Spiritual Warfare & Deliverance: Jesus’ Ministry of Love and Authority.
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Are spiritual strongholds affecting your life? Have you ever wondered about deliverance ministry and how Jesus sets people free from oppression?
In this conversation on Sunburnt Souls, Dave Quak sits down with Jennifer Jessop from Deliverance Network to dive deep into the realities of spiritual warfare, demonic oppression, and the biblical foundation of deliverance ministry. Jen shares her journey—from a Baptist pastor to a leader in Christian deliverance ministry—and unpacks how Jesus’ authority brings healing and freedom.
🔹 What is deliverance ministry, and why does it matter?
🔹 Can a Christian have a demon?
🔹 How do spiritual strongholds impact mental health and well-being?
🔹 What does the Bible say about casting out demons?
🔹 How can believers protect themselves from spiritual attacks?
Matthew 10:1 (NIV) reminds us: “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”
In this episode, we break down misconceptions, explore real-life testimonies, and uncover the truth about deliverance ministry—not as a spectacle, but as an extension of Jesus’ love, healing, and authority over the enemy.
If you've ever experienced unexplained oppression, emotional wounds, or struggles that feel impossible to overcome, this conversation is for you. Discover how to walk in spiritual freedom and claim the victory Christ has already won for you.
👉 Read on to explore the keys to spiritual freedom, how to identify open doors to the enemy, and what it means to truly live in the authority of Jesus.
Welcome Jennifer Jessop
I'm here with Jen Jessop this morning—the better Jessop, the best Jessop, if you will. Some of you might know her husband, Wes. He was one of our first guests and currently holds the spot for the second most downloaded episode on ministry burnout. But today, we're aiming to knock him off his perch and put him in third place.
Jen, thank you so much for coming on Sunburnt Souls today.
Jen Jessop: Thank you, Dave. I'm very honoured to be here.
Dave Quak: It's my pleasure. I've got a lot of love for you, Jen. We've been in each other's lives since 2004—quite a long time now. I'm really grateful you're here today. We're going to talk about spiritual things, deliverance, and some of the topics that many listeners have been asking about.
How did you receive your calling into deliverance ministry?
I'm glad people have questions because, when you read Scripture, spiritual ministry is happening all the time. You've been leading in this space on the Gold Coast for a couple of decades now. Let's start at the beginning—how did you get called into this specific ministry?
“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness”
Jen Jessop: Who would have thought that a Baptist girl would end up in deliverance ministry? It actually started in the supermarket. I was at the checkout, trying to avoid all the chocolates, when my daughter, who was about five or six, asked for a book. It was a magazine aimed at kids her age, so I grabbed it without thinking much about it.
When we got home, she showed it to me, and I realised it was a "magical bumper issue." It had instructions on how to become a witch, read horoscopes, cast spells, and even what to expect when visiting a clairvoyant. I was horrified. I cried, thinking about all the little girls who would practice these things, unknowingly opening themselves up to spiritual influences. What would happen when they became teenagers or adults and these practices had taken root in their lives?
Then I prayed something scary: "God, what can I do about it?" A few days later, I felt the Lord ask, "Jen, can I count you in for deliverance ministry?" My first reaction was, "You want me to do what? God, I'm Baptist! I don’t even know what that means!"
At the time, my husband and I were senior pastors at Beachside Church. I tried to think of all the reasons why I couldn’t do it, but God kept removing my excuses. Eventually, I gave Him my yes. From that moment, He brought me everything I needed to learn. Back then, you couldn’t just Google "deliverance ministry." There was no Isaiah Saldivar or Vlad Savchuk teaching on this. I felt like a freak show. But I kept going.
Dave Quak: That must have been tough. Back then, women couldn’t be ordained in the Baptist church, and on top of that, you were stepping into a ministry that wasn’t widely accepted.
Jen Jessop: Exactly. It was uncharted territory. Thankfully, God gave me a wonderful friend, Chris, who also felt called to this ministry. We weren’t alone. There was even an elderly Baptist couple from Brisbane teaching deliverance. I couldn’t believe it! We trained under them, and God led us to the right books and teachers. The Holy Spirit was our guide, teaching us what we needed to know.
