Casting alone???
Maaan, if I had a dollar for every time I or someone else thought all you had to do was "cast the devil out"...I might be rich.
I've got some church members who have issues...well, a lot, but more specifically with one another. In talking with one they told me that they were "talked to in a nasty way" by another member. Originally I was talking to the first individual as a form of correction, but what we must realize is that even if we KNOW, that WE KNOW, that we know (!) what demonic influence is going on in the background, we still must understand that we are working with people...and guess what? These people have feelings.
Why is this important?
Well, for one we can cast devils out all day BUT if there is something more, something deeper going on there (i.e. the root), let's say a "wounded spirit", "resentment", "bitterness", "unforgiveness", etc ...those "lesser things" will have to be taken care of first.
Think about it: You don't play a video game expecting to play the big boss immediately. You have to work your way up to it. By dismantling the structure / foundation which allows the demonic hierarchy to be successful we are strengthened (by each battle) and better able (by the grace / gifts given us) to take off the head. This is seen even in military strategy / espionage, etc. It's always about the low-hanging fruit. And as Christians the war has already been won, we're simply playing out this game of chess.
Casting alone doesn't work all the time. There are practical steps in healing. I often counsel folks and within minutes of pouring out their heart to God they feel better. A weight has been lifted and in some instances they come to better understand why they feel the way they do (and how they got there).
In the black community there's this unspoken thought that therapy is for "crazy people". Some of the most sane, successful, and scriptural believing folks go to therapy on the regular so that they can stay regular. Think about it. If I as a pastor / minister / leader, always listen to others but no one listens to me...my shoulders will get heavy quick! And yes you can go to God AND God has provided us Godly counsel here on earth too.
Many of us have old wounds that we need to heal from and we don't even realize it. If you haven't had a chance to take a deep dive into your past and make sure all issues are dealt with. Do so.
Resources:
1) Healing
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