Here in northeast Texas, the heat outside has come early, but inside (even with air conditioning) we have been experiencing that other kind of heat as the Lord turns-up the thermostat of our soul. Out of the scattered sheep, the Lord says two-thirds will be cut off, but one-third will be brought through the fire to be refined as silver and gold. (Zechariah 13:8-9) If we so commit, the Lord God will refine and test us in the furnace of affliction for His own sake. (Isaiah 48:10-11)

Overcomers cannot avoid the fire, knowing what it really means and does in their spiritual lives. Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, the furnace is where the cords that bind are burned-away, it is a environmental experience in time and space where we encounter the fourth person astonished Nebuchadnezzar saw when looking to see the fate of the three men of God who could not be destroyed. Like them, we can come out of our fiery furnace with no smell of smoke, no singed hair and receive a promotion (Daniel 3:19-30); otherwise, we can come out bitter and angry at God.

After some years of ministering to countless souls, I have become acutely aware of the remnant. Zechariah speaks of the third that comes out of the already pruned and scattered sheep, which shall not be cut off and die. This reduces the remnant to small number (like Gideon’s army trimmed to 300 from 32,000). Even some of the third do not make it through the fire, abdicating, because they find it too hard. Obviously, the Lord God is not into the numbers game.

Yes, the heat is on, so it’s time to “suck it up” and stand, and having done all, STAND! We have armor we can put on, but we still must consider and deal with what’s inside the camp—the fifth column where insidious and invisible unclean spirits that have wrecked havoc within the church and Christian souls. Yes, the Greater One is within us, but that does not automatically guarantee we employ His power. Other familiar spirits surreptitiously influence us and with stealth influence our feelings, thinking, decisions, judgments and speaking. Unforgiving and bitter spirits will bias us to misjudge people; the spirits of fear will control our goings and coming; and so on.

So Jesus came casting demons out of the sheep of the house of Israel, because He saw and knew where the enemy was hiding and residing (Jesus said they call our bodies their house). Satan outside of people was of no consequence to Jesus’ ministry. It was the demons within individuals, especially the religious ones, that had the ability to crucify Him; therefore, Jesus demonstrated, taught, ministered, gave authority and commanded His disciples to cast out demons. It is an imperative of the Kingdom of God. It is vital to victory and essential to our conquest.

No, deliverance is not the only thing, but it is an indispensible ministry in the church and Kingdom that has not only been disregarded and abandoned, but also evaded and avoided. Without deliverance from demonic influences, we cannot hope to come to maturity and full stature of the Christ. Yes, we stand on the promises of God, but we also must execute or appropriate them.

Calls and e-mails are coming to us from believers who have come to discern the effect of unclean spirits in their lives. Some cannot sleep; some feel tight bands around their heads; some are practically immobilized with fear; some have entities come to their beds and actually have sexual contact with them; some feel invisible hands touching their bodies; some are disabled with indefinable emotions; the testimonies would be inconceivable if I had not heard similar ones so many times before—and these confessions are from believers—Christians.

Most have sought spiritual help only told to go pray, read the Bible, go to church and the problem will go away. Well, it doesn’t work that way. Aggressive prayer is needed and required. Some demons must be confronted and told to leave—sometimes with great vehemence. The door of their entry often needs to be found and shut. Other external issues might need to be addressed. We must leave no stone unturned until we achieve victory and peace; after all, we have been given the authority over ALL the power of the enemy.

Let’s appropriate and use it!

Steve