Unlike a fragmented personality whose personality and age are frozen in time at the moment of fragmentation, the flip side matures and ages in tandem with the core personality. He carries the lion’s share of iniquities, surrendered ground, and strongholds held by the ancestral demon; therefore, the flipside personality is carefully guarded by the ancestral demon.

When it is time in the counseling process for the flipside to be brought to the forefront of the counselee’s consciousness, the ancestral demon may try to impersonate the flipside or send up a decoy. If not detected, the counselor may lead the demon impersonator through all the prayers of repentance, fusion and integration only to discover that nothing was accomplished because a demon cannot be fused and integrated to the soul of a Christian!

The basic steps taken for healing the split between the core personality & the flipside are as follows:

• Make contact with the flipside by asking the Lord to manifest him.

• Interview the flipside, establish wrongs against the core, and offer him/her hope for a better life.

• Witness to flipside & lead him/her in a prayer of confession, repentance, receiving of Christ, thereby removing the legal rights of the ancestral demon over him/her.

• Unite flipside and the core personality in a prayer of restoration with each other, fusing and integrating the duplex personality into wholeness.

• Continue to bind the ancestral demon until such time that he is removed.

2.11 RESTORING CHILDREN FROM AN EVIL INHERITANCE

Question: Is there any scriptural basis for allowing parents to remove the iniquity and demonic hosts passed down by them to their children?

To answer that question, first consider the following:

· The first generation of Israelites to be delivered from the bondage of Egypt were not permitted to enter the promised land because of their ongoing unbelief and lack of trust in God’s promises. All those who were 20 years of age or greater at the time of the exodus died in the wilderness. But their children who had not reached the age of 20 when they left Egypt were permitted to cross the Jordan river and enter the promised land. The age of twenty was apparently the age in which God considered them irreversibly accountable for their own life choices and for those unresolved iniquities they inherited.

• ‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, Numbers 32:11

In ancient Israel, whenever a census of families was taken, those family members under the age of 20 were not counted as individuals eligible to go to war to secure the promised land; they were safely tucked into the family unit.

• Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. Numbers 1:1-3

Fathers were responsible for fighting for the family’s inheritance in the promised land until their sons reached the full age of accountability. Then, at the age of accountability, the sons were solely responsible for engaging the fight for themselves. The same is true in the spiritual battle for the promised land of our souls. Scripture strongly implies, and actual counseling experience has at times confirmed, that parents who prevail in removing all legal rights that Satan has over themselves also have the legal right to recall those iniquities and demons inherited by their children who are under 20 years of age!

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The biblical account of the conquest of the promised land by the children of Israel was an actual event of history. But it is also serves as a metaphor depicting the living out of the Christian life. The “promised land” represents the totality of our mind/will/emotions that must be conquered in order to have God’s “rest”.

• Now therefore, I[Moses] pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:13,14

Jesus alluded to the spiritual significance of this “rest” when He said:

• "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

The writer of Hebrews affirmed the spiritual significance of obtaining “rest” in the promised land of our souls:

• "For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."

  Hebrews 4:8-11

Our “Rest” is possible when we take captive every area of our mind, will, and emotions in obedience to Christ, ceasing to fight in our own strength and allowing the Lord to fight our battles through prayer, meditation on God’s word, and disciplined living. Those individuals who enter into this “rest” and who are called of God to minister to others desperate for this rest will experience a blessing from the Lord unlike any other. A slave to sin will never be able to find this rest. Providing a biblical blueprint for breaking free from spiritual bondage and becoming free in Christ is the ultimate goal of this document.

• 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 Corinthians 10:3-5

2.12 TRUTH vs THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST

There appear to be differing opinions regarding the proper emphasis required for a successful spiritual warfare counseling ministry. One side emphasizes the goal of “getting Truth to the heart”, i.e., identifying Satan’s lies that the counselee has believed and replacing them with God’s truth. Once the lies residing in the heart of the counselee have been fully exposed and replaced with truth, demons, according to this reasoning, will generally leave of their own accord without a confrontation and freedom from spiritual bondage will result. After all….

“ ...you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

Others acknowledge the importance of Truth but assert that the defining factor for success is our “authority in Christ” as the key component to victory over spiritual bondage. According to this assertion, we must simply believe what scripture declares about our delegated authority, agree with the counselee to appropriate it, and demons will be constrained to submit to it and eventually leave. My experience has brought me to the conclusion that both sides of the issue are absolutely critical for success; both truth and God’s delegated authority must prevail for progress to occur. In the absence of Truth, continuing to believe a lie that conflicts with God’s word is, by definition, a “stronghold” (as previously discussed) that must be dealt with (along with other issues) in order for God’s authority to have jurisdiction over the immediate circumstances. This principle of authority is true for all issues that arise during the counseling process. We, as Christians, have a measure of delegated authority over evil, but our delegated authority must be appropriated within the jurisdiction of the Lord’s purposes and His sovereignty. For example, we, as Christians, have little jurisdictional authority over demons that occupy an unsaved person because that person is a rebel toward the ultimate giver of authority (the Lord Jesus Christ). Only when that unsaved person submits to God’s authority over their lives can we be an effective advocate for them before the Father. We may be able to temporarily pray to bind up the demons of an unsaved person in order to enable them the freedom to respond to the gospel, but that will not supersede the legal rights of the demon to be there.

Demons do respect authority but laugh in the face of appeasement. When, in the course of counseling, the Truth of scripture has removed all legal rights of the demon network, then it is time to exert your delegated authority to remove them.

• And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18

• Then He called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases Luke 9:1

• Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19

If the boss demon simply refuses to obey, or feigns submission only to reappear later, it means that he still has some hidden ground that must be exposed.

2.13 THE PROTOCOLS FOR PREPARING TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY

God has chosen to characterize our confrontation with the enemy as “warfare”…

• “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God… Corinthians 10:4

Warfare of any type is serious business and there are no second place trophies awarded.

Therefore, it is vital for spiritual warfare counseling participants to be armed and trained

with appropriate weapons.

• Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor

  of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against

  the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,

  and having done all, to stand… Ephesians 6:10-13

THE SPIRITUAL WEAPONS/ARMOR AT OUR DISPOSAL. (Ephesians 6:14-18)

• 1. …Stand therefore, having girded your waist with Truth, Ephesians6:14a

· To gird your loins with “Truth” means to receive and embrace scripture. At its most basic level,

"Truth" can be boiled down to answering the following question:

• “Who is Jesus and What must I do to be saved?”Acts 16:29-31

The incarnate Christ was no less than God in human flesh who was victorious over sin and death. When salvation = Jesus + “something else”, heresy and spiritual bondage will be close at hand. This “something else” may take the form of baptism, works, tradition, tongues, circumcision, etc. We are capable of presenting to the Lord only our sins and unrighteousness. He is willing to receive them from all who call upon Him and, in return, adopts us into His family and clothes us in His robe of righteousness apart from anything we add. Truth is the belt that supports all of the other weapons of our warfare. Without it, we are exposed and defenseless.

• Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

• For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:9,10

• For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

• I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God;For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, Isaiah 61:10

• Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31,32

2. …having put on the Breastplate of Righteousness, Ephesians 6:14b

Putting on the “breastplate of righteousness” refers to our Position in Christ. It is the unwavering conviction that our sins are forgiven, Christ has adopted us as sons and daughters, and we are freed from striving to maintain our relationship with God based on our own works. Those who are unable to release the guilt of sin will be an easy target for the evil one. This needs to be detected from the Confidential Personal Inventory (CPI) by the counselor and addressed. Otherwise, the counselee will remain in bondage and progress will be hindered. The booklet “Finding Acceptance From Others…From God…& From Myself” located in Appendix C is intended to address this issue.

• …that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9,10

• …I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, Philippians 3:8,9

3 ... having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; Ephesians 6:15

The gospel (i.e. good news) of peace & reconciliation with God can be summed up in one word…Forgiveness. And God’s forgiveness toward us is inseparably linked to our willingness to forgive others (Matthew 18:23-35). Therefore, Christians who are desperate for freedom from spiritual bondage must be willing to forgive those who have wronged them, no matter how great the offense. As long as we harbor prolonged anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness toward others, we will be defeated and in bondage to Satan. A soldier who goes into battle in his bare feet will be no match for a well equipped adversary. Therefore, those who desire to walk in peace with the Lord must forgive. Whenever things aren’t going well during the counseling sessions, back tracking and seeking whether there is still an unforgiving spirit active in the counselee’s life is a good place to start. The most common overlooked areas of unforgiveness are toward God and toward ourselves.

• Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31,32

• Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23,24

• “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Ephesians 4:26,27

4. … above all, taking the Shield of Faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Eph 6:16

The fiery darts from the wicked one are, initially, enticements to sin. The enticements will glamorize the sin and fail to mention the final price tag. Once the bait is taken, he isolates his prey from the Lord, then seeks to overpower and ultimately destroy the wounded victim. Among the defensive weapons we possess to confront the evil one, the shield of faith is “above all” the others. A person of great faith believes that God is alive, that He cares about him/her, and will receive him/her if they seek Him with all their heart. Faith is also an unfolding process whereby we draw from scripture events where God has been faithful in the past and conclude that he is capable of doing likewise for me. This, by definition, is hope. Then we consider our circumstances, take in the truth of God’s Word, and God supernaturally imparts the assurance that our requests will be answered according to His perfect will. This, by definition, is faith. If either the counselee or the counselor is skeptical of what God is willing and able to accomplish in the time spent together, then things won’t go well. An encouraging word from the counselor before getting started will go a long way.

• · But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

• · For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

• · Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

5 … and take the helmet of salvation, Ephesians6:17a

When the apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Ephesus, he was speaking directly to Christians, not unsaved individuals. Therefore, putting on the helmet of salvation is not referring to the status of salvation, but rather to the assurance of our salvation. As long as there are lingering doubts within a person about their salvation, God’s power to provide victory in their behalf will be diminished. When such a case exists, the underlying sin lodged inside the soul is unbelief toward what God has promised. The ministering counselor should be alert to identifying this concern when reviewing the Confidential Personal Inventory (CPI) prior to counseling and address it early on as part of the surrendered ground to be recovered. Once the counselee has been exposed to what God has promised and still struggles to believe it, then it is time to pray together that the evil one be bound up, and then cry out to the Lord for the grace to believe what has been promised. Ultimately, it is the power of God that is able to change a heart of unbelief.

• · Jesus said to him, “If] you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23,24

• These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13

6 …and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Ephesians 6:17b

Up to this point, all weapons necessary for spiritual warfare have been defensive weapons. Here we have the primary offensive weapon to be used. When circumstances require the demons to cooperate (e.g. to furnish information, to be restrained, to depart, to release captives, etc.), then there is power and authority available to make that happen by making a declaration of relevant scripture. If there is unconfessed sin hidden away that the counselee has not shared, or the counselee is not saved, the sword of the spirit will be ineffective. Even when there is no hidden ground, demons will lie, or resist compliance, or try to bluff their way out of cooperating. But they will never dare to deny or impugn the truth of scripture. They will also try to cause confusion by masquerading as someone else, but persistence will eventually unravel the confusion.

• · For the word of God is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

7. …Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is both an offensive and defensive weapon that has no equal in the battle for the liberation of a soul in bondage to Satan. But it must be done in accordance with scripture in order for God to hear and answer. Specifically:

a. We must have an attitude of dependence and reliance upon the Lord for our very existence in obedience to His revealed word to our hearts.

To be in obedience to His Word, we must diligently search out what His Word says.

• If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7

• One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9

b. We must be desperate to deal with our anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, humbling ourselves in deference to God, and recognizing with sorrow any rebellion that has existed toward Him.

• …because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:27

c. We must empty ourselves of any secret yearnings to continue in our iniquities.

• If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.
  But certainly God has heard me;

  He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

  Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer,
  Nor His mercy from me! Psalm 66:18-20

d. We must persist in our prayer petitions and not be discouraged when the answer is not forthcoming

• Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, saying,… now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. Luke 18:1-8

e. If we have met all of God’s requirements for answered prayer, we must believe that He will answer in due time, according to His will.

• And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.” . . Matthew21:21,22

f. We must have a mindset that acknowledges the Lord Jesus Christ as the sole benefactor of our requests

• And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. John14:13-14

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Although the Pentateuch records actual historical events, those events also serve as metaphors for significant spiritual lessons as well. For example:

1. The bronze serpent on a pole was a metaphor for Christ who would become sin for us and be lifted up on a cross for spiritual healing.

