Demonization and
Deliverance
William P. Wilson, MD
Demonization
Christianity as a moral force has lost
it influence
– Heresy and apostasy are rife
– People are worshiping false gods
– The authority of the Bible is
compromised
– Universalism has become a popular
belief
– The existence of the supernatural is
rejected
– And the reality of personified evil is
rejected
Supernatualism
Cosmology
There is a general consensus among
mathematicians that there are 11
dimensions of existence. Seven of
these are supernatural
There is one aspect of our being that
is supernatural. It is our mind. If we
think about thinking we will realize
that thinking is supernatural
Supernaturalism
It is also true that Jesus’
resurrection was a
supernatural event. After it
– Jesus could appear and disappear
in a supernatural way.
– He could eat food.
– His wounds could be seen and felt
Supernaturalism
Jesus appeared to Paul on the
road to Damascus after he had
ascended to heaven
He told him he was going to
turn people from the Devil to
God
He took Paul up to the third
heaven
Satan and the
Supernatural
Evil exists and man has always
wanted to control it
– Most cultures have taboos that are
found to be almost universal
– Modern society has thought that it
could control it by joining forces
with it
– The Bible is clear that evil entered
the world through Satan
Satan and the
Supernatural
One of the problems that exists
today is that few people believe
that Satan exists
This is especially true of
medicine and the mental health
professions
Therefore, there is little
spiritual warfare
Evidence for his
existence
There are a number of prominent
exegetes who have written about
Satan and his works
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Barnhouse
Unger
Pentecost
Koch
and Davies
They have provided the biblical evidence
for his existence and works
Mental Health Attitudes
Most theologians, pastors, and
secular mental health professionals
do not believe that Satan exists
Even Christian mental health
professionals equivocate because
they do not want to suffer the
derision or rejection of their
unregenerate colleagues
Some do take Satan seriously
Satan’s Strategies
He convinces people he does
not exist
He convinces people that God
does not exist
Or he tells us that we can be
like God
– Even so we are hardwired to seek
a god so he offers us other gods
Satan’s Strategies
He also convinces people that
the Bible has no authority
Or he gets people to become so
preoccupied with demons that
the whole idea of their
existence seems foolish
Satan’s Strategies
Barnhouse quotes Baudelaire
and DeRougemont as saying
that his cleverest strategy is to
convince the world that he does
not exist
The Bible speaks about him in
many places
Satan’s Strategies
He spreads false knowledge
– Myths (From Charles Kraft)
Christians cannot be demonized (false)
Many people are demonized (few)
Demonization is really all psychological
(false) (J. White)
All emotional problems are caused by demons
(false)
Demonization in the US is uncommon
(false)
Satan’s Strategies
Only persons with special gifting can
cast out demons (false)
Deliverance always entails a big fight
(rarely)
The demonized speak with different
voices (only those who are truly
possessed)
The Truth About Satan
Satan exists! Jesus said so, and the
Bible is explicit when it speaks
about his existence from the
beginning to the end
He has supernatural followers who
are organized
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Rulers-over countries
Principalities-over states and cities
Powers-Over smaller areas
Demons-Foot soldiers
The Truth About Satan
He is the ruler of the world
– He rules the lives of unregenerate
people
– He seeks to destroy all men
because we are made in the image
of God
– He is an evangelist because he
wants all people to worship him
Nosology of
Demonization
Possession
Oppression
Obsession
Satanic possession
Portals of Entry
They may be invited in
They may enter when a person in a
state of rebellion plays satanically
contrived games
They may gain entry or influence
through strongholds
– A stronghold is any habitual way of
thinking or behaving that is contrary to
God’s law. It may be personal or cultural
Portals of Entry
Belonging to occult groups
Attendance at occult
ceremonies
Other Views
Hammonds
– Emotional problems
– Mental problems
– Speech problems
– Sex problems
– Addictions
– Physical infirmities
The Bobgans name over 200 demons
Other Views
More recent temperate views
– Don Basham agreed with
Barnhouse
Unger
Pentecost
Wilson
Charles Kraft
Neill Anderson
Koch
Criteria for
Demonization
Possession (According to
Nevius)
– There is an automatic presentation
in the victim of a new personality
both cognitively and behaviorally
They have names
Attributes that harmonize with their
names
Facial expressions,body postures, and
movements
Criteria for
Demonization
The personality possesses
supernatural knowledge and
intellectual power
There is a complete change of
moral character
There is hatred to God and
especially to Christ
Case Report
Thirty year old female with “falling
spells.”
