And I tell people often I can’t counsel out a demon, and I can’t cast out the flesh. So if you are struggling under demonic influence, no amount of talking through your situation will remove that demon’s influence over your life. It may agitate them which would lead to deliverance, but it’s not going to remove them. So that demon needs to be cast out before you can begin counseling. If you are struggling with poor, destructive sinful behaviors, I can’t cast you out of you. You see no amount of deliverance will give you lasting victory over a sin that you will not repent of. You need to learn how to bring your flesh under subjection. 

And look, there is no hard and fast rule to determine counseling versus deliverance. There are times when counseling is sufficient to interrupt demonic interference. But other times a demon can manifest clearly and make deliverance. The only option. Now I’ve had people come to me for counseling only to discover that they truly needed deliverance first. Now I’ve had others come to me for deliverance when in reality, their problems within themselves. And in these cases, if a demon is even cast out, and the flesh is not dealt with, the minute one operates in their fleshly nature, again, sinful nature, the door is now reopened for possible demons to come in. 

Matthew 12:44 reminds us of what the demons do after they’re cast out. And here’s what he says, “I will return to my house from which I came. And when it comes it finds the house swept and put in order, then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself and they enter and dwell there and the last state of the person is worse than the first.”

So when do you need counseling? And when do you need deliverance? 

Well, counseling is for addressing root issues contributing to present problems, dealing with errors in thought patterns and actions healing some past wounds through forgiveness, providing tools to teach biblical and godly ways of dealing with either unwanted people or thoughts or behaviors. And the goal is to be able to move forward by healing from the past. 

Deliverance is the supernatural power of God putting a stop to the works of demonic forces, breaking demonic powers over your life, removing bondages, breaking curses and addictions, and so on. So I want you to think of the Israelites in Egypt. Their deliverance out of Egypt was the deliverance that they needed, but the 40 years in the wilderness. Well, that was the counseling they needed.

Oftentimes, my friend, you need both. We know what it feels like to need counseling, you know, you’re going through an internal or an external issue that you just can’t seem to resolve. And you know, you need to seek wise counsel. So how do you know if someone needs deliverance? 

Well, the first thing is obvious manifestations. Sometimes during counseling or ministry, what you’re talking about can actually stir up the demon in operation, and they can begin to manifest and this can be in the form of agitation, sweating, shaking, cursing, or even the strong desire to flee or even attack the one who is speaking. 

I remember one time I was actually ministering to a small group of ladies and this one particular woman. She seemed fine at the beginning and as we were going through She started to get more and more agitated until she reached a point where she was literally spewing at me, she was so angry that she couldn’t contain it anymore, my friend, that was a demon. 

Number two, you have had repeated counseling, prayer, speaking to other people, but you can’t seem to get continued victory, it may come for a short period, but then it comes back. This is usually an indication of a strong demonic influence. 

Number three, you struggle with or have participated in any of the following without repentance on forgiveness, toxic home environments, both now and in the past abuse or trauma from the past, a cult involvement, whether that’s you or your family line, known curses, curses that were placed on you, operating in guilt, or fear, or any type of manipulation, my friend, we’re going to save this for whole other teaching, but manipulation is witchcraft. So any of these can indicate the need for deliverance from the demonic influence in your life. So think of it this way you can have your house broken into and your property stolen and damage to get the thief out is deliverance. 

Now to deal with all of the broken pieces, that’s a job for counseling. Counseling is for those who are not under demonic influence. But once the demon is cast out, counseling can help create new patterns of thinking and behaving that ensure that the door to that demon is not open again. 

Now, please don’t hear what I’m not saying sometimes we start with counseling, and then we discover that we need deliverance. And deliverance is not for those who are in patterns and behaviors that you know are wrong but to just keep trying to justify it. I remember years ago, I had a woman come to me for deliverance. And when asked she wanted deliverance from speaking, she said anger and criticism. And as we talked, she went on to tell me about all the people that have heard her. And I don’t need to hear somebody’s backstory to be able to bring deliverance. Jesus knows everything. So, you know, I wanted to hear her out. But each time I tried to talk, she would cut me off with criticism over what these people did to her and how angry she was, and how justified she wasn’t being angry. And I told her flat out, I said, you don’t need deliverance, you need to deal with that on forgiveness. Now she left very angry. But months later, she actually came back and said, You were right. I wanted to be justified in my anger. But I just didn’t want to feel it anymore. So for healing to occur, you have to learn why you did what you did and how you can change it moving forward to think that deliverance is this one and done bandaid solution is a little ignorant, it’s as ignorant as thinking is you can take a pill to lose weight and then eat whatever you want. The weights going to come back and so will the demon and usually stronger. Those having gone through deliverance, need counseling, Christian counseling to help them walk through their issues, their hurts their thought processes, and their reactions. 

Now I have actually partnered with a wonderful organization that offers Christian counseling, if you’re interested, I will go ahead and include a link in the description section below my friend do not hesitate. Look you need if you have been delivered, and if you are going through counseling, and you need to address those issues of hurt and those thought processes and the reactions. You need to learn new techniques to handle what the devil is trying to throw at you. And you need to learn it in God’s way. Remember, these demons have likely spent years fragmenting your mind and your will, and your emotions. And now that they’re out, you’re going to need to repair that damage. And yes, God is faithful he will walk with you through this journey. And but that’s just it, my friend, he’s gonna want to walk with you through this journey. 

Oftentimes, it’s not just this magic bullet solution where everything is now fixed. Is it possible for God? Absolutely. All things are possible with God. But most times He wants us to walk through that journey because, in the journey and the walking out, we actually draw closer to Him. We get to see his mighty power at work in our lives and his head is so precious I would trade it for a thing. Oh God has provided a way out of every problem in our lives. Jesus came to set you free and whom the sunsets free is free indeed, my friend, whatever it is that you need to move forward in. I pray that you will seek the help that you need because the abundant life awaits you.

 Well if you have been struggling in your faith or you want to grow in your faith I want to invite you to join us for our Free 5-day Mountain-Moving Faith devotional. It is an email series that will be sent directly to your inbox. It is my free gift to you because I believe that you too have mountain-moving faith on the inside of you.