Renunciation prayers are addressed to God and always said in the name of Jesus. They can be said for specific things such as prior involvement with the occult or witchcraft, in all its various forms such as New Age or freemasonry. A Google search will bring up some prayers and there are some on this site and Kanaan Ministries also have several good prayers.
Renunciation prayers can be particularly helpful for a new believer experiencing problems and in need of deliverance and not sure of so many things and not used to praying to God. Renunciation prayers only need to be read aloud once. (Although if necessary due to backsliding, etc. on occasion they can be repeated.)
There is no harm in saying a renunciation prayer if it doesn’t apply, so even if doubt we can feel confident to go ahead. Most would benefit from saying this prayer:
Renunciation prayers are addressed to God and always said in the name of Jesus. They can be said for specific things such as prior involvement with the occult or witchcraft, in all its various forms such as New Age or freemasonry. A Google search will bring up some prayers and there are some on this site and Kanaan Ministries also have several good prayers.
Renunciation prayers can be particularly helpful for a new believer experiencing problems and in need of deliverance and not sure of so many things and not used to praying to God. Renunciation prayers only need to be read aloud once. (Although if necessary due to backsliding, etc. on occasion they can be repeated.)
There is no harm in saying a renunciation prayer if it doesn’t apply, so even if doubt we can feel confident to go ahead. Most would benefit from saying this prayer:
There are good and bad deliverance ministers in the same way there are good and bad teachers of any type. Test the spirits to see if they are of God because if it is not the Holy Spirit, then it is likely to be demons. If demons use scripture to deceive people then they can also use the deliverance ministry to deceive people and we need to continue to check everything against scripture.
Christian ministries should keep the Gospel central to their ministry and not be centred on deliverance and the supernatural. Deliverance ministries and ministers should adhere to what the Bible says the same as any other. All are equal in Christ and different rules do not apply. A church or a minister should focus their and our attention on the Gospel, on God and on Jesus Christ and the true Holy Spirit (who will always glorify and point to Jesus) according to scripture without false teaching, not on deliverance. When the abilities or specialness or personality of a certain minister is emphasised and deliverance is turned into some type of show, or spectacle, so it’s about them and the empire they have built, rather than about God and His word.
When we learn about deliverance aka spiritual warfare we learn how to use scripture to defend ourselves against the attacks of the Enemy, whether direct or – as often happens – through other people. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and protect us and God has promised that as long as we walk in obedience to His word – which he has elevated above his holy name – He will take care of us. Even though we may suffer or walk through the valley of death, God has promised us He will be with us, He will comfort us, and we will come to no lasting eternal harm.
Sadly, some Christians today teach that the Bible not only says a Christian cannot have a demon but that it is wrong for believers to practice deliverance. Yet the Bible contains dozens of scriptures about deliverance, throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and deliverance made up one-third of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus even cast out demons for two days before the day he was crucified.
“And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.” (Luke 13:32)
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)
With that one proviso of being careful who one listens to, Christians can easily and safely learn about spiritual warfare from the Bible and from sound teachers on Youtube or elsewhere on the internet. We can learn self-deliverance which can be the most effective of all as Jesus gave us power over all the Enemy and we just need to learn how which is not difficult.
“And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. and they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.” (Luke 9:40-43)
“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
Today, there are Christian churches, and pastors teachers on the internet, on social media and elsewhere who teach that deliverance is not biblical. Sometimes they use the NAR as an example and some even call Derek Prince a heretic. Some say deliverance is dangerous. It is God who delivers through His Holy Spirit, and therefore deliverance is only dangerous if it is not carried out according to biblical principles. With that one proviso, deliverance is dangerous only to demons.
Christians are deceived into believing deliverance is not biblical wresting certain scriptures out of context while ignoring the many scriptures that refer to deliverance. There are cessationists who teach that all miracles have ceased, along with any miraculous gifts. such as prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues ceased with the apostles. Some include deliverance with that even though it is not mentioned – which surely it would have been. Why should deliverance cease when demons did not cease to exist and they are still very much present and active – and will be increasingly so as we go further into the Last Days.
Some claim that Christians do not need deliverance and it is not meant for them. But we know from scripture where, for example, Jesus twice called deliverance ‘the children’s bread’. (Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30) that deliverance is indeed meant for Christians.
There are many other scriptures which make it clear that a Christian can have a demon and many of them are Jesus speaking to believers:
This is confirmed by the parable of the man who swept his house clean. One demon was swept out and seven more came in, which tells us that deliverance can make a situation worse for non-believers and perhaps for some believers under certain conditions. Also after he had healed someone, Jesus said this which can be applied:
“Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14)
So then that means according to the theory of Christians who believe deliverance is not scriptural, no one should have deliverance, which of course is exactly the situation the Enemy wants as they are so desperate not to be cast out.
