Bob Larson - Larsons Book of Spiritual Warfare

Larsons Book
of Spiritual
Warfare

Larsons Book
of Spiritual
Warfare

Bob Larson

Copyright 1999 by Bob Larson

PUBLISHERS NOTE: The purpose of this book is to provide biblically based information for those interested in the subject of spiritual warfare. It is not intended to replace proper medical consultation or appropriate psychological therapy. Readers are encouraged to consult physicians and professional counselors prior to drawing any conclusions about the demonic diagnosis of physical, mental, or emotional ills. In addition, anyone attempting an exorcism should be properly trained and should be subject to pastoral authority and review.

All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Unless otherwise noted, the Bible version used in this publication is THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Scripture quotations noted NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Larson, Bob, 1944

[Book of spiritual warfare]

Larsons book of spiritual warfare / Bob Larson.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-7852-6985-1

1. Spiritual warfare. 2. Devil. 3. Satanism. 4. Occultism-Religious aspects Christianity. I. Title. II. Title: Book of spiritual warfare.

BT981.L35 1999

235'.4dc21

98-51360
CIP

Printed in the United States of America.

1 2 3 4 5 6 QPK 04 03 02 01 00 99

Dedication

T o Brooke Laurel Larson, the newest addition of our family. As I neared completion of this book you were taking your first steps. This book was written, in part, because of my concerns about where these steps will take you in a world that marches inexorably toward Armageddon. Your beautiful, innocent smile reminds me of the responsibility I bear to provide you with spiritual guidelines to protect you from the influences of evil. Some day, the legs you wobble on now will run headlong into life. May the Holy Spirit who guided me in every step of writing this book, lead you in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.

Contents

PART I:
DEMONS, THE DEVIL, AND DELIVERANCE

PART II:
SATANISM AND THE OCCULT IN
CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

PART III:
BEHIND THE BELIEFS OF SATANISM
AND THE OCCULT

PART IV:
THE METAPHYSICAL WORLDVIEW
IN OUR SOCIETY

PART V:
A SURVEY OF DEMONIC ACTIVITY
IN OUR AGE

PART VI:
HOW TO HAVE DELIVERANCE FROM
DEMONS AND THE DEVIL

I am grateful for the individuals quoted below who carefully reviewed chapters two through five, and Part V, A Survey of Demonic Activity in our Age (chapters 26-35). Their scrutiny of these portions of the book should give assurance to any reader concerned about the theological and psychological aspects of confronting demons and the devil. Thanks as well to my wife who was understanding and patient during the solitude necessary for me to write this book.

Bob Larson tells it like it is, just like the prophets of old. The devil and his demons are a reality and so are their intrusions in human lives. To believe otherwise is to be ignorant of biblical truth. This book is a must for anyone in Christian ministry.

JERRY MUNGADZE, PH.D., PRESIDENT
MUNGADZE ASSOCIATION, P.C.
CENTER FOR TREATMENT OF DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

In the future it will be important to have pastors, deliverance workers, and therapists on the same team, speaking the same language. I believe this book is a step in that direction. He came to set the captives free, and we are to continue His work, so thanks for the training manual.

DR. JIM FRIESEN, PSYCHOLOGIST
AUTHOR OF MORE THAN SURVIVORS: CONVERSATIONS
WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITY CLIENTS

Bob Larsons knowledge of the Bible and his many experiences in counseling have equipped him to present a realistic procedure in dealing with demonized persons. His accounts of Christs deliverance of the oppressed are vivid and encouraging. His grasp of our authority in Christ and his compassion for those hurting enable him to share many helpful insights for those who would help to set the captives free.

C. FRED DICKASON, PROFESSOR
MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE

PART I
Demons,
the Devil,
and
Deliverance

Chapter 1
A Window on
the World
of Spiritual
Warfare

I t sounded like an airplane.

Why was it flying so low?

Then, the rumble grew stronger and stronger, until it seemed that my whole being was trembling.

I wondered if something was going to crash into the building.

My body swayed. Thats when I realized that this wasnt the sound of an aircraft buzzing over my head. It was the roar of an earthquake under my feet.

I was in the middle of an exorcism in a large church auditorium. It was taking place during a workshop I was teaching on spiritual warfare. The man I was ministering to, named Blaine, was seated in a chair at the foot of the platform, directly in front of the pews. I had walked into the front aisle of the auditorium to be nearer to the people.

As the earth shook, I turned to see what was happening around me. I glanced back at the huge platform area. About fifty feet behind the pulpit was an immense hanging backdrop, about twenty feet high and nearly a hundred feet long, which displayed a cross. The crucifix swayed back and forth in giant arcs.

I had never been in an earthquake before, and the ten seconds of the 5.0 tremor seemed like ten minutes. It was a memorable moment. But the most striking thing about the earthquake in Anchorage was what Blaine had explained just prior to the earth moving under my feet.

Blaine, thirty-five years of age and part Native American, had been a Christian since the age of seven. His great-grandfather was one of the first missionaries to the Alaskan Eskimos. Blaines demonic possession resulted in part from a curse that a witch doctor had put on his great-grandfather.

He was a spiritually marked man because of the family curse. Blaine had also opened his life to demons through his own involvement in the occult. As a young adult he explored the development of highly advanced psychic abilities, drawing power from plants, animals, and the sun. For example, one of the most powerful demons I confronted was the evil spirit Ra, named after the ancient Egyptian god of the sun.

I worshiped Ra by staring directly at the sun for many minutes, Blaine explained.

But a person doing that would burn the retina of his eyes and perhaps blind himself permanently, I said. How did you avoid any damage to your eyes?

Ra protected me. I suffered no ill effects whatsoever. In fact, Blaine explained, I drew so much energy from Ra that I went on three hours of sleep a night. It was a great feeling, until things started turning on me.

What caused that? I asked.

Blaine cast his eyes down. I guess Ra knew he had control of me and didnt have to give me the benefits of sleeplessness anymore. Thats when my life turned into torment.

Blaine continued. I believed I was in contact with universal energy, and that I could draw up power from the earth. I did. I felt the vibrations.