Administering discipline to defiantly unrepentant members of the church is a responsibility that is unpleasant, yet sometimes necessary.

It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you." 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NLT)

No humble leader desires to use his or her authority in this way. Parents of small children have a similar responsibility to correct and discipline their children as needed. The failure to do so, according to the Bible, reveals a lack of love. Sometimes parents’ fear of alienating their children restrains them from carrying out their duty to administer discipline, which rarely produces good results. Likewise, if the church does not make a stand for purity and holiness, the leaven of sin may infiltrate and harm the entire church so that its testimony in the community may be severely damaged.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  1 Corinthians 5:6–8 (NASB95)

Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.  1 Timothy 5:20 (NASB95) — 

People are precious to the Lord; so, we must be careful to handle disciplinary situations in the best way possible, that is, the way the Bible instructs.

Just as a parent disciples a child in the hope of helping that little one become a responsible, God-fearing adult, the church should use discipline in a similar way to hopefully inspire the unruly one to repent and live in a way that will bring God more honor and them more happiness and fulfillment.

Jesus gave us the basic guidelines for handling conflict and unresolved sin issues in Matthew Chapter 18.

If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. ¹⁶ “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. ¹⁷ “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:15-18 (NASB)

Conflicts should be settled one on one if possible. Only if this fails should others be brought into the affair. After all avenues to bring about repentance and reconciliation have been exhausted, church leaders are responsible to use their God-given authority to disfellowship or excommunicate the offender.

This means the church only disciplines those who embrace a sinful lifestyle and refuse to repent, not those who simply struggle with some sin.

This requires leaders to prayerfully consider the attitude of their own hearts as well as the one who is under scrutiny regarding discipline.

In the final stage of church discipline, Jesus instructed us to treat the offender as a “Gentile or tax collector,” meaning that we consider them as someone outside the household of faith and blessing. Even though I am convinced that no one is beyond God’s love and care, functionally this is how we should treat them for their own good. Being excluded from church fellowship and functions should wake up the unrepentant one to the gravity of his or her sin.

A good guideline is that if the sin is private, correction can often be private, but if the sin is publicly known, the correction will likely need to be public as well.

Today the threat of excommunication (the barring from church fellowship and participation in the Lord’s Supper) has much less force than it did in the time when the Bible was written. Today recalcitrant individuals often withdraw (excommunicate themselves) from their local church before the leaders confront them and join another church, quite often with no questions asked by the new church’s leadership. The new church may open its arms wide, simply being glad to have someone new, without ever investigating if any problems may be trailing them. This is why it is such a good thing if church leaders in a geographical area have a good working relationship so that communication can take place in such cases.

When I was functioning as a lead pastor, when new people visited the church and showed an interest in joining us, I would talk to them about why and how they left their previous church. If there seemed to be any unfinished business, I would usually ask them to try to clear it up before joining us. Sometimes it would be impossible, but other times it was doable. Otherwise, the problems will likely be duplicated in the new church. If new people speak negatively about their previous church, it is a red flag. Quite often they will end up speaking ill of their new congregation, too, unless they resolve the issues. These are guidelines, not rigid principles. Every situation must be evaluated in its own light.

Paul gives us more insight into what it means for a person to be excommunicated in his first letter to the church at Corinth, where this took place.

But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 1 Corinthians 5:11 (NASB)

We learn a couple of things at least from this verse. First, Paul lists several sins that can lead to being excommunicated, not just what is usually considered, such as adultery.

Generally, we feel more comfortable confronting sins in others, if we personally do not struggle in that area. We may be harsh with others, but gentle with our own sins. It is important to strive to be honest and humble. We all are sinners in some area or another.

How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Luke 6:42 (NLT) —

Secondly, we learn that excommunicating an unrepentant member of the church means much more than barring him or her from meetings. It prohibits other church members from having friendly fellowship with them, which some people call “shunning.” This may seem harsh, especially today when the world considers judging anyone to be morally repugnant, except of course when people in the world harshly judge the judgers. However, consider the alternative to this aspect of proper church discipline.

If church members continue to relate normally with someone who is rebelliously and publicly unrepentant, outsiders may conclude that the church winks at sin. The unrepentant one may conclude the same thing.

I know of entire families who no longer attend church meetings because of a past serious sin that their home church refused to confront.

The failure to properly administer church discipline may lead one to think that it makes no practical difference whether the sinner repents or not. Of course, God often directly chastens the sinner, regardless of what the church does. There are always consequences connected to sin.

Lastly, people in the church may be influenced to adopt similar sinful practices, seeing that there are no apparent negative consequences.

Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? 1 Corinthians 5:6 (NLT) —

Therefore, for the sake of the unrepentant sinner, the unsaved, and those in the church, we must lovingly and responsibly administer church discipline.

One thing that makes discipline so difficult is that we all know that we too are guilty of sin. King David failed to properly discipline his son, Amnon, who raped his half-sister, Tamar, Absalom’s full sister. Because David also had committed adultery with Bathsheba and indirectly murdered her husband, it seems that he was somewhat paralyzed when it came to properly disciplining his own son. No doubt, another aspect of his inaction was that he was wearing two hats – king and father. He probably should have recused himself and let someone else disciple his son.

We sometimes fail to discipline others when we have not confronted the same sin in our own lives.

David’s previous sin combined with his failure to properly discipline Amnon for his sin, brought the king and the nation some horrific consequences. Absalom became deeply offended and bitter with his father and his half-brother and took matters into his own hands. He ordered his servants to kill Amnon for his crime against his full-sister, Tamar, and later instigated a full-blown rebellion and coup against his father King David, which resulted in great loss of life, including his own.