• Then the Lord said to Moses, “]Make a fiery serpent, and put it on a flag pole; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, and looks at it, will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit someone, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Numbers 21:8-9

• And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. John 3:15-16

2. Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water was a metaphor for what Christ would endure on the cross and the “living water’ (God’s Holy Spirit) that would flow to all those who believed.

• Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:6

• …and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ 1 Corinthians 10:4

3. The Mosaic law forbidding the muzzling of an ox while he was threshing was a metaphor for properly compensating a minister of the gospel while he is serving his congregation

• “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing. Deuteronomy 25:4

• The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18

Deuteronomy chapter 20 is another collection of metaphors. When the ancient Israelites were still in the wilderness, the Lord gave them detailed instructions they must follow when called upon to do battle. Herein lies wisdom for us as well when we engage the enemy in spiritual warfare. Behind each command in this chapter is a spiritual principle for everyone on the front lines of the conflict.

DEUTERONOMY 20

V. 1 REMEMBER GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN THE PAST

• · “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

V.2 BE UNDER THE AUTHORITY & PROTECTION OF YOUR LOCAL CHURCH

• · When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people.

V. 3,4 KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON THE LORD, NOT THE ENEMY

• · He shall say to them, ‘Hear, Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or be terrified by them, 4 for the Lord your God is the One who is going with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

V.5 ACKNOWLEDGE GOD’S OWNERSHIP OVER YOU i.e. SUBMITTING EVERY AREA OF YOUR LIFE TO HIM (Romans 12:1,2)

• · The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house but has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it.

V. 6 DO NOT NEGLECT DOMESTIC REPONSIBILITIES FOR THE SAKE OF MINISTRY

• · And who is the man that has planted a vineyard but has not put it to use? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would put it to use.

V.7 HONOR AND PRIORITIZE MARRIAGE COMMITMENTS OVER MINISTRY

• · And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’

The average length of a spiritual warfare ministry is said to be about 7 years before burnout occurs. Leaving a godly legacy to our own family will bless many more future generations than a successful ministry built on the backs of a neglected or compromised family (Deut. 7:9).

V.8,9 DO NOT BE CONTROLLED BY FEAR OF THE ENEMY

• “The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’ And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

V. 10-13 SHOW NO MERCY TO THE ENEMY WHO STANDS IN REBELLION TO GOD’S AUTHORITY

• · “When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. Now if the city will not make peace with you, but war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.

Demons are vile creatures who have irreversibly taken a stand against God. They view God's people in the same way we view a cockroach. We are to take heed and act accordingly!

2.14 CAUTIONS TO BE SHARED WITH THOSE CONSIDERING SPIRITUAL WARFARE COUNSELING

God designed each individual human soul with tremendous potential. However, to enjoy His highest calling upon our lives requires that we have our mind, will, and emotions as a unified whole, fully equipped for every good work. But the evil one uses our fallen nature and the pervasive and destructive power of sin to cause fragmenting and bondage of our souls. The goal of spiritual warfare counseling should be to remove any legal rights the enemy may have to rightly accuse us or control us, to restore all of the fragmented parts of our mind, will, emotions into wholeness, and to equip us to serve the Lord in freedom. However, God’s intervention is only available to His children. Contrary to the theology of many, God is creator of all mankind but He is Heavenly Father only to those who have been adopted into His family through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. All others are children of Satan and under his power of continued bondage. There is no middle ground.

• Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:42-44

For this reason, spiritual warfare counseling is of no value to someone who is hostile to the gospel or who has not received the Lord Jesus into his/her heart and is not fully committed to follow Him. Full commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ is measured by our response to the light which He has given us. He will not give it to us all at once, but will gradually unfold it in a lifelong process called sanctification.

In light of this, the first act of obedience after salvation is the ordinance of baptism. Therefore, those considering spiritual warfare counseling who have not been baptized should be strongly encouraged to do so according to the scriptures prior to commencement of counseling. Baptism is a powerful metaphor and public testimony of the believer identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• · Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3,4

Also, experience has borne out the reality that spiritual warfare counseling and its subsequent liberation from bondage is for those and only those who are desperate to be free! Someone who is desperate to be free is one who is willing to release hostilities and forgive those who have deeply offended or wronged them. Those who are desperate to be free are willing to open all of those closets hidden deep within the secret parts of their soul and allow the Lord to come in and cleanse them and heal them with His blood. If the one seeking spiritual warfare counseling is unwilling to share in strict confidence with the counselor every secret closet and turn from those things in their lives that the Lord calls sin, then everybody’s time will have been wasted and could make a bad situation worse for them. A wise person seeking counsel should carefully consider these things before making a commitment to start the journey! Also, counselors will spend many fruitless hours if they fail to assess the commitment level of those seeking their counsel and make decisions accordingly.

Foundational Principles of Spiritual Warfare

CHAPTER 2

2.01 It is very beneficial for a person considering spiritual warfare counseling to have an understanding of some biblical principles related to this approach to counseling. It is also helpful to have familiarity and confidence in the counseling process prior to commencing ministry. The information that follows is intended to serve that purpose.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Although a biblical understanding of the origin of evil is not a requirement for successful counseling, it is desirable in order to broaden our perspective of the challenge before us. For a detailed explanation of this topic, please see Appendix A at the end of this document. However, it is very important for a counselee to be convinced that it is possible for a Christian to be controlled by demonic surrogates of Satan; otherwise, spiritual warfare counseling will end up at a dead end. See Appendix B for more information of this topic.

To understand how Satan operates in the lives of individuals, let's begin with a discussion of how we were designed by God.

2.02 THE 3 PARTS OF MANKIND

God is a Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and if we are formed in His image; therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that we are a three part being as well; and indeed, scripture indicates that we are. We are composed of body, soul, and spirit.

• Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

#1 SPIRIT

Our human spirit is the deepest, eternal part of our being and has at least 3 characteristics:

A. OUR SPIRIT ENABLES US TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD AND TO RECEIVE TRUTH FROM HIM

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14

B. OUR SPIRIT IS THE HOME OF OUR CONSCIENCE- THE TABLET UPON WHICH GOD WRITES HIS MORAL LAWS

• The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. Proverbs 20:7

C. OUR SPIRIT IS THE PLACE OF WORSHIP AND INTIMACY WITH GOD

• God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

Prior to a life-giving encounter with God, the human spirit is separated from God because of sin and therefore unresponsive to the things of God…it is a lifeless, “dead” part of our human nature.

• Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned— Romans 5:12

Under these circumstances, Satan has almost unobstructed access in the life of the unbeliever…

• But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.2 Corinthians 4:3,4

…But when God’s word penetrates an open heart leading to salvation, this “dead” human spirit comes alive and becomes distinguishable from the human soul, fulfilling its attributes.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Our spirit is then “sealed” by our Lord at the moment of salvation……..[sanctified] and therefore becomes of no strategic value to the enemy.

• Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:21,2

• In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13

• Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

#2 BODY

Our body is obviously the physical and tangible part of our present fragile existence. But while we, as Christians, live in our present bodies, they serve a vitally important spiritual purpose:

• OUR BODIES ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT WHO LIVES WITHIN US.

…or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

And because our present bodies are mere flesh and blood that won’t be fully transformed for eternity until Christ returns for us, our body is on the battlefield, a vulnerable target for the god of this world.

· And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:16

#3 SOUL

However, there is a 3rd part of our being that is of much greater interest to Satan. It controls the decisions we make, the thoughts that we process, and the emotions we experience. In scripture, it is commonly referred to as the “heart” or “soul” [H3820 “Leb” in the Hebrew or G2588 “kardia” in the Greek]. It is the command center for our earthly lives.

• · Keep thy heart [H3820 Leb] with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life [thoughts, priorities, emotions] Proverbs 4:23

• · for out of the abundance of the heart [G2588 kardia]the mouth speaks Matthew 12:34

This is a vitally important part of who we are, which we call the “soul” or “heart”. It has 3 components:

3a. Our MIND

This is the part of our soul that dictates our self-awareness and the mental processes of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

• · The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

3b. Our WILL

This part of our soul is associated with planning, decision making and setting priorities

• · Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

[all acts of the will] Proverbs 3:5,6

3c. OUR EMOTIONS

This part of our soul is a universally understood state of mind that instinctively reacts to circumstances, mood, or relationships.

• · Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart [H3820 Leb] Psalm 32:11

2.03 Why is an understanding of the soul so important in spiritual warfare counseling?

It’s important because the human soul is the primary battlefield upon which spiritual warfare is fought. Satan knows that to control the soul of a person (mind, will, emotions) is to control the whole person and bring him/her into bondage and torment. By understanding the ways and means by which we are attacked by Satan’s surrogates, we can more confidently cooperate with the Lord and the counselor in defeating them.

2.04 How Is The Soul A Battlefield Upon Which Spiritual Warfare Is Fought?

In order to assist understanding of all of the complexities of what is taking place in the spiritual realm, It is helpful to visualize the human soul in all of its parts (mind/will/emotions) as a battlefield with fixed boundaries. In any war, ultimate success is measured by how much “ground” is occupied. “Ground” in this sense is everything that makes up the mind, will, and emotions of the individual as it has developed and matured up to the present day. Satan or his surrogates seek to occupy and control as much of this “ground” as possible. Once they establish a beachhead and gain control of that ground, they seek to fortify that surrendered ground with strongholds and expand their control of further ground.

An example of this is found in Ephesians 4:26,27

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

According to this verse of scripture, prolonged unresolved anger toward an offender [without forgiveness by the one on the receiving end of the offense] will give way to wrath [an undercurrent of seething rage] and will eventually give “place” to the devil . This word translated “place” in the original Greek is transliterated as “topos”. It implies a jurisdictional area in our soul [with legal rights to occupy it]. We get the word “topography” from this same root word. As a result of this “legal right” to occupy this “ground”, Satan is now able to torment us with bitterness, depression, poisoned relationships, physical ailments, etc. until his legal rights are taken away (through confession, forgiveness). As long as the enemy has legal rights to occupy areas of our mind, our will, or our emotions due to any form of sin, whether personally committed or inherited, nothing can be done to permanently evict him. Even though you may somehow force him to leave, he will be back. However, once Satan loses his right to remain, we have the authority to come before our heavenly Father and ask Him to restore our soul and have the enemy thrown out for good!

Unforgiveness, as a byproduct of anger that remains in the bosom overnight in the aforementioned example, has rightly been characterized as “swallowing poison and hoping that the offender dies”. But the motivation to forgive is usually only extended to those who are desperate to be free! How sad to consider how many people live out their lives in bondage, trying to “cope” or “manage” and never living in victory and freedom. But there is a better way!

2.05 WHAT ARE THE 3 GREAT ENEMIES OF THE SOUL?

There are 3 great enemies of the soul- the “WORLD”, the “FLESH”, and SATAN (the author of pride) with his entourage.

For all that [is] in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the father but is of the world. 1 John 2:16

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves

in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1-3

#1 THE WORLD

The “WORLD” is the domain of all humanity and its environment. To some, it is a kingdom of nice things…satisfying the senses…self-gratification. To others, it is hell on earth. But regardless of the perspective and circumstances in which it is lived out, it is a kingdom without God. This kingdom in which Christians as well as non-Christians all live has its own distinct characteristics:

A. THE “WORLD’ HAS ITS OWN PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

“EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY” (THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN)

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” Luke 12: 16-19)o

“LIVE FOR TODAY, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE…”

….men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes. Psalm 17:13-15

B. THE “WORLD’ IS THE ENEMY OF GOD AND HIS MORAL LAWS

(i.e. Godly priorities and moral standards are incompatible with those who love the “world” and its system).

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God. Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:24

Typical contemporary areas of conflict between God’s moral laws and the “WORLD” would include such things as:

• · Sexual Orientation And Purity

• · Sanctity Of Life (Euthanasia/ abortion)

• · Value Of Personal Integrity

• · Tolerance Of Evil

• · The Origin of Man (evolution), etc, etc.

C. THE “WORLD’ SUPPRESSES THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ONE TRUE GOD

• Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God,

so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 1 Corinthians 2:12

• For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, Romans 1:18

D. THE “WORLD” HAS ITS OWN WISDOM [e.g. “MODERN” PSYCHOLOGY/PSYCHOANALYSIS]

The world’s “wisdom” is the basis for demonic strongholds that enslave the mind. It has enough truth in it to draw you in…and enough error to poison the ultimate outcome.

• For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God… 1 Corinthians 3:19a

• There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death Proverbs 14:12

E. THE WORLD HAS ITS OWN GOD (aka SATAN HIMSELF)

• …in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving…so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

• “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming,

  and he has nothing in Me. John 14:30

• Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. John 12:31

• ….of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:11

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#2 THE “FLESH”- or “FLESHLY NATURE”

The second enemy of the soul is the “FLESH”. A working definition of the “FLESH” is as follows:

• The compulsive desire, inherited from our forefathers, to be our own god, i.e., to determine for ourselves what is moral & good and what is evil, apart from God.