Dave Quak: I’m glad you had Chris. That would’ve been lonely without her.
Jen Jessop: Absolutely. Even Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. We felt that principle applied to us, so we supported each other.
Dave Quak: So, let’s strip it back—what does deliverance ministry actually mean?
Jen Jessop: Deliverance ministry is about recognising that demonic entities can influence people’s lives. These spirits gain access through open doors—whether it’s personal sin, choices, or even generational influences. Essentially, these entities have been given permission to be there in some way.
Can a Christian have a demon?
One of the biggest objections people have is, "How can a believer have demons?" It’s true that the Holy Spirit dwells in a believer’s inner man. Demons cannot enter that space. However, they can still influence a person externally. That’s why deliverance is needed—to remove those influences and help people walk in freedom.
But then we have our soul realm, which includes our mind, our will, and our emotions. These can be damaged—our emotions can carry wounds, and our minds can hold onto painful memories. Our will can also be stubborn, determined to go its own way. These areas are where the demonic realm can latch on, even in the life of a believer, and also in our physical bodies through sickness and disease.
You know, when the Bible talks about demons in a person’s life, we see this mentioned often. The word "possessed" has been used, but that’s actually an incorrect translation of the original Greek text. A believer can't be possessed, but they can come under the influence of a demon. That’s really what the term means. When a believer has a demon, it simply means they are demonised.
It means they have a demon, but it doesn’t mean they’re completely overtaken, out of control, or without a choice. They are just under the influence of a demonic being.
Deliverance is about being set free in Jesus name
Dave Quak: So, influenced? Afflicted? That sort of thing?
Jen Jessop: Yeah, exactly. There are so many ways to describe it.
Dave Quak: So deliverance is the process of recognising those influences and, as the word suggests, being delivered—being set free.
Jen Jessop: Yes. When a person realises they have struggles in their life—habits they can’t seem to break, patterns they can’t escape, or just an overall sense that they’re not free—it often means something deeper is going on. We can sing about freedom and talk about it, but some people know deep down that they aren’t truly free, and they hunger for that freedom.
Deliverance ministry involves praying with a person, identifying where these issues began—where the entry points were—and evicting those demonic influences. Unfortunately, Dave, this ministry has been sensationalised and often misunderstood.
To be honest, I get frustrated when I see it turned into a show—when it’s made into a spectacle with all the theatrics. That’s not the heart of Jesus. Deliverance is a ministry of love. Jesus spent a third of His ministry teaching, a third healing, and a third delivering people. That was His model.
“32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”
And when Jesus ministered deliverance, I don’t see Him putting on a performance. I see Him moving in love, setting people free, and bringing true freedom into their lives. Even after all these years, I still get emotional when I see it happen. It’s like watching a miracle unfold right before your eyes.
You see someone who has been in bondage—bound up, damaged, hurt, and broken. Then the power of God comes in, removes those things, and suddenly, they have a platform to rebuild their life. That doesn’t mean everything is instantly perfect. There’s still a process—renewing the mind, changing habits, learning to think differently, staying in the Word, praying, and being part of a church community. These things are vital for maintaining freedom.
Dave Quak:
Yeah. And the way you describe it makes it sound so beautiful. If someone is carrying something that could be lifted off, bringing them into a more whole, restored life—surely that’s the heart of God.
Jen Jessop:
Exactly.
Dave Quak:
It’s like healing. When someone is healed, we praise God!
Jen Jessop:
Yes! It’s so powerful.
How did you deal with people who criticised your ministry?
I had to ignore a lot of the chatter. I just knew that God had called me to this. My husband will tell you—at first, he struggled with it. He’d say, "Jen, are you sure about this? Maybe just do it quietly in the background." But even he was challenged when he saw the results.
It’s confronting when you see undeniable transformation in people’s lives. And he took notice of that. So, in the beginning, it was hard, but honestly, I didn’t have time to focus on criticism—I was booked out six months ahead, and people were getting set free left, right, and centre. That was my focus. The chatter didn’t matter much.
