I often get asked about self-deliverance, so I created this list of steps and resources to walk the reader through the steps of deliverance.

Spiritual Warfare Series 

One: Surrender

Two: Our Identity in God

Three: Authority in Jesus

Four: Diagnosing the Situation

Five: Tactics of the Enemy

Six: Weapons of Warfare

Seven: Deliverance Ministry

Eight: Walking in Freedom

Nine: Healing from Trauma

This is a link that will help you learn to get to the root cause of any issues you face. 

The Root Cause

And this is a video link that will help with breaking agreement with any lies that need to be broken. 

Tips for Spiritual Warfare 

The following two prayers are also very helpful to speak over your life daily.

Armor of God Prayer Ephesians 6:10-18

Lord, I will be strong in You and in Your mighty power. It is by Your strength I win every battle. I put on Your full armor so I can take my stand against the schemes of the devil and all his demons. I understand my struggle is not against flesh and blood. My fight is not with people. My fight is against the devil and his demons.

I will wear Your full armor so when I am attacked I can firmly stand my ground and not be over taken.

I put on the Belt of Truth. I will walk in the truth of You, Lord, who You are and who I am in You. I will walk in the authority You have given me and stand against the enemy when he attacks. I will carry Your truth everywhere I go and teach others who You are in them and who they are in You.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness that protects my heart and other vital organs. I wear Your righteousness, Jesus, and fully recognize it is Your righteousness that allows me to boldly approach the throne room of God. I will rely on You and You alone. I will walk in You and only You.

I put on the Shoes of Peace to spread Your Gospel. I will walk in peace and bring peace to every situation I am involved in. I will not allow the enemy to steal the peace You have given me.

I take up the Shield of Faith to extinguish all the fiery darts of the enemy. I will hold the shield against every dart of the enemy and not one will penetrate the shield. It will protect against every attack the enemy throws at me.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation which is my hope in the You. It protects my mind against the enemy.

I take up the Sword of the Spirit which is Your Word. Your Word is living, active, and sharp. It stands against the enemy every time and allows me to walk in victory. When I speak Your Word, the enemy will have to flee.

Lord, help me to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request, to be alert and to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Daily Prayer and Warfare  

Prayer

Lord, according to Psalm 107:2 I know I am one of Your redeemed. You have delivered me from the hand of the adversary, and I ask right now that You would keep me in the palm of Your hand. Lord, I surrender to You fully and to Your plan for my life. I say—not my way Lord, but Yours. I rest in Your peace and joy knowing fully that I am redeemed by You. Your Word says it and I stand on that truth. I am not in the hands of the enemy! I am in Your hands.

Jesus in You I have redemption, salvation, and deliverance. (Ephesians 1:7) Your blood flows for my freedom and I thank You for the power in Your blood. It has the power to destroy the yoke of every bondage. My sins have been forgiven and I can stand in right standing with God because of Your precious blood, Jesus, and I am so thankful for Your sacrifice on the cross. You died so that I can be free. You suffered so I may live in eternity with You and my Father.  

I put on Your full armor and walk into battle knowing You have equipped me for the fight. (Ephesians 6:10-18) It is through You and You alone that I can walk in total victory. On my own I am nothing, but through You, because of You, I am mighty—not me, but You through me. I am strong in You. I wear Your armor to fully stand against the enemy. I know who my fight is against and because of You I can stand against the demons. I stand firm and hold my ground in battle. Around my waist I wear the belt of truth that allows me to walk in knowing who You are and who I am in You. I put on Your breastplate of righteousness, not my righteousness, but Yours!  

Your righteousness that protects my heart and allows me to stand boldly before You. I hold up the shield of faith that resist every single arrow of the enemy. I stand on the faith of knowing who You are! I wear the shoes of the gospel of peace. I walk in total peace knowing I am in the palm of Your hand. I put on the helmet of salvation which is my hope in You, and which also protects my mind and thoughts. I hold up the sword of the Spirit which is Your Word. I use it violently against the enemy knowing full well that he cannot stand against Your Word.

Lord, I lay every thought at Your feet that is not of You and that are not ones You want me to have. (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5). I surrender my thought life to You fully. I want my thoughts to be continually on You and the things of Your kingdom. Your Word says to resist the devil and he will flee. (James 4:7) So Lord right now I do resist him, and I stand on Your Word that says he must flee. I will not walk in fear or despair because I know Your Word is true and cannot fail.  

God I fully and willingly submit to You. You are my God, my Creator, and my Father. Lord, You are the Most High and I dwell in Your shelter. You and You alone keep me safe. (Psalm 91). You are my fortress, and You are who I trust. Jesus, I thank You for the authority You have given me to tread on demons. (Luke 10:19). I thank You for not leaving me weaponless and I pray that You would help me to learn my full identity and authority in You. In Your name I pray, Amen.  

Warfare (Make sure to verbalize this part):  

Listen demons! The Word of God says He has redeemed me from your hands. (Psalm 107:2). His Word is truth and there is nothing you can do but obey His Word. I am no longer in your hands, and you do not have authority over me. I am a child of the King and I belong to Him. He is my God, and I am His. The blood of Jesus offers me redemption, deliverance, and salvation. Through Him I am free from the penalty of sin, (Ephesians 1:7) and He has redeemed me and called me His own.  

I am not wrestling against flesh and blood, I come against the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places in the name of Jesus. (Ephesians 6:12). I stand by faith against every attack of the enemy on my life and the lives of my loved ones and the Word of God says no weapon formed against me will prosper…not ONE!! (Isaiah 54: 17).  So right now, demons I disarm you in the name of Jesus. I command the attacks to stop, and I cancel every assignment against my life right now that does not line with God’s plan for me.  

I put on the full armor of God, and I hold up the shield of faith that extinguishes every single one of your darts. Not one can hit me. I come against you with the sword of His truth. (Ephesians 6:11). I destroy every demonic stronghold, argument, or lofty opinion that is raised against the knowledge of God and I take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5).

According to the Word of God when I fully submit to God and resist you, you must flee. (Ephesians 6:11) So I am putting you on notice right now that I am fully submitted to God, and I do resist you. I know you know the Word of God and I also know you must obey it. I resist you and now you MUST flee.

I dwell in the shelter of the Most High. I abide in the shadow of the Almighty and He will keep me safe. (Psalm 91). No harm shall come to me or my household. Jesus Himself has given me authority over you and He says I will tread over you, and you will not hurt me. (Luke 10:19) Those are His Words and you know as well as I know that His Words are true. So right now, I bind and rebuke every demonic attack against my life and the lives of my family members in the name of Jesus. I command them to cease and desist at this moment. Not by my strength or by my power or in my name, but in the name that is above all names: Jesus Christ. The One who totally disarmed you through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Steps to Self Deliverance

The information below will lead you through deliverance, but if you want it in workbook format this is the link:  https://a.co/d/gkDQzd3

Steps to Self-Deliverance

Step One: Pre Session-Packet (Closing all Doors to Demons)

Pre-Session Packet

I cannot stress enough the importance of spending time with the Lord in repentance. It is very important to spend a lot of time praying through the list in this packet. The time you spend with Him going through this list will be foundational to your freedom. The items on this list are ways legal rights are created that allow the enemy access to our lives. I fully 100% believe these are possible entry ways and you should not move forward with deliverance if you are not on the same page because if you move forward and all doors are not closed it can make your situation worse. Matthew 12:43–45; John 5:14.

As you pray through this packet, you may start to feel the enemy manifest because the demons do not want you to get free. I want to encourage you to press forward and refuse to let the enemy make you stop. This is your life and your freedom. You can verbally bind the demons in the name of Jesus and tell them to stop speaking to you and to stop causing any manifestations. Fasting food is also very powerful because it will draw you closer to the Lord and it will also weaken the hold of the enemy. Fasting anything you are addicted to or struggle with will also be very helpful and powerful.

The deliverance session will be all about getting the torment stopped. Expect a spiritual wrestling match that you will be fully involved in. A huge part of getting free is your desperation to be free and learning to stand against the demons that are tormenting you. You must have determination that they are leaving, and you will do whatever it takes to get them out. It is a battle that you must be willing to fully engage in. God is the Deliverer; but you are the one who must want them gone, not hold anything back, and partner with the Lord to get your life back.

The purpose of this packet is to help determine possible entry ways (legal rights/open doors) for the demons and to begin to have them removed. There are two ways legal rights are established: personal sin and generational sin (or a combination of both).

Generational/ancestral/bloodline permission as forewarned in Exodus 20:5 is a possibility in anyone’s life. There are ancestors in your history who could have passed a demonic spirit on to you. You likely only know about your parents and each of their two parents. There are also generational curses that could have been passed down through your bloodline. As you go through the list, repent of the ones that you know you were involved in and ones that you know someone in your bloodline was involved in. We have to ask God to cleanse our bloodline and remove the curse from our lives. I have cast out many demons that made entry because of sins from the bloodline. Many times, the sin involves abuse, witchcraft, idolatry, shedding of innocent blood (murder/abortion), and/or violence. We are not praying for the forgiveness of the sin for the person who committed the sin, but rather asking for the Lord to cleanse our bloodline of that sin. We are repenting on behalf of our bloodline and asking for the curses that resulted from the sin to no longer be allowed to operate in our lives. When Jesus died on the cross He broke the power of sin and death, and took all curses upon Himself. However, we must ask Him to apply that freedom to our lives. In the same way we must ask for salvation; it is not given without asking. We must ask Him to break the generational curses over our bloodlines. When praying for your bloodline, please ask the Holy Spirit to show you all areas of bondage that need repentance. Below is an example of how I pray (through the list of items in the next section). It is only included for guidance and a starting point, but make sure to pray as the Spirit leads.

Prayer for Personal Repentance

“Lord God, I come before you now and ask that I may enter Your throne room and approach Your throne of grace. I give up all my rebellion and all my sin, and I submit myself to You as my Lord. I confess all my sins before You and ask for Your forgiveness, especially for any sins that exposed me to a curse. I ask that You forgive me (and my bloodline) for the sin of____________. I pray you would cleanse this sin from my bloodline and release me from the consequences of my sin and my ancestors’ sin. I also ask, Jesus, that Your blood would flow over this sin, blot it out, make it null, void, and powerless. I pray that I will be forgiven so that the enemy can no longer use this sin as a legal right in my life. I renounce all contact with anything occultic or satanic. I cancel all Satan’s claims against me. Lord, Jesus, I believe that on the cross You took on Yourself every curse that could ever come upon me. So, I ask You now to release me from every curse over my life in Your name, Lord Jesus Christ. By faith I now receive my release and I thank You for it. I pray Your cross would stand between me and any curses. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”

List of Possible Open Doors/Legal Rights

Any occult involvement: even if you view these things as innocent entertainment, they are very dangerous and can create major legal rights to your life. The enemy does not care what significance you place on things; all he cares about is if it gives him legal rights to your life. There are numerous scriptures in the Bible that forbid our involvement with anything related to the occult, idols (other gods), and sorcery. These are just a few of them: Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6; Revelation 21:8; Isaiah 8:19; Revelation 22:15; Galatians 5:19–21; Deuteronomy 18:9–14; Micah 5:12; 2 Kings 23:24; Acts 19:18–20; Colossians 2:8.

