tearing, uncontrolled convulsions, wallowing.

SPIRIT OF FEAR – 2 Tim 1:7

Fear of any of the following:
accusation, authority, condemnation, closed-in places, confrontation, correction, danger, dark, death, disapproval, failure, God, heights, judgment, man, pain, persecution, poverty, rejection, reproof, water.

Agitation, anxiety, apprehension, cannot call upon God, compromise, confusion, daydreaming, distrust, doubt, doubting assurance of salvation, dread, embarrassment, escape, excessively sensitive, excitement, faithlessness, fantasy, forgetfulness, fright, headaches, heart attacks, hypochondria, hysteria, inadequacy, indecision, indifference, ineptness, inferiority complex, insanity, insomnia, jealousy, judging, lack of trust, lack of trust, loneliness, low self-esteem, low self-esteem, migraines, nightmares, overly careful, paranoia, passivity, phobias, playacting, pouting, pretension, procrastination, reclusiveness, resentment, roving, salvation, schizophrenia, self-aware, self-rejection, self-reward, shyness, sickness, skepticism, sleepiness, sleeplessness, sophistication, spiritual blindness, stress, suspicion, tension, terror, theatrics, timidity, torment, trembling, unbelief, unduly cautious, unreality, unworthiness, worry.

SPIRIT OF BONDAGE – Romans 8:15

Addictions to: alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, drugs, food (anorexia, bulimia, etc.), medications (above and beyond prescribed use), nicotine.

Accusation, anguish of spirit, bitterness, brokenhearted, bruised spirit, compulsive behavior, condemnation, control, coveting wealth in order to hoard it, criticism, dominance, dominated by others (soul ties), doubting salvation, drivenness, embarrassment, false burden, false compassion, false guilt, false responsibility, faultfinding, fear of death, fears, feeling “lost”, frustration, gluttony, hyperactivity, idleness, inability to break free, judging , nervousness, no assurance of salvation, oppression, possessiveness, pressure, resentment, restlessness, self condemnation, self-accusation, self-hatred, self-pity, self-reward (overeating, etc.), shame, spiritual blindness, superiority, unrighteousness, unworthiness.

ANTICHRIST SPIRIT – 1 John 4:3

Acting against: God, Christ, Christ’s testimony, His teaching, the doctrine of Christ, the miracles of God, the word.

Attacks the saints, attempts to rationalize Christ, blasphemes, deceit, denies the blood, denies the deity of Christ, denies the humanity/divinity of Christ, denies the work of the Holy Spirit, displays open unbelief, harasses the saints, Humanism, lawlessness, legalism, Masonry, opposes the fellowship of Christ, opposes the ministry, persecutes the body, self- exalting, stirs up strife between the saints, worldliness.

THE EXPANDED LIST

Copyright © 1993 – 2000 by New Wine Christian Fellowship.

by Frank and Ida Mae Hammond

“Familiar spirit” is the designation of a specific type of evil spirit. It is so classified because of its chief characteristic: namely, familiarity. It is a relationship, a familiarity, with a person or personality. For example, a woman, whom Paul encountered in Macedonia, had a familiar spirit which gave her powers of divination. (Acts 16:16-18)

Familiar spirits are common amid the practices of spiritism and witchcraft, but their activity is by no means limited to persons and practices so obviously occult. Evil spirits are personalities. They can reason, decide, express emotions and communicate. Personalities have the capacity to relate to one another. Two human personalities can form a relationship; and, through communication and communion, that relationship can be enhanced. Likewise, a person can form and develop a close relationship with an evil spirit. When a person forms a relationship with an evil spirit (which can be done either willfully or through ignorance), he then has a familiar spirit.

Communication is the chief characteristic of a familiar spirit. The spirit responds quickly to the summons of the medium. A medium, such as the witch of Endor whom Saul consulted (I Sam. 28:7), is a go-between which forms a communication link between the earthly world and the demonic realm. Thus, anyone who becomes a channel of communication for an evil spirit is a medium. He has a familiar spirit.

A familiar spirit is something that a person has, because it is a personality identified with a certain individual. In the same sense that one has a book, a friend or a cold, one can be personally identified with a demon spirit.

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” Lev. 19:31, KJV, (emphasis mine)

The Hebrew word for “familiar spirit” is ob, meaning “a leathern bottle.” To the ears of the ancient Hebrews, the hollow sound of a familiar spirit, speaking through a medium, sounded as though it were coming out of a skin bottle. A skin bottle is a vessel; and, a person who has a familiar spirit, serves as the vessel which contains the spirit. The spirit indwells the person. Thus, a person who has a familiar spirit is demonized.

God’s Warnings

The seriousness of entertaining familiar spirits is plainly set forth in God’s Word. Under the Old Testament law, involvement with familiar spirits was punishable by death.

“A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.” Lev. 20:27

Familiar spirits are counterfeits of the Holy Spirit’s work. As with anything occult, involvement with familiar spirits constitutes idolatry and creates spiritual defilement: “Regard not them that have familiar spirits…to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God” Lev. 19:31.

Anyone who has fellowship with God, and who is led by the Holy Spirit, does not need a familiar spirit, for God provides him with all that he needs. The sin of adultery is committed when a man or woman goes outside of his or her marriage relationship to gratify sexual appetites. Likewise, a child of God commits spiritual adultery when he goes outside his relationship with God to gain supernatural knowledge, wisdom, guidance or power.

King Saul sought out a woman who had a familiar spirit, and because Saul sought help from the witch of Endor, God’s judgment came upon Saul.

“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” I Chr. 10:13-14.

God brought judgment upon the Canaanite nations because of their occult practices, and He gave their lands to the Israelites. Then, God warned the Israelites that He would drive them from the land if they ever turned to the occult:

“When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you…a consulter with familiar spirits…for all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” Deut. 18:9,11,12, KJV

The Deception

Deception is always present in one’s relationship with a familiar spirit. Usually, the one having a familiar spirit believes that his spirit-companion is good rather than evil, or thinks that something beneficial will come out of that relationship. He erroneously believes that the spirit is a true benefactor who will provide him with helpful information. He may even believe that the familiar spirit is the Holy Spirit. He will; therefore, be reluctant to part with something he believes is beneficial or that is of God.

The person having a familiar spirit may not recognize that it is a spirit entity with whom he is having a relationship. He may think that his experiences are only within his imaginations and fantasies. Or, he may believe that he has contacted God’s spiritual realm through his mind rather than through his spirit. Thus, he may be ensnared, not because he is seeking something evil, but because he is seeking something good in a wrong way .

Necromancy, a supposed communication with the dead, is a facet of the familiar spirit’s operation. Necromancy is an outright deception. Rather than communicating with a particular person, the medium is in contact with a spirit which is familiar with that dead person. The spirit is able to give information and produce manifestations which lead the necromancer to suppose that he has contacted the spirit of a certain dead person.

The Attraction

What draws a person into involvement with familiar spirits? The appeal of the occult is usually either curiosity or a desire for that which is hidden. One may have fascination with the supernatural, but may not know how to differentiate between the supernatural realm of God and that of Satan. Almost everyone wants to know what the future holds in store. It is easy, therefore, to be drawn into a scheme that claims to hold the key to knowing the unknown.

Many, it seems, have been enticed by the desire to communicate with departed loved ones. A woman overheard my wife and me discussing familiar spirits. She thought that she was being visited by her deceased husband. She said that the spirit of her dead husband would come into her bedroom, sit on the edge of her bed and talk with her. She decided to test the phenomenon. When the spirit returned, she touched him on the nose and said, “You are nothing but a demon. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. Do not come back anymore.” The familiar spirit never returned.

Christians, especially those suffering from rejection, inferiority and insecurity, are prone to crave an intimacy with the Lord which can draw them into unscriptural ways of achieving such closeness. For example, a Christian woman who had an unloving husband, was encouraged by a counselor to visualize Jesus as being her husband. She was to imagine Jesus coming through the door, hugging her and kissing her. Her visualized Jesus became very real to her, and she found this fantasy very satisfying. But one day her visualized Jesus became so intimate that he made sexual advances toward her. She was frightened enough to seek counsel which lead to her deliverance from a familiar spirit, the spirit of “another Jesus” II Cor. 11:4.

An interesting experience involving a familiar spirit occurred while we were teaching in Europe. The church there had been organized by an anointed woman pastor, who had been deceased for several years. One night, the Lord revealed to Ida Mae, by means of a spiritual dream, that several in the church were being visited by an apparition of the former pastor. In the dream, Ida Mae was shown the apparition. It appeared very beautiful. When Ida Mae identified it as an apparition, the face became hideously demonic.

The present pastor of the church, a young man, confirmed that everything Ida Mae was shown was true. Several older women in the fellowship were resisting the new, young leader and wanted everything to continue as it was before. These women, who had been closely related to their former pastor, so desired to stay in communication with her that they opened themselves up to being visited by the deceptive apparition. The sad part of the story is that the deceived women refused to believe that they were communicating with a familiar spirit rather than their deceased pastor.

Satan is a sly deceiver. When forbidden things are sought; or when good things are sought in wrong ways, the devil is quick to take advantage.

The Acquisition

There are many avenues through which familiar spirits can be acquired. The following list is suggestive rather than exhaustive.

1. Divination. Divination is broadly defined as an attempt to discern future events or to discover that which cannot be known by normal methods. The familiar spirit is sought to assist a person in his quest for hidden knowledge, guidance and power. There are many expressions of divination. Divination includes the practices of occultists, spiritist mediums, witches, Haitian voodoo priests, American medicine men and Siberian shamans.

Water witching is a form of divination. In some communities there will be a particular person who is proficient in finding underground streams of water with a forked stick. As he holds the “Y” of his divining rod, the stick will turn forcibly downward when he walks over a spot that has underground water. The familiar spirit communicates with the diviner through his rod. One might reason that such a benefit could not be wrong, but God has judged it to be wrong. He calls divination an “abomination,” and pronounces a curse upon anyone who practices it: “Thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those [Canaanite] nations. There shall not be found among you any one that…useth divination Deut. 18:9-10. You shall not…practice divination or soothsaying” Lev. 19:26

As a young man, I learned to play with the Ouija Board. Years later, I discovered that Ouija was no mere game! I could ask Ouija a question, and he would communicate. I asked him many questions concerning my life’s future, and Ouija had ready answers. I did not know that I was talking with a demon and becoming familiar with the devil’s emissary.

2. Transcendental Meditation. TM, a practice associated with Hindu worship, is accepted widely throughout western culture today. It is being taught in some colleges and even in some churches. Contrary to Christian meditation, which is an active reflection upon God and His Word; Eastern meditation is passive. Passive meditation coupled with trance-producing techniques and the chanting of a mantra, open a person directly to the demonic realm. In his attempt to discover true enlightenment, the TM practitioner empties himself of all self- identity and willpower. He opens himself to deceiving spirits who impersonate Deity and divulge false revelations of secret and hidden mysteries.

3. Imaginary Playmates. It is not unusual to find a child who has an imaginary playmate. The invisible companion is very real to the child. In fact, the playmate may be invisible to others but appear visibly to the child. The imaginary playmate becomes a companion and a teacher of the child.

What begins, in the child’s imagination, as a technique to offset loneliness, evolves into a relationship with a familiar spirit. A four- year-old-boy, to whom we ministered, had an imaginary playmate whom he called Charcoal. We asked why he called his playmate “Charcoal,” and he insisted that the playmate told him that his name was Charcoal. In order to be set free, the boy first had to fall out of agreement with the familiar spirit and, command him to go. Although he was normally an obedient child, he was so threatened by the prospect of losing his companion that he stubbornly resisted his father’s coercion to renounce the demonic presence. After a successful deliverance, there was a marked improvement in the child’s personality and behavior.

In another case, my wife and I ministered to a young woman who was plagued by extreme supernatural phenomena. Poltergeists manifested themselves in her house; she experienced unsought astral travel, and possessed undesired psychic insights. The root cause for all the supernatural phenomena was, in her particular case, an early childhood relationship with an imaginary playmate. Her parents had divorced when she was four- years of age. Rejection and insecurity resulted because she was passed around for different ones to raise. She began to play with an imaginary friend, a familiar spirit, named “Genie.” Interestingly, Genie (a derivation of jinn) is one of a class of spirits which assumes various forms, exercises supernatural power, and serves his summoner. The familiar spirit, Genie, was responsible for the occult phenomena.

4. Visualization. Visualization is not a valid spiritual tool, although it is a common technique employed by some practitioners of inner healing and healing of the memories. Visualization is a method used for centuries by sorcerers to contact demonic powers. Some proponents of visualization contend that their Christian use of it represents the true counterpart of an occult counterfeit; but in Scripture, however, there is no basis for the use of visualization as a way of contacting God or of receiving spiritual benefits. Therefore, so-called Christian visualization is not a true counterpart to a counterfeit visualization, but rather is itself a counterfeit of faith. Faith has spiritual eyes which enable one to see the invisible. “Faith is the evidence of things not seen” Heb. 11:1. Visualization is an attempt to see, by the function of the natural mind, that which can only be seen by the spiritual eye of faith.

A friend of ours became involved in visualizing Jesus. When she prayed, the presence she felt was so real that she would sit at his feet and place her head in his lap. She was shocked by the testimony of a prominent Christian leader who had herself discovered that the “Jesus” contacted through visualization was indeed “another Jesus” II Cor. 11:4.

Our friend was brought to the realization that her “Jesus” was a familiar spirit, and she called for help. She was delivered from her bondage to the familiar spirit and now openly shares her testimony, so that others can be brought to the light of truth.

Sometimes these familiar spirits of “another Jesus” become so familiar that they actually manifest their presence by speaking audibly and by touching the person.

