Deliverance Explained 

What Deliverance is, why we need it and how to maintain it

Definition of 'Deliverance' - To be freed from captivity, usually spiritual. 

2 Timothy 2:21 

'Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful for the Master of the house, and prepared and ready for every good work.' 

Once we have been truly born again by Gods Spirit into His kingdom of light, we begin our faith journey with Him through sanctification of His Spirit. What God truly desires is holy sons and daughters who are sanctified from Satan and the world and who will obey Him and worship Him in spirit and in truth. 

This is the number one most important thing to Him: our sanctification. Without proper sanctification, we will never truly be able to know Him. God is a holy and a righteous God. He will never compromise His holiness. He cannot look upon wickedness and He despises evil. 

The moment we get born again, we experience a spiritual journey called the narrow road. With this journey, we need to be cleansed of spiritual filth and fleshly filth. This process of being cleansed from spiritual filth and fleshly filth will enable us to perfect holiness in the fear of God. 

2 Corinthians 6:14-18, (NKJV) 

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 

"I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." “Therefore, Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty" 

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV) 

'Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' 

Unless we submit to this process, He will not receive us as His sons and daughters, for what can darkness and light have anything to do with one another? We are made to understand from this scripture that we are to cut off certain links from our past... habits, friends, the way we do things, sin and the like. We see that to be received by God; we do not become yoked with things we used to be slaves to. In Romans 6:12, we are made to understand that we should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies so that we can be enabled to be on this journey as true holy children of God. 

This effort will be done through the cleansing act of the Holy Spirit, and this act of cleansing is what we call deliverance. Deliverance is a spiritual cleansing because there are spiritual entities that love to overtake our mortal bodies, and they have been doing this since the beginning of time. 

They have been transferring from our mother and our father's family bloodlines. If you have a mother and a father you will need deliverance. Psalm 51:5 reveals the truth of our history. David said, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." 

We are already born with this spiritual filth living in us without our knowledge and they don't give up or yield themselves just because we have become knowledgeable about the Lord. For us to be cleansed of these entities, and because they do not go by themselves, they must be removed in a purposeful and a forceful way. This is what deliverance comes to do for us when we submit to His cleansing power, not relying on our own understanding of what we think deliverance should be like. 

There are so many misconceptions regarding deliverance and what it is. Many times, we see in the gospels that when demons manifested in a person, it would scare people, shock them or make people feel uncomfortable. The Pharisees even accused Jesus of casting out demons by Satan the ruler of demons. It was a new and strange doctrine to a lot of people (read Mark 1) but Jesus responded with great wisdom found in Luke 11:20-22 when He said this, "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils." 

Deliverance is the power of God in the form of the Holy Spirit coming upon a person to cleanse them from demons and the works of demons. For this reason, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy all the works of the devil,1 John 3:8. 

We can see from scripture, it takes a "stronger than he" to come upon the house and remove the demon, it doesn't happen automatically because we are now interested in God and read the Bible. Unless we receive this cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to remain prisoners and will be unable to carry out His will. 

The Jews and Pharisees could not understand that what Jesus was talking about in John 8 was deliverance from demons. They thought they were not in bondage to anyone, yet spiritually they were captives of the devil to do his will. Currently, most Christians are captives of the enemy because they do not know to seek deliverance. Deliverance is essential for the freedom and salvation of our souls. 

This process of cleansing is according to how we really want and desire to be free from these spiritual entities. It takes determination and understanding that you don't want them staining your purity with God and because they are living entities that don't die and have more strength and power over human beings, you also need to understand how to war against them properly. 

The enemy takes control of our minds, intellect, emotions, and the whole body to do their will in it and with it. They are also more in number than human beings and always work in groups. You should never take your spiritual enemy for granted so deliverance to a Christian should be a priority. 

Psalm 56:5-6 says this 'All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life.' 

This is what they do to us and no one is exempt because demons are not afraid of anything in the flesh. You will even see an example of this in Mark 1:21-28, when Jesus commanded the demon to leave the man in the synagogue, and the demon threw the man on the ground and convulsed him in the Presence of God. He wasn't even afraid of Jesus! Instead, he was angry that he got caught and was made to show himself by the manifestation God's presence. God chose to deliver that specific man to glorify His name and show the people what they had not seen before and to reveal to them that demons are the cause of our suffering. 

We see that even in the Presence of God the demons showed themselves strong by violently convulsing the man Jesus was delivering. The demons even spoke through the man! Notice that all Jesus had to do was to speak and His words tormented the demons so much that they manifested in this man. I'm sure others around him were confused as to why this man was talking this way, but Jesus knew who was speaking. It was not the man, but the demons in the man. The man who was in the synagogue was very much like those in the church today; except very few ministers are dealing with this in the way in which the Lord commands them! At New World Deliverance Ministries International, we deal with them and follow the 'Great Commission' or the instructions of the resurrected Jesus Christ. 