Ouija boards, Magic 8 Ball, levitation games, seances, fortune tellers, tarot cards, astrology, horoscopes, fascination with books about magic, psychics, seers, Harry Potter, Pokémon, vampire movies or books, werewolves books or movies, Halloween, Wiccan, witches, martial arts, satanic rock music, Bloody Mary ritual, hexes or spells, voodoo, hoodoo, Law of Attraction, mediums, black/white magic, spirit guides, crystals, witchcraft/spells, satanism, palm reading, astral travel, lucky charms, demon worship, angel worship, clairvoyance/seeing the future, New Age, candle magic, hypnotism, taking oaths, dabbling in the occult out of curiosity, fairies, wizards, new age toys, burning sage, dream catchers, pagan beliefs or practices, energy healing, chakras, third eye, Eastern religions, acupuncture, mermaids, unicorns, reincarnation, past life regression, aliens, pentagrams, etc.

Yoga, Hypnosis, Meditation: Open mind-open door

Involvement in any of the following groups:

College Fraternities or Sororities (oaths/vows), Masonry, Eastern Star, Rainbow Girls, Odd Fellows, Rebekah Lodge, Elk, Mormon, Gurus, Islam, Spiritism, Hinduism, Shriner, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witness, Scientology, Buddhism, and other Secret Groups/False Religions

Any Club or Group Where You Took Oaths, Blood Packs, or Vows.

Sexual Perversion or Other Sexual Sins:

            Pre-Marital Sex (break all ungodly soul-ties – see the Soul-Ties section)

            Pornography

            Homosexual Tendencies

            Gender Confusion

            Cybersex

Fantasy

Lust

Promiscuity

Seduction/Manipulation

Perpetrating Sexual Abuse

Alcoholism or Drug Use

Addictions

Aliens

Divorce (this does not include if you had a Biblical right to leave or if your spouse left you)

Adultery

Idol Worship: anything that was put above God

Anger/Rage

Criminal Activity

Births out of Wedlock

Suicide Attempts or Other Self Harm

Rebellion to God or Those in Authority

Dishonoring Parents: This does not mean to continue a relationship with an abusive parent. We can honor our parents based on their position as our parent, and not have contact with them if they are abusive.

Manipulation

Stealing

Slander

Gossip

Abortion

Romance Novels (sexual in nature)

Pride

Prejudice/Racism

Gambling

Control of Others

Judgmental, Critical Attitude

Co-dependency (depending on someone else more than God)

Coveting

Deception

Fraud

Love of Money

Abuse to Others

Humanism

Intellectualism: Putting knowledge above God

Pride

False Religion

Legalism/Works Focused: I can earn my way into heaven by doing more and following man made rules.

Lack of Faith 

Difficulty Forgiving, Bitterness, Resentment

For the deliverance to be successful there can be NO unforgiveness in your life. Unforgiveness is legal permission for demons to torment believers: Matthew 18:23–35. Do not neglect the area of forgiving anyone who has hurt you. You must also forgive yourself to be free. A typical prayer might be as follows:

“Father, because You have forgiven me, I choose to forgive others, everyone who has hurt me, lied to me or disappointed me, I forgive. I confess unforgiveness as sin and repent of it. I receive Your forgiveness and apply it to my life by forgiving myself. Thank You for Your grace and mercy in Jesus Name. Amen.”

It is also key to remember that forgiveness is a choice and not a feeling. You must first choose to forgive and then over time your feelings will change. Also, forgiving the person does not mean that what happened to you was okay or that their actions were okay. It also does not mean that it was not painful. What is does mean is that you choose to forgive anyway. In the same way Jesus forgives us, we choose to forgive others. Forgiveness does not always lead to reconciliation with the person. If they are not safe you can forgive from a distance. Always ask God what He wants you to do concerning reconciliation.

House Cleaning: This is a very important step to freedom.

Purge your home of the following (and repent for having them in your home):

Any objects (books, movies, décor, jewelry, games, toys)  in your home or possession that relate to ungodliness or cults, New Age religions, eastern deities, crystals, heavy metal music, Native American artifacts (deities or items used in any type of ritual, idols), Ouija Boards, Magic 8 Ball, levitation games, seances, fortune tellers, tarot cards, astrology, horoscopes, books about magic, psychics, seers, Harry Potter books, vampire movies or books, werewolves books or movies, Halloween, Wiccan, witches, ghost, Freemasonry, Eastern Star, Elk, Mormon, Gurus, Islam, Spiritism, Hinduism, Pokémon, Odd Fellows, Rainbow Girls, Shriner, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witness, Scientology, Buddhism, fairies, dream catchers, sage, black/white magic, spirit guides, witchcraft, satanism, astral travel, angel worship, praying to angels, lucky charms, demon worship, candle magic, Voodoo, Hoodoo, Hypnotism, oaths, Yoga, hypnosis, meditation (other than on the Word of God), philology that is ungodly, paganism, unicorns, mermaids, angel cards, idols, aliens, etc.

No matter how cute or innocent the item may seem, if it is on the above list, it can create an open door for the enemy to torment you and your family. Do not forget to go through all of your children’s toys, books, movies, and games. Witchcraft loves to come packaged in children’s toys, cartoons, and games.

Word Curses:

Word curses are spoken words from parents, doctors, spouses, those in authority over you, yourself, or others that were condemnation: “You are fat; you are stupid; you will never amount to anything; you always mess up; I don’t know why we had you; you cannot be in our group; I hate myself; I will never get better; etc.” These types of words can create curses in our lives. Life and death are in our words and when spoken with authority they can create curses in our lives that must be broken.

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their word.”

Breaking Word Curses:

Make a list of curses others have spoken over you and ones you have spoken over yourself. Next you need to forgive each person, including yourself.

The curses can be broken by praying the following:

“I break agreement with, and renounce all word curses, either spoken over me by others or that I have spoken over myself. Forgive me Lord for believing the lies that these curses have truth. Forgive me for living in bondage to them. Forgive me for any bitter judgments I made about myself and others because of them. I pray You would break the curses and cancel all assignments and strategies of the enemy attached to those curses making them null, void, and powerless. I pray You would break the power of those words and attitudes and their influence over my life in the name of Jesus. I also pray You would forgive me and break any word curses I have spoken over others. Father I am truly sorry for every careless word that has ever come out of my mouth. Please cleanse my mouth, my heart, and my words in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.”

Inner Vows:

Inner vows usually result from negative experiences in life and they are declarations or promises we make ourselves. They will usually come true even if we do not really mean them. Life and death are in the power of our tongue. We can create these vows over our lives and then suffer the consequences of them because they are the same as signing a legal contract over our lives in the spiritual realm.

Matthew 12:37 “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

“Because people have hurt me I will never trust again. All men are bad so I will never find a good one. I will be alone for the rest of my life. People always let me down so I will never let anyone get close to me. I am the only one I can depend on. I will never get anywhere in life so I am done trying. I will never let anyone control me. I must always look perfect. God let me down so I cannot trust Him.”

To break the inner vows, verbally pray the following:

“Forgive me, Lord, for having made these vows (list them). Please break the power of every word I vowed, making them null, void, and powerless. I rebuke all demons assigned to bringing these vows to pass in my life in the name of Jesus. I forgive myself for having made these vows. I now release my will, authority, and power over this part of my life and willingly give it back to You Lord to be under Your will, authority, and power. I receive freedom in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, Amen.”

Soul-Ties:

A soul-tie can be formed in any relationship where two become one, in mind, body, emotions, or heart. It is an invisible attachment that ties you to another person. Soul-ties are a healthy and useful part of God’s plan for relationships because a soul-tie joins or knits together bonds of a relationship by the Holy Spirit.Godly soul-ties occur when like-minded believers are joined together in the Lord. Some examples are friends, marriage partners, believers to pastors, and family relationships. Some examples in the Bible can be found in Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:8, 1 Samuel 18:1 and Ephesians 5:31.

Ungodly Soul-Ties:

This type of bond can form when the relationship is unhealthy and one or both of you are controlling, manipulative, toxic, abusive, or dominating over the other. This can also happen in romantic relationships when there is sex outside of marriage. When we step outside of God’s boundaries for relationships, we can form an ungodly soul-tie. Ungodly soul-ties are counterfeit to God’s plan and are enforced by demons meant to enslave us. 1 Corinthians 6:16. Ungodly soul-ties can be formed with the following people: friends, spouse, parents, children, romantic or sexual partners, siblings, domineering authorities, other family members, pastors/ministry leaders, and in abusive or toxic relationships.

If you or someone else crosses the boundary of a healthy relationship, an ungodly soul-tie can form. When ungodly soul-ties or unhealthy attachments are formed, it can bring about a type of spiritual connection that can adversely affect your life.

Symptoms of Ungodly/Unhealthy Soul-Ties:

• Your mind is flooded with thoughts of them, even when you try to stop thinking of them you cannot make it stop. You may have even ended the relationship, but you still cannot get them off your mind.
• You cannot move on or imagine your life without them in it. You feel obsessed or addicted to the person. Or they seem to be obsessed or addicted to you. You may feel trapped in the relationship because you want out but cannot seem to break away from them.
• The relationship has one or more of the following present— manipulation, domination, and control.
• You start to change for the other person or become like them (changes are for the worse and not better). You take on their negative traits.
• The other person may be physically or emotionally abusive, but you do not feel like you can leave them. Everyone else can see how bad they are for you, or how toxic the relationship is but you cannot see it. You make excuses for them and/or defend them to others.
• You may also have recurring dreams about the person, even years after ending the relationship.
• You may not have the ability to be open and honest with them because you are terrified of hurting their feelings or making them angry. You suppress your own feelings and wants to make sure they are happy.

Breaking Ungodly Soul-Ties:

First, you must acknowledge the ungodly soul-ties in your life. Next, destroy or give away any gifts given to you by the other person, things that remind you of them, and items that symbolize the relationship such as rings, flowers, cards, pictures, and any items that are sexual in nature (used with them). Renounce any vows or commitments made that played a part in forming the soul-tie. Even things like “I will love you forever,” “I could never love another person,” or “I cannot live without them in my life,” need to be renounced. They are spoken commitments that need to be undone verbally.

Note about destroying items:

You may not want to get rid of pictures because they are part of your past and some of them may be very meaningful. If this is the case I would suggest putting them in a box and not having them out or looking at them for a while. Make sure the ungodly soul-tie is fully broken and some time has passed before you attempt to look at them again.

When breaking ungodly soul-ties make sure to include anyone you had a sexual encounter with (willing or forced). Also, include any nonsexual relationships where there was control, manipulation, abuse and/or domination (friendships, family, ministers, those in authority over you).

This prayer and renunciation will cancel consent that was granted through soul-ties. The prayer can be something like this:

“God, thank you for being the King over my heart and King over all things. I thank You that You are all knowing, and You know any ungodly soul-ties in my life that need to be broken. (Ask God to show you anyone you have an ungodly soul-tie with that needs to be broken.) God, please forgive me for any of the ways that I opened the door for ungodly soul-ties to be formed with (name of person). God, show me what sins I have not confessed regarding my relationship with this person. (Ask God to forgive each sin He reveals to you.) God, show me what I need to forgive (name of person) of so that I can be healed and free of the pain this relationship caused me to experience. Lord, I do not want for (name of person) to have control over me and I do not want to have control over (name of person). Forgive me for the sin of entangling myself with (name of person) in an ungodly way. Lord, I confess these ungodly ties as sin and ask that You forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. In the power and authority in the name of Jesus Christ, I break the ungodly soul-tie between me and (name of person). I surrender my heart, soul, and spirit completely to Jesus Christ and His rule, authority, and reign in my life. I call back any part of me that was given to another, and I refuse any part of another that may have come to me and I send it back to them. I put the cross of Jesus Christ between me and (name of person). I denounce ungodly soul-ties with (name of person) and choose to be free in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, I ask You to heal my heart of the effects this ungodly soul-tie has had on my heart, mind, body, spirit, and life. Restore my soul and my union completely with You. Make me whole and restore everything that the enemy stole from me. Free me to love You with my whole heart and love others with a Christ like love. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”

Contact After the Ungodly Soul-Tie is Broken:

Many times you should not have any contact with the person you broke the ungodly soul-tie with. However, there are times that you may have a very unhealthy relationship with someone close to you—a family member for example. It is possible after the ungodly soul-tie is broken that the two of you can have a healthy relationship. Always seek God and His will and plan for your relationships.

