“Show me your friends, and I will show you who you are.” This was a popular quote often said by Anthony Graham, a former school principal at Bates Middle School, which my daughters attended.

Mr. Graham’s quote was a powerful message that he sought to instill in the kids he served while he was principal. In fact, this quote still resonates as a powerful message today, rooted in scripture.

1 Corinthians 15:33 reads, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (AMP). The New Living Translation says, “Bad company corrupts good character.”
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This point leads me to the topic I want to discuss today: Is deliverance needed in every situation where a Christian may be struggling? Take, for example, sexual sins like homosexuality or adultery. I will primarily focus on adultery due to a specific situation that has arisen in the Body of Christ, but the principle here is equally applicable to homosexuality or any other sinful or immoral acts.
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Let’s begin this section with an actual testimony. But before we get to that, let’s discuss a confrontation that took place between Marcus Rogers, a pastor of Firehouse Church in Chicago, and Preston Perry, an apologist and Bible teacher in Atlanta.

Recently, Marcus and Preston had a confrontation during a live recording concerning Preston’s wife, Jackie Hill-Perry. I won’t delve into the details of their discussion here, but I do want to address a statement Marcus made to Preston after Preston courageously defended his wife against some assumptions Marcus made about her.

In his defense of his wife, Preston bravely admitted that he sometimes struggles with the desire to have sex with women other than his wife. To this, Marcus responded, “You need deliverance.”

Now, what Marcus said to Preston may be true in some cases, but deliverance from sexual sin (or any sin) is not always necessary. Determining whether a person needs deliverance or some other course of action requires a minister to properly discern the root cause of the person’s struggle. We cannot, in every case, automatically assume that anyone struggling with sexual sin (or any form of sin) needs to be delivered from a demon.

As ministers, we must learn to go deeper by looking into the spirit realm and waiting for the Spirit of the LORD to open our spiritual eyes to discern the root cause of an individual’s problem and determine what is needed to help them overcome their challenges. Sometimes this may require prayer and deliverance, but in many cases, no demon or demonic influence is involved.

When ministers automatically recommend deliverance prayers without discerning the Spirit of the Living God, it becomes clear why deliverance ministers often fail to help people truly break free from sinful tendencies. Believers too often assume moral failure requires deliverance, but this is not always the case. To explore this further, let’s discuss an actual testimony shared by Demontae Edmonds, a renowned minister and leader in the Body of Christ, in his book Discerning of Spirits.
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One day, a young man named Kenny called Demontae, asking to meet with him immediately. A few days later, they met. Kenny explained to Demontae that he needed him to pray for him and deliver him from a "demon of adultery." He said that no matter what he did, he could not stop cheating on his wife. He wanted to stop and felt guilty after each situation, but for some reason, he simply couldn’t.

Like most believers, Demontae initially thought Kenny needed deliverance. As Demontae prepared to pray over Kenny, the wind shifted, and the Spirit of the LORD entered the place, transforming the atmosphere. This resulted in the gift of discernment of spirits and the prophetic anointing activating. It was then that Demontae realized Kenny didn’t need deliverance from an adultery spirit. So, Demontae asked Kenny, "Who are these men I see around you?"

That’s when the LORD revealed the true root of Kenny’s inability to stop cheating. Kenny’s struggle was directly linked to his associations, not to a demonic spirit.

Kenny confessed to Demontae that he had developed a friendship with a group of bikers, who he regularly met and hung out with. Whenever they got together, the men would boast about their many sexual exploits. Kenny was intrigued by their stories and the womanizing behavior of these men. Eventually, his association with them planted a seed in his heart, and he started to become like them. Remember the saying, "Show me your friends, and I will show you who you are."

Holy Spirit revealed to Demontae that Kenny’s problem wasn’t a need for deliverance but an issue of association. To be set free from his adulterous behavior, Kenny needed to disassociate from the group of men he was hanging around. His friends were the ones influencing his bad habits. Kenny needed to change his environment because his problem was soulish, not spiritual.
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​We have to be mindful that man is composed of three parts: the body, the soul, and the spirit. These parts are distinct from one another and serve different roles within us.
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1. The body is the physical aspect (the outer part) of us, which involves our five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
2. Then there is the spirit, which is the core of who we are. It is the third layer of our being. But for now, we want to focus on the second layer – the soul.
3. The soul encompasses our mind, emotions, and will. It is the part that influences us to do what we do, to act the way we act, and to live the way we live. Our soul influences our thoughts, which plant a seed in our heart, giving us the desire to do something, whether good or bad, until our emotions motivate our will to act upon those desires.