The “FLESH” first came into being in the mind of the archangel Lucifer when he declared:

• …”I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13b-14

After God’s pronouncement of judgment on Satan, Satan managed to infect the human race with the curse of the “FLESH”. This occurred when the ‘serpent’ tempted Eve in the garden of Eden with the same poison that brought Satan’s downfall.

• “..you will be like God, knowing [determining for yourself what is] good and evil.” Gen 3:5b

Once the curse of the FLESH entered into the human race, it was passed on in procreation to every child who has a human father. This propensity toward sin in each of us will remain until our bodies of flesh have been transformed to immortality

• ·Therefore, just as through one man [Adam], sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— Romans 5:12

• For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members… So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:14-24

The curse of our inherited “FLESHLY NATURE is seen woven throughout scripture and in the hearts of each of us…

• In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6

• The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,… Proverbs 12:15

So how much influence does our “fleshly nature” have in our lives? A person (Christian or not) living outside the power of Christ will be a slave to his or her fleshly nature. For them, it is impossible to live a godly life….i.e. a life pleasing to God

• …Christ in you, [is] the [only] hope of glory. Colossians 1:27b

A Christian does not lose his “fleshly nature” after salvation, but must daily bring into submission the flesh by walking in the Spirit

• · I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh [to determine who’s going to be on the throne of my life- me or God]; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:6

The goal of every person who desires to live a life pleasing to God is to daily walk in the Spirit. It is an easy task to chart this path, but is impossible to walk in it without the enabling power of the Spirit.

2.06 WHAT IS THE PATHWAY FOR WALKING IN THE SPIRIT?

1. Submit every area of your life to him

• I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

This is not a one-time and done commitment but rather a lifelong process of progressive surrender. Each of us open our hearts to Christ with closets in our lives still unopened, where secret desires, habits, mindsets, ancestral baggage, painful emotions and memories lie hidden. To willfully leave those doors closed will not jeopardize our salvation, but will radically impact the relationship we enjoy here of earth with our Savior and the success of our lives as God intends. Yet, keep in mind that walking daily in the Spirit is not so much about where we are in life but rather what direction we are headed.

• But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

• · You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

2. Do not allow personal sin failures to linger without quickly reconciling with God.

Failing to consistently live up to the standards of God’s moral law does not end with salvation. It is unrealistic to presume that a Christian will always be victorious over temptations and our fleshly nature. To do so grossly underestimates the power and breadth of sin. However, sin must be dealt with quickly to avoid strengthening its hold on our will to resist and thus give Satan a foothold into our lives. Forgiveness is found through taking each known sin to the Lord in confession and a spirit of repentance. For those sins forgotten or committed in ignorance, the Lord promises to cleanse those as well.

• If we confess our sins unto God, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

3. Develop a consistent prayer life

Communication is the glue of relationships and prayer is our primary means of fellowship with our Heavenly Father. It is a two way relationship of sharing our hearts, our requests, and our affectations.

• Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found… Psalm 32:6

• Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

• · The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

4. Read and meditate on God’s Word (the bible) daily.

God’s instructions for every area of our lives is contained, in principle, throughout the bible. Meditating on it brings with it true success in life, and reveals the heart & character of His nature.

• All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16,17

• Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:150

• This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8

2.07 SATAN- 3RD ENEMY OF THE SOUL

When Satan was thrown down to the earth from heaven, he was permitted a tethered dominion over the earth and the things of the earth. He even bragged about it to Jesus, a statement that Jesus did not dispute:

• And he [Satan] led Him[Jesus] up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want. Luke 4:5,6

Therefore, when a person (Christian or otherwise) yields any part of his soul (mind/will/emotions) to the standards of the “WORLD” or to the dictates of his “FLESHLY NATURE”, Satan is able to successfully claim legal rights of occupancy and control of that yielded ground. It is “ground” that he controls. Satan uses every tool at his disposal to advance his kingdom by expanding those legal rights and fortifying that ground with strongholds.

• But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11

When the apostle Paul wrote those words to the church at Corinth, he was directing his warning to Christian believers, not unredeemed individuals. So why did the apostle Paul conclude that it was important to understand the schemes of Satan? Why not simply ignore Satan and focus our eyes on Jesus? If it were that easy, there would be no need for Christian counseling. We, as Christians, need to fully understand the reality of living in enemy territory, confronting a formidable adversary. Our own “FLESHLY NATURE” battles against us in a worldly system that hates God and all that He stands for. And where the “FLESH” is in control of our lives….when the “WORLD” starts squeezing us into its mold…demons will be close at hand. They are like flies on a trash can, waiting for the lid to open to feast on the contents therein, to lay their eggs and increase their number.

• Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

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SATAN’S TOOLBOX

Satan has had many generations to study human nature and, as time goes by, he has refined his tactics, but his basic techniques have not changed. They have worked so well, there has been no reason to change. Some of them are as follows:

1. Satan blinds the eyes of mankind to the living God and hides the gospel from them

Satan, the “god” of this world, uses his power over the minds of lost mankind to keep a veil over the truth of the gospel and all of its implications so that they willingly believe a lie, regardless of how implausible and ridiculous it truly is.

• …in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

2. Satan uses deception

Eve, in the garden of Eden, is a perfect example of Satan’s deceptive ways; first cast doubts upon the integrity of God, point out the benefits of evil without consequences, appeal to the senses, failing to mention the final price tag for actions taken (Genesis 3)

• · And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer. 1 Timothy 2:14

• · And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world Revelations 12:9

3. Satan accuses us

Not only does Satan accuse us before God as he did concerning Job (“Does Job serve you for nothing? ....” Job 1:9), but also accuses us in our inner thoughts, deceiving us into conclusions that result in misery and death ("you'll never amount to anything…nobody loves you…Just go ahead and end it all”, etc.)

• · Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. Zechariah 3:1

• · Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. Rev. 12:10

4. Satan tempts [entices] us

• · Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt [entice] you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:5

• · And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. Matt 6:13

The object of our temptations usually involves a basic unfulfilled need in our lives that rejects God’s provisions or God’s timetable. Satan uses the weakness of our “FLESHLY NATURE” and the power of the world’s system over us to form a 3 pronged attack in order to bring us into bondage:

A. Lust of the flesh

(sensual pleasure outside of God’s boundaries-(e.g. Sexual promiscuity, pornography, gluttony)

B. Lust of the eyes

(wanting more than God’s best- e.g. Greed, covetousness)

C. Pride of Life (Placing ourselves on the throne of our lives- Vanity……wrath…idolatry…unbelief)

• Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, those were the 3 tools Satan used against Him:

Lust of the flesh

• “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Matthew 4:3

Pride of life

• “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; Matthew 4:6

Lust of the eyes

• Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8,9

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2.08 THE SOURCE OF DEMONIZATION

Source #1 of Demonization: Personal Involvement with Willful Sin.

There are basically 4 ways that any person (Christian or non-Christian) can become vulnerable to demonic invasion of their souls (mind/will/emotions), but the common denominator for each involves some manifestation of sin. Willful sins active in a person’s life is the first source of demonization. All sin can be defined as the falling short of God’s righteous standards of Holiness and requires atonement. However, it is important to understand that there are at least 3 categories of sin that may have differing levels of temporal and possible eternal consequences:

• · Sin of Trespass [H4604- “Ma’al”]

• · Transgressions [H6588- “Pesha”]

• · Iniquities [H5771- “Avon”]

A trespass sin is a sin of ignorance where there exists a known law that has been violated. This is the least serious category of sin and may or may not open a door to demonic access into the soul. A simple illustration would be trespassing on land where there is a law against it but no fences or signs are posted.

• · If a soul commit a trespass [H4604 Ma’al], and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: Leviticus 5:15

• · Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven. You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them…..Numbers 15:27-29

Typically, trespass sins may not necessarily open up a door for demonic involvement but must not persist indefinitely to avoid metastasizing into a more serious offense. The Lord gives special grace to new Christians but a baby Christian must grow spiritually with time. Those who commit to walking in the spirit will grow in their faith and avoid the trap of many hurtful lusts caused by ignorant sinfulness.

A sin of transgression is an intentional, premeditated, presumptuous sin that carries with it a sense of willful rebellion against God's laws without necessarily challenging God's sovereignty over them. A simple illustration would be someone who trespasses on fenced land where every 5 feet where there is a “no trespassing” sign.

• Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless,

  And I shall be innocent of great transgression[H6588- “Pesha”]. Psalm 19:13

When a person (Christian or non-Christian) commits sins of transgression against the Lord (a willful, premeditated sin), the natural protective boundary of the soul (aka our conscience) may be breached, allowing access by demonic surrogates to enter, attaching themselves and claiming legal rights over “ground” in the soul. Typical examples of transgression sins that will surely open a portal for demonic infestation are sexual immorality, involvement with the occult, an unforgiving spirit, and a spirit of rejection or shame. Until each transgression has been confessed and repented of by the offender, those demons maintain a legal right to remain entrenched in the soul and will strive to enlarge their control through further transgressions and strongholds. Attempts to permanently remove them without first removing their legal rights to be there through confession and renunciation will ultimately fail! One of the main objectives of a counselor is to assist the counselee in uncovering every hidden sin and stronghold so that it can be confessed and cleansed. Over the millennia of human history, Satan has refined assorted diabolical methods of hiding surrendered ground in the dark corners of the soul to avoid being permanently removed.

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What is a stronghold?

A stronghold is a conclusion or a mindset based on the world’s wisdom (aka "vain imaginations" as referred to in the KJV) contrary to God’s moral laws that, if acted on, brings bondage and/or personal destruction.

• For the weapons of our [spiritual] warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds… 2 Corinthians 10:4

Examples of Strongholds:

• · “My situation is hopeless…I may as well end it all" For whatever things were written before were written for our learning,

  that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

• “God could never love me or accept me after what I’ve done.”

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

• “How can it be wrong if it feels so right? There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

• · “There are many pathways to God”

  Jesus said to him “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

In ancient times, whenever an advancing army would capture and occupy enemy territory, they would typically build a fort or “stronghold” to secure the ground taken. And when attacked, they would retreat to the safety of the stronghold until the coast was clear. In the spiritual realm, whenever a demon captures and occupies “ground” in the soul of an individual, the demon will seek to build “strongholds” in the mind through the poison of the “world’s” wisdom that rejects the truth of God's word. Once a stronghold is established, it makes it more difficult for the individual to reject and repent of the sin(s) that give the demon the right to stand on that ground and refuse to leave. Strongholds must be torn down by identifying them and replacing them with the truth of God’s word.

• · 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 Corinthians 10:4,5

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Source #2 of Demonization: Ancestral Inheritance.

A sin of iniquity takes transgressions to the next level. It no only involves premeditated sin but also carries with it a contempt for the law-giver's right make the law in the first place and challenge the Lord's authority to call it sin. Idolatry, sodomy, and returning evil for good, making occultic vows are examples of such cases. A simple illustration would be a person who trespasses on fenced land that has a “no trespassing” signs every 5 ft.; he then pours a slab and builds himself a home on the property. Not only is willful sin involved, but also contempt for the law giver that it even exists.

• · And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity [H5771- “Avon”] of the city [Sodom]. Genesis 19:15

• · And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity [H5771- “Avon”] Leviticus 20:17

There is a sense in which all sin is equal, since even the smallest of sins fall short of God’s Holiness, bringing judgment and the need for a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice to atone for it. However, differing levels of sin have special attributes. A special attribute of iniquity is that unresolved iniquity by a parent will be “visited” upon the life of their children and grandchildren, up to 3 additional generations!

• · keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exodus 34:7

The Hebrew word “Visiting ” [H6485- “Paqad”] means literally “To Fall Upon for Evil Purposes”. Those who are “visited” by the iniquities of their forefathers are not held accountable for the sins of their parents at the final judgment but will be predisposed to the same iniquities that kept their forefathers in bondage. They will also suffer from the same maladies and physical/emotional consequences that their forefathers suffered from. This fact should not be viewed as an injustice perpetrated by God, but rather a testimony to the awful power and pervasive nature of sin.

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” - Unknown

This sobering fact explains why godly men in the bible, in praying for their people, would plead for forgiveness not only for their own sins but also for release from the bondage drawn from the sins of their forefathers!

