Attacks Through Traditions

When God brought His people to Israel, He told them what He expected of them:

Beware lest you become corrupt by making for yourselves [to worship] a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, or of any winged fowl that flies in the air, The likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth. And beware lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, moon, and stars, even all the host of the heavens, you be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the Lord your God has allotted to all nations under the whole heaven. (Deuteronomy 14:16-19 AMPC)

Those in Africa, First Peoples in the Americas, Indians, Egyptians, and a myriad of other nations still worship other gods. Many Christians in these nations/cultures have parents or grandparents who worshiped other gods which was reinforced by traditions developed from that worship. Christian practices in those areas often mix those traditions.

But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-17 AMPC)

The word holy means set apart. When we become sons and daughters of God, we are to be removed from any traditions that are linked to other gods.

If one carries in the skirt of his garment flesh that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God], and with his skirt or the flaps of his garment he touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does what he touches become holy [dedicated to God’s service exclusively]? And the priests answered, No! [Holiness is not infectious.]

Then said Haggai, “If one who is [ceremonially] unclean because he has come in contact with a dead body should touch any of these articles of food, shall it be [ceremonially] unclean? And the priests answered, It shall be unclean. [Unholiness is infectious.]” (Haggai 2:12-13 AMPC)

We cannot bring worship of other gods into Christianity and make them Holy, such as Holy Yoga. Yoga is the practice of positioning your body in such a way as to welcome a Hindu god. Practicing worship of other gods in a church doesn’t make it “holy.” It is quite the opposite: if something is “unclean” or sin, and we take it into a place that should be holy unto God, we are defiling the holy place! This goes for all traditions that are linked to gods, the way we dance, eat, or wear our hair.

Recently, the Lord has freed three different mature Christian leaders from spiritual bondage providing three witnesses concerning the need to educate others about the dangers of traditions linked to the sins of the ancestors, specifically in the worshiping of other gods. All three were born in an African nation. Each was freed in a different way from different strongholds:

1. Financial Freedom

2. Emotional Freedom

3. Freedom from Sickness

Let’s go over these three types of spiritual bondage and how the freedom was obtained.

Financial Freedom

So you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. (Numbers 35:33 AMPC)

When blood is shed in sin, by worshiping another god or by a shaman or witch doctor, it pollutes the land. Only someone in the bloodline of the person who made the sacrifice can clear the curse of poverty that comes from a land stricken from the shedding of blood. This curse doesn’t last a few years, but until it is broken!

Perhaps this is why the nations of Africa struggle with the land so much. If every church would study the Word concerning the rights of the enemy and begin coming out of agreement with past sins, the continent could be set free from poverty!

When a leader in a church heard about the need to confess for his ancestors, he didn’t hesitate. Sitting down with pen and paper, he listed the sins of his father and mother’s family line. The Holy Spirit helped him connect his behavior to the sins. Some of the actions were not necessarily sin but were motivated by that spirit. An example would be:

• The sacrificing of blood, agreements, and dedication that had to do with achieving wealth and status

  • His actions in these areas had to be examined: where they aligned 100% with God’s ways

Once both the leader’s sins and the ancestor's sins had been confessed and placed under the blood of Jesus breakthrough came within the week. He received a very large sum of money for backpay that was owed.

Emotional Freedom

Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me. (Deuteronomy 5:9 KJV)

Many of the actions done to continue a curse connected to other gods and idols are not sin. They are connected to the covenants, agreements, dedications and worship practices associated with the gods. There was also a church elder, an intercessor and a teacher of God’s ways, who was under a very subtle emotional attack:

1. Rage would come upon them and sometimes they wouldn’t even remember what they said.

   1. People said she was like two different people.

   2. Being unable to remember our actions can be a sign of possession

2. Fear was a stronghold

   1. She was afraid of many different things

3. Pride was a constant struggle

   1. Submitting to authority was a battle

Internal struggles like this can be hidden from plain view. We can brush them aside and appear fine most of the time. However, they may indicate we need deliverance only the Lord can provide.

In this particular case, the elder didn’t know she was possessed by a demon until she came into the physical presence of a prophet of God. Once the prophet identified the possession, the demon came out of hiding.

The elder said she felt, “like she was battling Satan himself,” as a booming voice demanded she deny the position and authority God’s Leader had been called to. When she would reply that she “didn’t know,” if that was the position, the attack would increase upon her. She wasn’t able to listen to worship or the word of God without having to run to the bathroom to throw up.

This is the demon associated with pride. The reason she wasn’t about to submit to authority. Through prayer and intercession, the Lord delivered her from this demon! Some of the ways the enemy remained in her life were from the traditions of her ancestors:

1. Family practices

   1. The youngest was kept at home while the other child left for education

   2. The eldest child always died young

      1. Ancestors sacrificed the eldest child so they could be blessed.

      2. The youngest was dedicated to the village god.

      3. Pride and rewards for being the youngest had to be renounced

2. Clothes she wore for ceremonies

   1. The animals on the clothes were household idols or village gods

      1. Wearing animal pictures is not a sin, but if your family idols or village gods were in this form, then wearing them in ceremonies connects you to the worship of them.

