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Nine years ago, I wrote “Jezebel, Your #1 Spiritual Enemy.” I included a chapter on the incubus spirit and sexual cohabitation between humans and demons. Before that, no one in the Christian community had dared to speak publicly about demonic-human sexual experiences. People had spoken of the Nephilim and the conjecture of Genesis 6:2: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them” (KJV). The idea of fallen angels having sex with female humans and producing a hybrid offspring was mostly the stuff of conspiracy theories and outlying theology.

Suddenly, just a couple of years ago, deliverance ministers started talking about it openly. Many women (and men—succubus experiences) were telling about strange occurrences of demonic molestation. In some cases, it was in dreams; other instances in a semi-awake state. Still others described demonic rape taking place with full consciousness. Was there any truth to these claims?

Since I’ve covered this thoroughly in my “Jezebel” book I’ll not go into details here. But I do want to make several points. The idea of having sex with a demon goes beyond the film “Rosemary’s Baby” way back in 1968. It has been an accepted phenomenon in most of Africa. It’s not uncommon for a young virgin to be given to a “spiritual husband” during a coming-of-age tribal ceremony. But now, because of the rise in witchcraft and the occult, it’s happening all over the Western world.

There are many unanswered questions. Is it real or psychosis, a delusional projection of inward sexual repression? Yes, sometimes. Is it an attempt of a lonely, love-starved individual to eroticize their fantasies? Yes, I’ve encountered that. But an alarming number of women, and men, who seek me out for deliverance prayers all give similar accounts of such experiences. They can’t all be lying. They aren’t all merely overly sexualized by pornography or masturbation. Spirit spouses can and do sometimes happen, especially if ancestors in witchcraft made pacts with the devil to give future generations in spiritual marriage. You may have opened the door by
involvement in the New Age or occult by activating the Kundalini spirit or doing tantric yoga.

There is much more to say, and I will at a later date. But for now, here is my message to anyone suffering uninvited sexual contact. Be careful who you talk to when seeking help. Many deliverance ministries aren’t equipped to handle such matters. Our Do What Jesus Did-trained prayer warriors and Associate Ministers do minister to cases with incubus and succubus. Contact our office to arrange an encounter with me. I have more than 40 years’ experience dealing with cases of demonic assaults.

In the meantime, keep a Bible, cross, and anointing oil by your bed at night. Anoint the four corners of your bed before you sleep. Put a Bible under your pillow. Bind any such demons from attacking you and declare to the devil that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Ask the Lord to show you where this right of spiritual violation came from. It could be from an ancestral sin or ceremony. Perhaps someone in your promiscuous past had this kind of demon and passed it on to you. Remind the devil that according to Revelation 18:23 you are the Bride of Christ alone and that your spirit, soul, and body belong alone to Him.

What would happen if you ripped up a Bible? You may think that is an odd question, but I have serious reasoning behind it. Recently a demonic group the Satanic Temple held their annual convention called SatanCon. Last year it was held in my home city of Scottsdale, Arizona. This year, the motley band of devil worshippers went to a more liberal place, Boston, MA. As part of their satanic psychodrama, they made a big deal about one of their members on stage ripping up a Bible to the cheers of the crowds. What happened next? Nothing, as far as we know. No thunder bolts from heaven. No, screaming in agony as the person who did it went straight to Hell.

So, what would happen if you ripped up a Bible? Actually, I have known people who did just that when they were involved in satanic cults. Some did worse things than rip up a Bible, stuff that I can’t talk about in public. Let’s put this act of Bible desecration in perspective. Jesus is the living Word of God. The written word of God expresses the will of God and reveals the person of Christ. But a physical Bible is just leather and paper. It’s a book. Ripping up a Bible means nothing, except for the intent of the person doing it. If you’ve done such a thing, it is a horrible act of blasphemy. But let me assure you it’s not an unpardonable sin. You won’t be damned forever if you damage a religious object.

The real issue is knowing what inside you compelled such an egregious action. God’s grace and mercy is extended to any act of blasphemy and sacrilege if the miscreant repents. The worst of your deeds can be forgiven by the blood of Christ. This also applies to the person at SatanCon who ripped scripture. To that person I want to say, God is more powerful and more merciful than the anger you vented toward him. Your problem is not a tangible book. What you need to worry about is someday facing the judgment of Christ who is the living world. Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Ripping up a Bible make Satanists happy, but it doesn’t deny Christ’s divinity or the love He expressed on the cross.