Paul spoke of being harassed and tormented by a demon:
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan [i.e. demon] to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” (2 Corinthians 12:7)
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Some believers might prefer, at least at first, to go to a church, preferably one that practices deliverance or at least deliverance prayer and healing. Though today, sadly, many would have to travel some distance to find a church that is teaching sound doctrine. So many churches today have partially merged with the Catholic church, by various ways and means such as the Alpha Course.
Many churches have allowed the toxic influence of the likes of the NAR and Bill Johnson. Or Rick Warren through his series of books “The Purpose Built Life”. It is probably better not to go to a church than to go to a church like that. Listening to false teachers some of whom are blasphemous, can result in demonic oppression, harassment, torment, and even demonization.
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)
The word in the Bible translated to ‘church’ is ‘ekklesia’ which means “those who are the called-out ones”. It means those who are called by God to be a follower of Jesus, and that should take precedence over church attendance. Scripture tells us that in the Last Days many will fall away. Many these days attend home churches.
If we do not know of a good church not too far away, we could make enquiries from other Christians, say in a Christian bookshop and we can pray and ask God to guide us to one.
We should at least try but if it is not possible to attend church for one reason or another, we should not worry, as it is by no means necessary to attend church to be a Christian, especially these days.
We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us and there are many church services, and audio or video deliverances available online which work perfectly with that one proviso about being very careful when choosing who to listen to, whether on the internet or not.
Jesus has given his followers power and authority over all the Enemy. He showed us how to conduct spiritual warfare when each of the three times he was tempted by the devil in the desert, he replied with scripture, saying: “It is written ...”.
“It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
The Bible teaches us what we need to know in order to carry out spiritual warfare. For example, the armour of God in Ephesians 6 mentioned earlier in this article.
Demonic attacks including fiery darts can be direct or indirect through others and often it is those from our neighbours and work colleagues, and sometimes our own friends and family, we need to deal with the most often. This can be painful and difficult to navigate if we do not know the scriptures that help us to deal with it.
These days people often turn to counsellors and increasingly that includes Christians. Counsellors can be helpful to teach and advise but it is better to turn to God in prayer and listen to what he has told us in His word. No one knows us like God does and no one could ever understand our situation the way that God does.
In John 10 we read that Jesus is the good shepherd, who will not flee when the wolf comes, as the hireling will. Jesus has other titles such as ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ and ‘the Prince of Peace’ and He is able to counsel us and give us peace. God can be trusted to understand and would never let us down like men can. Usually, counsellors work for monetary reward and can mislead us and let us down in any number of ways, that’s why God has said:
“Thus says the Lord: cursed be the man that trust in man, and makes flesh his arm.”(Jeremiah 17:5)
God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us and protect us and His word, the scriptures. His timing is not always what we want, but his faithfulness is sure.
Jesus warned of deception in the Last Days more than anything else
Jesus warned of deception in the Last Days more than anything else. He spoke of wolves in sheep’s clothing who would be false Christian leaders teaching things that contradict the Bible. He said they would not care for the flock but make merchandise out of them. This is just one of the many warnings given throughout the New Testament, this one by Jesus Himself:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
In these times, we need to take great care as many if not most ministers, teachers and pastors these days are – knowingly or unknowingly – serving the devil, teaching 98% truth and 2% deadly error, and leading people astray. Scripture tells us that these ministers will wax worse and worse, deceived and deceiving.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)
Listening to any sort of false teaching or following is dangerous for a number of reasons, including that it can in and of itself open demonic doorways, so great care should be taken what we choose, even when reading or watching videos online.
Test the spirits, and check everything against scripture, as we have been told to do, no matter how right something seems, it must align with what the Bible says. The better we know what the Bible says, the easier is it is to identify false teaching that contradicts what the Bible says. It may not be easy to discern at first, but the more we study God’s word, the clearer it becomes to us what is scriptural and what is not. We can pray to ask God for more discernment, more wisdom, more faith, more strength and more grace to endure.
Wherefore God also has 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; And that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
“THE NAME OF THE LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
“These signs shall follow them that believe; IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” (Mark 16:17)
“The seventy returned again with joy, saying, LORD, EVEN THE DEVILS ARE SUBJECT UNTO US THROUGH THY NAME.” (Luke 10:17)
When we pray we say “in the name of Jesus” because Jesus Christ already defeated the devil at the cross and the resurrection. Jesus came to expose the works of the devil and save us from our sins, but it is up to us to believe what He says and stop practising sin and serving the devil and to fight.
