Weapons of Our Warfare -- Arresting and Freeing

Weapons of Our Warfare   

Arresting and Freeing

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. II Cor. 10:3-4 

Even though we deeply and passionately desire to set people free from the prisons they live in, our power to do so is limited.  The limitation is this:  We have no authority to change the person.  We, as sons of God, of course, have authority over demons.  But, we  do not have authority to change people who do not want to be changed.  Indeed, we should never try to change people who do not want to be changed.  Those people we must leave to God.  This, by the way, is why persons with religious demons are so difficult to help.  The religious demon has become the imposter God in the life of the victim.  So when we try to help that victim, the victim himself fights against the help because he believes we are coming against God Himself.

But what then are we to do for the people we meet who are so clearly influenced by or imprisoned by their fears, their failures, their sinful pasts and or their demons ?  Before I address that question let me bring one problem to light.  As I said we have no authority to change the person.  So even if we unlock the prison door and prop it wide open, we have no way to compel the prisoner to walk out of the cell he has resided in so comfortably.  You see, people often live in a world of believing it is better to live with the demon who is known than to venture out to be with the God they do not yet know.  This is one of the reasons relationship is so very important to effective ministry.  When a victim does not yet know and trust the God you know, perhaps he will trust you enough to venture forth and get to know Him.  Demons regularly give people a perverse kind of comfort (like addictive drugs) and they give various forms of power (for example: greed can give the power of wealth; or, sexual perversion can give the powers of seduction and popularity).  The demonized victims are often afraid to give up these forms of comfort and power.  They do not yet know the comfort of Holy Spirit or their power as sons of God.  But, when you build with the victim a friendship and relationship that is based in love and truth instead of fear and manipulation, you give him a hope that there is a better way.  But, notice this is the reason why various tactics of religious manipulation always will lead to a failure to actually set people free.  The best such tactics can produce is a change of the black prison paint scheme to a set of pink bars of religious rules.  This sometimes looks like a victory but actually is a more difficult prison than the prior one.

So, in this context of loving, non-manipulative relationships let us look at the simplicity of the process.  Remember Jesus gave us the role model for being sons of God.  He said He did not act except when He saw the Father acting and He did not speak except what He heard the Father speaking.  When we walk accordingly, then He tells us about our power and authority as sons of God.  He says we can bind or loose things on Earth and they are also bound or loosed in the spiritual realm.  (See Scripture below) This authority gives us an option to help people with a very special set of problems.

We are told we can evict demons from the lives of other people.  But, we are warned that if we cast out the demons before the person has developed the strength of faith and character to maintain his own freedom, the demons will come back and they will bring with them additional demons.  We have made the problem worse.  The victim ends up with more problems than he had before we tried to help.  At the same time, however, if we allow the demons to keep on manipulating and deceiving the victims, then the victims do not mature to a point where it is safe to cast the demons out.  This is especially a problem when the victim does not have any one to watch over his soul and help him when the enemy returns to repossess him.

In this situation, it is often a better approach to arrest the demon.  Command him to be quiet and permit the person to hear and experience the love of God and the ministry of Holy Spirit that will bring him to a level of maturity that enables him to defend himself.  Then, after he has matured, cast out the demon or demons.  During this same development period it is also important to encourage and help the victim to find friendships and relationships with other believers who will be supportive of his growth.

Notice, we not only are given authority and power to bind but also to release.  At the same time that we are arresting the demon and restricting its powers and influence, we may also free the victim from the prior influences of the demon.  Sometimes we do not even need to fuss with the demons.  Just release the person.  This is a particularly effective weapon when dealing with people whose life experiences have left them damaged and bound up emotionally or mentally.  I remember one young woman whose family life had left her bound up and unable to build healthy relationships with young men in her life.  When she was released, she quickly began to build a wide range of healthy wonderful friendships with both men and women.  There was no demon involved.  It was simply a lack of emotional freedom.

This process is extremely simple.  Just quietly speak to the demons and/or the victims by your authority as a son of God and representative of Jesus.  For example:  "You demon of deception and false intellectualism, be quiet and do not deceive or speak to George again for the next 90 days.  I release his mind to see and hear the reality of God's love for him without your interference."   

I hope by this time you have grasped that these discussions of the weapons of our warfare are not formulas for success.  My hope is only to convey to you a basic understanding of the weaponry available.  It's use is always and only effective when you listen to Holy Spirit and say what He says while believing in yourself as the sent son of God.

His, thus yours,

  Stuart

Matthew 16: 19 (NASB)

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.