Deliverance from Demons
And Curses

Bible Help for Spiritual Oppression

Is it possible for true Christians to suffer because of a curse, or have an opening to demonic influence in their lives? Through Jesus we can be delivered from all such things, but does the mere fact that we are committed Christians always make deliverance automatic?

Being a millionaire would mean you need never have a vitamin deficiency, but it would still be up to you to eat healthily and have medical checkups. Similarly, being spiritually united to Jesus means we need never suffer from curses or demonic interference in our lives but are there things we must do to ensure that we live in the freedom that Christ has won for us? Our responsibility in our partnership with God is something we readily acknowledge in other aspects of the Christian life. For example, the instant we are born again, we receive power over all sin, but does this mean we instantly discover this and live a sinless life? There is an enormous gap between the life Jesus has made available to us and the life we are currently living. In this webpage we will discover some ways to narrow that gap.

The following are just a few of many examples of how curses or the demonic could be influencing our lives.

Signing Up For More Than You Expect

Suppose that out of curiosity about my future I consult tarot cards or a fortune teller or astrologer or spiritualist medium. These are all attempts to contact the supernatural realm without going through Jesus. This is scary, when we consider that Jesus is the only way to the true God (John 14:6). So if any of these methods have any supernatural powers to “see” into the future, the powers are not from God, who alone is good. A psychic, or whatever he calls himself, might naively have the best of intentions, but anything supernatural he is connecting with is malicious and plays dirty. Acts 16:16-19 gives an example. The divinely inspired Word of God reveals that a woman had psychic ability because of an evil spirit.

Since any spirits accessed outside of Christ are evil, it is their very nature to deceive and harm their victims. For example, the fortune teller mentioned in the book of Acts kept giving supernatural affirmation that the apostles were from the Most High God and were proclaiming the way of salvation (Acts 16:16-19). By this she was giving the deceptive impression that she, too, knew the true God and promoted his ways, when she was actually under the influence of a demonic spirit, which, of course, is opposed to Christ.

In reality, only God knows exactly what will happen in the future. What humans and other intelligent beings can do, however, is say that something will happen and then try to make it come to pass. I can predict that tomorrow I will get up at six in the morning. If I’m determined, there is a good chance that I can make my prediction come to pass, but the Almighty can foil my plans. Only God knows for sure if I will even be alive tomorrow.

So demons could speak through something or someone claiming to know the future outside of Christ, saying such things as, “You will marry a beautiful brunette.” If I were lonely, that would be a good way to get me interested in what the demons say. Then if they wish to get me even more hooked, they could prove their “powers” by sending my way one of the countless beautiful brunettes under Satan’s control. What they predict might not happen. They might get their laughs out of teasing me, or their plans might fail – after all, only God is all-powerful and infallible. However, unless I repent of consulting something or someone demonically inspired, the Lord is unlikely to be moved to override their evil plans. And if they succeed, I will end up in the horrifying predicament of marrying someone chosen by the devil.

So although I’m unlikely to realize it at the time, by consulting the supernatural without a dependence upon Jesus, I would not only be seeking the help of evil spirits but giving these spirits permission to influence my future. And since the spirits are evil, we can be sure that no matter how nice it starts off, the end result will be most unpleasant.

I might have forgotten it ever happened or never realized I consulted someone driven by demons, but I would be wrong to suppose my forgetfulness or ignorance means the spirits involved have forgotten the invitation I gave them. I might not have been serious about seeking their help, but that does not stop the spirits from being deadly serious in their attempts to ensnare me.

If I let someone inject heroin into me, it will affect me regardless of whether I treat it as a joke or believe it is merely water. Getting involved with evil spirits is one of very many things in life in which the implications can be serious, irrespective of whether we take them seriously. If I sign up to have magazines delivered weekly, they will keep coming indefinitely – and so will the bills – regardless of whether I understood what I was getting myself into. Merely wanting the magazines stopped will have no effect. The deliveries and my obligation to pay will continue until I notify the company by a means it acknowledges as valid. Likewise, until I repent of becoming involved with evil spirits, and specifically seek Jesus’ intervention to prevent demonic interference from that source, demons have every right to exploit any opening I gave them.

