What the Bible Teaches about Binding and Loosing, Speaking into Existence, Confessing Scriptural Promises, Casting out Demons

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013.

Some might choose to read this out of curiosity.  Curiosity is not necessarily a bad thing.  Newton was curious about gravity, and before long, he gave us mathematical laws of gravity.

But if people are curious about sexual perversions, BEWARE, that stuff can ruin you, and send you to hell.  

But you can read my book, “The Nature of Homosexuality,” without being damaged. 

Some might read with an interest to get information to use against God and his people.  Let me save you some trouble and inconvenience.  The Bible says, “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor advice against the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:30)

I met a young man in Texas who thought that God really owed him for a lot of bad things that had happened to him and his family.  Probably, it could have been shown that the young man brought much of his troubles on himself by ignorance of God’s principles, or by speaking the wrong things into existence, or by wrong living.  What are you going to do, punish God?

Forget it.  You can’t punish God.  Don’t you know that, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”? (1 Cor 1:25)

But another group of readers want to have better lives; want to use Bible principles to improve themselves and their families in the financial realm, in the area of health, in their relationships with other people.  

I’ve read Dale Carnegie books, positive mental attitude books, self-help books, and I can tell you the best book on all of these subjects is the Holy Bible.  I recommend the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, available for the Kindle readers at Amazon.com.  

But the principles presented in this book that you’re reading now will probably not do you a great deal of good unless you are first:

1.   A Christian,
            and preferably,
2.   Baptized with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues.

But someone might ask, “Do I need the baptism with the Holy Ghost to get to heaven?

No, the requirement to get to heaven is “You must be born again,” says Jesus. (John chapter 3)  Also, the Bible teaches that Christians should be baptized in water.

You get born-again when you hear or read the gospel message the Jesus died for our sins and then you accept his free offer of salvation, according to Romans chapter 10, verses 9 and 10.  Just say out loud, “Lord Jesus, I accept your free offer of salvation and forgiveness of sins.”  

Baptism in water can be done at a local Protestant church.  I was baptized in water at an Assembly of God church.  

But though baptism with the Holy Ghost is not a requirement for entering heaven, it will surely be of great assistance in getting you to heaven.  

You’re not automatically going to heaven just because you have previously prayed the sinner’s prayer.  Jesus said, “He that endures to the end shall be saved.”  He also said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things I say?”  

Most of the words that are recorded in writing, that were spoken by Jesus during his life on earth, are in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the first four books in the New Testament part of the Bible. 

The Baptism with the Holy Ghost will help you endure to the end, and will help you do the things Jesus said.  The Holy Ghost will guide you into all truth.  The Holy Ghost will help you resist the devil, as we are told to do in the book of James.  And in Jude vs. 20, you can strengthen your faith by praying in unknown tongues, which can only be done after receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost from Jesus. 

Jesus said, “You’ll receive power after the Holy Ghost has come on you…”  (Acts 1:8)

Some Christians believe they got the Holy Ghost when they became Christians.  Yes, I believe you got some of the Holy Ghost at that time.  But if you don’t pray in a language you never learned (unknown tongues), then you have not received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost (you get more of the Holy Ghost).  

There’s more on Salvation and on the Baptism with the Holy Ghost at my website, www.FredHoehnMinistries.com  

Ephesians chapter six tells us to: 

 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so you'll be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
 12 For we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against princedoms, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places.
 13 So, take to yourselves the whole armor of God, so you'll be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
 14 Stand therefore, having your loins clothed with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,
 15 And for shoes, the preparation of the gospel of peace,
 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and staying awake regarding that with all perseverance and supplication for all saints,

Notice verse 13, “so you’ll be able to withstand in the evil day…”

The whole armor of God is equipment and weapons to help us survive the storms of life.  Remember how Jesus told us about two men, one of whom built his house on the sand, and the other of which built his house on the foundation of Jesus’ words? (Matt 7:24-27) 

The storms came to both men, but the one on the solid foundation is the one who came through the storms.

Storms did a lot of damage recently in New England.  People lost their homes.  The storms of life can do you great damage if you won’t use the equipment and weapons God has provided for his people, the Christians.    

When you become a Christian, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, see, all things have become new.” (2 Cor 5:17)

And one of the things that are new is our weaponry that God has provided for us.  

 4 “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds,)
 5 Throwing down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Cor 10:4,5)

Our weapons are not carnal.

