Blog

Some preachers are afraid of the devil. No, let me rephrase that. Many preachers are afraid of the devil. They’d never admit it. They won’t discuss it, but they are. The proof? If you attend the average evangelical church, if your church is the average suburban non-denominational brand or even if it’s an established tradition, ask yourself this question: “When was the last time you heard a sermon that spoke about demons and the devil and didn’t add the provision that ‘Of course Christians can’t be demon possessed.’”

Last Sunday my wife and I heard the morning sermon from a pastor of a large church. He’s a great Bible teacher, that’s why we enjoy listening to him. He’s a good man with an excellent seminary education. He knows his Greek and his hermeneutics. He confidently announced that he would be speaking on Ephesians chapter six, the passage about spiritual armor, verses 10-13. Then he launched into an apology that lasted 20 minutes of his 30-minute sermon. He apologized for having to talk about such a sensitive subject and hoped it wouldn’t upset anyone. He spent at least 10 minutes telling people not to be afraid to talk about the devil so long as it was in church and part of a biblical exposition. He was hesitant, halting, and ambivalent. When he finally got around to actually talking about Paul’s admonition to the Ephesians, it was anemic, ambiguous, and full of more apologies that he hoped people wouldn’t be fearful that he was talking about the devil.

I emphasize again. This is a good and godly man who loves the Lord and means well. Any other passage of Scripture not mentioning the devil and he would have done great. But when speaking about “principalities, powers and the rulers of the darkness of this age,” he was clearly out of his comfort zone. Why are preachers afraid to talk about the devil? Here are three reasons:

1. Spiritual warfare, deliverance, and exorcism are not part of the course study of any major seminary in America. Since the Reformation, the topic has been mostly taboo. During the 17th and 18th centuries, exorcism was a Catholic thing. They embraced it as a way of proving their way was right. They actually cast out demons while Protestants only talked about it. So, Calvinist and Lutheran reformers talked about it less and less until it became a forbidden topic. Walking in one’s salvation was to be a matter of obedience and sanctification, not deliverance. So today the only information about having demons and casting them out is often from dubious internet sources. With all this baggage, of course preachers are afraid to talk about the devil.
2. They won’t open up to talk about the fears, bondages, and spiritual oppression in their own lives. I’ve ministered to many pastors from many denominations. One recently came to me quietly about issues in his life he suspected were demonic. He had nowhere else to go, that was credible. I’ve cast demons out of priests, pastors, nuns, missionaries, worship leaders, and seminarians. Some have been severely tormented by feelings of lust, anger, transgenderism, violence, rage, unbelief, and a host of serious issues. The “pray more, do more” advice hadn’t worked. So, they sought an exorcism. That is a frightening thought to most pastors, so they trudge along in their misery and build bigger walls to insulate their denial that what they suffer is NOT demons. On occasion they may preach about it, but timidly, unconvincingly, and without holy boldness.
3. They truly believe what they’ve been taught, that the miraculous and the supernatural are things that ended with the canon of Scripture and the Apostolic Age. Yet these same pastors will rail against all the perversion, lust, and theological corruption of witchcraft and the New Age and never directly confront the actual demons behind it. They have theoretical theology, forgetting the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:4: “My speech and preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (ESV).

To any pastor hearing me now, if you are the senior pastor of a Bible preaching church, contact our offices immediately—even if it must be confidential—and I will offer you a special educational track (for pastors-only) in Bob Larson University to make you aware of the importance of spiritual warfare in your teaching and in your life. There is no need for any pastor to be afraid of the devil if he really understands the wiles of the enemy and the power of Christ.

As an exorcist having done more than 50,000 documented cases of exorcisms, I’m very familiar with how evil spirits respond during a deliverance session. What is it that demons almost always say when confronted: “I’m not leaving!”

You may think that is a logical response from an evil spirit. If a demon has possessed, or otherwise invaded the mind of an individual, of course they are going to put up that defense. It’s the starting salvo in their spiritual artillery. Why wouldn’t they say that? The individual confronting the demon might be new to deliverance and would be intimidated by such insistence. Saying “I’m not leaving” also draws battle lines in the effort to free a person’s soul. But there is more to this demonic logic.

