How I Failed at Deliverance!
My husband and I used to frequent a local neighborhood coffee shop many years ago, when I was first beginning my journey in ministry.
Every week, without fail, we would see the same man—emaciated, in his late thirties—who was in the process of transitioning from male to female. He dressed in a knit skirt, oversized blouse, pantyhose, wedged heels, and a red scarf tied neatly around his neck. His lipstick was applied far beyond the natural lip line, paired with false lashes and heavy concealer.
He always ordered the same drink and sat in the same place, tucked away from everyone else on the outdoor patio. I tried not to stare, but it was difficult. What overwhelmed me most was not shock—it was compassion. I could see deep brokenness, and I genuinely believed he needed help. What I did not yet understand was how severe his spiritual condition truly was, nor how layered deception had built a kind of spiritual protection over his lifetime. You’ll understand what this means as you continue reading.
At that season in my life, I was fully immersed in a solid Bible college and was intensely zealous for opportunities to minister—especially in areas that demonstrated God’s love and power through healing and deliverance.
God knew this.
So did the devil.
One afternoon, while he sat about twenty yards away in his usual spot, I felt what I interpreted as a sudden, forceful prompting in my spirit to engage in spiritual warfare and deliverance on his behalf—indirectly, of course. I reasoned that he didn’t need to know what I was doing, nor would he understand it. I believed I was helping behind the scenes, fully convinced the Holy Spirit had chosen me for a special assignment—one that would further equip me in deliverance.
What I did not realize was that the entire situation was a calculated setup from the enemy—one designed to harm me both physically and spiritually.
Three weeks later, I began experiencing horrific, stabbing pains in both of my breasts. It felt as though knitting needles were being thrust straight into my chest. The pain came without warning and was so intense that I was deeply alarmed. A few days later, while Ryan was traveling for work, it escalated to the point that I could not get out of bed, so I decided to drive myself to urgent care.
As I got ready to head out the door, I cried out to God in desperation.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” —James 1:5 (NIV)
That verse has become one of my greatest lifelines in spiritual warfare. Time and time again, it has pulled me out of fear and confusion—exposing the enemy’s strategy and redirecting me back into the safety of Gods’ will when I was moments away from making costly mistakes.
I asked Him to show me what was happening. Almost immediately, the coffee shop incident came to mind. I wasn’t exactly sure why, so I contacted a trusted mentor—someone who had served faithfully in ministry for many years—and laid out every detail.
Within minutes, he gently interrupted me and explained that what I believed had been the Holy Spirit urging me into warfare was not from God at all. The enemy had simply taken advantage of three things:
My lack of training in deliverance
My immaturity regarding spiritual warfare
And my sincere, compassionate, over-zealous heart
Scripture warns us that we are not supposed to be ignorant of Satan’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11)—unless we fail to grow in wisdom and discernment. Even though my heart was in the right place, I had ministered outside of God’s will by stepping into warfare I had not been authorized to enter into. In hindsight, I could see that I was operating far closer to the sons of Sceva than to the sober, spirit-led authority Paul modeled.
After nearly an hour on the phone, my friend led me in repentance—not for wanting to help, but for acting outside of God’s order and timing. He then prayed and commanded a spirit of infirmity to leave my chest.
Later that day, the pain had largely subsided.
Within a few days, it was completely gone.
That experience taught me three vital lessons that have guarded me from many unnecessary attacks ever since.
1. Never engage in deliverance—directly or indirectly—without a person’s knowledge, consent, and cooperation.
Scripture shows that deliverance follows repentance and faith (Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19). Demons gain access through human agreement with sin and deception, and they do not relinquish territory without resistance. Attempting warfare without God’s order exposes the helper unnecessarily.
2. Minister only in the sequence God establishes.
The man at the coffee shop did not first need deliverance—he needed the gospel. He needed to hear about Jesus Christ’s love, forgiveness, and lordship (Romans 10:17). Deliverance follows surrender, not just curiosity. Only when someone genuinely turns to Christ are the enemy’s legal claims fully revoked (Colossians 1:13–14; John 8:36). Authority flows from Christ’s finished work—not from our enthusiasm to minister.
3. Above all, make sure you are truly hearing from the Holy Spirit.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” —1 John 4:1
That command is not limited to false prophets—it includes any spiritual influence that seeks to guide us—to include in ministry. I had been led by emotion rather than discernment, and the enemy used my good intentions to deceive me.
Discernment does not operate by instinct—it is the by-product of intimacy with God…. over time. It grows through humility, obedience, disciplined prayer, and a continually renewed mind that is cultivated in the secret place long before it is exercised in public ministry (Romans 12:2; Hebrews 5:14; Psalm 91).
Because of that experience, I now urge believers to proceed with caution—not fear—when sensing a call to deliverance. Social media has sensationalized the casting out of demons, turning it into spectacle rather than a wise and orderly ministry. We are reminded that even those who attempted deliverance in Jesus’ name without relationship and authority suffered severe consequences—the sons of Sceva in Acts 19 learned that the hard way.
Yes, believers have authority in Christ.
But authority must be exercised in God’s will—not by our own.
God knows our maturity level and will never places us in harm’s way to “train” us—just as a loving parent would never throw their child into the Atlantic Ocean to teach them how to swim (Isaiah 42:3; Psalm 103:13–14). And when we do make rookie mistakes—running into waters deeper than we were prepared for—our Father is merciful. He throws life preservers. He rescues and teaches.
Think of Peter walking on water.
Maturity is learning to follow God’s perfect will rather than acting from human impulse—even well-meaning impulse—so that we continue to grow upward rather than repeat painful lessons (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Finally, we never fear the enemy.
Scripture is clear:
“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” —1 John 4:4
That includes the local coffee shop.
That includes any battlefield.
We simply trust God’s sovereignty as we continue growing in our gifts and callings.
This is what Mountain Movers is about—helping women become anchored in scripture, sharp in discernment, and strong enough to help others without burning themselves in the process.
If this sounds like you, your next step is joining us live weekly on Zoom for teaching just like this.
We’ve helped women like you step into lasting freedom without the false hype and shortcuts—but grounded in scripture and surrounded by a community that truly has their back.