Like many of us who don't realize we have demons lurking inside of us today, we need to understand that demons are the owners and originators of sin. Satan and his demons are the engineers of all sin and evil. Man was not originally created with a sinful nature. We today have a fallen nature because Adam and Eve were naïve and overcome by the temptation of the devil. What we see in this world as sin is actually the power of lust that the demons wage against man. 

Romans 6:12 says: 

'Therefore, do not let sin rein in your mortal body, that you should obey it and its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.' 

Sin indeed has an owner. For someone to reign, he must be a ruler or a king. Paul is talking about someone who reins in our body as a king and produces sin in us. The lust Paul is talking about is found in John 2:16 and there are three areas in which every sin a person can commit falls under. The first is the lust of the flesh. Secondly, the lust of the eyes and the third area in which we sin is known as 'the pride of life.' We see an example of this in Genesis when Satan, by his cunning, deceived Eve. He used the lust of the eyes to give Eve an 'image' that the fruit was indeed good. This is the most dangerous one. He used the lust of the flesh to make them hunger after foolish things and pleasures of this life. He lastly used the pride of life to puff up Adam and Eve to think they could be like God. This is the equivalent today of many people thinking they are equal with God. 

Many Christians might even think because Jesus died on the cross that now they are equal with him in glory. But God is a humble God and a righteous God and there is no one and nothing equal to Him. We need to be especially careful that when we say we 'walk by faith' that we have sought deliverance first and are truly Children of God who choose to walk by true faith as the Lord has guided us and instructed us to do. We do not want God to ever view us as presumptuous or proud because this gives Satan liberties with us we do not want him to have. 

The power demons exert upon each one of us is lustful. Power overtakes us uncontrollably and forces us to do the things we never want to do; to believe the things we never would normally choose to believe and to invest in things that are sinful and an abomination to the Lord. 

Romans 7:14-25 tells us: 

'For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is in my flesh nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my body members.' 

We see in this scripture that evil spirits can prevent the good that we would normally want to do. Paul even says, 'if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it BUT sin who dwells in me and that evil is present with him.' If the great and righteous Apostle Paul struggled with demons (sin), then we need to recognize there is no exception where we are concerned. Paul even spoke in verse 24-25 about the need for deliverance. 'Oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.' 

Moreover, most sicknesses, diseases, suffering, lack, poverty, violent living (domestic disputes, assault, hatred, anger, quarreling, contentions, arguments over petty things, etc.) have their roots in demons, the engineers of sin. James 3:15-16 says, 'this wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and selfishness exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.' 

Satan and his evil kingdom are the owners of all sin so this makes it pertinent that every spiritual child of God makes it a priority to pass through deliverance because the demons will not go by themselves until they have encountered the true power of God. 

Our opinion about self-deliverance: Let's suppose you have a sickness that needs surgery. Will you be the one to operate on yourself? Likewise, removing demons is similar to a spiritual operation. 

In Mark 3:14-15 we are told this: 

'Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.' 

God first chooses who He wants to use in ministry. He then trains you, equips you, appoints you and then sends you with His power. He does not choose everyone as we see from scriptures. Although true 'born again' children of God all have the potential to cast out demons and heal sicknesses, God still must choose a person for that ministry and to give you the power to do the works. 

It's only by the grace of God that a person can cast out a demon. It takes training and it takes spiritual maturity before you can be sent to do mighty works of deliverance like we see in the gospels and the book of Acts. The Apostles didn't just wake up one day with the ability to cast out demons. 

Mark 16:17: 

'And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.' 

This scripture has been referred to as part of 'The Great Commission.' While Jesus was commissioning the Apostles to know these things about the kingdom of God, He did not say that just because you choose to go in His name did it mean that God, Himself had sent the person. He was elevating His name and making us understand that in His name, miracles like deliverance, healing, etc. would happen. 

God gave His name to the Apostles and continues to give His name in this day to those whom He chooses to give His power and authority to. 

The first step is belief, but after that, God still must choose to give you His name which is the seal of His authority to cast out demons. Therefore, we see in the church today that many people will leave feeling disillusioned, disappointed or confused because when people who are not called by God in ministry try to use the name of Jesus, nothing happens. People continue to stay in sickness, poverty or lack; and to be completely demonized. They find themselves wondering why but it is because there is a revelation behind the name of Jesus and the power and glory of God! 

