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Latest revision as of 17:02, 29 March 2021

LESSON ONE

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THE DELIVERANCE MINISTRY<o:p></o:p>

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THE NEED FOR DELIVERANCE<o:p></o:p>

The spirit world is real, in spite of the world’s ideas. The Bible, which is of course our basis, teaches that there are angels and demons and that they are active in the lives of men and women. Heb <st1:time Hour="1" Minute="14" w:st="on">1:14</st1:time>, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation; Eph 6:10-12, Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power.

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Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms; 1 Jn <st1:time Hour="5" Minute="19" w:st="on">5:19</st1:time>, We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

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 Did you know that ? More to the point, have you been willing to recognise it ? The Christian often has a credibility gap — it is one thing to know the theory of what the Word teaches about spiritual realities, and quite another to face up to the fact that our everyday lives and the lives of others we meet are so affected. We need to move out of theory into daily practice.

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One of the ways the enemy will attack you as you begin to deal with the demonic, is that the thought will come to you, “It’s too far-fetched”. You see, the devil does not like people getting involved in this ministry. He’ll do everything in his power to squeeze you out, frighten you, cause you to doubt or fear. The more you determine to go on, the greater awareness and certainty you will have as to the spirit realm.

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Our example is Jesus. He constantly moved in this ministry: see Luke 4:18-19, The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour; Luke 13:32, He replied, “Go tell that fox (Herod), I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal” (his calling); and Col 1:13, For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves (what salvation is). Those who have themselves had spirits cast out will readily appreciate the need for this ministry.

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THE CHALLENGE FOR OUR DAY<o:p></o:p>

We are at the end of the age of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; at the same time there is an upsurge in demonic activity. The challenge is:

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a) To move with and into new areas of revelation. Truths are being restored. “Hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Demons have always been at work, but our understanding has only recently increased — this is one of the many areas being restored, along with worship, faith and spiritual gifts.

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b) To meet the needs of many who are coming into the Kingdom, whose past lives have been torn apart by Satan. The breakdown of restraints and the social patterns of a Christian heritage have made the inroads of the demonic more noticeable.

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WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED?<o:p></o:p>

We are God’s people for our generation; the task is given to us. It is one of the most rewarding works to be involved in, It is a part of the work of ministry, Eph 4:11-12, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors teachers, to prepare God’s people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Works of service are to be done by the members of the body.

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This is not a specialised work for the few; Mark <st1:time Hour="16" Minute="17" w:st="on">16:17</st1:time>, And these signs will accompany those who believe; In my name they will drive out demons. Am I qualified? Are you a believer ? If you are saved, you have received authority to use the name of Jesus — you are qualified. Having said that, you must also have zeal John 2:17, His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me” - presumably you have, or you wouldn’t be reading this !; knowledge 1 Cor 9:26, Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air - that’s the purpose of this course; and wisdom James 1:5, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him - comes from asking God and through experience.

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IN DELIVERANCE, WHAT ARE WE SEEKING TO DO?<o:p></o:p>

a) Recognise and expel demon spirits from the bodies of men, women and children. Keep this objective clearly in mind.

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b) To instruct those set free on how to keep free.

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c) To give support to those in spiritual conflict. Stay clear of arguments that say it is not possible for Christians to be demonised, and don’t try to categorise — oppressed possessed, compressed, impressed, depressed. In other words, don’t waste your time. Avoid phrases that hedge and fudge.

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KNOW THAT JESUS IS THE VICTOR<o:p></o:p>

Fill your heart with what the Word says about the total victory of Jesus: Gen 3:15, And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heal; Matt 28:18, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”; Luke 10:18-20, He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

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I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to uncover all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you; Rom <st1:time Hour="8" Minute="37" w:st="on">8:37</st1:time>-39, No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any power neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord; Phil 2:9, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name;

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<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Col</st1:place></st1:State> 2:14-15, He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross; 1 John 4:4, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them: because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world; and Rev 1:17-18, When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one: I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever. And I hold the keys of death and hell.”

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We cast out demons in the name (i.e. authority) of Jesus and that authority is exercised by faith. Spirits are aware of confidence and assurance — news travels fast on the demonic grapevine, Acts <st1:time Hour="19" Minute="15" w:st="on">19:15</st1:time>, The evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know and Paul I know about, but who are you ?“. The more you move in this area the more confidence you have, and the speedier the results.

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Some spirits will boast that they are strong and powerful. Some may seem difficult to dislodge, and there will be various reasons for that. But Jesus is the victor — the victory has already been won, and we are simply putting that victory into effect.

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KNOW YOUR ENEMY<o:p></o:p>

Never fall into the trap of feeling sorry for demons — at times they whimper and plead. Psalm 139:21-22, Do I not hate those who hate you, 0 Lord and abhor those who rise up against you ? I have nothing but hatred for them. I count them my enemies - their aim is to torment and destroy. In some ways Satan is very short on ideas, 2 Cor 2:11, In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (schemes, settled war plan). In a war a good general studies his opponents; not that we seek to obtain a PhD in witchcraft (you’d then need deliverance yourself), but we need to be aware of how demons operate; how the mind is attacked, what spirits to expect to be working together, how they got in and how to recognise them.

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KNOW YOUR WEAPONS<o:p></o:p>

The Christian’s weapons are the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the Word of God. We also need the Holy Spirit’s discernment, and sometimes he even supplies the words to say. You must be clear about this, that we cast out spirits by our words — we don’t fight witchcraft with witchcraft Avoid superstitious ideas for confronting demons such as ‘holy water’ etc. Matt 8:16, When evening came, many who were demonised were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick; 2 Thess 2:8, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming; Rev 1:16, In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a double-edged sword; Rev 12:11, They overcome him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.

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At first great difficulty may be experienced in speaking out loud to demons, especially when they do not respond — this is pressure from the enemy. It is very effective to quote scripture — Jesus did when tempted by the devil, Matt 4:1-11, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”’.

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Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you. and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stoner” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “All this I will give you, “he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

It is also good to magnify and praise Jesus and even to sing (be open to the Holy Spirit’s lead).

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Tell the spirits what Jesus has done and what their end is. Quote scriptures that are against the particular activity of the spirit you are dealing with. For example, if you are up against a spirit of hatred, you might say, “This person loves Jesus, for the love of God has been shed abroad in his heart” (Rom 5:5).

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WE ARE PART OF A BODY<o:p></o:p>

Work with someone else; Jesus sent his disciples out two by two. Know your weaknesses and limitations. Don’t let Satan get you on the run around, and over tired. Call in help and pass on those you can’t cope with, and learn from others.

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KEEP YOURSELF RIGHT<o:p></o:p>

Being in the deliverance ministry means that you will be a target for the enemy, but because you are involved, you will get greater protection, Luke 22:31, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you. In addition, the more you pray for others and learn how spirits get a hold on people, the more aware you will become of his schemes and traps.

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HOW DO I START?<o:p></o:p>

The Biblical principle is that disciples learn direct from a master e.g. Elisha and Elijah, Samuel and Eli, and of course the disciples and the Lord. Ask the Lord for opportunities and openings to accompany someone more experienced than you.

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