Someone might not believe that the wages of sin is death or that we reap what we sow but ignorance or skepticism is no protection from the consequences of spiritual principles. So why should a failure to believe in demonic powers or curses protect us from demons or curses?

A Blessing that Becomes a Curse

There might be someone in your life – such as a now-deceased grandfather who belonged to the Freemasons – who supposed he was bringing God’s blessing upon his descendants. Because he was seeking the supernatural outside of Jesus, however, his attempted blessing was actually inviting evil spirits to intervene in the lives of his descendants. Since it was a human who summoned them, it is understandable that the spirit world would require it to be a human – not God – who, as it were, terminates the contract. Merely informing these spirits that the unpleasant effects of their actions are unwanted would change nothing. That would be like continuing to get drunk while telling the bartender you no longer want hangovers. You would need to reject every aspect of the evil spirits’ influence, including anything from that source that you might like or regard as harmless. Moreover, the only way to make them obey your request is if you do this in the power of Jesus.

The Sins of a Previous Generation

There was a time in King David’s reign when a severe drought devastated the nation. Most of us would have dismissed it as a random natural occurrence. We would have simply endured it, while praying for rain. And the drought would have continued. David, however, had a deeper understanding of the supernatural. He earnestly sought the Lord as to the reason for the drought. God’s response was astounding. He revealed that the drought was because of the actions of Saul, the previous king. Moreover, Saul’s mistake was to mistreat a pagan tribe who, many generations earlier, had tricked (yes, tricked) the Israelites into making a treaty with them (Joshua 9:3-27). Saul did not break any covenant he had made but one made right back in Joshua’s time.

None of this was David’s doing. Saul was already dead and was not even an ancestor of David. In fact, Saul and David were enemies. Nevertheless, David and all his generation were suffering because of Saul’s actions. Amazingly, this drought was not the continuation of one that had commenced during Saul’s reign. It did not even begin until well into David’s reign. And yet it all had its source in the actions of the previous generation in breaking a covenant made by a still earlier generation. What happens in earlier generations is clearly of great spiritual importance.

As is the norm for generational curses, no one’s salvation was at stake, but physical and material hardship occurred until the source was identified and specific action was taken to remedy it.

“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Proverbs 26:2), but even though David himself was innocent and enjoyed full forgiveness for his personal sins, this curse continued because it was “deserved.” The Bible reveals that there was an offense someone other than David had committed that David needed to acknowledge and deal with.

David asked the offended pagans what he should do in order for them to bless the Israelites (2 Samuel 21:3). It seems from this that they had been cursing Israel, and David wanted them to reverse the curse. The Lord had allowed this curse to affect God’s people because the pagans’ grievance was legitimate. It was not enough for David to pray for rain. Nor was it enough for him to ask God’s forgiveness for Saul’s actions. David had to put right the injustice done to these people before God answered David’s prayer for rain (2 Samuel 21:1-14).

A Neglected Aspect of God’s Nature

Exodus 34:5-7 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (emphasis mine)

For decades I have been aware of the last part of the above Scripture (in italics), but only recently have I adequately considered the context. The Lord was proclaiming his name. In biblical thought one’s name reveals one’s character – who one really is. This Scripture was God’s special revelation concerning his character, and he regards the portion I’ve italicized as a fundamental aspect of who he is.

We think, “Surely God wouldn’t let people suffer for their ancestors’ sin,” even though he categorically states that he will. Without analyzing it, we take an instant dislike to this biblical truth, and so most of us push it out of our minds and refuse to come to terms with it.

So fundamental is this truth that it also appears in the Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me (emphasis mine)

The italicized part also appears in Numbers 14:18 and Deuteronomy 5:9. In addition, we find such Scriptures as the following:

Isaiah 14:21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers . . .

Isaiah 65:6-7 “ . . . I will pay it back into their laps – both your sins and the sins of your fathers,” says the LORD. . . .

Jeremiah 32:18 You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers’ sins into the laps of their children after them. . . .

