Over the years I have noted the marks of a healthy deliverance ministry within the church – and some of the characteristics that lead to disaster. Below are five habits of a highly dysfunctional deliverance ministry:

1. Believe that only the gifted can minister deliverance. What you don’t want in your church is an elitist hit squad of God’s Special Forces going around seeking whom they may deliver. Having said that, you do want well-trained mature believers who can be called together at required times to minister in the love and power of Jesus Christ. I have found that some of the best-trained people were once those who needed deliverance the most – high-maintenance individuals who are now healthy, functioning believers who are being used by God to help others.

Some would suggest that deliverance ministry merely caters to weak-minded Christians looking for a quick fix. Hospital emergency rooms and ICUs are filled with people who need a “quick fix.” Some arrived there through their own fault and others by accident. In either case, they probably need to have some long-term rehabilitation once they are past the critical stage.

In the same way, deliverance offers a needed operation that must be followed up with long-term lifestyle changes.