Chapter Three

The Miracle of Deliverance

This area of doctrine has caused more division and more false teaching than any of us need. Where there is division and schism, there is every evil work. The church in general has been bewitched into believing that our spiritual lives are only hindered and affected by the works of the flesh.

In Galatians 3:3, the Holy Spirit profoundly asks of every believer:

Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? He that ministereth to you in the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the flesh, or by the hearing of faith?

We are no longer subject to the dictates of the flesh or the natural man. We are sons of God, and are led of the Spirit of God. We are no longer children but sons. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:24, 25).

Every aspect of the natural life is now affected by the Spirit because we have been born again spiritually. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places “in Christ”: “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us acceptable in the beloved” (Eph. 1:3,6).

Jesus said, And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:17,18).

Jesus spoke these final words of instruction immediately after he had reprimanded them for unbelief and hardness of heart in verse 15 of the same chapter.

Why is the Church So Powerless?

Christians are looking for signs and wonders in the church today and seeking the moving of the Holy Spirit in their worship services. Why is the church so powerless? Could it be that demons are tormenting God’s people and that many need deliverance in order to worship Jesus freely?

Many Christians do not know that this is one area of authority available to every believer. How do we know this? Because the Lord Jesus gave us authority over “all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt” us (Luke 10:19).

Scripture records that Philip “went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them.”

And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:5-7).

The King James Version and other Bible translations say that these people were “possessed,” but that is a wrong translation. The Greek word is actually “daimonizomai,” which means they were under the control of a demon. Those who were thus afflicted expressed the mind and consciousness of the demon or demons indwelling them.

Casting out demons is a miracle. Have you seen any miracles lately?

We see them every day as the Lord Jesus continues to work with us, “confirming the word with signs following” Mark 16:20. I pray that you will exercise your authority as Jesus commands.

Can a Christian Have a Demon?

Deliverance has been missing from the gospel of Jesus Christ long enough. In most of our lives the question is not: Can we have a demon? But, how many do we have?

Never in the history of the church have we seen such activity in the areas of alcoholism, drugs, divorce, behavior problems with children, perversion, homosexuality and lesbianism, witchcraft, idolatry, false doctrines, false prophets, false teachings, and every evil work!

How long are we going to continue to blame the “flesh.” It is not simply our flesh, brothers and sisters. Most of these situations are demonic, and we must, in these last days, address the problems in God’s people, with the provision that Jesus gave us: “CAST THEM OUT!” Let us examine this problem scripturally, once and for all.

Jesus Preached Deliverance

The Bible tells us that Jesus is our “example,” and we are to “follow His steps” (1Pet. 2:21-25). Over 50 percent of the Lord’s ministry was in the area of deliverance.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus told us plainly about His purpose:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The Lord also stated: “As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18).

The Father sent Jesus with a specific purpose: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1John 3:8b). The word “might” indicates that He might not if we as believers do not exercise our authority over the devil in this generation.

I ask you: Why would Jesus give us authority over all the power of the devil, if we did not need to use it? (Luke 10:19). Jesus Himself provides the answer to that question not once but twice:

Verily, verily, I say unto you,

He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father (John 14:12).

Jesus reaffirmed what He expected from His followers as recorded in Mark 16:17:

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In MY Name shall they cast out demons; and they shall speak with new tongues.

The “tongues” brings up another issue, which we will address in a later chapter.

“Once I Was Bound; Now I Am Free!”

I ask you, at the Lord’s command: How many demons have you cast out of your own life? Let’s face it, we are not doing what Jesus told us to do. Are we?

To say that a Christian does not need deliverance is to say Jesus was wrong in His instructions to the Church and that He gave us a provision that we do not need.

At Cross of Christ Ministries, we have ministered deliverance to hundreds of Christians. How do you think these believers would respond if someone told them, “You didn’t need to receive deliverance from the Lord Jesus Christ!”

Most likely the delivered person would respond: “All I know is once I was bound and now I am free!”

When checking out the need for deliverance personally, some Christians make the mistake of asking someone who, like himself, has never received deliverance. That would be like someone asking an unbeliever, “Do I need to get saved?” How would an unsaved person know the answer if he were still “dead in his sins”?

If you ask someone about deliverance who has never been delivered from demons, how can you expect an accurate answer? In most cases, the one you ask needs deliverance more than you do.

These are typical questions asked but seldom answered: “Can a Christian have a demon?” and “How can a demon be in the same body as the Holy Spirit?”

The second question implies that you cannot have a demon because demons cannot dwell where the Holy Spirit is present. I challenge anyone to show me one scripture to support these implications. Look for yourself, there are none. The Holy Spirit is of the same essence as God the Father, and He is omnipresent, ever present, and in the world to convince the believer of sin, righteousness and judgment. If this is so, and it is the truth, then why is the god of this world still playing havoc with God’s children? How could Satan still be the prince of the power of the air, now that the Holy Spirit has been sent to indwell the believer. It’s simple. Christ in you enables you to overcome Satan and his host, and the Holy Ghost is here with us to help cast them out!!

Christ in you is the reason we have compiled this manual. So that every believer will start using their authority over the devil, in their families, churches and areas of habitation, (where you live). In Christ, we will prevail.

Sons of God — NOW!

We all know that the Holy Spirit was given to the church on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter two, and He has not left the church or any believer as an orphan. Jesus said:

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot

receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you (John 14:16-18).

Yes, that same resurrection power, that same Holy Ghost, which was the promise of the Father, shall be in you and dwell with you forever. This does not take place when we die but is the promise for every believer right now.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure (1 John 3:1-3).

If we are to purify ourselves, we must “cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2Cor. 7:1).

Hallelujah! Scripture has revealed to us that we are now sons of God. The completeness of that is profoundly revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

You Might or Might Not?

Every provision for life and godliness is given to every believer in the person of God’s son, Jesus Christ:

He was made sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21).

He was made a curse that the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:13,14).

The word “might” in these verses of Scripture profoundly means that they might not be a part of our walk with the Lord, unless we appropriate the provision of God the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ, to ourselves by faith.

Abraham’s faith was imputed to him as righteousness:

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded, he was able also to perform. And therefore IT WAS IMPUTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (Rom. 4:20-25).

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth proclamation is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10).

So many of us have come through one spiritual movement or another. To name a few: Charismatic, Pentecostal, Full Gospel, Holy Laughter, Jesus Only, People barking like dogs and crawling like serpents on the floors of our worship centers. Hyper Faith Movement, Slain in the Spirit, The Anointing, Renewal, Revival everywhere. But each and everyone of them has ended or is drying up.

Name it and claim it, if God said it, I then can claim that for me and my family. However, most of us now see that saying that we have something that we do not possess, such as deliverance, we deceive ourselves. Remember Jesus made provision for our complete deliverance from sin and the powers of darkness. But, if we do not cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, we can blow our inheritance and God’s provision to be made free.

The Church has been teaching us that the truth shall set you free. Scripture states that the truth shall make you free. To be “set” means it is a completed act. To be “made free” means it is progressive and a way of life.

All of the past revivals have had an ending. Why? I personally believe their was a mixture of holiness and impurity, Godly and ungodly, truth and error, and God the Father insists on holiness and purity.

I tell you the truth, without deliverance from the powers of darkness there will be no true revival. No deliverance — No Revival!