David Diga Hernandez - 3 Spiritual Warfare MYTHS You Need To STOP Believing

To begin, I want to affirm certain truths about spiritual warfare. Number one, demons exist. You can see that reality in James 2:19. Number two, demon possession is real. You can see an example of demon possession in Mark 1:32–34. Number three, demons can most certainly influence believers. That truth is revealed in Ephesians 6:11. Number four, spiritual warfare should be a part of every believer’s life. We find that truth in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. So deliverance is biblical. Demons are real. Spiritual warfare is real. However, there are certain myths or superstitions that believers embrace as a result of a religious mindset or religious thinking.

What I’m about to cover, what I’m about to reveal from the scripture, may contradict some of the things that you’ve been taught. And in hearing things that are contrary to what you’ve been taught, you may feel confused. But remember this: Confusion always arises when I’m believing a lie. When I’m believing two things, or when I hear two things, that contradict one another, that’s what causes confusion in me. If you want to be rid of the confusion, you have to first identify the lie, and then overcome that lie with the truth. So it’s important that we lower our defenses because sometimes we use spiritual-sounding excuses like, well, that doesn’t really bear witness with my spirit, or this doesn’t feel right to me. And you have to ask yourself, does it really not bear a witness with your spirit, or are you just uncomfortable with what’s being said because it’s different than what you’ve been taught? We must look to the Word of God if we are to find the truth concerning spiritual matters. So with that said, I’m encouraging you, lower your defenses, hear the truth, and be set free from confusion.

Myth number one, Christians can be demon-possessed. Now, I’m gonna spend most of my time on this particular myth because I wanna cover it in depth as it’s one of the most common myths that’s believed, at least in the spiritual warfare teachings that are spread about the body of Christ. Remember this: For the believer, spiritual warfare is the fight to believe God’s truth over the enemy’s lies. The enemy can most certainly influence and affect the believer. That’s absolutely biblically true. The deception of the enemy can become a bondage. The enemy influences the believer through deception, through lies, through accusation. Basically, through speaking things that are contrary to what God speaks. The way the enemy affects the believer is by establishing mindsets. In the scripture, these mindsets are called strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, «We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds» of what? «Human reasoning and to destroy false arguments». So strongholds are mindsets of deception. Mindsets that come about as a result of believing lies. Now, you’ll often hear teachers or preachers say, «Christians can’t be possessed, but they can be oppressed». Or they may say, «Christians can’t be possessed or oppressed, but they can be demonized». Now, if by demonized they mean that demons can influence the believer through getting them to believe lies, then yes, that is a form of demonization. But if by demonize they mean that the demon owns them or controls them or is attached to them or lives in them in any way, then that certainly isn’t biblical. In fact, the word «oppression» and the use of that terminology is proof that that is not found in scripture. That is, possession. Because the word «oppression,» the use of that word, is in fact a retreat in the face of truth. So if you study the scripture, you’ll eventually find believers cannot be possessed. So what do they have to retreat to? Making up some brand-new term that sounds similar and basically just means some lesser form of possession. You’ll hear, «Well, there’s the body, the soul, and the spirit. Demons can’t possess the body because the Holy Spirit dwells in the body. Demons can’t possess the spirit because the spirit is connected to God, and therefore demons can’t dwell where the Holy Spirit draws. But aha, the demon can influence, or the demon can possess, the soul». Now, I agree that demons can influence the soul in that they can lie to you and you can believe things in your mind, the mind being a part of the soul. But demons cannot own you. Demons cannot attach themselves to you. Demons cannot live within you in any way. So to be clear, «demons cannot control the believer’s physical capacities. Demons cannot attach themselves to or enter a believer. They can only influence the believer». We cannot be possessed by another when we are possessed by God. Ephesians 1:14 says, «The spirit is the guarantee, the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste, of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own purchased possession, his believers, to the praise of his glory». 1 Peter 2:9 says, «But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light». 1 Corinthians 3:23 says, «And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God». So here are some questions that you have to ask yourself if you believe that Christians can be demon-possessed: Where in the New Testament do we see a reference to a believer having a demon cast out of them? Where in the New Testament do we see warnings for believers to watch out for demon possession? In fact, in the epistles, that language doesn’t even appear. There’s never a warning from Paul the apostle. There’s never a warning from any of the writers of the scripture for believers to watch out for demonic possession or ownership or attachment, or to warn them about demons coming inside of them. So you won’t see this anywhere in scripture. In fact, the burden of proof is on the one who wants to believe that Christians can be demon-possessed. You may hear someone say, «Well, show me in the Bible where it says Christians can’t be demon-possessed». This is called shifting the burden of proof, when in fact they must demonstrate through the scripture that Christians can be demon-possessed. The reason we know that Christians cannot be possessed by a demon is precisely because a Christian by definition is possessed, owned, by God.

