We are often asked by clients/ deliverance seminar attendees about how spirits leave and how we know when they are gone? During the course of a deliverance ministry session, we are trying to assess whether or not a person has a certain spirit as we call it out and also trying discerning that it has left.
We are often asked by clients/seminar attendees about how spirits leave and how we know when they are gone? During the course of a deliverance ministry session, we are trying to assess whether or not a person has a certain spirit as we call it out and also trying discerning that it has left.
Let us begin by clarifying that God can, and does, set people sovereignly free from demonic spirits and the “proof” is new and fresh fruit of the Spirit in a person’s life (Galatian 5:9). However, we believe that driving out demons, or doing the ministry of deliverance, is a valid, present day call on the church (Mark 16:17).
Manifestations When Demons Leave
We have, in the course of thousands of deliverance sessions, seen the following evidences of spirits leaving:
- Crying – our experience is that if a spirit came in during a time of tears, it will leave that way. We always have a ready supply of tissues at hand.
- Coughing
- Burping/spitting
- Eyes twitching/narrowing, then relief
- Yelling
- Pain in the body
- Physical lashing out, or pulling away followed by an easing
- Sighing
- No visible indication but the prayee feels the spirit leaving
- No visible indication, no sensing by the prayee
In each of the instances outlined above, we see the manifestation and as it is happening, we continue to call out the spirit, commanding it to go in Jesus’ name. There is almost always a release in the behavior that is happening (that is, the coughing/yawning and so on suddenly ceases) and there is a sense of peace that comes upon the person.
That indicates to us that that particular spirit that we have been calling out is gone and we move ahead to the next one on our list (we call out spirits, in order, according a predefined listing). Sometimes, there is just a “knowing” in our spirit by absence of turmoil and/or the presence of peace that a spirit has left the person.
If we continue to see manifestation without the release then it typically means that this spirit, because of some unresolved legal right, is able to stay and not leave as commanded. Some people have problem with this concept however the reality is that resident spirits have come through an open door and will successfully resist many times until that legal right is removed! If that happens, it’s time to pause, assess where we are, seek the Lord for a word of knowledge, ask questions and generally try to ascertain why that spirit is able to resist.
As a part of the process, we take command and bind up (Matthew 16:19) all other spirits (other than the one we are calling out) and command them to not communicate, interfere, draw strength from one another or in any way hinder the process. That is generally effective in assuring that we are only dealing with that one spirit.