Before people become Christians, they live by their wits.  They try to figure things out.  They sometimes seek advisors.  

But when we become Christians, now we have new equipment at our disposal.  

Above is listed Ephesians 6:15 about footwear.  Ephesians chapter six compares our Christian experience to that of a soldier.  Would a soldier go into battle barefoot after he had been provided with good boots?

Not if he’s a proper soldier.  But some Christians hope to get by without using the armor and weapons provided to us by God.  

Notice in Mark 16:17,18  that

“And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages…They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover.”

Who is saying that?  Jesus.  Does Jesus have a right to give us instructions?  Uh, well, yes.  Jesus died for our sins, thus providing our salvation so we don’t have to go to hell.  

Jesus says if you’re a believer (a Christian), you’re supposed to cast out demons out of people, and speak in new languages (the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues), and we’re supposed to lay hands on sick people and get them healed.

How many Christians that you know are doing all of that?

But if they’re not doing those things, then how do they have a right to call themselves believers if they’re not doing what Jesus said believers would do?  

Another serious problem is, if they’re not doing those things, and not using “the weapons of our warfare…” then they are poorly protected against the storms of life that Jesus spoke of.  

But now, let’s go to the first topic.

Binding and Loosing

How did we get this phrase, Binding and Loosing?  It’s from Jesus, who said, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matt 16:19)

Who was Jesus talking to?  To Christians.  Don’t try to put this principle to work if you’re not a Christian.  I’m not saying it will blow up in your face.  But Jesus didn’t give this to the unbelievers, he gave it to us Christians. 

Just as Jesus said we’d cast out demons in his name, I use the name of Jesus when I bind and loose.  We Christians have the name of Jesus like a power of attorney.  

A rich man with a lot of real estate properties can give the power of attorney to one of his employees designated to oversee the rich man’s real estate.  

That agent can then transact real estate business on behalf of his employer who has given that specific power of attorney.  

We have the right to use the name of Jesus as we conduct spiritual business for the Lord, and natural business in binding and loosing, in casting out demons, in speaking things into existence, in “speaking to the mountain” (Mk 11:23), as we pray to God the Father in Jesus’ name, and as we claim God’s promises for ourselves and our families. 

So then how do we do this binding and loosing?

We do it with words that we speak out of our mouths.  

Here’s an example.  Jesus saw a fig tree and approached it, looking for fruit.  When Jesus found no fruit on the fig tree, Jesus said, “No man eat fruit of you hereafter forever.”  

When the disciples passed by the fig tree again later, they were surprised at how soon the fig tree had dried up.  

So what would we use binding and loosing for?

Probably most Christians could use a little help with finances.  Our enemy, the Devil and his demons, try to oppose us in several areas, including finances.  

Satan doesn’t want God’s people to be prosperous.

So, do this binding:  “Satan, and all evil spirits, I bind you in your efforts to hinder me and my family financially, and every other way.  Take your hands off of our finances, and off of everything that pertains to my family, in Jesus’ name.” 

Or, maybe someone you know has a health problem.  Talk like this:  “Satan, and all evil spirits, take your hand off of this person’s health.  I bind you in Jesus’ name.”

Remember this though—if that person with the health problem is not a Christian, then the enemy may have some legal right to afflict that person.  So for best results, try to get that person to accept Jesus as savior, and then work on their health problem.  

But what about loosing?  The Lord showed Kenneth E. Hagin that we Christians can give assignments to angels.  Hagin had not been aware of that until this revelation from the Lord.  You can read about that in Hagin’s book, “How God Taught Me About Prosperity.”  
(go to www.Rhema.org )

So then, if there’s a financial need, say out loud with your mouth, “I loose ministering spirits to go and cause my financial needs to be met, in Jesus’ name.”  

That same book by Kenneth E. Hagin gives a plan from the Lord that the Lord gave to Hagin.  Hagin had been praying about his finances.  He claimed the scripture in Isaiah chapter 1 where God said, “If you’re willing and obedient, you’ll eat the good of the land.”

The Lord answered Hagin on the third day of his seeking the Lord about it.  The Lord said, “I don’t want you to pray about finances anymore—not like you’ve been praying.”  

“Here’s what I want you to do:  Claim whatever you want or need.  Then say, Satan, take your hands off my finances.  Then say, Go ministering spirits and cause the money to come.”