First, Jesus referred to the soul of a person as a house. In Matthew 12:29 He spoke of a “strong man” plundering a house, a word picture of demonic invasion. In Matthew 12:44 Christ spoke of demon referring to the person he possessed as his “house.” Demons inhabiting the soul of a person see that individual’s mind and emotions as his home. In Luke, chapter 11, The Jewish leaders accused Christ of casting out demons by Beelzebub, whom they called “the ruler of the demons.” Christ responded by saying in Luke 11:17-18, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?” Implicit in this statement is the idea that when evil spirits enter an individual, it is like occupying a dwelling, a home. My point is this — when a demon inhabits a person’s soul they see it as their rightful home, not an evil invasion. That too is demonic logic, and that is why they say, “I’m not leaving!”

The second reason a demon usually gives an initial response of defiance is that evil spirits are deluded by their own hubris, their arrogance and pride. Lucifer has deluded his evil companions into thinking that they will finally win, that the Bible isn’t true, that human beings are their pawns, and the resurrection of Christ was bogus. As crazy as that sounds, I’ve actually heard demons say such things. To confront them with their defeat, as John described in his revelation, is unthinkable. It’s like Hitler in his Berlin bunker at the end. Defeat isn’t imaginable to an evil mindset until the final stages of an exorcism.

Those who aren’t familiar with the process of deliverance often argue, “You can’t believe anything a demon says because they always lie.” That’s not accurate. Sometimes they do speak factually. More often they say what they are ordered to declare, parroting the demonic party line. Thus, when a demon says it isn’t leaving, I actually see that as a sign of weakness. It’s a bluff based on the same false pride that caused Lucifer to be cast from heaven. My experience as an exorcist has taught me that when a demon says, “I’m not leaving,” that is a certain sign of false bravado. Demonic insistence that it won’t go is actually a tacit confirmation that it must leave when the power of Christ is firmly declared.

Four of the most spiritually deadly words in the English language are these: “Father was a Freemason.” You could also adapt those four deadly words to any other appropriate proper noun, such as grandfather, great grandfather, or some other significant relative. You might expand these deadly words to include a mother or grandmother in Eastern Star, the female division of Freemasonry. Hardly a day goes by during my virtual encounter sessions when I fail to hear these words— “Father was a Freemason.” Often people also refer to this family member as an amazing individual. Sometimes a person turning to me for spiritual help makes the statement that a family member was a Freemason without realizing the diabolical implications of what they are saying.

Despite all that I, and others, have written about the Lodge, it’s hard for some to understand that good people can be damaged by a bad brotherhood. Just recently I heard those words, “Father was a Freemason.” The man I was ministering to was referring to his father, who was a Christian and a pastor. When I explained what His father had to do behind the closed doors of the Lodge, the son was shocked. When I further explained what other diabolical things his dad might have done, as revealed to me by ex-members and gloating demons, he was dumbfounded.

In one virtual encounter I spoke with the genetically inherited soul part of a father who had been a Shriner, one of the highest levels in the Lodge. This voice from the past was tormented because of his involvement in Freemasonry, and he was highly apologetic. He admitted he’d been deceived by the Lodge and got caught up in the desire for power and wealth which Masonic members promised him. On other occasions, I have spoken with Freemasons who claim to be committed Christians. They have dug in their heels and refused to admit what goes on in secret during the ascent through higher degrees of Freemasonry. I understand their reluctance to come clean.
The rituals of several degrees in the Lodge require the initiate to speak oaths of death. They state that if they ever reveal Masonic secrets, they give permission for their throat to be slit from ear to ear. And that’s just the beginning of the horrors to which they consent.

How would you know if your father or some other person close to you secretly belonged to the Lodge? Look at your life. Look at the lives of those in your immediate family. Is early death, strange death, and violent death more common than might be expected? Death often stalks Masons and their descendants with odd accidents and unexplained diseases. Such is the legacy of the Lodge. I have dealt with many hundreds of such cases of former Masons who did admit what happened clandestinely and the horrors in some cases are unimaginable. Almost all these individuals whose fathers and other ancestors belonged to the lodge now suffer some degree of demonization and need deliverance. Many need an exorcism.

