WALKING IN FREEDOM AFTER DELIVERANCE (EXCERPTS)

WALKING IN FREEDOM AFTER DELIVERANCE (EXCERPTS)

Have you been delivered from unclean spirits? Praise the Lord (Eph. 6:12; Mark 16:17).

Walking in the Spirit after a deliverance is essential in order to keep a person free (Eph. 6:14-17).

It may be that unclean spirits from which you are now free had been with you for a very long time. In such cases, you can expect several weeks up to a year after deliverance during which the Lord will gradually heal your mind and emotions (Rom. 8:37).

In order to avoid the enemy's snares, it helps to recognize some of his strategy. Four typical methods of attack encountered by people after deliverance can be outlined as follows:

The Scriptures say that Satan is the father of lies. Even though they are now outside of you, unclean spirits still talk to you (John 8:36).

One meaning for the word Satan is accuser. You may find yourself feeling guilty for having had unclean spirits or for your past sins (Psalm 13:5).

The enemy may try to intimidate you with demonstrations of his power. Don't be frightened if things seem to go wrong for you for a while or if some symptoms from before deliverance seem to reappear.

You may find yourself tempted with old habits or behavior that doesn't fit in with Christian life. The Devil has a way of making the old times seem rosy to us just like he tricked the Israelites in the desert into missing the "leeks and onions" that they left behind in Egypt (John 10:10; Psalm 37).

Recognizing the enemy's strategy is helpful but it does not win the battle for us. It is more important that you learn and practice some positive principles that will enable you to gain ground quickly and hold it. The following five points are easy to remember and will help you tremendously:

1. Focus your attention on Jesus (Rev. 12:11).

2. Allow the Holy Spirit to have His way with you (John 16:13).

3. Immerse yourself in the Scriptures; the Bible is the written Word of God (John 8:31).

4. Tell the Devil and his unclean spirits in Jesus' name to go away and leave you alone. Make it clear that you intend to follow Jesus no matter what (James 4:7).

5. Hang onto other Christians. The Christian walk is not a solo performance (Gal. 6:2).

6. If you practice these five faith principles, your post-deliverance problems will be minimal and your progress steady (Luke 4:17-21).