Spoiler alert. I’m going to tell you all that needs to be known about the movie thriller “Nefarious.” It was produced by those same folks who gave you the “God’s Not Dead” film, a movie apologetic for the Christian faith. This time they take on demonic possession, and they mostly fail at that task.

What’s good about the movie? First, the movie has the courage to portray demons without spinning heads and levitating bodies. That’s good. With all the interest in deliverance these days, someone in Hollywood was going to use this motif. Why not some guys who are Christians? In this case it is Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon as writers and directors. But therein lies the problem. They either didn’t do their homework adequately or they were so intent on marketing a film in the horror genre that they missed the mark. They depict aberrational stereotypes about demon possession. That’s not the real world of confronting evil spirits.

In the plot, Sean Patrick Flanery plays the part of Edward Wayne Brady, a serial killer in prison who faces a death sentence. His only chance to escape the electric chair is to be declared legally insane. Enter the other lead character, an atheist psychiatrist named Dr. James Martin. On the eve of the execution with hours to spare, the doctor must make an in-person evaluation of this death-row mass murderer. Most of the movie centers on the mental jousting between the demon possessed killer and the psychiatrist. If the doctor declares Edward insane, he escapes Old Sparky. If he is merely narcissistic, it’s curtains for him.

The script writer has the prisoner go in and out of demonic states while the atheist tries to understand what is happening. The demon calling itself Nefarious becomes an unlikely apologetic for Christianity, challenging the atheism of the doctor. Nefarious says that James will have killed three people by the time of the execution. As the plot develops, we learn what constitutes these three deaths:

1) The doctor dispatches his aged mother with euthanasia.

2) The doctor forces his girlfriend to abort their unborn child because he’s “not ready to be a parent.”

3) The doctor effectively signs off on the criminal’s death warrant by declaring him sane.

The demon gloats over the psychiatrist’s killing via assisted suicide. That dialogue becomes rhetoric for a Christian view of life’s sacredness. It’s a clever theatrical device but too forced and polemical. The same dramatic construct is used to define abortion as murder, no less immoral than what the prisoner has done. While I get the idea of biblical ethics being sermonized by a demon, it seems too forced and predictable. Nevertheless, I give credit to the movie’s boldness to propagate Christian values in a film, even if it takes the logic of a demon to accomplish the task.

My thumbs-down is due to the disingenuous way that demonic possession is handled. The movie depicts the stereotype that possessed people are raging lunatics, serial killers, and nefarious mental cases. In my world of exorcism, truly possessed people are often doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, engineers, and even preachers. Successful people, in human terms, but tormented by a hellish inner life. They aren’t going to commit mass mayhem, but they will slowly rot away spiritually and emotionally unless delivered from their demons. Nefarious is a fair-to-middling horror flick, but not entirely convincing of the gospel. It’s better than “The Pope’s Exorcist” but it isn’t helpful for the ministry of casting out demons from ordinary people who are attacked by extraordinary evil spirits.

When the temptation to sin seems overwhelming; when life goes terribly wrong; when horrible thoughts enter your mind; do you ever ask this question: “Is it me or the devil?” Or to put the question another way, “Is what I’m going through part of life’s challenges, or am I under demonic attack? There is no simple answer to this question, but I can give you some additional questions to answer that will give your life more focus about this dilemma.

1. WHY ARE YOU ASKING THE QUESTION? If it is out of misplaced religious guilt, that is one thing. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, this self-reflective inquiry could be your conscience talking back to you. Psalm 139:23 says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (NIV). Confess your secret, willful sins to the Lord. If the thought that you are under demonic attack persists, reach out to a credible deliverance ministry for help so that someone outside your own self-reflection can ask more probing, objective questions. Wondering if your thoughts and actions are influenced by the devil can lead to a vicious cycle of self-condemnation. You need honest input from a mature Christian leader or counselor.
2. ARE THERE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE FAMILY PATTERNS THAT YOU ARE EMULATING? If you came from a solidly biblical Christian home that had healthy values, what you struggle with is less likely to be demonic in nature. On the other hand, if your family of origin was toxic with things such as alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual sin, domestic violence, or antipathy toward God, the chances increase that your problems is demonic. Being raised in a spiritually and emotionally dysfunctional home increases the probability that doors to the devil were opened in your life by unhealthy family dynamics. If, on the other hand, your upbringing was conducive to Christianity, and you are now in rebellion, it’s more likely that Satan is directly interfering in your life.
3. HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, THE OCCULT, NEW AGE OR NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES? If the answer is “No,” demonization is less likely. But if you have dabbled in Ouija boards, astrology, energy healing, tarot cards, yoga, eastern meditation, fortune telling, altered states of consciousness, mindful meditation, enneagrams, mind control, et cetera, it’s more probable that at least some of the torment in your life is the direct result of demons. If you have taken ayahuasca, smoked a lot of weed, tripped on LSD, DMT, or mushrooms your chances of direct attack from the devil increases dramatically.