Now, here are some examples that some may try to use that seem to indicate that Christians can be demon-possessed, but actually upon closer examination, these examples fail. For example, what about Judas? Doesn’t the Bible say that Satan entered him? Well, there is actually some debate among scholars as to whether or not Judas was even saved in the first place. And one verse cannot make an entire doctrine. So Judas is not at all an example of demon possession, at least for believers. What about Peter when Jesus said to him, «Get thee behind me, Satan»? Well, here in the original language, Satan simply means adversary, not the literal Satan. And even if Satan was working through Peter in this context, this doesn’t mean that Satan had entered him, for, in fact, we see throughout scripture that Satan can influence people without possessing them. What about Ananais and Sapphira? Satan filled their heart, didn’t he? Well, the scripture says that Satan filled their heart, causing them to lie. So this wasn’t a filling unto possession. This was a filling that influenced them to speak things that were deceptive. Now, some may say here in the original language this is the same word that is used to describe the infilling of the Holy Spirit referenced in Ephesians. But remember that words get their meaning from context. And here, this is an entirely different context altogether. In fact, 1 John 4:4 says, «But you belong to God, my dear children». You have already won a victory over those people, because the spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world». So right here, there’s a contrast between the spirit who lives in me and the spirit who lives in the world. They’re different. The one who lives in me is the Holy Spirit, and the one who lives in the world is an unclean spirit. And by the way, on that point of Ananais and Sapphira, the solution wasn’t for them to have demons cast out of them. The apostle didn’t drive out the demons because they were possessed. If this is in fact an example of a New Testament believer being possessed by a devil, then sadly, the cure for this would be death, not deliverance. And we don’t see anybody talking about the fact that they died. So Ananais and Sapphira, though it may seem like an example of a Christian being demon-possessed, is absolutely not that. What about Matthew 15? Doesn’t this teach that deliverance is the children’s bread? Well, here, Jesus is simply talking about the fact that he came first to the Jew, and then he would minister to the Gentile. This has nothing to do with Jesus teaching that Christians can be demon-possessed. You have to do a lot of theological gymnastics to try to make that work in the first place. Another bad example of a supposed instance of a Christian being demon-possessed. What about where the scripture says, «Who hath bewitched you»? Well, here, in the original language, that word «bewitched» means slander or fascinate. In other words, deceived, literally to bewitched by way of slander. So this is an example of what I’m talking about, a believer being influenced through deception, not possessed by ownership. What about things like spiritual spouses? Well, spiritual spouses, that belief, at least, is grounded in this verse. 1 Corinthians 6:16 says, «And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the scriptures say, 'The two are united into one.'» Now, first of all, this scripture is saying nothing about a spiritual or soul tie, as it’s called. This is talking about the physical act of two people coming together in intimacy. Now, this actually is a very dangerous teaching because it comes from the New Age. In other words, the New Age teaches, or some sects of the New Age teach, that we have these different points in our bodies. I won’t use the terminology. I’m not gonna promote that. But it teaches that we have these different points in our bodies, and that when we are intimate with someone, there is a tether that ties us together. This is not