5. Drugs. Drugs, especially the hallucinatory drugs, provide a straight corridor into the demonic realm. This is true of all sorts of drugs ranging from the ancient peyote to modern drugs known as LSD and PCP. Such drugs alter the function of brain cells, and pave the way for an infinite variety of supposed revelations which are fostered by familiar spirits that were contacted via the drug-induced hallucinations.

6. Demonic Rock Music & New Age Music. Those who are hooked on demonic rock music or New Age music are usually very defensive and unteachable. This rejection of truth is because demonic rock music & New Age music is a “religion” to the devotee, and to suggest that someone should give up his religion is a serious threat. Demonic rock music or New Age music requires as definite a commitment as does Christianity.

Edward was a Christian teenager. He loved the Lord and was growing spiritually. Suddenly, Edward changed. He completely turned away from his Christian convictions. His parents were dismayed, and nothing they said or did had any effect on their son. Edward had a dramatic change in his personality. We asked his mother if he had become involved with demonic rock music. The answer was “yes.” His love for God and the Holy Spirit had been usurped by “another spirit” with whom Edward had become familiar.

7. Games and toys. The devil is blatantly making his bid to control the lives of our nation’s youth. Games and toys are a powerful influence in the training of children. Parents, the spiritual guardians of children, must be especially alert and vigilant today in order to protect their offspring from Satan’s wiles.

As we ministered to a five-year-old-boy, we discovered that he was emotionally attached to the hideous looking little creature known as ET, an extraterrestrial being. ET had ceased to be a mere fictional character in this young boy’s experience. ET had become a living companion and friend who visited his bedroom and talked with him. He was conversing with a demon: a familiar spirit. In such ways the devil is conditioning children to relate to demons as friends. The child becomes accustomed to these demonic creatures to the extent that he is even comfortable with them when they materialize.

Tom, a young man in his late teens, was controlled by a false personality. The alter ego was acquired through his involvement with the game “Dungeons & Dragons.” The game requires role playing, and the player becomes totally identified with a fictional character. Often, the players dress in identifying costumes which portray the character they are to represent. Tom had gradually lost his own identity and had taken on the identity of his familiar spirit.

8. Conversing with demons during deliverance. When demons are challenged, they sometimes speak through the person they indwell. A deliverance worker may cultivate a relationship with a demon by interrogating such spirits. In so doing, the deliverance minister becomes a medium through whom the familiar spirit imparts secret knowledge. If the information acquired through demons is accepted as truth, then testimony to what demons have said becomes a doctrine of demons:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” I Tim. 4:1, (emphasis mine.)

A man sent me a manuscript that he had written. He asked me to critique the material before publication. He had obtained supposed “top-secret” information on the hierarchy of spirits in Satan’s kingdom by conversing with a demon in a person who had been involved in witchcraft. The book was dedicated, by name, to the demon who had given him the information. He thus allowed himself to become a spiritist medium communicating with a familiar spirit.

A deliverance minister was sharing with one of our staff members his experiences in conversing with demons during deliverance. He said that he saw no need for giving up the practice of interrogating evil spirits. In fact, he found them to be entertaining. There was one that he especially enjoyed talking with because what this demon said always “seemed so cute.” How could anything out of the mouth of a deceiving demon ever be considered “cute?”

Conversing with demons can easily lead to the forbidden role of being a “consulter with familiar spirits” Deut. 18:11, KJV. If one becomes a communication link with the demonic realm, he becomes a spiritist medium; and the information he transmits is a “doctrine that demons teach” I Tim. 4:1, NIV. Thus, interrogation of demons, and conversation with them, is not only foolish but exceedingly dangerous. “Reasons Why We Should Not Converse With Demons,” Demons and Deliverance In The Ministry of Jesus, by Frank Hammond; Impact Christian Books, Inc., Kirkwood, MO, pp. 20-25.

9. Necromancy. God’s Word clearly forbids communication with spirits of the dead. “There shall not be found among you anyone who…calls up the dead” Deut. 18:10,11.

Some, whose loved ones have died, are tempted to communicate with them. Instead of contacting the spirit of their loved ones, they come into contact with familiar spirits who impersonate deceased friends or relatives.

Teraphim, or household gods, are mentioned several times in the Bible. These were human figures and statues from which oracles were sought. These household images were made in the likeness of deceased ancestors. When Jacob separated himself from his uncle, Laban; Rachel stole her father’s Teraphim. (Gen. 31). This passage reveals that Laban and his family were involved in idolatry. They believed that they could be helped by the spirits of the departed dead.

When God told Jacob to return to Bethel (The house of God), Jacob said to his family; “Put away the foreign gods that are among you” Gen. 35:2, and the Teraphim were buried and left behind. Thereupon, the curse was avoided; and the blessings of God came to Jacob and his family, for, “The terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” Gen. 35:5.

Sometimes, displayed pictures of deceased parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents or other dead persons can attract familiar spirits. At one time, my wife kept pictures of her deceased parents and other family members in our bedroom. It gave her a sense of their continued presence in her life. The Holy Spirit convicted her that her dead parents were not her source of comfort, security or help. The pictures were put away.

In a church which I pastored, the aged grandmother of one of our members died. Shortly afterward, I received a plea for help from the family . I was told that the grandmother was making appearances in the house, and that one member of the family was bitten on her thighs when she sat in her grandmother’s favorite chair. The grandmother had been involved in witchcraft. It was necessary to remove all witchcraft paraphernalia from the house and to command the familiar spirit of the grandmother to leave. The procedure proved effective, and there were no further disturbances.

The Scripture says, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” I Tim. 2:5. Also, Jesus declared, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6. Jesus is the ONLY mediator and the ONLY way through whom we have access to the Heavenly Father.

There are some people; however, who have been taught to pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus, or to other departed saints, as mediators. When men pray to the spirits of the dead, they are practicing necromancy and courting familiar spirits. Therefore, it is easy to understand why there are so many reported visitations by these forbidden mediators. For example, there is the “Virgin of Guadalupe” and the “Virgin of Medjugore”, because familiar spirits manifested themselves when people prayed to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

10. Incubus and Succubus. An incubus (from the Latin: to lie upon) spirit, is an evil male spirit that lies upon women in their sleep, ostensibly to have intercourse with them. The succubus (from the Latin: to lie under) is a female spirit that comes at night to have a sexual relationship with men. Definitions of incubus and succubus are given in Webster’s Dictionary.

These unclean familiar spirits are found to have been acquired through sexual promiscuity. Fornication, adultery and any sort of sexual deviation will give opportunity to spirits of sexual lust.

One day, we invited a woman to come for deliverance. She met us at the home where we were staying. My wife and I took her into a bedroom where we could have privacy. The woman sat on the side of the bed, while we sat on chairs. During the course of the ministry, as we were commanding spirits of sexual lust and perversity to leave, a spirit of incubus manifested itself. It threw the woman backward onto the bed with her knees flexed and her thighs spread, and her bodily movements gave the appearance that she was having sex with an unseen being. This is a good example of why a man should not minister deliverance to a woman when he is alone.

She said that this spirit of incubus came to her frequently while she slept. It was cast out by the authority of Jesus’ name.

Other deliverance experiences have led us to believe that involvement in the occult can open the door for spirits of incubus and succubus to enter. For example, we ministered to a Jamaican man who, along with relatives, had been deeply involved in voodoo. He was being tormented nightly by a succubus spirit. Not knowing the ways of God, he, in his desperation for help, had sought the help of a witch. After going through a witchcraft ritual, the problem was even worse than before. This man required deliverance from occult spirits in addition to a spirit of succubus.

What could be more familiar than a spirit who comes to have sex with a person? It is understandable that people are often embarrassed to admit that they are having night visitations from incubus and succubus spirits, but it is the devil who makes people feel ashamed and afraid. We must expose the devil by bringing secret things into the light. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” Jas. 5:16.

The Deliverance

Apply this teaching on familiar spirits to your own life. Has any door of opportunity been opened to familiar spirits? Is there any evidence of the presence of familiar spirits?

Repent of each sin that has given opportunities for relationships with familiar spirits. God’s Word warns that it is a sin to have a familiar spirit. A familiar spirit is not judged by whether or not it appears to be of benefit, but by what God has said about it.

Renounce the familiar spirits. (Note: An individual can have more than one familiar spirit operating in his life.) Fall out of agreement with the familiar spirits. Destroy any thing that you have in your possession that would give a legal right for such a spirit to remain. Tell it that it is not needed or wanted.

Resist and cast out the demonic spirits, using your spiritual authority as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Employ the spiritual weapons of the blood of the Lamb, the name of Jesus and the Word of God, for these weapons “are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” II Cor. 10:5 .

Prayer and Warfare

(Read aloud the following prayer)

“Lord Jesus, I belong to You. You have saved me and redeemed me by Your blood. I have need of no spirit other than The Holy Spirit. Forgive me for having sought from other spirits that which should only come from You. I renounce and separate myself from all familiar spirits, however acquired. I call upon You, Lord, to deliver me from the lies and deceptions of familiar spirits. Teach me Your truth and Your ways. It is my earnest desire to walk in Your will and to glorify Your name. Amen.”

“Satan, I renounce you, and I take back all the ground that I ever yielded to you. God is my source of wisdom, knowledge, guidance and power. You familiar spirit, leave me, in the name of Jesus.”

“Thank you Lord Jesus for delivering me and cleansing me from all unrighteousness by Your precious blood. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Copyright © 1997, by The Children’s Bread Ministry.

Prophet Reeni’s Note: There are some things in this article that I feel is outdated revelation such as “visualization” and “rock music.” When operating in the gifts of the spirit, God does use visions to communicate and does use rock music in worship. However, the key here is the “source” in which they come from. This is a topic that needs to be discussed but for the sake of time, these articles are very good with information but not everything may be up to date because revelation is progressive but some things are just never changing like the Blood of Jesus.

by Chris Simpson

Let’s start by considering the definition of a soul tie:

“A soul tie is the joining or knitting together of the bonds of a relationship. Godly soul ties occur when like-minded believers are together in the Lord: friends, marriage partners, believers to pastors, etc. Relationships that lack `God-centeredness’ can result in ungodly soul ties between friends, parents and children, siblings, marriage partners, former romantic or sexual partners, domineering authorities, etc. An unhealthy attachment with another can bring about a psychic control that can adversely affect the life, e.g. a mother who refuses to relinquish her hold on her children (tied to her apron strings), a person who refuses to release to the Lord the memory of an old romantic flame (withdrawing into nostalgia in times of loneliness), a person who holds a grudge or a judgment against another, someone who uses spiritual forces to control others (witchcraft), etc.”

For two people to bond to the point of a soul tie often takes time, particularly in the area of friendships. Man’s soul consists of his mind, emotions, and will. A soul tie involves the joining of minds, ideas and views, as well as emotional unions in the feeling realm. Soul ties can range from being laid back and fairly loose to quite intense and overpowering. For example, think of a piece of thread, a string, a rope, and finally, a length of cable. Each tie is progressively stronger than the one before.

A `thread’ relationship would simply be an acquaintance, someone you greet at your job every day. You know their name and where they work, but that’s about it. A `string’ relationship would perhaps be an associate who you’re more intellectually tied to, someone with whom you have certain things in common. A `rope’ relationship would be a good friend, a companion and confidant, one in whom you would be free to `be yourself’ and share things about your life that are somewhat vulnerable. Finally, a `cable’ relationship would be someone to whom you’re related: your wife, your kids, and your immediate family.

Now, breaking a piece of thread is not difficult. In the same way, losing a casual acquaintance is not a big deal emotionally. Breaking a string may take some effort, and so the loss of an associate would affect you to some degree, depending on the depth and length of the relationship. A rope or a cable, however, would require tremendous exertion to break, particularly if there was tension in the line. So it is that the loss of an intimate friend or family member can affect your soul tremendously.

Healthy soul ties stabilitize the soul. The more you open up to the intimacies involved in relationships, the more you experience the freedom to be yourself. Let’s consider healthy and godly type soul ties described in the Bible:

The first mention of a “soul tie” in the Word is found early in Genesis:

“So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; because she was taken out of man, she shall be called `woman’. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:21-24)

This is the famous “leave and cleave” passage concerning marriage. From the very beginning God’s intention has been that the man and woman’s soul ties with their parents should be broken prior to marriage. Why is that? Because few things are as destructive to a marriage as when one partner or another is still emotionally tied, and often as a result, manipulated and controlled, by a meddlesome parent. So, interestingly enough, we see that the first Bible reference to a soul tie is an admonition to break a soul tie.

Another example is found in the book of Ruth. In fact, this verse is often found in the liturgy of weddings. Naomi had two sons and two daughter-in-laws. After her sons died, she told her daughter-in-laws they were free to return to their people. One of them, Orpah, did just that. But the other, Ruth, refused to leave.

“…Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, severely if need be, if anything but death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:14-17)

Ruth was bonded to Naomi like glue. In fact, the Hebrew word for `clung’ (dabaq) is a word similar to the one used in Israel today for `glue’. So, we see they were “glued together” in a loving and faithful relationship of mother and daughter-in-law. Let’s consider another example of a friendship-type soul tie:

“..when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Samuel 18:1)

Jonathan, the son of King Saul, had great respect and love for David, the future king. The friendship was so deep that we’re told their very souls were `knit’ together. This bonding served them both well in the days to come. Jonathan did his best to protect David from Saul’s rage and David, when he became king, went to great lengths to care for Jonathan’s only remaining son.

“I beseech you, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10)

“I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you….that your hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ;” (Col. 2:1-2)

In these verses, believers are encouraged to knit their lives together like threads in a garment, each thread intricately woven with each other thread. This is a picture of how God wants the body of Christ to be. However, soul ties among believers should really be called spirit ties. Believers are `spirit tied’ before they’re `soul tied’. When you experience spiritual rebirth, you become one in Spirit with every other believer. As a result, bonding in the mind and emotions becomes far easier, because of the spirit union already there.

