Spiritual warfare is real.
Scripture makes it clear that our battle is “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Eph. 6:12). Satan is still seeking to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and set captives free.
In a recent teaching, evangelist Daniel Adams warned that many believers spend years trying to overcome spiritual battles through natural means while remaining trapped in cycles of bondage. Adams said Jesus not only identified the reality of demonic oppression throughout the Gospels, but He also gave His followers authority over the power of the enemy.
“People walk around all the time demonized and they try in their own strength to overcome things in a physical way but it’s a spiritual issue,” Adams said.
According to Adams, three common signs can point to demonic bondage in a person’s life.
1. You Want Freedom but Remain in Persistent Bondage
The first warning sign is a sincere desire to follow Christ while continually returning to the same sins and destructive habits.
“You read the word, you pray, you worship, you go to church, but nothing’s changing. You see yourself falling into the same sin over and over and over again, but you want to be out of it,” Adams said.
Rather than dismissing this as ordinary temptation, Adams said persistent bondage can reveal that something deeper is happening spiritually. He described people reaching the end of another failure only to ask themselves, “How did I get here?”
Adams also addressed one of the most controversial topics in deliverance ministry: whether Christians can experience demonic oppression. He argued that while believers belong to Christ, they can still come under spiritual bondage that hinders their walk with God.
Pointing to Luke 13:16, where Jesus referred to a “daughter of Abraham” whom Satan had bound for 18 years, Adams argued that Scripture demonstrates believers can experience demonic oppression and still need freedom.
“But praise God that deliverance is the children’s bread, and he has called us to set the captives free,” Adams said.
He emphasized that Jesus has given believers authority over demonic spirits and that no Christian has to remain in bondage.
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2. There Is Strong Resistance to the Things of God
The second sign Adams highlighted is an unusual resistance to prayer, worship and reading Scripture.
“You want to pray, but you choose not to. You want to worship, but you lay down in bed and go to sleep. You want to read the Bible, and you just don’t do it,” he said.
According to Adams, this resistance often goes beyond simple laziness. He pointed to Romans 8:7, explaining that the flesh opposes God while demonic forces reinforce fleshly strongholds, making spiritual disciplines feel burdensome.
“It shouldn’t feel like a chore. If it’s feeling like a chore, there’s a problem. It isn’t a chore. It’s a privilege Jesus has given us to read his word, to worship, and to pray,” Adams said.
He encouraged believers to choose Christ daily, resist the flesh and pursue discipleship after deliverance so their minds can be renewed by God’s Word.
3. Your Life Is Marked by Destruction, Torment or Oppression
The third sign is an ongoing pattern of destruction that continually disrupts a person’s life.
Adams pointed to repeated sabotage, broken relationships, recurring destructive habits, persistent torment, intrusive thoughts and other patterns that seem impossible to overcome despite repeated attempts to change.
“So, if a person’s life is marked by ongoing torment, oppression, repeated destructive patterns and things like this, it’s a sure sign there’s something demonic going on,” he said.
He also referenced the demonized man in Mark 5, who continually harmed himself, saying self-destructive behavior and thoughts should never be ignored as merely natural struggles without considering the spiritual battle taking place.
Adams further explained that while curses and demons are not the same thing, demonic spirits reinforce areas of bondage and destruction. He urged believers not to accept these patterns as normal but to seek freedom through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ still delivers captives, breaks chains and gives believers authority to walk in freedom. No matter how long someone has struggled, lasting freedom is available through the power and authority of Jesus Christ.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
