Victory in Christ comes from our position in Christ at salvation, then in faith yielding and surrendering to Him in total obedience, renouncing the ground that we have given Satan and evil spirits

1. Spiritual Warfare
Robert D. Patton
Missionary to Suriname
Baptist World Mission

2. What do we need to do?
 First, if the person is not a
Christian, then the person needs
to accept the Lord as savior
 Greater is He that is in you than
he that is in the world….

3. BRING THE
PERSON TO
FREEDOM IN
CHRIST
We want more than simple relief of
symptoms. We want the person
free to serve the Lord

4. Remember the goal -
Freedom
 The goal is not to simply drive out the evil
spirit for that moment, but for the person
to be free.
 Many will stop when the evil spirit goes
away, but what about when he returns with
seven evil spirits worse than himself? And
what if we are not available when there is an
attack?

5. John 8:31-32, 36
The truth shall make you free
 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews
who believed on him, If ye continue
in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; 32. And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you
free. 36. If the Son therefore shall
make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

6. How to come free?
 We must renounce sin and
falsehood, step by step, and
affirm the truth.
 First, the individual must be
capable of responding.
 The evil spirits need to be bound
in the Lord Jesus Christ

7. How to release the binding
initially
 Have the person confess the Lord
Jesus Christ as savior if possible
 Pray
 Read scripture, especially those places
raising up the Lord Jesus, and showing
victory over the devil – for example,
Ephesians 1:17 Revelation 18-20
 Praise the Lord in spiritual songs

8. Prayer is the ultimate help!
 State our dependence on the Lord
 Pray for those whose eyes are blinded - 2
Cor. 4:[4] In whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.

9. Prayer is the ultimate help!
 .We can claim the promise of I Jn. 5:14-15
that if we ask anything in His name that is
His will, He will hear
 .Directly after that, he talks in 1 Jn. 5:16
about the unsaved
 .Pray for those eyes of the saved to be
open to the spiritual victory which is ours in
Christ

10. I Jn. 5:14-15
 [14] And this is the confidence that we
have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: [15]
And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we desired of
him.

11. Prayer is the ultimate help!
 Resist the devil in our position in Christ
 We lay hold to God’s property and hang on
until satan loosens his grasp.
 James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to
God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw
nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double
minded.

12. Prayer for those demonically
oppressed:
 Pray that demons will be cut off from
communication with other demons and
satan
 Pray that demons will be confused and
weakened in their hold on the person
 Pray that the person will be strengthened
in faith to understand his position in Christ
and to trust and obey God’s word

13. Prayer for those demonically
oppressed:
 Pray that the person will be able to distinguish
between his own thoughts and those of satan
 Pray that the person will recognize the demonic
influence and seek godly help and counsel
 .Pray for God’s protection, and that the angels
will break up every scheme of the enemy

14. For freedom from demonic
involvement…
 We must give Christ total allegiance,
with death to self and living for Christ,
walking in the Spirit. Gal 2:20 & 6:14;
Jn. 15, Gal. 5:16 -23.
 We must reject false worldviews: Rom.
12:2
 We must break allegiance with self-
centered profit and pleasure.

15. For freedom from demonic
involvement…
 We must confess and reject any involvement
with the occult
 Any special gifts or transference from laying
on of hands
 All false religions
 Removal of false ways and possessions - cleaning
house
 Break contacts with those involved in
demonic worship

16. Witchcraft
 Renounce every episode of witchcraft
which you remember. Ask the Lord to
bring back the necessary areas.
 Ask for forgiveness, and break any
promises or accords made with the
spirit world

17. What about amulets, etc
 We throw away any witchcraft items such as
amulets, lotions to wash with, idols, etc.
 We will often help the individual to clean out
the house and yard and pray throughout the
home.
 We sometimes anoint a house as a symbol of
the Holy Spirit – placing the home in His
hands