This is the reason believers can meet somebody they’ve never met before and feel like they’ve known them for many years. Believers “bear witness in their spirit” when they meet someone who loves Jesus. Satan cannot fake real joy or peace. And he particularly cannot counterfeit the love of God that flows spirit to spirit between true believers.

“So every man of Israel left David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.” (2 Sam. 20:2)

Here we see the men of Judah bonding with their leader David. This depicts the soul tie that’s needed between believers and their spiritual authorities. Again, the Hebrew word here is `dabaq’ for `glue’. The men were glued to their authority. We see a similar tie of devotion between Elijah and Elisha, Moses and Joshua, and Jesus and His disciples.

Such a bond is essential for a pastor or spiritual leader to pass on anointed ministry to those submitted to him in the Lord. There has to be a soul trust – a soul tie that’s rooted in a shared passion and sense of vision. As a pastor, I’ve found this to be true time and again over the years. When such a trust bond was lacking, the results were invariably disappointing. But, when I’ve been privileged to `have someone’s heart’, then that person was able to `catch the vision’ and run with it in a way that those without that `soul trust’ could not.

“When I come to my father, and the lad is not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life, then he will go down to his grave with sorrow and die..” (Gen. 44:30-31)

In this verse, we see a picture of a father so tied with his son that, were his son to fail to appear, he would go down to his grave with sorrow. Few ties are as tight as those between parents and their children, particularly between a mother and her child. God ordained such natural bondings, knowing that child rearing is difficult. At times, were it not for such soul ties, many parents might be tempted to give up. But with such ties, a parent can sustain a level of unconditional love essential for the proper development of the child.

A soul tie is a `channel’. Think of a soul tie as a soda straw through which flows mental and emotional things. Spiritual things can pass through as well, be they from the human spirit, be they psychically induced, demonically inspired, or genuine and edifying from the Lord. Because demonic spirits can transfer so easily through soul ties, it’s essential to identify and destroy those that are ungodly, controlling, or emotionally binding. Let’s look at an example of ungodly ties between a father and his sons:

God said,

“Why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering and honor your sons above me…? For I will judge his house for ever…..because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” (1 Samuel 2:29, 3:13)

God was rebuking the prophet Eli because of his unwillingness to correct his sons for their sins against the Lord. The sin of Eli was parental permissiveness. As a result, God’s judgment came upon his house. In spite of their best efforts, parents can be soul tied to their kids in unhealthy ways. Due to their own insecurities, parents can develop soul ties of indifference, permissiveness, idolatry, compromise and control (and in many other areas). Let’s consider some of the symptoms and results of ungodly soul ties between parents and their children.

Symptoms of Unhealthy or Absent Parent / Child Bonding

• Periodically swinging from angry correction to guilt.
• Manipulative, dishonest in dealings with their child.
• Unreasonably controlling.
• Resistant to counsel concerning their child rearing.
• Defensive for the child when others speak of his / her failings or shortcomings. This is always an indicator of a problem: A Sunday School teacher approaches a parent and says, “I’m hesitant to tell you this, but your child has been a real disruption in our class lately.” Mom replies, “Not my child! This just can’t be true! He’s not like that. It must be the effect the other children are having on him.” With such words, an unhealthy tie is confirmed.
• Unhealthy dependence on the child’s part for the parent (often the result of “spoiling”). One indication of unhealthy dependence is excessive clinginess and crying whenever mom or dad leave to go somewhere. Often, unhealthy dependence is fostered out of a sense of guilt on the part of the parent. The results can often be as damaging as neglect. God’s balance can be seen in nature. As a piece of fruit ripens, so does the tie that connects it to the tree. If you try to remove an apple while it’s still green, you’ll need to twist and pull to snap it loose. However, when the apple is fully ripe, it will fall off with just the slightest tug. So it should be with children. The dependence that was so essential in the early years needs to gradually give way to a parent-to-child respect that will enable them to leave the nest on their own when it’s time.
• Tendency to yield to the child’s manipulation, thus making consistent discipline difficult.
• Allowing the child to dictate and control the parent’s activities and relationships. At this point, the soul tie between the parent and child has become quite unhealthy. There’s even a passage Isaiah that describes such a state and the curse that goes with it:

“As for my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them. Oh my people, they which lead you cause you to err….” (Isaiah 3:12)

Results of Unhealthy or Absent Parent / Child Bonding

Unhealthy (or absent) parent / child soul ties can produce lifelong insecurities in the child. This invariably results in their pursuing unhealthy relationships with others of similar personality weaknesses. At the same time, when a healthy bonding is lacking, a child may spend the rest of his or her life looking to have it fulfilled.

This is one reason why a woman will end up marrying a man who displays the same abusive tendencies as her dad. Because she never properly bonded with her father, she finds herself, often without realizing it, attracted to men like her father. Why? Because she’s trying to `close the gap’ in her soul caused by the lack of a healthy paternal soul tie. She’s still trying to find his love.

When a boy is not properly bonded with his father or with his mother, a similar thing happens. He’ll find himself bouncing from relationship to relationship, ever seeking the deep bonding he lacked as a child. This is one of the reasons divorce is so rampant today. The `grown up child’ is trying to find the soul tie that never properly formed in the rearing years. The good news, though, is that Jesus can bring healing and restoration. David tells us in the Psalms:

“When my mother and my father forsake me then the Lord will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10)

There are two things absolutely necessary in raising children: parameters and consistency. Clearly define the rules, then be consistent in enforcing them. In other words, build a fence and don’t waver with the consequences when the fence is crossed. Most child-rearing problems stem from either the lack of established rules of conduct, or inconsistent insistence that the rules be observed.

“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man do not go: otherwise you’ll learn his ways and get a snare to your soul.” (Prov. 22:24-25)

“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you perceive not in him the lips of knowledge.” (Prov. 14:7)

“Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion has light with darkness? What concord has Christ with Baal?…Come out from among them, be separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you and will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:14-18)

We are clearly admonished in scripture to be wise in our relationships. We’re told to avoid close associations with those that are angry, with those acting foolishly and with those that are unbelievers. Understand that we’re not prohibited here from having any relationship with such persons. Rather, it’s just that such relationships should not be able to form unhealthy soul ties where one’s witness and walk with the Lord is compromised.

To bond with someone emotionally or spiritually who is unrepentantly angry, or someone who is given over to a vice, can be extremely dangerous. The evil spirits at work in them can then pass through the soul tie to affect you. The result would be that you might find yourself at some point justifying and rationalizing their actions and eventually joining them. Birds of a feather tend to flock together, we’re told.

How then should you relate to such persons? Simply keep your discernment tuned in when you’re around them so that if there’s any transferring of spirits, it will be the Holy Spirit from you rather than an unclean spirit from them.

One way these principles are often compromised is in the area of “missionary dating”. That’s where a believer gets romantically involved with an unbeliever and justifies it on the basis that they are helping that person “come to the Lord”. Such reasoning is extremely faulty. The truth is, when one has romantic feelings for someone, they are the last person with any kind of “ministry” to them. Why? Because the emotional tie in the relationship prevents them from any objectivity and discernment to the other’s true spiritual state. Since, as the saying goes, “Love is blind”, missionary dating is often nothing more than the blind leading the blind. And Jesus said when that happens, they both fall into the ditch.

So what should you do if you’re already romantically tied with an unbeliever? Break the soul tie! It can and must be done. Submit yourself to the Lord, fast for a few days and have someone pray under the anointing to sever the bonds of emotional attachment. By doing this you won’t have to go through a lengthy process of “pining away” as you let the relationship die. Complete obedience in this area will bring about the Lord’s deliverance from a dangerous and ungodly soul tie.

“Dinah the daughter of Leah went out to see the daughters of the land. When Shechem saw her, he took her, lay with her and defiled her. And his soul clave to Dinah, and he loved the damsel, and spoke kindly to her.” (Gen 34:1-3)

“King Solomon loved many strange women….concerning which the Lord said, you shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in to you: for they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave to these in love.” (Kings. 11:1-2)

“Don’t you know that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Don’t you know that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, says He, shall be one flesh.” (1 Cor 6:15-16)

God’s plan for a man and a woman is not at all like that of the world. First, He would have them come together and bond in the area of the spirit. Over time, as they get to know one another, a bonding of the mind and emotions would occur. Then, only after solemn vows of commitment in marriage, would any bonding of the body be permissible.

The world has it backwards. Generally, the first thing to bond is the body through sexual indulgences of various degrees. Then, due to strong physical attraction, a couple will get married (if they even do that anymore). After a while, they come to know one another in their soul, mind and emotions. That’s when they begin to discover that they’re really not so compatible after all. The woman discovers that her attractive husband has an abusive, violent streak. The man finds that the sweet lady he married is full of insecurity and control.

The way of the world is totally backwards. That’s why the way of the Lord is the only way to go. When you prioritize the things of the Lord over the issues of a relationship, you’ll ultimately find both. Jesus said,

“Seek first the kingdom of God, and all of these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“David covered his face and cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” And Joab came into the house, and said to the king, “You have shamed this day the faces of all your servants……for I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and we all had died, then it would have pleased you well.” (2 Sam 19:4-6)

King David had an unhealthy soul tie with his son, Absalom, who rebelled against him and contributed to the deaths of thousands. David’s tie was undoubtedly rooted in guilt, for in many ways he had failed in his son’s rearing. The result being that after Absalom was killed and his armies routed, David shamed his own armies by pining away.

As strange as it may seem, it is possible to be soul tied to the dead. The Biblical prescription for mourning was to be seven to thirty days (see Genesis 50:10 and Deut 34:8). Then you were to put your grief behind you and go on. God knew that excessive and lasting grief would only open one’s soul to heaviness, gloom and despair. We’ve all heard stories of a heartbroken parent who, after a child’s death, keeps his room exactly like it was for many years. Such excessive grief brings heaviness and gloom to others in the house. It’s as if the spirit of death were invited to remain.

The same thing can happen with women who have had an abortion. Even after they’ve asked and received forgiveness for the deed, guilt and shame often remain. This is generally an indication of a soul tie with the aborted child. Until and unless the soul tie is broken, the mother will be subject to bouts of depression and guilt. But when that bond is severed, they’re able to put it behind them once and for all, and live life free from the failure of their past.

“Cleave unto the Lord as you have done this day….take good heed that you love the Lord your God. Else if you do turn back and cleave unto these ungodly nations…then know that the Lord will no more drive them out; but they will be snares and traps to you, scourges in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord has given you.” (Jer 23:8-13)

The prophet plainly warns Israel here that if they “cleave” to the demonic nations around them instead of “cleaving” to God, then the Lord will let them reap what they sow! Let’s consider this passage allegorically. Any and all involvement with idolatry or the occult sciences will result in soul ties with evil spirits. That’s because such involvement is in direct opposition to the first commandment,

“Thou shall not have any gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3-5)

Because Satan is the father of all liars, lying can also result in soul ties with demons (see John 8:44). Once you choose to lie to another or lie to yourself, you have, in effect, come into agreement with Satan. That, in turn, opens you to suggestions and deceptions of wicked spirits. Also, when you refuse to forgive someone you soul tie with a demon. Why is that? Because when you refuse to forgive, God will not forgive you. What He will do is deliver you to the tormentors until you do forgive (see Matt 6:15 and 18:35). Needless to say, understanding these things will hopefully encourage one to avoid them at all costs. If you find yourself even now in agreement with Satan because of lying, dishonesty, idolatry or unforgiveness, then quickly repent. The Lord will then grant you the grace to disentangle yourself from the bonds of the demonic.

• Obsessive preoccupation with another, to the neglect of the things of the Lord.

• Tendencies to be domineering and controlling in a relationship.
• Tendencies to be passive and apathetic in a relationship (easily manipulated).
• Inability to truly forgive from the heart.
• Another person’s voice playing over and over in the mind like a tape-recorder.
• Inability to bring a relationship under the godly order and control of the Holy Spirit.
• Patterns of anger, blame and accusations in a relationship.
• Fear of “being real with” or speaking truth to another (intimidation and fear of man).
• Psychic or occultic phenomena within a relationship.

1. Confess any and all ungodly ties to the Lord.
   Repent from your heart for violating God’s ordained boundaries in your relationships.
2. Make a solemn commitment to the Lord to break off any relationship that is not pure or righteous in His eyes.
   Become accountable to others to help you keep that commitment. Until you do that, any prayers for freedom are in vain. I’ve actually had people ask me to break their unhealthy soul ties so that when they got together again (in their illicit relationship), they wouldn’t feel all those bad spirits. However, God is not mocked. Reinforce your requests to the Lord with a commitment to obey.
3. Before praying, do whatever is necessary for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to come.
   This is so important. Pray, wait, forgive, or worship. Once His presence and anointing is present, then proceed with the soul tie breaking prayer. It’s the anointing that breaks the yoke. The ties won’t break with a simple prayer from the mind. The anointed power of the Holy Spirit must be present to be effective.

“In the name of Jesus Christ I now renounce, break and loose myself from all demonic subjection and any ungodly soul ties and unhealthy bondings with the following people: (break soul ties with each person that comes to mind)

“Lord, I ask you to do whatever it takes to break me of my tendencies to: obsessive pre-occupations, domination, control, passivity, apathy, unforgiveness, anger, blame, accusations, fear, intimidation and disobedience in relationships.

“Finally, in the name of Jesus, I declare every demonic hold in my life that has come as a result of unhealthy soul ties null and void. Satan, I renounce you and your demons and command you to depart from my spirit, soul and body!”

