by Jim Croft
Allergic reactions vary from minor to life threatening. In Jesus’ day, people showed themselves to the priests to verify healing. Authentic faith is not dampened when a believer with severe reactions has his healing certified by a physician. I do not encourage people with histories of anaphylactic episodes to experiment with foods without the consent of their doctors.
Dealing with Spirits of Pain
I pray for spirits of chronic pain in much the same way as the prayer example above. As a result, I have seen many of those spirits put to flight. In the course of praying, I inevitably call for the location of the body where the pain exists to align itself with the prayers of deliverance.
With headaches, for instance, I speak to the brain before casting out the spirit of migraines. I call for any swelling and excess of fluids to abate. By God’s grace, there is seldom a headache that does not instantly succumb to the authority of that prayer.
Cancer situations, on the other hand, are a different story. Cancer is somewhat of an enigma. I confess that most cancer patients who come to me for healing are not healed, yet I have seen a handful of people whom I have prayed for experience remarkable recoveries from the late stages of cancer.
My layman’s definition of cancer is “cells in rebellion.” I believe that in most instances, rebellious spirits of infirmity inhabit those cells. Some authorities say cancer is a virus, and that interferon is a natural antiviral protein produced by cells in the body to inhibit the replication of the virus in other cells. When praying for cancer victims, I speak to the cells of their bodies and instruct them to release interferon, commanding the antiviral protein to speed to every cell. While envisioning that happening by faith, I command the rebellious spirit of infirmity to come out of the patient. In doing so, I call it by the name of whatever form of cancer has been diagnosed.
An example of such a prayer would be the following: “You rebellious spirit of melanoma, I command you to cease your rebellions and to exit in Jesus’ name. I stand against you. The Spirit of Jesus Christ is against you. The interferon in this person is empowered by the Holy Spirit. That interferon wards you off and you are suspended with no place to go but out. You are expelled now in Jesus’ name.”
Those who are serious about seeing the release of a greater number of healings must learn to think outside of the box. God is the Lord of creativity. Out-of-the-box thinking is His home turf. He proved that when He chose you and me.
Continue to Learn
In cases where I have not been successful in praying for physical and mental maladies and their relation to deliverance, I consider that, apparently, I do not have sufficient knowledge or anointing yet to bring about such cures. Even then, however, I do not permit my disappointments to hinder me from pressing onward to learn all I can about Jesus’ desire to heal.
I urge you to experiment with the innovative spiritual dynamics for healing that come to your mind and spirit as you seek the Lord. It is highly possible those creative thoughts you receive will be authored by God. Faith demands the willingness to take risks. Take the risks and watch as the Lord causes the world to marvel through His greater release of miraculous cures.
As I said earlier, I am looking forward to improvement in my success rate in many realms of infirmity. One area, however, where my success rate has been 100 percent—and yours can be, too!—is the topic of the next chapter. “Expelling Home-Wrecking Demons” deals with praying through homes and cleansing properties from evil spirits.
Satan’s initial attack on mankind was against a relationship. He set the first couple at odds with each other, culminating in Adam’s blaming Eve for his own sin. “It was that woman You gave me” was Adam’s excuse to God. With that statement, Satan’s major objective had been achieved. He had inserted disunity into the relationship of Adam and Eve and into their relationship with God.
The nature of the Serpent has not changed. He is waging the same war today by destroying the concept of the Christian home as God intended it to be. Demons are often the secret agents Satan uses to provoke disharmony and wreck God-ordained home life.
The devil is particularly threatened by the harmonious relationships of people living under the same roof because their close exposure heightens the probability that his works will be exposed. Individuals in close proximity are more likely to communicate their observations and come into prayer agreement about strategies to disrupt the enemy’s plans. Satan will, therefore, insert whatever he can to create mayhem in the lives of any home he can—whether singles sharing an apartment, working moms with kids at home, newly married couples or empty nesters.
Skewed Perspectives
It should pain us to confess that Christian homes are often just as disharmonious as those of our unconverted neighbors. We begin our downhill slide by accepting “formulas” that we think will help create heaven on earth. It is not long, however, before the constant assault of demonic pressure turns these ideals toward legalism, and the outcome is just the opposite.
I want to focus on one skewed perspective, because it is so prominent. It is this: “In my home it’s God first, family second and vocations third.” This, like some other formulas, is not a bad formula. But when any good creed is enacted in a legalistic way, the results misrepresent everything God has designed a home to be. It can create a sense of dissatisfaction with life if one feels guilt for neglecting spiritual matters.
The problem here is that much of Christian teaching separates secular activities from spiritual pursuits. Spiritual things come first; secular things follow. This is a skewed perspective. God did not design life to be compartmentalized. All of life is spiritual.
God planted the first couple in a garden, not in a church sanctuary. He was looking for productivity. Thus His design allows for latitude in the way we approach our worship, our relationships and our work. It is appropriate for any one of these godly priorities to take the lead at given times. Proverbs 24:27, for example, implies that wisdom dictates seasons when work becomes the priority in order later to provide time for the home.
Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.
Likewise, family activities will at times supersede spiritual activities (see 1 Corinthians 7:33). The Lord is not offended by where we place the emphasis as long as we acknowledge Him in all of our ways.
Again, the reason I am focusing on this is because I have found that contention over how an ideal Christian home should look is one of the most consistent problems for believers. From the wife’s perspective, the husband is not spiritual enough. From the husband’s perspective, excessive spiritual chatter is boring. From the children’s perspective, Christian parents are too spiritual, often citing “God’s will” and “pleasing the Lord” as the reasons for restrictions of their privileges and freedoms. (Consequently, many kids grow up to believe God is a fun-spoiler.) More and more unmarried Christian couples choose simply to live together in order to dodge the mess they have seen that marriage can become.
The devil gets right into the middle of all this, stirring up unreasonable demands for achieving a “Christian home.” Then the enemy assigns demonic troublemakers to keep tempers and emotions at the boiling point. Demons of religiosity relish opportunities to use a parent to drive the family to distraction by incessant insistence on spiritual activities. (At the end of this chapter, I will offer some suggestions on how to counter their devices.)
Ways Demons Create Disharmony
Satan’s secret home-wrecking agents have free rein in the atmospheres of many homes, particularly when it comes to planting seeds of discord or spotlighting personality conflicts. Demons, for instance, often manipulate parents to whisper discontently about their spouses to their children, with the twisted logic of trying to get the kids on their side. But by doing so, parents are enabling evil spirits to gang up on the other partner and implant emotional wounds and confusion in the children. Little girls are especially vulnerab
le to arguments between moms and dads. In counseling sessions, women often speak about fears that history is repeating itself in their own troubled marriages. I have seen them cover their ears as they recall their parents screaming at each other.
The objective of these demonic infiltrators goes beyond wounding particular individuals. Their far greater goal is to discredit the reputation of God as Father and Creator of the family.
Here is just one example of demons at work in a home. Fathers are commanded in Scripture not to discourage their children or to provoke them to anger. One way they frequently violate this command is by expecting their children to know what they are thinking without bothering to tell them.
Suppose, for example, a father has not instructed his son in the identification of tools or how to perform specific tasks. Yet the impatient father expects young Johnny to know the difference between pliers and wrenches.
“Johnny, give me the three-eighths ratchet wrench. No, not the pliers, the ratchet wrench. I said the ratchet wrench.”
Johnny makes a second try.
“Here it is, Daddy. I got it for you.”
“Does that look like a three-eighths fitting? That is the three-sixteenths ratchet fitting. Are you so stupid? Can’t you ever do anything right? Never mind. I’ll get it myself.”
The scene repeats through life, and Johnny continues to be crushed by his dad’s comments. At some point, he begins to believe himself to be what his dad has said or implied: He is a stupid idiot who cannot do anything right. Because every child thrives on parental approval and wilts under harsh disapproval, the thoughts batter the child’s little soul.
Demons of self-hatred and insecurity hover around him. Johnny will have a hard time believing that God is caring and compassionate, even though the family gets all dressed up for church every Sunday, careful to start the week by “putting God first.”
Most people do not understand that it is evil spirits that frequently spark the clashes in relationships. As we said earlier, the work of demons goes far beyond stirring up trouble in our homes. Satan wants to prove that the Lord is incapable of producing any semblance of ongoing joy in the home.
Solutions
There are two biblical components that Christians would do well to incorporate into their philosophies of family life and relationships. One is from the apostle Paul and the other from King Solomon. I believe that commitment to these precepts is a prerequisite to defeating demonic home-wreckers. Prudence and I adopted the principles early in our marriage, and they have served us well for nearly fifty years.
Paul’s basic assessment of the home is conveyed in 1 Corinthians 7:28, his summary of the question of whether to marry or not. It is this: Single or married, we will have trouble in life’s relationships. Paul was simply serving notice that even godly relationships go through trials. Interestingly, he makes no implication that the presence of trouble indicates the absence of God. He says trouble in relationships is normal.
In Solomon’s assessment, some of it rather negative, life can be filled with futility and hardships. God’s wisdom gave him the antidote, and it is this component that I suggest you incorporate into your philosophy of a godly home. Summarizing the truths found in Ecclesiastes 5:18–20 and 9:7–10, we find that, first, our godly heritage is to rejoice in the fruits of our labors. We can approach our lives free from legalism to spiritual activities, free to enjoy the good things God has given us. And along with that, if we enter the covenant of marriage, we should enjoy the spouse God has given all of the days of our lives.
The combination of Paul’s and Solomon’s perspectives will keep you from dwelling on life’s hardships and give you a reasonable approach to your home life. This will also serve to immunize you, so to speak, from the deceptions of demons that are out to destroy that which God has called good in your life.
