The Importance of Deliverance Ministry

Deliverance Ministry is a piller of church growth

The deliverance ministry is simply casting out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit. There are times when people are oppressed, depressed, or even possessed by demons. When Jesus walked the earth, he cast out demons. The New Testament mentions Jesus casting out evil spirits fifty-five times. In Matthew 8:16, Jesus casts out demons with a word, demonstrating his authority:

When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons; and He cast out the evil spirits with a word, and restored to health all who were sick [exhibiting His authority as Messiah], so that He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He Himself took our infirmities [upon Himself] and carried away our diseases.

In Luke 8:26-39, Jesus encounters a man possessed by a legion of demons and heals him:

The Demoniac Cured

Then they sailed to the ^]country of the Gerasenes, which is east of Galilee. Now when Jesus stepped out on land, He was met by a man from the city [of Gerasa] who was possessed with demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and was not living in a house, but among the tombs. Seeing Jesus, he cried out [with a terrible voice from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in dread and terror], and shouted loudly, “^[What business do we have [in common] with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me [before the appointed time of judgment]!” 

Now He was [already] commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him [violently] many times; and he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, “Legion”; because many demons had entered him. They continually begged Him not to command them to go into the abyss.

Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and told it in the city and out in the country. And people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind (mentally healthy); and they were frightened. 

The Absence of Deliverance Ministry in the Church

The church as a whole is missing this very important ministry. I believe it is because many Christians do not think they can be influenced or oppressed by demons. While a genuine born-again believer has the Holy Spirit inside of them, and cannot be totally possessed by demons, they can be negatively affected by them. Many people, Christians included, are afraid of deliverance ministry or don’t have a full understanding of what it is. Jesus is our example, and we must learn from him. He shows us how to operate in the deliverance ministry and he has given us authority to do so.

There was a woman in the bible known as a daughter of Abraham that was bound for 18 years by a demonic spirit of infirmity that caused her to be crippled and bowed over. She could not lift herself up. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from this infirmity.’ And he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (Luke 13:11-13)

And these signs shall accompany them that believe: In my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16: 17-18)

The verse regarding taking up serpents, and drinking anything deadly is a promise of protection and divine power given to those who believe and follow Jesus. It signifies that God’s power will safeguard them from harm, even from dangerous substances or creatures.

Personal Testimony

Back in 1999, when I was thirty-three years old, I had a dream that there was a demon hiding under my bed. In that dream I got up and took a flashlight to shine it under the bed. That is when I saw a demon staring back at me and hissing because it did not want to be discovered. After I woke up, I was trembling and very upset. I got out my Bible and began to pray.

A few weeks later I had some irregular bleeding after I had just found out that I was pregnant. I went to my OBGYN and he discovered a cancerous tumor that was hiding just inside my cervix. I ended up having a radical hysterectomy which was devastating but saved my life. The embryo that had been growing inside my uterus was no where to be found. It was as if it vanished but the pregnancy is actually what motivated me to go to the doctor in the first place.

This is an example of a demon taking the form of cancer in my body. It could have very well been a spirit of infirmity. I later found out that I had been exposed to DES when I was in my mother’s womb. So the enemy was trying to kill me even before I was born, but God had the last say on this.

The only prerequisite to operating in deliverance is that you are a believer in Jesus Christ. As I mentioned earlier in Mark 16 these signs shall follow those who BELIEVE.  So if you do not believe in deliverance, or speaking in tongues, or laying hands on the sick, then you will not have the ability to minister in these areas.

I have known for a long time that I was supposed to operate in deliverance ministry, but it is not something that is a special gift or calling, it’s a sign that I believe and in Jesus name will cast out demons, speak in tongues, and lay hands on the sick. These are signs of a true believer in Christ. However, these signs alone do not prove someone is a genuine Christian because the Bible also talks about false signs and wonders demonstrated by those who are following a false Christ and doctrines of demons. (Matthew 7:21-23, 1 Timothy 4:1, and 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) I just wrote an article on this subject titled, “False Christs in the Last Days.”

We as believers need to study the Word of God to show ourselves approved. (2 Timothy 2:15) We need to understand the authentic Jesus of the Bible, we need to have a personal relationship with him. That means that He knows us and we know him. We know His voice and we have discernment and follow sound doctrine. When we are operating by the power of the Holy Spirit, walking with the Lord, and rightly dividing the Word, we should also be casting out demons, speaking in new tongues, and laying hands on the sick. The deliverance ministry is truly a matter of life and death. Choose life!