Copyright © 1995, by New Wine Christian Fellowship.

by Chris Simpson

Rejection means to deny someone acceptance, care, or love. The word `rejection’ comes from the old Latin word `rajacere’ which means `to throw back.’ Imagine a fisherman going through a big haul of fish picking out the best and tossing the rest. He’s rejecting the bad fish. That’s what the word `rajacere’ literally means: to deny or toss aside acceptance or care.

Let’s consider a verse in the Psalms that shows us how rejection works in a person’s soul:

“I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.” (Psalm 37:35)

This verse describes what believers unfortunately too often experience: a spiritual walk overcome with some wicked thing that’s spreading, rooting and enveloping their life. But the promise of the very next verse is:

“Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.” (Psalm 37:36)

GOD GIVES SERIOUS FREEDOM

Such is the power of the Holy Spirit to set people free! However, most settle for so much less. The idea that you can be permanently delivered from rejection is totally foreign to many, most of whom cope with their rejection using the latest pop-psychology solution. However, rarely does anyone find real freedom that way. Total deliverance comes only in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, this freedom is described earlier in the same Psalm:

“Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: you shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” (Psalm 37:10)

Imagine coming to the place where you can’t even remember how you were in bondage, and find it hard to recall the areas of hurt in your life. Now that’s deliverance! The problem is, so many today have believed a lie. In many ways, the church has embraced the world’s solutions for the problems and struggles of the saints. One of the primary reasons for this is that so many Christian leaders have, for whatever reasons, rejected the `hidden third’ of Christ’s ministry – the ministry of casting out evil spirits. It’s the silent, never-mentioned part of what He did.

Why is that? Primarily, it’s due to an over-reaction. In the past few decades, many different ministries have gone overboard in the ministry of deliverance in teaching that every problem is the result of a demonic activity. In so doing they have (often unintentionally) de-emphasized the responsibilities of an individual’s personal choices.

Unfortunately, when one over-reacts to such unbalanced teaching, there’s often a tendency to go too far the other way. By ignoring or de-emphasizing the legitimacy of the ministry of deliverance from evil spirits, many ministries today have become guilty of ignoring what’s true because of what’s over-stated. In other words, they have “thrown the baby out with the bath water.”

LEAVES, BRANCHES OR ROOTS?

Jesus promises to set the captives free, and open the prison doors to those who are bound. This is particularly true for those who suffer from rejection, which is a root problem with crippling and devastating results.

Consider for a moment a tree. On every tree there are parts you can see and parts that you can’t see. You can see the branches and the leaves. But you can’t see the roots. In fact, you’d need `x-ray eyes’ to see the root structure of a tree. Now, believe it or not, there is a way to see the root structure of hurts, wounds, and rejections in a person’s life — through `discernment.’ To `discern’ means to `see through.’ It takes discernment to see that the root problem in many lives is not what you see, but what you don’t see.

Consider the different things believers often struggle with: gossip, judgmentalism, fears and anxieties, lusts, addictive behavior; etc. But these things are really only LEAVES. Then there’s pride, insecurity, anger, self-pity, unbelief and bitterness. These are like the BRANCHES — more strongly entrenched in the personality than the others, yet still not the `roots.’ All of these areas are really `soulish’ problems. And, unfortunately, many believers tend to focus much of their time and energy trying to find victory over these repetitive and compulsive areas.

However, the real problems are down at the ROOT level — things like rejection, buried hurts, hidden wounds, and generational curses and sins. True and lasting freedom from the `leaves’ and `branches’ comes only when you discover and really begin to deal with the `roots.’

In Mark 11:21 we’re told that when Jesus cursed the fig tree `down to the roots,’ the whole tree withered away. So it is with you. The Lord really doesn’t want you to spend years and years struggling with leaves and branches that grow right back. He wants to set you free from that area of bondage `right down to the roots!’

Have you ever run a lawnmower over crab grass? What happens the following week? It comes back up, right? Then, you have to do it again. There is however a better way to get rid of those pesky weeds. It may take more time at first, but later, your crab grass problem will be over. What should you do? Just get down on your hands and knees and pull those weeds up from the roots.

That’s exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life. He wants to go deep to root out the rejection, buried hurts and generational sins. Then those tormenting familiar spirits that are attached to the roots will be forever silenced in your mind. That’s how a believer comes into the `peace that passes all understanding.’

REJECTION COMES EARLY IN LIFE

Rejection often comes in at an early age. It can enter a person’s life in various ways at different stages of their development. Let’s consider some examples:

• Rejection in the womb:
  A woman finds out she’s pregnant. Perhaps the first thing she says is, “Oh no! That’s the last thing I wanted now!” So, she begins to resent the little one in her womb. Did you know that her bitterness can adversely affect the child, particularly later in life? Unfortunately, our culture today sees abortion as an acceptable solution to this woman’s dilemma. Perhaps in the years to come there won’t be as much rejection-in-the-womb because, tragically, many babies will never have even had the chance to be born.
• Wrong-sex rejection:
  “Oh my God, it’s a boy!” a couple might say, “We wanted a girl!” If not dealt with, such feelings can bring much rejection to the child through unspoken attitudes and actions. One of the worst things to tell a child is that you wished they had been the opposite sex. Remember, God never makes mistakes!
• First-born rejection:
  The first born child almost always receives much attention from the parents. He or she becomes accustomed to being the center of mom and dad’s world. So, when the second born comes along, what happens? Because they’ve been eclipsed by another, the first born often develops a deep sense of rejection. This is why parents must go to great lengths to avoid any favoritism when a new baby arrives. Look at Cain and Abel. There was a resentment in Cain (the first born) against Abel (the second born). What did he do? Ultimately, he murdered his brother. Among other things, it’s possible that a first-born rejection contributed to his sense of desolation and rejection.
• Child abuse:
  Child abuse ranges from the most severe (physical violence or perverted, sexual abuse) to the tendency to administer needed correction with rejection. The latter being the most common type of abuse. When a parent corrects with anger, it invariably backfires. The child will think that correction is equivalent to rejection. As a result, they’ll spend a lifetime resenting authority. In addition, they may never develop a healthy relationship with God. They’ll think He’s rejecting them when adverse situations arise. Why? Because they never understood that corrections are really the outworking of love.
• Neglect or abandonment:
  Over the years I’ve found, with few exceptions, that men who struggle with homosexuality had an absent father either emotionally or physically during their growing-up years. Either dad was there but ignored them, or he wasn’t there at all. As a result, they identified emotionally too much with their mother, thus opening themselves to perversion.
• Opposite-sex rejection:
  This usually happens at puberty. A child is doing fine and then “whamo!” he hits puberty! He or she suddenly discovers that those playmates are the opposite sex! They become self-conscious and awkward because of all the body changes. In all my life, I think I’ve only met a handful of people who didn’t have a rough time at this stage of their life. Without loving, understanding authorities, a child can develop serious tendencies of self-rejection during this time.

HOW PEOPLE COPE WITH REJECTION

“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity. But a wounded spirit, who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14)

People are generally motivated to do what they do because of the deep and hidden hurts in their lives. Choices are often made primarily to avoid further hurt and pain, and to find ways and means to cope with the pain they already have. When you understand this, then the reasons people do certain things begin to make sense. Because rejection hurts, people will often go to extreme lengths to avoid the possibilities of further rejection.

Over the years I’ve noticed that people tend to cope with rejection in one of two ways: inwardly or outwardly. Let me explain. Those who respond `INWARDLY’ to the hurts of rejection in their lives tend to live behind walls and masks, hiding from others and themselves. Since they don’t know how to just `be themselves,’ they’re always trying to be what others want them to be. Having been hurt and rejected in the early, formidable years, they tend to live life behind facades and fronts, going to great lengths to hide their true feelings.

Inevitably, such people will build within themselves a rigid set of codes to live by, resulting in a legalistic personality. These types of folks are not hard to spot. When threatened in any way, they tend to hide and withdraw within themselves like a turtle. Such personality types are often hard to approach, tough to get to know, quite stiff in their demeanor, and are generally ‘untouchable.’

On the other hand, those who respond `OUTWARDLY’ to the hurts of rejection tend to live life with a defiant or even a rebellious type attitude. They tend to have angry or manipulative type personalities. In effect, they’re daring anybody to reject them. These types of folks are generally easier to get along with than the others, as long as you don’t threaten their turf. Interestingly, underneath, these two personality types are fairly similar. In both cases, the root problem underlying their responses to the things of life is the same: rejection and hurt.

In addition, they may never develop a healthy relationship with God. They’ll think He’s rejecting them when adverse situations arise. Why? Because they never understood that corrections are really the outworking of love.

REJECTION CAN MAKE YOU SICK

“A merry heart does good like a medicine. But a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

Did you know that rejection can affect you physically? It can dry up your bones. Generally, it’s the `internalizers’ that tend to get sick from their rejection. Why is that? It’s because rejection often produces anger. And you have to do something with your anger. If you bury it inside, it’ll find a way to the surface. If you live in denial concerning your anger, then you’ll be resentful and bitter. These attitudes can bring physical problems.

I’ve often seen people healed on the spot when they forgave those that had hurt them, and when they renounced the bitterness and resentment in their heart. It’s amazing how quickly the Holy Spirit will heal and bring life to the dried bones. Many sicknesses and physical maladies tend to be rooted in rejection and bitterness: skin problems, headaches, allergies, neck or back aches, stiffness of joints, arthritis, pains, stress, nervousness, and various diseases.

I once knew a sweet lady back in the mid 1970’s. She was an `internalizer’ who stuffed the rejections and hurts of her past. She had had an abusive husband, whom she divorced. Interestingly, her husband’s abuse was similar to her father’s. Often, a woman who grows up under abuse and rejection tends to marry a man with similar traits, repeating the pattern. Why is that?

Well, when all you’ve known is mistreatment from those around you, it’s not surprising that you’ll gravitate to that which is most familiar. I lost contact with her, but in the early 1980’s I saw her again. At that time, she was crippled by arthritis. She was in agony. She would take a handful of aspirins every morning just to move. Finally, she died.

Sadly, it was then that I was beginning to understand these things about rejection, forgiveness and healing. I remember thinking, “Lord, if I’d only known!” Her illness was plainly the result of her internalized hurt and rejection. In the end, it all became so twisted in her mind that she blamed everything on herself, even the rejection and abuse. Though she’s with the Lord now (Praise God!), it was a shame that her life ended so tragically. If only she were around today to hear the message I’m sharing with you!

HOW REJECTION AFFECTS OTHERS

“The words of a talebearer are as wounds that go down to the innermost parts of the belly.” (Prov 18:8)

Rejection that has never been dealt with has a way of transferring to others. Someone who’s hurting inside because of rejection often finds security in putting others down. Why is that? Because rejection doesn’t hurt quite as bad when you’re doing the rejecting. This is the primary motivation behind gossip. Gossip is, in effect, transferred rejection. When the one gossiped about gets wind of what’s being said, then he or she feels rejected, and the pattern sets itself up again to be repeated.

Rejection can also cause someone to operate in a `BLAME MODE.’ That goes something like this, “Lord, the problem in my life is him, her, or them. It’s my husband, my wife, my boss, my dog, my kids — I’m sure not to blame! Lord, if you’ll only straighten them out, I’ll be fine.”

Such a judgmental, accusing attitude that focuses on the faults of others almost always comes from root rejection. Ironically, such judgmental people are the very easiest to reject, which only exacerbates the problem! When you fall into the trap of rejecting those who reject, you’re actually throwing gasoline on the fire. Someone once said, “People need loving the most when they deserve it the least.” The very thing they need is usually the hardest thing to give them — kindness, forgiveness and mercy. That’s what will set them free!

Why? Because what they’re really saying is, “Love me. I’m hurting and I’ve been rejected. That’s why I have this wall up. The truth is, I don’t like myself and I don’t believe God likes me very much either.” When you fail to hear what such a person is really saying, then you’ll perpetuate the pain and hurt in their life whenever you reject them.

Believe it or not, that hurting, critical person is in your life to teach you how to truly love. They’re a gift to you from God. We’ve all cried to the Lord and said, “Oh Lord, teach me how to love like you love.” What God then says is, “OK, I’ll do it!”

The next thing you know, He sends this wounded, self-rejecting, evil-spouting gossip into your life. They may be a co-worker, a boss, a relative who’s come for a long visit, or someone else. They are there as an answer to your prayer.

So you pray, “God, take them out of my life.” But God says, “No, this is the very thing you asked for!” Then you cry, “Lord, just change their attitude.” And the Lord responds, “O.K., I will once you change yours!” Have you ever noticed that the thing that keeps you on your knees more than anything else is people? Most of us can deal fairly adequately with the things of life. It’s just those people!

HOW REJECTION TYPICALLY OPERATES

Everyone is familiar with the parable of the “Prodigal Son” found in Luke, chapter 15. After squandering his inheritance, the boy entered hard times. He ran out of money and got a job feeding pigs (not a very nice profession for a Jewish boy). After a while he came to his senses and said,

“How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me one of your hired men.” (Luke 15:17-19)

Because of his sins and mistakes, he felt that the only way he could come home to his father was like a whipped puppy. He was convinced his father was angry and waiting to `let him have it,’ so he was going to return begging for mercy. This boy had a problem at least as big as his sin of running away and wasting his inheritance. The problem was his self-rejection and fear of rejection.

The same will be true for you when you dwell on your own sins, failures, and faults. As long as you focus on how unworthy you are because of what you’ve done, you’ll be a target for the accusing spirits of the enemy. Ultimately, you’ll wind up convinced that even God has rejected you, just as the boy feared his own father’s wrath.

At that point, God will seem like the mythological god Zeus. He rode a chariot of fire and held a lightning bolt, ready to strike anyone who stepped out of line. He’d say, “Aha, another one down there sinned. Whoosh! Zap!”

