How Demons Almost Took Me Out by Jennifer Maggio

I am a church girl. I’ve been planted in the same church for 21 years and spent most of my life in a church somewhere, since birth. I can’t remember the first time I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but frankly, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t understand it. I learned the memory verses, read the Word of God, praised, prayed, went to the Vacation Bible Schools, and attended the church revivals from an itty-bitty baby. I knew God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I understood the fruits produced through the Spirit, the sacrifice made by Jesus, and the love of the Father. I knew the do’s and don’ts. But... it is in this season of ministry that the Lord has taught me more, and I cannot unsee what I have seen. 

I’ve been serving in ministry for more than two decades and many women have come to events I’ve hosted or Bible studies I’ve taught. Many women have read the books I wrote or listened to the podcasts I hosted. Hundreds, if not thousands, of women have accepted the Lord. More than 1,000,000 single mothers have been touched by our ministry in the last decade. God has done much, and to Him alone be the glory. I am humbled and thankful. However, as I prepared for a new decade of ministry, the Lord began teaching me new things and downloaded one central thought into my spirit, over and over again: 

I’m not sure I fully understood the scope of that one statement, when I received it from the Holy Spirit, a couple of years ago. But I surely do now!

I was saved at 9 years old. I KNOW that I had an encounter with Jesus, repented of my sin, and surrendered my life to Him. Although, I went through some years of nonsense in my teens and early twenties and ran far from the Lord for a season, His overwhelming love continued to chase me, like the Good Shepherd that He is. He has drawn me back unto Himself, time and again.  And I am His.  As a Believer, I have spent years doing all the things I have been taught to do, e.g. read my Word, attend church regularly, fast, pray, praise, join a Bible study group, kill my flesh, and resist the enemy, so that he would flee. And yet, I spent years bound by demonic influence in my life – influence of which I had never been taught I could even have! I realized, the more that I learned about demons and spiritual warfare and strongholds and the schemes of the enemy through God's Word, that what I had been taught was “normal” wasn’t normal at all. I saw that many in my family, church, and ministry were likewise bound, and I wasn’t working in sync with the Holy Spirit to get them free. 

What I’ve since learned is that Christians can, indeed, be influenced by demons (demonized) and that many, many, Believers of Jesus Christ are being regularly tormented by demons (evil spirits, strongholds, and the like), but few are teaching on it, or more importantly, getting people free from it. As I began to understand this truth, everything in my life changed. Demons were absolutely trying to take me out - to quit my family, to quit ministry, to quit friendships, and to quit life.

They tried to steal my peace through tormenting anxiety.

They tried to steal my joy through depression.

They tried to steal my rest through years of sleep aids and sleepless nights.

They tortured me with worry and consuming fear and control.

They attempted to steal my marriage, my children, my friends, and my ministry.

They created confusion, chaos, dissension, and discord, without me even realizing I was fighting a battle in the unseen realm.

But… they ran into the wrong one!

When I realized the authority Christ paid for me to have… (Matt. 10:8, 28:18-19, Jn 14;12)

When I realized the warfare I was under… (Eph. 6:12-20)

When I realized the freedom I was granted by the Father…(Gal. 5:1, 2 Corin. 3:17, Jn. 8:36)

When I got the revelation that I was wrestling “rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms...” (Col. 1:16-20)

...everything changed! 

First, I realized that I did not have to be under the influence of fear. I did not need to fear mere mortal man – not his opinion, not his criticism, not his actions. I did not need to fear my children’s future. I did not need to fear financial ruin, lack of provision, or anything else that was tormenting me. I learned I did not need melatonin or other sleeps aids to sleep. I learned I did not need to control my children or my husband. I learned that ego or arrogance or insecurity (or any of the other demonic influences that I was delivered from) did not have to influence me. This narrative that Christians can’t have demons (and cannot be tormented by a spirit of fear, depression, anxiety, lust, suicide, control, pride, infirmity, or any other evil spirit) is a lie from the pit of Hell that was sent to keep you deceived AND BOUND. In fact, many who argue that Christians can’t have demons are often secretly tormented by one. 

Listen to me closely. After decades of ministry, the Lord has now taught me what I cannot un-know.  Will I stop preaching the Gospel, holiness, and spiritual disciplines? Absolutely not. Will I start preaching with clarity demonic strongholds and freedom? You betcha! There has long been a missing piece of ministry that was demonstrated in the Gospels and the Acts church that we – the church – forgot. And yet, I have seen with my own eyes what deliverance ministry does to set the captives free.  I will no longer allow those in my family, ministry, or circle to continue to be bound, when they desire freedom,  and I know the answer is the freedom through deliverance bought by the blood. The ministry of Jesus included salvation, healing, and deliverance, as we see in Luke 4:18-19. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, as we see in Romans 8:11. We trample the head of Satan. We have the authority to make all demons go, and they should tremble in our presence. No longer will I sit by while the Sons and Daughters remain bound and tormented. Satan must bow to the name of Jesus and every demon on assignment must flee from the people of God. Too many often sit silently bound, secretly ashamed, and warring, often ill-equipped for the task at hand, because we were never taught effective warfare strategies. We knew, according to Scripture, we weren't supposed to fear or be anxious or control or manipulate or lust...yet, we didn't understand what to do about it, when we were battling those things unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, we saw daughters lost to suicide, fathers tormented by porn, mothers bound by anxiety or fear for our children. No more! The church has been weak, beat-up, and ignorant for too long. It is time for the Sons and Daughters to take our rightful place. No depression, anxiety, lust, fear, manipulation, pride, addiction, or control can stand against the name of Jesus.

Some of you sit now, and as you read, you know you are being tortured. You love Jesus and desire to serve Him. You surrendered your life to Him at Salvation. You resisted the enemy and denied your flesh, as best you knew how. You checked all your spiritual discipline boxes faithfully and yet, something continues to steal your freedom and you haven’t been able to figure it out. Deliverance ministry is for you! 

There will be some who say I'm deceived, confused, a false prophet, or teaching bad theology. It doesn't matter. The Lord broke a fear of man off me a long time ago. I am right with my Father and His deep desire for you is to walk into complete and total freedom - the wide open spacious abundant life - that His son, Jesus, paid for you to have. Total freedom is for the Believer. 

For more information on my personal testimony, Scriptural reference on deliverance, and details on how you can experience complete freedom through Christ,  download my free podcast, videos, and e-book below.