Should Christians Be Obsessed with Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare?

By Dave Jenkins
A Contending for the Word Feature

Short Answer:

No. While spiritual warfare is real and biblical, obsession with a deliverance ministry and demon-hunting distorts Scripture, promotes fear-based thinking, and distracts from the sufficiency of Christ. Christians are called to resist the devil (James 4:7)—not chase him. The biblical model is faithfulness, not fixation.

1. Understanding Biblical Spiritual Warfare

The Bible teaches that the Christian life involves spiritual warfare, but not in the sense promoted by many modern deliverance ministries.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us:

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness.”

This warfare is waged by putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13–18), not by exorcising demons from believers or identifying so-called “legal rights” of the enemy.

Martin Luther once said, “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.” His point: spiritual warfare is Word-centered, not fear-driven.

2. What Modern Deliverance Ministries Get Wrong

Many modern movements (especially influenced by the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR) promote a version of Christianity that:

• Focuses excessively on demonic activity.
• Relies on man-made rituals, renunciations, or inner healing models.
• Offers special knowledge or authority only available through their leaders.

These approaches go beyond what Scripture teaches. Instead of encouraging repentance and trust in the sufficiency of Christ, they promote cycles of fear and dependence on human leaders.

2 Timothy 1:7: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

🔥 Examples from the NAR Movement

• Isaiah Saldivar: A prominent “demon slayer” influencer who claims Christians can have demons and need constant deliverance. He teaches that every believer should go through deliverance and attributes normal struggles to demonic activity.
• Alexander Pagani: Author of The Secrets to Deliverance, who teaches that demons reside in a believer’s “soul compartments” and must be removed room by room—ideas foreign to Scripture.
• Vlad Savchuk: Promotes “mass deliverance” events where Christians are encouraged to vomit demons out or display physical manifestations of deliverance. He teaches that generational curses must be broken through rituals.
• Daniel Adams (The Supernatural Life): Claims most ailments or sins are caused by demons, urging people to undergo frequent deliverance sessions.
• Greg Locke: Publicly declared that OCD is demonic, promoting deliverance as the primary answer for various mental and emotional struggles.

3. What the Bible Actually Teaches

a. Christ’s Victory Is Complete

• Colossians 2:15 – Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame.
• Hebrews 2:14 – Through His death, He destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.

b. We Fight with Scripture and Prayer

• Jesus resisted Satan with Scripture (Matthew 4:1–11).
• The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, prayer, and fellowship (Acts 2:42)—not deliverance formulas.

c. Sanctification, Not Sensationalism

True Christian growth comes through abiding in the Word (John 8:31–32), not dramatic experiences.

James 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

4. Historical Wisdom from the Church

• Athanasius defended Christ’s divinity, emphasizing victory over darkness through the Incarnation.
• John Calvin, in Institutes of the Christian Religion, emphasized reliance on God’s providence and warned against superstition.
• William Gurnall (Puritan), in The Christian in Complete Armour, taught believers to wear the armor of God and fight spiritual battles by faith and doctrine.
• Charles Spurgeon warned against dwelling on the power of Satan and emphasized reading and meditating on the Word.

5. Why Obsession Is Spiritually Dangerous

• It leads to fear and confusion: The more believers focus on the demonic, the less they focus on Christ. This creates spiritual anxiety and gospel distraction.
• It undermines assurance in Christ: If your walk depends on rituals or renunciations, you’ve moved from grace to works. That leads to bondage, not freedom.
• It fosters dependence on teachers, not Scripture: Deliverance movements often elevate apostles, prophets, or healing specialists. But Scripture calls us to test everything by the Word (Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:21).

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36

✅ Practical Steps for Healthy Spiritual Warfare

• Cling to Christ daily – Saturate yourself in His Word (Psalm 119:105).
• Confess your sin regularly – Walk in the light (1 John 1:7–9).
• Pray for strength and wisdom – Ephesians 6:18.
• Stand firm in the gospel – Know your identity in Christ (Romans 8:1).
• Be alert, not afraid – 1 Peter 5:8 calls for vigilance, not paranoia.
• Learn from church history – Ground yourself in tested theology and faithful saints.

📢 Call to Action

Dear Christian, don’t get caught in the cycle of fear, formula, or false freedom. You don’t need a special ritual—you need the Redeemer.

Christ is sufficient. His Word is enough. Stand firm in Him.

🎙️ Find more teaching like this on Contending for the Word.

For word studies and Greek tools, visit Blue Letter Bible.

For more on biblical discernment, see this episode of Equipping You in Grace on testing the spirits.

📚 Share this article with someone who may be struggling with fear-based spiritual warfare.

“The truth sets us free—not deliverance formulas.” — John 8:32