Then, because of how miserable you feel due to your failures and sense of rejection, you try to find relief in some compulsive or addictive activity. What I’ve just described is a major reason why so many find themselves addicted to drugs, alcohol, work, sex, or whatever. They are desperately seeking to escape the torments of guilt and rejection. Now, let’s see how the boy’s father actually did respond:

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

The last thing this boy was expecting was for his dad to say, “Welcome home, son, I love you!” Most Christians are the same way. They have very little conception of the love God has for them. They live their lives terrorized that God is not pleased with the things they do. But the truth is, God is never pleased with the things you do, if they’re done apart from Jesus. So, relax! Since there’s nothing you can really do that will please Him — quit trying!

Honestly, have you ever met anyone who needed to take a course in `Selfishness’ when they were growing up? Is it necessary to teach a child to be self-centered? Of course not. What I’m trying to say is that the only thing you really have going for you in this life is the shed blood of the Lamb, not your abilities or successes or attempts at doing what’s right. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve walked with Jesus thirty years. The day after your thirtieth anniversary you can still plunge into sin as deep you ever have. You have a free will and God will never violate it. All that really matters is that you keep coming to God to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

“They overcame the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” (Rev. 12:11)

OVERCOMING SELF REJECTION

When someone is ashamed of the way they look, they’ll often make self-rejecting statements like, “Oh, I’m just too fat, too thin, too loud, too quiet, too short, too tall, too unattractive, or too unlovable.” They’re constantly comparing themselves with others they consider brighter, more attractive, more popular, etc., and are always finding that they fall short.

Few things are as destructive to one’s healthy self-esteem as self-rejection. Now, the first thing one must know is that there are some things you simply cannot change. God made you a certain way physically, emotionally, and intellectually. You can fret and worry and compare for years, but some things will always remain the same. God did not make any mistakes when He made you (believe it or not!).

Unfortunately, our present day culture bombards us with what’s acceptable and attractive. This is particularly true for women. You have to look a certain way, weigh so many pounds, and be a particular type of person to succeed in life.

Let’s consider two simple principles that can help you escape those tormenting feelings of self-rejection.

The first principle is found in First Thessalonians:

“In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thess 5:18)

If someone asks you what the will of God is for your life, just tell them it’s `giving thanks in everything.’ This is God’s will for you before anything else. If you’ll simply learn to thank and praise Him in things as they are, you’ll be amazed at the level of contentment that will come into your life.

The second principle is this: External unchangeables become means for internal transformations. As you give thanks to God for whatever external thing it is that you feel rejected about, He’ll turn that very thing around for your good and will work in you a far better and precious eternal fruit! For all of eternity you’ll reap the rewards of patiently enduring external inadequacies. Think of the exquisite beauty of a pearl. How did it get that way? Through irritation! A small grain of sand locked within the oyster’s shell “bugs” the poor oyster. Over time, it secretes a substance to cover the sand’s rough edges. Ultimately, that little, insignificant, rough-edged grain of sand becomes a priceless gem! What a lovely parable God placed in nature.

Over the years, I’ve found that people who are (supposedly) perfectly beautiful on the outside rarely have much spiritual refinement. Those with few external inadequacies are often frustrated individuals inside. Have you found this to be true? Those who have what the world may define as physical and personal deficits, however, often have (because of those deficits) deep riches stored up for eternity.

Jesus said,

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25).

The principle stated here holds true wherever there is wealth and abundance: in money, in talents, and in physical features. Oh, that we could obtain eternal eyesight! God so wants you to see and understand the truths of your eternal rewards. Reflecting Jesus through your character is really the only thing in this life of any lasting worth. This happens primarily through suffering, not through prosperity.

REJECTION FROM REAL OR IMAGINED HURTS

“Grudge not one against another, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9)

At times you may experience rejection because of real or imagined hurts from others. Let me explain what I mean. Let’s say you’re walking across the sanctuary of your church and someone you know gives you an unloving look, or acts a little coldly towards you. Has that ever happened?

Now, it may be that they were indeed being rude to you. Or, it may be they were just `spacing out’ for a moment because of something on their mind. In either case, a hurtful rejection feeling flares up inside. It hits you right in your gut. Your mind begins to remember ways in which they’ve done that before.

Then, as you give yourself over to these thoughts, the enemy starts to whisper in your mind, “Yes, they are mad at you. Not only that, they don’t like you because of the way you’ve been acting lately. In fact, they’re not the only one. Others have been thinking the same thing. In fact, nobody here really likes you. It’s just because they’re Christians that they have to like you. If they weren’t saved, they’d probably all reject you.” And you respond in your thoughts with, “Yea, that’s probably right.”

Now all of this started with just a little look while you were walking across the room. In fact, the whole process just described could occur in about fifteen seconds. And, as you head down the hall under this increasing cloud of gloom, another spirit whispers, “You need to judge them. They’re probably doing the same thing to others as well. You need to warn others about their unloving ways.”

This is where Satan pulls out his `big guns’ of divisiveness. He makes the suggestion to judge others only after you’ve swallowed the other self-pity stuff. At this point, though only thirty seconds have gone by, you’re probably thinking some pretty unpleasant thoughts about that person.

Later on that same day, let’s say you see that person again. When you do, you turn your head and ignore them. And then they think, “What’s with him?” Then the `rejection process’ begins with him as well. “Why did he ignore me like that? If I recall, he’s done that before.” This kind of stuff occurs all the time. It’s just that most folks are too spiritually dull to recognize what’s happening. Paul tells us:

“Let no one miss God’s grace and let no bitter root grow up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Heb 12:15)

If unchecked, rejection can spread like wildfire. Because he knows fewer things divide God’s people as effectively, Satan stirs up rejection wherever he finds it. So, it’s essential that you overcome the rejections that plague your life, not only for your own well-being, but also for the sake of those around you. Now, let’s look at how Jesus handled rejection.

NO ONE WAS EVER REJECTED LIKE JESUS

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3)

Jesus was incredibly rejected in His life. His family didn’t understand Him. They thought He was out of His mind. He was rejected of His colleagues. The religious leaders of the day all spurned Him and His message. He was rejected of His friends. They didn’t understand Him half the time and when He was arrested, they ran. The multitudes who one day cried, “Hosanna to the Messiah!” just a few days later cried, “Crucify Him!” Finally, He even experienced rejection from His Father. When Christ bore the world’s sins on the cross, His Father looked away. It was at that moment that Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” He experienced the most awful rejection of all, the rejection of God Himself.

Jesus experienced rejection so that we could live a life of love and service, focused on the needs of others and not on selfish concerns. We are loved just as we are by Him, and in Him, through one another. But, as a true believer in Jesus, you, too, will receive rejection.

This is particularly true when you stand up for the truth to people who don’t want to hear it. I never knew what persecution was until I began to preach the truths of spiritual warfare and deliverance. Only then in my Christian life did I begin to experience serious rejection, persecution, and betrayal. Most believers shy away from standing boldly for the truth. With all the rejection they already have in their life, why should they go looking for more?

This is the real tragedy of rejection. It keeps people from becoming like Jesus, who was willing to suffer the rejection of men for the things that were right. The truth is, until you’re substantively freed from rejection, you’re not much of a threat to enemy. He is only intimidated when one is willing to stand up for the truth, even at the cost of heavy rejection. Until you are free from self-rejection and the fear of rejection, you won’t be able to handle the persecution that comes for righteousness’ sake.

STEPS TO FREEDOM

“Get rid of all bitterness, anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph 4:31-32)

There are three definite things that must be done to find freedom from the deep hurts of rejection:

• Step One – FORGIVENESS: Choose to forgive whoever, whenever, for whatever.Quit hanging on to those resentments! You must forgive, if you ever hope to be free from those rejections in your heart. Forgiveness has nothing to do with your feelings. It’s a choice of the will. If you choose day after day to forgive those who have wronged you in your past, the feelings of rejection and hurt will eventually go. If you’ve harbored resentment a long time, don’t be surprised if it takes some time for all of the feelings to disappear. But disappear they will, if you’re persistent!Think of forgiveness as a spiritual weapon. Use it to break the curses of bitterness, resentment, judgment, and then hurt out of your heart. I’ve seen many cases where someone, who experienced emotional wounding in their childhood, found wonderful release when they chose to persistently forgive. Don’t be discouraged in the process, as there will be resistance from the enemy. Just press forward with forgiveness as your weapon, and soon the rejection that has ruled you for so long will lose its’ power.
• Step Two – SEEK DELIVERANCE:Deliverance is necessary when you not only feel the hurt of rejection inside, but are attacked with tormenting thoughts as well. This usually indicates the presence of an unclean spirit, which must be eliminated through spiritual warfare.Deliverance from a deep stronghold of rejection, however, is not going to happen overnight. It’s a process. If you’re removing a tree from your yard, it will take a while to get all the roots out. But, start! Enter the battle. You’ll be amazed at what will happen. When you live offensively with an aggressive determination to get free, you’ll soon see the Lord moving mountains that have stood firm for years.
• Step Three – ENROLL IN GOD’S AGAPE’ ACADEMY: Ask God to put “People Gifts” in your life.What am I talking about? “People Gifts” are those special people that tend to be hard to love. You know what I mean. They’re the folks that keep you on your knees because of their `gift’ in bringing up all kinds of ungodly stuff in your soul. If you’re really serious about overcoming rejection, this is the way to do it! Just ask God to send people into your life that will help you love the way He loves. Few prayers will please Him as much! And, as a by-product, He’ll break the power of rejection in your life once and for all!

Copyright © 1995, by New Wine Christian Fellowship.

by Chris Simpson

I would be willing to wager that most people have never been exposed to a teaching quite like this: it’s not the average topic about which you would expect to receive instruction. If you were going to a church meeting where a pastor regularly preaches a sermon, it’s not the type of sermon you would expect him to preach. Nevertheless, transference of spirits is a phenomenon that you probably experience every day. Since it is both a common occurrence and one that is rarely examined or understood, I believe that it is wise to consider the subject from a Scriptural standpoint.

A FAMILIAR CONCEPT

Let’s begin with a concept that is already familiar. We all know how diseases can be transferred through germs. Somebody shows up at work and they’re sneezing on everything. They sneeze on the copy machine right before you have to press the button to operate it. You think twice about touching that button because you wonder if you’ll catch whatever it is that’s making them sneeze. Maybe sometime during the day you have to use an elevator. You push the button to call for it. When the elevator arrives, the door opens and you see someone inside the car sneezing. You realize that you are going to have to walk into that car full of whatever they just sneezed out into the air. You probably look at them politely and say, “No thanks. I’ll take the next car.” These are examples of common situations where, if the conditions are right and people are susceptible, diseases can transfer by an unseen element called germs.

Spirits can transfer in much the same way. For example, have you ever been in a room when somebody in a very lousy mood walked in? Their mood had a tendency to transfer to those around, particularly if the person was your mate or your boss. Have you ever seen your boss come into work angry and his mood affected everybody else in the office? These are examples of transference of spirits. Let’s look into the Word at some illustrations of these phenomena recorded there.

Mark 15:6…

6 Now at [that] feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.7 And there was [one] named Barabbas, [which lay] bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire [him to do] as he had ever done unto them.

The multitude was crying out to Pilate for the death of Barabbas because he was a known murderer.

9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. 11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do [unto him] whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13 And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. 15 And [so] Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged [him], to be crucified.

At the outset, the mob was crying out to Pilate to execute Barabbas because he was clearly guilty of a terrible crime. But, the chief priests came among the mob, manipulated them, and persuaded the crowd to call for the execution of Jesus instead. Perhaps they whispered to people, “No, no, not Barabbas, Jesus is the one.” It took just a handful of priests to sway the entire mob from one extreme to the other to get them to demanding the crucifixion of Christ. It was as if the mob was over on one side and with just a little push, they completely shifted to the other side.

Consider, also, the events that occurred during the week when Jesus was crucified. He entered Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. As Jesus rode into the city, the multitude was crying out in adoration, welcoming him with shouts of, “Hosanna, hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of David!” They threw down palm branches before him as a token of honor and worship. But that same crowd just a few days later was the one we saw in Mark 15 shouting, “Crucify him, crucify him!”

GOING ALONG WITH THE CROWD

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to go along with the crowd? There’s something that can occur in groups of people called “mob mentality” or “mob psychology.” It occurs when each person in the group tends to start doing what everybody else is doing. No one wants to “stick out” or draw undue attention to themselves. If you had been present in Jerusalem on the day the mob was turned against Jesus saying “crucify him,” you wouldn’t want to be the only one saying, “release him.” You would run the risk of having attention drawn to yourself as being different. People might have looked at you and said, “Crucify HIM!” about you!

Here’s a practical illustration: Suppose that at lunch time you walk into the office break room and you’re getting yourself a cold drink. You notice that there are a couple of people sitting around a table talking. At first you ignore them but then you begin to listen in. You begin to realize that they’re all talking about “Mr. X.” You’re sitting there, innocently getting your drink, and you’re listening to this. Your spirit says to you, “I shouldn’t listen to this. This is gossip.” But you ask yourself, “well, am I sure it’s gossip? Let me listen to make sure. I need to know what they’re saying so I can ‘witness’ to Mr. X.” Before you know it, you’re actively listening. And did you know what happens? The spirit of gossip and evil speaking and bitterness and resentment that is on them jumps on you. You walk out of the break room and you’re going down the hall and there’s “Mr. X,” the person they were talking about.

And “Mr. X” says, “hi,” …and you respond somewhat uneasily, “hi.”

Something is now “on” you that wasn’t “on” you before and it’s making you react uneasily where normally you would not. You have just inadvertently “gone along with the crowd” and accepted an untested popular belief.

