Chapter Twelve

Becoming an Effective Deliverance Worker

Deliverance is a constant learning process.

Satan has spent thousands of years weaving a very complicated system to trap you and take you to Hell or cause you to live a miserable Christian life here on earth.

If you want to see yourself and others delivered from Satan’s grasp, you must be determined and unwavering in your commitment.

1. Get experience. Start casting out demons and get involved.

2. Study God’s Word to show yourself “approved by God.” Use a concordance and study the Gospels mainly.

3. Fast and Pray. Seek the Lord about your problems and those of your family members.

4. Study deliverance books. Learn as much as you can and maintain a teachable spirit.

5. Study books on the mind, will, and emotions.

6. Study Satan from a Christian viewpoint to see how he is trying to destroy you, your family, and your church.

7. Go to deliverance meetings. Participate in teaching and ministry in large and small groups and with individuals.

8. Emphasize practical methods. Put the Bible to work.

9. Clean out your house. Get rid of demonic objects.

10. Be persistent. Keep after the demons in any area of your life until you are successful.

11. Learn to research a subject. Use encyclopedias, dictionaries, medical, and psychiatric books.

12. Learn the three phases of deliverance:

How to determine the need for deliverance.

How to get delivered.

How to stay delivered.

God Wants to Use You!

For the person who wants the Lord to use him/her for deliverance work among those possessed by evil spirits, here is some advice:

1. Be prepared. The person ministering in the area of deliverance is in a position of all out warfare with the forces of evil. Many have fallen by the wayside because of:

Ignorance of the Bible and deliverance

Worker has not been completely delivered himself

Men and women ministering by themselves

Lured by false doctrines, etc.

2. Don’t give up too soon. Demons can be very stubborn and highly seductive. Demons do not easily come out when they have a right before God to stay due to a person’s unconfessed sin, curses, soul ties, etc. They can lure the man or woman who is alone back into captivity. A person needs extensive ministering to help them do this, and they must decide to change their lives.

3. Use the “three arms” of deliverance. There is a large body of knowledge about deliverance, but you hear little practical teaching from the pulpit.

The three arms of deliverance are:

Teaching — know your authority

Deliverance — cast out demons

Ministering — How to stay free

The church usually wants to cast out the demons and get this messy subject over with so that they can go on to more glorious services. Suppose a man who is a drunk needs deliverance. The inexperienced deliverance worker will try to cast out drunkenness but fail to find out why the man became a drunk.

Those who do not believe in deliverance say that all a Christian has to do is to crucify the flesh. In a sense they are right; you must crucify the flesh to be successful in deliverance. You can't get your pet demon cast out and go back and do the same thing again.

Let’s look at other common examples:

Smoking: The demon is cast out, and the person goes out and buys a pack of cigarettes again.

Gluttony: The demon is cast out, and the person goes and eats three pieces of pie after the service.

This is why teaching and ministering must continue until the person has complete victory.

It is not enough to simply bring in the deliverance minister once a year to take care of everyone’s problems. On a personal basis, you cannot minister deliverance to a person and then fail to follow up with him or her on a regular basis.

This is the same problem that a new Christian faces after salvation — the need for continual feeding and growth.

The Apostle Paul prayed and asked the Lord three times to take the messenger of Satan from him, and the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

With God’s grace, then, let us expel every evil spirit that is tormenting God’s people and let them put the devil where he belongs — under the believer’s feet by the blood and in the name of Jesus Christ, let it be! Amen.

The main principle in deliverance is to get beyond ourselves and our needs. A mature Christian and a mature deliverance team ministers to others.

How to Measure Your Self Life

The effective deliverance worker must constantly stay on guard against the enemy’s attacks. Here is a scriptural checklist that will help keep you on track:

1. Do you have a spirit of pride?

Most men will “proclaim everyone his own goodness; but a faithful man who can find?” (Pr. 20:6)

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Pr. 16:18).

“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and winds without rain” (Pr. 25:14).

“ For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3).

“But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble (James 4:6).

2. Do you love human praise?

“How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seeketh not the honor that cometh from God only?” (John 5:44).

“Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also, many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; For they love the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42,43).

“Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” (1 Cor.13:4).

3. Do you feel stirrings of anger or impatience?

“Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil” (Ps. 37:8).

“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Eccl. 7:9)

“ In your patience possess ye your souls” (Lk. 21:19).

“ Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).

4. Do you have a stubborn, un-teachable, arguing, talkative, harshness, sarcastic, etc., spirit?

“ So I spake unto you, and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill” (Dt. 1:43).

“If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of Hosts; I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart” (Mal. 2:2).

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

“But chiefly, them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government” 2( Pet. 2:10).

5. Are you bogged down in formality with a deadness, no concern for souls, dryness, and indifference?

“Let them alone: they be blind, leaders of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mt. 15:14 ).

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:4).

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away” (2 Tim. 3:5)

“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead” (Rev. 3:1).

6. Do you have carnal fear? Do you shrink from duty; a compromising spirit?

“And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words; because I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam. 15:24).

“ The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Pr. 29.25).

“For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision” (Gal. 2:12).

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 Jn. 4:18).

7. Do you have a jealous disposition with envy in your heart and gladness for the failures or faults of others?

“Then Isaac sowed in that land and received in the same year an hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him; and the man waxed great and went forward; and grew until he became very great; For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants; and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his fathers' servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, go from us, for thou art much mightier than we” (Gen. 26:12-16).

“And Saul was very wroth and the saying displeased him; and he said; They have ascribed unto David 10,000's and to me they have ascribed but 1,000's and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day forward” (1 Sam. 18:8,9).

“For jealousy is the rage of a man, therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance” (Pr. 6:34).

Prov. 14:30 - A sound heart is the life of the flesh; but envy the rottenness of the bones” (Pr. 14:30).