3. Traditions with food

   1. Knotty bread - originally an offering to the snake god of her tribe

   2. Actions done with food were how they made food offerings

      1. These practices have to be stopped and renounced

4. Prayers and blessings she received

   1. “Prophecies” given over her by those who were still operating with traditions

      1. They were from familiar spirits and not the Holy Spirit

      2. Learn more about this is the Attacks from People class

         1. These must be renounced

The stronghold of fear was broken as this elder visited the prophet’s home. When someone puts forth the effort and expense to visit a prophet because they want to hear from God, He shows up. In this case, it was doubly effective since it was also seeking someone in authority who showed actions in agreement with the former possession.

While visiting, the Holy Spirit showed up and she was freed from the spirit fear through additional intercession and prayer. Afterward, she could detect a change even in her thought patterns. The Holy Spirit provided physical confirmation of the freedom from fear. In the past, she was afraid of horses but by the end of the visit, she enjoyed riding a horse for over an hour.

Freedom from Sickness

Also [I desire] that women should adorn themselves modestly and appropriately and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with [elaborate] hair arrangement or gold or pearls or expensive clothing, But by doing good deeds, as befits women who profess reverential fear for and devotion to God. Let a woman learn in quietness, in entire submissiveness. I allow no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to remain in quietness and keep silence [in religious assemblies]. (1 Timothy 3:9-13 AMPC)

When this scripture was spoken, the world was dominated by the worship of a goddess. Many women led and their devotion was shown by how they wore their hair. The meetings for this goddess were loud and women were taking the lead. We see that Paul is instructing Timothy to advise the women to come apart from everything they were doing in association with the goddess when they became Christians. These stipulations only apply to women who were worshiping a goddess.

The danger of allowing a gender to continue in a role they did for another god was plainly seen in the deliverance of another African leader. They were a former pastor and intercessor, yet they were plagued with back pain and stomach ailments. They had sought God often but the problem persisted and got worse. During many intercessions, the Holy Spirit revealed the following enemy strongholds through traditions:

1. The birth was “prophecied” by a person operating under a familiar spirit

   1. The female family line was dedicated to a god as “prophetesses” in the past and the women in the family line were still being acknowledged as “prophetesses” of God though they had many actions that were not according to God’s ways.

      1. This prophecy was prideful, allowing a spiritual influence in their life

      2. They had been following what they thought was the “Holy Spirit” but was not.

2. Mixing traditions with Christianity

   1. This applies to many other countries and especially those in Catholicism

3. Burying the placenta under a tree and naming it after the person

   1. Connected to the dedication of a child to a god

   2. Prayed over the placenta but it still counted as agreement because that is not God’s way

4. Celebrations with food presented to her as a child.

These are examples of how the enemy can continue to influence us through the actions of our ancestors. There are too many ways these curses can attach to us to list them all here. The Holy Spirit can reveal them to each individual, though research may also be helpful.

In addition to specific family worship of gods, shrines can be found outside of cities or villages in some countries. To enter certain places, visitors are required to place a sacrifice by the shrine. This is actually worshiping and offering a sacrifice to another god which may allow a demon to attach to us and be passed down to future generations. The curse will continue as long as someone in the family line commits idolatry or a sin connected to worshiping other gods.  

Idolatry is not only bowing down to a statue, it is any action we stubbornly persist in doing that does not agree with the word of God.

Mortify therefore your members which are on the Earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry… (Colossians 3:5 KJV) 

Idolatry occurs when you desire what others have or you place your desires above God. Unless you find the root of idolatry in your life, blindly renouncing the possible sins of your ancestors will do no good. You must find the root of your sin and renounce your ancestors’ sin so that the curse can be broken.

Maintaining Freedom

Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, so the causeless curse does not alight. (Proverbs 26:2 AMPC)

Please consider that when removing generational curses, there may be a sin that opens the door to an attack against you. It doesn’t mean the attack was your fault, but the sin puts you outside of God’s protection so the enemy can move. Here is one of the worst examples I have seen:

1. A person rebels against their parent's authority by going to a forbidden party

   1. Rape occurs.

      1. Rape is wrong, the person who did it is at fault.

      2. The person who was raped is not at fault.

   2. Rebellion against authority opened the door so the enemy could continue the generational curse.

I want to be very clear. If you have been attacked or abused, it is not your fault! But to remove the enemy, if there was a sin that happened before the attack, that sin needs to be confessed. The exception to this may be if there is a blood sacrifice or a dedication to a family line. Either way, the Lord is able to heal your wounded heart so that the attack/abuse won't be as painful. You may not even remember it!

This is why learning God’s ways and following them is so important. Once a demon is removed or a curse is broken, you will need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to maintain that freedom. If you keep learning and applying God’s ways, He often gives grace for a season. He will expect you to make progress towards righteousness. It isn’t a sprint, but a marathon.