Part Two: Verbally Commanding the Demons to Leave

Prayers for Self-Deliverance & Breaking of Generational Curses

I break all generational curses of pride, rebellion, lust, poverty, witchcraft, idolatry, death, destruction, failure, sickness, infirmity, fear, schizophrenia, mental illness, anxiety and rejection in the name of Jesus.

I command all generational and hereditary spirits operating in my life through curses to be bound and cast out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of lust, perversion, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and immorality to come out of my sexual character in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of hurt, rejection, fear, anger, anxiety, wrath, sadness, depression, discouragement, grief, bitterness, and unforgiveness to come out of my emotions in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of confusion, forgetfulness, mind control, mental illness, double-mindedness, fantasy, pain, pride, and memory recall to come out of my mind in the name of Jesus.

I break all curses of schizophrenia and command all spirits of double-mindedness, rejection, rebellion, and root of bitterness to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of guilt, shame, and condemnation to come out of my conscience in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of pride, stubbornness, disobedience, rebellion, self-will, selfishness, and arrogance to come out of my will in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of addiction to come out of my appetite in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits of witchcraft, sorcery, divination, and occult to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my head, eyes, mouth, tongue, and throat to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my chest and lungs to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my back and spine to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my stomach, navel, and abdomen to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my heart, spleen, kidneys, liver, and pancreas to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my sexual organs to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my hands, arms, legs, and feet to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all demons operating in my skeletal system, including my bones, joints, knees, and elbows, to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my glands and endocrine system to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my blood and circulatory systems to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits operating in my muscles and muscular system to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all religious spirits of doubt, deception, unbelief, error, heresy, and tradition that came in through religion to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all spirits from my past that are hindering my present and future to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all ancestral spirits that entered through my ancestors to come out in the name of Jesus.

I command all hidden spirits hiding in any part of my life to come out in the name of Jesus.

Step Three: Maintaining Your Freedom

Deliverance is not the end of the fight, but the beginning in many ways. We are born into a war and that war does not end until we take our last breath. We have an enemy who hates us and wants to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. The demons were kicked out, but more will try to come back in. The enemy will set traps to try to get you back in bondage. You must learn about practical ways to maintain your freedom and engage in spiritual warfare. Deliverance is step one in spiritual warfare and now you need to make sure you are equipped with weapons of warfare to stay free. Deliverance gets the demons out and discipline and surrender keep them out. Our God is greater, and He has given us the tools to defeat the enemy, every single time. We should never live in fear of the enemy, but we should also not take the battle lightly.

The enemy will fight to get his legal rights back. He will probably, very soon, be telling you that you did not get free. When he does that, you need to verbally rebuke him in the name of Jesus. He is a liar. Every time he attacks, verbally rebuke him. It really works!

Also, it is important to understand that every battle and struggle you face is not always a demon. Some issues are a test, trial, consequences of your own choices, or a wilderness season. There are times we go through things as a result of needed discipline, the need for the flesh to be crucified, things that are meant to grow us, or simply because we live in a fallen world that is full of sin.

Test, Trial, Consequences of Actions, or Warfare

It is helpful to learn how to recognize what kind of situation you are going through when you face battles. When we go through things, we may have no idea what caused it or how to fight it so the first thing we must do is ask God if it is a: test, trial, warfare, discipline issue, or consequence of our own actions and choices or a result of living in a fallen world.

We can be going through more than one thing at once and that is also good to know and recognize. We must know where the situation is coming from and the root cause because the way we handle it will be very different based on what is causing it. Sometimes we get caught on the hamster wheel of going around and around because we don’t understand where the problem is originating from and we don’t understand the root cause, or we have misdiagnosed the situation out of misunderstanding.

We must ask God to show us what we are facing and then listen to what He wants to tell us. There are many ways that He speaks to us, and I encourage you to be open to His voice and what He is saying. He is always speaking; we are the ones that must tune into His voice. He created us with fellowship in mind and that has not changed. We must push aside distractions, thoughts, and outside noise to really sit with Him and listen to what He is saying. Once we know what we are dealing with we can come up with a plan to work through the issue. Keep in mind we can be going through more than one thing at once and that is also good to know and recognize because we may need to use several different strategies.

Test/Trial

If is a test or trial, we can ask God things such as: “What should I be learning during this time? What do You want to change in me?” We should pay attention to patterns and notice if the same thing seems to happen over and over. If so, we can ask God what we are missing. Also, we need to make sure we are walking in total submission to God during these times. Submission is one of the major key points. 1 Peter 4:12; James 1:2–4.

Sometimes we can think everything that we perceive as bad is from the enemy but not everything is from the devil. We could be fighting the enemy as if we are in spiritual warfare but that’s not even the issue. We may be screaming at the enemy, binding, and rebuking him when we are in a test. There are times God will put us in a situation to see if we are going to walk out our faith, if we are going to stand firm, and if we are going keep t0 our hearts close to Him. He wants to know if we are going to look to Him or if we are going to start leaning on our own understanding and lose our faith.

Sometimes we are in a test and God is wanting us to learn something and we are not learning what it is He is trying to show us. We may even be fighting against the enemy, in spiritual warfare, and the whole time God is saying, “No, wait, I want you to learn this, I want you to lean into me, I want you to draw closer to me, I want you to deepen your faith in me, and I want you to look to me.” Deuteronomy 8:2; Malachi 3:3; James 1:2–4.

If it is a test and we cannot figure out what God is trying to show us we must dig deeper. Those are the times that we must go back to the basics. We must get into the Word, pray, and fast. We must seek God and really ask, “what in me do You need to change, what is there in me that needs removed?” Spend time seeking Him and His will for your life. Cry out to Him. Run to Him and not away. Be quick to listen to what He is saying and be on guard against bitterness and anger. James 1:19–20.

Maybe He is ready to take us to a new level in Him, a new level of ministry, a new level in our walk, or a new level in our marriage, but there are some things He must remove first and He is using the situation to bring about the needed change. Sometimes there is purification that needs to be done and He can use a test, trial, or time in the wilderness to make us what He wants us to be and cause us to look and act more like Him. Maybe He is giving us a chance to make Him the focus of our lives again. Maybe we lost our focus and He, by His grace and mercy, is giving us the chance to refocus. 1 Peter 1:6–7; Zechariah 13:9; James 1:2–4. 

Consequences of our Actions

Even after repentance sometimes we must walk through the consequences of our actions and decisions. Repentance does not always remove the consequences of our poor choices. Some examples of poor choices are lust, adultery, drugs, lying, anger, murder, abortion, and critical attitude. We can repent for these things and be totally forgiven, but at times we still must live with the consequences of the actions.

When we are going through the consequences of our actions it is a good idea to allow it to be a teaching moment and learn from it. We should also remain in deep prayer. God can use anything, and He does. He often takes what the enemy meant to destroy us with and turns it around for His glory. Nothing is impossible with God and there is always hope no matter the situation. When we mess up and fall, we must be quick to get back up and run to the Father. We must ask Him to put the pieces of our lives back together during the times we have tried to do it on our own and in our own way. His way is the only way. No matter what we are going through there is no one who can fix the situation but God. He is always with us. Joshua 1:9.

Warfare

We could also be in spiritual warfare, but we think we are going through a test, so we completely ignore the enemy. We are pressing into God, reading the Bible, and praying. Which none of these are bad things to be doing. They are all awesome and we should be doing them anyway even if we are not in a specific battle. They are all part of warfare, and our Christian walk, that we should not leave out, but we may be overlooking a key part to winning total victory in the situation. We must also be using our weapons of warfare to fight the enemy when we are in the middle of warfare.

Our identity comes from God. He is our Creator and knows us better than we even know ourselves, but we must ask ourselves if we really understand who we are in God? Do we really understand who He says we are? If this is an area of struggle, I highly suggest doing a scriptural topical search on who He says we are. Romans 8:31.

Jesus has given us authority over the enemy and once we know who we are in Him we can begin to fully walk in that authority. We in no way have to put up with the attacks of the enemy. We can go on the offensive and take our territory back. Luke 10:19; Mark 16:17–18.

Tactics of the Enemy

It is very important to learn and understand the tactics of our enemy. Knowing about him will help us to always be on guard and see him coming from a mile away. He is very slick and does not come as he truly is. If he did we would never fall for his tricks. Remember, he was able to convince 1/3 of the angels to turn against God and now he and his legions of demons are constantly plotting our demise. He also deceived Eve, who daily walked with God face to face. If he could do that to the angels and Eve, how much more should we be on our guard against him. This does not mean that we walk in fear, but it does mean that we do not take him lightly. He is a foe that we must intentionally guard against. We should not ignore him and pretend like he does not exist. We should learn to recognize his attacks and send him packing every single time. If the enemy cannot get you bound in sin, he will try to get you bound in fear and anxiety, and/or stuck in legalism. He may say things like: “You are going to mess up and get caught again, you will never be free, you just messed up and I am coming back, etc.” He may also try telling you that you are not really free. He will lie and say the deliverance did not work and that you are not really free. When he does this he is trying to get you bound again with fear and doubt. Be aware there is an enemy, fight the enemy, but focus on God. We have weapons to fight, and we never again have to be afraid of the enemy. We do not have to lay down and take his attack.

List of Tactics

Kill, Steal, Destroy: He wants to separate us from God for eternity and he will use any means necessary. He does not fight fairly, and he is cruel. He will kick you when you are down and actually create moments of weakness, even using our closest family and friends when possible.

John 10:10

Attacks the Mind: The first place the enemy attacks is the mind. If he can capture the territory of your mind, your thoughts, and the way you operate, he will soon have you in bondage. Be very careful of what thoughts you entertain and allow to grow.

Subtle/Cunning: He comes in the disguise of innocence, a little of this or a little of that. He sneaks a little sin in here and there and before you know it you are back in bondage. If we give him an inch he will take a mile.

Lurking: He is always looking for a way to get into our lives. Demons are all around us and they are constantly trying to find a place of weakness. They hide in dark places watching our habits and reactions to better find a way to trip us up.

Distorts the Word of God: He will always try to bring misunderstandings to the meaning of God’s Word. He can try to use the Word to bring condemnation, doubt, and anger. He will even try to blind us to the truth of God’s Word and the truth other Christians try to share with us. He tries to twist the Word of God and conversations with others in order to bring division and cause confusion and doubt.

Temptation: He will throw every kind of temptation our way to try to trip us up and get us back into bondage. This is why it is so important to recognize what legal rights were created that first allowed the demons into your life. You can be sure that he will try the same thing again. He will also add in others, but he will absolutely try to get you caught back up in the same sin that originally allowed the demons in. Keep your eyes open to temptation and the way the enemy can use situations, including other people, to try to get you to reopen doors. Deliverance gets demons out and discipline keeps them out. Recognizing what doors they used to get in and making sure they do not trip you up again is key in staying free.

