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Authority over Territorial Spirits
© George
Hartwell M.Sc.
- all rights reserved, 2007. About
Us
Peter Wagner and others have taught that "binding"
Satan or high level principalities or powers
is the way to do Spiritual
Warfare.
A small minority of Christian teachers - John Dawson,
Leanne Payne, John Paul Jackson, John and Paula Sandford, and Judson
Cornwall - see great danger in 'binding principalities.' Sometimes
painful and embarassing experiences have lead them to this understanding.
"Binding" leads to more spiritual attack
Leanne Payne was subject to painfully
distrubing spiritual attack. She had asked for Christians to
provide prayer coverage. They did. An over-zealous group
assured her that they had prayed for her conference by 'binding' the
principalities in the area.
This was the worse experience of spiritual warfare her
group ever experienced. She learned to be careful about who
prays for her and how they pray. Also, she now teaches that it
is arrogant and unwise to "name and bind" territorial
spirits in a prideful attempt to exercise authority
over territorial spirits.
'Binding' brings an Embarrassing Rebuke
Judson Cornwall was rebuked by the Lord for
'worshipping demons.' He was shocked and embarrased and a
little confused. Leading a church that was moving into the
deliverance ministry (I have no fundamental objection with a well
managed deliverance ministry, by the way), he often felt obliged to
publically bound the demons that interefered with the worship
service. He was embarassed to be told that the demons enjoyed the
attention - 'worship' - they get from such prayers. Demons would
invite others to come and get in on the attention.
Judson Cornwall learned to praise God and
worship. He learned that a prideful attempt to exercise authority
over territorial spirits attracts them to you!
Oops.
Are conditions ever right for 'binding territorial spirits?'
There are those who are cautious about binding
territorial spirits but who hold out that sometimes conditions are
right and then those in authority can exercise authority
over territorial spirits. They state (I believe
wrongly) that under certain conditions the Body of Christ is given authority
over territorial spirits. Is that true?
Here is a experience that runs contrary to that belief.
John Dawson was part of a group that
experienced a startling failure of
a well-intended attempt by a local Chief to exercise authority
over a local territorial spirit. It was during a
powerful outdoor conference and worship service that included native
Maori chiefs from the area. There had been times of
reconciliation of ancient wounds and divisions. There was a
wonderful outflow of the Spirit of God.
During this time of annointing a native Christian
chief took authority over a territorial spirit
believed by the Maories to be over a local mountain. As soon as
he did this the chief was struck down. The chief became ill
right on the spot. With prayer he was restored, but a lesson
was learned.
John Dawson believes reconciliation and healing of
wounds between groups and peoples. He makes use of identificational
repentance. In his book "Taking Our Cities for
God," cities are 'taken' by healing
wounds between groups not by taking authority over
territorial spirits.
Needless Casualties of 'Spiritual Warfare'
John Paul Jackson in "Needless Casualties
of War" describes a congregation that began naming
and binding the 'spirit of abortion'
over their city. It took a dream and a revelation to Mr.
Jackson to explain a strange phenomenon - the pregnant
women in the congregation were having trouble carrying children to
term. Three pregnancies were at risk at the same time!
The pastor contacted John Paul Jackson and asked for his discernment.
God revealed to John Paul Jackson that certain types
of prayer against territorial spirits
are not only ineffective but dangerous. In this case a
dangerous backlash accured in exactly the area that the congregation
was praying against. However, this problem corrected itself
when the congregation confessed the pride and repented of this form
of 'Spiritual
Warfare' and the mothers were
able to carry their children to term.
Career and Finances - a Personal Experience
When I participated in this type of so-called
spiritual warfare I found my career interupted. I lost my first job
after completing my graduate degree. I wandered in a vocational
desert for a few years. I was not able to save money. I
could not fulfill my career aspirations. I returned to live
with my mother and worked in a warehouse.
I now believe that I exposed my career and finances to
enemy attack when I undertook aggressive and arrogant spiritual
warfare involving binding territorial spirits.
Such prayer removes a Christian's normal protection or
"hiddedness in Christ." Exposure to the enemy is the
result. One impact of exposure is that God's supply in terms of
career and finances is reduced to a trickle.
Poverty is the result when financial supply lines are
exposed to enemy attack. I have observed poverty in the lives
of others who were praying and interceding using "binding"
Satan or naming and binding territorial
spirits.
For a safe way to pray
for protection see: www.Listening-prayer.com
|
Articles
Other web sites dealing with authority
over territorial spirits that share the perspective of John
Dawson, Leanne Payne, John Paul Jackson, John Sandford and Judson Cornwall:
www.spiritualwarfaredeliverance.com
see the topic Myth # 6: Spiritual
warfare against territorial spirits opens the door for effective evangelism. |