4 The Value Of Deliverance : Pigs in the Parlor

Chapter 4: The Value Of Deliverance

The process of expelling demons is called deliverance.

Deliverance is not a panacea or a cure all. Yet it is an important part of what God is doing in relationship to the current revival in the church. Some expect too much from deliverance and others expect too little. We honesty need to find out what part deliverance can play in each of our own lives and receive whatever benefit it offers.

Those whom God has placed in the forefront of deliverance ministry do not have to go out looking for prospects! It is evident that God is placing a desire for purity in the hearts of His people everywhere. I am continually astonished at how many persons come forward asking for this ministry. I am even more amazed at how many come forward not knowing exactly what to expect. They come because they are already reaching out to God. They are believers who want to continue in spiritual growth and realize that every hindrance to spiritual development must be eliminated.

The church is the bride of Christ, and Christ is coming for His bride. The Scripture declares that His bride must be cleansed.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also lovedthe church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27 Deliverance is an essential part of the preparation of the bride of Christ-getting rid of "spots" and "wrinkles".

Since the church for which Christ is coming is to be "holy and without blemish" we must agree that unclean spirits must be purged from our lives. Is this cleansing to be a sovereign act of the Lord, or does it involve responsibility on the part of the believer?

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: the marriage of the Lamb is come, AND HIS WIFE HATH MADE HERSELF READY." Revelation 19:7

This verse emphasizes human responsibility. It is up to us to make ourselves ready for the coming of our Lord.

Some seem to be waiting for the Lord's coming as a time when great change will automatically take place, when all their deficiencies will instantly and miraculously be remedied. The Scripture does say, "We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump" (I Corinthians 15:51,52). But this refers only to our mortal bodies becoming immortal.

We must avoid reading too much into this passage.

The Ephesian verses quoted above state that the bride is cleansed by "the washing of water BY THE WORD". Inone sense we do our own washing, but in another sense the Bridegroom does it by providing the water - the Word. Everyone knows that a bride spends considerable time before a mirror in preparation of herself for her bridegroom. The Word of God is that mirror before which we stand in our time of preparation.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:23-25 When Esther was being prepared as a bride for her king she went through a time of preparation. The Scripture tells us that she went through a whole year of purifying the flesh. Six months was spent in the application of "oil" and six months with "sweet odor." or spices.

Many persons cannot understand why they are unable to love others as they ought. Such a problem is strong indication of the presence of a demon spirit of resentment or unforgiveness. Resentment usually invites in other demons, such as bitterness, hatred and anger.Love may also be hindered by a spirit of rejection. This spirit is very common and is often to be found as the "strong" or "ruling" spirit within an individual.

Rejection has an opportunity to enter when a person is not loved as a child. Parents can easily open the door for the spirit of rejection in their child by failure to give that child proper love. When rejection is strong it keeps the person from receiving the love extended by others.

It also prevents that person from giving love to others.

The demon of rejection must be cast out before that person can mature in Christian love.

If satan can succeed in making the Christian feel a stigma attached to having demons he may prevent that Christian from seeking deliverance. While we cannot put all the blame on satan and his demons for our problems, we are finding out that we can blame them for much more than we once thought. In fact, some Christians have not yet learned that demons are responsible for any of their problems. When we learn that they do invade our lives then we should be in earnest about getting rid of them.

Many Christians today are finding real help through deliverance. Problems that could not be solved through known avenues of help are now being solved through deliverance. It makes us wonder why we have been so long in seeing these truths in God's Word.