17 The Deliverance Team : Pigs in the Parlor

Chapter 17: The Deliverance Team

Jesus established the pattern of team work for His disciples. When He sent the twelve out in ministry He sent them two by two. When He commissioned the seventy He also sent them out two by two. Other ministry teams are found in the book of Acts. On the first missionary journey there were Paul, Barnabas and John Mark. Later there were Paul and Silas. Barnabas chose John Mark. Aquilla and Priscilla were a husband and wife team. Team ministry is a principle of Scripture. It is especially suitable and effective in deliverance ministry.

SIZE AND COMPOSITION

How many should ideally compose a deliverance team?

This cannot be answered arbitrarily. The situations for deliverance vary. For ministry to an individual a team consisting of from two to six persons is usually appropriate. The team should be composed of both men and women.

Because of the unusual facets to this ministry, a man should not minister alone to a woman or a woman to a man. The best combination is for husbands and wives to minister as a team whenever possible. Since the "laying on of hands" may be used during the ministry, itis best to have both sexes on the team. Men and women should not lay hands on the opposite sex indiscriminately. Also, the person being ministered to sometimes must be physically restrained. Though we do not war against flesh and blood, the demons might demonstrate themselves violently at times, so that the person experiencing deliverance must be restrained from injuring himself or others.

TEAM UNITY

Unity is absolutely essential for a deliverance team. satan will capitalize on any disunity. He will seek to create disunity by devious methods. Be on constant guard against this tactic. This is well illustrated by an experience in my second involvement in a deliverance ministry. Six or seven of us in a prayer group became involved in an attempt to deliver a woman from demon oppression. Upon being challenged, the demons began to speak readily through the woman. One demon said, "Only one of you is really following the Lord; the rest are just tagging along." The purpose of this statement was to break our unity - and it did. Each of us immediately began to think that he was the only one following the Lord and became suspicious of the dedication of others. Consequently we lost sight of the enemy and each one's attention was centered on himself, and on the others.

Any group that works together must learn to flow in the Spirit anti have confidence in one another. When you are in the heal of battle with the demon powers it is notime to settle differences between yourselves.

If there is a discerning of spirits by one of the team members it should bear witness in the spirit of the others. However, it is better to go ahead and challenge a spirit discerned than to hold a discussion on the accuracy of the discernment. An occasional mistake will probably be made in discernment, but this will not defeat the overall ministry.

FUNCTIONS OF TEAM MEMBERS

It must be emphasized that no hard and fast rules can be laid down Each member of the team must be sensitive and obedient to tin leading of the Spirit. It is usually best for only one or two persons to hr commanding the spirits. The others will be in prayer, reading Scriptures, praising or singing. Songs emphasizing the blood of Jesus are especially effective and appropriate. It is not unusual for the "lead" to change I several times, especially if the ministry extends to an hour or more. This transition in leadership can be accomplished very smoothly.

It may be difficult for one person to remain in the position of leadership over a long period of time. Have you ever watched a wedge of geese in flight? Then you have a picture of how the leadership responsibility can change from one to another. The lead bird will buffet the wind for a few minutes and then he will drop back in the formation to "rest" while another moves into the lead position to take his place. The deliverance team can cooperate in similar fashion. The aim is to set thecaptive free and give the glory to Jesus, so it should make no difference who is leading the warfare. Each position on the team is important.