In my book, "Redeemed from the Pit", I touch on the unbiblical basis of "deliverance ministries" that promise instantaneous healing and deliverance from all manner of sins, including eating disorders and other addictions. Usually rooted in the heretical Word of Faith movement, as sensational charismatic theology increases in popularity, so do these bogus "quick fixes" promoted by people often claiming to be "prophets".
To be blunt, ministries promising instant deliverance and freedom from demonization to women suffering from eating disorders can do far more harm than good. When the woman returns home and the initial euphoria wears off - and she is again caught up in the binge-purge cycle - she may despair and even lose faith in God.
She would have done better to have stayed in His Word, continuously seeking His strength and counsel to battle her anorexia or bulimia. If she had, she would have seen that the road to being free from sin is one devoid of short-cuts. No one can "claim" a "deliverance" for you; you must commit daily to seeking Christ and obeying Him. As you do, He will break those chains!
The obvious rebuttal to "casting out demons" of born-again Christians is that believers cannot be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and demons simultaneously. That is not to say that the devil cannot tempt, harass or even oppress believers to some degree, (and clearly all sin originates with Satan, the enemy of your soul), but claiming to perform what amounts to an exorcism on a blood-bought child of God puts a "ministry" on very shaky theological ground, to say the least.
Secondly, instant deliverance from a spiritual issue (such as bulimia)has absolutely no Scriptural precedent. We see Paul, John, Peter, James, and Christ Himself exhorting God's people to continuously turn away from sin; resist the devil; stand their ground; put on the full armor of God; repent; hold each other accountable; admonish each other; encourage and rebuke one another; pray without ceasing and practice self-control.
NEVER do we see a case of sensational deliverance from a habitual sin.
God intends for us to grow in sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit, and this involves a day-by-day, conscious decision to turn away from sin and to the Cross. We are to "put off" the deeds of darkness and 'put on' holy living; we are NOT told that our 'demons' of bulimia can 'be bound in Jesus' Name'. That is a bastardization of the New Testament practice of casting out real demons.
Spiritual warfare is real, but so much of what is taught and practiced in Pentecostal camps today is grossly unbiblical and is essentially superstition. Blogger Glenn Chatfield has written a great review of Hank Hanegraaff's "The Covering". If you have questions about what's wrong with "deliverance ministries" or are confused about the nature of biblical spiritual warfare, I encourage you to check it out by clicking on the link below.
The Watchman's Bagpipes: Real Spiritual Warfare
10/31/09
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI've gone from binging and purging up to five times a day to being completely bulimia-free. It was a long process and it ultimately came down to trust - do I trust God enough to keep my food down when I thought that I would die if I gained a few pounds?
I say this because I agree with your method of recovery in trusting God's Word. However, I believe that deliverance ministries are real as well. Christians may not be possessed by demons in the sense that they do not have control over their free-will, but I believe that many Christians can be oppressed very severely by demons. This is why, I believe, deliverance ministries can be helpful.