We may now turn to the case of the one who needs deliverance, whom for convenience we will call the patient.
The following are some requirements for deliverance:
Humility. The patient must in humility submit himself to God, before he can resist the devil (see James 4:6-7).
Honesty. This demands a full and frank acknowledgement both of the patient’s condition and of any sins that may have contributed to that condition (see Psalm 32:1-6).
Confession. The patient must specifically confess to God all known sin (see 1 John 1:9).
In addition, he may also have to make confession to the one who is praying with him for deliverance. This is implied by the words of James 5:16 Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another. This speaks of confession not merely to God but also to man. The order is first, confess; then pray.
Renunciation. It is not enough to confess sin without also renouncing it.
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth forsketh them shall have mercy (Proverbs 28:13).
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
The sinner must forsake not only his way (his outward acts), but also his thought (any inward sinful leanings or desires, even though these are not expressed in outward acts). Forsaking must come before mercy or pardon.
Forgiveness. The one who desires forgiveness from God must first forgive his fellow men. Resentment and an unforgiving spirit are two of the most common hindrances to deliverance.
In Hebrews 12:15 we are warned against any root of bitterness. Wherever bitterness has poisoned the heart, it must be totally removed, so that not even a root of it is left.
There is special significance in the order of words in the Lord’s Prayer.
First, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us (that is to say our forgiveness from God is in proportion to our forgiveness of our fellow men).
Then, deliver us from the evil one. That is to say, forgiveness must come before deliverance. Without forgiveness we have no right to deliverance.
When the patient has met the above five conditions, he is then in a position to claim the promise of Joel 2:32 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.
Calling aloud upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ normally sets in motion the process of deliverance.
Next week: The process of deliverance.
Your Servant in Christ,
Dr. Bill Basansky
07-19-10
Expelling Demons (part 5)
What are the conditions for deliverance from the destructive influence and power of demons?
The first condition is correct diagnosis. In 1 Corinthians 9:26 Paul describes his ministry as follows: …so fight I not as one that beateth the air.
Where Christians are confronted by demon but do not realize the nature of their enemies, they are like a boxer who lashes out wildly with his fists but never lands his blows upon his opponent’s body.
They may expend much time and energy, but they never make real contact with the unseen enemies who oppose them. For this reason relatively little is accomplished.
Once the presence and activity of demons have been correctly diagnosed, there are a number of further conditions for deliverance.
Some of these concern the believer who is seeking to minister deliverance; others concern the person who needs deliverance.
For the sake of convenience, we will call the believer who is ministering deliverance the minister.
The following are five important conditions that he should fulfill:
The minister must recognize the authority delegated to him in the name of Jesus.
Jesus Himself said: In my name shall they cast out demons.
In Luke 10:17 we read: The seventy returned with joy saying Lord even the demons are subject unto us through thy name.
In Acts 16:18 when Paul spoke to the spirit of divination in the damsel at Philippi he said: I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.
The minister needs the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Matthew 12:28 Jesus said: If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. He thus attributed His ability to cast out demons to the power of the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, in Luke 4:18 He attributed to the anointing of the Holy Spirit His ability to preach deliverance to the captives… to set at liberty them that are bruised.
The minister must understand and apply to each case the relevant principles of scripture that define the conditions for forgiveness of sins and the legal basis of redemption through the blood of Jesus.
The minister must often be prepared to provide both time and place for intimate personal counseling. Generally speaking, the most unsuitable time or place is at the altar rail of a church during a public service.
The minister must beware of spiritual pride in any form. He should be motivated by sincere, God-given compassion for the one who needs deliverance. In all the outreaches of the church today there is no more needy or pitiful class of persons than those who require deliverance from demons.
Next week: The case of the one who needs deliverance.
Your Servant in Christ,
Dr. Bill Basansky
07-12-10
Expelling Demons (part 4)
If Christians are willing to exercise their spiritual senses, they will soon begin to discover that there are many different symptoms, which CAN indicate the presence or activity of demons.(There are medical situations that can produce these symptoms, but when there is not a medical diagnosis, demonic activity may be the cause.)
Some of the commonest of these symptoms are set forth below, under two headings:
Psychological, related primarily to the inner nature and personality (which I outlined for you in last week’s message), and
Physical, related primarily to the outward bodily appearance and condition.
PHYSICAL
1.Unnatural restlessness and talkativeness, muttering.
2.The eyes glazed or unnaturally bright and protruding or unable to focus naturally.
