Deliverance Came BEFORE Water Baptism in the Early Church

Mark Virkler's picture

Between 1/4 and 1/3 of Jesus’ prayers/commands for divine intervention involved the casting out of demons. This ratio is often not practiced today, although I personally have made it my goal to practice it. So what was the attitude of the early Church concerning the matter of casting out of demons as people became believers?


Deliverance FIRST, baptism follows

In the book, Satan, The Early Christian Tradition by Jeffery Burton Russell, on page 101 we find this quote: “Until about A.D. 200, baptism was often preceded by a rite of exorcism. Beginning about 200, the exorcism and formal renunciation of satan were incorporated into the baptismal rite. You may view the original quote here.

In the book, Possession and Exorcism in the New Testament and Early Christianity published by Mohr-Siebeck Verlag and authored by Erik Sorensen, on page 200 we find the following: In 258 AD the "Seventh Counsel of Carthage viewed exorcism as a preliminary step toward the re-baptism of heretics. Exorcism also appears before baptism in the Apostolic Tradition.”

Mention is also made of the following: “In the early third century, East Syrian Acts of Thomas where exorcism takes place before the baptismal ‘sealing’.” You may view the original quote here.

How much of a difference do you think it would make if the modern Church did this?

Can you imagine what it would be like if we ensured the demons were out of new believers as we embraced them into the body of Christ? Once the darkness is out, the light can shine. Can you picture the healed marriages, families, the restored health and vitality, and ability to freely pursue your destiny without the baggage of demonic influence?

If we don’t cast them out, then they hang around messing up people’s lives, promoting division and divorce, pride and arrogance, sickness and infirmity. We can try to counsel the folks, or perhaps drug them into zombies so they can’t act out.

Don’t you think restoring deliverance to the Church is the better way to go?

I vote to restore deliverance as a normative, natural ongoing practice which is a standard protocol for all new believers. Why not? We have been under the dominion of the prince of the power of darkness. Why not firmly, fully and completely kick him and his demons out when we enter into the kingdom of light. If it was good enough for Jesus to do, it is good enough for us to do!

My personal experience with deliverance

I have been through deliverance on a couple of occasions, and both were life-changing. Early in my Christian life I had a demon of fear of stroke cast out of me, and my tendency to wake up in the morning feeling I had had a stroke and was paralyzed, was instantly and completely gone.

Later in my Christian life, I had a husband/wife team spend 3 hours with me and cast out about 20 demons I had picked up as a result of responding poorly to the slaps of life, and allowing festering anger, doubt, unforgiveness, fear and much more to fill my heart. I write about my experiences with deliverance and offer simple, clear steps for experiencing your own personal deliverance in our training module, Prayers That Heal the Heart.

Since everything always goes better and faster when you are teamed up, I recommend you get into a small group and go through this training. In the New Testament, people cast demons out of other people, rather than you casting them out of yourself.

I guess we will need to be humble and admit our need for deliverance

When I first got saved, I was trying so hard to be perfect; it was hard to admit I still sinned. Now, it is 48 years later, and it is easy to admit that I sin, and I receive His cleansing blood simply, freely, and daily. No sweat!

Jesuits do an annual spiritual retreat which involves a house cleaning of anything they may have picked up during the past year. Sounds like an extremely wise thing to do. I choose repentance and restoration over pride and justification. My passion is to walk in the fullness of God for me, so turning from my sins is a natural, ongoing part of this.


Additional Resources

  1. Blogs: “Deliverance from Demons Through a Revelation-based Power Encounter” and Deliverance Came BEFORE Water Baptism in the Early Church and Deliverance from Demons Without Trauma! You Can Help Set the Captives FREE!
  2. Blogs: Deliverance Pictured, Deliverance Cheat SheetHealed of 35 Years of PTSD Through Inner Healing and Deliverance Prayer, Deliverance Came BEFORE Water Baptism in the Early ChurchTeaming Up for Deliverance: A Prophet & Teacher Minister TogetherDeliverance Brought a Miracle and 20 People Were Saved!Prayer Ministry of Identifying and Releasing “Alters” to Jesus,  
  3.  “Prayers That Heal the Heart Discounted Package” which includes the book, the LEARN Notebook, two Contributing Strands worksheets, the CD set and the DVD set. 
  4. Video: Q&A on Deliverance with a group
  5. Information about hosting a Prayers That Heal the Heart Seminar in your community with Dr. Mark Virkler. 
  6. List of Demons Names - Types (Compliments of Restoring the Foundations)
  7. Suggested Prayer Counseling Links
  8. Many Additional Free Deliverance Counseling Tools
  9. How to Hear God's Voice and Prayers That Heal the Heart may be taken with a Personal Spiritual Trainer (coach) or as a correspondence college student with CLU.

