In the name of Jesus evil spirits must flee!

It is highly important to know what we are doing when we exorcise evil spirits. If you are not born again and don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, don’t be arrogant or blasé.

Some Jews who traveled around and drove out evil spirits also tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They said to the evil spirits, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” Seven brothers, who were the sons of a Jewish High Priest named Sceva, were doing this. But the evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus, and I know about Paul; but you—who are you?” The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes torn off. [Act 19:13-16 GNB]

The following are case studies of situations where I had to exorcise evil spirits.  They will give you some background that may assist you and guide your actions.

Case Study 1

We were on outreach when one of my friends approached me and asked me to assist him in exorcising evil spirits in a young man who lived nearby.

So we sat down and started talking with the young man. Interestingly enough, the first and foremost thing that puzzled him was why we weren’t scared. Earlier that same week, he was confronted by a group of people at a Christian coffee bar who had tried to exorcise evil spirits from him.

Upon this, the evil spirits inside him manifested. The people then tried to restrain him physically, but he overpowered them easily.

This immediately reminded me of the sons of Sceva.

However, I knew that Christ in me was greater than the evil spirits in him, so I continued. I noticed that he could not look me in the eyes. I knew that this was one of the best proofs of demon possession, so as an experiment, I commanded him, in the name of Jesus, to look me in the eyes. He obeyed, but with obvious resistance, he was compelled to go against his will.

Next, I asked him to place his hands in mine, as this was something I had observed before. He complied, but this really scared the demons, wanting to know what it was that was flowing out of me. The conflict between the young man wanting to hold my hands and the demons in him trying to pull away is not something that I can describe. You have to experience it for yourself.

The next moment, he broke away and disappeared up the stairs before we could stop him. As it was a massive housing complex, we did not have much chance of locating him again soon. We were worried but did not quite appreciate the severity of the matter. Nevertheless, we continued to pray for him.

When we found him again, about an hour later, he was lying on the ground with both his hands locked tightly around his own throat. The demons had tried to kill him.

Playtime was over.

It was time to get serious about exorcising evil spirits.

I realized where I had made my mistake. Because of my inquisitiveness and wanting to see demonic manifestations, I had allowed the demons free reign. There was a time when this was the standard method for doing deliverance, and it can be very dramatic, but times have changed, and I should have known better.

In the name of Jesus, I immediately forbade the demons to manifest so that I could minister to the victim without hindrances. Between talking to the young man and commanding the demons, we figured out the truth.

Many experts in deliverance would strongly oppose talking to demons because they are all liars, but I became convinced that when you command them, in the name of Jesus, to tell the truth, they are under obligation to do so; they enjoy bragging about themselves.

The truth that came out was not complicated.

This young man had recently accepted Christ and was a born-again Christian. His parents were divorced, and his father, a spiritist, was attacking him and his mother through demons. Not knowing any better, he decided to retaliate by inviting demons into his own life so that he could take revenge on his father. He came to his senses and started looking for deliverance. The demons violently resisted and turned on him.

Once the cause of the infestation was identified, the remedy was easy. He had to repent and confess his sins, whereby we could command the demons to leave in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, the demons will go.

Many people make the mistake of exorcising evil spirits without first removing the grounds for their occupancy.

This is a dangerous practice, as demons who have a legal right to occupancy will provide much greater resistance to leaving than those who are in the wrong. Exorcism in such cases is a waste of time and energy, as the demons may simply return the moment you turn your back.

The demons will try to return even when the grounds are removed, but because they have no legal rights, they can be resisted. The victim must be prepared to face them each time they attack again. This is what deliverance is all about.

It is more a truth ministry than a power ministry. 

So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  [Joh 8:31–32 GNB]

Case Study 2

This case occurred during one of our student camps while we were praying and worshipping God. We had just asked the Father to fill us with his Holy Spirit.

Then one of our leaders manifested!

He was a person who was always full of joy and very serious about God. Yet, when the Holy Spirit filled the place, he fell on all fours and, grabbing his ears, bulldozed through the seats.

I followed him and forbade him to manifest in the name of Jesus. A friend of mine ministered to him. It came out that his grandmother was a witch doctor, and he was beset with a familiar spirit that came from his forefathers. We prayed with him, and he was set free.

In the name of Jesus, the demons will go.

 

Case Study 3

This situation was in a similar environment to the previous one.

We had just trained some of our leaders, and they were busy ministering to the students. Then one of the students started manifesting.  When I reached him, he was thrashing about on the floor. There were about six of the leaders trying to restrain him physically.

I was very much reminded of a case where Jesus found himself in a similar situation. The next moment, I found myself telling them in a loud voice to let go of him. I then commanded the demons to stop manifesting in the name of Jesus.

The demonized person calmed immediately, and I took him outside to speak to him. He told me that the previous night, instead of going to bed, he was watching pornography on television. There was also an unresolved family feud directly affecting him. It came out that he was suffering from a lot of rejection. Because of this, he still holds several grudges.

In combination, these issues were very powerful, but in the name of Jesus, the demons had to go.

Whatever the situation, by the grace of God, in the name of Jesus the demons will leave.

PS. I now provide my leaders with simulation training before exposing them to similar situations.

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