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Delivering the Captives by Alice Smith

Chapter One
The Real Deal

The plane trip from the States to South Africa had been long and tiring. With only a few hours to rest, I would be the first speaker at the meetings to be held in a large, racially diverse Cape Town church.

When I walked into the packed auditorium, the assembly was completely caught up in worship. As I waited my turn, I bowed my head and asked the Lord to use me to touch these Christians. Later, when I gave the altar call, many came forward for personal ministry. Despite my exhaustion that night, I knew the Lord was my strength.

One pretty Polynesian girl came to the altar and stood rigid with fear. Then, as I approached her, she hissed at me, and the calm atmosphere immediately changed. Without warning, the demonized girl flung herself to the floor and shouted, "The strongmen say for you to leave!"

"We've had her for a long time, get away now! Leave us alone." The spirits, furious at being uncovered, growled from inside her.

After casting out demons for thirty-five years, I knew this wild-eyed girl was indwelt with a spirit of witchcraft. I immediately bound the strongman, and then commanded the demons attached to the strongman to leave. As they resisted, she glared at me, coughing and hissing, but the spirits knew they couldn't continue to victimize her. With calm authority, I continued the ministry of deliverance until she was set free. Finally, she peacefully relaxed on the floor. Following the intense warfare between demonic and divine power, she tenderly wept, praising God for her new freedom.

Yes, this really happens in the twenty-first century. Satan's goal is to steal God's Word from your heart, kill any desire you have to worship or obey Him, and destroy you. (See John 10:10.) Do you realize that Satan promises the best but pays with the worst; promises honor and pays with disgrace; promises pleasure and pays with pain; promises profit and pays with loss; promises life and pays with death?

Deliverance from demonic spirits is a significant ministry taught in the New Testament and practiced by Jesus and His disciples. Yet it is almost entirely missing in the church today. Many Christians either ignore or reason away the need for deliverance. Nevertheless, this is a clear command from Jesus to us, the church—that where they are present, we are to "drive out demons" (Matthew 10:8; Mark 16:17 niv).

"Deliverance ministry, therefore, involves

* breaking demonic schemes and curses,
* casting out demons, and
* releasing an individual from demonic oppression and influence."

Is the ministry of deliverance for a specialized few or is it the responsibility of us all? Mark 16:17 says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." The question isn't whether this ministry is valid and necessary, but rather how do we apply it and to whom? Power ministry should be one of a true Christian's credentials, and yet sadly we have delegated deliverance to a "specialized" few. This book will equip you with the credentials to do the works of Jesus, whether for yourself or for others.

Are we to cast devils out of a lost person only? Not at all. Jesus said in that case the house will be empty and their estate will be far worse than the start. (See Matthew 12:44-45.)

Some say, "When God saves us, He draws a bloodline around us over which demons can't pass." True, there is a bloodline, but this is drawn around our spirit; a Christian's soul (mind, will, emotions) and body can still be susceptible to demonic power where any door to darkness hasn't been closed. This is one reason we believers are not to "give place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27) Though we belong to God, if we refuse or fail to take responsibility for—and authority over—our lives, Satan will still have an entry point to attack and torment us. Our churches are filled with tormented people who are saved, yet not free. They are living lives as victims rather than overcomers.

Chris Hayward, president of Healing Stream Ministries, has a clear word about deliverance for Christians:

The reality is that most believers carry "extra baggage" from the past into their Christian walks. And although we have been perfected [justified] through [Christ's] work on the cross, there is still a work to be done—a process—as [we are] being sanctified (see Hebrews 10:14). This sanctification process does not go unchallenged by Satan.

This leads to the inevitable question: Is it possible for a Christian to be demon-possessed? I believe the answer is no. But I also believe this to be the wrong question altogether.

Instead, we should ask, Is it possible for Christians to be tempted, to be tormented and harassed by the enemy, to open themselves up to addictions and uncontrollable habits, to have a worldly mindset and be taken advantage of by the enemy, to be subject to divisions and strife within the church, to give way to pride, to suffer with fear, rejection, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, shame, guilt, and condemnation?

Any reasonable observer would say, Yes! So, it is really a question of degrees. To the degree that one gives oneself over to, or falls prey to, the devil's lies and deceptions, then to that degree the enemy has a foothold in his or her life (see Ephesians 4:27). Reality would declare that we in the church need deliverance.

Overcoming the Enemy

In Matthew 12, Jesus reveals keys to overcome any strongholds in our lives. He describes a demonized person's inner condition as a house (an analogy) in which a strongman lives, along with lesser demons who serve his purpose.

"Strongman" refers to an evil spirit—like a master demon. We call his dwelling a stronghold, which we'll discuss later in depth. Apparently the ruling spirit, called a strongman, can live within the demonized person until God's servant comes in God's power and overthrows the stronghold.

Some suggest that the way to deal with such a spirit is to cast it out with the Holy Spirit's power. Others say that it should be crowded out by the Holy Spirit's presence. However, this isn't an either/or issue. While we often cast out demons, sometimes a demonized person is born again, falls in love with Christ, wholeheartedly pursues Him; then as he or she learns and lives God's Word, the demons become absolutely miserable and are crowded out by the Holy Spirit's presence.

One night while ministering to such a woman, we challenged the evil spirit inside her. It said (through her voice), "I hate it here (the church)! All I hear around here is 'love, love, love.'" The demon was going crazy in the presence of God's loving people. It was ready to leave, and it did.

On another occasion my husband, Eddie, was speaking to the demon in a man who, until he was saved two years earlier, had lived a promiscuous life. When Eddie said, "Spirit of perversion, it's all over," in frustration the spirit cried, "It's been all over for two years. I just want to know how to get out of here!" Eddie smiled and replied, "Then this is your lucky day. Get out now!" and immediately the spirit left. The more passionately a person pursues the Lord, the more anguished demons become. Being around a Christian who is seeking God is no longer any fun for them.

When a person draws near to God, God draws nearer to them (see James 4:8). When this happens, the evil spirits in the person run, just as they did from King Saul when David played his harp. (See 1 Samuel 16:23.) An evil spirit can literally be crowded out. The casting out of demons is a power encounter; the crowding out of demons is a truth encounter.

So is it cast out or crowded out? Is it a power encounter or a truth encounter? Frankly, it's usually a combination. There is a place for a believer—a spiritually anointed vessel—to exercise authority over demons and cast them out, and you have this authority (power) to procure your own victory if necessary. At the same time, it's almost always true that a demonized person won't be completely liberated until and unless he or she passionately pursues Christ and experiences a truth encounter.

* * *

In Delivering the Captives, I will show you how strongholds are built and how to identify them. You will learn how to determine the "entry point" a strongman uses to begin building his stronghold, which is key to dismantling it. The steps you'll take will provide an invaluable tool for implementing your own release and for use in ministering deliverance to others.

I will provide a list of the strongmen identified in Scripture, as well as a strategy to spoil their networks. When the strongman's "house is spoiled" and his underlings are evicted, he is effectively homeless and broke; his resources are sapped, and he's easy prey.

Many books have been written about achieving personal freedom in Christ. Each author provides a perspective on how to appropriate the work of the cross. I'll offer you what I have learned through more than three decades of deliverance ministry as well. I pray that as you read my book, God will reveal something significant to you about the tools necessary to see yourself and others set free.

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Delivering the Captives by Alice Smith