Warfare and Deliverance

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 JOHN 3:8

This is the chapter in which Derek Prince most needs to be read with care, and it is also a chapter that cannot honestly be left out. Prince was one of the best-known teachers of deliverance ministry in the twentieth century. He taught it for decades, practised it, and set out his mature view in They Shall Expel Demons. Many Christians will disagree with much of it. Some will have been hurt by practices that claimed his authority. The aim here is to describe what he taught fairly, to draw out what is plainly scriptural, and to set strong and fair cautions around the rest.

What the Gospels show

Prince began with the ministry of Jesus, and here no Christian can quarrel with him. The Gospels present the casting out of evil spirits not as an occasional oddity but as a regular part of the Lord’s work. Mark sums up His Galilean ministry in two phrases: He preached, and He cast out devils. Peter, preaching to Cornelius, sums up the whole ministry of Jesus in the same terms.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. ACTS 10:38

Jesus treated this as a sign of the kingdom’s arrival, and He gave the same authority to His disciples.

But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. MATTHEW 12:28

Prince argued that Western Christianity, shaped by a rationalist worldview, had largely quietly edited this part of the Gospels out. We read the accounts and translate them into categories we are more comfortable with. He believed the result was a church that did not recognise, and so could not resist, a real enemy. On that basic point — that the powers of darkness are real and that Christ has defeated them — he stands with the whole of historic Christianity.

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. COLOSSIANS 2:15

Where he went further

Prince went further than many, however, in two respects.

First, he taught that Christians themselves can be troubled by evil spirits and may need deliverance. He was careful with his terms. He did not say that a believer can be possessed, in the sense of owned. He preferred a word that described being under demonic influence in some area of life, and he argued that the Greek of the New Testament supported such a distinction. Many serious believers reject the idea entirely, holding that a Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit cannot also be inhabited by an unclean spirit; they point to texts such as the promise that the wicked one toucheth him not.

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 1 JOHN 5:18

This is not a small disagreement, and it is sincere on both sides. This book does not settle it. But the reader should know that Prince’s view is contested by a thoughtful part of the church, and should not receive it as though it were settled doctrine.

Second, he described a range of symptoms and patterns — compulsions, persistent fears, certain kinds of torment — that he thought might indicate demonic influence, and practical methods for ministering deliverance. Here the need for caution is greatest.

Strong and fair cautions

The history of deliverance ministry, including ministry done in Prince’s name, contains real harm. It is right to say so plainly.

First, the danger of seeing demons everywhere. When every temptation, mood and weakness is attributed to an evil spirit, the ordinary means of Christian growth are neglected. Paul’s letters give long instructions about sin, anger, lust and bitterness, and in almost every case the remedy he prescribes is not exorcism but repentance, putting off the old man, and walking in the Spirit. The flesh is real too, and a Christian who blames a demon for what his own heart has chosen will never grow.

Second, the danger to the sick and the troubled. Depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, epilepsy and many other conditions have physical and psychological dimensions, and Christians who have treated them only as spiritual problems have done great damage — sometimes by persuading people to abandon medicine, sometimes by piling guilt on those who were not delivered. Wise ministry works alongside doctors and counsellors, not against them.

Third, the danger of spectacle and of power. Deliverance sessions can become dramatic, prolonged, and centred on the minister. Vulnerable people can be manipulated. Anyone who offers such ministry must be accountable, humble, gentle and restrained.

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. LUKE 10:20

It is worth noticing that Jesus Himself steered His disciples’ joy away from their authority over spirits and towards their salvation. That is the right order.

The armour of God

What remains when these cautions are applied? A great deal, and all of it is plainly scriptural. The believer is in a real conflict. He is to be sober and vigilant. He is to resist the devil, standing firm in faith, and the devil will flee.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. JAMES 4:7

Notice the order: submit first, then resist. Most of the Christian’s warfare is fought not in dramatic confrontation but in ordinary obedience, putting on the whole armour of God — truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. EPHESIANS 6:10–11

And above all the believer is to remember who has already won.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 JOHN 4:4

Prince at his best would have put the emphasis exactly there. Christ is the victor. The believer stands in His victory. Deliverance, where it is truly needed, is simply the application of what He finished on the cross — and the man who was once bound ends up sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.

FOR REFLECTION AND ACTION

1. Read Ephesians 6:10–18 slowly. Take each piece of the armour in turn and ask what it would mean to put it on today.

2. Is there an area of your life where you have blamed the devil for what is really your own choice? Confess it as sin and take practical steps of obedience.

3. If you have been involved in the occult in any form, renounce it before God and seek pastoral help if you need it.

4. If you are struggling with a persistent mental or emotional difficulty, seek wise help — medical, pastoral and prayerful together — and refuse the idea that you must choose between them.

5. If you are in any kind of ministry to the troubled, ask whether you are accountable to others, and whether your practice is gentle, restrained and centred on Christ.

A PRAYER

Lord Jesus, You came to destroy the works of the devil, and You triumphed over every power on the cross. I rest in Your victory.

Teach me to submit to You and to resist the enemy — not with noise, but with truth, righteousness, faith and Your Word.

Keep me from fear of darkness and from fascination with it. Keep me from blaming spirits for the sins of my own heart.

Where anyone near me is truly bound, give Your church wisdom, gentleness and power to set them free, and let them end at Your feet, clothed and in their right mind. Amen.