Do Not Bow to What You See
You are in this world but are not supposed to be of it. In the series “Fast Food” we learn about the stance that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took while they were held captive in Babylon. Everything around them pressured them to conform but they never bowed to the pressures of society and never forgot who they really were.
Christians Can't be Demon-possessed
It all comes down to identity, Daniel and the three Hebrew boys were all from Jerusalem and served the one true living God. They were taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon and were respectful to their captor all the while remaining true to the God of Israel. In this day and age, it can be rare to see a non-compromising Christian who is immersed in secular culture. Many believers either give in to the flesh, or temptation around them, and their standards in God are altered to keep up with the times. This gives way to becoming demonized.
Pastor Mike Signorelli, known for his deliverance ministry makes it a point to note that he and V1 Church are not “demon-obsessed,” rather he preaches the full gospel of Jesus Christ. Where Christ is lifted up, deliverance happens! He explained that Christians can not be demon-possessed but he believes Christians can be “demonized.” He noted that demon possession is a bad translation in the English versions of scripture, as the original scriptures were written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.
Demonized means under the influence of and Christians must guard themselves from being under the influence of the spirit of the age. The minister maintained that many Christians are under the influence of demons and are bowing to sin rather than taking the stance the Hebrews boys did.
“‘There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, ‘Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?’ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’” – Daniel 3:12-18
Oppression vs Possession
A Christian is only owned by Jesus Christ. So a believer's spirit belongs to the Most High but that same person can yield their members to demonic entities and become oppressed in that area by another spirit. Pastor Mike explained it like this: “Just because a rat is in my house doesn't mean it owns the deed to my house. It means it’s influencing and inhabiting my house illegally.”
The enemy, like a rodent, does not ask permission, he seeks an opening and then finds his way in if allowed. It is important to note that not everything is a demon. Some things are the flesh and believers need to crucify that in order to live free. In the instance that a non-compromising Christian finds themselves in some sort of torment that they can not break free from, it is important to seek freedom from demonization.
One-third of Jesus' ministry was driving out demons and churches throughout the world should do as Jesus did. If we do not believe that demonic forces can infect us however then we face the risk of accepting things God wants to free us from. We can not heal from what we do not reveal.
Pastor Mike teaches that light and dark should not cohabitate and that what one beholds can infect them positively or negatively. He challenged the person watching porn, and stated that in that moment God was not engaging in that sin with them. If an addiction has taken hold on someone who professes Christ then they must seek deliverance because they are no longer able to resist it.
When Jesus died the veil was torn granting us access into the throne room. Giving us full access to God. Believers must keep their focus on God and not on what they see in this world. Those in Babylon bowed down to the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar because it was what they saw.
It is possible to have the Holy Spirit in your spirit man and to have a vexing tormenting spirit in your body, in your mind, and in your emotions.
Do a spiritual inventory check on yourself and check if there is a demon.
Evil has been on the rise. From identity crisis, to addictions, to witchcraft behind every person there is a spirit. Jesus drew a line in the sand and made it clear that we either belong to satan or belong to God.
“Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” – John 8:47
Stats reveal that “Approximately 69% of American men and 40% of American women view online porn each year”. In 2022, it was reported that “70.3 million people aged 12 or older (or 24.9%) used illicit drugs in the past year.”
The number of witches is also on the rise according to Newsweek, “With 1.5 million potential practicing witches across the U.S”.
As we saw in Daniel 3, Daniel and the Hebrew boys would not bow. The same demons that influenced Babylon then has influenced modern society now.
If you find that you have bowed to the things of this world, surrender your life to Christ now. Transformation can happen in Christ and what couldn't be transformed instantly, can be surrendered to Him progressively.
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
At V1 Church we believe in teaching Bible-based relationship principles so that you can your family can be strengthened. Connect with us using one of the links below – we’d love to see you and help you walk through the process of reconciliation.