Dave Quak: I love hearing that. That kind of pushback would have been an attack from the enemy, trying to derail you.
Jen Jessop: Yeah, absolutely.
Dave Quak: If anyone’s struggling with that—dealing with all the noise—I hope you have some resources, because sometimes the chatter can be overwhelming.
Jen Jessop: Yeah, it can be.
Dave Quak: I still remember the enemy trying to mess with me when you started Isha? Do you remember that?
Dave Quak: Yeah, in Hebrew, it literally means woman.
Jen Jessop: Yeah.
Dave Quak: And people were getting upset because the name sounded like a Hindu translation.
Jen Jessop: That's right.
Dave Quak: I was just like, shut up and focus on what actually matters right now, which is that this ministry is amazing.
Jen Jessop: Yeah, it was just meant to bring out something beautiful about being a woman. It’s just something a bit different.
Dave Quak: Yeah, but it's good you don’t hold on to the chatter. That’s cool because, I mean, now, a couple of decades later, it’s not just you doing it yourself. You’re also training multiple people to do this.
How do you hope deliverance ministry will impact people's lives?
It’s my heart to see the church equipped in it. And you know, Dave, I don’t have all the answers. I am far from knowing all the answers. In fact, the more I learn about this stuff, the less I seem to know and understand. It’s like now I’m scratching my head again. But my heart is to equip the church in this.
If what I’ve learned can be of any value to someone else, then so be it. That’s my heart. I really see this ministry as necessary for pastoral care. I feel like we are not shepherding our people properly if we’re not offering this for them. People can remain bound.
You can’t counsel a demon out. You can’t sew a demon out. You can’t medicate a demon out. It must be cast out. And it’s about taking the time with people to navigate through that—understanding what has gotten them to this point and how we can bring them into the freedom Jesus died for. That’s the goal. For me, it’s just pastoral care. It’s really looking after the needs of others.
“14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.”
Dave Quak: Yeah, yeah. And I like your point—you can’t counsel it out or medicate it out. Is it hard to learn to discern what’s demonic or not? Is that one of the longer processes?
Jen Jessop: I think it’s something that just comes with time. The more you use your discernment, the more effective it is. It’s like understanding your authority over the demonic realm. We all have authority, and I believe God gives us discernment, but we grow in those attributes the more often we use them.
So, I never found it hard. Even in a deliverance session, you’ve got Jesus. You’ve got the Holy Spirit standing there with you, orchestrating exactly what’s going on. He will bring the discernment, and He will bring what you need to know in that moment because the freedom of that person is far more important to Him than what you or I could ever understand.
Does Jesus want to see people set free?
He died for that person’s freedom. The kingdom of God is right here. This is a violent attack against the demonic realm within a person. Jesus wants them free, and He equips us with everything we need to get the job done.
Dave Quak: So, with that, then, who do you think needs to be involved in these kinds of ministries?
Jen Jessop: When I look at what Jesus said in Matthew, He said, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out demons." It’s all part of the Great Commission. And I love what Isaiah Saldivar says—"It’s not the Great Suggestion." That’s true. Jesus didn’t just suggest, "Hey, if you want to do this, then go for it." I actually believe it’s for all believers.
It may not be your full-time thing, but when Jesus said that, we are meant to be operating in this to some capacity. It’s not just for a select few. I often have people say to me, "Oh, that’s just Jen’s thing. If there’s a problem, I’ll just give it to Jen." But it’s not my thing. It’s not actually my problem. Your pastoral care is not my problem.
This is a believer’s privilege—to partner with the Holy Spirit and bring freedom into the lives of others. It’s not an exclusive thing, not an anointed thing. It’s for all believers. If you feel like you don’t have discernment or authority, just ask the Father, and He will give it to you. It’s really quite simple. He will help you understand authority.
Having said that, there is much to learn. I’m still learning. I belong to a school called Orbis School of Ministries, and I’m still learning through that. It’s been so valuable because you pick up new things along the way. The Holy Spirit is always downloading fresh insights to help us be more effective in ministry.