All of this fulfilled what was prophesied by Nathan at the time of his earlier repentance.

Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’ ” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”  2 Samuel 12:9–14 (NASB95) — 

This illustrates that sin has associated negative consequences that we can experience even after repentance and forgiveness. God will forgive us if we repent, but the law of sowing and reaping is still in effect. Nothing good comes from failing to obey God, and this includes matters of church discipline.

In addition to preserving our testimony in front of an onlooking world, protecting other church members, and eliminating corrupting influences from the church, proper church discipline seeks to bring the offending party to repentance and eventual restoration.

Again, we turn to Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name [authority] of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NASB)

When the offender is excommunicated, it removes him or her from the protective covering of the church. The reason for taking this radical step is to help the person to repent.

Just as the prodigal son “came to his senses” after he reaped the full measure of his folly, it is hoped that the same will take place with the excommunicated one.

This is exactly what happened in the church at Corinth.

Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, 7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 2 Corinthians 2:6-7 (NASB)

In the above case, we see the best possible outcome and have modeled for us the correct attitude we must have when administering church discipline. Pride and self-righteousness will undermine the process and probably bring judgment upon us from God.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Galatians 6:1 (NLT) —

Let us never forget that all of us are completely dependent upon the mercies of God. However, we also cannot afford to succumb to the twisted logic of the world which would prevent us from judging at all.

In addition, we must be quick to forgive, if the sinner repents. In so doing we manifest our heavenly Father’s heart. Just as the father of the prodigal ran to meet his son at the first sign of repentance and returning, we too must be on the lookout for any signs of repentance and not be coolly aloof, demanding extensive proof of real change. Jesus told his followers to forgive far beyond what seems reasonable to us.

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Matthew 18:21–22 (NASB95) — 

When it comes to quick forgiveness, as Abraham Lincoln advised, if we are to err, let’s err on the side of mercy. Thank God that He forgives us even though we continue to struggle!

A wonderful example of proper discipline is found in John Chapter 8. A woman was caught, probably trapped, in the act of adultery. The man apparently escaped or got a pass. Perhaps he was the setup person. Nevertheless, the woman was unceremoniously dragged publicly in front of the Lord in order to force him to choose between showing her mercy and affirming the Law’s command to stone adulterers to death.

The Jewish leaders demonstrate the very worst possible example of how to handle church discipline. They were harsh, unloving, and hypocritical. Jesus, on the other hand, was kind, merciful, and loving. The Jewish leaders wanted to embarrass her and treat her poorly. Jesus was never disrespectful, even as he lovingly confronted her sin and challenged her to repent. The Jewish leaders condemned her, but our Lord did not. As a result, she was salvaged and set free from her sin. I encourage you to read the passage and think deeply about it.

The heart attitude of those who confront sin will make all the difference. When people witness proper church discipline, it encourages them to be honest about their own sin. Harshness makes hypocrites of us all.

The authority to administer church discipline resides in the eldership of the local church. However, we all must participate in this ministry to one degree or another. Jesus made it clear in Matthew Chapter 18 that we all have a responsibility to confront evil. Paul challenged us to always act with humility and the fear of the Lord.

When the truth is spoken in love, it allows us to be direct without causing undue damage. If we are harsh, it may create problems beyond what already exists.

If we are faithful in this responsibility, we may help someone escape the clutches of sin and in so doing preserve many from its degrading influence as we keep our testimony pure before the world. 

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.  James 5:19–20 (NLT) — 

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

• Have you ever witnessed or participated in some form of church discipline?
• Do you think it was done properly?
• What was the outcome?

Note: This lesson builds on Lesson 25 – Redemption from Sickness and Disease, which lays out the theological framework for healing. This is more of a practical application.

One of the signs that should accompany the proclamation of the gospel is healing. Jesus instructed his disciples…

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.  Matthew 10:7–8 (NASB95) — 

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18 (NASB) 

Few things make us more desperate for a Savior than being sick, especially when there is nothing that a doctor can do for us. Sickness and disease are products of Adam’s sin, which corrupted creation and introduced death in all its forms. It represents an aberration from God’s original intent. The suffering it brings is a reminder of our weakness and mortality and reveals our need for a Savior.

Healing is a function of God’s mercy and love and reveals his desire to relieve human suffering.

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.  Matthew 14:14 (NASB95) —

In Exodus 15:26, God revealed that one of His names is, “Jehovah Rapha”… “I AM the LORD, who heals you.” The literal translation of this name is: “I AM your healing.” Healing is one of God’s unchanging attributes, and although God’s plans may change, He himself never changes (see Mal. 3:6). If God’s nature was to heal then, it is still His nature to heal today. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 37-38). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”  Exodus 15:26 (NASB95) — 

In this verse, healing depended on Israel’s obedience. In the New Covenant, however, our healing is directly connected to Christ’s obedience. He earned our healing through his suffering.

Jesus accomplished our healing by the wounds He received during His passion and crucifixion. In other words, healing is part of the atonement.

An unbiased reading of Isaiah 53 can lead to no other conclusion.

Surely he took up our infirmities [literally, sicknesses] and carried our sorrows [literally, pains], yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV)

The same Hebrew verbs refer to His carrying our sins and sicknesses. If He carried one away, then He did the same for the other. This interpretation is corroborated by Peter in his first letter.

He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds! 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

In order to make it even more clear, the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to write the following, which absolutely links Isaiah 53 to physical healing.

That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. All the spirits fled when he commanded them to leave; and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Isaiah, who said, "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases." Matthew 8:16-17 (NLT)

Once a debt is paid, it never needs to be paid again. Jesus paid the debt for our sins and purchased our healing in the process.