I could write an essay or an entire book on answers to the question, “Is it me or the devil?” But you now have at least three areas of your life to immediately contemplate. If one or more of these factors is dominant in your life, don’t put off immediately seeking spiritual help from a trusted, credible source. Reaching out to someone who is inexperienced or doesn’t believe in demons attacking Christians will only make your situation worse. Check our web site demontest.org for more questions to pinpoint your problem. Contact our offices at boblarson.org for further direction. If your issue is spiritual, and if it is demonic, putting off getting the right kind of intervention will allow the devil even more latitude to destabilize your life. Conversely, dealing with your sins, taking an honest look at your family upbringing, and getting substance abuse and false religious practices out of your life will be big steps forward to freedom. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (NKJV).

Can you sell your soul to Satan? Some demonic cults say that you can. They even have rituals to accomplish the task. But are those ceremonies and pacts with the devil eternally legal and binding? Other people I’ve encountered think they can never be saved because in a foolish moment when they were younger, they wanted something. In desperation they told the devil they’d serve him if he’d give them a certain thing? Let state up front. Even after having encountered people involved in Satanism who have participated in unthinkably degrading demonic rituals, not one has ever truly sold his soul to the devil. Let me explain.

Jesus himself posed this question in Mark 8:37: “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (KJV) We must put this comment in context. Christ was speaking to his disciples and emphasizing the importance of following Him without compromise. Just earlier in verse 34 Jesus made the well-know “take up you cross” analogy. Also, the next verse of this chapter, Mark 8:38, gives us a clearer meaning of what Christ meant: “For, whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of Him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

A proper exegesis of the Mark 8:37-38 statements, about exchanging one’s soul, clearly shows that Christ was talking about someone who was never saved, not a Christian who may have called on the devil in a moment of weak faith and mental confusion. Jesus is describing a rebellious person who willfully lives in sin. Such a person will not enter into heaven. This individual has not sold his soul to Satan in a diabolical pact. He has merely given up the hope of salvation by deliberately choosing to continue in sin in defiance of God’s love.

Still, I have met those who believe they made some kind of pact with the devil, spoken or unspoken. Consequently, they are tormented. If you are such a person, the solution is simple. As Romans 10:13 states, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (KJV) No ifs, ands, or buts. Call and Christ will save you. If you think you made and agreement with the devil, consider these three points:

 1) If it was done before you were saved, the blood of Jesus canceled it when you came the Christ.

 2) If you did it in a weak or backslidden moment as a Christian, God’s grace is extended to you without limit for ANY sin of ANY kind. On a human scale we are to forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22 — an infinite number). The Divine scale of mercy is much greater. Psalm 103:11 says, “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear Him.” (NKJV)

3) If you think you made a deal with the devil, perhaps you were without full mental capabilities, such as stress, depression, grief over a death, momentary anger at God, the influence of any drug (including a doctor’s medication. Stop tormenting yourself. You didn’t commit an unpardonable sin.

Any agreement with Satan is automatically invalidated due to extenuating circumstances. Verbally cancel it. Declare it null and voice. Place it under the blood of Jesus and break such a curse. Then seek prayers of deliverance, healing, and exorcism to get mentally and emotionally free from any rash statements of the past. Our ministry is here to help.

In 2017 the Oxford English Dictionary, a linguistics standard for the English language, officially christened the word “woke.” The definition given was “to be aware of, and actively attentive to, important facts and issues (especially racial and social justice).” In response to that, three significant words have been used to achieve the woke goal—disparity, equity, and inclusion. When the word “woke” dawned on the collective consciousness of America it sounded harmless. Proponents of woke adopted disparity, equity, and inclusion as if these concepts were a religious liturgy, like saying “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” People who mostly had no faith, certainly no Christian orthodoxy, made woke a rallying cry. It became the motto of economic, sexual, and political activism. But as bestselling author John Ringo recently said, “Go woke, go broke.”

