Breaking the Curse Chains: How to Annihilate the Deception of Curses

Why is it then that sometimes curses do actually seem to have power in the life of the believer?

On the pages of Scripture, we read “blessed” but it can seem that the story of our life reads “cursed.” And what about those stories we hear of Christians being cursed and then set free from curses? Actually, what should you do if you yourself have experienced what seemed to be a curse? What of believers being attacked in their sleep, in their minds, in their bodies? Here, we will uncover one of the greatest strategies of the enemy—the exaggeration and validation of his power through deception. The effects of the curse are rooted in deception.

A Biblical Warning

Satan can do nothing to the submitted believer. However, if a believer lives in compromise, they become susceptible to the attacks of the enemy. It should be noted that being attacked by the enemy isn’t the same as being cursed. The Bible warns us of satanic attack:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV).

We mustn’t be so demon-obsessed that we become afraid, but we also mustn’t be so apathetic toward spiritual warfare that we become vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Balance is key. The Scripture tells us plainly that we must be alert, not paranoid, in regard to the enemy of our faith. The fact remains that the enemy can successfully attack compromising Christians.

So what exactly does an attack of the enemy look like?

Deception

The devil’s attacks are always rooted in deception. When you believe a lie, that lie affects the way you think and feel and live. This is why we are told to put on the armor of God.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:10-17, NLT).

We are commanded to “put on all of God’s armor.” This implies that at least some of the responsibility for preparedness rests upon us. God will provide the armor. You must choose to wear and use it.

The belt of truth is truth in general—the truth about God, the truth about your identity in Him, and so forth. We must fasten truth to ourselves. The body armor of righteousness is the righteousness imputed to us when we believed on the Lord Jesus. We cannot do anything to earn this righteousness, but we can make the decision to live according to the reality of that righteousness and, therefore, experience the benefits thereof.

Paul would be referring to Roman or Israeli armor. So the breastplate, which protected vital organs against enemy attack, would need to be properly fastened by the belt. Thus, we gather that the breastplate of righteousness must be held in place by the belt of truth. Truth holds righteousness to you. You can’t live righteously if you don’t live in truth.

The shoes of peace represent the truth of the gospel, by which we step and take enemy territory. The shield of faith is your belief in what God has said, and the fiery darts are the lies of the enemy. You protect yourself from the lies of the enemy by raising your shield, by raising your belief in what God has said. The helmet of salvation is the confidence we have in the truth of our salvation (see 1 Thessalonians 5:8). The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, the offensive weapon we use to strike down the lies of the enemy at their source.

The theme here is “truth.” It is by truth that we are able to “stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Notice here that Paul does not write “some of the devil’s strategies” or “most of the devil’s strategies.” By putting on the full armor of God we become effectively equipped to stand against all strategies of the enemy. Even with the wording of other Bible translations taken into consideration, there is here expressed an idea of completeness and sufficiency. You will not be vulnerable to anything the devil can do if you simply put on the armor of God. So if the armor of God has everything to do with truth and the armor is effective against anything the devil can do, then we must conclude that the strategies of the devil, his attacks against the believer, are primarily based on deception. The only way the devil can defeat you is if he can deceive you.

When you’re tempted, you’re tempted based on a lie. “This sin will satisfy you. There won’t be any major consequences for this sin. God accepts that you mess up from time to time.”

When you’re confused, you’re confused because of a lie you’ve yet to uncover. This leaves you wondering, “What is true? What can I believe?”

When you’re attacked with depression, the depression can affect the way you feel because of deep-rooted lies like, “God doesn’t love you. You’re not worth anything to anyone. Nothing good will ever happen to you.”

When you’re attacked with fear, the fear comes from lies such as, “God won’t protect you. God can’t turn this around for the good. Your future is one of destruction.”

Even torment is based on lies: “A demon entered me, and I can’t get it out. Someone placed a curse on me. God has rejected me.”

All spiritual weapons used against us are based on deception. Jesus told us that the truth would set us free. So if you’re still bound, then there’s a truth you’ve yet to embrace.

So how does this deception of the enemy apply to curses? The lies of the enemy become deception when we believe them, even if only in a subtle way. Deception affects the way you think and feel. The way you think and feel affects the way you perceive and act. The way you perceive and act becomes habitual. Your habits lead to consequences. All spiritual defeat is rooted in spiritual deception. The curse gets its power from your compromise.

Obedient Thoughts

One might say, “I’m not compromising! I’m living clean.” Typically, when one thinks of compromise, he imagines only sins like sexual sin, violence, theft, gossip, drunkenness, and so forth. Certainly, those are forms of compromise. However, sinful actions aren’t the only form of compromise. Submission to God goes beyond our actions; it needs to also affect our thoughts. We can be disobedient to God in what we allow ourselves to believe.

When you constantly listen to and believe teachings that help to exaggerate the enemy’s power, you become unsubmitted to God in the area of your thoughts and beliefs.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7 NIV).

No special rituals. No scripted prayers of renouncing. No research into the family bloodline. Just simple submission to God. You submit to God by obeying His Word. You submit to God by giving up sinful desires. You submit to God by living in and believing the truth.

Where is the compromise? The compromise is found in your beliefs that contradict God’s Word. God calls you blessed, so then why compromise by believing you are cursed? God says you are accepted, so then why believe you’re rejected? God says you’re personally responsible for your own decisions, so then why allow yourself to embrace the idea that someone else’s decision or “agreement” is keeping you bound? The belief itself in the curse’s power over you is the compromise, and most believers will never address that deception because the enemy has mixed his lies in with truth.

When we live with un-submitted thoughts, we live with unbiblical beliefs. Those unbiblical beliefs develop within us mindsets that have far too much faith in the devil’s power. The curse works because of deception. Simply put, the curse works because you believe it does.