The ministering spirits are the angels that we, as Christians, can give assignments to.  Hagin hadn’t known that until this revelation from the Lord.

There’s a scripture in the Psalms about God surrounding us with favor like with a shield.  (Psa 5:12)

Perhaps where you work, you would like to have more favor with the powers that be at your place of employment.  Talk like this:  “I loose ministering spirits to go and give me favor in the sight of my supervisors and managers and employer, in Jesus’ name.”

You do your binding and loosing in faith, that is, you believe that what you say will happen, as per Mark 11:23.  It’s no good doing binding and loosing if you don’t put your faith with your words, and after all, we’re doing this binding and loosing because Jesus gave these tools to us.  

Speaking into Existence

In the book of Genesis, the book of beginnings, God said, “Let us make man in our image.”  After God said that, then that’s what God did.  He made us in his image.  

God is the God who spoke the worlds into existence.  God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light—the Sun, the Moon, and the stars.

Since we are made in the image of God, we also have a certain amount of power to speak things into existence.  Unfortunately, people sometimes speak wrong things into existence that they didn’t really want to happen.  

No doubt people have sometimes caught colds because of saying, “I’m catching a cold.”  Wrong thing to say.  Even if you’re pretty sure that you’re coming down with a cold, don’t talk like that.  Say instead, “The Lord is the Lord who heals me.” (Ex 15:26)  “The Lord forgives all my sins, and heals all my diseases.” (Psa 103)  “By Jesus’ stripes I was healed.” (1 Pet 2:24)  “Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Matt 8:17)  “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom 8:2)

And on a daily basis, you can claim safety, health, and prosperity for yourself and your family.

I’ve done quite a bit of traveling.  When I travel, whether it’s by car or bus or train or plane, I say, “There will be no accidents, no catastrophes, no disasters, no mechanical or electrical breakdowns nor any other breakdowns.  It will be a good trip.”  

Why do I do that?  I’m speaking into existence a better trip for myself than if I just “cast my fate to the wind.”  

No, I’m not going to cast my fate to the wind, I’m going to speak good things into existence and avoid problems by doing so. 

For probably at least five years, I had some credit card debt.  Not only did I owe the money, but also, I was having to pay interest on that debt.  I spoke to the mountain, according to Mark 11:23.

“For truly I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, be removed, and be thrown into the sea, and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that the things that he says shall happen, he shall have whatever he says.“ (Mark 11:23)

I said, “I command this mountain of debt to go; to be plucked up roots and all and be thrown into the sea, in Jesus’ name.”

I said that with my mouth.  Some days or weeks went by.  I still had the debt.  I commanded that mountain of debt to go.  Some more days or weeks went by, and I still had debt.  

I probably commanded that mountain of debt to go a hundred or more times.  But then after perhaps five years, a man came along and said, “I’ll pay off your credit card debt,” and he did, and I became debt-free.  Thank you, Jesus!  

But if I hadn’t commanded the mountain of debt to go, then I would probably still be in debt.  

Whatever problem you might have, that’s your mountain.  Command it to go in Jesus’ name, according to Mark 11:23.  If you know a Christian with cancer, tell them to command it to go, according to Mark 11:23.  

But there are some conditions there in Mark 11:23, if you want good results.  You speak to the mountain.  You believe that what you say will happen (using your faith), and you don’t doubt in your heart.  

Like most people, I occasionally use vending machines.  Most people who use vending machines have probably had the unpleasant experience of having the vending machine steal their money.  So, when I use a vending machine, before I put the money in, I command the vending machine to work right, and not give me any trouble, and I bind all powers of the enemy that would hinder that, in Jesus’ name.   

Now you don’t have to do that, but I believe I have better results with vending machines for doing so.  I’m putting my God-given power to speak things into existence to work, helping me with vending machines.

I do that with Automatic Teller Machines, too.  

Confessing Scriptural Promises

Let’s look at Joshua 1:8.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, so that you'll observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you'll make your way prosperous, and then you'll have good success.”  (Josh 1:8)

Moses had just died, and God was commissioning Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land.  

God provides Joshua with some spiritual equipment here that if properly applied will produce good results.  

When God says, “This book of the law,” He’s talking about the Bible.  The Bible includes the laws of Moses, the prophets, the Psalms, and now we also have the New Testament books of Matthew through Revelation.  

God says don’t let his words depart out of your mouth.  That means you’re supposed to speak the word of God out of your mouth.  

