Freedom From Satan's Strongholds

I discuss and teach on this idea and question of: Can evil spirits indwell in Christians?

I don’t know if you have ever thought this or pondered anything similar. Why do we not see more healings? Why do we not see more emotional and mental healing? Why are some people leaving church feeling God cannot help them? Why are good Christians that love God and serving Him a long time still dying from diseases like those outside of the church?

Where is the God that we read about in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? And why do we not see more of what we read in Acts? My Bible says Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And yet people all around me and at times myself and my family have been tormented with problems that Jesus and His followers were eradicating. What’s the disconnect with the God of my Bible and the God I am serving in my life? There’s one big factor we have neglected to realize. These things occur because there is a Devil.

Satan has been very effective at his work and we have not been as effective in many areas that he has us in bondage. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:11 that he was not ignorant of Satan’s devices. But unlike Paul, we have been ignorant of Satan’s devices and Satan has gotten an advantage over us.

In order to battle effectively, we need to know the enemy, as well as how to get rid of the enemy. I am about to share something with you, that may make you uncomfortable. It made me feel uneasy until I started to do what Jesus and His disciples did. God has made a way of victory for us. Psalms 60:12.

What are Satan's Strongholds?

You can't talk about Satan's strongholds without addressing evil spirits, also referred to as demons in the Bible. Many believers assert that "Christians cannot have an evil spirit inside of them". That was my belief as well. There are several reasons why Christians believe they cannot possess demons:

• Pride: There's a pride in thinking that we are too holy to have an evil spirit. As Christians, the notion that we could have something as vile as a demon is often considered an insult.
• Embarrassment: There's an embarrassment associated with what others might think of us. Evil spirits deceive us, making us feel we can't be transparent or seek assistance from others. There's a concern about appearing less holy, or even a fear that having evil spirits might mean we aren't genuinely saved.
• Fear: The mere thought of demons residing within us is terrifying. It's akin to a scene from a horror movie. And speaking of horror movies, one might wonder who inspires such films. Fear is a significant area of influence for evil spirits.
• Ignorance: Sometimes, we're simply unaware or don't understand that evil spirits can inhabit us.

Being bound by these chains as a Christian and feeling the need to conceal this bondage from fellow believers can be one of the most heart-wrenching experiences. Continually attending church without feeling true freedom can be challenging.

While some might question where in the Bible it mentions that a Christian can be possessed by a demon, it's worth noting that the Bible doesn't explicitly state that a "Christian" can have a demon. However, it does discuss "believers" having demons. I pose this question: "Are you a believer?" And if you are, is there a distinction between a believer and a Christian? In my opinion, there isn't. Many who sought deliverance from Jesus were undoubtedly believers.

Demons in People in the Bible

• Mark 1:23-27 Man in the synagogue (Believer).
• Mark 7:25-30 Children's (Christian's) bread.
• Mark 8:33 Jesus Called Peter satan.
• Mark 9:17-29 Believer's son.
• Luke 4:38-39 Spirit of fever is a demon.
• Luke 13:11-17 Daughter of Abraham (Believer).
• Luke 22:3 Satan entered Judas.
• Acts 8-20-24 Simon was a believer.
• Acts 10:38 Sickness is oppression of satan.

Demons in Christians

When you start to command evil spirits to leave people, you will find everyone has them. Some of you may be asking how is that possible? Evil spirits come in through sin. And who can say they are without sin?

How does a demon enter and have access to us?

A. Volitional Sin (Your own voluntary sin)
B. Generationally (generational sin from family line)
C. Spiritual Ignorance/occultism (horoscopes, ouiia board, etc.)
D. Sin perpetrated against you
E. Curses Spoken Over Yourself: Example: " wish I were dead." Statements
like this can open doors for a spirit of death.
Note: Spiritual floodgates are opened with abominations
(witchcraft, homosexuality, and others)

1st John 1:8,10

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

How can God and an evil spirit be in a Christian at the same time?

