Deliverance ministry consists of many makes and models. Ministers have their own patterns, formulas and routines they follow. They have ideas about an order, what they think should be done first, how you should bind and restrict, and whether you should take the strongman out first or last.
Deliverance is not a cookie-cutter ministry. After doing thousands of deliverance sessions, I’ve learned that no two deliverances are the same. What I’ve also learned is doing biblical deliverance the way Jesus did is most effective.
In deliverance sessions and altar ministry, we have witnessed ministers asking a demon, “What is your name?” This has always seemed off to me. Why do people have to ask a demon its name when we have the Holy Spirit residing within us? Isn’t the Spirit of God more powerful than a demon? I know the answer to that question is a definite, yes! Why, therefore, are we consulting with a demon instead of the Holy Spirit? Where is that biblical model of deliverance?
People take the verse in Mark 5, where Jesus asked the demon what its name was, and use this as a basis for deliverance ministry. This is one example and one verse, which they actually take out of context. What about all the other times He simply took authority and told it to go or get out?
“For Jesus said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Then He asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He answered, ‘My name is Legion. For we are many'” (Mark 5:8-9).
Jesus didn’t ask the demon its name until after it was cast out. Note here it says, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.” Jesus commanded it out. He also called it an unclean spirit, one of the names, but the strongman was Legion. It says, “then, He asked him.”
“Then” means something that happens afterward or next. Jesus didn’t need to know its name to cast it out. An unclean spirit is a strongman name to most other spirits. He called it out by the name “unclean spirit.” That is all we have to do—call it out.
When we converse back and forth with a demon, we are wasting time and getting sidetracked. The devil is the father of lies—how can you trust him to give up the demon’s name and why should you trust him when you have the Holy Spirit? The enemy is just going to sidetrack you and waste your time with rabbit trails and giving up the lesser demon to protect the strongman.
An argument will be, because I have authority over the enemy, he has to give up the name. If you know you have authority, and that much authority, then why aren’t you consulting with the Holy Spirit instead of a demon? Why aren’t you trusting the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work through you?
It is time we bring balance back into deliverance ministry and do deliverance Jesus’ way. My new show, Prophetic Spiritual Warfare, on the Charisma Podcast Network will empower you to do deliverance Jesus’ way and to combat the power of darkness just as Jesus did. Don’t settle for information from a demon when we have the greatest team of three on our side: the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. {eoa}
Kathy DeGraw is a prophetic deliverance minister releasing the love and power of God to ignite and activate people, release prophetic destinies and deliver people from the bondage of the enemy. She is the founder of Kathy DeGraw Ministries and Be Love Outreach. She is the author of several books, including: Speak Out, Discerning and Destroying the Works of Satan, Identity Invasion, Who is Speaking? and Warfare Declarations. You can connect with Kathy on Facebook, at kathydegrawministries.org or on her podcast “Prophetic Spiritual Warfare“ on the Charisma Podcast Network.
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