Dave Quak: I actually agree with you. In our church, I’m constantly trying to nudge people that we’re all participants—there are no spectators. A couple of weeks ago, we did a healing session where I asked everyone in the room who was sick to raise their hands, and about twelve people responded. Instead of them coming forward, I said, "Cool, everyone around them, gather and pray for healing."
Jen Jessop: So good.
Dave Quak: We’re trying to cultivate both the ability to be vulnerable and receive prayer, but also that everyone can pray. But I just know how much of a leap it would be if I did exactly the same thing and said, "If you feel demonized…" I know it shouldn’t be such a big deal. As you said earlier, when Jesus taught, it was one-third healing, one-third deliverance, and one-third teaching. It should be just as normal. But we’ve got a ways to go.
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city”
Jen Jessop: Yeah, we do have a long way to go. There’s such a close connection between our health and how it can be affected by the demonic. I’m not suggesting every disease is a demon, but they can be.
Dave Quak: They can be.
Jen Jessop: Yes, and it’s surprising how frequently it happens. There can also be the need for inner healing. I don’t see it as separate. Inner healing is healing damaged memories, healing damaged emotions, and working through that with a person—not through counseling, but through prayer ministry. It’s about targeting things with the Holy Spirit, and He ministers in a way that reaches the core of the problem.
Do you have a testimony of someone being set free through deliverance?
I’m not saying counseling isn’t valuable—I actually recommend counselors to people all the time, sometimes even before I see them. But let me give you an example. Demonstrations speak louder than words. I was at an event, and there was a lady, probably in her mid-forties, there with her mother. Her mother had two hearing aids. She asked me, "Jen, could you pray for healing over something else?"
I can't even remember what it was now, but I noticed she had hearing aids, and I was drawn to that. I asked her, "What's wrong with your hearing?" I won’t go into all the details, but I told her, "I really want to pray for you."
I felt like the Lord wanted to bring healing, and she was quite surprised. She had been wearing hearing aids since her early twenties. So I prayed over her, declaring healing in Jesus' name—but nothing happened. I thought, "Okay, what now?"
Then I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me, and I asked, "Do you feel like there's any unforgiveness in your life? Has anyone deeply hurt or damaged you, and it’s still with you?" She said, "Yes, there is." She didn’t elaborate, but I asked, "Do you feel like you could forgive that person today? Could you choose to move forward?"
We talked for a few minutes, and she said, "Yes." She chose to forgive. So I started praying again. I commanded, "In the name of Jesus, I command the spirit of deaf and dumb to get out now! I speak healing over her ears in Jesus' name."
Then I asked her, "Do you notice any difference?" At this point, I had asked her to take out her hearing aids. She said, "I can hear muffled sounds." That was progress. I prayed for about five more minutes, and her hearing was completely restored.
We were in a room with over a hundred women, and it was noisy. So I asked her daughter to stand far away and call out something. She heard it! Her daughter contacted me months later—maybe six months—and told me her mum had never had to wear hearing aids again. She was completely healed.
And what brought that healing? Forgiveness. The power of forgiveness can be an entry point for the demonic, and that stronghold had held her in deafness. But that day, she let it go, and she was set free.
Dave Quak: That’s great!
Jen Jessop: She was healed and restored. This whole concept of inner healing—the healing of our soul—and how that connects with deliverance is inseparable. They are deeply intertwined.
Dave Quak: That’s so cool.
Jen Jessop: Yeah, it is very cool. Imagine watching a loved one struggle with hearing loss, wanting so desperately for them to be free of their hearing aids. But sometimes, our theology gets in the way of us believing for that freedom.
Dave Quak: Yeah.
Jen Jessop: We pray, and when nothing happens, we assume that’s it. But that’s not what Jesus wants. He wants to bring healing—whether in the body, mind, or emotions. He’s already paid for it.
Dave Quak: Yeah.
“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.”
Jen Jessop: I know healing can be a journey. And with something like Sunburnt Souls, where mental health is a big topic, I understand that healing isn’t always instantaneous. Mental illness can have many contributing factors. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution or a simple formula. Jesus doesn’t see it that way.