There are a number of biblical instances of this extending far beyond the fourth generation. For example:

Deuteronomy 23:3-4 No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you.

Lest we dismiss this as “Old Testament” – as though God’s fundamental character could change – Jesus himself taught this truth:

Luke 11:50-51 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

Here Jesus is saying that the punishment for the sins of previous generations would fall upon those he was addressing.

We’ll see still more biblical examples of generational curses later, but let’s get real: pronouncements of punishment are not the end of the story. We know, for example, that the wages of sin is death but God has provided a way around this. Nevertheless, avoidance of the consequences of our own sin requires a response on our part: we must confess and repent of our sins. Can we avoid the consequences of generational sin without similarly confessing and renouncing the sins of our ancestors?

Your family might despise or disown you or you might think ill of them, but that will not break a curse. It might even make things worse. Renouncing a generational curse does not involve renouncing ancestors or ceasing to love and respect former generations. It involves coming to God in the power of Christ’s sacrifice and acknowledging and renouncing the sins of one’s ancestors.

The Bible provides many examples of confessing the sins of previous generations:

Leviticus 26:40 But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers . . .

Nehemiah 9:2  . . . They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.

Jeremiah 3:25  . . . We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers . . .

Six More Biblical Instances of Confessing the Sins of One’s Ancestors

And this goes beyond just confession:

Psalms 79:8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.

Curses Affecting Christians? You’re Joking!

“Why should my ancestor’s sin affect me?” you ask. If it were not for our ancestors we wouldn’t exist. For example, were it not for sexual sin somewhere in our family tree (adulery, rape or whatever) probably none of us would have been born. We bear our ancestors’ genes. Most societies have been very conscious of how much we are a product of our ancestors, but in modern western society we have so emphasized individuality that we often lose sight of it, except that we are very aware of the disconnectedness and distress felt by people who, due to adoption or for some other reason, are unaware of their parentage. Our ancestors are the roots from which we grow. They are a significant part of who we are.

We know very well that babies can be born with HIV or born affected by illicit drugs because of their parents’ sin. Science is even discovering that our grandparents’ lifestyle – such as what they ate – can switch on or off genes that affect our health today. Our present understanding of such things is crude but if our eyes could be opened, we would discover that the sins of our forebears have the power to affect us far more than we currently realize. We see the principle in the effect of Adam’s and Eve’s sin on their descendants, but just as they are not the only humans to sin and have children, they are not the only ones to affect descendants by sinning.

Consider a king. All of his descendants should be royalty but because he is cruel there is a revolution. The people scrap the monarchy and establish a republic. All of the king’s descendants are affected. Few of us are kings, but spiritually we each have authority that can affect our descendants.

“But Jesus was cursed for us, so we were immediately freed from any curse the instant we made Jesus our Lord and Savior,” I hear you say. Actually, Paul applies this not to all curses, but only to the curse of God upon everyone who has broken God’s law (Galatians 3:13). The Bible teaches that there are many other curses.

A reason why many Christians do not bother to activate God’s deliverance from curses is because they confuse “the curse of the law” with other curses. This confusion leads people to wrongly presume that just because they are protected from the curse of breaking the Mosaic law, they are automatically protected from quite different curses without needing to pray or specifically believe for those curses to be broken in their lives. That’s like living in a malaria-infested jungle, blissfully supposing you cannot contract malaria just because you have been inoculated against cholera.

We might even broaden the curse of breaking the Mosaic law to the curse of breaking the law of God that is written even on pagan hearts (Romans 2:14-15). Either way, it is a curse that comes upon a person through his/her personal sin.

In contrast, generational curses are activated not by our sins but solely because of the sins of our ancestors. Such curses first started appearing long before the giving of the law. The most famous is the curse brought upon all of Adam’s descendants. Although Christ’s death has broken this particular curse, only those who put their faith in Christ’s sacrifice can enjoy the benefits, and even then there are aspects of the curse (such as aging and physical death) that still afflict believers.

