Does it take an act of moral outrageousness to open your life to demons? No!
You can get demons by a legal right of entry or by demonic opportunity. If you understand this principle of spiritual warfare, you’ll be in a better position to protect yourself from attacks of the devil. Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) implores, “Do not give the devil a foothold.” The King James says, “give place.” This passage of Scripture explains what I’ve heard demons claim on many occasions, “I don’t have a legal right to be in this person, but I do have opportunity.”
As we teach in our International School of Exorcism, a legal right is the technicality by which a demon gains admission to a person. Call it what you like, possession, oppression, torment, harassment — the term isn’t important as this fact: If a demon is in you by some manner of occupancy, you are demonized. You need deliverance. What’s in you, needs cast out of you. But the important question is, “How did the demon get there and by what arguable justification does that evil spirit claim tenancy in the ‘house’ of your life?”
Examples of a legal right might be a specific generational, bloodline curse or a particular evil act that you committed. For example, your ancestors might have practiced idolatry and performed blood sacrifices to a false god. They granted the legal right. On the other hand, you might have gone to a psychic or put a revenge spell on someone. That is divination and witchcraft, and your active participation in such occult deeds constitutes a legal right for demonic entry that you granted. But what is opportunity? As the Bible says, it is giving place or providing a foothold for Satan.
That fourth chapter of Ephesians, which we’ve citied, gives some examples of footholds. Here are some sins of opportunity mentioned in this passage: lying, failing to speak truth, anger, holding on to wrathful thoughts and motives, stealing, failing to labor industriously, lack of charitable acts with one’s finances, corrupt communication (foul and profane language), grieving the Holy Spirit, bitterness, evil speaking, and malice. I suggest you go back and read this chapter slowly and absorb its sober warnings, because the apostle Paul gives a spiritual list of demonic opportunities. Not all such sins will lead to demonization, but the risk is there if these transgressions are not dealt with forthrightly. I am not saying that any one of these moral lapses automatically leads to demonization. But careless, deliberate indulgence of such evils may overtime give the devil opportunity.
A demonic foothold grants the possibility of spiritual torment, especially if you haven’t had curse breaking ministry to remove past generational tendencies. So, allow me to restate Ephesians 4:27 like this, “Don’t give demons an opportunity when they may not have a right.” And here’s what is also important. A legal right is canceled by confessional agreement with God and his Word. We call this curse breaking. Opportunities are annulled more gradually by correcting behavior and a progressive surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Break curses now. Identify behavioral patterns you need to start reforming. And begin the journey of deliverance to remove every opportunity of evil so you can walk in spiritual freedom.