This process is separate from our physical body or spirit; it is tied to our moral or immoral thinking – our mindset, belief systems, and even erroneous viewpoints. Therefore, in Kenny’s case, he needed to change his mindset by changing the company he kept so he could develop new behaviors and habits. As long as he continued to associate with the men the Spirit of the LORD revealed to Demontae, Kenny would continue to struggle with committing adultery.
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Upon receiving this revelation about Kenny’s situation, Demontae chose not to engage in a deliverance prayer where he would cast out an adultery demon from Kenny, declaring, "Come out in the name of Jesus!" That was not necessary in this case. Kenny’s situation was much simpler. He simply needed the strength and conviction to walk away from his biker friends, whose stories were encouraging him to cheat on his wife.

DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The contained in this blog are for information purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. 

As many of you may know by now, I have been on FMLA, combating some major health issues for the past month. As a result, I’ve mostly been resting and doing very little ministry work. Thank GOD I have built a deep wealth of spiritual gems within me from my study of the scriptures over the years, which has prepared and strengthened me for this testing season in my life. There are many days when I am not able to worship or study, but I can meditate on the treasures from GOD’s word that He has planted in me.

One of the things I am learning during this season is that I cannot be completely dependent on the routine schedule I once followed. To continue ministry and other work activities that are required of me, I have to do them when I have the energy. For example, it is currently 1:28 in the morning, a time when I am usually asleep, but I felt energetic, so I decided to get some ministry work done by catching up on Bible reading in the Book of Matthew, where we last left off, and posting what the LORD has laid on my heart.

As we all know, belief plays a vital role in our healing process. Sadly, far too many in the Body of Christ do not believe GOD heals today. Or they believe He will heal others but think that as far as they are concerned, they will receive their healing only once they get to heaven. But is this scriptural? Let’s take a look at Jesus’ words to the two blind men in Matthew chapter 9, verses 27 through 31, to see what conclusion we can reach.
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In verse 28, Jesus said to the blind men, “… Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (NKJV). The Amplified Version reads this way: “… Do you believe [with a deep, abiding trust] that I am able to do this?” This is a profound question that all of us must answer at some point in our lives, if we are not already wrestling with this question today.

If we are battling a major health problem, how do we truly feel about Jesus’ ability to heal us today? Do we believe He can? It is important that we seriously look within ourselves, reflect on this question, and engage in deep soul-searching about our heart and mind’s stance toward healing.

When we honestly think about it, we often place deep, abiding trust in our doctors, pharmaceutical companies, therapists, and various medical professionals. But the question here is: Do we believe Jesus heals today?

Take, for instance, when COVID-19 hit our society worldwide. Many Christians rushed to take the government’s vaccine without consulting the LORD. In fact, we even urged others to take it without considering the risks or whether this was something the LORD approved. Far too many of us placed a deep, abiding faith in a man-made product to protect us from the virus, rather than in the power of Christ or His healing ability if we were affected by the infection (compare with Deuteronomy 7:15).

For many of us, our doctors, their medical methods, and pharmaceutical partners have become our gods. We have been programmed to believe that our doctor’s treatment plans are the best and only solution to health challenges. We believe that their methods can heal us, even though there is no scientific evidence proving their methodology can cure anything. In fact, it doesn’t. Typically, their medical treatments only manage symptoms or may prolong our lives a little longer, but they rarely cure anything.
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Only one man is able to heal us of anything and everything, and His name is Jesus. There is no disability, disease, or short-term sickness that is impossible for Him to heal if we believe. I know some may get offended by those last three words—“if we believe.” But isn’t this what Jesus said to the two blind men? “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). How did they respond to Jesus’ question? Verse 29 says, “They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then Jesus touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’”

Who you believe in and how you believe plays a major role in your healing—not my words, but Jesus'. The beautiful thing about Jesus’ healing ability is that He doesn’t guess. He doesn’t need to try multiple treatment plans, alternative medical options, or run tests to diagnose you to determine how best to treat your problem. With a snap of His fingers, He can diagnose the issue, identify the root cause, and heal you in seconds. And this is a permanent fix. He doesn’t just treat your symptoms—He has the ability to eliminate your health crisis entirely, according to your faith.

Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed He had the power to restore their sight. This was not a trick question. But for many of us today, it’s a complex question because we have been programmed to believe that GOD no longer heals. As a result, we wrestle with the idea that Jesus can heal us from whatever battles we face. Many of us might say with our lips, “Yes, He can,” but in our hearts, we struggle with disbelief. Our actions support this disbelief, too. The moment we get a cough, headache, or any other major health issue, many of us immediately run to our doctors or take pills or vaccines prescribed by the government. I know this firsthand because that was once me. But I am learning to seek Jesus first for direction and to follow whatever instructions He gives me. I am learning to have deep, abiding trust in His healing power today.

As I go through my current medical challenges, I am honestly searching my heart and mindset toward healing, confronting myself where I discover doubts or disbelief exist. I am seeing results because the LORD is moving on my behalf. It’s a process, but He is dealing with my erroneous mindset and lack of faith first. He must correct and build those up before my heart can fully align with this new understanding I have of GOD’s power to heal today.
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As a result, today, I can say like those two blind men, “Yes, LORD, I believe You can heal me!”