MANY believers ask the same honest question, “If I am born again, why am I still struggling with addictions, tormenting thoughts, oppressive habits and spiritual attacks?”
This question reveals a deep spiritual reality that is often overlooked in the church. Salvation gives us a new birth, but it does not automatically erase every spiritual influence from our past.
Some believers still battle with spiritual bondages even after receiving Jesus Christ, not because their salvation is incomplete, but because they have not been walked through deliverance.
The Word of God gives us insight into how evil spirits operate, how they may gain access into a believer’s life and how they can be cast out.
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One of the most revealing texts on how evil spirits can gain access and operate in a believer’s life comes from Ezekiel 8, where God shows the prophet the idolatry happening inside the very temple of the Lord.
Believers, according to Paul – Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 1 Corinthians 6:19.
This depicts how evil spirits can dwell in the “temple” of a believer—not in the spirit man where the Holy Spirit resides, but in the soul region (mind, emotions, will) and sometimes afflicting the body.
Just as the temple in Ezekiel had both the glory of God and idols inside, so also a believer can carry the Holy Spirit in their spirit while still being oppressed by demonic forces in their soul and flesh.
Evil spirits only gain access through doorways—unforgiveness, generational sin, trauma, unrepented sin, lack of self control , even deep wounds that were never healed.
Once they enter, they must be dealt with. Deliverance is the process of expelling these spirits so the believer can walk in the freedom Christ purchased at the cross.
How evil spirits come out in deliverance
According to Scripture and practical experience, evil spirits usually come out in two main ways: Through a power encounter, and through a truth encounter
Both are valid, both are biblical and necessary for the “edification of the body of Christ.” However, they function differently, and understanding the difference helps us grasp why some believers remain bound and why others get free.
- Power encounter
A power encounter is the immediate confrontation. It happens when the authority of Jesus Christ is directly exercised against an evil spirit. This is the picture we see in Acts 16:16–18.
Paul was being harassed by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. Day after day, she followed Paul and his team, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God!”
What she was saying sounded correct, but the source was demonic. Paul, being grieved in his spirit, turned and commanded the spirit: “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” Instantly, the spirit left.
That is a power encounter—a direct confrontation between the authority of Christ and the power of darkness.
When Jesus cast out demons, He did it with a word: “Come out of him!” (Mark 1:25). With the Gadarene demoniac (Legion), the deliverance was a power encounter as well, where many evil spirits were expelled at once into a herd of swine (Mark 5:1–13).
Power encounters may or may not involve visible manifestations like screaming, convulsions, coughing, yawning, crying, throwing up or spirits revealing themselves by name before they depart.
Jesus said in Mark 16:17: “These signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons.” This is a clear instruction that part of our ministry as believers is to cast demons out. Not negotiate, not counsel them, neither ignoring them but to cast them out.
Why demons obey
Many people need this kind of deliverance because they are so bound that reasoning or gradual spiritual discipline alone cannot set them free.
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Their bondage is too strong and the demonic presence too entrenched for a slow transformation process. They need the raw power of God to intervene, break the chains, and expel the oppressing spirit.
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This is why Jesus emphasized authority. In Luke 10:19 He declared: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
When believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, speak with the authority of Christ, demons must obey. They do not respect titles or church attendance, but they do respect the name and power of Jesus.
However, while power encounters bring immediate freedom, they are not enough by themselves to guarantee long-term freedom.
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If the believer does not continue in the truth, the same spirits may return. Jesus warned in Matthew 12:43–45 that when an unclean spirit leaves a person, it goes looking for rest, and if it finds none, it returns with seven more wicked spirits. Power must therefore be coupled with truth.
- Truth Encounter
The second way demons come out is through what we call a truth encounter. A truth encounter is not always dramatic. It happens as a believer continually immerses themselves in the Word of God, prayer, worship, fellowship, and obedience.
The more light of God’s truth fills their soul, the more darkness is displaced.
John 8:32 declares: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth here is not just intellectual knowledge of Scripture, but a revelation that transforms how we think, feel, and live.
When a believer applies truth consistently, strongholds of deception and lies crumble. Evil spirits lose their legal ground and are forced out.
This kind of deliverance often takes longer, because it requires discipleship, discipline and perseverance. It is not instantaneous like a power encounter.
Click on this link Learn to resist the devil to read a related post.
It involves renewing the mind (Romans 12:2), crucifying the flesh daily (Luke 9:23), resisting the devil (James 4:7), and filling oneself with God’s Word (Colossians 3:16). Over time, as the believer grows in maturity, demons lose their grip and are expelled by the presence of truth and light.
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For example, someone bound by fear may not get free instantly, but as they meditate daily on Scriptures like 2 Timothy 1:7, confess the Word and confront fearful situations in faith, the spirit of fear eventually leaves.
Similarly, someone battling rejection or shame may experience progressive freedom as they receive deeper revelation of their identity in Christ.
The tragedy is that not many believers are committed to this process. Many do not read their Bibles consistently, do not pray fervently and do not cultivate a strong devotional life. As a result, they never create an atmosphere of truth that drives out darkness. For such believers, a power encounter becomes necessary!
Still, the ultimate goal is that every believer matures in truth so that they can stand firm even after a power encounter. If power expels demons, truth keeps them out.
Evil spirits oppress the soul and body
Understanding these two encounters helps explain why some Christians remain bound even after receiving salvation. Salvation brings forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But it does not automatically deal with every evil spirit that may have gained access through past sins, trauma, or generational doors.
Think again of the picture in Ezekiel 8. The temple had God’s glory, but idols were still hidden in the chambers. Likewise, a believer can have the Holy Spirit in their spirit while evil spirits oppress their soul.
Deliverance is about cleansing those hidden chambers so that the temple is wholly consecrated to God.
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Some believers rely only on truth encounters. They believe if they just keep studying the Bible and praying, eventually they will be free. The truth is , in practice, many are too bound to engage in the disciplines consistently.
Others want only the power encounter, expecting instant deliverance without embracing discipleship. This also fails, because freedom must be maintained by walking in truth.
The balance is in both, power encounter for breakthrough, truth encounter for maintenance and growth.
Jesus’ model for deliverance
Jesus demonstrated both methods. He cast out demons with a word (power encounter). But He also taught His disciples to abide in His Word (truth encounter). He said in John 15:7: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” This abiding in truth is the safeguard against relapse.
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He also explained that some spirits are more stubborn and require fasting and prayer (Mark 9:29). That combination of power and truth—authority exercised with spiritual discipline—brings lasting victory.
Living free and helping others
Deliverance is not a one-time event but part of the believers’ ongoing walk with God.
For the believers struggling with addiction, torment or oppression, the message is clear, you can be set free. However, freedom requires that you submit to the power encounter when you need breakthrough and not neglect the truth encounter if you want to stay free.
The good news is, Jesus has already won the victory. On the cross, He disarmed principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). He shed His blood to reconcile us to God and to cleanse us completely.
Deliverance is simply the application of that finished work to the specific areas of our lives where darkness still lingers.
So rise in faith, embrace the authority of Christ, immerse yourself in His truth and walk boldly in the freedom He purchased for you.
And then, as Jesus commanded, go and do the same for others. “These signs will follow those who believe…they will drive out demons in my name.”