If those four words, “Father was Mason,” ring true with you, get in touch with our ministry immediately. Let me speak directly to you or in person. You need someone knowledgeable to deal with Freemason demons you might have. Go to our website and get my book, “Freedom from Freemasonry” and go through curse breaking prayers to renounce the evil deeds a family member may have done. Replace those four words, “My father was a Freemason,” with these five words, “I am free from Freemasonry.”

So-named witchcraft bottles have been washing up on America’s south, Gulf beach shores. Ironically, most bottles were found in a 60-mile section of beach near Corpus Christi, Texas, a site which in Spanish means “the Body of Christ.” It has been happening for years, but a researcher at a Texas University recently decided to investigate the phenomenon and news sources picked up the story.

The bottles, which came from unknown sources, most likely originated from nearby Louisiana voodoo rituals. They contain a variety of liquids and other substances. These include herbs commonly associated with witchcraft and metal objects such as cursed nails and even bodily fluids. The bottles were set afloat by unknown practitioners of the dark arts as a means of invoking a curse or warding off some witchcraft evil. From South America to Africa, wherever there are seaside communities, there are believers in the power of the ocean to accept offerings to aquatic deities, usually some form of the demon Leviathan. Some who set the bottles adrift believe they have encased evil spirits in the bottles and these demons can’t escape. So, they are tossed in the ocean. Superstition? Yes, but also something much darker.

Some witch bottles aren’t washed ashore. They are discovered by building contractors and homeowners who find them hidden behind walls, put there by a former owner for good luck or to avoid bad luck. Some surprised landowners in the deep south also find witch bottles buried at the corners of property, put there by an unknown believer in witchcraft who wanted to keep the land safe from evil spirits. Is such thinking merely superstition, delusional sorcery, or can demons be bottled up and tossed into the briny deep never again to torment some hapless victim? No, that is magical thinking.

In Acts chapter 19 Paul cast out demons in the city of Ephesus. Verse twelve says that when Paul prayed, “evil spirits went out of them.” There were seven sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva who tried to cast out demons like Paul. They failed miserably and the demons physically attacked them. This so startled the citizens of Ephesus, seeing the real power of God operating through Paul, that the Bible says in verses 17-18, “Fear fell on them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” They then brought all their occult paraphernalia and cursed objects and burned them. If they had any witchcraft bottles, they probably broke them as well.

You can’t put a demon in a bottle. But you can use the name of Jesus to put demons in torment to cast them out. That’s not a superstition. That’s the miracle of exorcism, and it is done by the power in the blood of Jesus. And that came by the cross, not in a bottle.

Let me share with you the key to breaking curses. Almost every personal ministry session I conduct, in-person or virtual, begins with prayers to break curses. I’ll not go into the biblical basis of renouncing bloodline evil due to time constraints. The systematic theology of verbally declaring that past family evils are null, and void, is demonstrably an excellent starting point for any deliverance approach. Those involved in ministering to spiritually bond individuals know this truth empirically. They have seen it work many times to free individuals from spiritual bondage.

I personally encourage anyone who believes they are under satanic attack to get a DNA test from one of the many resources available online. Tracing your ancestry gives pertinent clues as to potential generational evil that lurks hidden in your past. Throughout the online curriculum of Bob Larson University, the matter of breaking curses is referred to in many different applications. The University department that we call the Advanced Academy of Deliverance lists 17 geographically and ethnologically distinct regions of the world and which curses operate according to these distinctives. For a moment, let us consider what biological sciences and genetics say about this. My book “Dealing with Demons” discusses the DNA findings of the science known as epigenetics. Check my book for more details.

Epigenetics refers to the study of changes in gene expression that involve modifications in gene function caused by environmental factors, lifestyle, or other external influences. According to researchers, these modifications can impact an individual’s development, health, and susceptibility to diseases. Epigenetics also explains the influence of inherited psychological traits passed on genetically. It explains how genes related to behavior and mental health are expressed in successive generations. According to the latest science, certain experiences or environmental factors encountered by parents or ancestors can cause epigenetic changes in their DNA, which are then passed down to offspring. If we “follow the science” we’ll see how this explains one of the ways that curses are transmitted by bloodlines.