EXAMPLES:

DANIEL

• · O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. Daniel 9:16

NEHEMIAH

• · Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. Nehemiah 9:1,2

JEREMIAH

• · We know our wickedness, O Lord, The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You. Jeremiah 14:20

The principle of the sins of the parents “visiting” their children can be seen many times in scripture and throughout human history. A notable example can be seen in the life of king David, the second king over Israel and someone described by God as a “man after God’s own heart”. David was guilty of many serious iniquities, including adultery, seduction, polygamy, and murder (2 Samuel 11). Those sins “visited” his children, described in the bible in tragic detail:

• · David’s son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13)

• · David’s son Absolam killed Amnon & tried to kill David as well (2 Samuel 15)

• · Absolam raped David’s concubines in public (2 Samuel 16)

• · David’s son Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 kings 11:3) etc.

Unless this cycle is stopped, generational sins will perpetuate themselves through a family line indefinitely.

As stated above, the “FLESHLY NATURE” of human fathers is passed down to their children. The unresolved iniquities of the parents are “visited” to 3 subsequent generations of children as well. But note this very carefully: If the parents have unresolved iniquity and resultant demons residing within their souls, the parents may also pass down ancestral demons to their children at conception as well! Over and over again in counseling sessions, it has been confirmed that demons can follow the family tree down to 3 subsequent generations. Their legal right to be there is the sins of the forefathers.

Source #3 of Demonization: Physical/Emotional Trauma.

A 3rd means by which a person may be demonized is by a sinful response to physical or emotional trauma. Trauma is defined by the American Psychological Association as follows:

• Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives. Psychologists can help these individuals find constructive ways of managing their emotions. -

Note that psychology claims that it can help you “cope” with trauma and “manage” it, but avoids claiming to “heal” it. Because emotions make up such a powerful component of our soul, successful politicians learn early that telling the truth is not nearly as important to people as how you make them feel. Trauma can be caused by a big event or a seemingly small event; it all depends on how it is perceived by the one it impacts.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF TRAUMA:

• · A person is physically or sexually molested

• · PTSD

• · The first day of school

• · Rejection by someone we love

• · Being called “fatso’ in front of your friends

Although painful emotions and memories are a universal part of life, each individual has a different upper threshold of pain beyond which the soul is unable to process. When that happens, the soul, as a defensive mechanism, will partition off that part of the mind/will/emotions associated with the traumatic event from conscious reality. The resulting personality fragment of the soul will become like a snapshot of the personality at the age of the event, frozen in time. All of the painful memories and emotions of the trauma will reside within that isolated personality fragment of the soul and will remain hidden there at that age until some outside intervention takes place. This frees up the “core personality” to go about life without a mental breakdown. In severe cases of multiple traumatic events, dozens of such fragmented personalities can be formed. In such horrific cases such as satanic ritual abuse (SRA), hundreds or more of such fragmentations can occur, hidden from the individual’s consciousness.

As time goes by, whenever that person encounters something in their life that triggers a recollection of that original traumatic event, the fragmented, walled off part of the soul formed by that original event will be brought to the forefront of consciousness to absorb and deal with all of the recycled pain. Then, once that has run its course, the fragmented personality will be tucked away and the core personality will resume life as usual. This cycle will often leave the core personality with blocks of time that can’t be accounted for in their recollection. Sometimes only the memories of the original traumatic event will manage to be walled off and hidden in the fragmented personality, leaving the core personality exposed with awareness of the painful emotions. In these circumstances, whenever the person encounters something in their life that triggers recollection of the original trauma, the core personality will outwardly experience dramatic negative emotions or physical symptoms without knowing why they are occurring. Typical behavior would include:

• VIOLENT SPONTANEOUS EMOTIONS (e.g. RAGE) WITHOUT ANY APPARENT CAUSE

• IRRATIONAL FEARS

• PHOBIAS

• UNEXPLAINABLE PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS (e.g. NAUSEA/HEADACHES)

.Sometimes only the emotions of the original traumatic event will manage to be hidden away in the fragmented personality, leaving the core personality with only memories of the event. In these circumstances, the core personality will recall the event details without emotion or conscience, regardless of how horrendous the details of the event may have been. The intense emotions associated with the traumatic event will be securely tucked away in the fragmented personality.

This phenomenon of fragmention of the “Psyche” is listed in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and is widely known in secular psychology as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Once again, secular approaches to treatment generally center around “coping” methods rather than restoring the soul to wholeness. Until the soul has been restored by integrating all of it fragments, a person with fragmented personalities will never experience God’s highest calling for their lives.

.In those secret closets of the soul, sinful emotional reactions to trauma such as fear, rage, shame, rejection, lust, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc., are free to incubate and grow. Soon, a fragmented personality will give birth to transgression, opening a door for demons to enter. Demons are attracted to these hidden parts of the soul because they can hide undetected and expand their domain unhindered by tormenting the fragmented part and establishing strongholds on the ground they occupy. Their legal rights to be there are the hidden sins of the fragmented personality.

The task at hand for the counselor is to make contact with the counselee’s fragmented personalities in the counseling sessions and lead the fragmented personality in a prayer of confession and repentance for carrying that burden for the core personality. If the fragmented personality was created prior to salvation of the counselee, the fragmented personality must also line up with the spiritual status of the core personality by inviting the Lord Jesus Christ into his/her heart. Any demons hidden within the fragment will forfeit their right to remain at this point and can be cast out. Then and only then can the fragmented personality willingly choose to be fused and integrated with the core personality by a simple prayer led by the counselor. All of this is impossible to be achieved by psychological intervention, but only by the power of God through His grace and mercy. To observe this taking place in the counseling room is to witness the awesome power of God through a miracle of inner healing.

• He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

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Source #4 Of Demonization: Soul-Ties

The term “Soul Ties” is not directly mentioned in the bible but the concept is expressed using the terms such as “knitting of hearts”, “one flesh” relationships, “cords of sin”, etc. A working definition of “soul tie” is as follows:

• A bond formed between 2 individuals that links the mind/will/emotions of one or both to each other.

There are God-ordained soul ties which are blessed by the Lord. For example:

Godly Friendships

• · So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 1 Samuel 17:57-18:1

• · A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

• · As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

· Husband and Wife

• · The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2: 22-24

However, there are soul ties, formed either voluntarily or involuntarily, that are not ordained of God. These are sinful bonds that share a common denominator of evil. When two souls are knit together, what affects the one affects the other… including demonic attachment and access. Therefore, when a negative, sinful soul tie is formed, a portal is established between the two souls whereby demons are free to transfer in and out of each other uninhibited. It is therefore vital in a counseling session to identify these soul ties, verbally renounce them, cleanse the soul of surrendered ground through confession and repentance, and seal off the portal that links them.

