DELIVERANCE

*DELIVERANCE*

Main Hebrew words in the Old Testament, translated ”to deliver”:
-yasha=salvation, deliverance; used 205 times (‘Jeshua’ is the Jewish form of the name ‘Jesus’, it means ‘God saves’);
-shamar= to protect, to guard, to deliver; used 468 times

In the New Testament, here are some Greek words translated ”to deliver”:
-sozo=to save, deliver, heal, protect; used 110 times: Mat1:21, 8:25, Jn3:17; Jn12:27; Acts16:31;
-rhuomai=to rescue, to deliver; used 18 times: Mat6:13, 27:43; Lk1:74; Rom7:24, 11:26, 15:31, 2Cor1:10, Col.1:13, 1Thes1:10, 2Tim3:11, 4:17,18; 2Pet2:7,9
-exaireo=to tear out, to pluck out, to deliver; used 8 times: Mat5:29,18:9; Acts7:10,34,12:11,23:27, 26:17;Gal1:4;
-apallasso= to release, to change away, to deliver; used 3 times: Luke12:58; Acts19:12; Heb2:15.

*Here are DELIVERANCES from God for man:*

*01. –DELIVERANCE FROM PUNISHMENT FOR SIN (HELL)*
Jesus paid on the cross for our sins and those who trust in Him are delivered from going to hell: Is53:5, Rom6:23, Jn3:14-20, 6:47, 11:25-26; 1Thes1:10

*02. –DELIVERANCE FROM THE PRESENCE OF OUR SIN NATURE*
We are born with a sin nature and we have it until we die; we commit sins because we have a sin nature: 1Jn1:8, Rom3:23, 7:14-25, 8:10; Ecl7:20, 5:12; Jer17:9;

*03. –DELIVERANCE FROM THE POWER AND SLAVERY OF OUR SIN NATURE*
It comes through living in fellowship with Christ under the leading of the Holy Spirit, Christians are no longer slaves of sin; we have the option to withstand the initiations of our sin nature by responding to God’s initiations: Gal5:16; Rom6:1-14, 8:1-13, 13:14, 1Pet2:11

*04. –DELIVERANCE FROM SATAN AND HIS DEMONS’ AUTHORITY:*
Col1:13, Acts26:18 when one receives Jesus he is moved from Satan’s kingdom into Jesus’ kingdom; a Christian still has the option to follow demons’ initiations but he will be chastised by God: Jn1:12, Heb12:6, 1Cor10:21,22; a Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore can’t be possessed by demons: 1Cor3:16, 6:19, 2Cor6:16;

*05. –DELIVERANCE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF THE WORLD SYSTEM*
The world system is controlled by Satan and by the sin nature of man; Col3:1,2; Gal1:4, 1Jn2:15-17

*06. –DELIVERANCE FROM SELF*
It comes by reckoning that we have died with Christ, we have been raised with Christ and placed in the heavenly places Gal2:20, Col3:3, Phil3:20, Eph1:3, 2Cor5:14-15; Lk22:42: ‘not my will but yours be done…’

*07. –DELIVERANCE FROM LIFE SITUATIONS:* sicknesses, trials, temptations 1Cor10:13, James5:14-15; 2Tim3:11

*DELIVERANCE* is defined as “a rescue from bondage or danger.” In the Old Testament, deliverance is focused primarily on God’s deliverance in the midst of trouble or danger. He rescues His people from their enemies (1Sam17:37; 2Kings20:6), and from the hand of the wicked (Ps7:2; 17:13; 18:16-19; 59:2). He preserves them from famine (Ps33:19), death (Ps22:19-21), and the grave (Ps56:13; 86:13; Hosea13:14). The most striking example of deliverance is the exodus from Egypt (Ex3:8; 6:6; 8:10), God being the Deliverer of Israel who rescues His people, not because they deserve to be rescued, but as an expression of His mercy and love (Ps51:1; 71:2; 86:13).

The descriptions of temporal deliverance in the Old Testament serve as symbolic representations of the spiritual deliverance from sin which is available only through Christ. He offers deliverance from mankind’s greatest peril—sin, evil, death and judgment. By God’s power, believers are delivered from this present evil age (Gal1:4) and from the power of Satan’s reign (Col1:13). All aspects of deliverance are available only through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who was Himself delivered up for us (Rom4:25) so that we would be delivered from eternal punishment for sin, the “wrath to come” (1Thess1:10).

Another aspect of deliverance concerns the temporal. While believers are delivered once for all time from eternal punishment, we are also delivered IN (not always FROM) the trials of this life (2Pet2:9); it means that God keeps you victorious in a trial without removing the trial, as God is walking through the trials by our side, comforting and encouraging us through them as He uses them to mature us in the faith (1Cor10:13).
In these cases, total rescue is not immediate, but in due time, after patience has had its perfect work (Jam1:2-4,12).

