Exercise Your Divinity 

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus(Ephesians 2:6). Many have asked, “Can a Christian be demon-possessed?” A Christian may be influenced by a demon, but he really can’t be possessed by a demon. For a Christian to be demon-possessed means he or she has consciously and deliberately given up his faith in Jesus Christ, which is Apostasy. According to the Bible, there’s no recovery from such a state, because the person has wilfully given himself to Satan. But a true Christian can’t be in such a situation, because he’s superior to Satan. No matter how a Christian has yielded to the oppression of Satan, the day he realizes himself and says “No,” that’ll be the end of Satan’s manipulations in his life. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 For the Christian, the problem is never about demon possession; rather, it’s about yielding to evil spirits that cause them to do terrible things, and in the process, destroy their own lives. Oftentimes, such Christians aren’t knowledgeable enough in God’s Word to live otherwise (Hosea 4:6). The Christian is seated with Christ, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named (Ephesians 2:6;1:19-21). Hallelujah!

 If the foregoing is true, (and thank God it is), why would he require “deliverance” from Satan, let alone being possessed of him? Even if a Christian is being influenced or oppressed by the devil, the solution is God’s Word. Psalm 119:130 declares, “The entrance of thy words giveth light….” If you’d receive God’s Word—His light into you and accept it—it’ll eject every satanic presence; darkness will be dispelled. This is why studying and meditating on the Word should be top priority for you as a child of God. Know and stay in the Word, and exercise your dominion in Christ. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8). There are those who say, “You can cast demons out of individuals but you can’t cast them out of a city.” But that’s not true. In Mark 5, we find a very interesting story of Jesus demonstrating His authority in casting out devils. He came across a demoniac who lived among tombs and had a legion of demons. When the man saw Jesus from afar, the demon, speaking through him, said, “…What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not” (Mark 5:7). The Bible says the demon “…besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country” (Mark 5:10). Even the demons knew Jesus could send them out of the country and they immediately began to plead with Him.  Whether “the country” means countryside, a region, or a territory, it makes no difference. They understood that Jesus could send them out of the place; they knew it then, and they still know it today! We’ve been given that same authority to put them to flight. Jesus said, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17 NKJV). Jesus gave us the authority to cast out demons; He didn’t limit it to any place. We can cast out devils from anywhere. Hallelujah! Take control of your city, state, and country! Cut off the influence of Satan in your country. Run him out of your country. 

Oftentimes, when there’s chaos, anarchy, and turmoil in a place, many don’t realize that it’s the devil that’s behind such negative activities. But you’ve been vested with all power and authority in heaven and on earth to subdue, dominate, and take charge of your world, using the Name of Jesus. Hallelujah! And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils… (Mark 16:17-18). Isn’t it amazing that the very first thing Jesus said we could do in His Name is casting out devils? It goes to show just how much Satan has been defeated; he’s not a factor at all. Someone who only gave his life to Christ moments ago can cast out devils. That’s because the Christian is superior to Satan; the Christian has the life of God and the righteousness of Christ; he’s in God’s class. Hallelujah! Therefore, keeping Satan in check isn’t a question of how “strong” or “spiritual” you think you are; it’s about Jesus and the authority He’s given you; you walk and live in His Name. Satan has no right to run things in your life, in your home, or the lives of your loved ones; run him out! Exercise your authority in Christ over him. You can cast out demons any day, anytime and anywhere, simply by using the Name of Jesus. 

