Through thousands of prayer sessions with hundreds of people, a pattern has emerged: Often people find relief from attacks and many receive healing, but the attack comes back every now and then. This can be a physical healing that relapses, an attack on our minds, or emotions, or an addictive habit. It seems like we have dealt with a demon and it slides out of view only to put on a new mask, using a slightly different approach to interfere with their life again!
Through additional prayer sessions, we have found that there are many ways a demon can “hide” and maintain its place through internal or emotional sins.
When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. (Ephesians 4:26-27 AMPC)
When we hold onto anger, exasperation, indignation, or fury, we are giving a place for the enemy to attack us. These emotions will breed resentment, and unforgiveness leading to bitterness. As long as anger, resentment, or fury exist, there is a place for the enemy to attack us.
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in Heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. (Mark 11:25 AMPC)
When those negative emotions remain until the next day, a root of unforgiveness may begin to develop. When we don’t forgive others, then our sins are not forgiven by our Father. This is why the enemy gets a place through these negative emotions. Without God, it is impossible to let things go, however, with our Lord all things are possible. It may be necessary to remove some hidden demonic influences first!
Revealing Hidden Demons
On one occasion, in a prayer session, I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, demanding, not merely asking, that any spirit, even hidden ones that are not active, step forward and state their claims. I saw a demon that was fully formed, then he became a puddle, a few seconds later, the demon would pop up in a different location. This is what a hidden demon does. It only exerts influence for a time, then it withdraws deep inside like a puddle so that it can remain out of sight.
One of the intercessors received sins which the Holy Spirit made clear where the root of the access was. Once they were confessed and the blood of Jesus applied, the demon was removed.
At that same meeting, we prayed for someone else, let’s call her Judy. After demanding all spirits, even hidden ones, step forward, we listened. What we received was a perfect example of how a spirit can remain hidden and why:
Judy heard “Oh, crap,” right away. This is not from the Holy Spirit. He will not use this type of language because the Bible tells us not to curse or use foul language.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29 AKJV)
Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God]. (Ephesians 5:4 AMPC)
Since this was coarse language, Judy realized that it was not from the Holy Spirit, but a different spirit attached to her. The spirit began to panic as it had witnessed the fate of the spirit attached to the first person.
One of the intercessors saw a pair of eyes on her back and running to and from things. This labeled the demon as a “watcher” and its job was to distract her from her destiny.
Judy began to explain things that the Holy Spirit was bringing to her:
She had an old boyfriend who used to stalk her and watch her every move.
When she was really young there was a demon who used to talk to her, but a friend’s mother who was a “spiritualist” did a “cleansing” and the demon sang a “goodbye” song to her.
The only power we have over demons comes through the Name and blood of Jesus. All the spiritualist accomplished was to push the demon into hiding. It brought temporary relief, but years later, it manifested by attacking her through her boyfriend.
Judy repented for placing faith in something spiritual that wasn’t of God and for all the times that she had listened to this spirit. After she confessed this sin and covered this sin with the blood of Jesus, the spirit could be removed. This is how easy it is to deal with a hidden spirit.
There are many reasons demons become hidden. A few of the common ones are:
Listening to a Demon
Abuse of Authority
Repeated Sin
Let’s look at each one of these to get a better idea of how hidden spirits move into our lives.
Abusing Authority
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost... (Matthew 28:18-19 AKJV)
For many years I believed that “all authority” was given to me because so many noted preachers said it was so. Recently, God has shown us that assumption is not supported by the Word of God. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that WE have been given all authority, only that Jesus was given “all authority” after He rose from the grave. I urge you to check the Word and see if you can find any scripture that states "we" have been given all authority. I began the journey by asking some questions:
If an earthly king has authority, do those under him have the very same authority?
How about his heir; does the son of an earthly king wield all the power of the king?
Why would we assume to have the exact same authority as our Heavenly King?
With these questions in mind, let’s look at one of the common verses used to support the assumption that we have all authority:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; (Romans 8:17)
Since we are “joint-heirs” with Christ, it is often assumed that we have the exact same authority that Jesus does: all authority. There is a second half to this verse that many leave off:
...if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
This puts the statement in proper context. Paul is still talking about enduring suffering for what is to come because we are “heirs with Jesus” and will be glorified as He was when He rose from the grave. You inherit something and receive your inheritance when you die. Christians were giving their lives when they refused to deny Christ, so Paul was encouraging them of their future: When they die, they would inherit eternal life in Heaven.