Generational curses typically have nothing to do with the law. A curse affecting vast numbers of people before the giving of the law was the curse that came upon Canaan’s descendants because of the sin of his father, Ham. At the same time, a blessing fell upon the descendants of Noah’s more righteous sons:

Genesis 9:22-27 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s nakedness. . . . When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! [Ham’s son] The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.”

This curse was not limited to the third or fourth generation. As is the norm for curses, the issue was not the spiritual destiny of the descendants. In this case, it focused on who would be the underdog. Likewise, the blessing was not spiritual: it involved material prosperity (land) – “May God extend the territory . . .”

Some curses can remain dormant for generations, but still in force. Jericho was the first city taken by Joshua and the Israelites when they entered the promised land. In what I presume to be the principle of the first fruits belonging to the Lord, God commanded that the entire city be destroyed and that no plunder be taken. Against this background we read:

Joshua 6:26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates.”

Generations later, we read:

1 Kings 16:34 In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

More Biblical Examples of Curses

Before the Israelites entered the promised land, the Amalekites attacked them. Because of this:

Exodus 17:16 . . .The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.

Because the high priest Eli allowed his sons to sin, we read:

1 Samuel 2:30,32-33,36 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and your father’s house would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! . . . in your family line there will never be an old man. Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. . . . Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”

Naaman offered Elisha a gift for his healing from leprosy. Elisha refused, but his servant, Gehazi, took a gift on the sly. Elisha supernaturally knew what his servant had done and proclaimed:

2 Kings 5:27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.

Yet another curse:

Judges 9:57 God also made the men of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

Another example of sins affecting one’s descendants:

Malachi 2:3 Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; . . .

We all know the story of Balaam in which God went to the extreme of speaking through a donkey to ensure that Balaam did not curse the Israelites. Scripture makes much of this incident, recalling it over and over down through the centuries (Scriptures). If curses have no power or they are automatically negated when people are in a right relationship with God, why celebrate God preventing a curse from being uttered? Are these Scriptures superstitious nonsense? Perish the thought!

Why did God act as if curses on God’s people have power? Why didn’t he demonstrate that curses placed on those whom he has blessed are powerless by letting the curse be pronounced and it have no effect on the Israelites?

Jesus’ Power

Among Christians, the power of the cross to deliver us from such things as curses is almost universally acknowledged. The area of dispute is whether this Christ-bought deliverance requires faith and understanding – as it does in just about every other aspect of the Christian life – or whether in this case Christians can safely do nothing or remain in doubt and ignorance because all Christians are automatically delivered simply because they have prayed the salvation prayer.

Even though all the promises of God are “yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20) it is “through faith and patience” that we “inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:12). Though fully available to us through Christ, promises do not fall into Christians’ laps without us doing something.

Christians of all flavors readily accept this in other aspects of our spiritual lives. For example, even though there are Christians who believe that through the atonement physical healing is the right of all Christians, I have heard of none who think physical healing is so automatic that no Christian ever has to pray and believe for healing.

Consider this promise:

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (KJV)

Let’s not get so excited about the promised end result that we forget that this very Scripture declares it hinges on us submitting to God and resisting the devil.

For more biblical examples of the benefits that Christ’s death has made available to Christians that do not become ours unless we pray, believe and act, click here.

If the certainty of God’s love and his unlimited knowledge of our every need and desire does not diminish the spiritual necessity of us praying for our needs, nor even remove our obligation to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21), on what authority can we claim that deliverance from curses other than the curse of the law requires no action on our behalf and so is utterly different from all these other aspects of receiving the benefits of Christ’s atonement?

“What if I am unaware of my ancestors’ sins?” you may ask. Let’s consider our own sins: we don’t have to confess every single sin we have ever committed – we can’t even remember them all – but we are in a dangerous place if there is a sin in our lives we are aware of that we excuse and refuse to acknowledge as our responsibility to confess and renounce. We have also noted the drought in David’s time that could be resolved only by specifically seeking God about it. Similarly, we should seek God’s revelation of any ancestral sins we should confess and renounce.

