We all remember the movie, The Exorcist with the child actor Linda Blair, right? In this film, the young girl is possessed by demons and two priests die trying to conduct what is called an exorcism on her, which is supposed to be the Catholic church’s ‘version’ of deliverance.
Though this film was introduced and released in a time in the late 60s and early 70s when it was popular to do so regarding demonic activity (and grossed over $400 million), I found this film accurately depicts what goes on in many churches and deliverance sessions in many ministries TODAY. Yes, I know that many Protestant ministries boast to be into ‘deliverance.’ And while no one (not that I have known of anyways) has actually died while trying to do deliverance, I can attest to the fact that much which has been termed ‘deliverance,’ just like exorcisms that became popular through the Catholic church, have NOT been successful.
It is with this in mind that I recommend THE BEST book I have EVER read on Christian demons, commonly referred to as ‘religious spirits’ or ‘religious demons.’
Faces of the Religious Demon by Pam Sheppard breaks down for the believer the many manifestations of the religious spirit. I have maintained for years that religious spirits often masks themselves into being holy and from God when-in actuality-they are NOT. The Word speaks of religious spirits when it says they have ’a form of godliness’ but deny the power thereof.
Read this excerpt from Faces of a Religious Demon:
“The main purpose of this book is to unmask the true nature of the warfare as it pertains to exposing religious counterfeits. Counterfeits come disguised like faces covered with various masks. Each face of the religious demon offers new insights and new challenges because of the various façades that human beings unconsciously employ as defense mechanisms in order to maintain pretenses. Since the flesh is naturally adept at self deception, demons use human innate weaknesses as an entrance or “doorway” to mix their own brand of deception with the self deception of the captive. Consequently, the demonic face hides behind the captives own persona, making exposure problematic. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life within the captive’s natural carnality provides a convenient cover to the unseen forces where demons will hide within.”
It is my heartfelt conviction that the ‘doorway’ that the religious spirit is allowed to enter into a person is through any form of putting up fronts, any attempts to deceive others into thinking that a person is one thing when-in fact-they are something else, and just plain old hypocrisy. When a churchgoer, a pastor, a bishop, an apostle, ANYONE is not true to THEMSELVES and to OTHERS AROUND THEM about who they really are-whether or not they realize that’s what they’re doing or not-they are inviting a religious spirit to dwell in them.
And as we all know, religious spirits are diabolical…and potentially VERY DANGEROUS. Apostle Jonas Clark says in ‘Overcoming the Religious Spirit‘ that the religious spirit will try to kill your ministry…that they are very dangerous. And I am sure many of us have come in contact with religious spirits. I myself was physically attacked on Thanksgiving Day by a religious spirit who tried to kill me by trying to choke me to death! (He was only able to do so because I admit I failed to discern he had a religious spirit because he did NOT go to church. So don’t be fooled: a religious spirit does NOT just reside inside a church building!)
The religious spirit is NOTHING to play with!
This is why I am SO glad Pam has written Faces of a Religious Demon. Because as we walk in this journey, the Lord will reveal to us yet even another form of godliness, yet even ANOTHER face of a christian (or religious) demon that we have NOT encountered before. And they can reside IN or OUT of the church!
We must be prepared!
Not to invoke fear or anything, but simply to warn.
If you are not equipped BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD and operating in KEEN DISCERNMENT in this hour…you can be conducting demonic deliverance (like there is such a thing-maybe the better phrase is INEFFECTIVE deliverance) of a Christian demon! And just like those priests in ‘The Exorcist’ who lost their lives trying to ‘exorcise’ a demon, just like the 7 sons of Sceva who tried to conduct deliverance in the Book of Acts and was not only unsuccessful-but utterly humiliated…we can suffer damage, bodily or spiritual harm and even be killed if we aren’t equipped to deal with christian/religious spirits properly.
Are you a minister who needs to be properly equipped in this hour to set the captives free…yet you are stuck in a religious system that won’t allow you to help those bound around you?
You MUST invest in this book, Faces of a Religious Demon.
It will open your eyes to a lot of what’s REALLY going on in THE Spirit.