If you go to a restaurant, after looking at the menu, you’re supposed to speak words to the waitress about which food it is that you are ordering.  

The Bible is the most important book in the world.  Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.  God’s word is alive and powerful if we’ll put it to work.  

You put God’s word to work by speaking it out of your mouth and by believing it and by praying it.  If you want something from God, in your prayer, remind God of his promises on the subject.  If you need money, remind him about Galatians chapter 3 where God says the blessing of Abraham is on us.  (And that God made Abraham rich.)

Ephesians 6:17 says, “take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.”  These days, when armies fight, they use rifles, and shoot at each other.  But not so long ago, before rifles, soldiers fought with swords.  David killed Goliath with a sword after dropping the giant with a stone.  

Would you go into battle without your sword?

God’s word is your sword.  Speak God’s word from your mouth.  

There was a young man who hadn’t learned to read.  But he went to church where God’s word was preached.

Another man who didn’t go to the church got sick.  The young man told the sick man about healing scriptures and about prayer for the sick.

So the sick man went to the church, got prayed for, and got healed.  Why?  Because someone spoke the word of God.  

Josh 1:8 says to speak the word, and also to meditate on it.  What’s meditating on the word?  It’s thinking about the word.

An older Christian brother, Bill Severn, advised me in my youth to read a chapter a day in the Bible, and I’ve tried to do that.  But in recent years, I don’t read the Bible as much as listen to it being read.  I’ll get up in the morning and listen to a compact disk with someone reading the Bible out loud.

As I listen to perhaps thirty minutes of the Bible being read, I can’t help but think about what is being said (meditating).

David said, “I’ve hidden your word in my heart so I won’t sin against you.”  

God’s word in your heart empowers you in many ways.  You get God’s word into your heart through your eyes and through your ears.  

In Josh 1:8, God says to speak the word, to meditate on it, and to do what God says, and then you’ll make your way prosperous, and then you’ll have good success.  

There are lots and lots of wonderful promises in the Bible for health and healing, for finances, for living an overcoming life.  Another of my books is, “Your Abundant Success Lasting Forever.” (Amazon.com)  Pretty much the last half of that book is promises from the Bible, divided into various categories.

Or, you can compile promises for yourself, and make lists of promises on various subjects.  

When I was a boy, my mother had a promise box.  We would take a promise card from the box each morning, such as, “I am the Lord who heals you.” (Ex 15:26)

But I think we need more than one promise per day.  Beside listening to someone read the Bible, I also listen to someone reading God’s promises.  

Charles Capps has an excellent little book on this subject titled, “God’s Creative Power Will Work for You.”  His website is www.CharlesCapps.com

Capps teaches that we should be quoting God’s promises every day, and doing so brought him up from poverty to success.  

Dr. Norvel Hayes has taught that Christians should say every day, “I will never die from cancer.”  Together with saying that, I would couple one of the promises about healing, such as “Who forgives all you sins, who heals all your diseases.” (Psalm 103)  I don’t actually say that every day, but from time to time when I think of it.  

You will do much better in life, and you’ll be more effective as a Christian, if every day of your life, you quote promises from God’s word out loud, and the Lord will bless you for doing so.  

Casting Out Demons

From Mark chapter 16, the very first sign Jesus listed there that would follow believers is the casting out of devils (or, demons).  

I think Christians aren’t doing very much of this partly because there is a lack of good teaching on the subject.  But Jesus still wants his people to cast out demons.   

We should  “Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15)  If you’re a Christian studying to obey the Lord and cast demons out of people, the Lord will help you in that endeavor.  

Beside the scripture in Mark, there is Luke 10:19, where Jesus says, “See, I give you power…over all the power of the enemy.”  It is this authority from Jesus over all the power of the enemy that gives Christians the right to cast out demons, together with the passage in Mark chapter 16.

Also, we see the Apostle Paul casting out demons in the book of Acts.  And we are to be followers of Paul as he is of Christ.  (1 Cor 11:1)    

Although I was a Christian since age four, it wasn’t until my late thirties that I heard a preacher say that Christians can have demons.  I hadn’t heard that taught.  But then in Houston, TX, I heard Win Worley, who was pastor of Hegewisch Baptist Church in Highland, IN, say, “At our church, we cast a lot of demons out of people, and most of the people we cast demons out of are Christians.”  

