To put it simply, energy healing is basically the term that new agers use to describe demonic healing power. Think of energy healing as ’spirit healing’, but the spirit(s) behind the healing is not the Holy Spirit, but demonic. This is an open door for them to enter a person and bring about much havoc in their life, even if it’s not immediately evident.

Can energy healing actually work? Yes, but remember, whenever you receive something from a demonic spirit, you are going to pay dearly for it. Demonic power is never free; it comes with a very steep price. That person may develop a mental illness or some sort of other infirmity down the road that could lead to their death. It can also open them up to curses and other misfortunes that can practically ruin their life. Keep in mind that the devil came to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and if he has to disguise himself as an angel of light to get his foot in the door, he will certainly do it (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Escapism is a form of living outside reality or trying to escape the pressure that reality (or projected reality) has put upon a person. Examples of escapism is when a person turns to food (excessive eating), alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. in order to suppress the feelings they are experiencing. The danger in doing this, is that you can open the door to a spirit of addiction and relating spirits that can bind you to that escapism. If you are doing drugs, excessive eating, etc., then you are not taking care of your body (the temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 16:9), thus telling unclean spirits that you really don’t care about what God’s given you and they are more than happy to take you up on the opportunity to aid in the destruction of your body.

Suppressing our problems is not the answer; true healing takes place when the root of the problem is brought into the light and treated. For example, if it’s an emotional wound, then we need to stop holding onto that wound (infection grows in the darkness of our souls), and open it up to the Lord, and make yourself available for His healing to take place.

Addictions can also be rooted in an unmet need, such as a young boy not receiving an adequate supply of healthy love from his parents can cause him to seek a different type of love and picks up his first pornography magazine. Then there’s generational curses which can also open a person up to addictive spirits.

Addictions are usually birthed because a person is trying to fill a void or need with something else. If you want to be set free from an addiction, then your first step is to find out what void that addiction was trying to fill. First make sure that void is cleaned up, and once the root of the problem is taken care of, then it’s time to seek deliverance from the spirits that are fueling or binding you to that addiction.

This may sound reasonable, but it is simply not true. There are many cases where demons will come out without a manifestation. I would never count on a manifestation to determine whether or not the demon has left the person. A successful deliverance does not rely on demons manifesting!

Perhaps the best person to tell when a spirit has left, is the individual to whom is receiving ministry. A manifestation may take place when the demon is coming out, but it is certainly not a rule of thumb in determining if the spirit has departed. When walking a person through deliverance, I will often ask them how they are feeling, if they are experiencing pressure in a part of their body (chest, stomach, mind, etc.), confusing, unusual feelings (mental or physical) or anything else. Have they felt a release from that spirit? If they feel some release, but it’s not completely, then there are likely other similar spirits that must be driven out as well. I like to work closely with the person as they are often your best guide as to how things are going.

Once a demon leaves, there is usually a feeling of release or relief from their bondage. This is not always the case, perhaps in a case of epilepsy, where they may not be able to tell until days later because their seizures have stopped. The Holy Spirit can also give the minister a feeling of confirmation that the demon has left.

Every child of God (believer in Christ Jesus) has the authority necessary to drive out demon spirits:

Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…”

We are given authority over all powers of the enemy, but we need to exercise our authority through faith.

Anybody who is a child of God is quite capable of casting out evil spirits, however, it is always helpful to understand this type of ministry, as there are often more factors involved that may not be solved by simply casting out a demon. Many times there are strongholds, legal grounds and groupings of demons that need to be addressed. Therefore, the more you know and understand about this type of ministry, the more effectively you will be able to minister to those in bondage.