Is Deliverance the End All Be All?
- Samantha Schaaf
- Jul 19, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 2
Deliverance is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the very finger of God bringing forth His kingdom in our lives.
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. - Luke 11:20 NKJV
We can only be set free from the kingdom of darkness because of what Jesus did on the cross. He came in a human body, willfully shed His blood for us, died and rose on the third day defeating sin and death. By doing so He has disarmed every principality and power of darkness putting them under our feet and giving us authority over them.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. - Colossians 2:15 NKJV
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. - Luke 10:19 NKJV
But is deliverance the answer to all of our problems?
Will every difficulty in life we are dealing with be resolved once we receive deliverance? Is it a quick fix? Should I seek deliverance If I'm not really seeking a relationship with Jesus or wanting to lay my life down, pick up my cross, and follow after Him? Let's take a deeper look into what deliverance is.
Jesus said deliverance is the children's bread. (Matthew 15:21-28) It is for His children. It is for those who have repented and turned to Him, receiving His free gift of salvation. The very definition of salvation according to the Hebrew Lexicon is - safe, health, help, that which is delivered. Salvation means deliverance. Deliverance and healing are part of our salvation package! Praise God!
Now remember, Jesus did say that deliverance is the children's bread, but He also said we cannot live off of bread alone.
But He answered and said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." - Matthew 4:4 NKJV
We cannot live off of deliverance alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, two different words are used to refer to the word of God. One is logos, and the other is rhema. Logos is used to refer to the constant, written word, which is recorded in the Bible. Rhema is used to refer to the instant, personal speaking of God.
We will not make it without knowing His written and spoken word. Not only knowing the Bible but being actively led by and obedient to His Holy Spirit. We will know the Holy Spirits voice by knowing the word of God. Holy Spirit will never contradict the word of God. His sheep know His voice. We must make reading the word of God a priority. The Bible warns that the people of God are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me, because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. - Hosea 4:6 NKJV
Knowing the word of God is knowing Jesus, because He is the word made flesh.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14 NKJV
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life and only by knowing the Truth are we set free.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:31-32 NKJV
Jesus is our one true source of freedom, knowing Him sets us free. We must never idolize deliverance or seek after deliverance alone, without first seeking the Deliverer. If we are not in the word of God but seeking deliverance, we are deceived. If we are not spending time with the Lord in the secret place but seeking after deliverance, we are deceived. Jesus even warned us that if an unclean spirit goes out of a man returns and finds its home empty swept and put in order, it will go get seven more spirits more wicked than itself and they will enter and dwell there.
When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came,' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be with this wicked generation. - Matthew 12:44-45 NKJV
If we seek to be set free but fail to fill ourselves with the word, His Spirit and the fullness of God - we will leave ourselves empty and will not maintain our freedom. Which will leave our last state worse than the first. If you have made the mistake of seeking deliverance above Him, I encourage you today to lay that down before Him and seek Him like never before. He is the highest prize, our life, our everything. After all, knowing Him IS eternal life.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. - John 17:3 NKJV
Deliverance is not the answer to everything, but the Deliverer is.
