By The Venerable Dr. I. U. Ibeme

The great fundamental mystery of freedom revealed in the Scriptures is that anyone’s deliverance from (or bondage to) demons depends on whether one believes the Truth (or believes a Lie) and whether one lives in Sanctity (or lives in Iniquity). The basis for the ability of demons to possess anyone or indwell anyone depends on the lie and/or sin in one’s heart. It is saddening that many spend great effort to cast out demons only to spend great effort to reinforce the same demons by believing superstitions and preaching speculations that do not concur with or derive from the Divine Truth of the inspired Scripture!
Joh 8:32 (KJV2000)
(32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh 8:44 (KJV2000)
(44) You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

2Th 2:12 (KJV2000)
(12) That they all might be condemned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1Jn 3:7-10 (NET)
(7) Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.
(8) The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.
(9) Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.
(10) By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness — the one who does not love his fellow Christian — is not of God.

There are some measures that are found to be helpful in ensuring personal deliverance. These have been represented here as Denunciation, Dedication, Demolition, Domination and Declaration.

1. Denunciation
Every believer is meant to abhor, condemn and oppose the devil and the things of the world – vainglory, lusts, superstition, crookedness and wickedness. Denunciation involves voicing out that decision to reject and oppose occult involvements, contacts or covenants. This must also include repentance of sin and relenting of grudges we hold against others.

Eph 5:6-13 (ISV)
(6) Do not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
(7) So do not be partners with them.
(8) For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.
(9) For the fruit of the light consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth.
(10) Determine what pleases the Lord,
(11) and have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness. Instead, expose them for what they are.
(12) For it is shameful even to mention what is done by people in secret.
(13) But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible,

1Jn 3:8-10 (KJV2000)
(8) He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
(9) Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his nature remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.

Eph 2:1-5 (KJV2000)
(1) And you has he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins:
(2) In which in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
(3) Among whom also we all had our behavior in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)

You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (Joh 8:44 KJV2000)

2. Dedication
Dedication has to do with the believer’s surrender and commitment to Christ to please Him and let Him live His Life in us. True believers are those who have repented of their sins and through confession obtained remission by the blood of Christ. These must dedicate their lives daily to live for Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. Dedication to Christ brings us close to God but scares the devil away.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20 KJV2000)

Rom 12:1-2 (KJV2000)
(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
(2) And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Jas 4:4-10 (KJV2000)
(4) You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
(5) Do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?
(6) But he gives more grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.
(7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(8) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
(9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
(10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

3. Demolition
By demolition is meant the pulling down (dismantling) of all psychological and psychic stranglehold of the devil in our minds. Demolition is done by unlearning and disbelieving all erroneous beliefs and deceitful world-views (superstitions and speculations) and replacing them with the immutable truth of divine revelation in the Scripture, about the position and operations of the devil in relation to the position and authority of the believer. This is what this write-up is geared to do.

2Co 10:3-6 (KJV2000)
(3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh:
(4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)
(5) Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
(6) And having a readiness to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

He that has received his testimony has set his seal to this that God is true. (Joh 3:33 KJV2000)

Demolition also involves the destruction of occult objects by burning, breaking, desecrating, etc. (Act 19:18-19; 2Kin 23:13-16).

4. Domination
Every believer however young or weak in faith and knowledge is equipped and authorised to resist the devil and bring every demonic operation to a halt by the Name of Jesus to which all believers belong. Once we let Christ have a free dominion over our lives, we gain full dominion over all the powers of darkness.

Luk 10:17-22 (KJV2000)
(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us through your name.
(18) And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
(19) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
(20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
(21) In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in your sight.
(22) All things are delivered to me by my Father: and no man knows who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Php 2:8-11 (KJV2000)
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
(9) Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
(10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
(11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

5. Declaration
Reaffirm your Christ-given freedom and victory to yourself and speak it forth to others. This must issue to a life of resistance to sin and resilience in steadfastness.

1Co 2:12-10 (KJV2000)
(10) But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Col 2:10-15 KJV2000
(10) And you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power:
(11) In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
(12) Buried with him in baptism, in which also you are risen with him through the faith of the working of God, who has raised him from the dead.
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

1Jn 5:18-20 (KJV2000)
(18) We know that whosoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not.
(19) And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.
(20) And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.