 


 

Related Blogs: 

Casting Out Demons   
Add new comment

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 261 - 270 of 484

Pages

Through the Bible Teacher's Guide

Through the Bible Teacher's Guide

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 252 Pages

Make Bible survey relevant, enjoyable and life-changing by allowing God to speak directly to each student each week. This book provides a host of suggestions for the teacher so that class time can be a fun, interactive application of the portion of Scripture that the student has worked through during the previous week.

Price: $17.95

Top 18 DVD Life Modules Discounted Package

17 Books/Workbooks | 16 DVD Sets |1 CD Set | 4 DVD Singles | Save $84!

This set of DVD Training Modules provides everything you need to experience amazing life-transformation in 18 areas including both Bible knowlede and life in the Spirit. It is ideal for personal and group study, including home groups, Sunday school classes, and church discipleship programs. It may even be used for weekend seminars.

Price: $749.00

Unleashing Healing Power Through Spirit-Born Emotions PowerPoint Download

200+ slides for review and teaching

Use the coupon code, EMOTIONPOWERPOINT, when placing your order and save $10 off the listed price.

For far too long, emotions have been viewed as soulish and to be ignored or even discarded. I forgot that Jesus, moved by compassion, healed (Matt. 14:14). The emotion of compassion was an integral part of His healing ministry, being the carrier wave upon which healing power flowed.

Price: $29.95

Everyday Angels Complete Electronic Package

eBook | MP3s | Digital Videos | Cost if Purchased Separately: $124.99

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $109.00
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed - Complete Download-Only Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed - Complete Download-Only Package

All our top downloadable products on this topic!

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?

Price: $175.00
Prayers That Heal the Heart Complete Electronic Package

Prayers That Heal the Heart Complete Electronic Package - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark Virkler | 2 eBooks | 15 MP3 Sessions | 15 Video Download Sessions | Save 15%

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit. Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith.

Price: $134.95

49 Lies Complete Discounted Electronic Package

2 PDF eBooks | 49 Digital Video & MP3 Downloads | Save Over 10%

This download package is a $122.90 value, and includes 49 professionally recorded audio MP3 and digital video sessions. Each session is 5-12 minutes long, which is my testimony of breaking free from each lie. I discuss what the lie is, its impact on my life, what Jesus spoke, my prayer of repentance and the new freedom I experienced which allows me to step into a new life in Christ.

This package also includes two PDF ebooks, 49 Lies  (100 pages of God's revelation through two-way journaling) and Release from Religion which contains 100 pages of Bible meditation where we search the Scriptures to see if they confirm that these things are so. If you have ever believed any of the following lies, then this book is for you: "Emotions are soulish;" "Money is evil or secular;" "It is wrong to seek vision;" "Don’t trust experiences;" "God gave me a mind and expects me to use it;" "Politics are evil;" God is always beating on me;" or one of 43 more such deceptive lies...

Price: $109.00
Fulfill Your Financial Destiny Complete Download Package

Fulfill Your Financial Destiny Complete Download Package

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 1 PDF ebook | 22 Sessions of both audio and video

Newly recorded for 2023! Though the economic system (mammon) of this world is under a curse, we have received instructions for how to move out from that dominion and into the blessing of the Kingdom of God. God’s promises to His children have not changed with the whims of government or Wall Street, nor have His directions for how to walk in those promises. We can “choose not to participate” in the economic recession that is around us if we instead choose to obey the logos and rhema of the Lord and enjoy the blessings that result.

Price: $109.95

Nate Krupp - Electronic Downloadable Package

7 books, 2 booklets, 1 tract - Only $29.95!

Preparing the Way Publishers no longer carries these books (valued at $120) and graciously provided them to Communion With God Ministries. We are thrilled to make them available to you as they are filled with Scripture, provide solid teaching, and are interactive in their training approach. 

Price: $29.95
Overflow of the Spirit - Complete Download Package

Overflow of the Spirit Complete Digital Package

12 Sessions MP3/Video | Book 284 pgs | Workbook 50 pgs | Teacher's Guide | by Mark Virkler and Charity Kayembe

Mark and Charity have teamed up again to create a training series on how to easily manifest the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. It took us several years to break through all the confusion and present a clear, simple understanding of how to release the nine-fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit everywhere you go and with everyone you touch. It is not hard! It can’t be since these are gifts of the Holy Spirit, not things you have to work for.

 

Price: $109.95

Pages