Do you behave in ways that are outside of your nature? Perhaps you’re struggling with bad behavior or a toxic thought pattern that you can’t stop no matter how hard you pray and try.
You, my friend, could be struggling under demonic influence and not even know it.
I have to imagine that’s how the slave girl in Acts 16:16-18 felt when she encountered Paul and his friends.
“As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.”
Maybe this woman had an inkling that demons were wreaking havoc in her life or maybe was clueless. Demons are like their master, Satan, who likes to operate undetected.
One of the reasons they can go undetected for so long is because they speak in ‘facts,’ and facts sound like truth to the undiscerning.
“Jesus said, behold I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, therefore be gentle as doves but wise as serpents.” — Matthew 10:16
And just before that warning, in Matthew 10:8 Jesus gave the command: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons.
Demons are not cute little yellow minions that seem harmless. Rather, they are wicked and vile just like their master and their aim is the same: to kill, steal, and destroy anything of value to you.
Demons need physical bodies to carry out their work. That’s where you come in.
If you have missed my earlier teachings in this series, be sure to check out:
I’m not saying that you are not responsible for your behavior, but if there are any unchecked sins or moments of weakness, this is a legally open door for a demon to enter into your life and make it near impossible for you to be holy in that area.
So if you are thinking that what you’re struggling with might be the work of a demon, it’s time to kick Satan and his demons to the curb.
But how? You may be thinking, I have no power over the demonic realm. But if you are a follower of Christ, you sure do.
One of my favorite scriptures is found in Luke 10:19:
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and overall the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
But when it comes to getting rid of demons, you can’t confess a demon out of your life, you can’t counsel a demon out of your life, and for sure you can’t love a demon out of your life. They will not respond to the love of Christ. To get rid of a demon, you must cast it out.
So today, I am going to share with you 3 basic principles to casting out demons.
- Repent. While demonic activity is outside of your control, the truth is that at some point in your life you handed the keys over to demons. You may or may not have been aware, but demons don’t play fair. Any open door is an invitation for them. They can enter in through sexual sins (or any sins for that matter), participation in the occult, unforgiveness, childhood trauma, and even overwhelming, unchecked emotions. Whatever it is that opened the door to these demons, you must recognize your involvement in it (even if it was just giving in to fear) and repent for it. Repentance closes the door. If you’re not willing to repent, don’t bother with the next steps because you can’t cast out a demon you keep inviting in.
- Renounce. To renounce something means that you formally declare your abandonment of a particular activity, thought process, or involvement. It’s not enough to be sorry; the door has to be closed, never to be opened again. If you have gone to psychics, you need to stop. If you are involved in premarital sex, it needs to end. If you are holding on to unforgiveness, it has to be released.
Please don’t think for a moment that Satan is going to take you seriously. Even after testing Jesus in the wilderness, scripture tells us that Satan left him… for a season. He came back to tempt Jesus again and he will do the same for you. You will need to resist all urges and temptations to slip back into the behaviors that opened the door in the first place. - Replace. When you cast out a demon, you are free in the mighty name of Jesus. You will often feel a lifting and a leaving of the demon. This can be quickly through the exhale of your breath or it can be as violent as vomiting convulsions (demons don’t always go quietly). But once they leave, if healing does not take place, there is often an empty void and we run the risk of having a Matthew 12 moment, which says, “‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
So you must replace the demonic that left with the holy. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the opposite of what left you. If you cast out hate, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His love. If you cast out perversion, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with purity. Then get to work in allowing God to perfect that which concerns you. Here’s where counseling comes in. Oftentimes, when demons are cast out, there is still the hurt that made you prone to open the doors, to begin with. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a qualified professional who is well-versed in fighting spiritual battles. Remember, the longer the demon lived there, the greater the stronghold is in your life.
So now the steps, let’s begin to cast out these demons and live free in Jesus’ name.
Here’s how it looks. If you recognize demonic activity in your life, speak to the demons and say:
“In the mighty name of Jesus, I cast out you spirits of ________. By the power of Jesus’ name, you are ordered to leave my life. I repent of ________ and I renounce any involvement with _________ and I slam the door in your face.”
Once you’ve said this prayer (out loud) give a giant exhale to expel the demon.
Some demons will manifest in inappropriate ways, that’s ok. Keep firm in your command to have them leave. You have the authority.
Some demons go quietly with no evidence of their exit. That’s ok too. Trust your heavenly Father has set you free and move forward in your freedom.
