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NewsDay

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Of deliverance and casting out devils

Opinion & Analysis
There’s general misunderstanding of the difference between deliverance and casting out devils. Cults and unfortunately churches as well advertise deliverance services and sessions with manifest ignorance.

There’s general misunderstanding of the difference between deliverance and casting out devils. Cults and unfortunately churches as well advertise deliverance services and sessions with manifest ignorance. It’s common these days should you invite someone to attend your church that they ask you if you conduct deliverance sessions.

Erasmus Makarimayi

satan

Regrettably, delivered Christians are looking for deliverance. Some born again believers no longer have confidence in their salvation.

When the Bible says that one is saved or born again, it’s saying that they are delivered. Salvation which is Greek seteria means deliverance. It connotes bringing safely through. When one becomes a born again believer, one is safely brought through from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God. It’s safely through and complete. The devil paints the finished works of Christ Jesus as incomplete and inadequate. The eternal life of God is imparted into the believer and they become new creatures. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” So a born again believer is a new being not an improvement of a past being.

The knowledge of the reality of and truth about deliverance has to be preached for believers to grasp. It takes expounding the Bible. A born again believer is a new creature carrying imprints of old nature in the mind. The mind has to be renewed. Deliverance is preached. Believers are brought to the knowledge of what they’re in Christ.

Jesus says in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. The verse underlines the fact that deliverance is preached to the captives so that they partake of the benefits.”

The knowledge of what is accomplished by Christ who is in the believer has to be communicated to them lest they travel all over the world seeking what they already have in their inside. When the truth is known, Christians enjoy their inheritance. Apostle Paul clarifies in Colossians 1:12-13, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. It’s not that one is born again first then joins a deliverance class to be delivered from evil spirits and generational curses. As earlier stated salvation is deliverance and that involves bringing unsaved people safely through to the Kingdom of God from the kingdom of darkness.”

It’s the devil’s design that believers remain in ignorance of the finished works of Christ Jesus. Any church that preaches the Gospel is conducting deliverance. It’s the foremost duty of the church to preach deliverance.

Subjecting believers to some human exercise smacks at the face of what Jesus died for and accomplished. It’s devilish and belittling His finished works. Apostle Paul was very certain of the efficacy of the Gospel. He said in Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Preaching the Gospel brings about deliverance, total salvation not partial or piecemeal effect. Should someone conduct the so-called deliverance on a born again believer who is saved and delivered being, you would want to question the motive and effect.

Those who have not studied their Bibles well or thoroughly been taught can be demonised and devils can be cast away from them. A born again believer cannot be possessed by devils, non believers can. Darkness cannot cohabit with light. A new creature created in Christ and possessed by Christ cannot be at the same time possessed by Satan.

Christians can be afflicted, oppressed and obsessed by devils. For emphasis I repeat, a born again believer cannot be possessed by demons. Through wrong doctrine, a born again believer can be obsessed by demons and their minds become defeated, weak and a playground for the devil. Jesus taught believers that they can cast out devils.

Mark 16:17 reads: “And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” Devils are cast out, deliverance is preached. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge. You’re going somewhere.”

All Bible quotations are from the King James Version.

Email: [email protected] Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI. Telephone +263 712 332 632