Deliverance ministry is a vital ministry in the Church. Since the 70s it has gained growing acceptance with each passing decade till today. And thank God for this because it had all but disappeared from the Western church for many centuries, yet wherever Jesus went, people were delivered of demons, and we can read this plainly in our Bibles. So, thank God, He has been returning this vital ministry to the Church!
In these last few decades, various methods of deliverance have been developed, many very good ones, some that lack, but one absolutely wrong method is the subject of this post: the method of asking the demons questions and involving them in the deliverance and even the supposed healing of the person getting free.
Why we do NOT ask demons for information about their host!!!
Today there is a popular method of deliverance where the minister asks the demons questions: How did you get in here? How long have you been here? What was your access? Can you fix what you broke on the way out of the person?
There is no biblical precedent for this, though some try and use Mark 5 and Luke 8 where Jesus ministered to a man who had thousands of demons. BUT look at the story: the man was able to run to the feet of Jesus and ask for help. His own will was stronger than the thousands of demons. He ran to Jesus’ feet in a posture of bowing down, submitting to the real power, asking Jesus to deliver him. The legion of demons inside him knew their gig was up!
Once at the feet of Jesus, Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?” a demon answered, “Legion… for we are many.” The Greek does not say Jesus was talking to the demons, but some ministers use this verse as their cue to ask many more questions of demons. These ministers fail to see that once the demon had answered Jesus, Jesus did not ask any more questions. He simply delivered the man in a power deliverance move. (There are two kinds of deliverance, one is where we involve the person and their will. The other is the one exampled here by Jesus, a power encounter deliverance.)
To re-iterate: once the demon answered Jesus, Jesus did NOT ask any more questions of the demon. He just kicked all of them out.
Engaging demons is necromancy. We are prohibited from engaging in necromancy. In fact, we are told necromancers will not enter the kingdom of God (Deuteronomy 18; Revelation 21; plus many other places.)
Asking demons questions, believing this is how we get people free, is not ministry by the Holy Spirit, it is necromancy. It is dabbling in the demonic realm. This is one reason some people have to keep getting delivered of the same demons: the deliverance minister was ministering by a false power. This is dangerous to both minister and the person being ministered to.
As believers, if we use necromancy to deliver people we open ourselves to demonic bondages, and the person we minister to will not get free. Even if there seems to be a partial freedom in the moment, it is temporary, a ploy used by the demon so that we leave the demon alone and still in control of some part of the person we were trying to minister to.
Do not engage demons. Demons are liars and deceivers. They lie, cheat, and steal. They don’t want to leave the person. They will tell us what they think we want or need to hear so that we leave them alone. And if/when we believe demonic lies, we open ourselves up to their persuasion as well.
What is Necromancy?
Necromancy is communication with the spirits of the dead. It is spiritism. It is getting information from demons. Its roots are in occultism. But today there are words and terms to describe necromancy that have cleaned it up, including psychology and psychiatry —did you know these “sciences” have their roots in occultism?
Hebrew and Greek words associated with necromancy may be obvious: mediums, sorcerers, witches, wizards, people who consult familiar spirits, psychics, spell casters, and magicians.
Believers are directly prohibited from using demons to get information.
Isaiah 8 explains Israel’s tendency to seek mediums and spiritists (talking to demons) was the reason the Israelites were left in the dark, left in bondage, and taken into captivity. The NASB explains they were left in distress, gloom, darkness, and anguish. This is a lack of peace, a heavy or sad spirit, painful-anguished fear, anxiety, and depression. The last verse says, “These [the Israelites, but it is us today] will be driven away into darkness.”
DELIVERANCE MINISTRY IS BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Is the Holy Spirit God?? Yes!!
Is He the Most Powerful One?? Yes!!
So then, isn’t He more powerful than any demon hoard!! Yes!!
Can’t He minister through us to deliver people!! Yes!!
Isn’t He the Revelation-Giver!! Yes!!
Won’t He tell us what to do, all we need to know in each moment, including how to set people free!! A resounding, Yes!!
Luke 10:19-20: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
