Demise Of The Devil - Part II

For years now, the church has been sidetracked with this idea of "Generational Curses." We've watched as throngs of Christians swarm to the altars in order to stop the evil consequences that their forefather's decisions have made upon their lives. And… for many years as a pastor, I taught about Generational Curses -- and had seemingly great results. So let's make it clear from the outset, that this article means no personal disrespect to those sincere people who teach and promote this "ministry." It's just that now… we know a better way (Acts 18:26).

Let's briefly review the teaching of Generational Curses -- it generally goes something like this: "the sins of the fathers pass to the third and fourth generation" (Ex. 34:6-7, Deut. 5:9, Dan. 9:8). This teaching tells how a believer (or whole family) can inherit the attributes or consequences for the sins that their predecessors committed generations ago. Sometimes (they say), after the 3rd and 4th generation – the CURSE would be broken... but that part doesn't seem to happen very much anymore.

Anyway, these GENERATIONAL CURSES are said to come from many place, such as follows:

#1. SINS OF ANCESTORS-
Supposedly, ancient ancestral CURSES have passed down through families and still continue to this day. They say that Satan has the "legal right" to assault our body or finances because of what our forefathers may have done. They say that these "curses" are why so many Christians have mental illness, cancer, diabetes, cancer, seizures, obesity, and other incurable diseases that cause them to be dying before their time.

#2. WITCHCRAFT/OCCULT CURSES-
Sadly, many Christians believe that they can be cursed by those who claim to have occult powers. They believe that the words of "witches" have the power to disrupt our lives and affect our surroundings.

#3. CURSES from SPOKEN WORDS-
These can be curses spoken by others or by yourself. Your parents can speak the most severe curses, I.E. when they say, "He'll never change..." or "She'll turn out just like her mother," etc.

#4. CURSES FROM UNGODLY OATHS AND DEDICATIONS/UNGODLY BELIEFS-
There could be numerous forms of these "destructive" oaths and dedications that are spoken by others over you... or by yourself. These curses could have been made before you were born.

#5. PERSONAL SINS-
Personal perverse sin is committed because our forefathers also committed those same sins. Perhaps they worshipped other Gods…etc.

#6. CURSES PASSED BY IMPROPER TIES (YOKES)-
Another BIG teaching is on the "sin in the camp." That's all about being YOKED to someone... and inheriting their problems too. This could be the wrong group, club, or activity. Or…. CURSES can come when you get married and you become a "LEGAL target" of all those wretched spirits of your spouse that come down their bloodline... to you and your children!!!!! Ungodly alliances are referred to as "soul ties."

As far as I can tell, according to this teaching, most Christians are cursed! Apparently, those "legal rights" of the devil are why our bodies and our churches are being attacked. And deliverance from these CURSES occurs only when those "legal rights are broken" through effective "prophetic insight," anointed ministry, and prayer. Even though we have not committed any wrong-doing, they say that we can only negate CURSES by public confession and renouncement (speaking utterances) TO THE DEVIL – such as:

"Devil, I cancel all demonic influence that may have been passed on to me from my ancestors. ... I renounce all satanic assignments that have directed toward my family, and me. And I cancel every curse that you or your demon workers have put on me. ... I reject all other possibilities whereby you may claim ownership of me."

Now, these "prayers" to satan are intended to be said by Christians who already have been "delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son." But, that's not all – be very careful – don't get too confident, cuz' another curse may be lurking just around the next corner!

THE REPLY:
Well, some of you already have the answer – before we even get there!!

The pagans always tried to pacify capricious "gods" who enjoyed pouring out havoc on humankind for no good reason. For centuries, these superstitious people conjured up religious formulas and chanted specific incantations believing that their "magical" words or a particular sacrifice would appease the "unpredictable gods" and forestall misfortune.

