Spiritual Warfare: Christians, Demonization and Deliverance [Paperback]

I was given this very helpful Biblically based book after a confusing experience I had with a friend who I knew to be a true believer in Christ. I had always been told that believers can only be oppressed by evil, but never possessed. Yet this friend was experiencing something beyond oppression. She was being tormented by evil that would not permit her to read her Bible, nor even hear other believers when we would pray with her. She was crying out for help as she was slowly being destroyed, but I didn't know how to help her. Some would say she was crazy and needed mental health care, but I knew this friend very well and that was not the case. Others would say she must not be a true believer, but again I knew from years of close friendship as prayer partners that also was not true.
Karl Payne explains very clearly exactly what this friend was experiencing, a level of demonic attack that he calls "demonization". He explains that demonization is different than oppression and possession. From his many encounters with true believers that have suffered from demonization, Dr. Payne exposes the tactics that demons use to try to destroy Christians. He goes beyond describing to explaining step by step how we can help those who are experiencing this kind of attack. His approach is Biblical and supported every step of the way by scripture. I believe that every Christian needs to be wise regarding the schemes of our enemy, and I am encouraging every believer I know to read this book. Thank you Karl Payne for your willingness to speak out on this often unpopular and usually misunderstood topic with sound Biblical wisdom.

I will start with Ergun Caner's comments about this book because they echo my sentiments: "Books on spiritual warfare usually make me cringe. On one side, some authors write inciendiary works that see a devil behind every bush and every sneeze. Inversely, other theological works often ignore the denomic realm completely as if Satan is simply a metaphor, and not real. This work by Karl Payne is a Godsend. Finally we have a balanced and theologically sound examination of demonic oppression and possession..."
What I personally have found invaluable are:
1. He talks about the three areas that Christians need to battle- the flesh, the world and the devil. Therefore, this book is not just about demons, though a large part is devoted to that area.
2. The section that is about demons is very specific and practical. He walks every Christian through how to overcome demons through Christ's authority by laying it out step by step. I also appreciated his sharing of some of his experiences, including his first encounters where things did not go well because everyone involved was unaware of the specific steps he talks about.

I found after reading this book I went from pleading ignorance in spiritual warfare as my way of [falsely] "protecting" myself to understanding the simple steps under Christ's authority of how we can overcome.[and continue to study]

Also, an important thing to note- "His book has recently been selected as one of just two books that Wycliffe Bible Translators will utilize in the training of all their missionaries." [...]

I really feel this book is a must read for Christians. Thank you, Karl, for sharing your wisdom and experiences for us all to learn from.

If you are looking for a book to challenge your thought process and give you insite about Spiritual Warfare this is it! Regardless of your theological background, this book offers practical yet Biblical explanations that are in a clear and simple way to understand. Karl Payne is brilliant and passionate about Spiritual Warfare and it shows! :)