Dealing with Pre-Conversion Sin
The clearest instruction here is in James 4: 4-10. What follows are some steps involved in spiritual freedom. You can pray these through on your own if you suspect you are oppressed. Understand that this passage applies to dealing with any form of oppression, not merely the kind that lingers from the sins of the pre-conversion life. James gives us the clearest biblical instruction for deliverance. It is important to follow each point of his counsel. If no enemy spirits are involved, there will be no manifestation, only a quiet process of confession and cleansing.
1. Be willing to separate your life from worldly idolatries. Our Lord jealously desires each of us to make Him the highest object of our love and devotion. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose idolatries in your life that may offend the Lord and leave you vulnerable to wiles of the enemy that may entice you. Our Father simply wants the loyalty of our love.
2. Submit to God in brokenness and humility. Get real with the Lord about any pride or selfish presumption in your life. Also, ask yourself honestly, Am I truly willing to submit to God’s will for my life? God, who dwells in a lofty place, comes to us in a lowly place. Grace is freely given to the one whose spirit is broken and contrite.
3. Wash your hands of any known sin. Repent and receive the washing of forgiveness that puts the devil to flight. A clear conscience is the main key to victory in warfare. All rationalizations and justifications must be brought to the cross. Verbally confess anything that strains your fellowship with the Father.
4. Purify your heart from any double-minded wavering. The Lord is a jealous Master. He wants to know He is your first love. He commands our commitment. Fence-sitters are fair game for the devil. Doubt, mistrust and duplicity must be forsaken.
5. Realize how truly serious is your struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil. Flippant, half-hearted attitudes are inappropriate when seeking the presence of the Lord. Getting right with God is serious business.
6. Resist the devil. There is no substitute for taking personal responsibility to act in the authority of Christ’s name, commanding the devil to flee. If the prior conditions are met, all enemies of Christ must and will go.
After having carefully worked through this passage from James, I often lead a person through the following prayer. This is not a formula, but a pattern of how to take back ground from the enemy and open a door for fresh grace.
PRAYER FOR REMOVING OPPRESSION
Lord, I call to You in the name of Jesus, my High Priest. I submit to Your will. I invite Your Spirit to search and convict me of any sin [confess any current sin before continuing]. I receive now Your forgiveness and cleansing— I put on Your breastplate of righteousness. I ask You, on my behalf, to expose all schemes of Satan ever devised against me, through any source, at any time. I ask You, Holy Spirit, to bring into the light powers of darkness that oppress me.
I forsake all sin in my ancestry that may have opened doors to darkness [specify names of relatives and sins, if relevant]. I close these doors as they relate to me and my children [name your children]. I forsake all personal sin that has given ground to the enemy. I reclaim that ground now. Lord Jesus, I apply the power of Your name and blood to remove from me all consequences of evil oppression. In Your authority, I break the power of all curses [be specific, if possible, e.g., witchcraft, hatred, infirmity], spells, charms, hexes, vexes, psychic powers, anything of evil ever put upon me from any source. Lord Jesus, bind together all enemy spirits that may oppress me, and remove them from my life. Deliver me from all evil.
Spoken with sincerity and authority, this prayer will be effective in loosing the grip of any satanic forces present.
If you are praying on behalf of another person, you may also give this direct command to the enemy.
COMMAND OF RESISTANCE
I expose all enemies of Jesus Christ assigned to ________________ ________________________. I remove your right to afflict ____________________, and proclaim your judgment under the hand of God. I weaken you through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. I bind all spirits present together. I command you to go where Jesus Christ tells you to go, by the voice of His Spirit, and by the voice of His servant now speaking.
If, as you lead a person through this process, you discern continued resistance, you may need to press a bit and be forceful in applying your authority. Not more volume. Not more human energy. Just a confident persistence, watching for an observable lightening and brightening of the person’s countenance, and the evidence of the peace of the Holy Spirit settling in. Many variables operate in deliverance: the condition of the heart, the strategic value of a person to the Kingdom, family strongholds that have persisted through generations, the lack of knowledge and faith of the person in charge, to name just a few.
Some spirits let go and leave through the sincerity and sacrifice of prayer and fasting. Often God allows us to learn lessons in the process. Listen and learn what He wants to teach. If this process results in release and resolution, thank God and go on. If you take these steps, there is no evidence of enemy oppression, and you end up with a clear conscience and a fresh filling of the Spirit, that is a good thing! Either way, if any ground has been yielded before conversion, it is wise to cover these bases and close these doors with finality.