Unexpected Consequences of One’s Ancestry

We usually think of an inheritance as a blessing, but it need not be. If, for example, you inherited a family business that were later sued for the way your parents had run the business, it would be you who is sued and your name that is blackened. What if the business were subject to a ‘protection’ racket or hopelessly in debt to loan sharks demanding exorbitant payments to keep a terrifying gang of thugs at bay? What if the business involved drug trafficking or other hideous crimes?

Without your knowledge, your parents or grandparents could write a will declaring that you will inherit something of theirs. It is impossible to stop people from writing in their wills whatever they choose. You can, however, legally renounce an inheritance. By so doing, you would be formally pronouncing, ‘I hereby relinquish my legal right to whatever they declared I could have. This inheritance is to be treated as if I were dead.’ Unless you did this, you would be deemed legally responsible for whatever mess your family left you.

Here’s a final illustration from the natural world as to how things operate in the spiritual: it is amazingly common to have dual citizenship without realizing it, and this consequence of one’s ancestry remains in force unless formally renounced.

People seeking election to the Australian government must be citizens of Australia and of no other country. From July 2016 through to 2018, however, much political turmoil ensued when it was discovered that many politicians were unaware that, due to their ancestry, they had dual citizenship. Some were so sure of their citizenship status that they mocked and scorned those who were found to be dual citizens – only to later discover that they, too, were dual citizens (More details). Although they had no say in it, they remained tied to a foreign power until they formally renounced citizenship to that country (officially declared to the other nation that they no longer wanted to be recognized as citizens of that country and not receive any benefits that entails).

Likewise, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20) and we might have sworn allegiance solely to our Lord, and yet it seems that, unknown to us, another spiritual power could maintain that it has a claim on us on the basis of our ancestry, until we formerly renounce all ties to that power. Once, however, evil powers know we are alert to their tricks and that we will do whatever it takes to enforce our Christ-bought right to be free from their interference, they are forced to back off.

Renouncing the privileges and obligations of citizenship of what is now a foreign nation/kingdom in no way implies renouncing one’s ancestry. One can still be proud of one’s ancestry and cultural background and love one’s family, whilst emphatically declaring to that kingdom that one’s allegiance is exclusively to a different king.

We don’t have to know every detail of our ancestor’s sin; just enough to protect ourselves. Our Lord knows what that is and he will reveal it, if we seek that revelation. As already mentioned, it is similar to confessing our own sins: we don’t have to remember every sin we have ever committed and specifically ask God’s forgiveness for it. We should, however, seek God’s revelation as to what we have been doing that is sinful, lest we keep ignorantly repeating that sin. Not just willful sin but, regardless of whether we realize it is wrong, any wrong thing we do hurts us and it needs to be stopped.

Pests could be entering our home for some time without us knowing. The sooner we become aware of it, the better. We then need to discover how they are getting in, seal off that route and remain alert, lest they reopen the hole or find some other way to get in. Likewise, we should seek God as to whether there is anything our ancestors have done that we need to be alerted to, so that we can seal it off and remain vigilant in order to prevent it from affecting our lives.

Just as keeping our home pest-free does not mean having to destroy every pest in the neighborhood, so we do not have to attack or reject our family in order to protect ourselves from invaders that have a stronghold in their lives. If family members choose to continue with spiritually dangerous behavior, it means that, whether they realize it or not, they need our love, prayers and input more than ever. We don’t have to reject them as family to protect ourselves. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” (Ephesians 6:12, KJV). We need to block unclean spirits, preventing them from messing with our lives, but this is done on a spiritual level, not by fighting family members. Once we have fortified ourselves spiritually, we don’t have to superstitiously fear those who are still ensnared by spiritual powers. We are safe and, unless we are particularly weak, we can remain in contact with family members, while terminating contact with their demons. That way, we can be there for our flesh and blood, the instant they realize they need help.

A Harmless Decoration?

God requires that we destroy all charms, occult symbols and items associated with pagan worship in our possession. The Bible even makes ‘Jacob’s’ (the nation of Israel’s) salvation dependent on them reducing such items to powder:

Isaiah 27:9 By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for . . .  When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing.