“What?,” I said to myself.  “I never heard that before.”  But Worley was right.  I use the example of someone getting saved that has a cast on his arm.  When the person gets born again, is he automatically healed of the broken arm, and should immediately have the cast removed?

Well, God of course could heal the arm at the same time of saving the soul, but I think generally that doesn’t happen.  For one thing, it usually takes some time for a new Christian to learn to use his faith for healing.  

Similarly, just because a person becomes a Christian, any demons that might have been in that person don’t all get up and leave that person.  

Demons go from their host human when a Christian casts those demons out.  

I remember Kenneth E. Hagin telling how the Lord told him, “People who are praying for me to do something about the devil are wasting their time.  I gave you (the Christians) authority over the demons, and if you don’t use it, the job won’t get done.”

So, you don’t get rid of demons by praying them out.  No, you have to cast them out like Jesus did with his words.

But don’t try this if you’re not a Christian, ‘cause here’s something that really could blow up in your face, as with the seven sons of Sceva (Acts chapter 19) who tried to cast out demons and were unsuccessful, and got beaten up for their efforts.  

Why?  Because they attempted to cast out demons, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches,” without themselves being Christians.  

One of the demons in the man they were trying to help used the man’s voice and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”

Unbelievers don’t have the authority to use Jesus’ name to cast out demons. 

But Jesus also said that there’s a kind of demon that doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting, however, we are not given a list of those demons.  But from the teachings of Dr. Lester Sumrall of LESEA Broadcasting, apparently the demon that causes Epilepsy is one of the demons that require prayer and fasting to cast out. 

One of the easier spirits to cast out, says Sumrall, is the demon that makes someone deaf and dumb (unable to talk).  

Fasting is when you stop eating for a period of time.  I knew a lady in Washington State who went on a juice fast before casting demons out of her husband.  She ate no solid food, but only drank juice.  Seems like it was for about four weeks.  Then when the Lord prompted her to do so, she cast demons out of her husband, seems like while he was sleeping.

Afterward, her husband asked her, “Did you know that I had demons?”  She said, yes, she knew.  He said, “It’s great that I don’t have to listen to them anymore.” 

There is something along the lines of a limited fast in the book of Daniel, “I ate no pleasant bread, nor did flesh nor wine come into my mouth…” (Daniel chapter 10:3)

Dr. Norvel Hayes of Cleveland, TN is an authority on casting out demons, and learned some from Lester Sumrall.  Hayes’ website is www.nhm.cc

Sumrall is an authority on casting out of demons, and did a famous exorcism decades ago in the Philippines, where he was a missionary.

Sumrall was listening to the news on the radio one evening, and one news item was about trouble they were having at a prison in the city of Manila.  One of the prisoners, a woman, was causing a lot of trouble.  

There had been friction between her and a prison official, and she said to him, “You will die,” and within a short period of time, he was dead.  The same thing happened with another prison official.

The prison authorities were perplexed with what to do about this woman who was demon possessed.  Sumrall writes about her in his book, “Demons, the Answer Book.”  (See the chapter titled, “Bitten by Demons.”)

So, after listening to the news, Sumrall turned the radio off.  The Lord spoke to Sumrall and told him to go to the city of Manila and cast the Demons out of that woman.  

Sumrall answered the Lord, “Lord, I’m only a stranger here in the Philippines, don’t they have local priests that can take care of that?”

The Lord said, “I don’t have anyone else.”

So Sumrall decided to obey the Lord and go, but first he fasted for twenty four hours, and no doubt did some praying.  

He went to Manila and to the prison and cast the demons out of that woman.  It was a national news story at the time in the Philippines.  

Kenneth E. Hagin has also shown that you can’t cast the demons out of someone if that person wants to keep their demons, as happened with a woman brought to Hagin by her husband.  

Hagin told the husband he couldn’t cast out the demons causing the woman to hear voices because his wife liked hearing those voices.  Then the husband asked his wife, and she confirmed that she liked hearing those voices.  

Some might ask, but how do I know when there’s a demon that needs to be cast out?  Here is where it’s best to have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  The evidence that a Christian has received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is the speaking in unknown tongues.  They will speak in a language they’ve never learned.  

When Win Worley started casting out demons, he didn’t have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  But Worley discovered he needed the additional power Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 to those who would receive the Holy Ghost, and Worley got the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, which helped him to have a greater ministry casting out demons.  One of Worley’s books is, “Battling the Hosts of Hell.”  

