ROOTED RENEGADE

As a deliverance minister and someone who has gone through deliverance, this is so common. When we have any type of freedom or healing it always gets tested. And it is because the enemy wants us to doubt our healing and he wants back the territory he once occupied.

The enemy gets comfortable occupying territory that belongs to the Lord. The woman with the issue of blood in the Bible suffered for twelve years (see Mark 5) until she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.

The woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years couldn’t stand up straight (see Luke 13:10-17) until she encountered Jesus.

There are countless stories of satan’s affliction on God’s people and countless ones where God miraculously healed them. 

When God heals it is permanent. He doesn’t take it back when we make a mistake. He doesn’t play mind games with us either. Satan on the other hand does. And his games are old and quite tiring.

I would be remiss if I said that deliverance was permanent. It can be if there is discipleship and a relationship with Jesus. The Bible is very clear that seven more come back to see if the house (us) is swept in order (see Matthew 12:43-45). Meaning they return with friends to see if you were serious about your deliverance and decided to keep the house clean (meaning you are in the Word studying and learning; developing an intimate relationship with Jesus) or if you are going to open the door to them again.

They will tempt you with the same sin that opened the door in first place, even if subtly. And if you open it, it is much worse than when you danced with it the last time. It’s like someone who got clean off drugs and years later they thought they could just do it once to take the edge off and they overdosed. 

The enemy didn’t come back the next day. He waited until an oportune time and tempted when there as an issue in the person’s life that was overwhelming. They come back when you think you got it all figured out and have it all “handled” when in reality you don’t.

None of us really have anything handled or figured out because we are not God. We must stay dependent on Him each day just to get through this life. And when we become disconnected from Him, the enemy takes full advantage.

Here is the key….give testimony and keep giving it. When you are healed, tell people how Jesus healed you. When you are delivered, tell people how Jesus delivered you. The more you share the more power you take away from the enemy. He can’t get someone who continues to glorify God for what He alone has done.

It is when we stop remembering. When we think we have it all figured out. When we think we can take just one drink or one hit and be okay. When we think we can just look once and it won’t be that bad. When we think we know better than God…we fall into satan’s trap.

There have been many times over my life where I have been tempted to return back to a life of drugs. I upset hell when I got out and the enemy kept trying to get me back. But I kept talking. I kept sharing. I kept plundering hell by helping others.

And I kept pursuing Jesus. No matter how hard some of the days were, I kept pursuing the only One who saved my life…Jesus.

Friends, keep pursuing. Don’t ever think you have it all figured out or that you can do something just one more time because you were delivered and it can’t be that bad now. Keep reaching for the hem of Jesus’ garment and let Him lead the way. He will help you keep the house clean and He will continue to speak truth to you.

And lastly, I will say this….stay in the Word of God. Park on any passage for however long you need to. Eat the Word. Breathe the Word. Chew on the Word. Get it in you so deep that you are a walking Bible.

The Word is what Jesus used against satan and we must know it so that when we use it, no matter what satan says back, he can’t twist it on us.

It is the Word that will destroy the works of darkness every time. 

Faythe