Accusing Us: The enemy is always accusing us. He is before God telling Him how bad we are day and night. He is doing the same thing to us. I think this is where much of the negative “self-talk” comes from. He literally hates us so much that he is constantly trying to whisper in our ear to make us hate ourselves. Revelation 12:10

Makes Trades: He says, “You give me that, and I will give you this.” He tried to do that with Jesus. He told Him, “I will give you the world if you bow down to me.” He does the same with us. He is constantly trying to trade with us. Matthew 4:1–11; Ezekiel 28:15–19.

Hides in the Dark Places: He loves to give us nightmares and he also loves to stay hidden in the dark.

Lies: The lie usually starts out as a whisper in our ear. Often, we mistake it for our own thoughts. He whispers a lie to us, we dwell on the lie, we start believing the lie, we speak the lie and then bondages are created. Some of the lies include: “God doesn’t love you; you will be just like so and so; you will never change; you will never be good enough; no one loves you; etc.” At times he mixes in a little bit of truth with his lies to make them more appealing and to make the lie harder to detect. He is called the father of lies for a reason. John 8:44

Condemnation Disguised as Conviction. There is one easy way to tell the difference between the two. Condemnation will tell you that God could not possibly forgive you, that He is mad at you, that you have gone too far. It will drive you away from God. Conviction on the other hand will draw you toward God. It is Him drawing you in to get things right with your loving Father.

Condemnation beats you up and makes you run from God in guilt and shame. Real conviction drives you toward God. God will always draw you to Him and the enemy will always chase you away from Him.

Brings up Our Past: The enemy will do this over and over for one of two reasons. One, to get us stuck in the regrets of the past, or two, to get us stuck in the nostalgia of the “good old days” that are long gone. Either one can create bondages that are hard to break free from. Do not get stuck in your past or the what if’s. Just like Lot we must move forward and not look back unlike his wife. It is called our past for a reason. Genesis 19:26.

Creates Chaos: The enemy creates chaos in us or in our environment. He tries to constantly get us to go from one crisis to the next. He will try to wear you out to keep you exhausted and distracted so it is harder to fight him.

Masquerades as the Holy Spirit/Pretends to be Something He is Not: He does not come in his true form. Many times he pretends to be the opposite of who and what he really is. I have cast out several demons who have told me they pretend to be the Holy Spirit and speak to the people they live in. They create massive confusion this way. This would explain why I have heard people say God has told them things that directly contradict His Word, but they are positive they have heard from God. 2 Corinthians 11:14.

What Ifs: You can get caught up in a fantasy world because you are always playing out life in your head and creating what if scenarios.

Entertainment/Décor/Jewelry: He is sneaky in this area. Many times, we do not even notice how he is creeping in through the shows we watch, the books we read, the games we play, or the music we listen to. Be very selective on the things you allow in your home and make sure to know everything your kids are viewing, hearing, and reading. Cartoons with magic can be really cute, but they are also very dangerous. I have personally cast demons out of children who came in from their watching shows with magic in them. It isn’t a game, and it can lead to destruction. No matter how innocent it seems, the enemy does not look at it that way. He does not care what significance you place on something; he only cares if it grants him legal access to your life.

Deceives: This is why you have to be so careful of who and what teaching you listen to and the ministries you follow. Many ministries are full of deception. Whether they know it or not they have allowed seducing spirits to direct their teaching and actions. 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 12:9.

Sends False Teaching/Prophetic: The enemy counterfeits the things of God. We must walk in discernment, so we do not fall prey to false doctrines, ministers, or ministries. Something can look, and even feel, right but once we start testing it to see if it lines up with the Word of God it can fall short.

False Signs and Miracles: Just because a ministry or a person performs a sign or miracle, it does not guarantee they are from God. We must test the spirits and make sure they are actually from God. A few quick ways to do that are to ask yourself: does the sign or wonder contradict the Word of God? If so, it is not from God. God does not contradict His Word. Signs and wonders should lead people to repentance and to the Lord. If it only brings glory to the person, there is a major issue. Everything done should always point back to Jesus, lead others to Him, and create an atmosphere where the lost find salvation. The same way we test prophetic words is the same way we do with ministries, doctrines, signs, and wonders. Some questions we should ask ourselves are: do they line up with the Word of God? Do they glorify God, self, or man? Does it simply make me feel good or does it draw me closer to God? Do I walk away wanting to live a closer, better life with the Lord? Am I drawn to a higher standard of living, or do they cause me to justify my sin? Also, a word of caution, just because something “looks” like the Holy Spirit does not make it the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament when Moses was before Pharaoh and was performing many signs and wonders Pharoah had his magicians doing the same things. We cannot judge something as a move of God simply based on how it looks. We must go deeper and verify that it is in fact the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4; Revelation 16:14; Exodus 7:21–22.

Twist: He loves to twist everything including the word of God, our words, and the words of others. He does this to bring division and confusion. Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and they heard you say something, and you are positive you did not say that or say it the way they heard it? The enemy loves to do this to bring strife, division, and confusion. Genesis 2:16–17; Genesis 3:1–5.

Distractions: This is a huge area that the enemy uses against us. We all have busy lives and things to accomplish. It is so easy to let the things of the Lord slip by unnoticed. We can get distracted by lack of time, our career/job, family, hobbies, and even things of the Lord. As soon as we pick up our Bible a million things, that need to get done, starts running through our mind. Or when we try to pray our phone starts ringing off the hook. We can binge watch our favorite show for hours but fall asleep after five minutes of prayer or reading the Bible. We can also get so busy with ministry and things of the Lord that we neglect our relationship with Him. Doing things for Him is great and is needed, but it cannot take the place of our personal relationship with Him. Nothing can take the place of being with Him. We can be doing all the right things as far as serving the Lord, but we could be missing the most important, better thing: spending quality one on one time with Jesus, sitting at His feet. The time spent at His feet is where we develop a close relationship with Him. It is a time for us to pour our hearts out to Him and for Him to speak into our lives. It is also a time of learning from Him, growing in our relationship with Him, and becoming more like Him. Luke 10:38–42.

Manipulation: The enemy loves to dominate, manipulate, and control. If this was an area you struggled with be mindful of not falling back into old habits. Also, if you were easily manipulated by others it is time to create healthy boundaries in your life and make sure you are consistent with them.

Steals the Word of God: This could come in the form of forgetting what you read, getting tired every time you try to study the Word, and not being able to understand the meaning of what you are reading.

Fear: The fear can come in many forms, but the goal is the same, to paralyze you and stop you from moving forward.

Regret: The enemy will also try to get you so stuck in your past that you never move forward into your future. Regret and the what ifs of life are two ways he will try to keep you trapped. We all have things we have done that we wish we could go back and change, but do not let the enemy get you stuck there. If you have a lot of regret try to settle it by apologizing to anyone that was involved, ask for forgiveness from anyone that you need to, ask God to forgive you, and then release it to God. Do your very best to refrain from going back to that place. Do not dwell or linger there.

Physical Illness/ Mental Illness: If this was the enemy’s area of attack, he may try to tell you that he will make you sick again, or that you will never get well, or you will never be free in this area. He may also try to give you fake or real symptoms of illness. At the first sign of returning symptoms do not accept them. Do the exact opposite by binding and rebuking them in the name of Jesus. Remind the enemy that you have been set free and refuse to allow bondage to creep back in. Verbally thank Jesus for His healing and freedom that He has given you.

Attacks Our Identity: The enemy wants to confuse, blind, and steal who God has called us to be. When we begin to walk in the identity given to us by God the next step is walking in His authority and His kingdom purpose. Those are the things the devil wants to keep us from more than anything else. Look to the Word of God and His voice to tell you who you are in Him.

Open Doors: Whatever doors you had open, pay close attention to make sure they are closed and stay closed.

Addictions: You will need to avoid the places, people, and things connected to the addiction. You will also need to work on those old habits and replace them with new ones. You may even benefit from a Christian sobriety support group.

Bad Relationships: Break the negative patterns and seek God for direction on who to have in your life and who to keep out. Healthy boundaries are a good thing. Also, before you start dating ask for God’s advice on who to date. If you want to get married make sure to be led by God. Healing from past toxic relationships is also a must. I suggest healing and being fully surrendered to God before you even consider dating again. Once you do start dating pay attention to any red flags and make sure you are being led fully by the Holy Spirit. Your feelings and emotions can easily lie to you and cause you to miss red flags. Do not let your emotions drive your choices. Your worse enemy will be compromising your Godly character, morals, and standards. Guard against compromise and refuse to bend in this area. The enemy may try to tell you unless you compromise you will be alone for the rest of your life. If he says that to you make sure you do not let loneliness or desperation drive you to a poor decision that could have lifelong consequences.

Lust: Avoid the areas that created lust such as social media, the internet, and other places. If you have a flirty personality, change it. Anything related to lust and seduction need to be removed from your life and personality. There may be people that you need to remove from your life because you both crossed lines that should not have been crossed. Get an accountability partner to help in this area if needed. Make sure you have people in your life that you are totally honest with about your struggles.

Critical Attitude/Words, Word Vows/Curses: There is a lot of power in our words and confessions. Make sure you are not believing or agreeing with any type of lie. For example, “It will never change; I will always be this way; it is just the way I am; I am stupid; I ruined my life; the doctor says I have this and there is no cure; I cannot love or be loved; etc.” Also, make sure to adjust how you speak about others and how you feel about them, as well as about yourself. Speak life and not death, victory and not defeat. It is important to consider every word that leaves your mouth. Matthew 12:36–37.

Practical Tips to Fight the Attacks of the Enemy

Relationship with Jesus Christ: We are set free so we can get closer to Jesus. It allows us to better hear Him and follow His call for our lives. Our relationship with Jesus is the key to staying free and walking in who we were created to be. He must be first in our life. You are called to live a life of submission to Him. We must lay ourselves down at His feet and pick up His will, His purpose, and His plan. There is no room for pride or rebellion. We must always walk in total submission to Him.

Prayer: Make time for Jesus daily to sit at His feet and grow in your relationship with Him. Nothing can replace your time with the Lord. Sitting at His feet is where we learn from Him, where we talk to Him, and He talks to us. This is where He pours out His anointing and His love. We must be intentional about our relationship with Jesus and actively pursue getting closer to Him, learning from Him, and being submitted to Him. The enemy causes a wall between Him and us. Once that wall is gone you can be closer to Him than ever before.

Keeping Our Thoughts Clean: Do not focus on the negative side of things and do not speak negatively about your life or situations. When you feel negative emotions or hear negative thoughts, verbally counter them with positive words from the Bible. Speak life. Adjust how you talk about yourself and others. 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 18:2.

Thought Life: Keep your thought life under control. Do not entertain thoughts of the past (regret), fantasy, etc. Pull down every single thought that does not line up with the Word of God. Give them zero amount of your time. Often what you spend time thinking about will eventually come out in your behaviors and in your life. That is why we must focus on the things of God.

Speak God’s Word: Scripture is so powerful. It will keep you connected to God, and it will also make the enemy flee. Pick scriptures that speak specifically to your life and situation and say them out loud. We can also use scriptures to speak against the enemy and in prayers to God.

Praise and Worship: It pushes the darkness back and draws God near. It also reminds you of the goodness of God. If you feel the enemy attacking start verbally recounting all the things God has done for you. Know your identity in Him and put the enemy on notice that you know who God says you are and you know who your God is.

Repentance: Be quick to repent when you sin. Also, ask the Holy Spirit to convict you immediately when you mess up. Invite Him to teach you God’s ways. Ask for God to let you see people the way He sees them, feel about others the way He feels about them, and love like He loves. Ask Him to search your heart and mind and to burn up anything that is not pleasing to Him.