The gospels link forgiveness to healing. Both are fruit of what Jesus accomplished by his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection.

“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”  Mark 2:9–12 (NASB95) — 

While it’s true that Jesus used this encounter as a visible demonstration of His authority to forgive sin, it also illustrates the relationship between forgiveness of sin and healing. Jesus has the same authority over both sin and sickness and the grace of God deals with them in the same way. With the same proclamation Jesus forgave the man’s sin and healed him of his sickness. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 39-40). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

Jesus perfectly represents God the Father and his heart toward people. (Hebrews 1:3) Since he often healed people during his earthly ministry and commanded his disciples to do the same, we know that is God’s heart and intention.”

And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (NLT)

[Jesus said…] and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  Luke 10:9 (NASB95) — 

Healing is “…a tangible demonstration of God’s power, love, mercy and compassion, a means of warfare against the kingdom of darkness, a means of making people spiritually, physically and emotionally whole and a way to bring people into a personal relationship with God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 26). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

Some say that God no longer heals because now we have the written Bible, and we no longer need God to prove the truth of his message by demonstrations of power. The Word of God says, however, that Jesus is always the same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Hebrews 13:8 (NASB95) — 

His compassion for people has not changed. God’s desire to prove the truth of the gospel has not changed. The only difference is that we in the West believe that we only need logical arguments to satisfy our thirst for truth. This is a very “Greek” way of thinking that does not reflect God’s wisdom.

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:22–24 (NASB95) — 

Everyone deeply needs to experience God’s power as well as his truth. That is why Paul operated in both realms when he brought the gospel to people.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NASB95) — 

Healing is kind of a dinner bell calling people to salvation. When healing takes place, people flock to hear the gospel message. Nothing more clearly reveals God’s love and personal interest to a seeker than a physical healing.

When people see that Jesus has the power to heal, they can more readily believe He has the power to deliver their souls from hell, give them eternal life, redeem them for all oppression, and restore them to intimacy with the Father.

Healing not only applies to the body: God also heals the soul (mind, will, emotions). He heals marriages, old hurts and wounds, and areas in which we have been devastated by the devil, other people, or our own sin.

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”  Psalm 41:4 (NASB95) — 

The Good Shepherd loves people and wants the best for us. Those who have his heart for others will feel the same and do as he did.

Jesus is looking for those who will take the gospel and his healing ministry to the lost and dying.

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”  Matthew 9:35–38 (NASB95) — 

Somehow, we have concluded that representatives of Christ should only preach the gospel. I think these verses and others reveal that we are to minister physical and other kinds of healing, too. Is our reluctance to do so because we are afraid of looking foolish if healing does not seem to take place? Are we more concerned about our own reputation than we are determined to properly represent God’s heart to those who need his healing touch?

After His resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Acts of the Apostles records that the early Christians preached the gospel with signs following that confirmed the truth of their words. This has been the pattern for evangelism from the beginning of the church.

Healing and evangelism are inextricably linked.

Healing has been called the “children’s bread,” which refers to Jesus’ conversation with the Syro-Phoenician woman. She begged Jesus to heal her daughter, but Our Lord replied that it was not proper to take the “children’s bread” and cast it to the “dogs,” an analogical and perhaps derogatory term for non-Jewish people. Not to be deterred, this faith-filled woman responded that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the family table. Jesus responded to her humility and persistent faith by granting her request.

From this passage we learn that anyone who comes to the Lord with persistent faith can reasonably expect Him to mercifully heal them and their loved ones. Warning: this is not a law or a rule, but a principle.

This principle of God’s willingness to heal us is confirmed by Jesus’ words to the leper who asked to be healed.

While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Luke 5:12–13 (NASB95) — 

There is no record of Jesus ever denying someone who asked for healing.

“Jesus healed all who came to Him. No one was turned away. As long as people were willing to be healed, He was willing to heal them. He didn’t heal all who were sick, but rather, He healed all who were willing to be made well.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 41). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

But what about when we pray and healing does not (seem to?) take place? All sorts of theories have been advanced as to why this happens. Some have concluded that the faith of the one seeking healing or the one praying was deficient since healing has been bought and paid for already. Some have looked for other reasons, such as unconfessed sin or other such hindrances.

While all these things may play a factor, I believe it is important for us to acknowledge that sometimes we simply do not know why some are not healed.

We should not “blame” the unhealed person or the minister for not having enough faith, even though that may be the case. The blame game belongs to the devil, the Accuser of the Brethren, and could put us in the same camp as Job’s friends who said that his suffering was a punishment for his sin, when that was not the case at all. God was simply dealing with Job in an incomprehensible way. It was only at the end that it became clear what God had accomplished through Job’s suffering.

We need to disassociate ourselves from looking for deficiencies in ourselves and others. Instead, it is important for us to see ourselves as Christ’s representatives.

“The key to operating in the power of God is in knowing your identity in Christ and knowing how He wants to work in you. You must shed the false identities you’ve accepted from man and receive the identity given to you by God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 52). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

When it comes to healing, our primary responsibility always is to love people, trust God, and hold on to what the Bible teaches, regardless of the perceived outcome.

We will never go wrong if we seek to bring glory and honor to our Lord by our attitude, words, and actions. The one who endures the adversity of apparently not being healed and does not complain or accuse God perhaps glorifies God more than the person who experiences physical healing. Who is sufficient for these things?

If we are suffering from sickness, the first thing we can do is fully surrender to God and ask Him to glorify Himself through our lives and our present situation. I believe by so doing we maximize our ability to hear His voice, know His will, and believe His Word.

