When two faith leaders join forces, with the principal objective to spread the mighty name of Jesus to the ends of the Earth while tearing down the strongholds of the enemy in the process, Satan and his minions break into a cold sweat.
This is what happened when Apostle Alexander Pagani and Pastor Greg Locke teamed up for a LIVE Q&A session hosted across all Charisma social media platforms.
While discussing deliverance ministry and the importance of it still to this day—it made up one-third of Jesus’ earthly ministries—the Spirit-filled duo took questions to help grow viewers in biblically based knowledge and wisdom.
In providing answers to the digital audience, the deliverance ministers addressed several areas of concern and curiosity about the implications and effects of spiritual strongholds such as generational curses, demonic oppression and much more.
One viewer asked, referencing Locke’s previous life as a cessationist-believing Baptist, “What does it feel like to come out of bondage of denominational control?”
Locke did not hesitate.
“It is absolute freedom. There is no doubt,” Locke describes.
“In the book of Galatians, the apostle Paul says that you should not go back to the spirit of bondage. He called the religious bondage that the people were going back to, and let’s just say loosely denominational, the hierarchy was against them, trying to get them to go back under the Mosaic Law. Salvation in Jesus was not enough. He called it the spirit of bondage,” Locke shares.
Keeping the momentum flowing, Pagani fired off another question from the audience regarding deliverance in a person’s life.
“The next question is, ‘Does one ever get to the place of not needing more deliverance in their life?’ Oh, I love that question,” Pagani exclaims.
Locke agreed, but brought with him a necessary warning about the focus on deliverance ministry.
“Do not get addicted to deliverance. Ok? Deliverance is a discipleship method in the Bible. And so, deliverance should lead to discipleship. Sometimes you need an evil spirit cast out. But sometimes, you have a curse. Or, more times than not, you have a stronghold that needs to be brought down. So, it’s not that you have to have a demon cast out, you have to have some discipline.
“There are very few people that are full at peace in their walk with the Lord, but when you get to a place where you are at peace, and you are at joy, you do not need deliverance. Just have some discipline, because discipline is important,” Locke adds.
Pagani backed up Locke’s take about keeping deliverance ministry in its necessary wheelhouse, and not giving it a higher place in one’s life like an idol.
“As of recent, I’ve been on that same tangent. That same line of thinking. I think the body of Christ has gotten to a mild form of deliverance idolatry, or deliverance addiction,” Pagani shares.
“The goal of deliverance is that you do not come back! We help you get set free so that you do not have to come back. Deliverance is the catalyst to help you, that have lost control, now be able to submit to God, resist the devil and then he will flee from you,” he continues.
“You will be walking in preventative protection based on surrender and submission to the authority of Scripture, discipline, loving the Lord, attending church fellowship [and] growing in your Christian faith,” concludes Pagani.
The gravity and value of deliverance ministry cannot be overstated. It stands as a profound testament to the power of Christ’s love and redemption, offering liberation from spiritual strongholds and burdens that hinder our journey of faith. However, it is essential to always uphold deliverance ministry as a vital bridge to deeper discipleship and an enriched relationship with Jesus.
Just as Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of moving from healing to wholeness, deliverance serves as a stepping stone towards embracing the fullness of God’s grace and truth. As we engage in deliverance with wisdom and discernment, we must never lose sight of its ultimate purpose—to lead us closer to the heart of Christ and empower us to walk in His light, thereby fostering continuous growth and transformation on our spiritual voyage. {eoa}
To watch the full Q&A Session with Alexander Pagani and Greg Locke, click here!
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
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