In order to walk in the full authority that our Lord has given us, we must be full-grown sons and daughters of God. It is listening to the Spirit that will bring us to maturity. Remember:
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14 ESV)
A demon may also become hidden if you abuse the authority and use the name and blood of Jesus without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To learn more about different types of abuse of authority please see the class/chapter: Traps when Praying. Suffice to say that if you have abused the authority given to us by our Lord, sometimes the demonic spirit may leave but will come back after a short time.
Continued Sin
Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” (John 5:13-14 ESV)
After Jesus healed the man who couldn’t walk, the man testified about his healing at the temple as Jesus instructed. Then we see that Jesus warned him against continuing in sin. If you commit the sin which gives the demon access once again, the demon returns and the affliction becomes worse. Sometimes these demons will remain hidden. At this point, it will be necessary to identify the sin, confess, repent, and take care of it with the blood of Jesus to remove the demon.
Listening to a Demon
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 20:6 KJV)
As previously discussed, there is a stiff penalty for associating with spirits who are not from God: He turns His face from us. This means we will lose God's favor and His presence. If you were cut off from your people, you couldn't go to the temple to pray or to offer sacrifices. For Christians, this means your prayers will be hindered if you listen to familiar spirits and the attacks of the enemy will not be removed!
Some enemy spirits can appear in familiar forms of loved ones with information they have gained from watching us our entire lives. Their goal is to get us to invite them into our lives and eventually into us so that they have a home. You can invite the Holy Spirit to come inside you at salvation and He will advise and help you or you can invite a demon inside who will attempt to trick and manipulate you.
We cannot use Ouija Boards, be a part of séances, spirit writing, chant magic spells, operate in witchcraft, or consult spirit guides. All of these all involve spirits that do not come from God.
There are still ceremonies being practiced where family lines are being dedicated to demonic spirits whom they call “gods.” When animal or human blood is spilled, it can create a curse that will be passed down for generations. This curse if reinforced with seemingly harmless traditions:
Chant this prayer of thanks and drink or eat something
Say a prayer and bury an umbilical cord to plant a tree dedicating it to that person
Dance like this, wear special clothing, etc.
I’ve only encountered a handful of traditions linked to the worship of other gods, however, I only discovered this type of invitation to a demon months ago. Some things were consistent with this type of possession:
The people involved knew they had a blockage but had no idea they had a demon inside them.
They participated in the traditions, thinking they were harmless.
After the Holy Spirit brought revelation about how the possession came and why the demons remained, researching their tribes/family traditions revealed the link to gods the ancestors worshiped
Each person had given the demon a place through their actions; often thinking they were listening to the Holy Spirit
Some of these were leaders of churches or teachers within a church.
Traditions and customs may seem harmless, but they can give the enemy a place in our lives. When later generations become Christians, sometimes they may have a hard time getting rid of the spirits plaguing them until they take care of the generational roots of the demonic activity.
Even if we don’t purposefully listen to a demon, there are some sneaky tricks the enemy can play on us. One is to pose as a member of the Trinity, most often, the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to be born with a connection to a demon for this to happen.
Once, a demon tried to do this with me. If a demon can get us to believe they are speaking for God, this imitation can lead us astray. Here is a good example of why so many Christians wind up in a ditch:
I had been experiencing correction in the form of vertigo. When I walked in the wrong direction, depending on the severity of the offense, I would get dizzy each time I stood. At the worst point, I even threw up because the room spun for so long! This was a repetitive process:
Spend time in prayer
The Holy Spirit would reveal the cause
Confess and repent for the sin
Cover it with the blood
The vertigo would get better but only for a couple of days, then it would return again. Three weeks into this cycle, I laid down on the couch on my left side and when the vertigo assaulted me, I cried out for help, “Holy Spirit, what is going on? Why is this happening!”
My eyes were closed, and a familiar form appeared before me. It was the full-grown man who I knew as the Holy Spirit lying on his side, facing me. He was so clear and so vivid. As we talked, something seemed a bit off, so I asked, “Do you confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh onto the Earth?”
The man laughed. I had seen the child form of the Holy Spirit laugh, but never the man. It seemed different somehow. About that time, I was momentarily distracted because my dog jumped on the couch. When I refocused, the man was completing what he was saying. I continued talking to him, but a voice reminded me that I hadn’t really heard the man say, “Yes.”
I asked again, stating, “I’m sorry, but I have to ask once more: Do you confess that the Son of God, Yeshua Ha Mashiach, the Christ has come in the flesh to the Earth?”
The vision began to crumble like a wadded-up sheet of paper with distortion lines running through it. Then it vanished. “Holy Spirit,” I cried, “What happened?”
“That wasn’t me,” said the voice filled with so much love that I knew to be the true Holy Spirit.
“Why was it allowed to come when I called for you?” I asked.
My Teacher replied, “You gave it a place by listening to it.”