There are often wounds that have led people to where they are. I always say we are like onions—Jesus peels back one layer at a time, working in our hearts and lives as we cooperate with Him.
Dave Quak: That’s such a beautiful way to look at it. It’s also practical because it encourages people to keep seeking healing without feeling condemned if they don’t see immediate results.
Jen Jessop: Exactly. We’re not responsible for the results—Jesus is. Our role is simply to cooperate with Him.
Dave Quak: Yeah.
Jen Jessop: I’ve worked with people who have serious mental health challenges. I ministered to a young woman with schizophrenia who had been on medication for years. As we unpacked her personal wounds and issues, she was completely healed. She came off her meds, and the voices were gone. She was restored.
Dave Quak: Wow, that’s incredible. There’s hope.
Jen Jessop: Yes! And part of that healing involved addressing the demons attached to her condition. It sounds bizarre, but it’s very real. When we deal with both the emotional wounds and the spiritual strongholds, real transformation happens.
Dave Quak: So bizarre. But if you read the Gospels and believe them, well, it's there. You can't ignore it. Christianity is a faith of the bizarre. We have to believe in the miraculous. It all hinges on a man who was dead being made alive. That's actually the core, essential belief.
Everything up until that level of supernatural intervention is fair game.
Do you ever experience fear in deliverance ministry?
I think a lot of believers have a lot of fear around the demonic realm. They run away from it. They don’t want to consider it, and certainly, they don’t want to consider that it could be within them. That’s just too freaky.
“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”
Dave Quak: Yeah.
Jen Jessop: I think that fear can actually keep people bound up.
Dave Quak: Do you ever get scared? Like if something demonic manifests, does a gravelly voice, or tells you to fall for something?
Jen Jessop: That’s my life!
Dave Quak: Is it scary anymore?
Jen Jessop: No. I haven’t been scared—I honestly don’t remember being scared.
Dave Quak: So is it just like, “Shut up, get out”? What’s your attitude towards it?
Jen Jessop: I remind myself that I am a daughter of the Kingdom of God. The demonic has to do what I tell it to do, and it has to do it now. That’s my attitude. It’s really about understanding your authority. I’ve done over a thousand deliverances—easily.
Dave Quak. Way more than that.
Jen Jessop: Yeah, probably more. I try to be conservative with my numbers, but when I thought about it, I realised I did over a hundred in one year alone. Since 2003, when this began, I’ve done countless deliverances.
Dave Quak: I remember seasons where you were doing multiple a day, back to back.
Jen Jessop: Oh yeah. And this year, I finally decided I can’t do that anymore.
Dave Quak: Which is why it’s smart to be training others.
Jen Jessop: Yeah.
Dave Quak: What does your training look like, Jen? How does it work?
Jen Jessop; I do different levels of training. Just recently, Wes came to help me with a workshop for a Baptist church, and it went really well. We train and equip leadership in churches, and I also train people online. Sometimes, I just feel the Lord prompting me to do a training session, so I set up an event and invite anyone keen to learn more about deliverance.
Dave Quak
Are those one-day events?
Jen Jessop
Yeah, one-day events.
Dave Quak
And you also run women’s conferences, right?
Jen Jessop: Yes! I facilitate women’s retreats, and they’re incredible. We’ve got one coming up in June at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat. We spend two days there, going deep with God, dealing with things spiritually, and sometimes there's deliverance. But it’s also a lot of fun—great food, beautiful surroundings, and hiking.
I love hearing the testimonies. So many women tell me, “I went up that mountain one way, and I came down profoundly different.” They leave with a whole new understanding of God and His love. That’s gold to me.
Dave Quak: Yeah. And you’re also a pastor at Fire Church?
Jen Jessop: Yes.
Dave Quak: What’s your role there?
Jen Jessop: I oversee pastoral care in the church, among other things. I help Pastor Bianca with that.
What practical steps can people take to avoid opening doors to the demonic?
