ROLE OF THE ONE BEING HELPED (2)

Truth-telling is another major responsibility for a person being helped in a deliverance.

Jesus called satan "the father of lies." When we choose to act like satan in hiding or distorting truth, we give satan ground in which to act against us. Sometimes the mere stepping into truth about one's life and behavior is the turning point in attaining freedom.

A man brought his brother to me. Both were Christians, sons of a pastor. The subject brother's behavior had become uncharacteristically erratic and destructive. The nurturing brother sensed something supernatural at play. He suspected demonic presence.

I worked with the troubled brother for over an hour, with no success. No amount of praying, scripture reading, or commands of authority showed any reaction by evil. Finally, I said to the nurturing brother, "I think the Lord wants you to do this. He wants you to be your brother's keeper."

Instead of picking up where I left off, the nurturing brother encouraged his sibling to talk about his life, to reveal truthfully and confessionally any poor choices which had led him into sin. The troubled brother began to speak truthfully about a pattern of sexual deviancy which was spiralling downward, out of control and hurting others as well as himself. At the first confession of sin, the tormented brother doubled over on the couch where he was sitting, head almost to the floor, gagging and coughing as the first fleet of demons wracked his body on their way out. The pattern repeated himself for about thirty minutes. Confession - deliverance. Confession - deliverance. Confession - deliverance. Every time the afflicted brother confessed a sin, his body convulsed in deliverance and his old personna emerged clearer and clearer.

In spite of my best efforts earlier, simply stepping into honesty about his life became the catalytic agent of deliverance. The tormented man left my office exhausted, but free, his brother's arm around his shoulder as they walked to their car.

Deliverance team members have a great responsibility here, too. Confession only comes in an environment of grace. No judgement. No condemnation. No condescending self-righteousness. Demonically afflicted persons have already beaten themselves up pretty good. They don't need any help from pharisees. When grace is provided, confession is possible. Sometimes that's all that remains for freedom.

THE ROLE OF THE PERSON BEING HELPED.

Simply put, a person who seeks deliverance from evil must, at minimum, truly desire to be free and must place faith in Jesus Christ for that intervention. It is not possible to permanently deliver someone from evil who does not want it at all costs and who does not invest faith in Jesus during that process.

The Bible never portrays Jesus casting demons out of someone against that person's will. He did not "mug" afflicted persons by pouncing on them unawares, nor did He ever force Himself upon them. A more common biblical scene is of tormented individuals running to Jesus and falling at His feet while demons within cry out in protest.

This does not mean the person seeking help must be perfect in his desires or faith. Jesus meets us where we are in life, takes what is offered and works His miracle with it. Think of the feeding of the great multitude with the five loaves and two fish, that little which was offered Him. Think of the father of the demonized boy, who cried, "Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief." In both cases, Jesus did much with little.

If in spite of the chaos within, a demonized person cries out to Jesus with whatever's left of his free will, Jesus will answer. In that appeal and in that faith (however little, but sincere), the Lord is invited in.

Sadly, this simple prerequisite sometimes falls beyond reach. I personally have tried and failed to help some individuals of far-eastern religions who came seeking deliverance from evil spirits, but who declined to trust Jesus Christ in that quest. And I have failed to help some who were Christians, but who refused to give up the behavior which first got them into trouble, such as witchcraft or illicit drugs.

There is another responsibility of the person being helped which we will consider in the next blog entry.