Month: July 2023

Hollywood loves scary movies. They are big money makers. Horror films bring in a billion dollars annually, almost 10% of all movies. And demons are a go-to topic: “The Exorcist,” “Paranormal Activity,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “The Devil Inside,” “Hellraiser,” “The Pope’s Exorcist,” and “The Conjuring” to name a few. But almost always, Hollywood gets it wrong! There are four basic lies that Hollywood keeps retelling about demons.

1. POSSESSED PEOPLE HAVE ONE DEMON: Wrong. Most people with demons have more than one. Seldom do I, as an exorcist, deliver someone from a single demon. They come in packs like wild animals. They swarm to a vulnerable person. Once inside, a demon welcomes others of his kind to diversify and multiply the evil. For example, a lust demon invites others like himself such as Jezebel, Perversion, Rape, Incest and so on.

2. ALL DEMONS ARE TERRIFYING AND HIDEOUS: Wrong again. Second Corinthians 11:14 tells us that Lucifer sometimes transforms himself into an “angel of light.” Yes, some demons are frighteningly gruesome. But others come as enlightenment in the New Age, peacefulness in mindful meditation, and consciousness expansion in yoga and angel cards. I have had many people describe how their demons came as a beautiful woman or a smooth-talking cult leader, far from a fearful appearance.

3. PEOPLE GET DEMONS THROUGH BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES: Still wrong. Some do get possessed by demons through UFO encounters, astral traveling, bad LSD trips, or near- death experiences. But most people get demons by simple things like lying, cheating, stealing, fornication, smoking weed, partying, and exploring Wiccan beliefs.

4. THE EXORCIST MAY HAVE TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF TO SET THE POSSESSED PERSON FREE. Absolutely, unequivocally wrong. Movies like “The Exorcist” and “The Pope’s Exorcist” perpetuate this lie that, by an act of self-sacrifice, by the exorcist offering his own body for demonic inhabitation, a possessed soul can be freed. That is ridiculous, trading the damnation of one soul for the martyrdom of another. That is nowhere in the Bible. Jesus overcame every demon He confronted, and we can do the same through His Name without giving the devil one soul in trade for another.

There are so many things wrong with how Hollywood depicts demons and deliverance. Those who know their Bibles can spot these errors in a moment. The challenge of those who believe in Christ’s power is to demonstrate the reality of demonic possession by overcoming all evil spirits according to the model of Luke 10:19: “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.”

Are you cursed? Do you suspect that someone has put a spell on you? An ex-lover or ex-spouse? An in-law? A Co-worker? An Ancestor? A parent? To fight back, you must first understand how a curse operates. The biggest source of curses usually involves a generational root of evil. Many people have such unbroken curses. This should not surprise us too much. Every one of us inherited the curse of original sin from Adam and Eve. Even after we break that curse through our relationship with Jesus Christ by salvation, the spiritual effect of that original sin from our ancestors can sometimes have a limiting effect on our lives.

Every single person has individuals in his or her past who committed great evil. A renegade or pervert is perched on a branch of your family tree. You may not have to go back very far to find someone that’s evil; just show up at your next family reunion and look around. This does not mean you are eternally damned because of generational or family evil. But you can suffer needlessly in this life—until the ancestral iniquity is renounced, and its power is broken by claiming the blood of Jesus over it. This is what we call curse breaking. First, name the person and/or their deeds if you have that information. Declare yourself free from their genetically transmitted evil. Then renounce ALL the unknown evil of ALL your ancestors. Declare that henceforth you are spiritually cut off from all wickedness of your forebears.

If you are hesitant about breaking curses, here is a word of advice. Most churches don’t preach this concept so it is understandable that you might be reluctant. But consider this. Even if you are a good person, even one of the most Christ-centered people around, don’t gauge yourself by how well you think you’re doing spiritually. Instead, focus on how much better you might be doing. One of the fallacies of the Christian life is that we judge ourselves by how well we’re getting along, not by how much more we might do for the Lord. Think about the greater freedom you might enjoy if your curses get broken. Don’t settle for less than the best. Don’t wait until it takes a crisis to force you to seek help to break curses. Take action now. Our books and the training of Bob Larson University can help. Arrange a face-to-face encounter or consult one of our associate ministers. Whatever path you take to breaking curse, get started. Don’t let one more day amplify the power of a curse that can be easily broken.

Deliverance, once relegated to purposeful obscurity, is a big deal these days. Due to social media, there is more talk than ever about evil spirits from a Christian perspective. Much of this dialogue is helpful; some is not. But despite all the information out there about demons, there are still many misconceptions. I’m going to clarify some basic aspects of spiritual warfare that most people don’t know. This isn’t a theological treatise. The biblical understanding of these points I’ll make are adequately covered in our books and Bob Larson University. My purpose here is to clear up misinformation and fallacies about a basic understanding regarding the operation of demons.