Ringo was describing companies who use political correctness as a corporate strategy to success. Ringo argues that it doesn’t work. The public does not buy the artifice. Instead, most woke businesses have had massive income losses. Consumers consider the approach disingenuous. They perceive that brands going woke are only using the tactic to appear socially aware. But here is the problem that should concern every follower of Christ. Woke is about more than economics and justice. It’s also about sex, money, and political transformation. With its redefinition of meanings, woke has also targeted Christian, biblical values. Sadly, the woke trend has ensnared some Christian leaders. To them, I say, go woke, go spiritually broke.

Let’s focus on those three words—disparity (inequality), equity (fair mindedness), and inclusion (equal opportunity). The words and their definitions are good. Who wouldn’t want to fight for equality, fairness, and opportunity? But look closer and you’ll see that this tactic of redefining language has historically been a tool of despots and political strongmen. Using buzzwords for a hidden agenda isn’t new. Visit the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, as I have, and you’ll be struck by the slogan above the entry to this compound of death, “Arbeit Macht Frei,” “work makes you free.” This is a blatant example of twisting the word “free” displayed at the entrance to one of the most horrific places on earth.

Consider again these three words I’ve cited.

Disparity—That is the sad history of humanity, but only Jesus can make the playing field level. The total elimination of social polarity is only possible through the cross where all men are declared sinners (Romans 3:23). And true parity is achievable only in the body of Christ, as Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Fight real injustices if you will. I am with you. But phony woke battles that lead to spiritual compromise of biblical truths is fake equality.

Equity — We know that institutions like slavery were not equitable and never could be. That is why a civil war was fought that cost 620,000 lives. We also recognize that full equity has not been realized for some. But now we are told that certain groups must pay the price of exclusion with reparations to achieve parity for others. That is social engineering, reverse racism, not compassion. Scripture constantly speaks of hard work, diligence, and steadfastness as the keys to upward mobility. Psalm 128:2 says, “When you eat the labor of your hands you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.”

Inclusion—That woke word wants to cancel Christian biblical convictions. Prepubescent gender identity, aberrant sexual behavior, and ethics of life pertaining to abortion and euthanasia are part of the woke agenda. If you believe what the Bible says, the woke crowd says that you aren’t inclusive. You’re a bigot, a homophobe, a Karen, a racist—whatever epithet the proponent of woke wants to hurl your way. Christians need to be careful. In the name of compassion and non-judgmentalism they can be easily ensnared. Going woke could indeed be going spiritually broke.

In summary, seeking equity and inclusion without Christ is doomed to failure because man’s problem is sin, not lack of political enlightenment. The social gospel of the 60s resulted in eventual support of Central and South American dictators who oppressed their people. The motto of the eighteenth- century French Revolution, “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” — Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood — led to bloody guillotines. The current adoption of woke culture by some evangelical pastors could lead the church in America down the road to serious spiritual compromise. That journey has already started in some churches. It must go no further. The words of Jesus in John 14:6 are words of exclusion, not inclusion: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

With all the talk these days of demons and deliverance, how would I know if you had a demon? I’m going to give you five ways to detect if you do. Of course, there are hundreds of ways that demons enter. But I have broken this down into the five areas demons most generally attack the human condition. This applies in every culture on every socioeconomic level. What I’m saying isn’t exhaustive. If you want more illumination on this, go to boblarsonuniversity.org and check out our educational track on demons, deliverance, and exorcism.

Here, then, are the five most common areas where evil spirits strike, especially Christians.

