Expert: Phillip Senn - 2/26/2010

Question
First I will say that I am a born again Christian and have an active role in my church and with helping people come to Christ. The problem I am having is that a few friends of My husbands and I (a family we know) Are labeled religious fanatics and really over the top when it comes to Spiritual warfare and demonic forces. Over this past year this family has said on a number of occassions that our small children (ages 5 and 23months old) are spiritually afflicted by the enemy and in one case had said our daughter (who is 23 months old) is being choked by a demon because she has a medical condidtion that sometimes makes her hold her breath too long when she cries. She has been diagnosed with this condition and its NOT life threatnening and only happens in 5% of children who's relfex to breath is just altered. So my question to you is...Why can I find NOTHING scriptually to back up what they are talking about? Can my family be posessed by demonic forces and can my baby have a demon choking her? I have believe this to be false and would like you help on understanding why these "so called friends and fellow christians" would even consider believeing this if there is NO scripture backing it up? Also another thing they CONSTANTLY talk about and try to always accuse our family of is generational curses. They told me my son (5years old) has ADHD because of generational curses. When They have already sat down with us quite sometime ago to pray over our family line and our kids through what has might been past down. I feel very confused and led astray from these people who really seem to be off from what I am understanding from scripture. This accusations of all these things has been going on for a while. It was only when they brought up about a demon choking my daughter I started to question the authenticity of what they are even preaching about. Please help me. These people are close in our lives and in our church and we are also having issue with the pastor on this because he is "riding the fence" as you can say. What are your feelings about oppression of a child, and generational curses and demon possesion of a born again christian? My husband and I need answers so bad...but are lacking the knowlege of scripture and support.

Answer
Leslie,

There are many in this world that would rather you see them as some type of spiritual giant. They use different tactics, but the same measure of non-Biblical promotion of their "spirituality" to get you to respect them. Here is the problem, as I see it.

The message they are portraying, in their subtle way, is that you must look to them for guidance in this matter. They have the solutions to your problems. That is the message they are sending, and in doing so, they are robbing the Lord Jesus of His rightful glory. They want you to glorify them. They will say that it is the Lord that they want to see glorified, but in reality, their whole concept of Christianity focuses on them.

The Lord was facing a similar situation. When the disciples came back rejoicing that the demons were subject to them, He said, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."

Notice the Lord took the focus off the disciples, and placed it upon His Father, that had written their names down. In the same sense, when we are faced with those that focus on their ministry, instead of focusing on the ministry of God (including Christ & the Holy Spirit), they have placed themselves into a position that they can glory in, rather than glorying in the Lord.

These have not the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ would speak, as did the Apostle, "He must increase, and I must decrease."

Their attempt to deceive you about your family is a clear attempt to put you into bondage to them. This is not of the Lord, and if your Pastor will not stand against this, you should pray about seeking another place to worship with your family.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn