Romans 15:4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
JOHN 20:22 HCSB
Deliverance ministry
Biblical precedent
Many believers in deliverance ministry cite Biblical precedent as a source of authority for their rituals; this forms a significant part in arguments surrounding deliverance practices.[3] The Biblical precedent for cleansing people of evil spirits goes back to Jesus.
The New Testament mentions Jesus casting out evil spirits fifty-five times, but only describes the events in detail five times.[3] He casts demons out of a man in a synagogue (Mark 1) and two men near tombs (Matthew 8). In both of these events, Jesus has a conversation with the demons and they acknowledge him as the son of God before he casts them out.[4] This is a common occurrence in modern deliverance rituals as well.[5] Jesus also casts demons out of a little girl (Mark 7) and a young boy (Luke 9), both events that the Bible expressly connects to strengthening the faith of their parents;[4] modern practitioners of deliverance ministry interpret their experiences expelling demons as an opportunity to strengthen their own faith as well.[3] Jesus heals a possessed man (Matthew 12) to show his Messianic calling and the fulfillment of prophecy,[4] leading modern believers to see successful exorcisms as evidence of Jesus' power in their lives.[3]
Jesus' disciples also cast out demons many times throughout the New Testament as a sign of their own faith in Jesus.[4] This occurs both before and after Jesus' death. After his death, believers interpret the events as proof of the authority the disciples still have through faith in Jesus.[4] Each exorcism event is different in the Bible, and the methods used to cast out demons change; some participants in modern deliverance ministry interpret this to mean that there is no "right" or single way to cast out demons, but that many methods may be used as long as they are rooted in Christianity.[3] Practitioners of deliverance ministry pay careful attention to each of these Biblical examples as they navigate and interpret demonic activity and deliverance rituals in their own lives.[3]
Post-Biblical deliverance practices
Exorcism was practiced by Catholics throughout the Middle Ages.[6] Martin Luther practiced it in Germany during the 1500s as a way of participating in the "war with the devil," a tradition continued by Lutherans throughout the Reformation.[3] He simplified the ceremony in order to avoid drawing attention to evil powers.[3] Deliverance practices became somewhat more common and widespread with the growth of the Pentecostal movement, and especially with the Charismatic movement, which began in the 1960s.[5] These movements continue to understand themselves as part of spiritual warfare, in which Christians are understood to be at war with the forces of evil which work in the world in very practical ways, afflicting people with all kinds of problems (physical, emotional, spiritual).[5] People believe they can combat these evil forces through the power and authority of God.[5]
Sources of demonic presences
Demons can enter a person's life in many different ways.[1] Some can come with objects that are believed to harbor demons. These may have demons because of what they are (e.g. fantasy/horror novels, Dungeons and Dragons games, certain CDs, artifacts depicting pagan gods, sacred texts from a non-Christian religion, etc.) or because of a sinful history (e.g. a piece of jewelry from an adulterous relationship, an object purchased with greed, etc.).[1]
Places can hold demonic presences that can then enter the lives of people living there.[1] Indian burial grounds and homes or rooms where violence or abuse occurred are examples of these kinds of places.[1]
Demons can also "run in families." Demons can run in a family when ancestors were Satanists, Masons, or witches, for example, or who committed sins such as physical abuse, adultery, or alcohol abuse. Some claim that negative traits and practices run in families because of demonic presences that are passed down from parent to child.[1] Others claim that physical ailments and persistent problems such as poverty and addictive behaviors (drugs, pornography, etc.) can also be caused by ancestral sin and the family curses that result.
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