“Let love be without dissimulation (false pretense or hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good; be kindly affectionate one to another, with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another” (Rom. 12:9,10).

8. Are you always honest or are you deceitful, evading the truth, and covering up your faults?

“ He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart; he that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor” (Ps. 15:2,3).

“Wherefore the Lord said; for as much as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, the their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men, therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (Is. 29:13).

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9).

“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Mt. 23:28).

“But Jesus said unto him; Judas betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss?” (Lk. 22:48)

9. Do you struggle with unbelief and discouragement? Do you lack a quiet confidence in God? Are you always anxious and complaining?

“And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and head of Samaria is Remaliahs' son. If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established” (Is. 7:9).

“And seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind” (Lk. 12:29).

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

“But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

10. Are you plagued by selfishness and the love of money?

“And I will say to My Soul: soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; But God said unto him, thou fool this night thou soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself” (Lk. 12:19-21).

“For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10,11).

“Search me O God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23,24).

Avoiding the Enemy’s Pitfalls

In any kind of ministry, one standard prevails: Everything you do must be done in love and in the name of Jesus. Remember that the main tactic of the enemy is deception.

The deliverance worker must pray in tongues without ceasing as a daily remedy for the crucifixion of the flesh and for maintaining the following personal, spiritual disciplines:

Purity

Authority

Humility

Discernment

Power

Repentance

Gentle and loving spirit

Knowledge of the Word

Ongoing personal cleansing

Confession of all unbelief in the power of Jesus and authority of His Name.

The following disciplines will also help the committed deliverance worker to avoid the enemy’s pitfalls:

Remember that the remedy for demons is eviction. Your goal is always to cast them out!

Do not talk to demons unless specifically instructed to do so by the Holy Spirit.

The Weapons of the Spiritual Warrior

When ministering deliverance, use the following weapons to battle against the enemy.

Commitment, position, and continual submission to God.

The Blood of the Lamb that justifies, sanctifies, makes holy, and cleanses.

The Word of your Testimony: Who you fellowship with, how you live, how you act, the words you speak, and what you do must be consistent.

The Word of God: Speak the Scriptures as you minister and in your daily life.

Forceful Prayer in the Spirit. Tongues of rebuke shows the demons that you mean business!

The Name of Jesus and His Authority.

Unwavering Faith: You must believe or you will be overcome by the enemy.

Personal Demands Upon the Deliverance Worker or Team

Time: Your time is no longer your own. Deliverance is time consuming, and you can be called upon any time of day or night. That means no more unplugging the phone or leaving it off the hook. Always be ready to minister.

Phone conversations with captives who have mental and emotional deliverance's, however, should be limited to 15 minutes, or you will be drained to the point of exhaustion:

Energy: Be physically fit, deliverance sometimes lasts for hours, and counseling is draining and can be exhausting in some cases. Also, keep yourself filled and strengthened in worship and tongues.

Patience: Some people do not retain their deliverance. They are slow to learn and must be taught and encouraged repeatedly. Many take hours or weeks of counseling, phone conversations, and your time. The spirits controlling these captives seek to weaken the minister or team to the point where ministry is no longer effective. You must discern these situations and always keep their time limited.

In spite of these personal sacrifices, you will enjoy the many blessings and benefits that come with the victory of seeing captives made free.

Requirements for Deliverance Workers

1. Be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

2. Go through deliverance yourself.

3. Learn how to minister in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

4. Have a servant's heart.

5. Be uncompromising with the enemy.

6. Be certain that God has called you to this ministry.

7. Have true compassion (not human sympathy) for the person you are working with, guard against developing a judgmental or self-righteous attitude.

8. Have a listening ear.

9. Be flexible in a variety of techniques.

10. Search for root causes in the person's problems.

11. Use the sword of the Spirit and not your own human resources.

12. Believe not every spirit. Evil spirits will lie to you.

13. Be able to discern whether the problem is flesh or spirit.

14. Be prepared to confront person with his/her personal responsibility.

Workers Checklist for Deliverance

1. Don't use cliches or pat answers, such as “I know just how you feel” or, “Just give yourself to Jesus.” Some people don't know how to surrender their lives to Jesus. If they did, they wouldn't be needing ministry.

2. Don't feel that you have to come up with an answer for everything. If you don't know, say so, but tell the person that you will try to find out.

3. Don't try to cast out every demon in the world or try to cover too much in one session. (Keep each session under two hours if possible.)

4. Don't wear yourself out or wear out the person being made free.

5. Don't become a permanent crutch. Teach them self deliverance and the overcoming life.

6. Don't advise anything contrary to Scripture.

7. Don't advise anything that would be presuming on God; i.e., take of your glasses, give up your medication, etc.

8. Don't discuss the session with others, our confidentiality is vital.

9. Don't work alone in a private place with a member of the opposite sex.

10. Be very careful of physical contact.

11. Don't be sloppy in your personal appearance, manner, grooming, cleanliness.

12. Be Christ like.

Why Some Deliverance Workers Fail

1. Immaturity and/or inexperience — unskilled in the Word.

2. Workers' personal problems — smoking, lust, pride, marital problems, etc.

3. Inadequate prayer and fasting.

4. Failure to dig for the root causes.

5. Worker becoming emotionally involved.

6. Pride in either self or person being delivered.

7. Worker's desire to have control over others.

8. Worker has weakness similar to the person in need of deliverance.

9. Failure to check for proper foundations in life of person seeking deliverance: salvation, baptism, relationships.

10. Failure to discern natural causes for problems like flesh or human nature.

11. Lack of desperation on part of person seeking deliverance—not willing to give up all for Jesus or to obey God.

12. Person does not take personal responsibility for his condition or actions.