1) THERE ARE MANY DEMONS BY THE SAME NAME: The reason I keep casting out Jezebel isn’t because she keeps coming back. There are millions, perhaps billions, of demons who go by the name Jezebel. That’s because they all mimic the evil characteristics of the original Jezebel of First Kings chapters 16-21. Likewise, there are many demons that go by the name Murder, because their activities are all rooted in present and past acts of bloodshed.

2) THE NAME OF A DEMON OFTEN INDICATES WHAT HE DOES: Many demons have proper names such as Beelzebub, Leviathan, Asmodeus, or Lucifer. But others are nominally designated with their functions. Examples would be Hate, Anger, Rejection, Rebellion, Perversion, Deception, or Greed. Their name is their assignment, the evil action or emotion which they foment. Leviathan may, for example, represent the attribute of pride. But there is also a demon named Pride who specifically operates in that emotional realm.

3) DEMONS ARE OFTEN ARRANGED BY SEPARATE KINGDOMS: Satan’s conspiracy of evil is well organized. Often lessor demons are attached to a ruling spirit that supervises a certain kingdom in an individual. An example would be a person who has a kingdom of violence, with demons of Murder and Bloodshed. A marine kingdom might have Octopus and Squid demons. A religious kingdom could involve a Jezebel spirit along with demons of Antichrist and Blasphemy.

4) MOST DEMONS ARE CONNECTED TO GENERATIONAL CURSES: One of the first things that someone new to deliverance learns is that the root of demonization is almost always generational. A demon of Murder likely goes back to times of ancient wars and ritual killings. A Perversion demon may have gotten into the bloodline by a forebear who molested a child or committed incest on a family member. Fear could be rooted in some past trauma. Anger in some historical injustice.

This brief study of basic facts about waging spiritual warfare isn’t exhaustive. There is more to say, and it is all there in Bob Larson University. But for those dipping their toe into the stream of deliverance, it’s a good start to know these four basic guidelines to understanding how to set the captives free in Jesus’ Name.

Do you live in a haunted house? Do inexplicable things happen? Stairs creak. You hear footsteps in the hall. Doors, or drawers, open and close when no one is there. Shadows appear out the corner of your eyes. Figures stand at the foot of your bed. You get the sense that whatever is there isn’t friendly. I could list many other paranormal phenomena that make people think their house, apartment, or other living arrangement has an otherworldly presence. Sometimes that unknown entity seems mischievous. Other times threatening. How did your house become haunted, and what do you do about it? You are not alone. Millions of people stretching across millennia have felt like they were being stalked by a discarnate being or essence.

Dismiss the idea that ghosts are disembodied spirits with unfinished business on earth. They aren’t the departed who haven’t yet passed over to the so-called “other side.” Hebrews 9:27 says we die once and then immediately face judgment. So, whatever is hanging around you isn’t a decreased loved one or a wandering soul seeking rest, like the sprites of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.” If it is real and not your imagination, it is a demon. That is biblically certain. But how did it get the right to haunt you? There are three main reasons why you may be oppressed by a demon that acts and looks like a ghost.

Number one, the ghost is following you because of generational evil. You are being haunted by a curse, a bloodline evil coming from an ancestor. That forebear committed a grievous sin and the consequences passed on to you, creating a vulnerability for demonic attack. In this case, you prevent the haunting by breaking the curses of your ancestors, especially any that you know who were involved in the occult. Renounce their sins of witchcraft and remove Satan’s right to send a haunting spirit.

Number two, a ghost could be haunting you because the building or residence you are in was previously inhabited by someone evil. There may have been demonic rituals in the house. The former owner/occupant could have practiced false religions, idolatry, or the New Age and did rituals in the building. I also find hauntings to be common when a prior resident committed suicide, an act of violence, or murder. Drug usage or sexual perversion also open doors to hauntings. Blessing the house with holy oil, holy water, or deliverance prayers by someone knowledgeable about deliverance ministry may banish the ghosts.

Number three, you may be the problem. The right of discarnate entities to spook you is because of demons inside your own soul. Evil spirits on the OUTSIDE acquired the right of haunting because they attached to internalized evil INSIDE your mind. You need an exorcism to cast the demons out of YOU. A competent exorcist will also demand that all the other demons tormenting you are banished.

Ghosts, hauntings, and house cleansing are topics you may to investigate further if the matter is not resolved by the advice I have given. A personal encounter with me or a ministry associate will help to further explore why you are being haunted. But know this — you do not have to dread things that go “bump in the night.” If a haunting is real, not just your fears or imagination, these unfriendly evil spirits are no match for the power of Jesus Christ. First John 4:4 declares, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Put another way when applied to the realm of ghostly hauntings, “Christ in you is greater than the unfriendly ghost in your house.”