5 Signs of Demonic Oppression: How to Break Free Through Heaven’s Legal Power

Excerpted from Receiving Deliverance from the Courts of Heaven.

Jesus clearly gave us the power to remove and revoke demons’ influence.

When seeking to remove demonic influence, there has been a debate about whether someone was possessed or oppressed by the devil. The term possessed is used to describe a demon being resident inside someone. The term oppression is used to describe a demonic presence outside someone.

However, we’ve come to understand that these terms aren’t always accurate. The most important question isn’t whether there is a demon inside or outside. The question is, is someone demonized? If there is a demonic presence assigned to someone, it needs to be cast out or cast away. It needs to be broken and removed. Whether it is inside a person or causing trouble by outside attacks can be irrelevant. Acts 10:38 uses the word oppressed to describe the devil’s work against an individual:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Jesus was anointed by God to break the oppression of the devil. The word oppressed in the Greek is the word katadunasteuo. It means “to exercise dominion against.” Whether a demon is inside or out, its desire is to rule over a person. The root of this word, which is dunastes, means “a ruler or an officer.” Demons want to take control of people and dictate what they can do. This can result in uncontrollable lust, anger, depression, and other negative expressions. This works against people and those who are within their realms of influence. This can- not be counseled away. Remember the Gadarene demoniac. Mark 5:3-4 says no one could bind him or tame him:

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.

I’ve often thought that in today’s culture to tame someone would imply that you cannot counsel a demon away. I believe that counsel can be very helpful in some situations. However, if there is a demonic presence causing the problem, or at least accelerating it, it can only be solved by casting it out or away. You cannot tame a person or teach someone behavior modifications—the demon causing the situation must be removed.

Even though I am saying oppression or possession is not the most important question, what are some differences we can observe between the two conditions? How can we discern if the demon is inside or outside? Let me give you five insights to better diagnose a situation.

Insight #1

Is the problem always there? When someone is possessed, the demonic presence is always present. When they are oppressed, it can come and go situationally. Even Jesus had the oppression of the devil come from time to time. Luke 4:13 shows us that after Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, the devil left him until an opportunity presented itself:

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

The devil came back with temptation, attacks and/or trouble. He wasn’t in Jesus, but he did attack Him from without. This would qualify as oppression.

Insight #2

Do you, or the person who is demonized, lose control? Whether this is anger or another emotion. If it seems that there is a turning into another person, there may be a demon within. What would be called possession is a strong possibility. If someone turns into the Incredible Hulk in a given moment of time, a demon could be present on the inside. Remember the fictitious character Bruce Banner who was a nice, friendly guy until he became stirred with anger. He would then transform into the creature called the Incredible Hulk with supernatural strength. Everyone was then in danger. This is what can happen when someone is beset by a demon within.

Insight #3

Is there hesitation about making a decision? Judas clearly had a problem with money, greed and selfish ambition. He had been contemplating if he should betray Jesus. The devil had been tempting from with- out. However when the devil entered him in John 13:26-27, the decision was made to betray Jesus.

Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

Judas made the final decision when satan entered him. Satan was no longer on the outside tempting, beckoning, and pressing Judas. Satan now entered Judas and he made the decision to betray Jesus. The final resistance was let down, and Judas’ will was set. When a demon moves from outside to inside, decisions once thought unthinkable are now made. The demon’s influence can become so strong, that it is very difficult to resist.

Insight #4

What kind of people do we or the demonized hang out with? When satan entered Judas, he started hanging out with the enemies of Jesus in Luke 22:1-5. The Bible says he conferred and agreed with them:

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.

The ones who wanted to kill Jesus are the ones Judas came into agreement with. The demons inside a person will make the individual connect with people whom they would not have normally been associated. People that Judas would have had nothing to do with, he became partners with. This is because the demons now in him, drove him to do this.

Insight #5

Do you or the demonized person have a propensity toward self-destruction. After the demons entered Judas, he ended up committing suicide. Matthew 27:5 says he hanged himself in hopelessness:

Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Demons within can drive a person to such hopelessness that they destroy themselves. We see the same thing with the Gadarene demoniac in Mark 5:5. This man is cutting himself.

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Demons from within drive people to hurt themselves. Demons without really can’t do this. When they are within, they can cause people to desire to do damage to themselves.

Regardless of whether someone considers themselves oppressed or possessed, there is deliverance available to them. Any and all legal claims against us have been answered by Jesus on the Cross. When we enter into His work on our behalf, we get the benefit of His legal activity. The Holy Spirit is released to drive out demon forces based on all that Jesus legally did for us.

As I stand in the Courts of Heaven, I thank You, Lord Jesus, for all that You have done for me. Thank You for Your legal work. Would You allow the Holy Spirit to come and break every oppression and/or possession in my life. I ask that the judgment of the Lord against the demonic would now be seen. Holy Spirit, come and drive out of my life and away from my life every evil influence. Let me go free now in Jesus’ name. Let nothing control or possess me but You and Your power. Thank You so much for all You have done and are doing from the Courts of Heaven, in Jesus’ name, amen!