How should we treat someone who has demonic influence in their lives?
Maaaan, I just came from a church meeting last night. I sat quietly in the back waiting to see what would happen. The thing is I've served at this church for over a year now AND I knew these people before they knew themselves. Let's just say I had some conversations with folks afterwards. Why? Because that's the ministry God has called me to.
"God is cleaning up house, and FIRST He's starting right at home."
- Gimme That (Kirk Franklin ft. Mali Music)
I come to help you get your house in order (in a variety of ways).
Back to the question...
Let's say you have a family member, close friend, coworker, pastor, teacher, child...or even have noticed demonic influence in your own life. What do we do?
1. Love. (See: John 15:9-17, 1 Peter 4:1-11)
It sounds cliche, but it was the love of a blameless man on a piece of wood that was payment for a "multitude of sins". And not just a multi-tude, but EVERY TUDE you can think of! (Glo-ray!) Jesus' death on the Cross covers every sin, but we have to live in a way which acknowledges His sacrifice.
2. Speaking the TRUTH in Love. (See: Ephesians 4:11-16)
Another way we show love is in speaking honestly, what is in fact the truth. This means I had to confront some folk last night and will continue to do so in the future where necessary. Many of us should "be teachers by now", but we get so caught up in our childish ways that a drop of maturity seems to not be found. Even worse at times (as happened in the meeting), other members of the body sit there and say NOTHING. You're killing yourself!
Confrontation is especially necessary for those who are demonized because even though the demon may seem to be having its way or in control, the person can still hear and see you. If we don't help them to understand how they're doing / saying / being we do a disservice to them.
And don't be surprised when the individual suggests that it is the others who have the issues or even in an extreme case, they may not remember what they did.
3. Not tempting. (See: Romans 14:13-23, 1 Cor. 8)
It's extremely important that if we are aware of a brother / sister's journey that we not engage, suggest, or live in such a way that would cause them to fall. For example, I may not have an issue with going to Happy Hour, BUT if I have a coworker who is also a believer (or even an unbeliever) that feels "some kind of way" about it, regarding their morality, etc. it's my obligation to ensure I act in such a way that does not cause them to think they should attend anyway or make them feel LESS because they choose to not do so.
The enemy seeks to rob us of our joy and peace. If you have joy, you can be at peace. And sometimes you can be at peace when your joy can't be found. We know that LOVE is the first fruit of the Spirit mentioned. Why do you think that is?
Lastly, if I've spoken to you personally about demonic influence in your life, I pray you've taken the necessary steps to handle it. We all should seek counseling just to ensure there are no uncovered vulnerabilities in our lives. We've grown accustomed to living in pain and wearing multiple masks. If I haven't and you're wondering, hit me up. This isn't about blame, or why we couldn't get it together. It's about being on a path towards wholeness, sanity, and a more ABUNDANT life.
Praying alone may not get you the deliverance you need. More on that later.
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