Paul is going to show us something significant in this next Scripture.

SPIRIT
The spirit is man’s hidden part, the deepest, innermost part. Our Spirit was created to contact, receive, and contain God, who is spirit.

SOUL
The soul is man’s inward part. Our soul contacts the psychological realm, being composed of our mind, emotion, and will. Our soul thinks, feels, and chooses.

Body
The body is man’s outermost part. Our body contacts the physical realm through our five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Demons can be in the soul or the body. They can not inhabit the spirit if someone is born again of the spirit. The spirit is sealed off and only the Holy Spirit resides there. The next slide shows this.

Galatians 5:19-21 talks about the works of the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do _(passō) (perform repeatedly or habitually) such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The flesh is where demons take root and increase in influence against us. You can crucify the flesh, but you can not crucify a demon. He will just laugh at you. You have to cast out a demon. You can also call this to expel a demon.

Ephesians 4:30 - And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

This verse shows how the our spirit is sealed when we come to Jesus and completely surrender our whole life over to Jesus.

Identifying How Demons Work

• Demons Entice & Harass
• Demons Compel & Cause Addictions
• Demons Enslave & Defile
• Demons Deceive & Torture
• Demons Attack Us Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, & Spiritually.

Acts 10:38 shows us this. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Satan is not omnipresent. So how does Satan do this with sickness in people as satan could not possibly be in more than one person at a time. He is not God. He does it through his army of evil spirits, demons.

Have you ever had so much faith and you pray for healing and the person does not get healed? This can occur because there can be an evil spirit of sickness blocking healing and creating the problem that needs to be cast out first. We see expelling evil spirits in ⅓ of Jesus’ ministry in the Bible, it can also be called casting out demons.

Overlap: Healing and deliverance overlap in the Bible when Jesus healed people.

When ministering health to people I have found many spirits of sickness and disease. However, sickness may not necessarily be related to sin or an evil spirit.

Jesus wants to heal: Know this it is always Jesus’ desire to heal us. Jesus always healed people coming to Him. He never denied healing to people that came to Him for healing.

Faith, doubt, and unbelief: Jesus mentioned faith a lot of times in miracles.

Sometimes it is not that we do not have faith, but rather spirits of doubt and unbelief choking off our faith so that we do not see a breakthrough in healing and deliverance.

Disconnect: When we don’t see healing, it’s not because of a failure on God’s part. There’s something more we don’t know for the healing. Sometimes we need faith and boldness believing God is going to heal. Sometimes we are still growing into more truth and walking out of the devil’s lies.

Types of healing: There are Instant miracles of healing and some healings occur progressively or later after the prayer.

Laying on of hands: Unless you are a minister at church, do not lay your hands on everyone.

Generally speaking, if you are a worker and not a minister, men should not lay hands on women, and women should not lay hands on men.

God can transfer good things, and Satan’s kingdom can also transfer bad things.

Walk in God’s Spirit, not the flesh.

Don’t listen to fear and worry.

The laying on of hands does not heal. God heals.

Oil: Oil was used in the bible to pray for healing as mentioned in Mark 6 and James 5, but you do not need oil for healing to take place. Again, the oil does not heal. It’s faith in Jesus and obedience to His Word that heals.

Beware of pride. Satan will always tempt us with pride when God uses you as a vessel for any work of healing and deliverance. Always give the glory back to God in authenticity. Ask God to put humility in your heart.

1. Surrender to God in Belief.
2. Repent & Forgive.
3. Scale 1-10 / Command Healing / Tell problem to go.
4. Test it out.
5. Praise God.
6. Repeat as needed.
7. Keep your faith for healing. Keep believing. Refuse all doubt and unbelief.

Leave your faith on the person even after your ministry is done and you part ways. Sometimes healing doesn’t occur instantly, but healing can be  in the process of occurring as you use your faith. We see this in the Bible.