1. FAITH: Demons attack belief systems of faith. These tactics are obvious. Try to read your Bible and you suddenly get sleepy or distracted. You may find yourself questioning time-honored scriptural truths. You doubt, like Eve, when the tempting serpent questioned God with the words of Genesis 3:1: Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’? (AMP) Such distractions may be human querulousness or deception by the devil.
2. HEALTH: John 10:10 says that Satan comes to kill. Not all sicknesses, diseases, and infirmities are demonic, but many are. The devil may exploit bodily weakness to make them worse. He can also be the cause of physical maladies. Luke 7:21 says of Jesus, “He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits” (NKJV). Here we see the connection between illnesses and casting out demons. Demonic diseases often come on suddenly, have no medical explanation, and don’t improve with any medication. Don’t automatically assume that any illness is demonic, but there’s no harm in praying for healing if it is the work of evil spirits.
3. FINANCES: Not every lack of money is the work of demons, but generational curses are often centered on this theme. An ancestor made a deal with the devil, perhaps the demon god Mammon, and successive progeny never seem to have enough or always lose what they gain. Education, hard work, industriousness help to mitigate this curse, but the devil often seems to keep the tormented Christian from realizing their fullest potential. Malachi 3:11 declares that the Lord will rebuke the devourer for the sake of those who are faithful in giving to the Lord. Conversely, Satan can claim the right to steal what should belong to a Christian by destruction and wasting.
4. EMOTIONS: Often the unhealthy emotions of an individual provide a way for demons to infect the mind. Anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, rejection, and self-loathing are emotional examples of places where demons can reside. These negative spiritual strongholds if not confessed and healed will remain an opening for evil spirits. Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (ESV). Failing to do so invites demons to dwell in the soul of one who has not surrendered their whole mind and their emotions to the Lord.
5. CALLING: Do you feel like you never seem to achieve your real purpose in life. You have a nagging sense that there is more you could do for the Lord. You have the talents and skill, the education and will, but real success eludes you. You wonder, “What is my calling in the body of Christ?” It could be that you have not yet spiritually matured to receive your destiny. Or ego and selfishness could be in the way. It also might be a demon blocking your future of blessing and service in His Kingdom. Ephesians 4:1 recognizes that each Christian has a divine purpose as Paul implored those reading his words, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (NKJV). If you can’t find your calling, you may need deliverance from demons before you realize your divinely created purpose.

As I said, this list is not exhaustive and it isn’t the final word on the ways that demons attack. But if you find yourself afflicted in one or more of these area of life, you may need to consider getting inner healing ministry and perhaps even exorcism prayers. It is likely the only way you’ll detect if you are supernaturally hindered by demons. If you are afflicted in one of these five areas, prayers of deliverance can set you free. We’re here to help so don’t put off reaching out.   

I have an unusual question. What kind of demon do you have? You may think that you don’t have demons. But what if you did? What sort of evil spirit would you want to be on the lookout for? You may think that this an odd line of questioning. But hear me out. Almost every day I encounter people for whom knowing the answer to this question –What kind of demon do you have? — is the difference between spiritual success or a life of misery. 

Demons commonly fall into one of two general categories. Put simply, some demons “do” and some demons “are.” By that I mean that “do” demons are evil spirits of action defined by their assignment, such as Death or Murder. Other demons are specified by what we grammatically call their “proper” name, who they “are.” Their name is not necessarily connected to what they do. An example would be Lucifer or Leviathan. Knowing this distinction helps to guide the deliverance process.

Here’s an example of a man named Bill. Now in his sixties, Bill had served Christ his entire life. But he also experienced a history of failed marriages, depression, and pornography addiction. Still, he kept his faith, attended church, and read his Bible. Bill tried to serve the Lord with a mixture of devotion and obligation. But the standard solution of increasing his spiritual virtues wasn’t working.  On the surface it appeared he was spiritually steadfast, but behind the scenes Bill lived in shame and misery. After decades of disappointment, he now had thoughts of suicide.

In this state of desperation, Bill scheduled a virtual encounter with me. Within minutes of ministry, I uncovered something that Bill had never told anyone — childhood sexual experimentation with pornography. This tragic occurrence compelled him with supernatural lust as a young boy. The trauma locked him into a life of unrelenting sexual sin. 

Bill had a “do” demon, an evil spirit of action and intent. It drove him to do something, lust with an uncontrollable passion. During our ministry we further discovered that this demon was historically rooted in an ancestral curse of idolatry and witchcraft many generations ago. That ancient evil connected with Bill’s youthful, perverted exploration of sex. We broke Bill’s curse, cast out the demon, and he was set free.

What kind of demon do you have? Is it a “do” demon with an evil plan that targets certain areas of your life specifically. Or do you have a demon defined by its name, like Baphomet or Beelzebub, who may be connected to ancient ritual worship.

Don’t try to decide yourself if your demon is defined by what he does or who he is. You likely don’t have the knowledge base or the seasoned experience. You also may lack sufficient objectivity about your own issues. Allow me or one of our associate ministers to determine if you have a demon defined by who he is or what he does. That could be the key to overcoming lingering torment in your life.