biblical. You won’t find this in scripture, not one instance, but it is in fact found in the New Age teachings. And that New Age teaching has crept into the church, and we must be rid of it. Now, there are tons of examples all throughout scripture that seem to indicate that Christians can be demon-possessed, but I guarantee you that, upon closer examination, as you study these out, you’ll find that none of these actually demonstrate that Christians can be demon-possessed. It’s a lot of scripture twisting. It’s a lot of wishful thinking. It’s a lot of confirmation bias. But you will not find one single solid example in the New Testament of a believer having a demon, or of a believer going through a deliverance as we understand it today. Well, what about Christians who act demon-possessed? Some will say, «I’ve seen Christians act demon-possessed». Or, «I saw a Christian, I saw a pastor, I saw a leader manifest». Well, you saw them react as if they had a demon in them, but this is no indication that they absolutely did. Either they weren’t really possessed, or they weren’t really a Christian. I’d like to do the kind thing and say that they probably weren’t really possessed, but rather had an emotional response to doctrine that’s an error. And this is why it’s so dangerous, is because it causes us to interpret our experiences by our experiences instead of by the scripture. We must learn not to try to force the scripture into our experiences, but rather to filter our experiences through the truth of the Word of God. It’s the foundation. It’s our grounding. It’s our safety net. So maybe you have had an experience like that. Maybe others you know have had experiences like that, and maybe they were better for it after the experience. Maybe they received deliverance, but not from demonic possession. Perhaps from a stronghold or a mindset. This is not the same as a demon attaching himself to them. This is not the same as somebody being delivered from the actual thing called demonic possession.

Myth number two, Christians can be cursed. Can we suffer the consequences of the decisions of former generations? Sure. Can we suffer the results of our own foolish choices? Sure. Can we receive traits and inclinations through generational genetics? Of course. But can the believer be placed under some demonic hex that causes anything and everything to go wrong in their lives? Can somebody speak a word curse and change the trajectory of your destiny? Can somebody speak something against what God has spoken over you and cause you to come under that demonic power? Absolutely not, for the scripture declares in Galatians 3:13: But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the scriptures, «Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree». Christ received the curse in himself that we might be free from every curse. People talk about bloodlines. I say, whatever your family bloodline, the blood of Jesus breaks every curse. Let me ask you a question. Is it possible to curse what God has blessed? If you curse what God has blessed, I promise you that what God has spoken will always have more power over than what someone else has spoken, or what a demon has spoken, or what a witch has spoken. Curses cannot come upon the believer. Choices, maybe consequences, absolutely. But curses, no. There’s no hex hanging over you that cannot be broken by the power of the blood of Jesus. And in fact, it was broken when you were washed in his blood. Now, if you look at the examples that people tried to give concerning generational curses, you’ll actually find that most of these are used, they’re pulled from the Old Testament. And they’ll use maybe a reference to the children of Israel being cursed. But those verses have to do with the children of Israel suffering the consequences of the decisions that they made as a nation. This has nothing to do with the New Testament believer coming under the power of some demonic being for somebody speaking over them.

