Why We Don’t Need to be Afraid of Demons

One of the reasons I wrote Setting Captives Free is to remove the fear, stigma, and confusion that often surrounds the topic of demons and deliverance. I want to equip believers to walk in freedom and set others free. This excerpt from Chapter Three teaches why we don’t need to be afraid of evil spirits.

We Don’t Need to Be Afraid of Demons

Just as we must not ignore the devil or his demons, we must also not be afraid of them. When God first began to lead me into deliverance ministry, the prospect of casting out an evil spirit made me scared. I knew in my mind that Jesus had all authority. But me? Casting demons? Surely not! Now that I have been involved with deliverance for many years, I understand that there is no need to be afraid of evil spirits.

Why is there a tendency to be afraid of evil spirits? There could be a variety of reasons:

• Maybe we have seen Hollywood portrayals of wild demonic possession, which always seem to glorify the power of satan and minimize the power of God.
• Perhaps we have been exposed to deliverance ministry that was done in a wild, chaotic way or our only experience with deliverance has been unbiblical extremes.
• Perhaps the enemy himself is projecting fear on us, to keep us away from this topic so he won’t be exposed.
• We might not have a firm grasp on the victory of Jesus or be rooted in the fact that we have been given authority over demons in His name.

The truth is, we do not need to be afraid of evil spirits. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Demons want us to be afraid of them so that we will feel intimidated at the prospect of receiving deliverance or ministering deliverance to others. This is just one of their schemes to try to keep us in the chains of oppression, torment, bondage, and affliction.

Jesus paid the price for our deliverance and He has given us authority over evil spirits. Consider the following verses:

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons. (Luke 9:1)

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20)

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons. (Mark 16:17)

Here is the truth about our spiritual authority: in the name of Jesus, demons are subject to us. While Jesus reminded His followers to take more joy in the fact that their names were registered in Heaven, He also confirmed their position of spiritual authority over demons. We do not need to be afraid to learn about deliverance, receive deliverance, or cast evil spirits out of others. We should not be arrogant about our authority over demons, but we must embrace it and walk in it with confidence and boldness. Evil spirits want you to be afraid of them, but the truth is that they are terrified of Christ in you! So don’t let fear of the enemy cause you to remain in darkness or oppression. Don’t be intimidated by evil spirits or afraid of the topic of deliverance. Use wisdom, walk in humility, and exercise discernment; but do not allow fear to paralyze you or keep you from freedom.

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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!