Casting out devils – a personal experience

I was recently asked:

What does a demon “feel like”? Can this be “staged”? Have you ever cast out a demon Marianne?

This is my response:

Yes, I have cast out 8 at one time….but I have only done this once, and I was on the 40th day of a 40 day fast – no food, just water. So, it was a very exceptional time. I prayed for an Asian man who  needed help at a large prayer meeting. He could not speak English, but I understood what he wanted, and I could not speak Chinese. There was a room full of people, but God lead me over to him.

Being on the fast made me very sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and I was able to follow instructions, and be amazed at God’s power and deliverance. It was very blessed moment for me. I will always remember what happened. The Chinese man and I seemed to be in our own world, while everyone else was occupied in other prayer activities. It was a private moment for both of us, and we both left the experience awe struck.

A demon is not as powerful as he would have us think. He is actually very weak, and feels like a puff of air, about the size of a cotton ball, soft, not strong. I could feel each of the little puffs come out and hit my hand, which I held over the man’s head and abdomen areas. I know there were 8 because I could count each one as it left. I never touched the man, only held my hand about 6-8 inches over the area.

Demons get their strength by the faith we have in them to do us harm. They have no authority except what we give them, because originally the authority was removed by the blood of Jesus.

The devil tends to imitate what God does, so I would think there are many “staged” performances. People like to be the center of attention, and have people look at what “they” can do. Victimizing a soul further, by shining a TV light and camera on them, is adding to the injury they already have with the demon.

There was nothing staged about my experience. It was quite the opposite. People were ignoring us, and it was done quietly, and in an orderly way. No one knew, except him and me. But it was an experience I am very grateful for, and deeply impressed me.

In difficult times, I remember back to this, as God was gracious enough to allow me to witness true deliverance, his faithfulness, and help build my confidence in His promises. Because of this, I can tell the difference between the real and the fake. I would say that most of what you see is fake, or at best, unsuccessful.

Jesus did promise that true believers would cast out devils. But what has happened, is that people have turned such a precious, private experience into a circus act. Man’s ego is in the way of God, which hinders the work of the Holy Spirit, and produces shallow experiences which do not deliver the person at all.

It is not God’s will to see his people tormented by demonic spirits. It IS his will to cast out the devils and deliver people. It is also his will to have believers help each other. But, sadly, people want to be important and famous. They want people to look at them on a stage, or in front of a room, and give them credit for being special.

Scripture says that God resists the proud. So this also means that proud people do not have the power of God to use, because they just want to commercialize it and abuse it for themselves. This leaves many afflicted people without help, because there are very few trustworthy ministers. Casting out demons requires death to the flesh. The flesh is very much alive in most people, so they are not fit to handle the delicate matter of someone’s soul in their care.

To be of use to someone in need is a very humbling moment, because it is God, not the person, at work.

Final note: I hear much debate about whether someone should fall forward or backwards if the Holy Spirit touches him, in a “slaying of the spirit” experience. Somehow, they should only fall forward, on their face in worship. This is the prevalent opinion.

The man who was delivered did originally fall backwards, and was laying in a comfortable position on his back, when I reached him. His eyes were closed, and he seemed like he was peaceful, and sleeping, but I was aware of what he needed. This actually made it easier for me to pray for him, and experience what I did. It was like he was just laying on, or sleeping in, a hospital bed, waiting for the doctor to come.

It only took a few moments for the spirits to come out, and then I was able to extend a hand to him, and help him get up. On TV, I see long torturous “exorcisms.” This is the flesh in action, not God, and I wonder what shape the person is in afterwards, or if the problems are really gone.

When God delivers a person, it happens right away, if the person is willing. In a true deliverance, the person should feel much better. Whoever God uses to help them should respect their privacy.