18. Family involvement
 Remember that this can go back four
generations, and most persons don’t
know about their great-grandparents
 Renounce all ties, promises, etc.
 Ask forgiveness for any personal
or family involvement
 Take your position in the family of
God

19. During infant dedication or
marriage
 We take these occasions to make
a declaration that we have broken
with any evil spirits personally
and from any family involvement.
 We declare that we are in the family of
God
 We ask the congregation to help pray
for the individuals

20. During soulwinning
 I usually have the individual who is
praying to receive Christ also state that
they reject any involvement in witchcraft
for themselves or their family

21. Family involvement
 We break any accords made or sins
done by ourselves or our ancestors
 Remember the prayers of
 Nehemiah
 Daniel
 They prayed for forgiveness of the sins
of their fathers as well as the leadership
of the nation

22. False teachings
 There are the doctrine of demons. A
few examples:
 Worship of Maria
 Worship of the sacraments
 Acceptance of teaching of cults, etc.

23. Each of these false teachings
need to be renounced
 We go through the common false
teachings of any cults/religions in which
the individual has participated
 We renounce the false teachings and
ask for forgiveness, and removal of any
ground given evil spirits from accepting
them

24. Bitterness
 All bitterness needs to be renounced.
 You need to decide to forgive. It is not
a feeling, but a decision of the will
 Forgive as the Lord has forgiven us – of
everything – Ephesians 4:32

25. Forgive – no bitterness
 Ephesians 4:[31] Let all bitterness,
and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and
evil speaking, be put away from
you, with all malice:[32] And be ye kind
one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you.

26. What is the goal for
forgiveness
 It is not to change the other person. It does
not depend on his response. It takes two to
reconcile, but only one to forgive
 It is to make us come free. As long as we
hold onto bitterness, we are bound to
the other individual, and also we may
give ground to evil spirits

27. Pride
 All pride needs to be renounced
 That is the purpose of the Cross – to
show our insufficiency but His
sufficiency in:
 Victory over our old nature
 Victory over the world system
 Victory over the devil

28. Pride
 God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble
 The sin of the devil is pride
 He gave us His nature
 Be careful that you are not proud
of your humility

29. Anger
 Our problem is that we are angry when
our personal rights are violated,
rather than those of the Lord.
 Jesus was angry when the Lord’s rights
were violated, but He did not resist
when His own rights were violated at
the cross
 We need to yield our rights to the
Lord Jesus

30. Sexual immorality
 Renounce all immorality
 Break each relationship
 Remember that our thoughts are also
important: Mt. 5:27 Ye have heard that it was
said to them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery; 28. But I say unto you,
That whosoever looketh on a woman
to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in her
heart…
 Thus pornographic pictures, films, and
the internet are sin.

31. Remember, if you don’t go
ahead in your warfare…
 Mt. 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a
man, he walketh through the dry places, seeking
rest, and findeth none. 44. Then he saith, I will
return into my house from whence I came out, and
when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and
garnished. 45. Then goeth he, and taketh with
himself seven other spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the
last state of that man is worse than the first. Even
so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

32. What about other groups of
individuals?
 In talking with a friend dealing with other
groups – Creoles and Javanese, his church
uses the basic same techniques.
 Prayer is the basis
 Spiritual songs
 Scripture
 Removal of all witchcraft items

33. Our goal is permanent
freedom
 We do not want the person dependent
on us – but on the Lord, and to be
confident in his position in the Lord
 He can pray; he can command the
spirits to leave
 Those who have found freedom our our
most effective counselors

34. What about unconscious
persons
 We have this problem quite often. We
pray, rebuke, read scripture, and sing.
 When the person regains
consciousness, if not saved, we present
salvation. If saved, we have them
begin to rebuke the spirits. This may
take some time before they can do so

35. Follow-up care
 Church attendance regularly
 Daily prayer
 Acknowledge God’s greatness
 Yield to Him daily
 Confess and abandon all known sin
 Walk in the Spirit
 Maintain freedom with Bible study

36. Follow-up
 Further problems can mean:
 You have other areas not yet confessed
and abandoned
 You have re-opened areas to the devil
 You must be active – not passive

37. We are responsible:
 To put on Christ - Rom. 13: [14] But put
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make
not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the
lusts thereof.
 To resist the devil - James 4: [7] Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you.