One of the most common doorways is unforgiveness. It’s a huge issue—it gives the enemy a foothold. Emotional wounds can also be a doorway, like rejection, sexual abuse, or violence directed at someone.
Traumatic events, such as severe accidents or hospitalisations, can also create openings to the demonic realm. But then there are things we’re responsible for ourselves—like drug and alcohol abuse, sexual immorality, and involvement in false religions or the occult.
Doorways to the demonic can be obvious, like occult involvement, but they are often subtle and deceptive. Many unknowingly open spiritual doors through daily choices, habits, and emotional wounds.
Dr. Michael Heiser (The Unseen Realm) explains:
“Even small agreements with sin, deception, or idolatry can lead to spiritual bondage.”
Common Doorways Include:
Unforgiveness & Bitterness – Ephesians 4:26-27 warns that resentment gives Satan a foothold.
Fear & Anxiety – 2 Timothy 1:7 identifies fear as a spirit, not just an emotion.
Habitual Sin – John 8:34 shows sin enslaves; Neil T. Anderson calls strongholds “legal access points” for the enemy.
Entertainment & New Age Practices – Horror, tarot, yoga, and manifesting seem harmless but have occult roots (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters).
Unhealed Trauma & Generational Curses – Pain and family patterns (Exodus 20:5) create open doors.
Reading horoscopes is not okay. Yoga is not okay. These things have crept into Christian culture as if they’re harmless, but they’re not. The same goes for New Age practices—people get drawn to them because they’re looking for healing, even believers. But that’s not where healing comes from.
Even entertainment can be a doorway. The first part of the word "entertainment" is "enter," and we need to be mindful of what we’re allowing into our minds, eyes, and ears. Movies, books, and media filled with demonic themes can open doors.
It all comes back to sin—it’s the doorway. Even when bad things happen to us, if we don’t deal with them in a godly way, they can create an entry point for the enemy.
Jen Jessop:
But the problem is our response to it. Our response needs to align with the heart of the Father for our healing to come. If that's not there, it can be an open door.
How can someone recognise if they’ve opened doors to the demonic, and what steps can they take to close them and find freedom?
First of all, just come to the Lord and repent. There’s no shame or blame in this—we're all sinful beings. We live in a world full of sin; we were born into it, and we've all made poor choices. I mean, for myself, at 13 or 14 years old, I had my hands over a Ouija board.
We've all done things we shouldn’t have. We just need to come to the Father and say, "God, I realise I was way out of line. That attitude was wrong. I’ve been holding bitterness, I’ve been resentful, or unforgiving. I shouldn’t have touched those drugs. I shouldn’t have been involved in that New Age stuff. God, forgive me. I renounce it."
That word renounce is a strong one. It means you want that stuff out of your life. You’re purging it, saying, "I’m through with this. No more." That’s the starting point. And we know that when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That’s a done deal.
Jen Jessop:
But sometimes, you also need deliverance. You need to command any demons that have gained access to leave in Jesus' name. Grab a friend and say, "Hey, this is where I'm at. Can you pray with me?" Take it seriously—that's how it should be.
Dave Quak:
I love that. Even if your church doesn’t have a ministry for this, you could be the very catalyst to get it started. Because like you said earlier, if all churches had this, more people would be set free.
Jen Jessop:
Yeah, but also work with your pastors. Please don’t go off and start a Lone Ranger deliverance ministry. Always come under the authority of your church and pastors and be honouring to them at all times.
What final words of wisdom do you have for those seeking deliverance, freedom from spiritual bondage, and a deeper walk with God before we close in prayer?
Be aware that one of the main tactics of the demonic realm is fear. They will try to distract you from the truth and even make you afraid of them. Their goal is to keep you from being effective, to keep you bound, or even to convince you they don’t exist. If they can do that, they’ve already won.
But God has said, "I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind." He has given us all authority over the enemy. The demonic realm may come at you like a Rottweiler, but in reality, they’re just a little Chihuahua—or even a mouse! No offence to anyone who has a Chihuahua, but you get what I mean. The contrast is stark.
You have Jesus. He loves you. He died for you. And He wants you completely free.