Secular psychology recognizes this phenomenon of soul bonding, even though it is generally not understood by them to be a spiritual issue, but rather a mystery of the “psyche”. It also has a secular clinical name: the “Stockholm syndrome”. An example from scripture of soul bonding occurs in Genesis 34 involving Jacob’s daughter and a young Hivite man named Shechem. There are also famous contemporary examples such as a young girl named Patty Hearst/SLA and Erroll Flynn/Beverley Aadland.

Some of the ways in which negative soul ties are formed are as follows:

1. IMMORAL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP

• · For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress and embrace the bosom of a foreigner? For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths. His own iniquities will capture the wicked, and he will be held with the cords of his sin. Proverbs 5:20-22

• · Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two shall become one flesh." But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Cor 6:16-18

Fornication and sodomy are such efficient ways to transfer/share demons from soul to soul that satanic rituals typically include unspeakable sexual activity involving innocent victims and each other for that purpose. In ancient times, pagan religions included temple prostitutes as part of their religious ceremonies. Secular historians surmise that the reason for this was to appeal to the fertility gods for abundant crops and herds. Perhaps so, but the end result was the proliferation of demonized worshippers.

This form of soul ties does not have to be from a physical act but may be formed in the mind. “Stalkers” first create a soul tie in their minds with people they may not even personally know. Pornography is nothing more than wholesale prostitution. When a man views pornography, those images bond to his soul with so much power that they will, if not dealt with, stay with him for the rest of his life… corrupting and ultimately short-circuiting other relationships. Demons will roll the tape over and over again in his/her soul to strengthen the bond of addiction and the demonic portal shared with those depicted in the debauchery. This may eventually lead to catastrophic behavior such as illustrated in the infamous life of Ted Bundy.

2. UNSCRIPTURAL VOWS AND/OR COMMITMENTS TO ANOTHER

• He who guards his mouth and his tongue Guards his soul from troubles. Prov. 21:23

• Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18

• But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36,37

Words have power for good or for evil… for blessings or a curse, depending on how they are used. If a personal relationship was created outside the will of God and unscriptural vows or commitments were expressed, a soul tie portal can be potentially created between those two souls. If this occurs, the relationship will be bound up in iniquity, enabling the evil present in one to be accessible to the soul of the other. To break free from that unholy bond requires heart-felt confession and verbal renunciation of the commitment or vow before the Lord. This would a petition made to the Lord to remove all demons standing on surrendered ground, closing and sealing all portals that have allowed shared access into the soul, restoring wholeness to the damaged soul.

Possession of objects or symbols associated with a relational bond (soul tie) outside of God’s will have power over that individual even after the relationship has been terminated. To break this power requires that all tokens, letters, gifts, clothing, etc. associated with the relationship be destroyed or, at the very least, permanently discarded. It is very important that, prior to beginning counseling, the counselee destroy or permanently remove from their residence or other domain all tokens associated with an immoral relationship as well as anything remotely associated with the occult, including books, artwork, music, videos, etc.

3. WORSHIPING WITH ANOTHER AT THE ALTAR OF AN IDOL

• · What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. 1 Corinthians 10:19,20

Worshipping with another at the altar of an idol can take many forms. A Christian who attends a rock concert where occult themes and lyrics are presented by demonized artists is in grave danger of coming home with more in their souls than they bargained for.

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2.09 How Do You Determine What Is True To God’s Word Regarding Spiritual Warfare If The Bible Doesn’t Specifically Address It?

Admittedly, some concepts and protocols used in spiritual warfare counseling may not be directly obvious in scripture; yet, they have proven themselves to be true in actual counseling experience. To resolve this concern, a two-fold test has been applied to each concept and protocol presented herein:

• The concepts and protocols must be in harmony with the totality and spirit of established scriptural principles and doctrine.

• The concepts and protocols must be validated by actual experience in the trenches of the counseling.

If both of these tests have been met for each concept and protocol, it is assumed to be valid.

One such concept that is difficult to grasp is that of a demonic generated “alter-ego” , commonly referred to as the “flip-side”

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2.10 ANCESTRAL DEMONS AND THE “FLIPSIDE” (ALTER EGO)

As explained earlier, if a demon holds surrendered ground in a person’s life, then a child conceived by that person may be “visited” by a demon placed into the child by the parent’s demon. The entrance of this “ancestral” demon into the child occurs shortly after conception. The legal right of the “ancestral” demon to enter the child comes from the iniquity of the parent(s). This ancestral demon will quickly proceed to stake a claim over a swath of the unborn child’s soul (mind/will/emotions). The still-unborn child’s soul is now split between the “core” personality intended by God and the part staked out by the ancestral demon, referred to, for convenience, as the “flipside” personality.

The presence of a “flipside” personality has long been recognized by ancient philosophers (e.g. Cicero), classic novels (e.g. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), comic book heroes (e.g. Incredible Hulk), et.al. Secular psychoanalysis commonly labels this duplex personality as the “alter ego” of a person, although they generally steer clear of the spiritual implications.

The ancestral demon views the flipside as his “creation” and will “program” into the flipside personality as much sin and negative behavior as possible. The surrendered ground of the flipside is also a base of operation for attacks by the ancestral demon upon the core personality to further expand his controlled territory. The ancestral demon will also seek to create as much trauma as possible in its host in order to fragment the flipside into compartments for hiding other demons.

.Because the flipside is formed in the womb prior to salvation, he is experientially unsaved and therefore sometimes hostile to the gospel. The ancestral demon all the while has been silently programming lies, stoking anger, fear, and hostility into the flipside toward the core personality; yet, deep within the heart of the flipside is a hurting individual in quiet desperation to be free. The flipside doesn’t hate or desire to harm the core personality, but rather disrespects him and is convinced that the core needs his “help” in order to navigate life. The flipside is convinced that he is in control of the core personality when in reality he is being manipulated by the ancestral demon like a puppet on a string.

The ancestral demon will usually take on the formal name of the core personality and assign the flipside a demeaning name such as “Who Cares” or “I Don’t Know” to foster confusion and a smoke screen to any who dare disrupt the status quo.