When you address Satan and his cohorts of darkness in the Name of Jesus, they respond as though they were hearing directly from Jesus. So, in dealing with Satan, don’t negotiate with him; cast him out! That’s what Jesus said we should do. Someone asked, “What if the devil doesn’t go when I try to cast him out?” That’s not an option if you’re walking in His Name. Walking in His Name is recognizing the power and authority of that Name; living with the consciousness of what that Name represents. Philippians 2:9-10 says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” You couldn’t know this and be debating whether or not the demons would respond when you want them cast out; they have no choice. The Word settles it: Your role is to cast the devil out, and the devil’s responsibility is to obey and flee! Until Jesus came, people didn’t have accurate information about demons and evil spirits. A lot of things that many had thought were ordinary were shown by Jesus to be spiritual. For example, He made us aware that most sicknesses and diseases had devils behind them. When they brought someone who was deaf and dumb to Him, the Bible says He cast the spirit out. And right away, the deaf ears were unstopped and the person began to hear, and the dumb tongue was loosened. Luke 11:14 says, “And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.” Mark 1:32-34 reveals the same truth: “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak because they knew him.” There are many today that are ignorant of demonic activities. But the reality is, there’re evil spirits that are running people’s lives. Sometimes, you find someone who has a fierce and violent temper. They said his father was like that, and he thinks it’s normal, but it’s not. It’s evil spirits that make those things happen. The Bible talks of unclean spirits, which also make people unclean, and do evil things in the lives of human beings. Some of them are responsible for the frustrations some people experience in their lives. You find very successful people in various fields who suddenly fall back to emptiness. They lose everything, not knowing they’re being invaded by demonic forces. But thanks be unto God! In Christ, you have authority over demons to cast them out from your affairs. You don’t need a minister to help you cast out demons. Jesus said every one of us who believes in Him would cast out devils in His Name (Mark 16:17); it’s a sign of our divinity. 

So, if there’ve been events and actions around you that you’re uncomfortable with, and you perceive Satan to be behind them, cast him out! And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...(Matthew 6:13). The word "evil" used above is the Greek noun "poneros," which actually means "the evil one." Some translations such as the Amplified Bible and the New International Version actually read, "Deliver us from the evil one." Thus, the Lord Jesus, in Matthew 6:13, while giving His disciples a model for praying, was talking about the one who’s responsible for evil, not necessarily an evil act, and we know who that is—the devil. Therefore, for anyone to pray, "O Lord, deliver us from evil," suggests that we’re still subject to the devil, and that’s inconsistent with the truth of God’s Word in the New Testament. As Christians, we don’t need deliverance from Satan, for we’ve already been delivered: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:12-13). The new creation is therefore superior to Satan.

 Jesus taught his disciples this model of prayer because at the time, the evil one still had power over them and God was their succour. They therefore had Jesus teach his disciples this model of prayer because at the time, the evil one still had power over them and God was their succour. They therefore had to pray to Him to deliver them from the evil one. But today, to the believing ones, Jesus said, "...these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils..." (Mark 16:17). To be able to cast out devils surely means you have authority over them. After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, there’s no place in the Bible that suggests that we should pray about the devil or ask God’s help against him. Satan and his demons are under your feet; they’re no match for the authority you have in Christ Jesus; they’re not a factor. All you have to do is resist the devil, and he’ll flee from you terrified (James 4:7).