People are looking more for the *DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL SPIRITS* or the spirit of lust, jealousy, etc. It’s important to understand that, as believers, we already have eternal victory over Satan and demons. But we can be delivered from their influence in our lives by using two weapons God has given us as part of our SPIRITUAL ARMOR with which we battle “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph6:12-17), weapons are:
*THE SHIELD OF FAITH and the offensive weapon of THE WORD OF GOD.*

Against these two weapons, no spirit can prevail Is54:17. By holding up the shield of faith, we extinguish the flaming spiritual arrows they send against us, arrows of lust, doubt, guilt, jealousy, evil speech, and all manner of temptations. With the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, we overcome the evil one by learning the truth about who we are in Christ and proving Satan’s temptations to be lies because he is the father of lies (Jn8:44). By the offensive weapon of the Truth, we overcome the evil one (1Jn2:14)

Deliverance from sin, rescue from trials, and escape from the influence of a world in the control of the evil one come only through Christ, the Son of God who has come and “has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1Jn5:19,20)

The “DELIVERANCE MINISTRIES” of our days will usually focus on the casting out of demons in an attempt to solve problems related in fact to the sin nature. For example, a deliverance minister may seek to help someone overcome anger by casting out a spirit of anger, which is not doctrinal: deliverance from anger comes by studying about the love, kindness and forgiveness of God. Not all sins are to be blamed on demons but on our sin nature and man’s will that is not submitted to God.
The ‘healers’ basically claim to cast out demons from those believers instead of teaching them the biblical deliverance: mind renewal Rom12:1-2, which means to teach them the Bible Col3:16 and to walk in obedience to doctrine. Healers also claim to bind demons’ work in one’s life which is not doctrinal: demons continue to operate freely being allowed by God to do so until the appointed time when they will be cast into the lake of fire Mat8:29. During the 1000 years reign of Christ on the earth demons will be bound in the abyss (hell) but unregenerate men will still sin.

We are told to put on the armor to stand against spiritual wickedness (Eph6:10–18). We are told to resist the devil by submitting to God (Jam4:7) and not give him room in our lives (Eph4:27). A Christian can’t be demon possessed but he can be influenced by demons through doctrines of demons 1Tim.4:1 and temptations. Judas was possessed by Satan Luke22:3 but Satan only influenced Peter in Mat16:21-23.
Someone who believes doctrines of demons can’t be helped by ”deliverance sessions of casting out demons” but by hearing and believing the right doctrine.

A truly demon possessed person has supernatural power, breaking even chains: Mark5:3, able to overpower 7 people: Acts19:14-16 and has supernatural knowledge Acts16:17. Demon possessed people can only be set free by prayer to God, while people influenced by demons can only be set free by receiving Jesus as their Savior and by learning to use the shield of faith and the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.
Jesus explained in Mat.12:44 that a demon that is chased away might come back if the house (heart) is not occupied by the Holy Spirit through receiving Jesus as Savior.

When the disciples discovered that demons were subject to them in the name and authority of Jesus, they were joyful (Lk10:17; Acts 5:16; 8:7; 16:18; 19:12). But Jesus told the disciples, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven” (v.20).

The emphasis in spiritual warfare is highlighted in verses such as 1 Jn.4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD [THE DEVIL].” The victory is ours because of the Holy Spirit and Jesus who dwell within us. Believers can overcome their struggles with the past, habits, and addictions, because “everyone born of God overcomes the world” (1Jn5:4,5). We need fellowship with Christ, prayer, the Word of God, godly counsel, faith and the support of a good church, but not a “deliverance minister.”

We are told to “be ALERT AND OF SOBER MIND. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. RESIST HIM, STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH” (not by going to the ‘deliverance minister’) 1Pet5:8–10

Jesus chased Satan not through a ‘deliverance ministry’ but with the weapon of the Word: ”it is written”, see Mat4:4, Luke4:4; demons flee when you believe and apply the Word of God.

The key to victory in the Christian life is to be filled (controlled and empowered) by the Holy Spirit on a moment-by-moment basis (Eph5:18). The Father knows who are His: “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Rom.8:14). The Holy Spirit will not indwell anyone who is not born again (Jn3:3–8; 2Tim2:19; Acts1:8; Rom8:9; 1Cor3:16), so the first step in spiritual victory is to place our faith in Jesus Christ. Then, rejoice that Jesus is in you and you have His power and His victory.
P. Daniel