God was not using this command in Mark 16:17 as a blanketed statement for everyone because He has to call you first and prepare you, then equip you, appoint you and then; if and when God feels you are well prepared, He may choose to send you. There are no assumptions or presumptions here. It is completely up to the Holy Spirit as to whether this happens at all in the first place and secondly; the timing is all His. 

After believing in His name, you must still receive the authority attached to His name to produce any fruitful, spiritual works that might bring Him glory (deliverance, healing, etc.) 

As a minister of God, until you have passed through the deliverance process yourself and have gone through the steps it takes to free yourself by submitting under the authority of an anointed Man or Woman of God who has the deliverance power like the Apostles to free you, you will not be able to deliver anyone. Also, you will not be able to properly hear from God because the enemy will still be at work in your life. 

If you come to the realization that you need to free yourself from these spiritual entities, then you should also realize that deliverance is not an automatic or a one-time thing. Deliverance is purposeful and there is a definite process. This process takes time because evil spirits don't die. Every time God removes them, they can come back with more demons to fight the person which they will gladly do if the person is a threat to their kingdom. 

Luke 11:24-26: 

'When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest and finding none, he says, "I will return to my house from which I came. And when He comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.' 

We can see from this scripture that after deliverance the demons are pained because they lost their house. This is what the Demon calls you, their house. They have no peace or rest unless they are back in your body, making you suffer. Sometimes if they see Angels of God are guarding you, they go and try to find another house to destroy, but because most every human being is already occupied with demons, they can't find an empty vessel to live in. So, they will watch you intently and study your Angels to see whether they are able to overcome them or not and the demons note how clean and holy and connected you are to God. They know lukewarm Christians are easy access. But the truth is, they fight harder for those who want to live godly lives in holiness with the Spirit of God. Satan and his demons study the light inside you and calculate whether they can overtake it or not. They lie in wait to see who God protects most diligently (those who are his true spiritual children who seek Him with all that they have) and these are their prime targets because these Christians can do them the most harm. Some Christians have a very dim light while others have a bright light depending on how they live their lives, and how they relate to God. 

A big misconception among the church today regarding this scripture is that many believe and teach that when Jesus said, "And when He comes back, he finds it swept and put in order..." that He is talking about your need to fill your vessel with the word of God or else they will come back. Many teach that if you just read the Bible the demons won't be able to enter you again because you will be filled with the Word of God. While that sounds very nice to the ears, that is not what Jesus was referring to. The reason why that person's body is "swept and put in order" is because the Holy Spirit has come upon that person and removed all the junk of the enemy and the only way to fill your vessel to a point where demons cannot enter easily again is to build a love relationship with the Holy Spirit of God which is a process. 

People always allude to the fact that filling yourself with the Word of God disables the demons from coming back. But demons don't look at how much theory or word you have in you. Rather it is the practical living of holiness and character with the Presence of God with you that pulls them away at least a little. Then, they take up watch on the sidelines to attempt any way back in that they can find. 

Holiness is the essence of who God is. Without holiness and Godly character, the demons do not have to stay away from you, they can come and go as they please. Holiness is a light that shines in darkness, and the darkness must give way. 

Demons will always find a way back and you do not have to do anything wrong or live sinfully. They will fight their way back to you and they know how to do it because they know you, they can see you and have been living in you since you were conceived in your mother's womb. They have been living for centuries and know every trick in the trade. 

The most common way demons come back to enter a person is through dreams, in which they will feed you or give you something to drink and in doing so if you accept it then they enter you and again start building their home in you. They also will try to seduce you; assault you or even mate with you in your dreams. Sometimes they pretend that they are a significant other, or a family member, or a friend and trick you into either having copulation with them or joining a covenant with them unbeknownst to you. 

Many times, they will do things to you secretly in your dreams and then blind you so that you wake up with no knowledge or remembrance of your dreams or what they did to you. Just because you don't remember your dreams or think you don't even have them does not mean the enemy is inactive in your life. He does his things in secret so you will never know. 

Therefore, it is vital that you never take your enemies for granted and this is also why you should value deliverance more in your Christian Walk. Do not think that you are too holy for deliverance as the enemy makes many Christians think they don't need it. Everyone needs deliverance and it does not matter how long you think you have been walking with God. This is also why it is so important to cultivate a love relationship with God in humility because PRIDE is the devil's favorite tool to use against us. 

Proverbs 16:18 (KJV) which says this: 

'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.' 

If you want to be cleansed from these entities it is imperative that you seek out a true deliverance ministry with someone who is legitimately called into the ministry and with evidence of the power of God and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. 

The Pathway Into lasting Deliverance — Setting Your Love Upon God

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him.”
— Psalm 91:14

Deliverance begins with love.

Psalm 91:14 reveals a divine principle that many overlook: God’s promise of deliverance is directly connected to where a person places their love. “Because he has set his love upon Me…”—this is not a casual affection or emotional feeling. It is a deliberate, spiritual posture of the heart.

