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Demonised Salvos?
by
Captain Stephen Court
Really? Can Salvos be demonised? Can Christians be oppressed
by evil spirits? Can they be freed?
Historically, The Army assumed deliverance to be part of the
process of (entire) sanctification. General William Booth
instructed Salvationists, “Make haste and let the Blessed
Spirit, who wants to sanctify you wholly, cast out the enemies
of your soul!” The classic SASB song (436) Whiter Than Snow
features the prayer, ”Break down every idol, cast out every
foe.” And we didn’t make it up.
Our spiritual grandfather, John Wesley, regularly saw it
happen. Theologically, it is an important step toward
sanctification. It gets rid of demons lodged in strongholds
opened up by personal sin. Demons, strongholds, and sin all
have to be dislodged before someone can be sanctified. It was
Salvationist hero Commissioner Frederick Booth-Tucker’s
testimony:
“Being convinced that this was God’s will, even my
sanctification, I was enabled to break off all the devil’s
bonds and rejoice in full salvation.”
And she taught, “He delivers His people from their spiritual
enemies, and from the power of sin itself.” These enemies can
be active well into someone’s salvation experience. Our
Prophet of Holiness, himself, Commissioner Samuel Logan
Brengle, testified,
For weeks I walked in agony of mental and spiritual suffering
that is hard to describe, if not impossible... Then I saw that
these must be the devil, and instantly it was as though an
octopus loosened his long arms from around my mind and flew
away.
And of another solid Christian, he once cried, ‘How the devil
has been deceiving her and mocking her, and how a heart of
unbelief has given the devil an opportunity’.
“There is a notion abroad of a sort of make-believe religion
as though God would count us righteous and deal with us as if
we were righteous while He leaves us in our unrighteousness”
(Catherine Booth).
“Christ Jesus came to save us from our sins, not in them”
(Catherine Booth).
‘’God in His omnipotent mercy awakens him and gives him grace
to turn the devil... out of his soul” (Catherine Booth).
Sanctification is not only possible, it is absolutely
imperative that the soldier take advantage of this
deliverance. “Perfect weakness himself, his life must be
incessantly harassed with doubt and fear unless he feels that
he commands power sufficient to defeat any possible
combination” (Commissioner George Scott Railton).
To be empowered to defeat any combination we need to be clean
and free. Perfect weakness is helpful so that, “Christ’s power
may rest upon (us)” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s
work” (1 John 3:8). The word ‘destroy’ is ‘luo’ and is also
translated ‘break’ (e.g. Matthew 5:19), ‘dissolve’ (2 Peter
3:11,12 NKJV), and ‘loosen’ or ‘untie’ (e.g. Luke 13:15,16).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego engaged in a power encounter
in which they were stubbornly loyal to God despite the odds
stacked against them (Daniel 3:17,18). They got thrown in a
fiery furnace, but the only thing God burned off were the
bindings (Daniel 3:27). Jesus unties the spiritual bindings on
us and those whom we are trying to free. Just as Lazarus was
brought to life but still bound by grave clothes, so many
Christian have been raised from spiritual death but are still
bound by the enemy.
And General William Booth gives the War Cry! “We cannot bow,
or notice, or persuade the devil out of his favourite citadel
or stronghold... there is only one way to drive him out and
that is by actual, self-sacrificing warfare. There is nothing
for it but to fight and to fight to the death. Who is willing
for this?”
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