Dave Quak:
Amen. That’s a great place to wrap this up. Why don’t you pray for us?
A prayer with Jen Jessop
Lord, we just thank You, Jesus, that You covered it all on the cross. Every demon in hell was defeated by Your blood.
I feel like some people listening right now are sensing the power of Jesus coming over them. If that’s you, just command that thing to leave you in Jesus’ name. And don’t worry if you start coughing or yawning unnaturally—just go with it and thank Him for what He’s doing.
Jesus, we ask for an awareness of Your power and authority in our lives. You've given us every tool we need to live in victory. Help us to understand that on a deeper level and trust You in the process. Thank You, Father, for making this possible. Thank You for Your love that goes beyond our understanding.
We love You, Jesus. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can a Christian Struggling with Mental Illness Find Freedom in Christ?
Many Christians battling mental illness wonder if faith alone should be enough for healing. The truth is, God created us as complex beings—spirit, soul, and body. Mental health challenges can stem from biological, emotional, and spiritual factors.
To find freedom, a Christian should seek a holistic approach:
Spiritual Renewal: Regular prayer, Scripture meditation (Romans 12:2), and deliverance from oppressive influences.
Emotional Healing: Processing trauma through Christian counseling and inner healing ministries.
Physical Care: Seeking medical advice, using appropriate medication, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18). Seeking help, whether spiritual or professional, is not a lack of faith—it is partnering with God for healing.
Can Christians Be Oppressed by Demons if They Have the Holy Spirit?
A Christian cannot be possessed by a demon, but they can experience oppression or influence. The Holy Spirit dwells within a believer, but demonic spirits can still attack externally, affecting the mind, emotions, and body (Ephesians 6:12).
Signs of demonic oppression may include:
Persistent mental torment, such as irrational fear or suicidal thoughts.
Addictions or compulsive behaviors that seem unbreakable.
Unexplained sickness or chronic fatigue after spiritual encounters.
Freedom comes through repentance, renouncing any footholds, and commanding demonic influences to leave in Jesus' name (James 4:7). Deliverance is not a dramatic event—it is a loving act of Jesus setting His people free.
What Are the Signs That a Mental Health Struggle Has a Spiritual Origin?
Not all mental health struggles are spiritual, but there are indicators that the enemy may be at work:
Patterns of generational struggles: Recurring depression, suicide, or addiction in a family.
Sudden, intense oppression: Feeling overwhelmed by fear, despair, or intrusive thoughts after engaging in certain environments or practices.
Resistance to healing: Traditional therapy or medication brings no improvement, or healing is temporary.
If a struggle has a spiritual root, freedom comes through prayer, deliverance, and renewing the mind in God’s truth (John 8:32). A combination of spiritual and medical care is often the most effective path to healing.
How Can Christians Protect Themselves from Spiritual Attacks on Mental Health?
The enemy seeks to exploit our weaknesses, but God provides protection (Ephesians 6:11). Christians can guard their minds by:
Closing spiritual doors: Repenting of any past occult involvement, unforgiveness, or habitual sin.
Speaking truth over lies: Rejecting thoughts that contradict God’s Word and declaring His promises.
Seeking accountability: Surrounding yourself with a strong Christian community for prayer and support.
Worship and prayer: Keeping an atmosphere of God’s presence and itimacy in daily life makes it harder for the enemy to gain a foothold.
Is Mental Illness Always a Result of Sin or Demonic Influence?
Mental illness is not always caused by sin or demons. Jesus healed people with various conditions, sometimes casting out demons (Mark 1:32-34) and other times simply healing physical ailments. Mental health struggles can arise from:
Chemical imbalances: Conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia often have biological causes.
Unresolved trauma: Past experiences can create deep emotional wounds that need healing.
Spiritual strongholds: Lies we believe about ourselves can lead to anxiety, depression, and fear.
This is a really complex issue, and we need to be careful not to assume we have it all figured out. Mental illness can have multiple causes—biological, emotional, spiritual, or a combination of all three. While some struggles may have a spiritual component, others are deeply rooted in trauma or medical conditions that require professional care.
