The Dispossessing of a Spirit

By Carmen Mitchell

The Dispossessing of a Spirit is a guide that provides a Biblical foundation to help all people achieve freedom from any hindrances in life. There is nothing new under the sun, and God has provided answers for every circumstance as we seek His guidance and truths through Jesus Christ by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. You will be blessed as you read!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662460661

Book preview

Chapter 1

Becoming a Christian

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

—Romans 10:9–10

These verses of scripture hold the essence of what being a Christian is about. The word Christian means to believe on and be a follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings, or we could say to be Christlike. According to the Bible, when you make the confession above, you are saying you believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten (born) Son of God, and the only way to eternal salvation through His death and resurrection. You are saying you have determined to make Him Lord over your life, and you want to live as He teaches you to live so that you continually become more like Him. As Lord, you are asking Him to come into your heart, and you are surrendering control of your life to Him. You may not fully understand the scope of this commitment, but that’s okay because it is a commitment that is being made by a knowing in your spirit rather than a figuring out in your head. You just know inside that it is the right thing to do. We are drawn to salvation in Christ by Father God (John 6:44–47), and what you sense inside is your spirit, moved by God’s Holy Spirit, coaxing you to say yes. Salvation comes when your soul agrees, leading to an outward confession of faith. As you grow in spirit and in truth, you will come to more fully understand the commitment you are making, and those things that you do not understand, God will carry you through by His grace. The choice you are making is between eternal death resulting from sin and eternal life provided through Jesus Christ because your sin debt has been paid by His blood. Life in Christ is a most blessed and wonderful life, filled with God’s mercy, truth, grace, and love.

If you are ready, you may now make the confession of faith to God and ask Jesus to come into your heart. If you do not feel ready at this time, I ask you to consider a few things. Take the time to reflect on your life up to this point. Are you satisfied with what you see, or are there things that you would like to see changed permanently? Do you believe there is a better way to live? Looking beyond yourself, do you wish for a better life for others? Was there a time when you believed for a better life? If so, what changed that? In the innocence of childhood, with our wide-eyed wonder, we believed for so many extraordinary things. During that time, our innocence kept us closer to God. The more we acclimated to the world’s way of thinking and doing things, the farther away from God we moved. Now, whether we have become successful in the world’s system or not, we sense that something is missing. That something is God alive in us, making every part of us alive. Take the time to think on these things, and when you feel the stirring to reach for something more in your life, come back to this book and make the confession below from your heart:

Dear Father God, I am a sinner, and I have wandered far from You. Please forgive me and help me find my way. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and He died to save me from my sins. Jesus, I ask You to come into my heart now and make me a child of God. Change me any way You want so that I may live for You. I want You to be Lord over my life, and I surrender control of my life to You. Thank You for saving me and helping me to grow.

If you said these words and meant them sincerely, that is to say, from your heart, you are now a Christian. Ask God to help you find a local church body who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and the only Way to eternal salvation and join with them, openly professing Jesus as your Savior. You will receive both instruction on how to live and protection against any hindrances satan, the devil, might send to try to discourage you in your Christian walk. You may or may not feel that a change has taken place in you but believe by faith that it has. As you continue in the things of Christ, you will begin to notice differences in the way you think and feel, and this will, in turn, cause changes in your inward attitudes and your outward behaviors. Growth is a process that takes place over time, provided there is proper nourishment. Continue in the things of Christ, be quick to repent when you err, and you will continue to grow as a Christian. Even if this is your first day as a Christian, you have access to all the promises of God; the same access as someone who has been saved for decades. Now as you continue to read, God will show you how to grasp the things to which you have been granted access. May His blessing be upon you as you go forward in this Christian life.

Chapter 2

The Trinity and Me

God, whose proper name is Jehovah, is a three-part Being and therefore is referred to as the Trinity in a collective sense. He is God the Father, Creator of all as described in Genesis 1 of the Bible. He is also Jesus, who is God the Savior, and who was born of the Virgin Mary, lived in the earth for thirty-three years before being crucified for our sins and our sinful nature, died, was buried, was resurrected, and is now seated in victory at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus’s life story is outlined in the four Biblical Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, a good place for new Christians to start reading the Bible. God is also the Holy Spirit who now lives in the earth within the hearts of true believers (Ephesians 1:1–14, especially 13; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22). God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; these three in one. Sometimes our finite minds have trouble grasping this concept, so if it helps, I have heard some refer to the egg that is one unit but consists of the shell, the white, and the yolk. Or you can think of ice water in a glass where the water exists simultaneously as a liquid, solid, and vapor. I am oversimplifying, but my intent is just to give you the basic concept. It would be impossible to give a full understanding (which no one has) of an infinite God to a finite mind, especially in only a few pages. Let’s just agree to take God’s Word for it. In Genesis 1:26, God says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and verse 27 goes on to say, So God created man in his own image, demonstrating the three in one concept. In John 14:9, Jesus says, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Indeed, Jesus Christ was crucified by unbelievers for making Himself to be equal with God. The truth of His claim was made evident by His works and by His resurrection. He was and is God, and the Trinity, also known as the Godhead dwelled within His body in full measure according to Colossians 2:8–9. These three are indeed one.