So then is it the Lord who decides who gets and who doesn’t get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost?  The thing is, the Lord wants all of his Christians to have that.  More often, it’s the Christian who is not aware he should be seeking the Baptism with the Holy Ghost from the Lord, and some Christians have even been taught against the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  But when you ask, remember Mark 11:24.  

Dr. Charles Stanley, a pastor in Atlanta, GA has said that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with.  Stanley is dead wrong.  If it’s been done away with, how did I get it at about age 13 or 14, and how have I been able every day since then to pray in an unknown tongue?

God will not hold preachers guiltless who teach false doctrine.  It won’t be enough to give the excuse, “Well, that’s the way I was taught.”  It’s not the way the Bible teaches.  

John Osteen was a Baptist preacher at a church where they didn’t believe in the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  Osteen was studying his Bible on the subject of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  He said, “Well, what’s wrong with it?  It’s scriptural.”  So Osteen got the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  

He began to talk some about it at the church where he was pastor.  They kicked him out as pastor.  Isn’t that amazing?  They kicked him out for getting what Jesus wanted Christians to get.  

So John Osteen went out and started another church, Lakewood Church in Houston, TX.  Last I heard, they had about thirty thousand members.  

Jesus said the Holy Ghost will guide you into all truth.  The Holy Ghost will help Christians in the casting out of demons, but I am sure that you’ll have more help if you’re baptized with the Holy Ghost than if you aren’t.  

There is also one of the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Cor chapter 12 that is the “Discerning of Spirits.”  If you’re going to cast out demons (and the Lord wants us to) then ask the Lord for the gift of Discerning of Spirits.  The Bible says, “Covet earnestly the best gifts.”  I’ve asked the Lord for all nine of those gifts.  

When you ask, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them.  (Mark 11:24)

But even without that gift of the Spirit operating, generally speaking, any obsessive or compulsive behavior signifies the presence of one of more demons.  Also addictive behavior.  I wrote about this in “The Cure for Cigarette Addiction.”  

There are addictions to alcohol, and to illegal drugs, and to gambling, and to sex perversions.  Some people are addicted to soap operas.  I met brother Willie out of the Los Angeles area who did a lot of casting out of the demons of cigarette addiction.

Win Worley had a list of eleven hundred demons.  After I learned of his list of demons, I decided not to try to keep track of that.  Instead, I would just trust the Lord for his help in my casting out of demons.  The Lord is well able to keep track of what demons there are.     

After an angel taught Howard Pittman about the operation of demons in the spirit world, Pittman reported that demons are specialists, not general practitioners.  That is, the same demon that tempts a man to rob a bank is not the same demon that would tempt someone to commit adultery.  

Have you heard anything lately in the news about serial killings and mass murders?  Yes, of course.  A serial killer is motivated by one or more demons that push him to that behavior.  You don’t counsel it out of him.  

In the Book of Numbers, God says murderers must be executed.  (Numbers 35:33)

If there’s a government that says, “Well, we don’t execute murderers here,” then that government is going against God, and God will not hold them guiltless who go against him.  

In my recent book, “The Nature of Homosexuality,” I show how homosexuality is demonic in origin.

There’s a scripture that talks about, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Rom 8:14)  

Ask God for his leading as you cast out demons, and for his leading in every other part of your life.   

Now here is an important principle on the subject of demons.  Jesus said, (Matt chapt. 12)

 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he (the demon) walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
 44 Then he says, I'll return into my house that I came out of, and when he gets there, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished.
 45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and live there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.  That's how it will be also, for this wicked generation."

So we see that after demons have been cast out of someone, they want to get back into that person.  People who have had demons cast out of them need to be warned to get straight with God, and stay straight with God, and read their Bibles, and pray, and fellowship with other legitimate Christians so that a worse thing doesn’t come on them.  They should ask the Lord to Baptize them with the Holy Ghost, and apply Mark 11:24, believing that they receive.  

The Holy Ghost won’t make you talk; he’ll give you words to speak, and then you add your voice to those words and speak them out.  Words that you don’t understand, because it’s a language you never learned.  

For further reading on the subject of demons, I recommend the best teacher I’ve found, Kenneth E. Hagin.  I’ve seen his books in Christian book stores, or go to www.Rhema.org and click on “bookstore.”

Dr. Norvel Hayes is also an authority on demons.  His website is www.nhm.cc