THE TRUTH -- WE ARE BLESSED, NOT CURSED:
In the midst of this superstition, the Lord God determined to reveal Himself to Abraham: "And I will make you a great nation, And I will BLESS you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will CURSE. And in you ALL THE FAMILIES of the earth shall be BLESSED" (Genesis 12:2,3). Here we see that BLESSING was God's sovereign choice toward ALL believers that desired relationship.

Scriptures say that those who put their hope and trust in God are BLESSED (Jeremiah 17:5). Conversely, those who put their trust in man are CURSED (Jeremiah 17:7). IF we believe, then we are blessed. Do you see? Our battle isn't with the devil… our command is to love God and follow Him with all our heart, soul, and might… Our deliverance comes by comprehending that we are ALREADY BLESSED; regardless of our circumstances -- whether we "happen" to be rich or poor, healthy or disabled, whether our forefathers were successful, or we come from a long line of disreputable, good for nothing thieves. God's not partial. He BLESSES those who believe upon Jesus Christ – (the One who became a CURSE for us) – that we might become the beneficiary (heir) of the blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:13,14).

"Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are BLESSED of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'…" (Matthew 25:34,41). That's our charge… to obtain our blessed inheritance.

NEW COVENANT:
Jeremiah foretold of our day (31:28-32) "…So I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. "In those days people will no longer say, `The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' Instead, everyone will die for HIS OWN sin; whoever eats sour grapes--his own teeth will be set on edge. "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will NOT BE LIKE the covenant I made with their forefathers…" NIV.

Ezekiel also knew of the coming new covenant concerning individual accountability, (Ezekiel 18:1-4,19, 20), "The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "`The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel (you surely aren't going to use this proverb anymore). 4For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son-both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one that will die. …19"Yet you ask, `Why does the son NOT share the guilt of his father?'

Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, HE WILL SURELY LIVE. The soul who sins is the one who will die. THE SON WILL NOT SHARE THE GUILT OF THE FATHER, NOR WILL THE FATHER SHARE THE GUILT OF THE SON. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN WILL BE CREDITED TO HIM, AND THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WICKED WILL BE CHARGED AGAINST HIM…" NIV.

JESUS DID IT!
When Jesus died a transition happened from the Old Testament way. He alone provided liberation from the curse of death… Jesus finished His work. The Scripture is unmistakable on this topic. ... Christ's work was and is sufficient. There is nothing left for Him to do. His salvation is complete. He gave us His LIFE. When we become "born again," we are totally severed from that TIE with the devil. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13, 4:5) and the influence of sin (Rom. 6:18-23). The curtain of our personal tabernacle was rent.

Yet somehow, according to this teaching, we have come under a CURSE for which we are not personally responsible -- we've inherited a CURSE through someone else. And that, my friend, is not the "GOOD NEWS!" This misconception -- that our problems, discouragement, disease, poverty, or natural disasters could be caused by curses from our forefathers generations ago -- limits the very work that Jesus came to earth to accomplish. To assume that some BELIEVERS who happen to be sick or hungry are under a CURSE – while other believers (who are healthy and full) are not CURSED – is wrong. Not only is this unkind and judgmental -- it's a misuse of scripture.

The fact is, most of us learned inappropriate responses from our environment and family members. For example, my dad was an alcoholic; therefore when growing up, I learned some really bad problem solving techniques. That was a learned response -- a pattern/habit that needed to be relearned. And, I had to be "renewed in the spirit of my mind" -- repeatedly -- in order to learn the truth about who God is in me, and who He says I am. We need correct teaching to inject TRUTH into our understanding.

Those who fully trust the Gospel of Salvation know that we are not Old Covenant people. Jesus (our deliverer, mediator, savior) proclaimed a new covenant – a replacement for the "schoolmaster." Hebrews makes it plain (8:13), "By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear" NIV.

Jesus gave us the guarantee of our inheritance NOW (Rom. 11:26, 27, Eph. 1:12-14). We are MADE ALIVE in Him (1 Cor. 15:22). The iniquities of previous generations can have no LEGAL jurisdiction in the lives of the NEW CREATION. We are not affected by our old nature any longer; neither do we partake of the sins of our past -- nor the sins of others.