Remain Humble and Submitted to God: We must always walk in full submission to Him. We must dedicate our lives to Him and lay our will, plans, and purposes down at His feet. Romans 12:1; James 4:6.

Christian Counseling: If the open doors were connected to past wounds and those wounds are not healed, the door can reopen. For example: unforgiveness. If you repent of unforgiveness the door closes and you then make the demon leave, but then you are reminded of the hurt. The unforgiveness comes back and at that point the door can reopen. John 5:1–14. That is why it is really important to work through all past pain, hurt, and trauma. If you are hurt after the deliverance make sure to take the pain to God, forgive the person, and release them. Be quick to repent of any bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness.

Change Habits: The demons are no longer inside you, but you more than likely have habits that must be changed. For example, if one of your issues was pornography you may need to put an accountability app on your phone. If it was drugs, you may have to avoid certain places and people. If it was gossip with friends, you may have to distance yourself until that habit is fully broken. Just because the demon is gone it does not automatically mean the habit will be gone. You will have to work to break those old patterns and habits. Part of that change is renewing your mind daily by prayer and reading the Word of God.

Discipleship: You should make sure you have a place to learn about the Lord such as a church or a Bible study. Find someone to mentor you and help you grow in the Lord. Don’t try to go it alone. Find and create a Godly support system. Surround yourself with people who love the Lord and want to grow in Him.

Verbally Assault the Enemy: We are in a war for our lives with an enemy whose only goal is to kill, steal and destroy us. We cannot be passive with him or allow him any room in our lives. We do not have to always be on the defensive. We can go on the offensive and push the enemy back. If he has taken anything from you go get it back. Push your territory further and further. You be the one taking ground and not him. I love the story of David and Goliath and it really puts the battle against the enemy in perspective. 1 Samuel 17. This is an example of how I come against the enemy: (With a loud, firm voice) “Right now I am coming against you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I command you to take your hands off my life and my family. I cancel and break every demonic plan and obstacle trying to come against me. You have no control over my life. I draw the line in the sand and say you may not cross it. Jesus gave me authority to trample you and you are under my feet. I know who I am in Jesus Christ. I know what His death on the cross means and what power over you it gave me. I know who He says I am. I am a child of the Most High and you will not torment me. The Word of God says greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. It also says no weapon formed against me will prosper. NONE, not one. I put on the full armor of God and you cannot penetrate that. I take the shield of faith and your darts are no match for it. I hold the sword against you which is the Word of God.” This is how I speak to the enemy. There is no sitting down at the table for coffee, conversation, and compromise. No, this is a battle and I go to battle against him. We are not in a discussion. I am dictating what he will and will not do and he is obeying. The Word of God says we have authority and I walk in that every day of my life. Does he like this, no. Does he try to defeat me again, yes. It is a battle we will be in until we get to heaven, but we do not have to live in constant torment. Luke 10:19

Identity: We must make sure we are walking in the identity given to us by Jesus. No one and nothing else should dictate who we are. If you do not know who you are in Him, search His Word to see what He says about you and who you are, how He feels about you, and ask Him who He has called you to be. We are all called to be disciples of Christ and a big part of that is laying down our lives for Him and totally dying to self. Every day we must make the choice to pick up our cross and follow Him. We must walk in the full identity and authority given to us by Jesus if we want to live victorious lives. We must know who we are, who the enemy is, and be secure in our relationship with the Lord. Mark 16:17.

Armor of God: Put on the full armor of God daily. You can incorporate these verses into a daily prayer. Ephesians 6:10–18.

Fasting: This is a great way to get your flesh under control and break old habits. It is also a really good way to grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Name of Jesus: There is power in His name, it is the name above all names. We can take authority over the enemy by using the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:9.

Be Honest with Yourself and God: Do a personal inventory and do it often. Take a long honest look at yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to show you any areas that you need to work on. Do not live in denial or minimize the things in your life that need to change.

House Cleaning: Be mindful of every item that comes into your home. Do not bring in anything that has any connection to the occult and pray over any preowned items asking God to remove anything demonic that may be attached to them. Also, verbally rebuke, bind, and cut off anything that may be attached to them in the name of Jesus. If demons are still manifesting in your home you have the spiritual authority to cast them out. First, find out why they are there. Is there an object that is giving them legal rights? If so, destroy it and make them leave. If there is no legal right take your spiritual authority and make them leave your house. Ask the Holy Spirit for discernment.    

Testimony: Share your testimony with others! Tell about the goodness of God and help others get free!! Freedom is to share and to be used to set other captives free. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Revelation 12:11.

Strongholds in the Mind: Negative Thought Patterns

Strongholds are fortresses that the enemy builds in the mind. They are specific ways of thinking, cycles of sin, and/or old patterns that have been in place for years, and maybe even your entire life. It is an area that you just cannot seem to get free from or move past. Strongholds in the mind do not always mean a demon is present (demonization). It can sometimes be left over from a demon and an area that needs broken and possibly healed.

Many times we have thoughts that we know go against what we should be thinking and we do not give into the thoughts, but we are still having to battle them 24/7 and it is still torment. We don’t want to think the way we do, and we do not want to react in the ways we do, but the patterns are so long standing it can feel almost impossible to change them.

How Strongholds are Established

Demons come along and start whispering lies to us. Lies about ourselves, others, and God. After we hear the lies for so long, we start believing them. The longer we believe the lies and follow them the stronger they become until they are engrained in our thought process and become like truth to us. What we feed, grows larger, and as it grows, the stronger the fortress becomes. What starts out as random negative thoughts, if not put in check can grow over time into a stronghold. We can also have thought patterns (strongholds) from our childhood created by family, homelife, school, friends, teachers, church leaders, coaches, etc. We can repeat ideas from our family and have no idea if we even really agree or not with the idea. We may simply be repeating what we have heard since childhood. Many strongholds/negative thought patterns are passed down from generation to generation.

Common Strongholds

We must recognize and identify the strongholds to break them and get free. Below is a list of common strongholds but it is important to take a personal inventory and identify the ones specific to your life. As you read through the list keep in mind some of them can have many different roots and causes. When looking for the root cause of any issue it is important to pray and ask God for help. Some examples of root issues to look for are medical, strongholds in the mind/negative thought patterns that have not been destroyed yet, discipline issues (crucifying the flesh), consequences of our own choices, demonic, a result of living in a fallen world, or going through a test/trial. Also keep in mind you many have a situation that has more than one root cause or it has layers of causes that you must deal with.

Depression: This would include grief, hopelessness, sadness, loss of passion, low energy, inability to concentrate, sleep issues, suicidal ideation and possibly the inability to identify why you feel any of these things. It may even seem like they come with no apparent reason and come out of nowhere blindsiding you. It can lead to believing God has forgotten you, He doesn’t have a purpose for you, a call for your life, or He will never help you.

Anxiety and fear: Including phobias, OCD, and terror. This could include worry that feels like it is strangling you. It could be driven by the need to please others and feel like we must be perfect, fear of what others think, and always comparing ourselves to others. This category could also include any other type of fear. There are so many: fear of death, rejection, abandonment, failure, the death of others, the future, etc.

Sexual Immorality/Pornography: This would include lust and lustful fantasies. Many struggle in this area and fail to seek help out of embarrassment or even the lie that “everyone does it so it is no big deal.” Sexual sin births spiritual death so it is vital to get to the root cause and deal with it.

False View of Others: This would include lies about others, always looking at what is wrong with people, slander, making fun of others, and/or critical thoughts and attitudes directed at them. This could also include looking at them the same as we do people from our past and judging them based on the people from our past. Example: Starting a new relationship but looking at the person in the same way you did the person from your past that hurt you.

Jealousy/Envy: Social media really feeds this stronghold and creates an atmosphere of self-seeking and self-promoting. We can begin to be driven by wanting more followers and likes. We can also begin to compare our lives to the ones we see online. We start wanting what they have and become dissatisfied with what we have. We wonder why God will not give us the same things, when in reality we have no idea how the people we see online really live their lives. We get a “perfect” glimpse of their life that may not even be based on truth. We all have battles and struggles but that is easy to hide from the camera.

Low Self-Worth: This can cause feelings that everyone hates us, no one likes us, and can even make us feel like God does not like or love us. It can cause us to feel like we do not fit in with our family, friends, or church groups. We may feel different, alone, abandoned, and isolated. This would also include false pride that looks like pride but is hiding a low self-esteem.

Pride: This is a major stronghold to over-come. It can lead to feeling like we can do life all on our own and it can convince us we do not even need God. We do not say it, but this type of stronghold dismisses God and makes us feel like we know what is best for our lives. It usually brings some friends with it: control, manipulation, and being all wrapped up in self.

Trauma: The trauma can create tormenting thoughts that keep us stuck in the cycle of experiencing the trauma over and over. A lot of mental illnesses come from trauma. Satan uses them to torment us and to create faulty thought patterns that cause a faulty view of the world, ourselves, and God. 

A few more examples that I have not mentioned are rejection, failure, lack, addiction, critical thinking, health issues, issues related to identity, obsessive thoughts that will not stop. The list is limitless, and it includes any area in which you cannot get free.

Breaking Strongholds

God wants our minds free and us free of torment and we need His help to break the strongholds. We must recognize that our mind is property that is either occupied by God or Satan. We must get very honest with ourselves and take stock of who has more territory in our minds. We have the choice to either set our minds on the flesh or on the Sprit and what we set our minds on is what we will become. Romans 8:5.

When I was studying and working in the secular world as a family therapist this was understood as a self-fulling prophecy. You become what you think you are. What we watch and listen to matters. If we are watching things full of lust, cursing, and other sins, that is what will eventually come out of our mouths and lives. What we put in comes out and what we think on comes out as well.

What we fill our minds with will manifest in our lives. Strongholds in the mind often dictate what we do, and they come out in our actions because our thoughts drive our actions. We become slaves to the mindsets and the mind dictates the actions of the body. God is ready to fight for us. He wants us free and anything else is a lie from the enemy. Satan lies and says we will always be in bondage but that is not true. We must break patterns and habits and God will always help us do that if we humble ourselves and ask Him.

God’s Word expresses truth and destroys strongholds. When we hear the truth, the strongholds can be broken. This is why it is important to read and hear the Word of God through personal reading and Biblically sound teaching. Nothing takes the place of us getting into God’s Word and finding His truth.

We fight in the spiritual realm and we must use spiritual weapons. Our weapons are not flesh and blood, we cannot argue strongholds out, medicate them out, or compromise them out and we also cannot argue with others who have them. It does no good to argue with people who have strongholds. The power of God, His Word, and the Blood of Jesus is what sets them and us free. People get so used to them because they have been there for so long, but no matter how long or how strong they are God can break them in a moment. 2 Corinthians 10:3–4.

Cast Down Imaginations and Arguments: We must pull down every single imagination and thought that does not line up with the Word of God. We cannot allow them to spend even a second in our mind. Every time a thought comes that is not truth, we must take it captive and force it out. We cannot allow the lies to linger for a moment. They have no business in our minds, and they must be evicted immediately. 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Arguments: These are thoughts that are wrong ideas that go against the Word of God, and we often accept them as the truth. Examples: I can still sin and be okay, this isn’t really that bad, surely God doesn’t care if I just do this. This would also include concepts, ideas, and doctrines that have been perverted and go against the Word of God. They are man-made and made up with no scriptural foundation. We must stop following false doctrines and feel-good messages because they can create strongholds in our mind. The strongholds are solidified when we obey and follow the lies of the enemy. We must bind any thoughts that go against the Word of God. Bind them, cage them, pull them down, and hold them captive. Our thoughts are sometimes like wild animals that must be caged and contained. They try to take on a life of their own. If we do not take the restless thoughts captive they will take us captive. We cannot dwell on the imaginations or arguments, instead we must recognize them and cast them down with the truth. We must choose to believe and follow the Word of God.