Loving God is not merely emotional; it is spiritual, intentional, and lived out daily. It is a choice that opens the door to continuous deliverance, divine protection, and deep intimacy with God. This lifestyle of love is the foundation of the Secret Place and the foundation of true deliverance.

Deliverance that is not rooted in love will never last. But when love is established, deliverance becomes sustained, guarded, and fruitful.

Love and Deliverance Revealed in the Psalms

(Psalm 91; Psalms 18, 142, 143)

Throughout the Psalms, God reveals a consistent truth: He delivers those who love Him, cry out to Him, trust Him, and submit to His ways.

Psalm 18 — God Delivers His Beloved With Power

Psalm 18 shows us the response of God when His people cry out to Him in love and dependence. David declares that God:

• Comes down from heaven

• Breaks chains and destroys enemies

• Becomes our fortress, rock, strength, and shield

• Rescues us because “He delights in us”

This psalm reveals that love causes God to move on your behalf with force and authority. God does not passively observe the battles of those who cling to Him—He intervenes. He fights for those who love Him.

Deliverance flows from relationship. God rescues not because of human strength, but because of divine delight.

Psalm 142 — Deliverance Begins With a Cry From the Heart

Psalm 142 teaches that deliverance begins internally before it manifests externally. David shows us that God delivers when:

• You pour out your complaint before Him

• You acknowledge your weakness

• You confess, “You are my refuge, O God”

• You turn to God when no one else can help

Love is expressed by turning to God first. Deliverance begins the moment the heart sincerely cries out to Him. Before chains break outwardly, surrender must happen inwardly.

God responds to honesty, humility, and dependence—not performance.

Psalm 143 — Deliverance Requires Obedience and Surrender

Psalm 143 reveals that deliverance is inseparable from obedience. This psalm connects deliverance to:

• Seeking God’s will

• Allowing Him to teach and lead

• Trusting in His faithfulness

• Turning away from the enemy’s works, sin, and disobedience

• Surrendering your spirit into God’s guidance

Those who love God’s ways qualify for His rescue. Deliverance is not merely freedom from evil spirits—it is being led by the Spirit into a new way of living.

Freedom without obedience is temporary. True deliverance transforms how you walk, think, and live.

What It Means to Set Your Love Upon God

To set your love upon God is to make Him your dwelling place and highest priority. It involves more than words—it requires lifestyle alignment.

Setting your love upon God includes:

• Daily surrender and seeking

• Being Convicted on sin, asking for forgiveness and repenting - turning away from it in full

• Obedience that flows from love

• Practicing the character of 1 Corinthians 13—patience, kindness, humility, purity, endurance

• Spending time in fellowship, worship, and the Word

• Giving to God with a sincere heart

• Maintaining a soft, teachable, and grateful spirit

When love is established, faith grows stronger, obedience becomes easier, and God draws near.

Principles That Strengthen the Bond Between Love and Deliverance

1. Deliverance Begins With the State of the Heart

True deliverance starts with the condition of the heart—not the casting out of demons. A heart softened by love, repentance, and humility becomes reachable by God and untouchable by the enemy.

2. Deliverance Requires Total Surrender

You cannot be free from what you still hold onto. Freedom comes when your will, desires, habits, and mindset are fully surrendered to God.

3. Deliverance Is a Lifestyle, Not an Event

Demons fight for re-entry, but a life anchored in love, holiness, and obedience keeps the doors closed. Love keeps you clean. Compromise and complacency open doors to sin and oppression.

4. God Delivers Where His Word Is Obeyed

The Word of God is the sword of deliverance. When God’s Word is stored in your spirit and practiced daily, the enemy loses authority over your thoughts and emotions.

5. Consistency Is Your Weapon

The enemy thrives on weariness, inconsistency, and distraction. A believer who consistently prays, worships, studies the Word, and loves God becomes spiritually fortified and difficult to conquer.

6. Deliverance Requires Walking in the Light

Hidden sin, unforgiveness, and secrecy keep spiritual doors open. Transparency before God brings freedom. Purity keeps demons powerless. Deliverance requires baptism in the Holy Spirit and living as a true child of God.

7. Love Is the Highest Protection

Demons cannot imitate pure love. A heart filled with genuine love for God burns with a spiritual fire they cannot withstand.

Why Love Brings Deliverance

• Draws God’s presence

• Activates faith

• Breaks demonic influence

• Keeps the heart clean

• Protects the mind from deception

• Attracts divine help and angelic protection

The more you love God, the more unshakable, immovable, and unreachable you become to the enemy.

Everything you desire in deliverance is unlocked by love.