THIRD PARTY JUDGMENT

Sometimes you open yourself to this by hearing someone deliberately speak evil of another person. This is called “third party judgment.” This can occur when somebody “unloads” or “dumps” on you about another person. You see someone during your day

“How are you doing today?” you ask them. “Terrible,” they respond. “Well, what’s the matter with you?” you inquire. “Well….” …and they start “dumping” garbage statements about “Mr. X.” Now you didn’t know much about “Mr. X” before. Maybe you even liked him. But when you heard evil-speaking about him, you said to yourself, “come to think of it, I do believe that he IS a….. (fill-in-the-blank).” Something has transferred on to you and you’ve picked up this “third party judgment.” Before you know it, the same bad spirit that was on the person who dumped on you has transferred on to you. This is a very common phenomenon and Scripture has something very clear to say about it.

One of the best Biblical pictures of this is found in Numbers 13:27-. You may know the story. A small band of twelve men were sent out to search the promised land. When they returned to Moses and all the people of Israel, they gave a report of what they saw. They said,

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this [is] the fruit of it.

These twelve spies that returned from the promised land had this big old stick with a giant bunch of grapes on it. By saying, “look at the fruit of the land” they mean “This is a great land.”

28 Nevertheless the people [be] strong that dwell in the land, and the cities [are] walled, [and] very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

I imagine that this statement cast the beginnings of fear and doubt over the crowd. The spies continued on and said,

29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

All of a sudden these spies who have returned from the promised land are saying that in the mountains, in the desert, and by the sea are enemies, Enemies, ENEMIES! Enemies are everywhere! The people must be saying among themselves, “Sure, there’s good fruit in the land, but all of these dreadful Amorites and Canaanites are there! So are the children of Anak!”

The children of Israel were probably thinking good things before the spies actually arrived. Then one day someone saw them returning from their expedition. They saw them on the horizon and they were excited! They said, “I see them! here they come! They’re back from their expedition! A couple of them have BIG bunches of fruit! All right! Time to fight, time to take the promised land!” But when these twelve returning spies arrived back at the camp of the Israelites, they arrived full of their fear and unbelief. As a result, fear and unbelief began to come out of their mouths. It began to spread over the Israelite assembly in the same way that germs would have spread if someone had started sneezing on them. The Israelites began to catch the “germs” of fear and unbelief as if they were catching some kind of disease.

One man was able to see what was going on. His name was Caleb. He jumped up and tried to stop the spread of the panic:

30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

But look..

31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they [are] stronger than we.

The reaction of the men to Caleb’s statement seemed, at this point, to be one that was based upon common sense. But in reality, fear is at work here.

32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, [is] a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof;

It got worse. They began to say that the land would eat up its inhabitants.

32b …and all the people that we saw in it [are] men of a great stature.

…Then they said that there were giant men.

33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, [which come] of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Have you ever noticed that when people tell a story, the more they talk, the worse it gets? The spies in this story started out sounding just a little discouraged. Before long, they were talking about themselves as grasshoppers in a land filled with giants. Finally, the whole congregation cried out in anguish. They couldn’t stand it. In Numbers 14, they basically said “Oh, no, we’re a bunch of grasshoppers and if we go hopping in the land of the giants we’ll get squished!”

Numbers 14:

1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

The whole nation of Israel was infected. The spirit of unbelief and fear on twelve spies transferred to hundreds and thousands of people. Can you see that? The Word goes on to say…

2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

I have found that certain moods, attitudes, and dispositions tend to spread like wildfire. Once they start and build momentum, it’s hard to stop them. Caleb tried to stop the fear and unbelief spread by the spies, but he failed. Gossip and tale-bearing have their own power and momentum, too. Unfortunately, bad news often travels faster and farther than good news.

PRINCIPLES ABOUT TRANSFERENCE OF SPIRITS

I want to show you a couple of principles we can develop about transference of spirits. They can be illustrated in the Word. Let’s look at Esther 3. To properly delve into the allegory of Esther would require a separate publication. Suffice it to say that the character Haman in the Book of Esther was a “bad guy.” He moved in demonic power. Look at Esther 3:15…

15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

In the book of Esther, the King Ahasuerus aligned himself with Haman. Haman was of the lineage of the Agagites, who were related to the evil Canaanites. God wanted to do away with these wicked people. Haman was a hater of the Jews, the “Hitler” of his time. The Word comments on the result of the King’s alliance with Haman by stating that “when they sat down to drink that the city was perplexed.” The entire city was negatively affected by the king sitting in the presence of an evil man. Can you see this? The King is the local authority figure. Because he as the authority consorted and fellowshipped with evil, the whole city was affected.

Here’s our first important principle about the operation of Transference of Spirits:

1.)When a person is in any kind of spiritual authority over anybody, whatever spirit is on them may easily transfer to those in their charge.

When an authority figure is in error, their sin and attitudes may transfer to those who are under their authority.

Practical examples:

Adolf Hitler, leader of Germany during World War II, had his entire nation hypnotized. I’ve studied a lot about Hitler over the years and I’ve been fascinated by the accounts I’ve read of him. Did you know that Hitler appears to have operated under a spiritual anointing? This anointing didn’t “break the heavy yoke,” this one brought a heavy yoke. It was a demonic anointing. Folks who have written about Hitler note that when he would get up to speak, it seemed as if a spirit would come on him. Have you ever seen an old newsreel of Hitler talking? When he would speak, he would mesmerize thousands. Historians say that he would speak and his talking would get louder and louder, building to an almost romantic climax. His audiences of literally hundreds of thousands of people would fall utterly under his spell. It was reported to be an incredible, almost religious experience.

Yet, did you know his consorts called him the “carpet chewer?” In The Rise and Fall if The Third Reich by William Scheier, it is recorded that Hitler would actually fall on the carpet and chew the edges of it when he got mad. I ask you: is this not highly suggestive that Hitler had demons? If ever anybody had a demon, he did. The whole nation was hypnotized under his demonic power and as a result of his involvement in World War II, close to fifty million people directly or indirectly died.

Another example is that of Jim Jones, the cult leader who persuaded his entire congregation to move to Guiana. He seemed to have a mesmerizing, hypnotic power that brought people under his “spell.” When authority figures are moving under the influence of a spirit, how easy it is for that same spirit to transfer onto those under them.

How many of you parents know that the “spirit” in your life transfers to your children? In fact, it’s interesting that most parents never really seek deliverance for themselves until the little kids starting getting of age to mirror the problems of their parents. They see problems in their children and say to themselves, “Oh my God, Junior’s acting like my husband! Not me!” or “I see my wife’s sin in her!” Then you get honest and begin to see your own sin in that child. You try to rebuke it out and you feel guilty. “How can I punish this child when it’s in me?” At this point, I’ve seen many parents come looking for some serious deliverance in their life. Before you have kids, you can often avoid looking at your sin problems and the resulting bondages of the demonic. But when it starts becoming generational and you see your struggles showing up in your offspring, you become highly motivated to deal with it.

This is also true with spiritual authorities. If you’re in any kind of spiritual authority over anybody, whatever spirits are on you can transfer to those in your charge. A pastor can come into his church and be in a “certain way” and people pick it up. They don’t even know what they are picking up; it just flows through. It has something to do with authority. I’ve told people, and I’ve seen this many, many times: you can feel the character of the pastor by walking in the midst of the people. You go into a church and you hang around a little while (you’ve got to be there a while) and you can tell the character of the pastor by the tenor of the people. Why is that? The same thing is true with a family. You can tell a lot about dad and mom by just looking at the kids.

2.) When an authority figure is walking in righteousness, their passion and attitudes may transfer to those who are under their authority.

Transference is not limited to negative influences. Positive influences may be transferred from an authority to those in his charge, as well. If we read on toward the end of the Book of Esther, we find out that things changed for the better. Mordecai, the good guy, became the king’s companion and Haman, the bad guy, was sentenced to hang on the gallows.

Esther 8:15-

15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

Now we see the city full of joy. It all had to do with the king becoming associated with a good man. The whole city was affected. The authority figure in this case had the unique privilege of transferring positively. I’ll give you one of the most amazing examples that I’ve seen in the last ten years. When Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980, the United States was still heavily affected by what I call the “Vietnam blues.” Patriotism was totally on the outs. That grieved me because I’ve always been a patriot and not necessarily opposed to the Vietnam War. I would have gone if my lottery number had been low enough.*

_{* (Now praise God it wasn’t. This was one of the first prayers Jesus ever answered in my life. I got saved in 1971 and two months later my entire future was laying at the end of the driveway. It was the newspaper with the lottery pulling of my birthday. I remember looking at it and I said, “my future is at the end of the driveway.” I went and got the newspaper and I gave it to my mother. She knew my number was 124. My mother read it and she went , “Oh my God, Chris. In St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana they’re drafting up to 125.” I said, “You’re kidding.” I looked at it. I was 124 and numbers 125 and down were going to ‘Nam. I got on my knees and I’d been saved only two months. I had friends coming back in pine boxes back then. I said, “Oh Jesus, please keep my out of Nam. Now I’m a patriot, but not that much.” By 1971, you could see that the government was playing games down there. They weren’t fighting it like Desert Storm where we went in, we did it and we got out. That was a war, that thing down in Vietnam. But you know, Jesus answered my prayer because and 118 my draft board hit their quota. So I decided to join the Lord’s army instead. Praise God! )}

During Reagan’s terms as President, his open displays of patriotism and nationalism transferred positive feelings to a majority of the American population. The resulting waves of optimism pulled America out of the “Vietnam Blues.” I’ll never forget that time. It was in the early 1980’s. Even commercial advertisements on radio and television conveyed a revived sense of love for one’s nation. Regardless of what you may think of Ronald Reagan the man, his spirit of patriotism pulled the whole country out of the post-Vietnam era depression. It was a wonderful example of how a good spirit can transfer to a whole nation.

I’ve seen this on a local level, as well. I live in Houston, Texas. If you live anywhere near Houston, you may remember the fear of crime that was in the city both before and during former Mayor Cathy Whitmire’s fifth and final term. People were even getting murdered on the freeways and the populace was scared. When Whitmire was replaced by Mayor Bob Lanier and his new administration was put in place, something changed in the city. The crime rate dropped incredibly and continues to do so. There have been polls taken in the city of Houston that indicate people believe it’s a safer place to live since Lanier took office.

So we see that authority figures can transfer good and bad over a whole city. That’s why we’re called to pray for our authorities. Pray for them because they’re the key. “Oh Lord, save Bill Clinton. Break the Jezebel spirit off of him. Let him be the man of the house and of the White House. Help us, Lord!”

IF YOU’RE IN AUTHORITY

Since authority has such an influence, take any authority given to you by the Lord very seriously. If you’re a parent, consider that your kids will remember any humility you model for them. This is so important. A lot of times we minister to divorcees. When you have someone who has gone through a divorce and the kids usually have to go visit the other parent periodically. I’ve had many a primary custody parent scared to death about what the other parent does or say around the kids. They come into my office or call me on the telephone and say things like, “Why he’s being a total jerk!” or “She’s telling the kids this and that about me or putting me down.” All I tell them is, “Listen. In the final analysis, when these kids get older, they will remember the authority figure that behaved in Godly manner.”

It never pays to slander the other parent. If one of the mates is acting in a bad spirit and the other is acting in a good spirit, ultimately the kids will honor the one who acted in the good spirit and follow them. It always works. Do you know why I know that? Because over the years of ministry to so many people who grew up in divorced homes, they always talk plainly with clear, concise discernment about which parent really loved them. When they get old, they can see. When they are kids, they can’t tell. So parents, don’t ever fall into vengeance. Even if you wind up in a divorce situation, don’t ever operate in a bad spirit. Just love your enemy. Do good to them. Pray for them. Bless them that persecute you. Teach your children to pray for them. Don’t ever speak evil of your mate to your kids. Don’t ever do that. Even if the mate is doing evil. Teach that child to love. It’s the same principle here.

Carrying this a little bit further, look at Proverbs 22:24-25. This is one of the clearest commands in scripture. Obedience to it can halt the transference of some spirits.

24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Few things transfer as easily as anger. Have you ever been around someone who is angry and before you know it, you’re angry, too? Particularly if they’re angry at you! Do you know what the results of anger transference are? When an authority figure is angry, he produces depressed subjects. When a dad is angry, he’s going to have a family, both his kids and his wife, who always wrestle with depression. When a pastor walks in anger, he’s going to have a whole body of people who that are constantly battling depression, whether it’s overt or subtle. Angry fathers tend to bring up discouraged and rebellious kids. There’s a verse in Colossians where it says, “love your children. Don’t correct them with wrath lest they be discouraged.” A child who is mired in discouragement often feels insignificant because of the angry nature of his father as his authority figure. I’ve found that angry people tend to have constantly contentious relationships. Nothing surprising about that.

This illustrates another important principle about the operation of Transference of Spirits:

3.) When one person is soul-tied to another person, spirits can more readily transfer between the two persons.

“Soul-tie” is a word we have come to use in our fellowship to describe a bonding between two people. It can be a healthy or unhealthy bond. There are such things as a healthy bonding. Remember Jesus said, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” That’s a healthy bonding. A married man and woman are one. They will “leave” and “cleave” to each other. In Genesis, the Word says that married couples will “leave their father and mother and cleave one to another and become one flesh.” Other healthy bondings include those between people of a fellowship and their pastor; between siblings, or parents and kids.

Unfortunately, there are also a lot of unhealthy bondings, or “bad soul-ties.” When there’s an unhealthy bonding, we have come to find that demons can “ride” or transfer across the soul-tie. Some of you may already understand what I’m talking about. If you have a deep or intimate relationship with someone, you may find that whatever their mood is, you pick it up, even when you don’t want to. It just kind of comes over you. If that’s the case with you, that soul-tie must be broken! This is an unhealthy type of soul-tie. It has a power to rob you of your autonomy with Jesus and to foster dependence on people ahead of him. Christ wants you liberated even from the closest relationships that would bring you under their power.