 QUESTION You teach that a born-again Christian does not need deliverance. I am a new Christian and I have been invited to a church and after prayers and praises, I saw demonic manifestations in 2 sisters and a brother which I knew as old Christians. I don’t understand anymore! Please, Pastor can you explain to me? 
ANSWER: Colossians 1: 12. says: “Giving thanks unto the father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”. Now for every believer, the first thing is that the person is taken from the domain of darkness; so, we are delivered already! But I think that he is talking about oppression- whether a Christian CAN BE oppressed or possessed. A Christian cannot be possessed by the devil but can be oppressed depending on what he knows. So, there are those who still talk about being delivered but it is because they are ignorant of the truth of the gospel, we are in God’s kingdom! And you see sometimes our observations can really question what we think in the Word. Now notice that I said what we think, rather than what we know because, if you actually know, there would be no questions. Let me explain to you- I know that there are Christians who go for deliverance sessions and there are other Christians who are delivering them. It’s the same thing for when Christians get sick. A Christian should not be sick. But there are Christians that get sick and oftentimes it’s because of ignorance or misuse of the body. So, when you misuse your body you’re going to get into trouble with your body but then you’ve got to do something about it if you know the truth: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Scripture reference: John 8:32). So, those two sisters and brother in Morocco that were having demonic manifestations they did not know what to do about their situation; they let the demons come into them! The demon cannot force his way if you don’t let him. He can’t! He can’t do it! Even for non-Christians, demons can’t force themselves into non-Christians, otherwise the whole world would be possessed! But they are not possessed! Demons can’t force their way! They can only do it when you let them and so these particular Christians let the demons get a hold of them, come into their lives because they are not full of the Holy Spirit.There are Christians like that who believe they can be Christians without being filled with the Holy Spirit. This will be like constructing a car on a bicycle’s technology, so that you have the body of a car but instead of an engine, you have chains and pedals. The car will move but of course, it will never function the way a real car functions and it will not have the advantage a real car offers. These sorts of Christians, who embrace the faith but not the Spirit that powers the faith are consciously disobeying the instructions of Jesus to the disciples. Jesus told the disciples not to go out proclaiming they were Christians until they received the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them they cannot be successful without the Holy Spirit and yet, some Christians insist they don't need the Holy Spirit. Now, had they been taught the Word and accepted the Word of God and are full of the Holy Spirit all they needed to do was to say: ‘Devil get out of my life in the name of Jesus Christ!’ and that would be it! But many don’t believe that that is real, so they are looking for somebody to deliver them. They are looking for some help somewhere and it’s a problem. The Bible says: “they know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But you shall die like men”(Scripture reference: Psalm 82:5-7). Why are they dying like men? Because it says: ‘they know not neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness. Sad story! Painful! But if you study the Word and learn the Word and live by the Word, you are not going to have problems with demons. You are going to be chasing them out, you are going to be casting out devils. He (Jesus) said: “In my name shall they cast out devils” (Scripture reference: Mark 16:17). Let me tell you this: there is nobody who is gifted spiritually, who is gifted specially to cast out devils. No one! There is no such gift in the Bible! There is no special gift for casting out devils. Every Christian can cast out devils and, there is no Christian, no minister that has a special authority to cast out demons. There is none! We cast out devils in the name of Jesus Christ because he gave every one of us the power of attorney to use his name to cast out devils. Every one of us can cast out devils. Don’t believe that somehow, you need some special help to cast out the devil. If you tell him to go, he will go. Believe in your own words. That’s what you need. The devils don’t like us telling people the truth, but this is the truth! There’s no gift in the Bible for casting out devils, so you can’t say- ‘oh I don’t have the gift of casting out devils! There’s no such gift! We all have been given the one gift that is necessary- the name of Jesus Christ. He says “These signs shall follow them that believe…”, not special ministers, not special apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists, no! “These signs shall follow them that believe…” The first sign: “…in my name they shall cast out devils”. All of us who believe can cast out devils. So, let’s keep casting them out. There is a scripture in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 27, it says: “Neither give place to the devil”. That means we have the authority. Don’t give place to the devil! And that also means that you could, that’s why he told you not to because you could. It’s an act of your will; it’s up to you! You may let the devil come in, by your choice or by your ignorance. “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge”(Scripture reference: Hosea 4:6). See, that’s what God said. There are also some other manifestations that might not be as physical, like anger. The Bible talking about it says, “be angry, and sin not”. The manifestations of anger, jealousy, insecurity, envy, malice, and other works of the flesh are demonic. Christians who allow such manifestations in their lives are not full of the Holy Spirit and they open up themselves to demonic affliction.

Again, if you allow anger, bitterness, envy, these things are works of demons. Of course, they are works of the flesh, but they open up the door. That’s why you shouldn’t let them. Anger is a work of the flesh, bitterness is of the flesh, envy is of the flesh, strife is of the flesh. Now, when you have these things manifested in your life, what you are doing is you are giving place to the devil. So, the demons would take advantage of that in your life and come in. Jesus said, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me”(Scripture reference John 14:30). See, Jesus said satan had nothing in him. Can you say satan has nothing in you? If you’ve got anger, that means he’s got something in you. If you’ve got bitterness, that means satan has got something in you. If you’ve got envy it means satan has got something in you! And if he’s got something in you, he’s going to come for it and then make a home either in your body or in your mind- somewhere- and start running your life. Don’t let satan have a place in your life. Never let him! Give no place to the devil. Always remember that Christ in You is the guarantee of the divine life, exercise your divinity always.
-GSW-