Likewise, we, as true believers, are a reflection (image) of God in the earth and are also three-part beings. We are spirits who have souls and live in bodies. The spirit part of you came forth from God and was housed in a body, just as Jesus’s spirit was. Your body has a gender, skin color, shape, size, etc. You were also given a soul, which is your mind, will, emotions (heart), personality, and through life experiences your memory, along with other existential and esoteric attributes and qualities. You came forth out of the heart and mind of God and were sent to the earth for a specific purpose called your destiny. Each of us has been given giftings, talents, and abilities to aid us in carrying out our purposes. These lie dormant in us until they are activated. By activating these giftings, talents, and abilities, we can rid ourselves of every demonic influence in our lives, walking in complete freedom and completing the destiny for which we were sent to the earth.

It is important that we seek God the Father daily, thanking and praising Him for who He is and for what He has already done for us and asking for the things of which we stand in need. It is imperative that we come to God in the name of Lord Jesus since it is His blood that was shed on Calvary that made atonement (paid in full what was due) to cover our sins and sinful nature, thereby placing us in right standing (righteousness) with God and making it possible for us to approach God’s throne of grace with boldness to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14–16). Even if you have not served God in the past, because you now receive Jesus, God receives you. Ask God to make you more sensitive to the Holy Spirit inside you so that you are alert to His promptings (unctions), guidance, and instructions, as well as to warnings regarding potential danger. The Holy Spirit is your Teacher and will guide you into all truth so that you can be made free in every area of life. In 1 John 2:20 and 2:27, it says that we know all things and are taught by way of the anointing (divine enablement) that lives in us through the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that we never need anyone else to teach us or draw out what is in us. It simply means that if there is no one there to teach you, you can still have the answers you need directly from the Holy Spirit. We know all things because the Holy Spirit who knows all things lives in us. However, to access this knowledge, which resides in spiritual form, our souls must become subject to our spirits that must be sensitive to and subject to the Holy Spirit. This allows information to flow freely from the Holy Spirit to our spirits and then to our souls (hearts/minds) so that it can be put to use in the physical world through our bodies. God is constantly giving our spirits instruction through various means. The transfer of this information is blocked when we fail to read our Bibles, pray, go to church where we can access God’s spoken word, or follow the unctions of the Holy Spirit. We already have all knowledge through the Holy Spirit; now we simply need to become better at accessing it. Learning to rely more on the Trinity will help you do that. You are not alone, and the Trinity is your greatest Companion and Advocate. Pray to God the Father, trust in the work and submit to the teachings of Jesus Christ, listen to and obey the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to assist you in every endeavor. He is your dearest Friend, wisest Teacher, and closest Ally. He has been assigned and sent by God to help you (John 14:16–17; John 14:26), and so have other ministering spirits who will be discussed next.

Chapter 3

Angels versus Demons

Ministering versus Menacing Spirits

Not only do we have the power of the Holy Trinity working on our behalves, but God has also provided angelic help for us. Hebrews 1:13–14 indicates that angels are ministering spirits sent for our help. Angels are seen in the Bible as messengers and warriors (Luke 1:11–19; Luke 1:26–38; Daniel 10, where Daniel fasted and prayed, and the angel that was sent with his answer was withstood for twenty-one days by the demonic being who guarded Persia until the Archangel Michael came to assist). Angels deliver messages straight from the throne room of God, and they war on our behalves at our requests and God’s bidding. We should not neglect to ask God to send angelic help in times of war. Angels are essential to the fight since they war against demonic forces in the heavenlies. Ephesians 6:12 says, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, so we should use all assistance available to us in this spiritual warfare.

In the next chapter, I will explain in more detail the war that we are fighting. For now, suffice it to say that we are fighting against satan and the demons that he controls. Angels are created beings, and demons are widely believed to be fallen angels. Isaiah 14:12–14 explains that satan once lived in heaven (God’s home), and Bible scholars say he was, at that time, in charge of praise and worship. His name was Lucifer, which comes from the Hebrew word heylel, meaning morning star. Interestingly, heylel is derived from another Hebrew word halal, which, in some cases, not only means to shine but to do so in a foolish or boastful way. When Lucifer became lifted up in pride and sought to exalt himself above the stars of God and rule in a place not given to him, he was cast out of heaven to the earth, where he began to create chaos. Since God created nothing that is without form and void, it is believed that Genesis 1:2 actually takes place after satan was cast to the earth and began his destruction. He was already in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were created. The creation story of Genesis is the story of how the inhabitants of the earth were created. Satan had already been created along with the other angels in heaven. He is not a serpent. He is a spirit who entered into the body of a serpent and then deceived Eve. Later in this book, we will go into detail regarding how spirit beings can inhabit earthly beings, but please do not read ahead since you will need the foundation that is laid in these early chapters to get an understanding of this operation.

