Many people today are suffering from oppressive spirits. These are demons, evil spirits that torment and harass people. These can even have physical manifestations such as sickness and pain. You can find more information about choosing a deliverance ministry.
While the Bible does teach about demonic spirits, it also instructs us that we can be free of them through Christ. Many teachers and ministries now exist solely to assist Christians in achieving deliverance from these spirits. They have developed various methodologies for doing this which vary from church to church. Some are more “heavy” in their approach and require the use of holy water, sacred salt or even a Requiem Mass!
Other more “light” approaches often involve the practitioner praying for deliverance, asking God to loosen and remove the spirit. These practitioners then claim that they have a “calling” from God to do this work, and some are even ordained as ministers.
It is important to note that Jesus himself taught about deliverance and modeled it for His disciples, as did the apostles and the early church. He even gave them authority to drive out and heal demons. The church also teaches that this is an assignment for every believer and disciple of Christ (Matthew 28:19).
The Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to hold that the ministry of casting out demons is a divine mandate for all who call themselves believers and disciples of Christ. It is also a mandate for the entire church, not just those who have a particular calling as “deliverance ministers.” We are well aware of the fact that our Lord warned against false and apparently successful efforts at casting out demons by professing Christians, and He clearly disassociated Himself from such activities in very strong terms.
A number of dangerous trends have emerged in deliverance ministry. One is a skewed view of the sovereignty of God, which allows demons to have equal status in the body of believers with the Holy Spirit. It is a doctrine that denies the Lord’s power over Satan, and it is close to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer.
Another danger is the growing tendency to establish dialogue with demons. Usually, this is done by giving the demons a name, and then talking to them as though they are intelligent and can respond. This resembles the way in which hypnotists talk to their clients.
There is also a tendency to ignore Satan and his kingdom, or conversely to focus on him all the time. It is a mistake to neglect or magnify Satan, just as it is a mistake to ignore or magnify the Holy Spirit. J.A. MacMillan’s classic book The Authority of the Believer remains a standard text worldwide on this subject. It provides the doctrinal foundation for all understanding of spiritual warfare, whether in the Pentecostal and charismatic movement or across the broad evangelical spectrum. The key is to understand that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, has given all believers complete authority over Satan and his kingdom.
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