When I started in ministry, I came across a lot of deliverance ministry models, seeing that some achieved great results and others were similar to a horror movie displayed on a stage. I was confused at first in my pursuit of understanding the wonderful ministry of seeing people delivered and transformed for God’s glory.
Soon I started walking in the anointing and people were being set free similar to biblical accounts. They were being set free from tormenting thoughts, bad habits, addictions, night terrors and other demonic oppression. With each deliverance, I praised God and wanted to know more in order to help more people be set free.
I had a deep hunger to know how to have a biblical deliverance ministry, reading almost anything that could shed light on the topic, but also spending extended times in prayer and Scripture. What I came across helped me when confronting spiritual attacks and seeing precious people set free.
When I studied Jesus’ ministry on deliverance I saw four major things I needed to take into consideration:
1. Jesus loves all people and wants everyone to be saved and free. He came to set the captives free, fulfilling Isaiah 61:1-3.
2. Jesus silenced the enemy. Luke 4:41 says, “And demons came out of many, crying out, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and did not permit them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ.”
3. Jesus rebuked the enemy. Matthew 17:18 says, “Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him.” He took charge and had authority over the evil spirits, censoring them and deleting them from the person’s life.
4. Jesus cast them out, commanding them never to return. Near the end of Mark 9:25, it says, “He rebuked the foul spirit, saying to it, ‘You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter him no more.'”
Knowing these lessons, I came up with an easy-to-remember four-step process to keep me grounded in Scripture when in deliverance ministry. In an attitude of love, I would minister to the person that God wants to set free with the above lessons in mind and I would lead the person in these four steps to ensure total freedom:
1. Repent: I would ask the person to pray, repenting of their sins and acknowledging what the Scripture says aligning them with God’s Word and will. We would quote and pray Scripture and affirm its truth.
2. Renounce: The person would verbally renounce their sins and the evil spirits that may be clutching on, commanding them to leave in Jesus name and never return. Out of dignity, love and honor for the person we are ministering to, we shouldn’t tolerate demonic manifestations, because Jesus didn’t allow them. There may be some manifestation, but we should do all we can to ensure we minister freedom to the individual and not give the enemy opportunity to “show off.”
3. Renew: The person would entrust their faith in Christ, declaring that He is Lord of everything in their life, and ask for the fruit of the Spirit and to abide by Christlike character. If they didn’t have a relationship with Jesus, then in applying Romans 10:9-10, they would be saved. If they are Christians, this declaration is reaffirming their commitment and is a milestone in their life. And I would pray Scripture over them that would be the opposite qualities or character traits of the demonic spirits we cast out of the person. If we had cast out a spirit of fear, I would quote Bible verses on courage and strength, and power. Or if we cast out a spirit of lust, we would pray self-control and love into their lives.
4. Refresh: This would be the final step, where the person is baptized with the Spirit. We would pray and worship, asking God to fill them and give them a personal prayer language. If they have been baptized with the Spirit, we would ask for a fresh infilling and they could receive joy, or a deep peace with the Spirit or an encounter with God such as a vision. This is what I call the “house concept” from Matthew 12:43-45. When we have emptied them of the demonic oppression, we then ensure they are filled with the Spirit so that the evil spirits do not return to their prior living space in the person’s life.
Every situation is unique and one must be discerning and attentive to the incredible Holy Spirit, but I found these steps to be helpful to minister freedom. In following these steps, it has been amazing to see Jesus truly set the captives free. {eoa}
Jared Laskey is starting Destiny Open Bible Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He served in the Marine Corps from 2006-2011 and ministers living to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. You can follow him on twitter @jaredalaskey, or contact him through his website, firebornministries.com. He recently co-authored a book, soon to be released, titled Veronica’s Hero, which tells the true story of how a Marine Corps family faced tragedy with faith.
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