Not Every Shadow Is a Demon: Gospel-Informed Deliverance Ministry

A new demonology movement has formed within my extended church community. I’ve been around long enough to have seen a few of these things, some good, some not so good. Allow me to help equip you to exercise discernment. 

Let me say that, within the family of God, we do need training in how to help people who are harassed by, oppressed by, or possessed of, devils. The dark world exists, and it impacts us. But we must carefully balance our deliverance efforts to harmonize with scripture and good sense. 

I want to take just one aspect of this recent iteration because it falls within the scope of my expertise. That aspect is how this new movement regards negative emotion. Apparently, this group is doing what so many demonology groups have done, and that’s they see demons everywhere. It is being taught that all negative emotions are evidence of a demon that must be cast out. 

Negative emotions are a normal, and even necessary part of human life. Shouldn’t we feel sad when someone dies? Fearful in the face of danger? Angry when someone harms a child? 

I can think of no more effective way to discourage us than to catastrophize negative emotions. This greases the highway to secondary disturbance, where we become disturbed, then become disturbed about being disturbed. “I’m a Christian, I’m supposed to be happy all the time!” “I should never feel fear. God condemns fear!” 

Not every negative emotion, even lingering, excessive negative emotions, give evidence of a demon. In fact, most negative emotion overload begins with unhealthy habits of thinking and functioning. Changing those habits involves, not a one-time exorcism, but dispatching and replacing those habits in an ongoing process we call sanctification. 

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor 10: 3-5

The strongholds in this text are not demons but “every thought” that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We must use our God-given free will, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to pull down those strongholds. Then, healthier, more positive emotions will come.  

Roger Morneau, who wrote extensively on deliverance, said the following: 

Those who stand in the pulpit and claim that if anyone feels anxiety he or she could be possessed by a demon, are insinuating that Christ has failed to protect and save that person. Flee from those people before they totally destroy your faith in God, and thus separate you from God now and for eternity. They can never deliver you from Satan, because they have become agents of evil themselves.

We fallen humans do indeed feel the impact of the unseen world. The enemy and his minions tempt and annoy us continually! But most of the casting out of demons occurs through, not exorcisms or rituals, but the preaching of the gospel

Through the preaching of the gospel, Satan and his angels are cast out from the minds of men. Through faith in the Word preached, men are enabled to gain the victory, and the devil loses his hold upon them. So he will eventually lose his power over all who continue to believe. His kingdom totters and falls before the presentation of sanctified truth. Ellen White, 20LtMs, Lt 119, 1905, par. 29

For help managing negative emotions, consider seeing one of our mental health coaches by filling out this form https://www.abide.network/coaching 

For further study on deliverance ministries, check out this video created by Delivered by Truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKHs88Wsn_U 

Also, check out this document by speaker and author Joakim Hjortland: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KbG4HqaYTAn4DYkJWPtFcyGBIXDIAw6O/view