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” (Hebrews 2:14)
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that is hanged on a tree:” (Galatians 3:13)
“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15)
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1:7)
In the Bible God tells us hundreds of times not to fear and this too is part of spiritual warfare:
“Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:8)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalms 34:4)
Wrong attitude and thinking, unforgiveness, unteachableness, etc.
Lust of the flesh (carnality), lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16)
Unconfessed sin: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10)
There are literally dozens of scriptures where God asks us to hate evil and not to take any part in it, not even in the appearance of it. Part of the reason is because it is dangerous as it can open demonic doorways or portals.
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU.” (2 Corinthians 6:17)
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” (Psalm 97:10)
“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” (Isaiah 8:19)
“And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.” (Leviticus 20:6)
“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:31)
What can we do to protect ourselves, our friends and family, and others?
The Bible speaks of ‘the weapons of our warfare’ and these primarily include learning spiritual warfare. We read about this in Ephesians 6:
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of god, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”
Demons can cause problems that manifest in any number of ways in any and all areas of life, but the solution is always deliverance. One problem may seem more horrific or ‘evil’ or shameful or guilt-inducing than another, but that is one of their aims and we should not allow it. It is better not to spend any time worrying about it and just get on with the remedy.
Prayer, along with some concrete changes, such as removing cursed objects and practices from one’s life, along with a change of lifestyle, putting aside ungodly practices and living a more godly life which includes prayer and studying the Bible.
Playing an audio Bible on low volume can help, even when we are not in the room or in the house. These days there are many recordings of audio Bibles available for free online and the King James version is far superior to other versions for this purpose.
Playing worship and praise music can be extremely helpful for this purpose. With one proviso, great care should be taken in the choice of music as much of modern worship music today has strong occult associations. Some so-called Christian music is not godly and the battle here can be for our very mind and soul.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him MUST worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
The use of occult symbolism by the occult arts which is so prevalent today also provides demonic doorways or portals which act as a conduit to channel invisible powers. This is part of programming people’s minds, providing access for the demonic which could be likened to tuning into a certain radio channel or frequency. This is a mind control method like predictive programming, where something is shown to happen in a TV series or movie before it happens in reality.
For example, we sometimes see in a horror film a pentagram is drawn or chalked on the floor to summon a demon, or even the devil himself. Another example is a Ouija board which is is sold as a game to provide a means whereby people can speak to the dead, although God has expressly forbidden contact with the dead. In fact, it is not possible to use a Ouija board to communicate with the dead, but only with demons. Ouija boards are dangerous because they can open doorways or portals for demons to gain access and get control. It is not recommended that anyone should watch this but there is a video on Youtube about possessions caused by use or possession of a Ouija board and many other similar accounts can be seen on the internet.
Just going to a seance once, having our tarot cards read or consulting a fortune-teller once, reading astrological horoscopes in a newspaper or magazine, or watching a horror film has the potential to open doorways for the demonic. This can result in demonic oppression and harassment of all descriptions.
Although Christians cannot be possessed as they are sealed by the Holy Spirit, they can be subjected to other forms of oppression and harassment, even demonization, and believers can certainly have a demon or demons even though they have the Holy Spirit. Many articles have been written on the subject of “Can a Christian have a demon” explaining how and why, and these can be found via Google.
There are stories such as someone taken on a ghost train as a small child went on to suffer nightmares and demonic oppression for many years into adulthood. That is because the experience opened doorways so that demons could get access. Once demons get their claws in they can prove to be hard to get rid of even if they don’t have the ‘legal rights’ to stay. Not every child who goes on a ghost train or went through some form of trauma would experience similar results, but things like this can and do happen and one can read the testimonies of people who have experienced the reality of it.
It is especially dangerous to tamper with things we do not understand such as hallucinogenic drugs, and the same is true of occultism in all its forms, particularly because such practices can open demonic doorways for worse things to happen.
The idol entices its proposed victim by provoking curiosity or fascination like the Greek legend of the head of the Medusa that turned anyone who even looked on it into stone.
Sometimes we need to find out what is likely to have caused doorways to open and shut them. It may be a combination of things that we have done or not done, or what we are doing or not doing. Once we know and understand what the Bible says, it usually is not that difficult to find out, although for some this can take a little time, particularly if there are compounding problems that need to be dealt with. For a few, it can be quite a journey. Although God is able to heal us and restore us even when difficulties and trials have gone on for some time. Although it is best not to allow the situation to continue too long in order to prevent too much effect on one’s body and soul as there could be some lasting residual damage. The better we know and understand what the Bible says ourselves, and the more we turn to God in prayer for help and guidance, the easier it will be to overcome any problems.
Persecution Live 