Rather than risk boring you by citing the many Scriptures indicating the importance of destroying every occult object, I draw your attention to one that realistically acknowledges that such objects might be of great material value. It insists that although they might be materially and artistically and historically and sentimentally priceless, they must be utterly destroyed:

Deuteronomy 7:25-26 The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

The Old Testament reminds us that charms must not be worn:

Ezekiel 13:18 . . . This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists . . . ”

Let’s see how the early Christians responded:

Acts 19:18-20 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

To have in our possession items connected with the occult or pagan worship is equivalent to placing in our homes, “Demons Welcome Here” in flashing neon lights, and painting a bull’s eye on our hearts, urging demons to use us for target practice.

Has a Christian who acts contrary to God’s Word by engaging in prostitution any right to divine protection from sexually transmitted diseases? Then what right has a Christian to expect divine protection from demonic interference if the person acts contrary to God’s Word and prostitutes himself to anti-God spiritual powers by wearing or displaying symbols of those powers?

Breaking Free

The following is a prayer you might consider praying to help ensure you are free from any curse or demonic activity. It should not just be read quickly. You need to wait on the Lord earnestly and expectantly for him to show you anything you need to know, realizing that it might be days or weeks before the full answer comes.

Dear God,

I want to be committed solely to the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in him alone for my salvation and blessing. Jesus alone has all power over evil, and all power to bless me, protect me, and give me a glorious future. Through his sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, Jesus has destroyed the devil’s power over humanity. Jesus alone makes me holy and spiritually unites me to you, the Holy One. He suffered and died and rose again for me. I want to be rid of all sin in my life and I trust Jesus’ sacrifice as fully sufficient to gain your forgiveness and cleansing of all my offenses.

I realize that it is the very nature of evil to be deceptive and to pretend to be good and even claim to be from you. So I ask you to open my eyes to any area where demons might be deceiving me. If at any time I have deliberately or unintentionally opened any door of my life to spiritual influences not from the true God, then I ask your forgiveness and I repent of it. If it would help me to become more aware of what I did that is wrong so that I might consciously repent of it, then please show me.

I refuse to accept any supposed benefits from involvement in anything spiritual that does not have your full approval. Please take from my life any supposed “blessings” or “advantages” or “pleasures” that do not have their source in you. If I need to end any emotional or spiritual attachment, then I want to end it. If there is anything in my house or possessions that dishonors you, then I will destroy it, regardless of its sentimental or material value.

In the name of Jesus, the pure and spotless Lamb of God, the King of kings who through faith dwells in me, I come against any opening to evil that might be in my life due to the actions of other people, be they relatives, friends, enemies, or whatever. I look to the Lord Jesus to deliver me from all evil and seal off every part of my life from demonic influence from any source. Please bring to my attention anything that I need to be consciously aware of in order to experience total freedom and holiness. If there is any help from other people or information that would be beneficial in my full deliverance, I ask that you send them my way.

I praise you for loving me and for being more powerful than anything evil. I look to Jesus and him alone for my full protection.

If the Lord reveals anything your relatives were involved in that you should renounce, please understand that you are not renouncing the people themselves; only certain spiritually dangerous things they knowingly or perhaps innocently did.

As explained in Spiritual Warfare: Turning Spiritual Attack into Victory, when facing the demonic we need not only to pray but to directly command dark spiritual powers to leave in Jesus’ name. Say out loud that you belong to Jesus and declare in Jesus’ name that you sever any spiritual ties to previous generations that do not glorify Christ. Renounce and disown, as specifically as you can, any sins your relatives have done.

It is usual for demons to try to return from time to time in the hope that you didn’t really mean it or that you have changed your mind. So you will have to hold your ground and you might end up having to make this declaration several times. For more on this aspect of spiritual warfare, see The Secret to Casting Out Demons.

Related Webpage:

The Unexpected Reason for God Seeming Distant:
The Dark Side of My Life

More about demons:

Helpful, Fascinating, Sane Pages about Demons

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version © Copyright, 1978 by New York International Bible Society.