Deliverance: God’s Acts of Protection

The word deliverance is a biblical word that is misused in the church today. Deliverance “ministries” shift the blame for a believer’s sin onto demons that must be exorcized by the “minister.” They tell us that demons can possess genuine born-again believers and torment them to the point where they need to be “delivered” from their demons. Further, they say that demons can re-enter the delivered victim repeatedly, which requires “maintenance,” meaning repeated exorcisms. This all is rank heresy and has nothing to do with biblical teaching. It has caused untold harm to individuals and to the name of Christ. This is unfortunate because the verb “deliver” (including its inflected and derived forms) is found throughout the Bible.

“Deliver” in Hebrew & Greek

In the Old Testament, several Hebrew words can be translated “deliver.” Three prominent examples are nāṣal, pālaṭ, and yāšaʿ. These words have overlapping meanings and can refer to rescue, deliverance, escape, or salvation, although each has its own range of meaning and usage. Nāṣal often refers to being rescued from danger or oppression (Exodus 3:8), while pālaṭ frequently carries the idea of escape or being brought to safety (Psalm 91:14). Yāšaʿ has the broader sense of saving or delivering and can refer to both physical deliverance and salvation (Judges 7:7). Likewise, the New Testament uses several Greek words that can be translated “deliver,” referring to deliverance in both physical and spiritual senses.

God is Our Deliverer

It is comforting to know that the Lord gives His people all kinds of deliverances from all kinds of troubles. In fact, Psalm 68:20 uses the plural,

God is to us a God of deliverances.

We pray often for God to put a hedge of protection around people. This figure of speech comes from the Book of Job. In Job chapter 1, God points out to Satan that Job is blameless and an upright man (Job 1:8). In essence, Satan replies to God by saying that Job acts this way because He put a hedge of protection around him. A hedge is like wall of intertwined thorn bushes which in ancient days were used to keep animals away from crops. Even though this statement originates with Satan, there is a kernel of truth in it. God’s protection is like a hedge of thorn bushes circled around His people. God cares for us just like a mother bird guards her chicks from harm (Psalm 91:4). God is like a hiding place where He will secure us and keep us from trouble (Psalm 32:7). He is like a shield that surrounds us from every fiery dart of the enemy (Psalm 5:12). He is like a fortress where we can run and find refuge (2 Samuel 22:3-4). The Bible uses all kinds of metaphors to describe the great care that God gives to His children, delivering them from every kind of trouble. David was keen on the Lord’s ever present help, he said in Psalm 41:1-2,

1 The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive.

Also further into the Psalms he said in Psalm 144:1-2,

Blessed be the Lord my rock, my loving kindness, my fortress, my stronghold, and my deliverer.

We gain great confidence in the Lord by reading over and over in Scripture of His miraculous deliverances of His people, and we gain strength to face any challenge that comes our way, knowing that God will get us through.