I cried out in panic, “When? How did I give this spirit a place?”
My mind filled with memories of sharing the last few posts a dozen times in various online Facebook groups. Although I didn’t feel led by the Holy Spirit to do it, it just seemed like a good thing to do. Now I know that it was the prodding by the fake holy spirit, causing me to get into self-effort. It is up to the readers to share the posts, not me.
This is an example of a hidden demon trying to gain a place in my life. It can be very subtle and seemingly innocent. Sometimes, we just feel that something is hindering us and we can’t put a finger on why or how. When things persist against us, it is often because we have stepped out of line giving the enemy access to us. Satan loves to imitate God, so we must be careful when we have experiences in the spiritual realm or listen to others who do.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV)
Satan will try and imitate one of God’s angels even the source of Light which is Jesus. The Bible tells us that we must test every vision we receive if we are conversing with a spirit, even if they look like Jesus, God, or the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. (1 John 4:1-2 ESV)
I have tested visions with the Lord. When it is Him, He is always delighted with my determination to only receive from Him. The enemy will try to distract me, get angry, or just disappear. If you are listening to teachings from someone who is claiming to see visions of Jesus make sure that these guidelines are followed:
Does the revelation line up with the whole word of God - not merely one scripture
God will never contradict His Word.
Does the revelation line up with the heart of God, who He is.
God is always the same.
Does the vision give glory to God
God should be primary in the vision.
Do they test the visions, especially when it is a new concept?
Anyone can be led astray. Anyone can be knocked down by the enemy. It is how you respond to these setbacks that is important. If you were born with a demon, it doesn’t mean you are not a Christian, if you were led astray and listened to a demon, it doesn’t mean you can’t still reach the destiny the Lord has for you.
We began by looking at Ephesians 4 where God tells us not to be angry and give the enemy a place in our lives. Let’s put it in context and see how to remain free of the enemy:
I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service, Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 AMPC)
The list of traits contains the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: humility, meekness, gentleness, patience, and longsuffering. If you are truly submitted to Jesus as your Lord, this will be how you operate in the Body of Christ. Humility is the opposite of pride: see the class “Attacks from People” to learn about pride. If you are drawn to those who do not operate this way, then there may be a hidden spirit in your life.
[There is] one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received— [There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all. Yet grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and bounteous] gift. (Ephesians 4:4-7 AMPC)
We must always remember that it is God who gives us what we need: He is in charge. We cannot judge one another, we each have a job to do, and we are each overcoming different challenges with the help of God’s grace!
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the Earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:8-10 ESV)
Jesus has conquered all. He is able to set all “captives” free. The Lord has given gifts to men so that we can continue to set people free! What are these gifts?
And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV)
This is the purpose of the equipping from God. To help the body of Christ become free, to grow so that they can do the work God has for them. We must be willing to speak the truth in love to one another so that we can grow! It is the love of God that will build the Body so that it can function the way God intends.
So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds. Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature]. In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand]. (Ephesians 4:17-19 AMPC)
Those who don’t really know Jesus will not be willing to be part of the Body, they don’t want to change their life. They will become insensitive to the moral standards God expects of us.
But you did not so learn Christ! Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him], Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another. (Ephesians 4:20-25 AMPC)
The fault may not be a hidden spirit; we must be willing to turn from past habits and desires. Our spirit is renewed by the Word of God, we must be willing to read it, to learn from it, and to do it!
When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it. (Ephesians 4:26-29 AMPC)
When we realize that Jesus has conquered everything, He is in charge, then we can let go of the anger. We are willing to stop sinning and do what is right. Even our speech should change! Do you still use foul language? Do you tear down instead of building up with love? Do you speak what is beneficial to others?
First, you must be willing to change and ask for God to help you. If you are unable to stop, then there may be a hidden spirit at work!
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). (Ephesians 4:30-31 AMPC)
If we grieve the Holy Spirit, His voice will not be loud, He will be quenched. Do you want to hear more from God? Do you want to be led by Him? Take a good look at this list of things that will keep Him from moving in your life! How do hear more from Him?
And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 AMPC)
God is gracious and merciful. He is waiting for us to turn back to Him. If you are willing to change your ways to follow His ways, then He is there to help. If you feel you cannot forgive, the Lord is there to help. Begin learning His ways and receive prayer when it is time.
It is very presumptuous to assume that there is only one way for God to remove the enemy from our lives: That which we have experienced is not the limit of how God moves. Contained here are just a few examples from our experiences. This is why we schedule intercession appointments and wait upon the Holy Spirit to instruct us as to what needs to happen. We must rely on the Lord to show us how to handle each situation, to lead and guide us gently into the truth.
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