3.Froth at the mouth, fetid breath.
4.Palpitation or unnaturally accelerated action of the heart.
5.Shunning, recoiling from, or fighting against the power of the Holy Spirit.
In many cases, one of these symptoms alone would not be conclusive indication of demon presence or activity.But where several of these symptoms are found together, the probability of demon activity is extremely high.
In addition to these symptoms, the New Testament indicates plainly that demons are often the cause of purely physical sicknesses or infirmities.For instance in Luke 13:11 we read of a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together and could in no wise lift up herself.
As soon as this woman was delivered from this spirit of infirmity, her physical condition became completely normal.Jesus Himself described her as a daughter of Abraham.
That is to say she was a true believer.
There is no suggestion that she was guilty of any special sin.The power of the demon was manifested solely in her physical body.
Again in Acts 19:11 we read concerning the ministry of Paul in Ephesus: from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Here evil spirits and diseases are associated together in a way that plainly implies some kind of causal relationship between them.
The following are some common mental or physical conditions that are sometime caused by demons:
·Insanity
·Insomnia
·Epilepsy
·Fits
·Cramps
·Migraine
·Asthma
·Sinus infection
·Rumours
·Ulcers
·Heart disease
·Arthritis
·Paralysis
·Dumbness
·Deafness
·Blindness.
Next week: What are the conditions for deliverance from the destructive influence and power of demons?
Your Servant in Christ,
Dr. Bill Basansky
07-05-10
Expelling Demons (part 3)
A demon is not a habit or a mental state or a psychological condition.A demon is a person.
One means by which the presence or activity of demons may be detected is the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit called in 1 Corinthians 12:10, the discerning of spirits.
Many Christians who have been baptized in the Holy Ghost manifest some measure of this discernment, but quite often they do not fully realize the nature of the operation of the Holy Spirit, and therefore they do not make effective use of it.Discernment of this kind needs to be cultivated by regular exercise.
For this reason, we read in Hebrews 5:14 of believers that are of full age (maturity), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both food and evil.In the church today there are all too few believers who exhibit this mark of spiritual maturity.
If Christians are willing to exercise their spiritual senses, they will soon begin to discover that there are many different symptoms, which commonly indicate the presence or activity of demons.
Some of the most common of these symptoms are set forth below, under two headings:
Psychological, related primarily to the inner nature and personality
Physical, related primarily to the outward bodily appearance and condition.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS:
1.Persistent or recurrent evil or destructive emotions or attitudes that can dominate a person even contrary to his own will or nature: e.g. resentment, hatred, fear, envy, jealousy, pride, self-pity, tension, impatience.
2.Moods: unreasonable, sudden, extreme fluctuations: e.g. from talkative exhilaration to taciturn depression.
3.Various forms of religious error or bondage: e.g. submission to unscriptural doctrines or prohibitions, unnatural asceticism, refusal to eat normal foods, superstitious observances of all kinds, and all forms of idolatry.
4.Resort to charms, fortune telling, astrology, mediums, etc.
5.Enslaving habits: e.g. gluttony, alcohol, nicotine, dope, sexual immorality or perversion of all kinds, uncontrollable unclean thoughts or looks.
6.Blasphemy, mockery, unclean language.
7.Persistent or violent opposition to the truth of scripture or the work of the Holy Spirit.
Next week: The physical symptoms of demonic activity.
Your Servant in Christ,
Dr. Bill Basansky
06-28-10
Expelling Demons (part 2)
It is time for the church to devote prayerful, open-minded study to the subject of demonology.
The New Testament Greek word for demon is daimonion.This is the diminutive form of another Greek word, daimon.
In Greek mythology and folklore these words were used to describe a special class of beings to whom were attributed varying degrees of supernatural influence or power.
Various cults and superstitious observances centered around these beings, and they played an important part in the daily life of the common people.
In the King James Version the Greek word daimonion is often translated devil.However, this is incorrect.
The word devil is formed from the Greek word diabolos, which means literally slanderer.
In scripture, this is normally reserved as a title of Satan himself.
Associated in the New Testament with the noun daimonion is the passive verb daimonizomai.The literal meaning of this verb is to be demonized – that is, to be in some way under the influence or power of demons.Thus the meaning of the verb is very general.
In the King James Version this verb is usually translated by some phrase such as to be possessed or to be vexed, by demons or by evil spirits.
However, there are no distinctions in the original Greek text to which these various different English words correspond.
