John Eckhardt - Identifying and breaking curses

Contents

Foreword

D o failure and frustration seem to be your lot in life? Is your life characterized by continual setbacks and misfortune? Does it appear as though no matter what you do in life, you cannot seem to obtain the blessings of the Lord?

Often the most frustrating thing about this whole scenario is the fact that you are a believer and love the Lord. Is it possible for a born-again, Spirit-filled believer to still be living under a curse?

If so, how can a believer be delivered from a curse and be set free to obtain and walk in the full blessing of the Lord?

Redeemed from the Curse

According to Galatians 3:13, we are redeemed from the Curse. In other words, Jesus became a curse in our stead. If this is true, then how can a believer still be under a curse?

To understand this, we need to know the difference between what is legally ours and what is experientially ours. Just because something is legally ours does not mean we will automatically obtain it and walk in it.

What makes this even truer in spiritual matters is the fact that we have an adversary, the Devil, who is determined to keep away from us what is legally ours. If he can keep you ignorant of what is legally yours, he can still enforce a curse against you, even though you. are legally redeemed from it.

The same is true in the case of sickness and disease. Although the Word of God teaches that we are already healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5), there are many believers who have not appropriated this promise and continue to battle with sickness. This is because healing is a part of our redemption, but it is not automatic.

Again, according to the Word of God, we are healed by the stripes of Jesus. However, though every believer has been legally redeemed from sickness, there are still many sick believers. Just because one is a believer does not make one exempt from sickness. It is possible for a believer to be sick even with healing being a part of our redemption.

Unfortunately, there are still many believers living under curses even though they have been legally redeemed from curses. Just as a believer may have to fight a good fight of faith for healing, he or she may also have to fight a good fight of faith against curses.

So the answer to the question, "Can a believer be under a curse?" is, "Legally, no; but experientially, yes."

This is to say, Satan may not have a legal right to enforce a curse against you, but he is an outlaw and will attempt to do so anyway.

Therefore, curses oftentimes have to be broken over the lives of believers, and the believers must learn how to stand in faith against those curses, keeping them from operating in their lives.

The promises in the Word are not automatic. They must be believed and often fought for. You don't have to fight God for His promises; He is not keeping them back from you. But you must contend with the Adversary who is trying to prevent you from receiving and walking in God's promises.

So if you are a believer and you are experiencing the symptoms of a curse, you will have to be loosed from it before you will be able to walk in the full blessings of the Lord.

Chapter One

Definition of a Curse

L et us first give a biblical definition of a curse. What does the Word of God have to say about the subject of curses? A curse is God's "recompense" (Lamentations 3:65) in the life of a person and his or her descendants as a result of iniquity. The curse causes sorrow of heart and gives demonic spirits legal entry into a family whereby they can carry out and perpetuate their wicked devices.

There are several words we will define in order to give a clearer picture and a better understanding of how curses operate. They are as follows: recompense; iniquity and perversion; persecution; and destruction.

Render unto them a recompense , O Lord, according to the work of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:64-66)

Recompense: (n.) an equivalent or a return for something done, suffered, or given; (v.) to return in kind, requite, repay.

Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is his name. (Jeremiah 32:18)

Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

(Romans 12:19)

The Lord recompenses iniquity into the bosom of the children in the form of curses. A recompense is a reward or a payment. Just as the Lord rewards righteousness, He also rewards sin. He rewards sin in the form of curses. Webster's definition of reward is "something that is given in return for good or evil done or received."

Iniquity: the Hebrew word translated "iniquity" in Jeremiah 32:18 is avown , meaning perversity, moral evil, fault, iniquity, mischief, sin.

Perversion: a turning away from what is good or morally right, diverting to a wrong end or purpose, misdirecting; stubbornness or obstinacy to what is right.

Perversion of any kind brings curses upon the children. God curses iniquity (perversion). There are different forms of perversion:

Sexual perversion includes adultery, fornication, incest, bestiality, homosexuality, lesbianism, oral sex, anal sex, orgies, molestation, and rape. A history of these sexual sins in the bloodline opens the door for Curses of Lust.

Financial perversion includes the misuse of money, unjust gain, cheating, gambling, covetousness, not honoring God (by tithing), bribes, crooked means of obtaining money, illegal trafficking of drugs and alcohol, robbery, and embezzlement. A history of these sins in the bloodline can open the door for Curses of Poverty.

Religious perversion includes idolatry, worshipping idols, ancestral worship, and oaths and pledges to idol gods. A history of these sins in the bloodline can open the door for the Curse of Idolatry and Multiple Curses.

Spiritual perversion includes witchcraft, voodoo, sorcery, divination, occult involvement, and spiritism . A history of these sins in the bloodline can open the door for Multiple Curses.

Behavioral perversion includes a perverse way, pride, rebellion, drunkenness, murder, returning evil for good, sinful attitudes and ways, ungodly conduct, mistreating others, abuse, and unrighteous behavior.

Familial perversion includes perversion of the family order, Ahab and Jezebel spirits (see 1 Kings 16-21), men not taking leadership, dominating females, rebellious children, or any time God's order in the family is violated and neglected. This perversion opens the door for Curses upon Marriages and Families.

Perverse speech includes spoken curses, vexes, hexes, spells, lying, blasphemy, slander, crooked speech, vows, oaths and pledges to idols, cults, false gods, enchantments, and bewitchments.

Iniquity is the cause of a curse. Now, let's look at the results of a curse.

Give them sorrow of heart. (Lamentations 3:65)

The result of a curse is sorrow of heart, including failure, tragedy, frustration, death, destruction, family problems, marital problems, sickness, disease, mental illness, suicide, miscarriages, accidents, depression, sadness, sorrow, grief, vexation, torment, hopelessness, despair, poverty, lack, business failure, confusion, pain, besetting sins, stumbling blocks, guilt, shame, condemnation, lamentation, suffering, misery, bitter experiences, ill fortune, setbacks, travail, groaning, hard times, reverses, distress, calamity, mishaps, slumps, recession, and woe.

Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:66)

Persecution: to harass in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; to pester; to run after with hostile intent; chase; put to flight; follow after; hunt; pursue.