The church in America is faithfully following God’s direction to reach out and make disciples. However, many Christians, as well as non-Christians, still struggle with anxiety, addiction, fear, anger, depression, lust, greed and so on. Godly pastoral or professional Christian counseling can help the majority of these people to the extent they follow God’s Word and apply its principles to their lives. But there is an increasingly large number of believers who faithfully follow the Bible and do their best to apply what they learn in pastoral or professional Christian counseling but still struggle. This is where spiritual warfare is needed. It’s a tool in a Christian’s tool belt that is often not used or used properly. The evangelical church today would benefit by using Biblical deliverance from Satan and his forces to bring freedom and spiritual growth to those struggling in bondage. The problem is that most churches don’t want to get involved because of the extremes they have seen in this ministry. Throwing out the baby with the bath water is not the solution.
Biblical deliverance is needed today, and the need will grow as our culture turns more and more from Bible principles and leaves a vacuum for false and demonic teachings to enter. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). I see a definite weakness in the church as a whole to understand and oppose these things, even to recognize there is need in this area. Unfortunately, the segment of born-again believers that are involved in spiritual warfare often go to an unbiblical extreme and from it arise a whole separate list of issues. It’s not my purpose to talk about that in this blog. To understand how Biblical deliverance should be done and the dangers of unbiblical deliverance ministry, read my blog, “Should You Go to a Deliverance Ministry.” You can find it on CTOtraining.org under “Spiritual Warfare Ministry”, then “Getting Started” or email me at Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org and I’ll send a PDF to you. Biblical deliverance is needed for personal liberation but also as a powerful witness to the power and reality of Jesus Christ, which is much needed today. But it must be done correctly.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus did not separate preaching from demonstration. He proclaimed the Kingdom of God, healed the sick, and cast out demons. These were not isolated acts, but a unified ministry revealing that God’s authority had broken into a world under darkness. As Jesus said, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). Deliverance, then, is not about spectacle. It is about revelation. It shows that Jesus Christ is not merely a teacher or historical figure, but the living Son of God with authority over every power of darkness.
As our world turns further from the belief in the supernatural, including Satan and demons, it becomes more open to their lies and deceptions. Occult involvement, psychics, witchcraft and other dark practices are more and more common in music, movies and culture as a whole. No wonder so many are struggling with bondage and defeat. Jesus is the answer, but even many Christians don’t see Him as the answer to these things. Secular counseling, mood-altering drugs and prescriptions, denial or just quitting and giving in are what many are doing to cope. Jesus brings freedom from spiritual attack and oppression (Hebrews 2:14-15; Luke 9:1-2; 10:17-20; Revelation 12:7; 20:7-15). Jesus is greater than Satan (1 John 4:4) and will ultimately consign Satan and his demons to hell forever (Matthew 25:41). He is the solution that many Christians either don’t know about or choose not to turn to. Perhaps they fear Satan and choose to ignore there is a demonic element to their difficulties, or they only think of the way deliverance is portrayed in movies or by some extreme ministries. It could be they buy the lie that Satan is bound and not a factor today, or that science has disproved his existence. Fear and ignorance are great tools of Satan and are doing much harm among Christian churches today.
Deliverance ministry must be approached with humility and care. It is not a platform for attention, nor a tool for fear. It is not to be avoided. Neither are we to go to the opposite extreme and attribute everything negative that happens to Satan. Spiritual warfare is but one tool in our toolbelt, but it is important and must be used skillfully when needed. Its purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ. When practiced with love and biblical integrity, it reflects His compassion for the broken, the oppressed, and the forgotten. Many who need deliverance carry deep shame and isolation. They do not need more guilt or condemnation; they need to encounter the mercy of Christ. Through faithful ministry, the Church could demonstrate not only that God is powerful, but that He is compassionate.
The Church today is called to the same pattern we see in Scripture: to preach Christ clearly and to trust God to demonstrate His power. When captives are set free, the reality of the Kingdom becomes visible. When lives are transformed, the Gospel becomes tangible.
Deliverance ministry, when rightly practiced, does not distract from the Gospel — it points directly to it. It reminds us that Jesus Christ still sets people free, and that true freedom is found not only in release from bondage, but in a life fully surrendered to Him. (November 2, 2026 Doylestown, PA)
For more information on spiritual warfare, see my web site, CTOtraining.org, then “Spiritual Warfare.” You can find my books and articles under “Books and Resources.” Or go direct tohttps://www.christiantrainingonline.org/resources/?top-category=spiritual-warfare
Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Luke 9:1-2 1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:17-20 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Do you feel you have a balanced, Biblical understanding of spiritual warfare and the place of deliverance in the life of a Christian?
Do you tend to avoid spiritual warfare out of fear?
Pray and ask God to remove any fear and to help you have a balanced, mature understanding of our enemy and how to have victory over him.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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