“Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.” ~ Matthew 12:45
“I have a question for you,” said my dear friend Jan. She asked me, “what is someone to do when they’ve taken steps towards their healing, but then, like the Scriptures say, seven more demons come back to attack them?” This is a good question, and as Christians we ought to know the power and authority we have been given (in Christ) to fight the devil. Like any good soldier, we need to be prepared and equipped for the battle.
The devil is real and he is relentless. Learning to punch him in the face is your right.
Matthew 12:43-45 says: “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” What this passage is talking about is spiritual warfare. These verses bring awareness to God’s people, teaching us that sometimes, after steps have been taken towards healing and deliverance, Satan and his evil forces come back and harrass even more (with “seven other spirits more evil”).
As we see in the passage of Scripture above, the devil is persistent. He doesn’t easily bow down and leave God’s people alone. However, it is very important to keep in mind that in Christ you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)! God has given you power and authority because you belong to Him (Luke 9:1). You will be victorious over these demons if you apply the tools God has given you. Moreover, you are not the one fighting them, Christ in you does. He, however, needs you to do your part.
So what do we do if we’ve had victory and freedom in our lives, but the enemy comes back with a vengeance and attacks with even more force? First of all, it is critical that we not be afraid of demons and evil spirits, but instead learn about these fallen angels, and how to resist them.
God desires complete freedom for us and He fights our battles for us.
Author Doris M. Wagner (How To Cast Out Demons), says, “The person may have temporary relief, but before long, if the entry point has not been healed, the demon returns again and may bring along more demons.” There are many possible entry points for demons to enter a person’s life, but if you have fought for victory in an area (s), then it’s very important that you not open the door to the enemy again.
I like to think of a deliverance prayer as a deep cleansing of your spiritual “house.” The key to fighting off seven more demons from coming back to harrass you, is keeping your “house” clean. Here are sixteen principles to help you keep your house clean, to fight for your freedom, when seven more demons try to move back in. They have been devised by Noel and Phyl Gibson (Freedom in Christ) and are used with permission.
- Confess the general areas in which you have received freedom positively and gratefully in prayer. Don’t allow one negative thought germinating space (Romans 10:9-10).
- Meet each new day trusting in God’s power to help you make right choices. Don’t let your feelings deceive you (Galatians 3:3).
- Expect continuous and increasing freedom where Satan has previously bound you or used you for his purposes. Move forward by faith without even a glance over your shoulder at what is now past (Philippians 3:13-14).
- Remember, anything the devil whispers in your ear is a lie. That’s his profession and he’s very good at it. Use your faith shield against him and tell what God does to liars. He will soon give up. (James 4:7-8).
- Don’t hesitate to use the name of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb and your confession of faith against all Satan’s temptations and condemnation. All condemnation comes from Satan. Never believe him. You have been blood cleansed and are blood protected (Revelation 12:11, Romans 8:1).
- Avoid deliberate sin-like the plague (1 John 5:18). Should you unavoidably sin, confess it immediately and receive forgiveness and cleansing. This will stop Satan from weighing you down with guilt, one of his favorite habits (1 John 1:9).
- Rely upon the Holy Spirit to control your life, your emotions, your desires and your imagination, together with your will, by deliberately giving Christ’s lordship over them each day (Romans 12:12, Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 3:5).
- Take time or make time to read-learn-meditate on God’s word every day. If time is limited, carry Scripture verse cards with you for your free times (Colossians 3:16).
- Wear the armor of spiritual warfare every day. Put on each piece thoughtfully and prayerfully and be protected at all times. Don’t forget the seventh piece is “prayer” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
- Keep your eyes and ears open for all the sneaky traps the devil will leave around for you. Then “holler for help” to your heavenly Father, and He will immediately answer and give you the victory (James 4:7-8).
- Concentrate your thoughts and plans on what glorifies Christ and you will have victories all the time (Colossians 3:1-3).
- Beware of thinking you can make it alone. You never will make it alone in life because God never intended you should. Be smart: admit you can’t do it all by yourself, and then do things with His help (John 15:5).
- Break wrong friendships and choose positive, clean-living friends who put Jesus first (James 4:4). Break former habits that led to sin. AVOID magazines, movies and television programs that you should not see (Philippians 4:8).
- Never let up on warring against the list of no-nos. Criticism, negativity, grieving over the past, oversensitivity, doubt, selfishness, putting feelings before faith, and prayerlessness are all on the list. Be an outgoing person and help others (Galatians 5:19-21, 26).
- Be a praising, thankful person, always giving thanks to God for His continuous goodness (Psalm 103:6).
- Finally, breathe in by faith any of your nine personality needs supplied liberally by the Spirit of God from the glory of Jesus Christ at the right hand of His Father, who is also your Father (Galatians 5:22-23, John 20:21).
Submission to the lordship of Christ and obedience to His will is essential to maintaining your freedom (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
I highly recommend Doris M. Wagner’s book, How To Cast Out Demons. Educate yourself on spiritual warfare and how to fight the enemy of your soul. Mrs. Wagner discusses the major entry points that we unknowingly allow demons to attack us. These are hereditary spirits (generation spirits), unforgiveness, rejection, victimization, occult practices, and deliberate sin. In her book, Mrs. Wagner has a thorough questionnaire to help you pinpoint the entry points. This was the questionnaire we used in the deliverance ministry I was a part of.
God bless you as you fight for your freedom, the freedom that Christ died for you to have. Be aware that every time you take a step towards victory in your life, Satan and his evil forces will attack. Always remind yourself that even if the enemy tries to come back with seven more evil spirits, you are victorious in Christ. The most important thing you can do is daily sweep your spiritual house (your mind, body and spirit). The 16 points above can help you.
However, the most powerful way to guard yourself from attacks from the enemy is to live a holy life, as the Lord has asked us to (1 Peter 1:16). If you are living a life of purity, you usually won’t need to worry about being attacked by Satan because you will already be standing strong in Christ. As you make it a goal to live “as obedient children, letting yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness” (The Message), you will be equipped to fight for your freedom, and the seven more demons will not be able to move back in.
The Lord help you to keep your house not only clean, but sparkly clean.
“So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Photos by Bogdan Yukhymchuk on Unsplash, Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash, Hanna Zhyhar on Unsplash
Tweeny thank you for this great post. It is such a thorough explanation and so very good. I love that you reminded us following dressing in the armor of God to pray in the Spirit
Tweeny beautifully written! Thank you for taking on an important topic like this. I loved reading this, and will be referring back to this list myself and to share with other people. The way you have explained this has really encouraged me!
Thank you for this very resource post. I especially liked..”I like to think of a deliverance prayer as a deep cleansing of your spiritual “house.” Very true and very important…thanks for writing!