Christ did this himself. His mother and brothers came knocking at the door in the middle of the meeting. They as much as told him, “Son, you come on back to the house.”

Granted, that’s reading between the lines. They actually said, “Master, your mother and brethren are calling you.” Jesus felt this “Jewish mother’s” control and guilt from Mary. It’s an interesting passage in the Bible. Jesus had been casting our demons and the Word says that his mother and brothers remarked, “he’s beside himself. Let’s bring him into the house.” Healing was one thing but these “demon casting out things” were something else. So when they said, “come on back home” Jesus replied said? “Who is my mother, who are my brethren?” Why did he do that?! He was breaking that soul-tie with mom. He was saying, “No! You are not going to control me. All these people around me are my mother and brethren. I’m in a new family.” Jesus would not get under any body’s power.

Remember when Elijah got under Jezebel’s power? Elijah defeated all the prophets of Baal and had them killed. When Jezebel heard of this she responded to Elijah by threatened him saying, “you’re going to be like them tomorrow.” He ran for his life. He was under the fear of Jezebel’s power and control. That same evil controlling witchcraft spirit of Jezebel and Ahab still destroys churches to this day when it’s not checked. Elijah was unable to break the power of that soul-tie, but Christ broke it. Unhealthy soul-ties are freeways upon which evil spirits may readily transfer.

For many years I labored under intimidation, feeling intimidated by people that judged me. It used to be that people that were real quiet yet angry drove me nuts. They would come around me and I was convinced that they were angry at me and that they were being quiet because I did something to them. Have you ever felt that way about anyone? I know some people who are afraid to go to a football game because every time the team gets in a huddle, they think that the player are in there talking about them. Do you know what God did to me because I had this problem of quiet angry authority figures? For about five or six years, all I had for authority figures were quiet angry men, bosses, pastors even small group leaders. Everywhere I went, I ran into another one! Do you know why? God was sending them one after another until that “thing” was broken in me. I had to learn to stand up and not get under any body’s power.

Oh, what a great place to be! I want to be like Jesus. When Jesus walked into the room, He was boss. He was the Man. He didn’t get under any demon’s power. In fact when He walked in, demons freaked out as soon as they saw Him. They said, “We know you! You’re the one we can’t get on! You’ve come to cast us out!” Bingo! He walked in a solidarity with His Father and broke every ungodly tie. He even called his best friend “Satan” one time. Simon Peter got a little presumptuous and Jesus said, “Satan, get behind me.” Jesus was showing that he wasn’t going to get under anybody’s power. That’s the way you get free from the soul-ties that would cause evil spirits to transfer on to you. You’ve got to be willing to lose that relationship to get it back. When you’re willing to lose the relationship, God will break the psychic power of the ungodly soul-tie and you can have a beautiful relationship with Christ. After that you can have a relationship with that person that will be in God’s order and you’ll be able to speak truth to them.

Look at what Jesus had to say about this.

Matthew 10:34 -

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes [shall be] they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

He’s basically saying, “I will be a cause of division for you among people. I’m going to put a sword of truth between you and others because you have bad spirits between you.” We have to learn to allow a living two-edged sword of God’s Truth in the Word to be between us and any close relationship. I don’t care who it is! I don’t care if it’s your mother, father, husband, wife, or your kids. That last one is the one we don’t like to talk about. You know, some mothers have bad soul-ties with their kids. Mary did. You know the attitude, “Just don’t talk about my kids. Yes, that husband of mine, I know I have a soul-tie with him. And I break that in the name of the Lord! I’ve been telling all my friends about it. But my kids; those are my kids!”

The maternal instinct is a good thing, but a lot of times the maternal covering can turn into control. At that point, a mother can’t hear common sense or wisdom from others about her own kids. God wants to break every soul-tie so He can speak to you about your kids, through your kids, or vice versa. At that point, you won’t be under their control. One of the saddest things mentioned in the Bible is found in Isaiah 5. God talks about his people having children rule over them. One of the most troubling things in life is to see a parent who is intimidated by his or her own children. The baby just starts to scream, he times it, and momma’s in there. When baby wants this, baby screams, momma comes. You know there’s a point, momma, when you need to say, “Scream your stupid head off, Child. I’m not under your power. I love you child, but I’m not going to come running every time you scream.”

I was at my brother and sister-in-law’s house recently. My dad and I were sitting on the couch and my little nephew was screaming at the top of his lungs. My brother and sister-in-law were totally ignoring him, just going about talking. I couldn’t even hear myself think for the baby’s screaming and the parents were just ignoring him! I went over to my sister-in-law and said, “Uh, the baby appears to be upset.” She replied, “I know. We’re ignoring him” And I thought to myself, these guys have wisdom! Sure enough, the baby eventually realized he had no buttons to push and he quit screaming. It was great! They had learned something. I guess every parent learns that after a while. Somebody once said, it’s those parents with eleven kids who get to a point where NOTHING can phase them. A bomb can go off and they just casually turn their head.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

Now here’s a good one. You don’t want to be under anybody’s power in this way because this is not a spirit you would want to transfer onto you.

Proverbs 13:20:

He that walks with wise men shall be wise. But a companion of fools will be destroyed.

Here’s another principle:

4.) We tend to be like those with whom we associate, good or bad.

If you hang around meek and sensitive people, you’ll be meek and sensitive. If you hang around bold and out-going people, you’ll be that way, too. If you hang around discerning and wise people, you’ll pick it up. If you hang around hurt and resentful people, you’ll feel hurt and resentful. If you hang around anxious and fretting people, you’ll fret. That’s why the Word tells us, “make no friendship with an angry man lest you be like him.”

Now someone might say, “I’m married to an anxious woman. You say that the Word tells me to make no friendship here, but I’m married to her. What do I do now?!” Well, you’d have a good point, but the admonition is clear. So pay attention here. I’m going to give you an answer to that. You need to disassociate yourself from them spiritually when they walk unrepentedly in ungodliness. Before you shy away from this, read this statement again to see what I’m really saying. You need to spiritually disassociate yourself from them when they walk unrepentedly in ungodliness. When the Word says, “make no friendship with an angry man,” it’s talking about someone who walks in anger or frustration without repentance. I’m not suggesting that we have nothing to do with anyone who struggles with anger, hates it and is trying to get delivered from it. There is a difference. I’m talking about somebody who is given over to anger. That’s the way they relate and that’s the way they’re going to relate. If that is the case, and you are intimately tied with them, you need to dissociate yourself spiritually. You need to break those ties in the name of Jesus so that you can have authority to speak truth to them and not get under their intimidation or control. Otherwise, it will ruin your spiritual life and rob you of eternal reward.

We live the Christian life with our eyes set on eternity and eternal rewards. Even marriage is not so sacrosanct in the eyes of God that it takes precedence before eternal reward. It should be held lightly before the Lord Jesus. Christ said in Luke 14: “except you hate your brother, your sister, your wife, your kids, you’re not worthy of Me.” That’s what He said. Now what does He mean? He means, “Don’t let anybody get between you and Me. And if they are, hate them.” Heavy words but those are the words of a disciple. Christ knew that He must be Lord of our lives. In Luke 14 He is telling us, “Break those unhealthy bondings and transferring soul-ties that keep you constantly, emotionally in turmoil. Let rivers of living power flow out of your belly. Let the life of Christ in you infect others. Quit being infected. Quit being a thermometer; become a thermostat.” A thermometer reflects the climate around it. A thermostat controls the climate around it. Take an honest inventory of yourself. Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? God wants to look down on your soul and set the temperature according to his standard. He wants to regulate the climate of your environment because you’ve broken those unhealthy ties and psychic and demon links.

I want to offer you yet another principle about transference of spirits that I believe is from the Holy Spirit.

5.) In many cases, spiritual transference occurs as a result of Occult involvement and activities by you or your ancestors.

Maybe you’ve been involved in some kind of occult practices in your past like spiritualism, new-age thought, psychic thought, out of body experience or any types of occult experience. You may find yourself unhealthily and psychically linked as a result. Those links have to be renounced and broken in the name of Jesus and any attached demons cast out. Then, you will have freedom to walk in the Holy Spirit without constantly being attached to others. You can never love someone truly until you’re free from them. What I mean by that, is that until you lose your life and give up your rights to “your” relationship with them, you won’t find it. You’ve got to lose it to get it. Are you aware of this principle? As long as you’re hanging on to anything, it will have power over you.

The Apostle Peter was dependent upon his relationship with several of his Christian brothers who came from the Jewish tradition, as did he. Although he understood that the Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled the Law, we find out from the Word that he was somewhat unwilling to let go of it. As a result, he lived in fear of judgment. In Galatians 2:11-13 Paul rebuked Peter for this. When Peter was around Gentile Christians, he would not observe the various Jewish laws regulating food handling and cleanliness. He knew that the Gentiles were not raised under the Law, and he also understood that the Law had been fulfilled by Jesus, not by works. He was free around the Gentiles to walk in the unrestrained liberty of God’s grace. But when Peter was in the company of both Gentiles and Jewish Christians, he would observe the Jewish dietary laws out of fear of the Jewish Christians judging him. He was hanging on to a need for their approval This dependence upon them had power over him. He had to become willing to lose his friendships with them and their approval and to stand upon the truth of God’s grace.

Let’s look now at some of the reasons why people become susceptible to transference of spirits from others. I have two key points here to touch on here. First, how do we become susceptible to transference from others and second, what causes you to transfer to others.

HOW WE BECOME OPEN TO RECEIVING TRANSFERENCE

Ephesians 4:14

We hence forth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. The slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ.

Here’s the first main reason that some people tend to be susceptible to transference from others:

Spiritual immaturity.

Paul talks in Ephesians about speaking the truth in love so that we may grow up, and not be little children. In the Greek, the word for children is “nepeos” which means children without the power of speech. He admonishes us to no longer remain as little children, but to become grown men and women, adults; to become a rooted tree and not a tumble weed.

Do you know what a tumbleweed is? When I first moved to Texas I’d seen these cowboy movies as a kid and I thought Texas had tumbleweeds. I’ve been in Texas since 1975 and I’ve yet to see a tumbleweed. Now they can be found in West Texas, but they are not around in the Southeastern portion of the state where I live. So if you want to see one in Texas, “Go west, young man.” But, I have seen a lot of believer tumbleweeds. When the devil comes blowing through, they just tumble down the road. A tumbleweed is like happiness. Happiness is a result of a situation. A rooted tree is like joy. Joy is a fruit of the spirit. Mood swings are indicative of spiritual passivity and dullness. And that’s what Paul is talking about.

As soon as a tumbleweed believer tries to overcome transference from others, the enemy just sends something very familiar in your life to keep them from doing it. If you’re a tumbleweed believer, you’ll tend to be tossed to and fro. As soon as you begin to take a stand, you’re going to come against Satanic attack, and Satan is going to send some familiar thing into your life, a familiar spirit, a familiar torment to jerk your chain and keep you in line. He will dare you to get free! But you can get free! You’re going to have to understand that there’s going to be resistance from the enemy.

Here’s the first principle you need for freedom from anything getting on you.

Until you’re delivered of the thing inside you that tosses you to and fro, you’ll be subject to it transferring to you from others.

There’s the first key. What transfers to you from others is what’s already in you. If you have fear and unbelief inside of you, then when somebody walks up with fear and unbelief, it jumps on you. If you’ve got lust inside of you, or if you’ve been delving in a lot of lust, and somebody walks up full of lust, you’ll spark a connection and a transference will occur. That’s how it works. You have to get it out of you and then God replaces it with a NOT-welcome mat at the door of your life. And then, when it comes on you, there’s a shield in place and it just can’t transfer.

The first key to freedom transference from is get deliverance in your life.

HOW WE TRANSFER THINGS ON US TO OTHERS

Hebrews 12:14-

Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man will see the Lord. Looking diligently lest any of you fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up, trouble you and thereby many be defiled.

A root of bitterness in one person can transfer to and defile many people. Few things spread like a root of bitterness. Roots of bitterness are usually the driving forces behind gossip, evil-speaking, judgmentalism, resentment and unforgiveness. Interestingly enough, the author of Hebrews tells us to look “diligently.” In the Greek, the word for “looking diligently” is “episcopio” and what it literally means is “to oversee.” The author is addressing the elders of the church, the “episcopios.” He’s saying “look diligently, you elders, lest the root defile everybody.” He’s stating that one of the most important jobs of a pastor or a spiritual leader is to root out bitterness or it will defile the whole place. As a pastor, it is one of my major burdens is to root out bitterness in folks so that they can see it and get free from it. You’ve got to get bitterness out of your spirit because it poisons you.

So we come to the second tool we need to have to stop the transference of evil spirits from one person to another. This one has to do with keeping yourself from transferring any spirit on you to anyone else.

To be set free from bitterness, you’ve got to choose to forgive.

You’ve got to get to the point where you can love your enemy, bless those that curse you, and pray for those that abuse you and despitefully use you. A lot of us need deliverance here. That root of bitterness may be generational. Prejudice is generational. You may need to break some generational curses in that area to get delivered. So one’s ability to resist transferring to others is directly related to your diligence in dealing with bitterness.

I want to encourage you to learn to use the word forgive a lot. Do it in one of these in these two ways:

“I forgive you” and “Please forgive me.”

Don’t say, “I’m sorry,” or “I apologize.” Use the word “forgive.” Forgive me, Amen? Forgive me! And I forgive you. That’s the key, forgiveness. Christ said of his executioners, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” Stephen said of those who murdered him, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Forgive! “Whoever’s sins you forgive, you’re forgiven, but whoever’s sins you retain, they’re retained. For if you forgive not your brother his trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you yours.” That’s heavy stuff.

