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Summary Recommendations for a Demoniac

Demonization does not just happen. For whatever reason, the Lord has permitted this particular trial to occur in your life. It may be as a consequence for sin, or it may not be, but understand that the Lord has allowed this to happen. The question requiring an answer is why this has happened. Is there something that stands out as a possible reason? Now is the time to address it. Or is it a mystery? Now is the time to pray about it. The Lord will not keep this a secret. Do you have a relationship with Him? How solid is your relationship? It may or may not be as good as you think. You are going to have to learn to trust God like you have never trusted Him before. Many people have claimed many things about the topic of demonization, but the truth is that there are no shortcuts, no easy ways out of this. Call the hospital or the police immediately if you believe you are in danger, but otherwise, expect this experience to become a period of difficult spiritual growth.

Do not be fooled by bestselling books written about demons and exorcism—many of these will only lead you astray. The one and only way through this trial is with the help and support of Jesus Christ. You will need Christian faith, trust in God, and obedience to what Scripture teaches. While this solution might sound too simple to be trustworthy, I assure you as someone who has been in the same position and tried other approaches that this is the only way forward. A simple solution does not make it an easy solution. If you are reading this appendix with a pressing need for help, your challenge has already begun. Are you ready? You can do this. It may be very difficult, but you can do this. Remember, place your trust in Jesus above all else, and He will never disappoint you. For a list of free Christian resources available to you, see the Resources section at the end of this appendix. Additionally, here are some immediate suggestions to get you started:

Confirm Your Faith​

The path to spiritual healing leads to a dead end without faith in Jesus. If you are not yet a Christian, now is the time to sincerely examine your beliefs. It is vital to turn to Jesus and invite Him into your life because He is the only bridge across the spiritual chasm that separates you and God. There are no alternatives, no other ways to God. This is something you may wish to discuss with a church pastor or any other Christian you happen to know. Ask that person whatever questions you have, and if you want a brief overview of what it means to identify as a Christian, read over the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed for a succinct statement of Christian beliefs. However, it is unnecessary to know everything about Christianity before becoming a Christian. The foundations of the faith are really quite simple. If you do not already have a relationship with the Christian God but you are open to that possibility, talk to Him about it! He knows when you are directing a question or a comment to Him. Just ask Him whether He is real. I guarantee you that He will respond to that question when asked with earnest intentions!

Contact the Church​

Do you have a church? Call the pastor and schedule a meeting. If the pastor has never encountered demonization, this book may be a helpful resource. Advise your pastor to start from Chapter 12 and skip around in the book as needed. Additionally, ask the church to put you on its prayer list and request that your name stay on the list indefinitely until you ask them to remove it. There is no way to know how long a demonized condition will persist.

If you do not attend a church, most cities have at least one. There are many Christian denominations and many faith traditions in the world, but they can be very different from one another. Locate a Christian church that believes the Bible is both the inspired and inerrant Word of God—many churches do not formally agree with this position—by looking for a statement of their beliefs. Churches often have a page on their website that lists exactly what they believe. Once you find a church that fits this criteria, ask to speak with its pastor. Church pastors are highly unlikely to turn away someone in need who is looking for spiritual help. If this does happen, avoid that church!

Finally, if someone suggests that you undergo deliverance ministry, be very cautious. This is exorcism with a specific theological viewpoint. Unfortunately, many of the practices found in deliverance ministry are unbiblical and will do nothing to help you recover. Never interrogate demons, never feel obliged to follow manufactured rules having no foundation in Scripture, and never feel like you must perfectly keep every law in the Old Testament in order to be free of demons. Such practices will only harm you in the end.

Pray to the Lord​

If there is anything going on in your life that you know is a sin, you must admit your mistakes and stop doing it immediately. Pray for forgiveness. Resolve never to do it again. Then ask God for direction on what to do next. What would He have you do to get well? Keep praying about that until He makes it clear. The answers may not come right away, but keep praying until you know the next step. Pray for His protection, help, comfort, peace, and guidance in the midst of this difficult situation. The Lord hears you when you pray, and if you are earnestly seeking to do right in His eyes, He will absolutely help you. But know that God works on His timetable and not ours. Everything He does (or does not do) is for a very good reason. We may not always know those reasons nor understand why nothing seems to be happening when we are crying out for relief now, but this is where trust comes into play. Trust is an important choice that can still be very difficult to make. Now is the time to start practicing it.

Sometimes it is nice to have another Christian praying with us. If you do not know how to pray and want help, or you just want someone to pray with you, there are Christian organizations with toll-free telephone numbers who would be happy to do that. Although Christian ministries exist throughout the world—and they may have local prayer lines available—the phone numbers listed in the Resources section are based in the United States. Understand that calling these prayer lines from outside the United States may incur international calling fees from local telecommunications providers.

Read Scripture and Pray the Psalms​

If you do not already own a Bible, many translations are freely available online. You may wish to use the New Living Translation (NLT) for a version combining biblical scholarship with an easy to understand and contemporary writing style. The Gospel of Mark is a good place to start if you have never read Scripture or your Bible is covered in dust. Beyond that, the psalms are a rich source of comfort for those who are in pain. Praying a psalm puts us in the place of the psalmist, many of whom experienced periods of deep suffering during their lives. When we pray through a psalm, it is as if we are the ones who are crying out to God for His help in a dark situation. Many psalms reference wicked people and evil men, but we can easily substitute demons for those references as they are the embodiment of wickedness and evil. Either pray through an entire psalm or just a few verses, but here are some that might prove useful:

  • Psalm 5 – A prayer for deliverance and wisdom in the midst of our enemies
  • Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish as well as a song of praise
  • Psalm 31 – A prayer for deliverance from intense oppression along with an expression of trust in God
  • Psalm 40 – A prayer for deliverance while remembering that God has helped us in the past
  • Psalm 51 – A prayer of repentance paired with a request for forgiveness
  • Psalm 86 – A prayer for mercy and strength
  • Psalm 91 – A reminder that we can trust the Lord to be our refuge
  • Psalm 119:33–40 – A request that God would give us the understanding we require to obey Him
  • Psalm 145:17–21 – A confirmation that God hears you and will rescue you

Sing Praises​

Christian worship music is also readily available online. Search for Christian hymns, or find Christian radio stations that stream contemporary worship music for free. These are important resources because the times when we are most frightened can be the best times to sing praises to the Lord. Worship music can refocus our thoughts on God in the midst of deep suffering. Many songs and hymns quote Scripture, so they also remind us of what God has said or promised. The pain will still be very real when singing, but worship lifts our spirits as we look to God and remember His great love for us. He may miraculously intervene in our own suffering just as He did for people in the Bible, but even if the Lord has other plans, worship causes us to look heavenward from the despair that can cling to us in the midst of intense pain. The Lord is both merciful and compassionate. Reminding ourselves of that is always time well spent.

The One and Only Way​

Faith, trust, and obedience. That is all you really need to get through this challenge. An understanding of Scripture is your weapon in this fight; obedience to what it contains along with simple faith and basic prayer are how you stand firm against the enemy. There are no secret exorcism techniques, no special prayers, no worldly anecdotes, no aboriginal rituals, no occult practices, no special words, no hidden formulas, no protective diagrams, no burning herbs, no blessed jewelry, nor anything else under the sun that can truly drive out a demon. These things are just distractions that will lead you away from the truth. When you place your trust completely in the Lord, He will be your refuge, and when the time is right, He will deliver you from this difficult situation. Watch for His direction—He has no problem getting your attention—then be obedient however He leads you. His is the only way that leads to recovery.

Resources​