Inherited epigenetic modifications may affect brain development, stress response, emotions, and other psychological traits. What interests me is the way that this research reveals how what happened in the past can transmit behavioral tendencies or predispositions across generations. This understanding of DNA science at least partially explains how an individual’s susceptibility to certain mental health conditions or behavioral traits can have roots in one’s genetics. Not all epigenetics research is conclusive, and this field of research is still developing. But the initial findings support the biblical conclusion that we are, in part, who our forebears have been.

Faith in Christ and the cleansing of His blood at the deepest part of our DNA identity can change negative outcomes, but it’s not as automatic as some Christians believe. Romans 8:9-10 states, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (NKJV).

This passage teaches that human heart decisions and confessional affirmations are important in salvation. It is the same with curse breaking. If you “believe with your heart” and “confess with your mouth” that Jesus is the Christ, and that His death upon the cross has atoned for sin, you will be saved. Concurrently, confessing with your mouth the cancellation of generational curses will end many bloodline evils. They will be excised from your DNA so you can walk in greater spiritual freedom. In short, here’s what to do. Repent for the evil of ungodly ancestors. Be as specific as possible about renouncing their egregious sins. Place that inherited evil under the blood of Jesus and declares that all the evil of all the ancestors is canceled. This is the key to breaking curses.

You may not be aware of my topic, “Sun Gazing,” but it’s a huge fad among many New Agers and spiritually disaffected youth. Let me warn you up front. It’s dangerous both physically and spiritually. I have ministered to many people who’ve tried it. Some experienced eye damage. Others escaped severe retinal problems, but their sun gazing got them something even worse — demons! Let’s start by explaining what this new fascination with staring directly at the sun, open-eyed, can do to your vision. Let me make it plain, no matter what some wacko New Ager tells you, there is no such thing as physically safe sun gazing!

Staring at the sun can cause damage to the retina, leading to a condition called solar retinopathy. This damage is often irreversible and can result in permanent vision impairment or blindness. The sun emits ultraviolet radiation that can damage the cornea and lens of the eyes. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can increase the risk of cataracts and other eye disorders. Ironically, many New Agers claim health benefits from sun gazing, including increased energy, spiritual well-being, and – get this — improved eyesight! Sun gazing can be painful physically, but it is even more dangerous spiritually.

Sun gazing is an ancient religious practice of worshipping the sun as a god. Some Native American tribes indulged in it. So did the Meso-American Aztecs. Hindus still do it. In fact, one of the most basic positions of yoga is called the “sun salutation.” It’s a practice taught by most every yoga teacher. It’s actually a series of 12 positions known as Sur Namaskar. All classic books about yoga encourage this position for spiritual purposes. I have been to India many times and watched Hindus practice morning sun worship. I’ve seen Hindus by the thousands stand on banks of the Ganges River, which devout Hindus believe is a god they call Mother Ganges. They stare directly at the rising sun and hold a vial of Ganges water while bowing repeatedly. They believe this glowing orb, rising in the eastern sky, is a god. Make no mistake. You can’t westernize what is a demonic ritual. If you’ve done the yoga sun salutation pose, you may have gotten a demon from it.

Perhaps most serious, is the fact that sun-gazing goes back to the ancient Egyptians who believed they were worshiping the sun-god Ra, the source of life. I have cast demons out of Hindu sun worshippers, namely the demon Surya. I have cast even more demons out of westerners who have stared at the sun and gotten the Egyptian demon Ra, even when they weren’t asking for this evil spirit. One man declared he had sun-gazed for years without any eye damage, and I verified this. Satan had supernaturally protected him. When I had him renounce staring at the sun, he immediately manifested the demon Ra. This demon was so powerful that the earth shook under our feet as I was casting it out!

In our age of departure from Christian faith, sun gazing is just one more of a thousand ways that people are being deceived. Don’t do sun gazing. Keep your eyes on Jesus, as John 1:14 says, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.” Take your eyes off the sun – S-U-N — and look at the true Son — S-O-N – the Son of righteousness, Jesus Christ!