Hardships in life are inevitable. Take them by faith as they come. Do not resent the need to focus temporarily on one priority—such as work—above others, realizing that all of your life is spiritual. Joyfully anticipate the fruits of your labors. It is your heritage to enjoy a godly home. And, praise God, a godly home does not equate to a hyper-religious home.
Expelling Home Wreckers
The atmospheres of troubled homes are filled with home-wrecking spirits that incite the problems. If this is your situation, the demons can be banished. Simply pray through your house, rebuking and expelling the spirits causing upheaval, and then offer praise for God’s victory in cleaning out your home.
The rooms in which the conflicts normally occur should be targeted. Pray through the rooms, expelling the spirits by name or by the nature of the disruptions they are causing. For example: “You spirits inciting accusation, anger, alienation, disrespect, bickering, backbiting, hostility, hatred, rejection, religiosity, divorce, etc.” If you are praying through the house with young children present, simply describe the demons as bad things that are stirring up trouble.
I realize that my remedy sounds simplistic, but it has stood the test of time. Throughout the years, Prudence and I have periodically found it necessary to cleanse our home once again. The results never cease to amaze us.
Recently, I was asked by a sophisticated couple on the brink of divorce to pray through their home and expel home-wrecking pests. Adultery, pornography and matriarchal manipulation were among the issues they were dealing with.
I went from room to room, into every closet and out into the yard. No demon was exempt from my prayers as I invoked the power of God’s authority. Previous to that time of prayer, the husband had viewed the Bible as confusing. Following that prayer, he has made comments about how most every portion he reads is God’s special message to him. The marriage is making giant leaps toward recovery.
When Wilbur called for a counseling session, I had been studying the topic of iniquity. Pride is a major component of iniquity, and it is iniquity that begets sins in the heart of mankind. I would not classify iniquity as a demon, but I believe that we can be delivered from it nonetheless. Iniquity seems to be a spiritual power that is an aspect of the carnal nature residing in mankind before regeneration of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. With most people it is ejected along with the “old man” at salvation. With others, however, residues of it are left behind and become problematic throughout their Christian lives.
My meditations on iniquity prior to Wilbur’s call had led me to a number of conclusions.
Lucifer was an anointed cherub who lost his place in God’s Kingdom when iniquity arose from within him (see Ezekiel 28:13–19; Isaiah 14:12–15).
The iniquity in Satan drove him to make five prideful “I will” declarations against God.
Iniquity is the nature of Satan that governs rebellion and pride in the souls of mankind.
Our iniquities separate us from God, and iniquity’s pride begets sorrows in our lives.
Deliverance from iniquity is possible and advantageous for those who want to please God.
Wilbur’s Deliverance from Iniquity
Everything Wilbur spoke the day he came for his appointment blared out the presence of iniquity and perverted pride. Wilbur was a Baptist pastor whose hobby was bodybuilding. He confessed that though he was not a practicing homosexual, he inordinately enjoyed having men gawk at his body while he flexed at the gym.
He then bemoaned how his two teenaged daughters seemed to be sex-crazed. In defiance of Wilbur’s and his wife’s pleadings, their girls chose provocative attire designed to stir lewd glances and remarks from boys. His sorrow was that they had become sexually active at incredibly young ages. Wilbur mentioned that they had made sexual advances toward older married men.
As Wilbur told his story, a phrase came to me from Job 41:34: “He is king over all of the children of pride.” I instantly recognized that the Holy Spirit was telling me that Wilbur’s problems were somehow entwined with iniquity’s pride. Based upon that revelation, I did not feel directed by the Lord to pray for deliverance from demons in Wilbur’s cas
e. To me, evidence was mounting that seemed to indicate that his problem went deeper than anything that classic deliverance from an evil spirit could handle. During our time together, I explained to Wilbur what I had learned about iniquity and told him that my suspicions were that he was struggling with the nature of the calloused pride of Satan within him. He agreed with my conclusions. What transpired when I ministered to him was truly wonderful to experience.
The first step in my prayer for Wilbur was to speak directly to the problem troubling him.
“You iniquity-driven power of pride, I command you to loose my brother’s soul right now in Jesus’ name. The fingers of God’s Spirit hook around you with the authority of Jesus’ resurrection, and I draw you out of Wilbur’s personality now in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
When I made that declaration, Wilbur collapsed onto the floor. I stood at his head and continued to command the powers of iniquity to leave him. To my shock, in the Spirit it felt like I had a huge sailfish on a deep-sea fishing line. As unusual as it may sound, I actually felt a struggling resistance to my commands that was stronger than most anything I had encountered in deliverance up to that point. Suddenly, Wilbur cried out in agony, grabbing his crotch and then his chest. He said it felt as though the powers of iniquity were clawing to keep their place within him.
“I pull all of the powers of iniquity out now.”
Suddenly, it felt as though my Spirit-assisted commands had succeeded in loosening iniquity’s grip. Wilbur’s jaws stretched widely open and several successive streams of a watery substance squirted from the back area of his mouth. I estimate that the thin streams shot about six feet into the air. After that, Wilbur began praising God as he lay on the floor before me.