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.  1 Peter 2:24 (NASB95) — 

The truth is that we already have been healed, whether it appears so or not. The price was fully paid at Calvary.

Faith receives our healing immediately without waiting for any outward manifestation. Nevertheless, the timing and method of our experiencing that healing lies entirely with God.

We still live in a fallen world. Everyone is destined to die, barring Christ’s return before that happens. (Hebrews 9:27) The most perfect expression of healing will take place at the resurrection when these mortal bodies will be replaced by spiritual ones that will never get sick or die. Until then, we live in a sin-scarred world having bodies that are still subject to the effects of Adam’s sin. Our spirits are made perfect at the new birth. Our souls are being transformed day by day, but our bodies will not be perfected until the resurrection. This means we must be okay ministering inside the tension created by the “already / not yet” aspect of the kingdom of God.

Christ already paid the price for our healing, but we don’t always see an immediate result when we pray. However, our faith always rests upon the completed aspect of healing.

Here are some practical tips for praying for the sick.

1. Practically speaking, we should expect that God will heal each time we pray.

2. Teach those receiving ministry that they play a part, too.
   • They can ask for healing,
   • Believe for healing,
   • Receive their healing, and
   • Thank God for their healing. All of which requires faith and an open heart.

3. Prior to praying, it might be advisable to share some Bible verses with the sick person to elevate his or her faith. Remind the one receiving ministry that…
   • One of God’s compound names is the Lord who heals us. It is his nature to heal.
   • Jesus already paid the price for our healing.
   • Jesus further revealed God’s desire to heal us by healing everyone who came to him.
   • Faith receives immediately what God promised before it ever sees any evidence. Faith is the evidence. (Hebrews 11:1)
   • Remember that our faith rests on the promises of God made effective by the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of our Lord Jesus.

We must understand that the power to heal resides with us. It is true that the power does not originate in us. It comes from God. But it comes to us and is released through us by the power of the Holy Spirit operating in us. We are something like portable power stations walking the earth. How marvelous it is that He has placed His treasure in these very earthen vessels. [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 84). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

4. Worship is always a good thing. It brings the sick person and the one praying into the manifest presence of God. “God’s glory brings healing, deliverance, creative miracles, and much more into existence. Wherever God’s presence is manifested in this way, heaven touches earth.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 94). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]
   

5. Ask the Holy Spirit for any specific instructions.

“To operate successfully in healing it’s imperative to establish a strong, active relationship with the Holy Spirit. All that we do must be led and powered by the Spirit of God.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 103). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“Always invite the Holy Spirit to lead the healing encounter and allow Him to do with the person what He wants done. Ministry with the Holy Spirit is a dance. He leads and we follow.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 105). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“A word of knowledge may be given to encourage us to pray for a condition we wouldn’t normally have faith to heal. One of the first words of knowledge I received was for a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease. At this point in my life I had no faith that I’d ever see this condition healed. When I gave the word to him and his wife, it boosted their hope.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 118). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“If you’d like to receive words of knowledge, ask God to reveal things to you and spend time getting to know His ways. The revelation gifts are relational and time is the commodity of relationships.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 119). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

6. It is a good idea to lay hands upon the sick, since Jesus often did it that way and the Bible encourages us to do the same. (Mark 16:18) The only place we are instructed to anoint with oil is in a command to elders in the church. (James 5:14)

7. When we pray for the sick, we should do so aloud with confidence, more in the way of a command than a petition. We represent Christ and enforce his victory by using our God-given authority to speak words of liberation.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;  Isaiah 61:1 (NASB95) — 

8. It is okay to pray more than once for a particular issue. Jesus did so in the case of the blind man who was only partially healed at first.

Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.  Mark 8:23–25 (NASB95) — 

 “Among my friends who have the highest success rates in healing, there is agreement on one approach that seems to work best. It involves commanding sickness or pain to leave and commanding healing to take its place. Don’t beg or plead with God to heal anyone. The most common mistake people make is begging God to heal. The second is quitting too soon. Persistence brings breakthrough. You’ll have to get used to a little embarrassment. You may look a bit foolish repeatedly commanding a broken leg to be healed when there is no outward sign that it’s helping. Yet the vast majority of healings I’ve seen came because I stood there looking like an idiot, repeatedly commanding an injury to be healed until it finally was healed.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 107-108). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“When I started seeing people healed, most of it came after four or five times of commanding healing to happen. Be persistent and don’t quit. If you see any change in symptoms or severity of pain after four or five times, keep going. You’re making progress. If you see any change at all, you can eventually get it to go away completely.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 108-109). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

9. Consider the possibility that an evil spirit of infirmity might be present. We handle that by casting it out.

“If healing is going poorly consider the possibility that a spirit is present that must be removed.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 108). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.] 

“When praying with someone, if they suddenly experience pain they didn’t have before, or if a present sensation of pain moves to another part of the body or becomes worse, it’s a sure sign that an evil spirit is manifesting. Demons sometimes manifest to frighten their host. If the demon can create enough fear in the mind of its host they may ask you to stop praying for them, thinking you’re only making things worse. My advice in these cases is to tell them there is a spirit present and the increased pain is a tactic it’s using to frighten them. Ask if you may continue and reassure them it will eventually leave.” [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (pp. 163-164). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

“If someone receives prayer from multiple people with a good track record for healing and no progress is being made, it almost certainly points to a demonic presence that hasn’t been dealt with.”  [Medic, Praying. Divine Healing Made Simple (The Kingdom of God Made Simple) (p. 219). Inkity Press. Kindle Edition.]