Medical workup negative
Thrown to the floor violently
Turned violent when help given
Facial expression of hate
Supernatural strength
Responded to question with threatened
attack on physician
– Healed with deliverance
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Oppression
He robs the person of their joy
He may convince them that the
essence of Christianity is to obey the
Law
He instills a supernatural fear of God
He creates doubt in the mind of the
believer
There is a sense of blackness around
them
Case Report
The patient was a 24 year old
Christian worker with
depression
– He came from a dysfunctional
home
– His father committed suicide when
he was 9. The patient and his
mother had to clean his brains off
the wall
Case Report
Medications, cognitive
behavioral therapy were of no
avail
Much worse while in China
Wrote at my instruction
descriptions of parents that
were vile
He claimed he did not do it
Case Report
The Holy Spirit revealed that he
was demon oppressed
He prayed and commanded the
demon to depart and he did
He had not been able to get
married before, but then was
able
No further symptoms
Obsession
Manifestations
Feel they cannot be saved
Cannot accept a Trinitarian view of
God
View God as super wrathful
Chronic doubt
Constantly tempted
Belligerent fanaticism
Case Report
Fifty year old female with borderline
anorexia
– Unable to pray in Jesus’ name
– Desperately wanted to be healed, but
could not accept Christ as savior
– Has a stronghold that men will dominate
and control her so Satan can always
come back when he is commanded to
leave
– Stronghold not amenable to inner
healing
Satanic Possession
Satan himself can control a person
(McCanlish Phillips)
– They look evil
– Born again Christians can discern evil
– Strongly antichrist
– Murderous
– Liars
Do not meet criteria for possession
Case Report
A prominent layman in a
mainline church
– Attended a lay revival
– Disruptive and encouraged people
to go home
– Threatened lay staff and me
– Hostile and evil looking
– When rebuked in the name of
Jesus he left
Deliverance
Application
Deliverance is a spiritual
intervention for all forms of
demonization
– All born again Christians have the
ability to deliver people from
Satan’s clutches
– They have the same power Jesus
had
Deliverance cont.
They first have to confront the
demon or discern his presence or
influence
If the demon creates a fuss or acts
up he can be commanded to be quiet
or still
They authoritatively command the
demon in the name of Jesus to leave
without fuss or bother. If he refuses
inform him that Jesus blood
defeated him and he has to go
Deliverance cont.
Some are highly resistant and it
takes much prayer to get them
out
If you suspect it will be difficult
have prayer backup
Once they are free lead them to
the Lord or have them
rededicate their lives
Deliverance cont.
The Lord’s Prayer is a good
prayer of deliverance
Instead of ending with “deliver
us from evil,” end it with
“deliver us from the evil one.”
Leave off the power and glory. It
is a human liturgical accretion
Personal Characteristics
You must be a mature Christian
You must maintain your spiritual
immunity
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Pray regularly. If gifted pray in tongues
Remain in the Word
Celebrate the Eucharist regularly
Praise and worship God regularly
Do all things for the glory of God 1
Corinthians 10:31
Comments On Use
Taking Satan Seriously
I routinely have a patient accepting
Christ repudiate Satan and all his
works as in the early church
If I suspect a patient is possessed I
will have them say Jesus is Lord
This will smoke them out
Comments on use
After I finish my workup of a patient
I will pray that any demonic forces
that may be assaulting the patient
will be bound and taken to Jesus for
disposition
If their faith is weak I will have them
rededicate their live and then have
them discipled
Biblical References
Old Testament
Genesis 3:1-15 Enmity—Man vs.
Satan
Genesis 4:1-6, and 6:1-10 man
attacked by Satan
Job 1:6-11 Job attacked with God’s
permission
Psalm 95:5 Idols are demons
Deuteronomy 32:17 the same
Biblical References
Psalm 106:6,7 the same
Leviticus 17:7 the same
Chronicles 11:15 the same
Isaiah 13:21, 14:12, 34:14 the
same
Biblical References
New Testament
Matthew 4:1-12 Satan’s opposition
Mark 5:1-10 same
Matthew 10:1 Jesus expelled
demons
Matthew 14:22,28 Satan’s opposition
again
Luke 10:17,18 same
Biblical References
James 2:19 speaks of demons
Revelation 9:20 same
Luke 4:33, 6:18 their nature
I Timothy 4:1 their activities
Revelation 16:14 same
Ephesians 6:20 opposition to a
believer
Luke 8 :31 their abode
Biblical References
Revelation 9:11, Satan’s name
in Greek
Matthew 25:41 Their eternal
doom
Book References
Barnhouse, D. G. The Invisible War
Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan, 1965
Davies, T. W. Divination and
Demonology, London: James Clark
and Co. 1998
Montgomery, J. W. (ed) Demon
Possession, Minneapolis MN:
Bethany House, 1976