THE DEVIL CAN'T DO IT:
Our freedom doesn't come through repeating specific phrases to the devil about our rights. Scriptures everywhere teach that it's NOT the devil who holds our destiny in his hands. God is absolutely in control. James 4:7 tells us, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. DRAW NEAR TO GOD..." James didn't say anything about repeating expressions, or formulas that could supposedly take away satan's "legal rights."

John gives us great assurance when he says: "He who has been born of God keeps Himself and the wicked one DOES NOT TOUCH (harm) HIM" (1 John 5:18). This word for touch in Greek is "hapto" and means to fasten onto or to lay hold. Essentially, John says that if we're born of God, the devil can't affect our lives anymore. (See also Gal. 3:23-28.)

And what could ever separate us from the love of Christ? Not trouble or hardship, not persecution or famine, not nakedness or danger. (NOTHING. Not our past mistakes. Not words or curses that others have said.) Not death nor life, not angels nor demons, not the present nor the future, nor any powers…not anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38).

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31 NIV). (Who can be against us? The answer is NO ONE -- NOTHING!) The devil is eternally defeated, and we are delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom of light. Christ's work is totally FINISHED in us! We now sit in heavenly places (Eph. 2:5-6).

WHAT WE KNOW:
If after becoming a Christian, we continue to act with ungodly behavior similar to that of previous generations, then we just don't understand the reality of the fullness of our salvation. Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" ("soteria," to be delivered from the bondage of sin, to be whole, rescued, salvaged, be in health). NIV Col 1:12-14, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" NIV.

There must be a transition for all of us … a full transformation into the REDEMPTIVE TRUTH that CHRIST lives IN US and we live IN HIM. We need our understanding baptized with TRUTH. We need to apprehend what the cross has already provided.

If we believe that our failures and disappointments are due to our past failures -- or those of our ancestors, then we forfeit the need for our own accountability. Galatians 2:19-21 says, "I HAVE BEEN crucified (past tense) with Christ and I NO LONGER LIVE, but Christ lives in me. (The sins of my old life – and my fallen nature no longer exist for me.) The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" NIV. (Rom 5:1-5, Rom. 8:1-8).

For those who live In Christ Jesus, THERE ARE NO GENERATIONAL CURSES.

Ironically, Paul CURSED those who presented a false gospel – these are the ones that required Christians to keep Old Testament laws and concepts: "As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:9, 4:21). The stronghold that really needs to be pulled down is the one of lack of knowledge!

CONCLUSION:
Perhaps we need to change our "terminology" – because we're not under a "CURSE!" However, as believers, we do need to repent. We need to become transformed by the renewing of our minds… and become whole. We all do have "environmental tendencies" that need to be recognized and changed. All inclinations, predispositions, propensities toward wrong behavior need to be modified and adjusted; we all have wrong habits that need to be addressed. But those are not CURSES. They are pivotal CHARACTER issues that we need to deal with.

2 Cor 5:18-21, All this is from God, who RECONCILED us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, NOT COUNTING MEN'S SIN'S against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

**Gal 4:8-10, "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God -- or rather are known by God -- HOW IS IT THAT YOU ARE TURNING BACK TO THOSE WEAK AND MISERABLE PRINCIPLES? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? NIV

**Titus 2:13-15 also makes it very clear "…. Jesus Christ … gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. THESE THEN ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD TEACH. ENCOURAGE AND REBUKE with all authority." NIV

Out of our own ashes, we emerge as the mature company of believers. We've freed ourselves from wrong behavior by incorporating the truth that Christ has redeemed us from every curse. We've taken our own accountability for wrong-doing. We've changed our responses. Now, with undeserved vindication, we glimpse into the nowness of the eternal resurrection life and we manifest the Image of the overcoming Son.

Dr. Kluane Spake