10. We should not be afraid to ask the person if they experienced healing after we pray. We may discover that the person was completely healed, only partially healed, or nothing seemed to happen. Our attitude should be to stick with it as long as it takes as long as the recipient is willing. Just listen to the Lord and do what he says. Once I prayed for my wife to be healed of a headache. Afterward I asked her if it was gone. She said no, so I prayed again. The second time it left immediately.

Refuse to be embarrassed if nothing seems to happen. Our reputation is not on the line. God’s is, and he can handle it.

If after repeated prayer, no healing seems to take place, I usually tell the person to keep believing because every healing is not instantaneous.

We must also keep in mind that eventually we all will die.

Healing is always a temporary fix at best. The resurrection is the final solution for these mortal bodies, which are wearing out and proceeding inexorably toward death.

May God be glorified by our faith in His promises and our trust in his loving kindness, wisdom, and sovereign power, no matter what. May we glorify God by receiving our healing by faith and by trusting him even if we do not experience healing in this life. May the gospel be confirmed by the bold pronouncement of healing in Jesus’ name followed by healing and miracles!

For further reading, I recommend two other books. Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth and Divine Healing Made Simple by the Praying Medic (Dave Hayes).

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

1. Have you ever seen someone receive instantaneous healing?
2. Have you ever prayed for someone who was healed?
3. Do you have any fears or misgivings regarding praying for the sick?

The preaching of the gospel signifies the coming of God’s kingdom. Healings, miracles, and casting out demons should regularly accompany this proclamation of freedom from Satan’s dominion.

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:17-18 (NASB) 

The purpose of this teaching is to equip the hearer to become knowledgeable and confident to step out in faith with reliance upon the Spirit of God to set people free from demonic oppression. God loves to use ordinary people who believe his promises, rely on his Spirit, and step out in faith. Ordinary people like us can do extraordinary things. Casting out demons is not a quick fix. Rather it is usually part of a more comprehensive process of helping people escape bondage. We don’t want to be guilty of having only one tool in our bag, say a hammer, and seeing every problem as a nail.

What is a demon?

Scripture is not clear on this matter. Some hold that they are fallen angels; while others believe they are some other malevolent creatures, who for some reason crave to inhabit and oppress humans. Probably they wish to have a bodily means of expressing their evil in the world, or it may simply be that they wish to mar the crown of God’s creation. Regardless of their origin, demons have power to oppress or demonize people, and Jesus came to set us free from their influence. In addition, our Lord delegated authority to his followers to do the same.

When Jesus rose from the dead, Satan and all in his kingdom suffered a complete defeat.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:8–11 (NASB95) — 

Christ’s resurrection sealed the destruction of the kingdom of darkness and introduced the reign of God.

When we respond to the gospel, Father God transfer’s us from Satan’s rule into Jesus’ glorious kingdom.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,  Colossians 1:13 (NASB95) — 

What is demonization?

Unfortunately, most Bible translations incorrectly describe demonic activity as “possession,” implying ownership and complete control over us. The Scriptures call it “demonization,” which can come in varying degrees. Let’s look at an example.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed (Greek: daimonizomai = English: demonized).  Mark 1:32 (NASB95)

What a difference it would make in our thinking if this had been translated like this.

When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were oppressed or harassed by demons (demonized).

Oppression communicates something very different from possession. Some who oppose the idea that a Christian can “have” a demon correctly argue that those who belong to Christ cannot be possessed or owned by an evil spirit since we belong to God. However, this does not preclude a Christian’s being oppressed by a demon, which happens quite often.

Demons oppress people in a variety of ways, using fear, intimidation, and deception. Below are the names given to these spirits in the Bible.

• Demon (daimonion) – Matthew 7:22. This is the general term.
• Evil Spirit (pneuma poneros) – Matthew 12:45. This is also a general term. All demons are evil. This goes for ghosts, poltergeists, etc. There is no Casper the friendly ghost. Don’t be deceived by the current fad of ghost busting. To learn more about this, consider reading Seeing Ghosts through God’s Eyes by Mark Hunnemann.
• Unclean Spirit (pneuma akathartos) – Matthew 10:1. This is another general term, but one we in the West do not often use. The opposite of clean or holy is unclean or defiled. Unclean spirits defile what they touch. Jesus, the Clean One, cleanses unclean people with a touch. Part of his ministry was and is to drive out spirits of uncleanness. I think that sexual perversion can be demonic and defiles us.
• Spirit of Infirmity, Weakness, or Sickness (pneuma astheneia) – Luke 13:11. Some sicknesses and diseases are caused by evil spirits. We must discern whether we are dealing with a “simple” sickness or one that is demonically induced. One requires healing. The other, deliverance.
• Spirit of Fear, Timidity, or Cowardice (pneuma deilia) – 2 Timothy 1:7. Some spirits inspire fear in those they oppress. Spirits can only minister to others who they are and what they have. Perfect love (Jesus) drives out all fear.
• Spirit of Python, Fortune Telling, Divination (pneuma puthon) – Acts 16:16. Evil spirits inspire false prophecy and other forms of divination (knowing things by means of an evil source). This is one reason why we must steer clear of demonically inspired sources of information, which include Ouija boards, fortune telling tarot cards, astrology, etc.. Satan always desires to bring people into bondage through false knowledge. He will reveal just enough truth to hook people, but his ultimate desire is to enslave and destroy us by means of clever lies.
• Spirit of Slavery (pneuma douleia) – Romans 8:15. This spirit keeps people in bondage, often through fear and intimidation. Addictions may be at least partly caused by such a spirit. I believe these spirits are also at work in false religions and legalism.
• Spirit of Antichrist (pneuma antichristos) – 1 John 4:3. This is the spirit behind false worship and false messiahs. It denies Christ and inspires others to do the same.
• Spirit of Stupor (pneuma katanuxis) – Romans 11:8. This spirit seeks to dull people’s ability to hear and respond to God and the Gospel. When people start nodding off when anything spiritual is happening, it might be because of this spirit. Of course, they might be suffering from a lack of sleep, too.
• Lying Spirit (ruach sheqer) – 2 Chronicles 18:22. This spirit works to keep people deceived. Some people are motivated by this spirit to lie. Others are lied to by this spirit. In the biblical example cited, lying spirits inspired false prophets to lie to the king to induce him to take a course of action that would result in his death. Today perhaps the legacy media is the closest parallel.

