Introduction

Deliverance is a controversial topic in our culture today. However, it shouldn’t be. There are many clear examples in the Bible where Jesus practiced deliverance - the boy that was seizing: Mark 9:17-29

KJV ¹⁷ And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; ¹⁸ And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. ¹⁹ He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. ²⁰ And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. ²¹ And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. ²² And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. ²³ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. ²⁴ And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. ²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. ²⁶ And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. ²⁸ And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? ²⁹ And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. WEB ¹⁷ One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; ¹⁸ and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.” ¹⁹ He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰ They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth. ²¹ He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?”He said, “From childhood. ²² Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” ²³ Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” ²⁵ When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” ²⁶ After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead, so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. ²⁸ When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” ²⁹ He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”
..the man in the tombs: Mark 5:1-20

KJV ¹ And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. ² And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, ³ Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: ⁴ Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. ⁵ And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. ⁶ But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, ⁷ And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. ⁸ For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. ⁹ And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. ¹⁰ And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. ¹¹ Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. ¹² And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. ¹³ And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand; ) and were choked in the sea. ¹⁴ And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. ¹⁵ And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. ¹⁶ And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. ¹⁷ And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. ¹⁸ And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. ¹⁹ Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. ²⁰ And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. WEB ¹ They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. ² When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs. ³ He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains, ⁴ because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him. ⁵ Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. ⁶ When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him, ⁷ and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.” ⁸ For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹ He asked him, “What is your name?”He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” ¹⁰ He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country. ¹¹ Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding. ¹² All the demons begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.” ¹³ At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea. ¹⁴ Those who fed the pigs fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. ¹⁷ They began to beg him to depart from their region. ¹⁸ As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. ¹⁹ He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.” ²⁰ He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.
..and even the man who was sitting in the synagogue: Luke 4:33

KJV ³³ And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, WEB ³³ In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
..And if that weren’t enough, Jesus said deliverance would be a sign that followed everyone who believes: Mark 16:17-18

KJV ¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. WEB ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The Bible talks about the gift of discerning of spirits. The enemy has many people held in bondage today; knowing how to spot a demon will help you break free and in return set other captives free.

Let’s dive right in.

14 Signs that demons are intruding.

1. Attacks in your dreams.

The enemy is after your peace. One of the ways he attacks Christians is through sleep. Sexual dreams, eating in the dream, seeing death, or having a dead relative visit - all of these are examples of demonic activity infiltrating your sleep.

Matthew demonstrates a clear example in Matthew 13:25

KJV ²⁵ But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. WEB ²⁵ but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.
..The enemy is after your peace because when you can’t sleep you’re restless, and it affects your productivity in the Kingdom of God.

2. Mental oppression.

You must understand that Satan intrudes the mind. The mind is the battlefield. The biggest challenge for Christians is understanding that those thoughts are NOT your own.

When you notice thoughts/emotions that are controlling, negative, and very persistent, you must declare war against them. Any thought of unforgiveness, loneliness, self-destruction, or sense of “I can’t control it” are all clear indications, you might have company. The Bible is clear that we were given a sound mind: 2 Timothy 1:7

KJV ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. WEB ⁷ For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
..If you don’t remove the root cause, your mind will be infected. Remove the demon.

3. Controlling negative emotions.

Depression, anxiety, heaviness, rejection, resentment, unforgiveness, disappointment, loneliness, misery, depression, self-destruction, suicide are all potential signs of demonic activity and presence. The Bible says that these feelings are not from God:

Philippians 4:6

KJV ⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. WEB ⁶ In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

2 Timothy 1:7

KJV ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. WEB ⁷ For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Isaiah 61:3

KJV ³ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. WEB ³ to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.

4. An intense desire for defiled things.

Demons eat a defiled diet. It’s natural for them to crave what is unholy and impure. If you struggle with things like weed, alcohol, drugs, or strong lustful thoughts, it might be an indicator something inside is causing you to crave that.

These demons mainly manifest in addictions or sins that people can’t stop falling into. This is usually followed by shame, feelings of hate, and an inability to forgive oneself.

5. You can’t tame your tongue.

One of the signs you are filled with the Holy Spirit is that you speak in tongues; one of the ways you can tell you’re filled with demons is an impure mouth.

Oftentimes, a clear indicator is when someone has uncontrollable bursts of rage, they can’t stop cursing, gossiping, or blaspheming.

6. Sexual perversion.

Any desire for illicit sex, masturbation, a desire to commit adultery, or any form of sexual perversion can be an indicator of demonic influence.

7. Your current involvement in the occult.

Any spirituality that is not rooted in the Holy Spirit is demonic. Dabbling in any sort of divination, tarot cards, astrology, meditation, yoga, and things of that sort, are all clear open doors for demonic presence.

8. False religions.

Read the words of Jesus recorded in John 14:6

KJV ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. WEB ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
..False religions open you up to the demonic.

9. Chronical sickness.

The Bible shows us clear examples where sickness was the result of a demonic presence. For example, Peter’s mom; Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her. Another example is the boy that had epilepsy. After rebuking it, the spirit left him and the boy was made well. Constant, repeated sickness can be a sign of a demon.

10. Compulsive behavior.

When you have constant and sudden urges of rage or hostility, this can also be a sign of demons. Saul, in the Bible, experienced these torments and would later be repentant of his rage: 1 Samuel 18:5-12

KJV ⁵ And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. ⁶ And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. ⁷ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. ⁸ And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ⁹ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. ¹⁰ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. ¹¹ And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. ¹² And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. WEB ⁵ David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. ⁶ As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. ⁷ The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” ⁸ Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have creditd David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?” ⁹ Saul watched David from that day and forward. ¹⁰ On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; ¹¹ and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice. ¹² Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with him, and had departed from Saul.

11. Extreme restlessness in a spiritual environment.

Many times people can spend hours at a time scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching on Netflix, but when it comes to spiritual matters things change. If you notice extreme tiredness when reading the Bible, praying, fasting, or during worship, this could be evidence of demons.

When a Christian gets strengthened, demons get expelled, so the demons will do anything they can to prevent that.

12. A compulsive desire to hurt the body.

Mark chapter 5 talks about a man who was possessed by an evil spirit; he would cut himself with stones. Although the Bible states he had demons, it’s also clear that they were unable to stop him from running to the feet of Jesus. His thoughts were influenced, but He made a willful choice to run to Jesus: Mark 5:2

KJV ² And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, WEB ² When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.
..It is important to note that any thought of self-harm or suicide is influenced by demons.

13. Hearing voices.

Another clear indicator is if you are hearing voices - especially if they refer to themselves as “us” and not singular, or if speak in the third person.

14. Paranormal experiences.

Lastly, any supernatural activity like the disappearance of objects, strange things moving in your home, or other strange manifestations can be clear evidence that demons are influencing your surroundings.

What Now?

Read Romans 8:14

KJV ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. WEB ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.

Take time to notice the things you are constantly led to. Remember...

Whatever you are filled with will lead you.

If you’ve noticed any of these signs in your life, you need to sever any tie the enemy has and pray against every demon influencing your life. Command the evil spirit to lose its grip over your life. Be desperate for deliverance and believe in the delivering power of Jesus Christ.