***Just because Deliverance Ministry is not happening at your local church, does not mean it’s not happening. It also does not mean that members in your local church aren't creating spaces for deliverance ministry. Deliverance happens in homes, on sidewalks, in cars, etc. The Church - the manifestation of God's people in the earth - is doing deliverance ministry EVERYWHERE.

But this post is specifically about what is happening in church buildings everywhere.

1. Many church leaders and shepherds have not received deliverance or have had bad experiences and teaching around it.

We have to remember that pastors and church leaders are people too. Every one of them has a history that they may never share from the pulpit, especially if parts of their history aren't particularly edifying.

Consider this fact: Confusing or traumatizing experiences with deliverance ministry are imminent if there is a lack of Biblical teaching, accountability, and/or love for the person who is receiving.

2. A well-established deliverance ministry requires sound, biblical teaching to avoid sensationalism and chaos

Depending on the mission and values of a local assembly, they may prioritize certain doctrines or portions of the Bible that seem more practical and applicable to everyday life. There is a reason why you may have heard scary or conflicting ideologies about Deliverance ministry and demons and this is the same reason that local churches may not teach on it at all, much less demonstrate.

The entire Bible - from Genesis to Exodus, to Luke, Colossians, and even Revelation - speaks of God The Deliverer, spiritual enemies, deliverance from said enemies, and God’s will to empower man to have dominion over them.

Consider this fact: Deliverance ministry is an extension of the gift of salvation as a tool for sanctification and exercised dominion through God's people.

3. To serve in deliverance, you must maintain a culture where people can be free and unlearn* their previous bondage.

There is a widespread issue within our churches in America where many things are prioritized ahead of the story of the Gospel, the meaning of grace, and the principles of the Kingdom. Church membership and giving grow when the congregants can feel inspired, affirmed, and encouraged to believe that everything will be alright.

We call it a “watered-down Gospel”, but if the Gospel is watered-down, it’s no longer good and therefore no longer The Gospel. Ultimately, this ends up just being a teaching that keeps the flesh unchallenged and pacifies bondage.

Deliverance ministry implies that there is ongoing work happening on the part of the recipient and as the service of the church which ensure that the mind is continually renewed. Churches that have not accepted the parts of scripture that are inherently confrontational will not have the ability to confront deeply rooted mindsets that are responsible for bondage to begin with.

4. Some teachings out there perpetuate the idea that deliverance ministry is synonymous with or contrary to fundaments of The Gospel of Grace

Salvation is what delivers the soul from the law of sin and death. Being delivered from the power of sin means that we are free to reap the benefits that sin once disqualified us of (including deliverance from the dominion of darkness).

Deliverance ministry, as we know it, is what enlightens and empowers God's people to enforce the removal of demonic power from its ability to influence God's people through the medium of the flesh. To understand how this works, you have to recognize the fact that although the soul is saved, people are still not perfectly holy in their thinking or decisions.

Grace is the reason why we live despite our flaws. Grace is in the time that we have been given, and are continuously given, to process our thoughts and choose life. Mind renewal is a process. So as long as we are capable of manifesting imperfection, we need salvation (or deliverance) from something that is an enemy to our call to perfection (Matthew 5:48).

Grace is the reason why we have the time to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God's incredible power that works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

5. Some teachings perpetuate that if we engage in spiritual warfare and demonic powers, it will create more warfare or backlash.

The truth is that spiritual warfare is already quite active and ongoing, even when we don’t engage in it. Resistance is guaranteed for anyone who dares to disagree with Hell, and disagreement with Hell starts at the point of salvation (if not possibly before).

By ignoring spiritual warfare, we are only delaying a true revelation of victory, grace, and freedom. When people think of backlash, they may see it as a negative result of resisting or placing an attack on the plans of the enemy.

Consider this fact: What we think “backlash” is doesn’t exist the way people think it does. There are many factors at play which include time, purpose, and identity where God may actually call you to a war to show you the extent of your dominion and authority through Him. There are also unnecessary wars that come as a result of deciding to leave the counsel of God, making one vulnerable to spiritual enemies.

The children of Israel experience both of these types of warfare as cited in scripture.

Finally,

What we don’t talk about enough is that Jesus empowered more than just the 12 to cast out devils as cited in Luke 10.

The early church established by the 12 disciples had a much firmer grasp of all the tools that have been given to us to work out our salvation. In scripture, we see the Apostles emulating their rabbi Jesus through demonstrations of healing, deliverance, boldness, and ultimately the transformation of people into faith. The modern church generally has a basic understanding of what affords us salvation (i.e. grace, faith, the Holy Spirit), but has abandoned many of the things that support spiritual growth and empowerment after the first altar call including:

• Discipleship

• Empowerment of the Holy Spirit (with manifestations of power beyond heavenly tongues)

• Deliverance ministry

• Gift of counsel (which existed before the scriptures were canonized)

There's so much that the Kingdom of God offers the earth. His glory is revealed in the earth when we embrace, embody, and demonstrate it in agreement with Him and His statutes.

Trauma-informed spiritual intervention is a big umbrella that covers the many things that factor into effective support through spiritual hardship.

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