Some preachers have worked out elaborate distinctions between possession, oppression or obsession by demons.However there is nothing in the original Greek to support these distinctions.
Two other phrases normally used in this connection in the New Testament are evil spirit and unclean spirit.
A comparison of Revelation chapter 16 verses 13 and 14 would seem to indicate that the two phrases demons and unclean spirits are used more or less interchangeably.
Psychology normally recognizes three main elements that are associated with the concept of personality.These three elements are
Knowledge
Will
Emotion.
It is important to see that all these three elements of personality are found in the New Testament picture of demons.
Demons possess knowledge.
In Mark 1:24 the demon in the man in the synagogue at Capernaum said to Christ, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.”
In Acts 19:15 the evil spirit in the man at Ephesus said to the seven sons of Sceva: “Jesus I know (acknowledge), and Paul I know (know about); but who are ye?”
Demons possess will.
In Matthew 12:44, the unclean spirit who has gone out of the man, but can find no place of rest, says, “I will return into my house from whence I came out.”
In Luke 8:31-33 the demons in the man of Gadara displayed very strongly their will not to be cast into the abyss, but rather to be allowed to enter into the swine.
Demons possess emotion.
In James 2:19 we read: “the demons also believe, and tremble.”
Another fact that attests the personality of demons is their ability to speak.This is recorded in many passages of the New Testament.
From the standpoint of psychology, we normally attribute the concept of personality to anything which is able to express its meaning in intelligible speech.
By every accepted standard, therefore, we see that demons display all the attributes of personality.This is of tremendous import.
Christian believers are in no position to deal with demons successfully until they recognize that they are persons, not things.
Next week: The means by which the presence or activity of demons may be detected.
Your Servant in Christ,
Dr. Bill Basansky
06-21-10
Expelling Demons (part 1)
When I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I was attending a Full Gospel church that believed in speaking in tongues, but did not believe in expelling demons, especially from Christians.The pastor of that church never taught on casting out demons, therefore, I never saw any visual manifestation of the Holy Spirit power over demons.
I have read in the Bible that Jesus and His disciples cast out demons and that we were commanded by Jesus to cast out demons in His name.That was the extent of my knowledge of casting out demons until I was introduced to Derek Prince and his ministry of delivering people, including Christians, from demons.
My wife, Bea, and I attended several of his meetings on expelling demons, and, for the first time in our lives, experienced the Holy Spirit’s power in action as people were delivered from demonic enslavement.We ourselves were delivered in his meetings.
I realized then that many Christians today are enslaved and destroyed for the lack of knowledge and scriptural teaching how to expel demons.
Hosea 4:6, Isaiah 5:13 and 2 Peter 1:5 all tell us that God’s people are destroyed, hindered, cut off from divine health and God’s blessing for the lack of KNOWLEDGE!
In 1970 my wife, Bea, and I decided to attend Derek Prince’s Bible school in Jamaica.Our classes started at 8 AM and finished at 5 PM daily.The primary subjects were: The Power of the Holy Spirit and Expelling (casting out) Demons.In the evenings from 7 PM until whenever the entire class went to town to pray for people and to cast out demons.That hands-on training of casting out demons gave me confidence and assurance that the Holy Spirit power in me is greater than any power of the devil.
To this day, I feel impressed to share some of these notes from time to time, notes that I had taken in class when Derek Prince taught us.I feel impressed to share some of these notes with you and I believe that you will further search the scriptures for yourself.
Today, by divine providence, the veils of convention and carnality are once again being drawn aside, and the same manifest opposition of demon power that confronted the church of the New Testament is confronting the church of Jesus Christ.In these circumstances, the church must again explore the resources of authority and power made available to her through the truth of scripture, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the name and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall thy cast out devils (expel demons); they shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).
Here Christ joins closely together two manifestations of supernatural power that are to confirm the testimony of Christian believers.The first is the casting out of demons; the second is speaking with new tongues.
Today in the church at large, we hear much about speaking with new tongues (especially as the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit), but very little about casting out of demons.
How is it that these two manifestations have become so completely divorced from each other?
Actually, Jesus places the casting out of demons before the speaking with new tongues.There is significance in this order.The intention is that people shall first be fully delivered from demons before they seek the baptism in the Spirit and the speaking with new tongues.
However, through lack of discernment and understanding, this is not normally practiced in the church today.The result is that people nowadays are quite often baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak with new tongues, but still need deliverance from demons after that.
Next week, we will look at the Greek roots to words associated with the subject of demonology.
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