DO NOT GIVE THE DEVIL A PLATFORM

She came into the meeting I was leading and took a seat in the center of the front row directly in front of me. She was dressed very scantily in a pair of tight shorts. I immediately knew in my spirit that she had come there to divide the worship, i.e., to take the eyes of the people off God and onto her. I determined then and there that it was not going to happen.

The Drama Unfolds

I had met her once before in passing but knew her reputation as one who had been to various churches and ministries seeking deliverance. One person told me that he and his pastor had prayed with her until 2 am one morning, seeking to cast out the demons, but with no success.

The audience this night, in the community center of a Canadian town, consisted of people from various denominations who shared a hunger and passion to better know the Lord and experience His power. They, therefore, enthusiastically entered into worship with hands raised and faces turned expectantly toward heaven.

In the midst of the worship this young woman began to shake and convulse in her seat. Sure enough, everyone stopped worshipping and began looking at her. I stepped in front of her, laid my and on her head, and shouted, “Stop that!”

I don’t doubt that there were demons, but I felt that I was shouting at her for she was giving place to the demons. When I shouted at her to stop, she immediately stopped, and we continued in a very precious time of worship.

However, a few minutes later, she began violently shaking again as she slid down her seat and then rolled off her seat onto the floor where she lay still as though in a trance. Again, everyone stopped worshipping and were looking at this young woman, whose name was June.

I encouraged the people to continue worshipping and then knelt in the floor next to her. I cupped my hand next to her ear and whispered, “June, if you don’t stop this, I am going to have to ask you to leave.” She immediately came out of the trance, grabbed her purse off the chair, and stormed out the door.

I directed the people’s attention back to Jesus. We continued worshipping and many lives were touched and refreshed by the presence and power of God.

In my evaluation of the situation, I don’t doubt that June was demonized. However, she was tolerating the demons because she liked the attention it brought her. Demons love attention and they will find ego-centric people who also love attention, for such people will tolerate the demonic manifestations in return for the attention it brings.

A Well-Known Pastor Learns this Lesson

Judson Cornwall was a well-known Christian leader in the Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s-80s who authored numerous books on prayer, worship, and spiritual warfare. In a particular church he pastored in Oregon, he had a religious routine that he would go through at the beginning of each service. He would begin by taking authority over the devil, binding all the demons, naming them, silencing them, and telling them they had no place in that meeting. He religiously repeated this prayer at the beginning of each meeting.

One morning, during his devotional time with God, he heard the Holy Spirit say, “Demons are coming from all over this region to be in your services.” He was shocked and asked, “Why Lord?” The Holy Spirit replied, “Because you give them recognition.” He suddenly realized that he was giving the devil a platform and immediately stopped that routine.

T.L. Osborn Would Give No Platform to the Devil

I had the privilege of working with the elder statesman of modern, miracle evangelism, the late Dr. T. L. Osborn. T. L was a firm believer in the absolute victory of Jesus over Satan and demonic forces, and he would not give any platform for the devil in his meetings.

He told, for example, about a miracle crusade his ministry sponsored in Africa. Among the many thousands that had gathered in the open air were hundreds of witch doctors who had come there with their fetishes to cast curses and spells on the foreign preacher.

Knowing this, the supporting pastors wanted to lay hands on him and pray before going on the platform, that he would be protected from the spells, curses, and witchcraft. T. L. emphatically refused their prayer. He said, “I would not insult my Lord in that way.”

T. L. focused the people’s attention on the good news of Jesus and His absolute victory over all the powers of hell. Many came to Christ that day and many were miraculously set free from all kinds of illnesses and bondages. And some Christian pastors realized that they did not have to fear the devil and thereby give him a platform.

Ephesians 4:27 says, Give no place to the devil (NKJV). The word “place” in this passage is from the Greek word topon and can refer to any kind of place, seat, or platform. It is variously translated as “place” (KJV), “foothold” (NIV), and “room” (NRSV). T.L. was adamant about not giving the devil any kind of place or platform in his personal life or in his meetings.

My Summary Statement

There is a new emphasis in the body of Christ on demons, deliverance, and spiritual warfare. This is good for the church must be continually reminded that our battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).

At the same time, we must know and proclaim the truth of Satan’s absolute defeat through the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. If we run across a demon or principality, cast it out and move on. Do not become preoccupied with the devil and do not allow someone to take over a meeting who has allowed themselves to become a pawn of Satan.  Do not give the devil a platform!

We must run our race with our eyes fixed on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). And we must keep before us Matthew 28:19 where Jesus emerged from the tomb a mighty conqueror over death, hell, and the grave. He then said to His disciples,

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . ..

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is a revivalist, Bible teacher, and church historian. He is the author of over 20 books, which are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.