What evil spirits do according to the Bible.

• Afflict – to apply pressure,
• Harass – to distress or trouble,
• Dispirit – to throw down,
• Oppress – to exercise power over,
• Torment –  to make a person hurt himself and cry out,
• Inflict physical problems – such as sickness, deafness, blindness, muteness, seizures,
• Try to destroy – such as throw someone into a fire,
• Make insane – such as the Gerasene demoniac,
• Defile – Unclean spirits afflict with impurity, sexual or otherwise,
• Terrify – to fall upon, startle, inspire fear (Saul).

How do people become demonized?

I do not believe that demons are behind our every sin or problem. The greatest culprit we face is our own inborn propensity to sin, which the Bible calls the “flesh.” Paul advised us to…

… lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.  Ephesians 4:22–24 (NASB95) — 

Even though our “flesh” should be our first suspect when we have a recurring problem, demons may be more prevalent than we think. They seek to take advantage of “open doors” in our lives to harass and oppress us.

Thankfully, they cannot oppress us at will if they have not been given access to do so.

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, 
So a curse without cause does not alight.  Proverbs 26:2 (NASB95) — 

We do not have to be worried about some demon “jumping on us,” nor do we have to be concerned that, if we touch a demonized person, the demon can transfer to us. Jesus often laid his hands on demonized people as part of the deliverance process.

And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13 And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.  Luke 13:10–13 (NASB95) — 

In general, demons are attracted to some sort of “nest” of pain or lies or a “hook” created by some habitual or gateway sin by which to gain traction in our lives. Demons may gain access, it appears, in several ways. Here is a partial list.

• When we give ourselves over to habitual sin, particularly bitterness, which opens our soul to whatever spirit or spirits may wish to “set up shop” in that area of sinfulness,
• Sexual sin with a demonized partner,
• If we participate in the occult in some way, even if it is done ignorantly,
• If we are traumatized, especially when we are young, and we turn to someone or something other than God to help us,
• If we give ourselves over to believing lies about God which contradict his character or the scriptures,
• Through abuse, especially sexual abuse, especially when the abuse is done by someone who should be our protector, and
• By the passing down of generational or family (familiar) spirits, such as when witchcraft is passed down from a parent or grandparent to a child.
• Lately more demonic movies and TV shows are being aired. It is quite possible, I believe, for people who are watching these shows to open their hearts and minds to the demonic. It is akin to dabbling in the occult.
• By opening our souls to evil through the use of drugs and mind altering chemicals.

Demons do not play fair and will take advantage of any opportunity or opening to oppress people, whether we sin intentionally or naively, as in occult involvement, or whether we commit sin or sin is committed against us, as in abuse. Parents, who are supposed to be protectors of their children, can open the door for their children to be demonized by bringing the occult, etc. into their homes.

Lastly, demons can even be sent by God to torment us if we refuse to forgive others.

“Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”  Matthew 18:32–35 (NASB95) — 

How do we identify demons?

If we believe that demons exist, that they were defeated by our Lord, and that we have authority over them, how do we know when we are dealing with one? That is less straightforward except for those times when they clearly manifest their presence.

Generally, demons seek to remain undetected. Therefore, the first step is to identify the problem.

They want us to assume that the oppression we experience at their hands is of our own making. For example, if we are being bombarded with lustful thoughts from an unclean spirit, it wants us to think these thoughts are all from our own mind. If we do not know a demon is at work, we will not take steps to get rid of it.

Demons try to distract from God and his work. We must never allow them to become the main event or attraction. Rather, we should see them as a sideshow. The underlying problem(s) that gave demons access is (are) the main issue that needs to be addressed and resolved.

Some believe that we should always suspect a demon when a person has a recurrent or difficult problem with sin or addiction. I believe our problems are usually more complicated than that. When helping someone get free from devastating problems, I address their bondage by looking at obvious sin, especially bitterness, generational problems passed down through their family, lies believed, unhealed traumatic pain, and lastly, demons. We all have what the Bible calls the “flesh,” our inborn propensity to sin. The “flesh” never reforms or goes away; although, it does not have the power to rule us after we are born again. However, we can give in to it if we choose. I begin with delving into these various areas of bondage, understanding that I may encounter a demon along the way. I trust the Holy Spirit to reveal if one is there. Often removing the ”nest” gets rid of the demon.

When we allow Jesus to liberate and heal us in these areas and uncover demons, they are easily removed. Deliverance is the easiest part of helping people experience their freedom in Christ.

When healing people, about half the time Jesus simply spoke words of healing, and the rest of the time he identified the problem as having a demonic origin. Our Lord was able to discern the difference, and so must we.

It can be harmful and confusing if we try to cast out a demon that is not present.