Submit our Mind, Will, Emotions to God: This is a must. We need to walk in total submission to God and ask Him to make us more like Him. We must walk in the Spirit, live the way He says to live (Bible), and submit our lives to Him. Everything we have need of flows out of total submission to Him. It is a daily choosing to lay our lives down at His feet and allowing Him to do whatever He wants to do in and with us. As we walk with Him our mind, will, and emotions will be more like His. Our minds are renewed and lined up with Him and His purposes. We are no longer a slave to sin, and our minds are being renewed and restored and our emotions are healed. It is a lie to say we are damaged goods. We must stop looking at ourselves that way. It is a lie the enemy tells us to get us stuck. We need to be renewed and lay down the old self and take off the old nature. We are not damaged, broken, or less than others. We are whole in Jesus. We are who He created us to be. Romans 12:2.

Diligence/Hard Work/Consistency: We must put in effort to change old mindsets, it is not easy, it takes time, hard work, and consistency. We must be diligent and confront the negative thoughts every single time. Do not let them linger for a moment. As soon as they pop up pull them down and cast them out.

Biblical Principles: We must put on the mind of Christ daily and strip off the world’s mindsets and even some of the churches that are contrary to the Word of God. Put on the helmet of Salvation to protect your mind. We must stop letting the enemy tell us what to think and believe. He is a liar and every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie.

Speaking and Listening to God’s Word: The only way to undo wrong thinking is to create right thinking. Jesus fought the devil with Scriptures, and we must do the same. Memorize scripture to use to combat faulty thinking and to renew your mind with the Word of God. The Word became flesh, it is powerful. Turn on an audio Bible and sermons to break the lies of the enemy. When the lies attack your mind verbally say, “I bind and rebuke that lie in the name of Jesus, the truth is…….” Replace the lie with the truth from the Bible. Get in the habit of speaking truth over your life and situations.

Confess Sins to God and Others (a trusted other): We must admit our way of thinking is wrong and then confess it. We must come into agreement with God that our way is not right, but His truth is always right. Bring it to the light and get rid of it. Pride can hinder this step so make sure to pull down any pride. Get an accountability partner if you need one. 1 John 1:9. We must hate sin the same way God does. When we do this, it exposes the enemy and his lies, and he loses power over that area of our lives.

Fasting: This will crucify the flesh and bring all thoughts captive.

Focus on the Positive: We need to look for the good things in life and not always focus on the negative. It takes effort to concentrate and think on the good things, but this is a habit that will literally change our lives. We must think on things that are lovely, pure, real, truthful, and honest. We must apply Philippians 4:8 to every single thought that goes through our minds. If the thoughts do not line up, we must throw them out. We must stop giving the enemy permission to be in our minds and our thoughts. We must love truth and pull down every lie.

Weapons of Warfare

The first step in spiritual warfare is understanding the authority given to us by Jesus. Jesus, Himself gave us authority to conquer the attacks of the enemy. He did not leave us powerless. We already have all the weapons we need to live a victorious life.

Binding and Loosing: We have the authority to bind and loose on the earth. For example: we can bind mental torment and loose peace. We can literally bind the enemy from attacking, speaking and moving against us. Many times, I verbally bind the enemy from attacking my life and the lives of my family members. Matthew 16:19.Top of Form

Authority in His Name: His name is above all things. When we speak to the enemy in the name of Jesus they must obey. They understand the authority in His name and they know they must obey. The key is for us to learn and recognize that ability and put the enemy on notice that we understand the power in His name. Philippians 2:9–11; Mark 16:17–18. The Bible says if we are His believers signs and wonders will accompany us in the form of casting out demons, speaking in tongues and healing the sick. It does not say it can, it might, or even that it should. It says will. We will do these things and if we aren’t we have to figure out why.

Authority over the Enemy: We have authority over the enemy in every area of our lives. The enemy belongs under our feet. We have the ability to tread on him, that means he is under our feet. We do not have to tolerate him in our lives. We have the ability to draw the line in the sand and tell him that he may not cross it. Luke 10:19–20

Promised Land

We can learn to defeat the enemy and stop letting him run all over us. We do not have to be reactionary and defensive. We can go on the offense and take back our territory that the enemy has stolen from us. We can be the ones to draw the line in the sand and say no more. We do not have to fear the enemy or his attacks. If the enemy has stolen anything from you it is time to get it back. Does he have your peace, joy, faith, health, finances, or your family? Take it back. Drive him off your Promised Land.

What has God promised you? When He set the Israelites free from Pharaoh, He performed miracles. He did all of the work, and they were able to just walk right out of the hands of their enemy. He literally parted the Red Sea for them to walk out of bondage. When they made it to their Promised Land, I think they probably thought it would be just as easy. However, when they looked at their promised land all they could see were the giants that were occupying the land and they became full of fear. It was too hard, and the fight was too great. They got their eyes off the promise and could only focus on the obstacles in their way. How many times do we do that exact same thing? God gives us a promise but at the first obstacle we turn back because it is too hard. God taught them how to get free and then He placed their promise in front of them and said go take it. He said, “I have given it to you, it is just what you need and want, now go get it.” He has given us the keys and authority to go take our Promised Land and now we need to go take it. Numbers 13. 

How to Take the Promised Land

Verbally Assault the Enemy with the Word of God: This seems so simple, but it is so powerful.

Speak the word of God out loud against the enemy. Put yourself in the scriptures and declare them over your life and the lives of your family. You can also use the Word when you pray: For example: “Lord Your Word says….” Use the Word against the enemy: “Listen devil, the Word of God says resist the devil and he will flee. I am putting you on notice that I am resisting you and you WILL flee. The Word of God is truth, it does not fail so you will obey His Words.” Hebrews 4:12.

Praise and Worship: This draws the presence of God and repels the enemy. You can use music or simply start verbally thanking God for all He has done for you in your life. Verbalize who He is and His goodness.

Rebuke and Bind the Enemy in the Name of Jesus: We already covered the authority we have in His name, now let’s talk about the practical application. Whatever you are facing speak directly to the enemy and bind the attack in the name of Jesus. Tell that mountain to move and expect it to move. Get aggressive and vocal.

Blood of Jesus: Start pleading the blood of Jesus over your life, your home, and your family. His blood is so powerful, and the enemy cannot stand against it. The enemy does not like to hear about His blood, and it will create a hedge of protection around your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Right Living with Jesus: If we want to walk in the authority, given to us by Jesus, we must be in right standing with Him. We must live submitted lives to His authority and have a real relationship with Him. We cannot access His authority if we are not in a relationship with Him. Romans 12:1–2.

Our Faith: This is a major tool against the enemy. We walk by faith and not by sight, knowing God is in control and holds us in the palm of His hands. 1 John 5:4.

Post Deliverance Check List

This is a quick reference guide to use when you face situations/battles after you have been through a full deliverance prayer session.

Have you tried the following:

1. Asking God if you are dealing with a test (from Him), warfare, or the consequences of your actions. Your plan of action will look very differently depending on what you are going through. If you are going through a test you should be looking for the lesson in the situation and what God is trying to remove from you or teach you. This would be the time to really press into God, walk in total surrender and look for the opportunity for growth and change. Many times before a huge breakthrough some things have to be removed from our mindsets, attitudes, actions and lives. If it is warfare go to battle.
2. Being completely surrendered to Jesus, daily. This is a must. We have to walk in a place where we are saying, You will, Your plan, You way and not mine.
3. Binding and Rebuking: Every single time the enemy comes in you must bind and rebuke him. Do not let him get away with anything. Start recognizing how he tries to come in and attack your life. It can be very subtle, and it can also be very dramatic.
4. Addressing all mental strongholds. Once the demons are gone strongholds in your mind may still be present. These strongholds are habits and old mindsets that must be demolished and destroyed. We must renew our minds daily and not fall back into the old negative ways of thinking. Replace the negative thoughts with the truth from the Word of God. Combat every single thought that does not line up with the Word of God, pull it down and destroy it. Do not spend a lot of time looking back. It is time to move forward.
5. Walking in the authority given to you by Jesus. Get in the Word and begin to understand who you are in Him. The enemy is under our feet according to the Bible. We have full authority over the enemy, and we must act like it.
6. Praising and worshiping. You want to the enemy to run, start talking about the goodness of God and thanking Jesus for what He did on the cross.
7. Speaking the Word out loud.
8. Standing in faith.
9. Seeking healing. If you are not healed or walking in total forgiveness towards others, please seek healing. You may need to visit a Christian counselor, but make sure they are Bible believing and practicing Christians.
10. Being quick to repent. When you mess up be very quick to repent and get back on track. When Jesus healed people He often told them to go and sin no more. I know we all fall and mess up, but we must be quick to get up, repent and move forward.
11. Self-Deliverance. You have the authority over the enemy to speak to them and make them leave.
12.  Reaching out for help with more deliverance. If you have tried all of the above and you are still not walking in complete freedom you may need to reach out for more deliverance.

Difference Between a Demon and the Flesh: Knowing When Deliverance and/or Discipline is Needed

Demons

I want to start with discussing some of the symptoms of demonization. Demonization means a demon has gained legal rights to a person and they have taken up residence in their body (mind, will, emotions, flesh areas). Deliverance is necessary when a demon has gained legal rights to a person’s life through personal or generational sin, word curses, inner vows, and/or ungodly soul ties. Deliverance removes the legal rights of the demons and then the demons are verbally cast out in the name of Jesus.

Symptoms of Demonization

One of the main things to look for is if the symptoms are intrusive and make the person feel like they are not totally in control of their thoughts and/or actions. It is almost like they have a magnet that draws them toward the sin/issue/symptom. Look for patterns in their life as well as patterns in their families of origin.

Enticement Toward Sin: Demons persuade us to do evil things and the persuasion is often through verbal thoughts planted in the mind. We may be arguing back and forth in our mind why we should avoid the sin, but the other voice says things like, “Surely one time won’t hurt, it is just a little bit, this is really not that bad, God really doesn’t care if you only have a little sin in your life.” It is like the sin we are being enticed with has a neon sign above it and is pulling us right toward it. We want to stay away, but everywhere we look that sin is right in our face. We try to use all our will power to avoid the sin, but we always seem to fall right back into it. We may have victory for small periods of time, but we end up right back where we started. It is a vicious cycle that we just cannot seem to break no matter how hard we try.

Harassment: Demons study us and our weaknesses and then prey upon them. We may hear and see awful things in our mind that we do not want to hear and see. Many times, the harassment is nonstop and relentless. It can include negative voices telling us how bad we are, how ugly we are, and how no one can love us. The harassment is relentless and no matter what we try, it just will not stop. We try to change the “negative self-talk,” but it is relentless and it refuses to stop.

Torture: They often cause physical and mental torment to the point of feeling like, or fearing, we are going to go insane or die. We may even hear voices telling us we are losing our mind or that others are watching us because they know we are losing it. It can even get to the point of causing paranoia, fear, and extreme anxiety.

Compelling and Compulsions: Many times, demons present as symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. I am not saying all diagnosis of OCD are demonic in nature, but they definitely could be. The compulsions easily become all-consuming and create major bondages. This area can also include behaviors that lead to negative self-soothing addictions such as smoking, drugs, alcohol, perfectionism, social media, self-mutilation, and food.