38. We are responsible:
 Wear the armor - Eph. 6: [10] Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might.[11] Put on the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.[12] 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.

39. We are responsible:
 [13] 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.[14] Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;[15] And your
feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace.

40. We are responsible:
 [16] Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked.[17] And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God
 Yield to God - Rom. 6:[11] Likewise reckon ye
also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

41. We are responsible:
 [12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
[13] Neither yield ye your members as
instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but
yield yourselves unto God, as those that are
alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God.
 We must choose the truth & live a righteous life

42. Reactions to demonic
deliverance with Christ
 Some were amazed - especially glorifying
God
 Some were afraid – and sent Jesus away
 Some were antagonistic – and accused Him
of conspiring with Satan and using Satanic
power
 As His disciples, we can anticipate the same
reactions

43. Biblical results of deliverance
 The demons are no longer inside, and
cannot control from INTERNAL use of
the mind and the body
 Sometimes there were visible signs that
the demons were gone
 Also often there was physical healing
 There may be transference - eg -
Legion to the pigs

44. Biblical results of deliverance
 There is often loss of occult power
 Restoration to normal function
 .Physical
 .Social
 .Reorientation to life
 Sometimes, if the healing was occult,
there may be loss of occult healing

45. Relief of Symptoms after
deliverance
Relief from:
 Passivity & depression
 Lust
 Thoughts in the mind, suicidal
tendencies
 Problems with thinking

46. Relief of Symptoms after
deliverance
 Freedom to grow spiritually
 .Sense of personal worth
 .Satan and his demons are works and
achievement oriented
 .They oppose grace
 It is important that we recognize our
true worth with God

47. Relief of Symptoms after
deliverance
 Ability to make decisions now
 Improvement in marriage relationships
 Loving Christ more
 Greater awareness of sin and satan

48. Do not always expect
instantaneous victory
 It may take time to see someone come free
from demonic activity. It need not occur the
instant you command the demon to leave.
 It is preferable if possible for the person
themselves to command the demon to leave.
They need to get victory themselves, not
depending on others, but the Lord

49. Sometimes victory comes
more slowly
 Even Christ did this repeatedly with the
man with Legion - verb is in the imperfect
tense
 He may need to grow in Christ and in
surrendering all to Christ.
 We must dedicate ourselves 100% to
what is good, and hate that which is evil.

50. Why no instantaneous
victory?
 Unyieldedness or sin that the Lord wants the individual
to judge: Ps. 94: 12] Blessed is the man whom thou
chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
 Something that either the counselor or counselee
must learn about the heinousness of sin, and the
goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ
 We can learn how to recognize and deal with demonic
forces to be able to help others: 2 Cor. 1:3-4

51. Helping others
 2 Cor. 1:[3] Blessed be God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies, and the God of all
comfort;[4] Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble,
by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God.

52. Why no instantaneous
victory?
 We must learn to walk in dependence of the
Lord in trials and demonic warfare
 God may put the demon to shame before
many witnesses, both angelic and human, as
the individual walks in the Spirit in faith and
obedience. Remember Job
 God may show the proper need of counsel
and support in the Christian walk

53. Like peeling an onion
 It is possible to have victory, but to see
further demonic involvement.
 The mere fact that the person seemed
free and now has problems could mean
that you removed some but not all of
the demons, and not that you did
nothing

54. Follow-up is important
 You need to work on keeping free, and
not just getting immediate victory.
 This means resisting the devil - keeping
the doors closed that were open to give
the demons a foothold.
 I want to spend some time on spiritual
principles to help maintain real freedom
and spiritual growth