Nothing will happen, leaving either us or the person receiving ministry confused. It may be decided that Jesus does not have the desire to help us or that the minister is powerless. The flesh cannot be cast out.

The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern the presence or work of a demon (1 Corinthians 12:10), but it takes experience and faith to become proficient at it.

The gift of discerning of spirits is many-faceted. I know a person who told me that she can “smell” them. Others “see” them with spiritual discernment. Many detect their presence intuitively. Others “figure out” that they are the problem by analyzing the symptoms. Occasionally demons manifest in some obvious way. Each minister must figure out how God works through him or her. Personally, I must rely heavily on the Spirit of God since I cannot figure this stuff out on my own. I find this is the safest and most effective way to minister to people.

If we are convinced that the Holy Spirit will help us as we minister in Christ’s name and authority, it will enable us to step out in faith.  

I sometimes resort to commanding a suspected demon to manifest in a “controlled” way. I may pray something like this: “Evil spirit, if you are there, I command you to manifest in a way that Jesus allows and will not hinder or distract us in any way but will reveal your presence.” Once I suspected a young woman who was addicted to cigarettes may have been suffering from demonization. With her permission, I commanded any demon operating in her to manifest. She immediately had a vile taste in her mouth. I commanded the spirit to leave, and she was released from her addiction.

On a humorous side, once while ministering to a man, after we prayed, he heard a voice inside him say, “I am not going to leave either.” We both burst into laughter, realizing that a demon just revealed its presence. We immediately cast it out.

How can we be set free?

Once we identify any demons and help the demonized person to repent and renounce whatever gave them entrance, it is an easy matter to dispose of them. Helping people to be set free from demons is best done in active cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that he cast out spirits by the “finger of God,” meaning the Holy Spirit, and so must we.

Forgiveness

Often the first step to being freed from bondage, including demonic oppression, is to forgive. Never try to go forward in a deliverance process until the person who desires freedom has released all bitterness.

Unforgiveness is the Christian’s archenemy.

Generational Devastation – Lies – Unhealed Traumatic Pain

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can uncover the presence of generational devastation, lie-based strongholds, and unhealed traumatic wounds. This usually takes time, sometimes hours of ministry, which I call Personal Prayer Ministry. Identifying the problem, of course, is not solving it. The Spirit of God will also show us how to help people find freedom in Christ. In the process of freeing people from these things, we often uncover the presence and activity of demons, because those areas are where they love to hide and operate. Jesus is the great Liberator. We are simply his representatives whom he commissioned to carry on his work.

Any lie-based stronghold that is uncovered should be renounced and replaced it with the God’s truth. This can happen in a variety of ways, but often it takes place when the Spirit speaks directly to the person seeking freedom. If there are any unhealed wounds, we should ask Jesus to heal them. Generational devastation must be confessed and Christ’s victory over it declared.

We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. 5 With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT)

The Occult

Once we have helped a demonized person release any bitterness and examine the other three areas of bondage, the next general thing to cover is whether the person has ever participated in the occult or some secret society. Sometimes this may be moved higher up the list. Just let the Holy Spirit guide you. Occult involvement can be as “innocent” as playing with a Ouija board as a child or as serious as participating in satanic rituals. We can trust the Holy Spirit to reveal where a spirit gained access, and sometimes a simple checklist can help spur the memory. Here is a sample list.

Confession and Renunciation

If we discover an open door via the occult, as with any other sin that may act as a gateway or hook for demonization, it is best to lead the person to confess the involvement as sin, renounce any association, and command any spirits that gained access to leave.

A big key to easily uprooting a demon from its place is for the demonized person to renounce the sin or activity that opened the door.

Afterward doing these things, it is a simple matter to use Christ’s authority to command the demon to leave. The Holy Spirit will enforce our command. If we try to cast out a spirit without prior repentance, we may find that it resists leaving or reattaches itself to the delivered person because the door of access was left open.

“When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”  Luke 11:24–26 (NASB95) — 

Strangely enough, some people are reluctant to part with their demon “friends” or familiar spirits because they have been deceived into thinking they are somehow beneficial to them. All this should be exposed and renounced prior to casting out a spirit.

For example, one woman we helped had been exposed to a spirit of death in her childhood. Over the years she took comfort thinking that if things got bad enough, she could always die. When we identified the spirit’s presence, initially she was not sure she was ready to part with her “old friend.” We asked the Holy Spirit to reveal the true nature of this spirit to her. Almost immediately she said she wanted to be free. After we cast it out, she later told me how much freer she felt. She had been suffering oppression from this spirit for years without knowing it.

Say It Aloud. Don’t Just Silently Pray.

It is vital that we have a thorough knowledge of the Bible and an acquaintance with working in partnership with the Holy Spirit, which is another topic.

Confessing and renouncing sinful activity that opened the door to the demonic should be done out loud. It is not certain that demons can read our thoughts, and every example of deliverance in the Bible was done orally.

We are not to be passive. Instead the Lord wants us to use the authority we have by boldly and directly commanding evil spirits.

One caveat I want to mention here is that once while praying for a demonized person in tongues, he experienced complete deliverance with physical manifestations of gagging, etc. I was not consciously ordering the spirit to leave. The Holy Spirit took over. I did not even know that could happen. Since then I often pray in tongues during deliverance, sometimes going into obvious warfare prayer in an unknown language. It is a wonderful thing to partner with God’s Spirit!