Enslavement: We no longer feel like our bodies are our own. We feel like there is something driving our behavior and it is trying to take over our body and mind. We are not on autopilot, but we feel the need to fight to remain in control. We may even feel like giving up because no matter how hard we try, we cannot get our thought life under control which can lead to guilt, shame, condemnation, hopelessness, depression, and despair. We may feel like we are not a good Christian or that God is mad at us because of the sinful thoughts that are always active in our mind. We may also feel like we cannot control our actions connected to specific behaviors and sin. This can cause us to give up even trying to avoid the sin, thoughts, and behaviors. We may fall for the lie that we are helpless, and it is just the way we are. Some examples include negative attitudes, addiction, sexual identity issues, etc.

Addictions: Addictions can include many different things such as food, alcohol, illegal drugs, legal drugs, social media, careers, our looks, money, status, possessions, risk taking, gambling, sex, pornography, etc. Whatever area the addiction presents, it will take on a life of its own and distract us from the things of God. It will end up being our focus and take most of our energy and time. It becomes all-consuming and gradually changes who we are to the point of not even being able to recognize the person we have turned into.

Defilement: They create vulgar and horrific thoughts and imaginations. An example of this would be driving down the road minding our own business and all of a sudden we get vulgar sexual thoughts. We were not trying to get them, we did not want them, but suddenly there they are. Or all of a sudden we get a thought that we are going to die, or our family member is going to die. Thoughts that are intrusive and come out of nowhere are often demonic in nature. They may also create pictures in our head like a movie playing. The key point is we are blindsided by them, and it was nothing we were even thinking about or that we would want to think about. It is often the exact opposite. We hate the thoughts but feel powerless to make them stop.

Deception: Demons distort the truth of God and lie about God and His people. We can also get caught up in false teachings and false religions because of a spirit of deception. It can even act like a block and no matter how hard we try we cannot understand the Word of God. It can feel like there is a wall between the things of God and us. Another way this demon works is by bringing the wrong people into our lives and making us think they are from God. I have seen this happen so many times when people are dating. They are sure God sent the person, but it is so clearly a demon who sent them. I have also seen the enemy send a married person to someone, and they become convinced God sent them. God will never do something that is in contradiction to His Word and to feel differently is clearly some form of deception.

Mental and Emotional Breakdowns: Demons can cause mental illness and all the symptoms of that illness. I am not saying mental illness is always 100% demonic in nature, but it should never be dismissed until it has been explored. They can create symptoms such as depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, fear, obsessive thoughts, compulsions, hearing voices, paranoia, lack of focus, cognition issues, brain fog, lack of memory recall, lack of ability to see reality, low body image, distortions in thought, low self-esteem, self-harming behaviors, identity issues, etc. They may even play past traumas over and over in our mind to keep us in a constant state of pain, hurt, regret, shame, panic, fear, rejection, abandonment, and dread.

Barrenness, Impotency, Miscarriages, and Female Complications: Demons want to kill, steal, and destroy us and our families. These types of issues are often a result of a generational curse, especially if you can see patterns in the individual’s family and not just a single incident. This would be an area of ongoing, persistent issues. Again, I am not saying these symptoms are always demonic in nature, but it should be explored, especially if the issues are persistent, and a pattern is easily recognized without a medical cause.

Failure: An example of this would be experiencing hinderances over and over. We start to get ahead in life, but just when we are close to breakthrough it all falls apart. We try and try but nothing seems to work in the areas of jobs, finances, relationships, business ventures, hobbies, or other areas of life. We may even have a dream and all the skills to make the dream happen, but we just cannot make it materialize no matter how hard we try.

Poverty: No matter what we do, we cannot get ahead. The money we have never seems to stretch like it should and no matter how much we make it is never enough. This is often a pattern we see in families because of a generational curse. This can also present as something seemingly trying to suck the very life out of every area of our lives such as: relationships, finances, family, home, and jobs. Every area can feel dead, as if it has no life or hope in it.

Cannot Hear God’s Voice or Feel His Presence: We may feel like no matter what we do we just cannot get as close to God as we want. We pray and we feel like our prayers are not heard or like there is a block between God and us. We may be surrounded by people who are feeling His presence, but we just cannot seem to break through an unseen wall. We may begin to feel isolated and like He does not care about us or listen to our prayers. It can lead to feelings of rejection and abandonment.

Crisis: It can be like we are a magnet for chaos and crisis; we are constantly going from one issue to another. This may have even started in early childhood. We are in a constant state of trauma and/or crisis from which we cannot break free. Situations could include car wrecks, accidents, sicknesses, loss of jobs, abuse, toxic relationships, broken relationships, deaths of loved ones, loss of stability, other losses, etc.

Untimely or Unnatural Deaths: This would be a family pattern to look for. It could be a generational curse operating and there could possibly be a covenant with the spirit of death over the family.

Chronic or Hereditary Diseases: This could also be the result of a generational curse and/or from a covenant made with specific demons. Patterns to look for would be diseases and conditions that affect several members of the same family in the same way. It is not always from a demon or generational curse, but it would be worth exploring to find the root cause.

History of Abuse and Trauma: Many times, demons will use trauma as an open door to our lives. Suffering abuse or trauma is not the sin that opens the door, but our reaction to the abuse can often create legal rights. For example, it is very common for a spirit of fear to move in after trauma. The demon starts to speak lies to us, we believe the lie, we accept the lie, we begin to live the lie, and then the door is opened wide for the demon. We must remember that the enemy will always look for and use any means possible to create a legal right in our lives. When we are at our lowest, we can guarantee there is a demon watching and ready to manipulate the situation to his advantage. This can lead to feeling like we cannot break free from the effects of the trauma, and we may get stuck in a victimhood mentality. It can become so ingrained in us that we even identify ourselves as a victim and feel powerless to change. This can lead to self-pity, shame, co-dependency, addictions, and low self-worth.

Compulsive Desire to Blaspheme God, His Word, and/or Preachers: This could include sitting in church and hearing awful things about the pastor, and church members, in our minds. We may not even be able to concentrate on the message because all we can do is cut down the preacher, or other church members in our thoughts. The thoughts include personal attacks that are cutting, mocking, and critical in nature. We try to make the thoughts stop, but they just will not go away. We may even feel like they do not fit our personality, but we accept them as ours because they are so constant. This type of demon could also make it difficult at times to read the Bible because every time we try, we have negative thoughts about the words we are trying to read. We may not seem to be able to see the truth of God’s Word and the truth of who He is. We may hear awful things in our minds about God and His Word that come in the form of mocking, doubt, and anger.

Hostility or Fear of People in Ministry: This is especially true for people in the deliverance ministry. This includes having feelings of hate toward them and having no idea why. We may also get near certain people and feel negative feelings toward them because the Spirit of God in them stirs the demons in us. We may even experience feelings of anxiety and may find it difficult to spend time learning about deliverance through books, videos, and conversations. We may easily get distracted or the negative feelings may feel too hard to push through. When trying to learn about deliverance, we may get extremely fearful and even hear voices that tell us it is not real or that we should avoid learning more. We can also experience physical reactions such as extreme fatigue, headaches, nausea, and mental distractions.

Revulsion Against the Bible: We may have a hard time reading the Word or even holding a Bible and we may also feel uncomfortable when we hear others read the Word. We may know that we should be reading it, but we just cannot bring ourselves to do it. We may even have negative thoughts when we hear others reading the Bible. We may have no idea where these feelings come from, but no matter what, we just cannot change the feelings or make them stop. It may even go so far as creating feelings of anxiety, fear, headaches, or nausea when we try to read the Word or hear it being read.

Compulsive Thoughts of Suicide or Murder: We may hear things like: “No one loves you. Everyone would be better if you were gone. Life is too hard. God does not love you.” It may be a fight to stay alive because the thoughts are so overwhelming. We may even find ourselves thinking of ways to commit suicide even though we really do not want to be thinking about it. It is almost as if the plans in our mind are not our own. Or we may not really want to die, we may just not want to live anymore because the torment is so bad. We may also get thoughts of hurting others and have daydreams of hurting or even killing those who have hurt us, rejected us, disrespected us, or misused us. The thoughts can be very violent and graphic in nature and full of vengeance. We may even feel justified in our feelings because of the pain they have caused us. We may have thoughts and hear voices that tell us we are justified because we have been hurt so badly or the voices may constantly remind us how much the person has hurt and wronged us.

Deep Feelings of Bitterness/Hate Toward People: This could include critical thoughts and attitudes toward people for no reason. We could be easily angered and ready to fight when we feel like we have been slighted. It could also include having these feelings because something happened, and we just cannot seem to get past the feelings. We may even want to let the negative feelings go, but they just will not go away no matter how hard we try to move on. We could be easily offended and have difficulty forgiving and getting over the offense. We could also feel the need to tell others and have them pick up the offense with us. We could feel justified in our actions based on our feelings.           

Compulsive Thoughts: These are thoughts that will not stop, that are out of control, and lead to us feeling out of control. We try to stop them, but they will not go away, and they are intrusive and disturbing to the point of interfering with our quality of life.

Desire to Tear Others Down: This includes speaking negative, critical words about others and often leads to gossip. It would also include getting a sense of satisfaction when we hear others tearing them down as well. Envy and strife could also go along with these feelings. We may feel the need to point out the faults of others while ignoring or being blinded to our own. We never have anything good to say about others and we do not enjoy hearing others spoken of in a positive manner. We belittle others to feel better about ourselves.

Manipulating Others: We may not even realize we are doing this, but we must think about how we get the things we want from others and how we treat the people around us. We can often feel justified in our actions if we have used manipulation for an extended period of time to get our needs met. We may just think it is part of who we are or we may not even recognize it for what it really is. However, if our go-to is manipulation, a demon could be the root cause. This demon can also cause us to fall into being manipulated, dominated, and controlled by others and not even recognize what is going on. It is very sneaky and often masquerades itself as something else, making it very difficult to see it for what it really is.

Terrifying Feeling of Guilt (even after confession to God): God convicts us to draw us to Him, but demons condemn us to drive us away from God. They will put thoughts in our head such as, “God cannot forgive that sin, He will not forgive you, you are hopeless, you are too messed up for God, and you need to clean yourself up before you approach God.” The end goal is to make us run from God in shame and not turn to Him. God will never drive us away from Himself, so if what we are feeling and hearing is making us want to run from Him, we can be sure the thoughts and feelings are not coming from Him.

Physical Symptoms: This could include pain, physical illness, mental illness, confusion, sleep issues, weight gain, weight loss, fatigue, malnourishment, and eating issues. We may even go to doctor after doctor and yet have no diagnosis or treatment because they cannot figure out what is going on. Matthew 9:32; Matthew 12:22; Matthew 17:14–18.

Deep Depression: Everything can be going great in our lives, but a cloud of darkness surrounds us, and we cannot break free. It can feel like we are being drowned in a pit of despair and we just cannot see the light. The depression can feel like it is strangling us to the point of physical pain, and we may not see any way out. Thoughts of suicide may also be present.

Violent Rage or Anger: This would include blackout rages, where we lose the ability to control ourselves and our temper. It also includes getting angry over the smallest things, exploding for no reason, and also struggling with aggression either verbally and/or physically. We may not even remember the things we say or do when we lose control. This would also include incidents of road rage.

Terrifying Doubt of Salvation: We may hear voices and thoughts telling us we are not really saved, even when we know we are, and they may tell us we have committed the unpardonable sin and our situation is hopeless because we no longer have the ability to be saved. We may get gripped by fear that we are going to die and go to hell. We may also get stuck in legalism and doing good works because we are trying to earn our way to Heaven. We never feel peace in our walk with the Lord and we never feel like we can relax because we are always in doubt of whether we are going to Heaven.

