Background
I have seen something happen again and again in the Christian faith, and it is one of the reasons many believers struggle for years with the same problem. Someone can be spiritually oppressed and they can be prayed for, delivered and set free. The power of God is real, and yes, deliverance is real. God still uses His servants to set people free.
However, what many do not realise is that if the person who received the deliverance does not grow in the Word of God, that same oppression can return, sometimes worse than before. This is not because God failed. It is because spiritual life requires growth, strength and maturity.
Let me explain with a story.
A True Story of Deliverance and Return of Bondage
There was a young woman who struggled with promiscuity for many years. She genuinely wanted to stop, but each time she tried, it felt like something was pulling her back. She later joined a church deliverance programme, filled with fasting and prayer. She was prayed for and she was delivered. Her mind became clear, her desires changed, her joy returned and her life transformed. Everyone could see the difference.
However, after a few months, she slowly went back to her old ways. Not all at once, but bit by bit. A message here, a conversation there, a small compromise, then before long she was completely back in the bondage she had been delivered from.
Why did this happen?
It is simple. She did not build capacity. She did not grow spiritually. She did not root herself in the Word of God.
Deliverance removed the oppression, but growth was needed to maintain the victory.
Why Deliverance Without the Word Does Not Last
Deliverance can come from someone else praying for you. God can use a pastor, prophet or any Spirit-filled believer to set you free. That is good. But that deliverance requires maintenance through growth in the Word of God.
The Word of God is your foundation. It teaches you:
- How to pray
- How to fast
- How to resist temptation
- How to build faith
- How to live a righteous life
- How to stand firm when the enemy returns
Without the Word, a believer is like a house with no foundation. It may look fine outside but it has no strength to withstand pressure.
The Bible says:
“My people perish for lack of knowledge.” — Hosea 4:6
This means ignorance is dangerous. If you lack the knowledge of the Word, your spiritual life will always be shaky.
Why the Oppression Returns
Jesus explained this clearly:
“When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it goes around seeking rest, and not finding any, it returns to the person it came from. If it finds the person empty, it brings seven more spirits worse than itself, and they all enter and live there.”
— Matthew 12:43-45
The key word in that verse is empty.
If after deliverance you are not filled up with the Word of God, prayer, worship and obedience, the enemy sees that emptiness and returns.
This is why some people get worse after a deliverance service. Not because deliverance did not work, but because spiritual growth did not follow.
True Deliverance Is Growth
Growing in the Word may take more time, but it is the deliverance that stays.
Think of it like physical growth. When you grow taller, some clothes no longer fit you. When you grow stronger, weights that used to feel heavy become easy to lift. The same is true spiritually. When you grow in the Word, certain temptations and habits simply cannot hold you anymore. They no longer fit your new spiritual stature.
The more you grow, the more the enemy loses access to your life.
Final Thoughts
If you have ever received deliverance, understand that was not the end, it was the beginning. You now need to build capacity. Fill yourself with the Word of God. Study it daily, meditate on it, let it shape your thinking and your lifestyle.
Deliverance comes by power, but staying free comes by knowledge.
Do not remain spiritually empty. Grow. Eat the Word. Live the Word. Let the Word transform your mind, your desires and your lifestyle.
That is the deliverance that lasts.