Myth number three, deliverance requires a session. Now, the way I cast out demons, because again, I do believe in casting out demons, is very simple. I pray a simple prayer of deliverance. And as far as what’s been in my experience, I’ve seen them cast out instantly. No more than 30 to 40 seconds and the demon is out, the person is free, and their lives are transformed. I don’t say this to bring glory to myself. I don’t say this to try to hype me. I simply say this because it’s the biblical way of doing it. You may say, «David, I thought we’re not supposed to use our experience». What I said is we’re not supposed to interpret the scripture through our experience, but rather we are to interpret our experience through the scripture. So experience is good so long as it aligns with the Word of God. And in my experience, demons come out instantly. This is the way Jesus cast out demons. Firstly, he very rarely ever let them speak. Luke 4:41: Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, «You are the Son of God»! But because they knew he was the messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak. Mark 9:25: When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. «Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,» he said. «I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again»! When Jesus saw the crowd of onlookers, he said, «Okay, this is over. I’m not gonna let you make a show of this». And he drove it right out. So firstly, Jesus refused to let demonic beings speak, for the most part. Secondly, Jesus drove out demons instantaneously. There was only one maybe exception, or what seems to be an exception. But look at Matthew 8:16: That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. Now, how could he have cast out many who were demon-possessed if he was taking hours and hours for each and every person? He didn’t take hours. He took mere seconds. He spoke a word, a simple command, and the demons had to go. If you’re taking hours to cast out a demon, you’re likely only spending minutes in prayer. It’s not possible that Jesus did a session for each and every one of them. Now, there’s one instance, as I said. This was the legion that was being cast out of a man. Jesus asked, «What is your name»? It said, «Legion». But this is what the demon said on its way out. And by the way, a legion of them, not just one. A legion of them, and it was still relatively instantaneous. It did not turn into this long, drawn-out session. Where did you come from? How did you get in? What age did you enter? What’s your favorite color? He didn’t draw it out. He just cast it out. Now, what happens if it doesn’t work? What happens when you’re praying over someone who needs deliverance and the demon doesn’t come out? Follow this sequence because it’s a biblical sequence of events that you should follow. In Matthew 17:14–20, we see an example of a demon not coming out. And Jesus says the answer to this, it’s not a session, it’s to go and fast and pray. And once you’ve fasted and prayed, the demon should come out. If after fasting and praying the demon does not come out, it can be only one of two things: Either the person is not really demon-possessed, or the individual doesn’t want to be free. More often than not, it’s that they’re not really demon-possessed, but hyped emotionally. Now, I actually used to teach these things. I used to teach that Christians can be demon-possessed. I used to teach that curses and word curses can come on believers. I used to teach that we needed these long, drawn-out deliverance sessions. That was until I really did a deep study in the Word, and I began to interpret my experiences through the Word. Again, I’m not discounting experience. I’m saying experience has to submit to the Word. Now, we’re faced with a choice. And again, our defenses go up when we hear things like this. And we reject things, not because we have a defense, we reject them because we wanna hold on to them. We reject them because we’re looking for any reason to believe in these things still. But why? What’s the point? I’m telling you it’s better to always side with the Word. And now you’re faced with a choice. Because you’ve been given the truth. You’ve been given the scripture. And you have to choose, am I gonna choose what the scripture says, or am I gonna cling to my superstition and religion? Am I gonna go with what God says on the matter, or am I gonna go with what tradition says on the matter? We must be free of this religious thinking. «Deliverance and spiritual warfare are not the gospel, but the gospel brings deliverance». Now, the way I used to respond to things like this, I was very arrogant. I would say things like, «Well, they’re not as powerful as me, and they haven’t casted out as many demons as me. And they don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m the one with the power. I cast out devils. They’re all talk, I’m all walk». And the reason I had to say that was precisely because I lacked in power. You see, they’ll tell you you’re powerless because you don’t do things like that, but in fact, that talk is what has to make up for the lack of true power. I wanted to believe that I was some type of Christian special forces. Other believers, regular believers don’t get these things, but I do because I’m deeper. I’m more spiritual. All the arrogance that was in my heart. I also would try to push my experience and say, «Well, I experienced it, so you can’t tell me it didn’t happen». But remember, I’m not saying the experience didn’t happen. I’m saying what you think about the experience, how you interpret that experience, must align with scripture. And I would also say things like, «Well, they don’t understand spiritual warfare like I do. I truly get it. They don’t. They’re the outsiders. I’m the insider. They’re shallow. I’m deep». That was the kind of thinking I had. And again, we can’t spiritualize our excuses. Well, this doesn’t bear witness with my spirit, or there’s something off about what you’re saying. I’ll tell you what that is. That’s a clinging to an old mindset.