What I am learning is that demons are not primarily responsible for problems. They piggyback on existing spiritual and emotional problems that are already there. Many demonized believers brought the demons in with them when they got converted. Other ways of introducing demons is backsliding, getting involved in occult or new age activities and bringing idols into the home.
Demons are like a rat infested house where they feed on the garbage that is there. Get rid of the rats without cleaning out the garbage and the rats will just come back again. That is why a lot of "altar call" deliverances don't last.
The garbage is those spiritual and emotional issues in a believer's life that need deep healing. Maybe there are healing of memory or forgiveness issues. Clean out the garbage and this weakens the rats and makes it easier to get rid of them. In the same way, demons are weakened, and often are evicted from the believer without any drama at all.
The reason why there is so much sound and fury at altar calls when attempts are made to cast demons out, is that the "sons of Sceva" are trying to attack demons without spending time getting rid of the "garbage" first. Or they are trying to cast out occult demons where the believer has not renounced and repented from the occult behaviour.
Where a person has invited demons in by new age or occult practice, the demon has a right to be there, and no matter how much commanding and shouting at the demons "in the Name of Jesus", nothing will happen, because the believer has given the rights for the demon to be there, and only when he/she repents, renounces and pleads the blood of Jesus and fully cooperates with the counsellor, the demon will reluctantly acknowledge that it has no further right to be there.
Most successful deliverances happen away from public church meetings, in the counsellor's office where anywhere up to three hours for an initial session may be needed to deal with spiritual and emotional issues before a deliverance can take place.
Most "deliverance" sessions in public meetings with shouting, commanding and screaming of demons is more of showmanship and theatre than real deliverance. A minister does not have to yell and shout to have true authority in Christ. Real authority can be very quiet. A demon will fully acknowledge the authority of an anointed, Spirit-filled believer who has been properly trained in deliverance. The demon will have no option to leave when approached in the right way.
We don't read about Jesus having to shout at demons when evicting demons from people.
There are two ways to cast out demons:
1. The way that Jesus and Paul did it
2. The way the sons of Sceva did it.
Without proper training, most who try to cast out demons will flee "naked and wounded" after failing.