Bible scholars believe that satan, then known as Lucifer, along with Michael and Gabriel, were archangels. Each was in charge of one-third of the angels of heaven. When satan was expelled from heaven, the angels who had been under his charge went with him. They are widely believed to be the demons who now follow his commands here on earth. Believers have no reason to fear demons since they have no more control over us than the control that we relinquish to them. We have no need to fear them or satan because they cannot destroy us without our assistance. The greatest weapon satan has is deceit, and he will try to use that to fool you into bringing destruction upon yourself, as he did with Adam and Eve. This will also be discussed further. These demons do everything from harassing and tormenting people to warring with angels over territories. They are menacing spirits sent to distract, deceive, instill fear, and destroy, but they can do none of these things without our help. As we continue, you will learn how to stop assisting them, whether knowingly or unwittingly.

Chapter 4

The War

Whether we are aware of it or not, a war has been launched against all mankind. When satan was dismissed from heaven and fell to the earth, he determined that since he could not rule in heaven, he would attempt to rule on earth. When God gave dominion of the earth to mankind (Genesis 1:28), satan contrived a plan of attack and then deceived Adam and Eve into surrendering to his will in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3, especially verse 15) thereby compromising man’s authority in the earth. A war has been waged ever since. To surrender to sin is to oppose God’s will and to surrender to satan’s will. Satan wants to have dominion over our individual earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7) so that he can then take dominion over the earth in its entirety. Control is surrendered through disobedience as we choose to step out of the will and therefore out of the protection of God, choosing to instead follow satan into sin.

In this war for control of the earth and its earthen vessels, which were formed of the dust of the earth, sinners are unwitting victims, and Christians are the soldiers sent to fight for the freedom of others as we become more and more free ourselves. Our freedom begins with salvation, by which we are immediately regenerated or born again (John 3:3–6 [water/flesh denoting the natural birth and Spirit/spirit denoting the spiritual second birth]; 2 Corinthians 5:17). From this point, like any newborn, we begin to grow—the difference being that earthly newborns grow naturally and spiritual newborns grow spiritually, so long as they are nourished and nurtured and so long as there are no hindering forces that stunt growth. The ability to grow is present, but growth is not automatic. Satan understands this, so he tries to make sure we do not grow up into mature beings, individually and collectively. Ephesians 4:11–16 indicates that the Body of Christ is made up of unique individuals who are supposed to build each other up in love, thereby causing each part to work effectively and the whole to measure up to the full stature (maturity) of who Christ was in the earth, with Him being the head of the body.

We are in a war for our eternities and for the eternities of others. Satan, who already knows his catastrophic end—eternal death—makes the same destructive cry we hear all too often working in the world, If I’m going, I’m going to take somebody with me. His mission and intent: steal, kill, destroy. We certainly see his destructive forces working in the earth. But there is a force that can withstand satan’s attacks and utterly destroy his works. Second Chronicles 7:14 says, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Note that sinners are not even mentioned in this verse. This is because the healing of our land has nothing to do with what sinners are doing and everything to do with what Christians are doing. We can change the world by changing ourselves as we surrender to the Holy Spirit who will instruct us on how to create an atmosphere that will cause others to want to change for the better. God never gave us dominion over other humans so we cannot make another person change inside although for periods of time people sometimes feign inward change by altering outward behaviors if undue pressure is exerted, but this will never yield lasting results. The best approach is to demonstrate a life before people that they will want to live. We can help them to defeat the spirits that are binding them and help them to become disciples of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus said, we (Christians) are salt and light. We are the light that can help others to see, and we are the salt that can preserve mankind and provide a cure. We can heal our individual and collective lands, but we must start by allowing God to purge us of our iniquities, allowing us to take a bold stand for Him. We will never bring lasting change to society by hiding our light and blending in with or becoming like the world we are trying to save. Trying to live this way is what causes many of us to be trodden under foot of men. Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17) so that God can prepare the Church (universal) for the battle to save the people of this world.

This is the war that we are in, and satan has declared war on you, whether or not you choose to fight. Satan’s war is not against God because that matter was settled when satan was cast out of heaven. Satan never stood a chance of gaining control of God’s heaven. Just as he erred in thinking that he might, he has erred in thinking that he can gain control of the earth. In God’s mind, this matter has been settled also. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (Psalm 24:1). God gave earth to mankind and placed His Spirit in believers to ensure that dominion would never be permanently lost. He gave His Son to ensure that the only earth that satan can exercise dominion over is the earthen vessels that yield themselves to sin and thereby separate themselves from God. They are dead, in a spiritual sense, but can experience rebirth. Satan only has temporary control, working death for a season (1 Corinthians 15:20–26). Christians will not lose this war. Christ has ensured the victory, and we do not have to lose any battles. Psalm 34:19 says, Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. The number of battles we win or lose is directly proportional to our levels of faith and