Pre-Deliverance Checklist and Prayers

Evil spirits are master intimidators and inveterate liars. They will use every trick in the book to convince us that we have no ability or right to get rid of them. The usual shenanigans include telling us that they are too strong for us, are not going to do what we tell them, have a right to be there, or to try to convince us that we have some area of personal sin that disqualifies us from ministry. For this reason, before every ministry session I spend time declaring aloud and reminding myself, the person(s) with whom I am working, the Lord, and any demons present that my righteousness is derived solely from Christ, not my own performance; my authority is Christ’s authority, and I am his personal representative; and Jesus is Lord over the ministry session (and everything else). I also invite the Holy Spirit to oversee everything and ask him to work in and through me to help the other person.

Here is a checklist of things to pray aloud before engaging in ministry.

• Proclaim the Lordship of Jesus and reaffirm that you are under his authority.
• Acknowledge that you have been given Christ’s delegated authority.
• Thank God that Christ’s righteousness has been given to you and your ability to cast out demons does not depend on your own spiritual performance or standing.
• Surrender the ministry session to Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to oversee every aspect of what you do, including putting into your mind Bible verses, giving you spiritual gifts including faith and discerning of spirits, and generally leading you.
• Bind the activity of all evil spirits that may be present, commanding them to not interfere in any way with what you are doing and only to manifest with the express permission of our Lord.
• Lead the person receiving ministry to declare his or her surrender to the Lord Jesus.

Once this is done, many times I will spend some time worshiping the Lord and praying in the Spirit (tongues). Praying in the Spirit attunes me to the Holy Spirit, making me sensitive to any direction he may give.

Taking Authority over the Demon

Reading Scripture aloud can build faith. Here is a passage that is helpful.

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:17–19 (NASB95) — 

When ready, the person ministering deliverance should speak a command to any evil spirit to leave the person in the name and authority of Jesus Christ and not return.

Should the demon resist, and they often will, especially if we are new at deliverance or weak in faith, it might be wise to find out if there is any yet undiscovered hook or foothold that should be identified, confessed, and renounced. Here are some possible blockage points.

• Unconfessed secret sin or vow
• Undiscovered generational sin
• Unconfessed or unrenounced occult involvement
• Agreement with a lie, such as my sin was too great to be forgiven,
• Pride – “My” demon is so strong that not just anyone can cast it out.

Remember: there is nothing a person may have done that can effectively block deliverance. It is all a smokescreen.

For example, once while ministering to a young man who claimed to be a believer and suffered from a strong sense of condemnation, I began teaching him on how Jesus died and rose to set us free from the power of condemnation. (John 5:24 and Romans 8:1) He began laughing at me in an obvious demonic way. Once he stopped manifesting, he confessed that he was terrified because he did not understand what was happening. I began rebuking and binding the spirit, but nothing changed. I realized that something was yet to be uncovered; so, I asked the Spirit of God to show me what to do. Eventually, after several episodes of this mocking laughter, the young man confessed that he had previously “turned his back on the Lord.” I led him in a prayer of repentance. There was no further manifestation. The evil spirit left because the Lord had allowed it to stay only until the underlying sin was exposed and renounced. What a blessing that it did not go when I first commanded it to leave! Otherwise, the real problem would have gone undetected. This is a reminder that demons are never the main attraction. They are often the smoke that is coming from an underlying fire.

If a demon refuses to obey our command to leave, we should assume that we have not dealt with everything yet. Never conclude that the spirit is not under our authority in Christ.

Sometimes it is taught that certain demons are so strong that the average person cannot dislodge them. This is a lie. Every believer has the authority of Christ backed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

No demon is too strong for the least likely believer. The key is for us to know and believe that.

Demonic disobedience must not be tolerated. They will try to bluff us away from our stand on Christ’s authority. If we have covered every angle, I find that it is a good thing to turn any resistant demons over to Christ for Him to deal with as He sees fit. We do not have time to waste on recalcitrant demons.

No demon can resist the awesome power of God’s Spirit released by the authority of our command in Christ’s name!

A resource to gain greater understanding of these principles is a book by Neil Anderson entitled Bondage Breaker. Another great book is Biblical Healing and Deliverance by Kylstra.

Let us remember that casting out demons is not a power struggle between us and the evil spirit. It is an authority issue.

We use Christ’s authority, which is triumphant and overarching. The power that enforces our Lord’s shared authority comes from the Holy Spirit, the “finger of God.” Casting out a demon is no harder for the Holy Spirit than thumping a fly is to us. Jesus did the hard work. The Holy Spirit enforces his victory. We act as representatives.

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Luke 9:1 (NASB) 

How do we know when the evil spirit has departed?

The Holy Spirit operates in and through individuals in a variety of ways. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) In my case, I often have an inner confirmation from the Holy Spirit when a spirit leaves. I don’t know how to describe it except that it seems to be a kind of inner “whoosh.” I am sure that this is not helpful to you at all, which is good, because the last thing we need to do is try to copy someone else. At other times I see the spirit leave in a visionary way. God can confirm that a spirit has been cast out in any number of ways. We might even ask the person receiving ministry if they experienced anything. But let us remember that we do not even need confirmation. We operate by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) However, thankfully, God may give us an inner or external confirmation. Often the person receiving ministry feels deliverance happening or senses the result of a spirit having left, as in a sense of release, joy, freedom, peace, etc. A minister may “see” it leave through spiritual discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10) The person being delivered might have some sort of physical manifestation, such as coughing, gagging, etc. Regardless, we base our faith in God’s Word, whether we see any evidence or not. Demons must obey our commands given in Christ’s name. Period.

In conclusion, demons are never the main thing and casting them out should never be what we focus on. Rather, according to Jesus, we should rejoice that God loved us so much that he reconciled us to himself! (Luke 10: 20)

Click here to see the other articles in this series.