Uncontrollable/Irrational Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Fear, and/or Phobias: This list is very long, so I will not even attempt to list them all. Fear and anxiety are huge tactics of the enemy, and they often create torment in this manner. As with many of the other symptoms, they are not always caused by demons. There are many medical conditions that can cause anxiety, so medical and demonic causes should be explored, and neither should be overlooked. There can also be a combination of both at play.

Horrific Dreams, Nightmares, and/or Night Terrors: The dreams can seem very real and we may wake up feeling like we cannot move, or we may continue to see the images from the dreams once we are awake. We may also feel like we are being held down by an unseen force and wake up with unexplained bruises or scratches. Many explanations of night terrors sound demonic in nature in my opinion.

Abnormal or Perverted Sexual Desires: Sometimes the demons will cause flashes of sexual acts in our mind, like a movie playing. Fetishes are usually, if not always, driven by demons. Any sexual desires that are unbiblical in nature very likely have a demonic influence at the root.

Challenging God’s Word: Even when we know it is true, we just do not fully trust it or have the ability to believe it. We want to, but something inside us makes us doubt what we are reading or hearing. We may say that we believe the words, but in our heart we really do not. We may also have a hard time believing in the promises we read in His Word and about His goodness. It can also lead to doubt about how we are called to live and what is actually sin. We may begin to get a twisted view of God that causes us to wander from Him.

Sleep or Eating Disorders with no Medical Cause: We may have difficulty sleeping or sleep too much. The eating issues could include the inability to eat, overeating, food addiction, and eating disorders. The demons can also cause malnourishment and block nutrients even when we do eat.

Rebellion and Hatred for Authority: This would include the inability to submit to God or other forms of authority. It can also cause us to feel angry when we are being corrected and make us unteachable. We may feel justified in our lack of submission and feel like we do not have the ability to change.

Fascination/Drawing Toward the Occult: For example—Halloween, haunted houses, ghosts, psychics, tarot cards, horoscope, witchcraft, vampires, werewolves, magic, angel cards, New Age practices, energy healing, seances, astrology, zodiac signs, Wiccan, other false religions, etc. We may have a strong curiosity that draws us to the occult, and we may view it as innocent fun. We may also be drawn to books, movies, or games that include the above items and not understand that it is demons attracting us to these things.

Criminal Activity: The activity could include stealing, drug use, violence, gangs, vandalism, threats, etc.

Extreme Low Self-Image/Self-Hatred: Even when trying to work on our feelings and emotions, we just cannot love ourselves or see ourselves the way God sees us. We feel different and less than everyone else. We feel like others cannot love us and that we have nothing to offer. We may even feel like others can see how worthless we really are, and it can cause us to withdraw when we are in a group. We feel like we are flawed so deeply that others can see the flaws and do not like us because of them. This can cause us to miss our calling from God because we do not feel like we have anything to offer Him or others.

Confusion in Thinking: This could include brain fog, the inability to concentrate and remember things. It could also affect memory recall for words, Scripture, and past events in our lives. It can also make critical thinking difficult and can easily interfere with our level of cognitive functioning which can lead to frustration and embarrassment.

Perceptual Distortions: Examples for the distortions are perceiving anger in others when it is not there, seeing only judgment in the Word of God, twisting the words of others, and creating misunderstandings. Anxiety can also cause the same symptoms and the anxiety can be demonic in nature or from a mental/medical issue.

Violent Thoughts: The thoughts could be directed toward ourselves or others, even people we love. The thoughts could be very troubling, but we cannot make them stop.

Desire to do Right but the Inability to Follow Through: We may feel like everything in us is trying to do right, but we just cannot do it, even when we try our hardest. There are certain areas where we just cannot get and/or maintain freedom. The pull to return to the sin is just too strong. We may lay it down for a while, but no matter what we do, we always seem to pick it right back up again. This can lead to feeling hopeless and like no matter what we do we cannot change so we give up and do not even try anymore.

Sudden Personality and/or Attitude Changes: This may be labeled as severe mental illness, but it could be demonic in nature. We may suffer from drastic mood swings that come out of nowhere for no apparent reason and are sudden and very dramatic even to the point of making us feel like we are out of control.

A Dark Countenance: This would include a steely or hollow look in the eyes and/or an inability to make eye contact. There are times we can look people in the eyes and see the demons looking back at us. This can also include drastic changes in eye color.

Lying, Exaggerating, or Compulsively Stealing: When we do these things, we are often left wondering why. We may want to stop but just cannot seem to control ourselves, or it could be the exact opposite and we do not even realize we are doing it.

Compulsive Sexual Sins: Masturbation, sexual perversions, fetishes, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, sexual abuse, pedophilia, pornography addiction, and any other form of sexual addictions would fall in this category.

Sexual Dreams: We may have recurring sexual dreams that feel very real, and the feelings linger even after we wake up.

Irrational Laughter or Crying: Emotional outburst for no apparent reason can be demonic in nature.

Compulsion to Hurt Self or Others: Demons will often push people to physically hurt themselves and/or others. This would include self-harming behaviors such as cutting, allowing others to physically abuse us, and other self-multination behaviors. It can also include a cycle of self-sabotaging our lives any time things start to go right.

Suddenly Speaking a Language not Previously Know: I am not referring to the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. This would be a foreign language that we are not familiar with and it would feel very different than when the Holy Spirit is operating through us. This one is hard to explain, but when you hear demons speak in a different language, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up and you immediately know it is not from God. Many times, it can be ancient languages or ones that are specific to our ethnic bloodlines.

Reactions to the Name and Blood of Jesus Christ: Demons will often manifest when we start speaking the name of Jesus and/or pleading the blood of Jesus over our lives. They do not like His name or His blood to be mentioned. They can cause us to feel anxious, get a headache, and nauseated when His name and blood are mentioned.

Extreme Restlessness, Especially in a Spiritual Environment: This includes the inability to sit still and/or concentrate. For example, we may feel restless every time we go to church. We get up and go to the bathroom several times because we just cannot sit still. We may also start thinking about a million different things when the minister gets up to preach. Everything but the message may start going through our mind.

Uncontrollable Cutting and Mocking Tongue, Critical of Others, Negative Attitudes: We may consistently see the world from a negative perspective and have difficulty seeing anything good. We may also always talk about, and focus on, the negative things in others and the world around us instead of seeing the positive aspects. Our tone may be harsh and biting along with the words we are speaking. We may just consider ourselves realists, but in reality we are negative to the core.

Vulgar Language and Actions: We may hear curse words in our mind, and they may be words we would never verbalize but we cannot make them stop in our head. They come out of nowhere and they are not even the way we normally talk. This can lead to feelings of shame and guilt.

Loss of Time, Blackouts: This happened to me for short periods of time because I gave some of the demons so much control. I did this because I was told they were part of my personality and that I should let them express themselves due to the diagnosis of Dissociate Identity Disorder. While trying to integrate, I would let them “express” themselves through me having no idea they were really demons. If we give demons an inch, they will take a mile regardless of our intentions. We may say and do things that we just vaguely remember. It is like watching ourselves from the outside, almost like when we are watching the television. We are there, but not fully. It can often be labeled as dissociation or losing touch with reality.

Extreme Sleepiness Around Spiritual Things: This would include falling asleep in church and when trying to pray or read the Bible. This would not be a one incident type of situation, instead it would be a pattern that we can look back on and easily recognize. We have the ability to watch TV for hours, but the second we try to read the Bible or pray we struggle to stay awake.

Attacks on Identity: The enemy always tries to twist who God created us to be. This can be in the area of gender, sexual orientation, low self-esteem, calling, career, personality, character traits, etc.

Voices are Heard in the Mind: The voices often mock, intimidate, accuse, threaten, or attempt to bargain. They never say anything good or tell us to do anything helpful.

Voices that Refer to Themselves in the Third Person: If we are hearing voices that are referring to themselves as we/us, it is more than likely demons speaking to us. For example, “We will not leave, we are your friends, we help you, we protect you, you need us, etc.”

Supernatural Experiences: Examples of these experiences include movement or disappearance of objects, seeing shadows or people moving around in our home, feeling a dark presence, hearing voices, or smelling particular smells that do not belong. We may also see what looks like a deceased family member or close friend and they may even speak to us at times. That is called a familiar spirit and it is a demon pretending to be the ghost/spirit of the person. They may even know a lot of information about us, and the deceased loved one, but that is because they have been watching the loved one and us for many years. This area could even include a child’s imaginary friend. The child may describe what they are seeing and hearing, but we may easily think it is just a game and dismiss it, but we must really pay attention and make sure it is not a demon interacting with the child. There are no age limits on demons tormenting us and it often starts in childhood. From their perspective, the earlier they can get us in bondage, the better.

Pain without Justifiable Explanation: We may feel our hair being pulled, we may get pinched, smacked, or we may even get unexplained bruises. We can also have unexplained headaches, stomachaches, and pain in other areas of our body.

Sudden Temporary Interference with Bodily Functions: An example would include an inability to speak or hear, severe headache, and/or temporary paralysis.

Pride: We may hear inner voices telling us how great we are, how smart we are, and how we are above or better than others. The voices will never point to Jesus, but instead always point right back to our perceived greatness. They may also make us feel sad when others do not see how great we are and how much we have accomplished. The demons can also send others into our lives to puff us up with flattery.

This list is not all inclusive and even if you have some of these you may not be demonized. If you think that is what you are dealing with you should spend time in prayer asking God to give you discernment. Many times, as soon as you start learning about deliverance, God begins to reveal exactly what you need for your life. If you have consistently tried prayer, fasting, discipline, speaking the Word of God over your life and have used the weapons of warfare and it only helps a little and it comes right back (it just will not break) it is very likely you are in need of deliverance.

Medical conditions should also be considered and ruled out. There are several conditions that can cause some of the above symptoms. For example, lack of certain vitamins/nutrients, toxicity, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalance, dementia, and many more can be the root cause. There can also be a combination of root causes which means you will need to address each one to walk in total freedom and healing.

Next, I want to talk about situations that are spiritual warfare, but not demonization. This type of warfare is demonic in nature, but it is an outward fight. It is not happening because the demons have a legal right to our lives, but it is the warfare we face in our lives because the demons want to kill, steal, and destroy our us. John 10:10. We are born into spiritual warfare, and it does not end until we get to heaven.

When we are facing spiritual warfare we have to use our weapons of warfare and when we do the attacks should break. We will still go through seasons of battles but our weapons of warfare are effective. The weapons of warfare are the Word of God, verbally commanding the attacks to stop in the name of Jesus, prayer, praise and worship, wearing the full armor of God, our faith, the name of Jesus, and the blood of Jesus.

Lastly, I want to discuss flesh issues. The flesh is our old carnal, sinful nature. It is lazy, sinful, wants what it wants when it wants it, and it will always pull us away from the things of God because it hates discipline. We deal with the flesh through discipline, crucifying it, surrender to the Lord and fasting.

Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

Colossians 3:5 So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God].

Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

Many times we are dealing with more than one root cause of our issues. For example, we may be demonized, dealing with spiritual warfare, and also need to bring our flesh under submission. When we are dealing with more than one issue we must respond with discipline, crucifying the flesh, surrender to God, spiritual warfare, and deliverance. 

We cannot cast out the flesh and we cannot discipline a demon. It is important to get to the root cause of the issues so we know how to respond effectively.

Blessings, 

Nichole Henson 

Fullness of Joy Ministry 

Fullnessofjoyministry@gmail.com