Have you ever cast out a demon before?
In a live Bible study interview with Kap Chatfield, Isaiah Saldivar tackled the tough question about how we, as children of God, should interact with deliverance.
The first thing Saldivar makes mention of is that if we actively become part of deliverance ministry, it is not a question but a certainty that people will leave our lives.
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“If you read what they did to Jesus when He started casting up demons, they called Him the devil,” Saldivar says. “So don’t expect to start all of a sudden [to be] casting out demons and everybody loves you and your family thinks it’s amazing. You’re going to be [cast out] for specifically confronting demonic powers and casting out demons.”
Another key point that Saldivar wants people to be aware of is how little the topic of deliverance is actually discussed. It’s something Saldivar says people need as a key to staying out of bondage. What’s more is Saldivar says the training process for Christians to engage in deliverance ministry is necessary because deliverance is not something for one or two people to know how to do. Instead, it’s something God is asking of His children to take part in to set the captives free.
When it comes to setting people free from bondage, Chatfield asked one of the most controversial questions surrounding the ministry of deliverance.
“People specifically ask this question,” Chatfield asks Saldivar. “Can Christians be demon possessed?”
“It’s the most contentious question there is when it comes to deliverance,” Saldivar says. “I do believe one of the devil’s greatest lies he’s given is that Christians don’t need deliverance…so, can a Christian be demon possessed?”
The answer? Saldivar says absolutely not.
“There’s no possible way a Christian could be demon possessed,” Saldivar says.
Saldivar dives deeper into what this actually means. A Christian cannot be possessed, as in owned, by a demon. However, Saldivar makes it clear that the demonic can still try to influence a believer. While there are lots of theological debates about proper terminology, methods and beliefs about how deliverance ministry should be carried out, Chatfield and Saldivar both note that Christians should be aware of any open doors in their lives to the enemy.
“We should live in such a way where we’re walking in holiness and righteousness and circumspect unto God with clean hands and a pure heart,” Saldivar says. “Instead of going from deliverance to deliverance we need to walk in dominion.”
Wherever you stand on the nuanced details of deliverance ministry, it’s key to understand that there is a spiritual realm and the devil exists to steal, kill and destroy. Only through Christ can we be totally transformed and set free.
To pre-order Isaiah Saldivar’s book, “How to Cast Out Demons,” visit Amazon.com.
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