Freedom: Inner Healing - Part 1

Over the past few weeks we have been considering that we are in a spiritual battle. God wants the best for us, but we have an arch-enemy, Satan, whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. And Satan's primary occupation is eliminating every good thing that is our right to have.

There are many things that can give Satan access to our lives. Some things we do and some are done to us. But why would the enemy want to destroy us? Because we are valuable to God. His ultimate hatred is focused on God, so anything that God holds dear, Satan wants to destroy. God created you for significance and purpose, and Satan is doing everything he can to derail God's best for you. He uses demons to do his work.

Demons are " ... disembodied spirit beings that have an intense craving to occupy physical bodies." (Derek Prince, They Shall Expel Demons.) Demons access people's lives and make them physically and mentally sick, destroy relationships, and create mayhem. But Jesus came to save us and to set us free from the bondage of Satan. " ... If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36 NIV.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus affirms that He is stronger than Satan. Look at how the New Living Translation (NLT) in the Bible expresses Matthew 12:29, "For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger - someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house." Jesus is the 'Stronger Man', who has invaded the strongman - Satan's house.

Jesus bound Satan, overcame him, and has taken his weapons. With Jesus in our lives, the "stronger man" is on our side and we can overcome every work of darkness against us. We can now walk in freedom, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." 1 John 3: 8 NIV.

The Lord Jesus Christ has plucked apart the devil's kingdom at the seams when He came in the flesh. He destroyed the kingdom of this world and set the stage for us to be free from evil and demonic influences. The process of being set free from demonic influence and manipulation is called deliverance. In practical terms, deliverance is telling the enemy to leave through the power and authority of Jesus Christ. The authority to expel demonic forces is given to every believer in Jesus (Mark 16:17, Luke 10:17-20).

Emotional Wounds

In the past, a lot of attention was given to expelling demons from people's lives. But in some cases, many persons were still bound. However, research has shown that deliverance is only part of the process. Emotional wounds are a factor that, many times, had not been considered. Emotional wounds occur when people's feelings are hurt, creating an offense that causes a wound on the inside. These wounds are among the most common reasons why freedom achieved through deliverance is not maintained or is ineffective in dealing with demonic influence. In the deliverance ministry, it is necessary to learn about emotional wounds and how to bring persons to the point where they can receive inner healing from the Holy Spirit.

These emotional wounds are as real as a wound on the outside, though many of us pretend and hide them. We often hope that with time, the wounds will heal, but with the passing of time, these wounds just become deeper and bigger. Physical wounds, if not treated, become infected, and the infection can seep into your bloodstream and poison your body. The same thing can happen when we have an emotional wound that is not treated: the poison of the offense seeps into our soul (mind, emotion, and will) and poisons us. We can't see the emotional wound, but it results in an emotional wound, and we find ourselves at odds with the world - always angry, distant, bitter and discouraged - wounded in heart and spirit.

The pain from these wounds prompts us to respond to life in a sinful manner, thus giving access to the demonic to inhabit our lives. But God wants you to walk in freedom. God wants to heal our wound, pain, and sorrow! Jesus loves us so much that He paid the price for our emotional healing in the work of the Cross! Isaiah 53:4 NKJV, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." The Bible tells us in Psalms 147:3 NIV, "He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds."

Do you want to receive healing from emotional wounds, pain, sorrow, grief, and anguish?

Father God, I thank you that you are my strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (Ps. 46 modified) Jesus, forgive me for the ways I've mishandled my brokenness. You alone make me dwell in safety. Begin to heal my broken heart and set me free. Come and make me whole. In Jesus' Name ... AMEN

Join us next week to find out how you can be healed from emotional wounds.