Sermon: Your Personal Tent of Meeting
June 28, 2021
Tips for Ministering Deliverance to Children
July 24, 2021
Our words are so important; they can bless and they can curse. The following is an excerpt from Setting Captives Free that describes how destructive words can release demonic assignments, and how we can break free!
Destructive Words and Demonic Influence
Just as our words can be edifying to others, they can also be destructive in nature. Our words are not meant to be evil or corrupt, but to build others up and impart grace to them, as we saw earlier: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). But the enemy wants to use our words as weapons of destruction. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy; and reckless and destructive words are one of his choice weapons.
With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. (Proverbs 11:9 ESV, emphasis added)
Notice that godless words are destructive, and that through knowledge we can be delivered from their influence. We must know the truth, and learn to discern when we are under demonic attack through the harmful words of another person. We must also understand that destructive words like slander, false accusations, and cursing do not merely cause discouragement. They can actually do great damage to our soul. Consider the following verses:
“The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood…” (Proverbs 12:6 ESV)
“A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.” (Proverbs 16:27 ESV)
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18 ESV)
“Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.” (Psalm 64:2-4)
Notice the types of things that godless and destructive words are compared to: murderous ambush, a scorching fire, being stabbed with a sword, and being shot at with arrows. And many other biblical examples could be given. As weapons are used to destroy a person’s body, evil words are used to destroy a person’s soul. The Bible is very explicit about this. Destructive words do violence to the soul. Sometimes destructive words are referred to as verbal abuse, but I propose that this term does not even do it justice according to the biblical descriptions. According to the Bible, it’s more like murder through words, or verbal assassination! This is serious stuff. And demonic assignments are released when we come under this type of verbal assault.
Just like words of encouragement, blessing, and prophecy can be inspired by the Holy Spirit and impart grace, destructive and corrupt words can be inspired by the devil. Even Peter, one of Jesus’ main disciples, once spoke words that were influenced by satan (see Matthew 16:23). Words of accusation, unrighteous judgement, slander, and otherwise malicious words can release demonic assignments against the ones spoken to or spoken about. The Bible says that we are to take the shield of faith in order to protect us from the fiery darts of the wicked one (see Ephesians 6:16). I have found that one of the ways that the devil’s flaming arrows come to us is through people’s destructive and bitter words (see Psalm 64:2-4, quoted above).
Bitter words, filled with anger or hatred are like arrows being shot at a person. False accusations and authoritative negative statements can release curses. There have been multiple occasions when I felt as though I were coming under unusual spiritual warfare, only to find out that there were false accusations, slander, and other malicious words being spoken about me behind closed doors. These words were releasing evil spirits and demonic assignments against me that needed to be resisted and broken off of me. Thankfully, we can stand on the promise of Isaiah 54:17:
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
Breaking Word Curses
Anne came to the front of the church at the end of the service. As a guest speaker at a conference, I had taught on keys for getting free from evil spirits and led the whole congregation in a prayer for receiving deliverance. Anne told me that she would often have suicidal thoughts and feelings of self-hatred, especially when she was at church services. She also had trouble sleeping, and would be tormented in her thoughts at night.
As I began to pray for Anne, I sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to break the power of destructive words that had been spoken over her. When I did this, she crumpled to the floor and began to expel evil spirits from her mouth as I commanded them to leave. Once the prayer time was complete, she felt much relief and had peace in her mind. She testified the next morning that she had been delivered and had slept like a baby that night!
Like Anne’s testimony, I have seen many cases of people being delivered from evil spirits when word curses and destructive words were broken from their life. If we want to break free from the power of destructive words, here are some steps we can pray through:
- Forgive the person: Choose to forgive the person who spoke the words. This does not mean that we will automatically trust them or let them back into our lives, but we can release them to the Lord and choose to bless them. We must not allow anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness to have any place in our heart.
- Renounce the words: Break the power of the words by renouncing them. You can say something like, “In the name of Jesus, I break the power of these words and cancel their power in my life. I command them to be uprooted from my soul.” Be specific about the exact things that were spoken.
- Cast out the spirits: Command every unclean spirit that is attached to these words to come out of you in the name of Jesus. Use the authority of Jesus’ name to drive the evil spirits away and break every demonic assignment against you.
- Replace with truth and blessing: Speak the opposite of what was spoken over you, and replace the curse with God’s blessing. Speak the truth of God’s Word over your life and ask Him to fill you afresh with the Holy Spirit. Let His love fill your heart and bring healing to your soul.
Yes, words can be destructive. But we do not need to live under the demonic oppression that the enemy is trying to release against us. There is deliverance in the name of Jesus. Call on His name and be set free from the influence of destructive words! You can use the following prayer to guide you in this process:
Heavenly Father, I ask for Your Holy Spirit to come and bring healing to me from any affects of word curses, slander, and false accusations. In Jesus’ name, I forgive the ones who spoke destructive words into my life. I let go of any pain, bitterness, or resentment against them.
I renounce the power of any curses or destructive words that have influence in my life. I uproot them from my soul in Jesus’ name. I break the specific word curse that said __________________________…
In the name of Jesus, I command any unclean spirits associated with word curses or malicious words to come out right now. I rebuke every lying spirit, spirit of slander, and spirit of accusation and command them to leave me in Jesus’ name.
Father God, I receive Your truth and blessing over my life. I receive a greater revelation of Your love for me and of my identity in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen!
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Setting Captives Free is filled with biblical teaching on the topic of demons and deliverance, powerful testimonies of those who have been set free, and practical prayers that you can use for yourself or others in need of deliverance. Make sure to get your copy!