Failure to observe this command can cut you off from the living God and puts you under this thing I call the “Angel of Light god.” I’ve had people tell me, “well, God told me this and God told me that.” The people were spirit-filled, speaking in tongues, walked with Jesus 20 years and talk about God and yet I knew in my spirit it wasn’t God talking to them. It was a demon from hell in a “glorious angelic light.” (See II Corinthians 11:14) Do you know why? Because there’s bitterness in their life. There’s unforgiveness in their life, particularly if it’s towards me. I know that if you’re walking in bitterness and unforgiveness, the living God isn’t even forgiving you your sins. What does the Lord’s Prayer say?

Matthew 6:9-

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done….Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

I’m telling you, it’s scary when I consider the number of people I’ve seen consorting with demons and becoming terribly demonized with pride in their head. Some are church leaders. Some of you know people like that. Pray for them, but don’t get under their power! Understand that if there’s bitterness or resentment or judgmentalism, then there is a Satanic force present. Why do I say that? Because Jesus said, “You know them by their fruits.” Humility and brokenness are the fruits of a Spirit-led life.

Do you know how you can tell if someone’s a “real” Christian? They love their enemy. That’s all there is to it! Listen to Jesus’ words: “Many are going to say, Lord, Lord. We cast out demons, we did…” …fill in the blank.. And He will say, “I never knew you.”

I submit to you that there are spiritual leaders that aren’t even born again.

Make no mistake about what I am saying. I am stating that I believe that there are tongue-talking pastors of Charismatic churches out there that have never been born again. “How can you say that?!” you may ask. Simply from examining the their fruit. According to Jesus, that’s the only criterion. When you blow it all away, the wood, hay, and stubble, all that’s going to be left is gold, silver and precious stone which is humility and brokenness: the character of Jesus.

You can usually recognize another believer. Your spirit bears witness when you encounter them. You can feel it in your gut and you can feel the love of Jesus coming from them. Even when they’re being an arrogant fool, you feel the love of Jesus, because you know if they knew the truth, they’d really be repentant. They may be blinded right

now but you know in your heart they just need to know the truth…and you know that they’ll hear truth if confronted with it. But do you know a believer or maybe spiritual leaders who just won’t hear? These are people who’ve gotten it all figured out and you just kind of know that they won’t hear and if they do hear, it’s not going to sink in? I tell you, pray that they be born again! They may not even be born again. I’m not saying they are or aren’t. It’s likely they’re not, because of the fruit.

When I was first saved, I thought that I had all this figured out. That was twenty-two years ago this year. I believed then that to get born again you say the “sinner’s prayer.” You know… it goes, “Forgive me Lord, Jesus come into my heart, Amen.” And then BOOM! You’re saved! But over the years, I’m realizing that “conversion” really means “conversion.” It’s not some little prayer, it’s conversion. Repentance means repentance. Repentance is not a word, it’s what you do. You stop and go the other way. “Metamelomai,” not “metanao.” These are two Greek words. The first means “Godly sorrow.” The second just means “worldly sorrow.” Are you all discovering the same thing, too, that the longer you walk in the Way, you realize how little you really know? The only thing you really have to go on to identify someone as a Christian is the fruit. You get to where you quit listening to what people say and you start listening to their heart.

I remember I had to talk to a man’s wife once and tell her that I believed her husband was not saved. It freaked her out. But in the final analysis she said, “I think you’re right.” I told her, “You need to know this so that you’ll know how to pray correctly. Don’t kid yourself, pray for the truth and God will answer you.” Let’s quit kidding ourselves about people. Jesus said that people would know we are his disciples by what? By all the tongue-talking charismatic meetings we have? No! By the love of Jesus. It’s his love in us that shows we are his disciples.

TOTAL FREEDOM FROM TRANSFERENCE: A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE

Allow me to show you a man who was totally free from transference. The apostle Paul was on a boat going to Rome to see Caesar. He and his shipmates ran into a storm.

Acts 27:14-

14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon

Read on to verse 19:

19 And the third [day] we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on [us], all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

This is a bad scene. They’re out in the boat, a hurricane’s hitting them, they had to throw everything out and they’re totally in despair knowing that they’re all going to die.

21. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

I love it. He had to throw that in. According to the Word, he had warned them earlier in the voyage saying , “Now I perceive this is not going to be a good voyage.” They ignored him. So now he says, “I told you so.” I love Paul. You see his humanity popping out all through the book of Acts.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of [any man's] life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

In other words, if God says Paul has yet to go to see Caesar, then everybody right here and right now is going to be saved so that Paul can get to God’s appointed destination for him. Hanging around with Paul at this point in time was a guaranteed safe and secure place to be. Paul was not yet in Caesar’s palace and God said Paul was going to end up there.

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

You have to understand the scene. These folks were in the middle of a storm. The time is two- thousand years ago. There are no electric lights to illuminate one’s path. Paul is telling them in the middle of this storm to “be of good cheer, an angel appeared unto me, and it said that I have to go to Caesar and all of you get to go with me. Now the ship will be destroyed, but none of you will be hurt.” He promised them that the whole ship would be destroyed, but that they would all be fine. Do you see that? Paul had guts didn’t he? He could say this because he knew it was truth.

Now look at verse 30:

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

This is incredible. Some of the men were going to get into the life boat and try to get away. Paul stops them saying, “if any of you gets into the life boat, then everybody dies! Stay with the big boat and you’ll all survive.” Somehow they all believed him and they chose to cut off their last means of escape. Isn’t that wild? Can you imagine the spiritual power on Paul at this point? It was more than sufficient to convince the crew and passengers. Let’s read on,

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought [them] all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take [some] meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, …..

Just like Jesus once did…

35b … he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken [it], he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took [some] meat. 37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

The apostle Paul at this point is a beautiful picture of a believer walking in power. He didn’t let anything transfer. Was there depression? Was there despair? Was there hopelessness on the boat? Big time! But Paul said, “No! I’m not going to allow anything to come upon me. I’m going to let what is in me transfer on to you.” And he did it! At dawn, we see a beautiful scene. It says in verse 33:

33 And while the day was coming on…

It was dawn. It was finally calm. They were lost in the sea. The sun began to come up over the horizon and Paul stood forth. Paul owned the moment. Do you see that? He owned it! The whole boat was looking to him. And at that point he the word says….

35b … he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken [it], he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took [some] meat.

This is a place to which our Lord calls us! A place where we are free from receiving a transference of evil spirits from others, and open to the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ flowing through us and out of us onto others.

TO REVIEW:

1.) Seek after Spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:14-).

Insist upon speaking the truth in love so you may grow up spiritually, and not be little children. Stand on the truth of God’s word: what it says about Jesus, what it says about you, and what it says about others. Seek deliverance from anything inside you that tosses you to and fro, you’ll always be subject be it transferring to you from others.

2.) Get deliverance in your life.

Remember that what transfers to you from others is what’s already in you. You have to get it out of you and then God replaces it with a NOT-welcome mat at the door of your life. The key to deliverance from transference from is get deliverance in your life.

3.) Search for hidden roots of bitterness.

A root of bitterness in one person can transfer to and defile many people (Hebrews 12:14-). You’ve got to get any bitterness out of your spirit because it will poison you and others around you.

4.) Learn to forgive others and to ask forgiveness for yourself.

Choose to forgive, love your enemy, bless those that curse you, and pray for those that abuse you and despitefully use you. Learn to say “I forgive you” and “Please forgive me.”

Copyright © 1996, by New Wine Christian Fellowship.

A Practical Step-by-step Approach to Ridding Your Life of Demonic Strongholds

By a member of NWCF

1. Ask the Lord to “bring up” (manifest) areas of darkness in your life.

• Deep deliverance comes only as one desperately seeks the Lord for freedom. Demons will stay hidden until and unless they are exposed. Therefore it takes persistent determination to bring their strongholds to the light. One of Satan’s most commonly used weapons is to lull us into complacence. We must learn to press in and to fight on principle, not based upon our feelings.

2. The Lord then “brings up” (manifests) the area of darkness.

• Usually what comes up is not necessarily a “root stronghold” but rather a manifestation or outgrowth of a rooted spirit. For instance, if the root demon is a spirit of pride, then you’ll become increasingly aware of words, attitudes and tendencies in your life that reveal the underlying presence of such a spirit. It’s important to stay focused on the particular area that the Lord is presently manifesting. Satan, at this point, will seek to confuse you with despair and hopelessness by pointing to other areas of your life where you fall short. This is just a tactic of his to divert your attention from dealing with the area that the Lord is bringing up to the light.

3. Seek the Lord for deeper revelation.

After the Lord has exposed a certain area of demonic activity, begin to seek him for the following:

• A. The Port of Entry: It’s important to determine, if possible, exactly how and when the demon entered your life. It may be that the spirit came in when someone hurt you (necessitating forgiveness), or it entered as a result of an unhealthy bonding with another (necessitating “breaking the soul tie”), or may be in your life because of a “family line sin” (which can be broken under the anointed power of the Holy Spirit).
• B. Your Sin: Even though the evil spirit came into your life through a port of entry, it’s strength to remain and control your life is often because of sin. Ask the Lord to show you areas of sin that you’ve not been able (or willing) to see that give ground to the spirit. When you truly recognize and repent of the sin that the Lord reveals, then the battle with the demon is more than half over.
• C. Total Exposure: Many times a demon’s presence is so “familiar” to you that you may mistake it’s effects for your own feelings or thoughts. The Lord often reveals only a portion of the spirit’s effect in your life to see if you’re really desperate to be free from it’s influence. It’s important at this point to pray for “total exposure” of the demonic activity so that you can fully recognize and hate the bondage it’s causing in your life. You must learn to separate the demon from yourself.

4. Enter Spiritual Warfare Against the Demonic Activity

While you are praying for deeper revelation to discover the entry port and to fully expose of the demon, maintain an aggressive attitude of offensive warfare against its every hold in your life. The following are some suggestions on how to fight offensively:

• A. Bind the Demon often. It’s good to do this even when you don’t “feel” its presence. It’s important to fight by principle, as the demon will often pull back and leave you alone until the “heat is off.” Also, bind the strongman in whose house the demonic activity lies.
• B. Tell the Demon that Its Days are Numbered: This will cause your faith to rise as you begin to intimidate those spirits that formerly intimidated you.
• C. Speak Truth Directly to the Demon: A demon holds its ground by getting you to believe a lie. Search the Scriptures for truth that will expose and refute the lies of the demons and speak that truth directly to the demons. For instance, if you’re being tormented by “fear of man,” , then you would speak to the demon, “I rebuke you and reject your lie because God’s Word tells me that I’m not given a spirit of fear, but rather of power, love, and a sound mind.”
• D. Loose God’s Promises and Blessings: The Word says that “whatever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” So when a particular demon starts to torment you, loose upon yourself the opposite of the tormenting spirit. For instance, if a spirit of bondage is at work, then loose the “spirit of adoption” upon yourself. (See Romans 8:15) If a spirit of pride and haughtiness begins to minister to your mind, loose “meekness and lowliness” upon yourself. (See Ephesians 4:2)
• E. Worship!: One of our greatest weapons is praise and worship, particularly if done throughout the day.(Read Psalm 149) “Praise Breaks” (short times of adoration of the Lord every other hour or so) will substantially weaken the demon’s hold on you. Also, the Lord is blessed when he sees you choosing to praise Him regardless of your feelings or struggles.
• F. Fasting: Few things expose and dislodge demonic activity faster than fasting. A one day fast at least once a week will help to keep you sharp in the Spirit. A three day fast will rip the covering off of many of the hidden bondages in your life. A long term “Pleasant Foods Fast” is also effective (particularly if over a period of several weeks) in stirring up and exposing latent strongholds hiding within you.
• G. Stay Accountable: Often at this stage of the deliverance process, the demon will go into hiding in hopes that you will soon give up your aggressive pursuit of it. God never intended for you to fight this fight all by yourself. Share your struggles with someone you can trust and who you know will love you enough to freely speak the truth to you during the deliverance process. By keeping your life “in the light,” the enemy will find it harder to stay hidden in your life.

5. Make Right Choices

Periodically throughout to the deliverance process, you will be faced with choices to either “yield to” or “resist” the temptations, allurements and deceptions of the demon that you’re attacking. It goes without saying that the more you resist, the less hold the demon will have over you. But exercise caution! If you yield to a demon’s influences one day while resisting them the next day, then you will find yourself needlessly dragging out the deliverance process. This is particularly dangerous because time is on the enemy’s side. If you’re going to see permanent deliverance in your life, then make up your mind that the demon is your enemy and that you will fight it with all that is within you. As you do this, the demon will be increasingly separated from your soul and you’ll be able to recognize the demon as a demon and not just an extension of your own feelings or thoughts. Choose to fight often and fight hard or you’ll be tempted to give up and give in to the enemy!

6. It’s Time for Some Serious Deliverance!

You will have a successful deliverance experience when the following things have occurred:

• A. You’ve recognized and dealt with the demon’s port of entry.
• B. You’ve recognized and chosen to repent of any sin that has given ground to the enemy.
• C. You’ve come to the place where you can consistently take authority over the demon when it tries to manifest itself in your life, or at least you can recognize its presence and you are able to choose to humble yourself to others by asking them to pray for you. In other words, the spirit is no longer free to “speak or live out its attributes through you” without your clearly recognizing what’s going on.

Many time the final stages of deliverance can best be determined by others, and not yourself. Given the nature of the deceived human heart, you may need the scrutiny of others in telling you when you’re “ripe and ready” to receive lasting deliverance. This submission can be a humbling thing, but God’s Word clearly says that “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.” (See James 4:6)

Copyright © 1993, by New Wine Christian Fellowship.