Indicators of Demonic Presence

Understanding Your Spiritual Environment

Understand this so you don't experience unnecessary defeats this year.

Did you know that you and the devil cannot operate in the same space?

2 Corinthians 6:14 says:

"...for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

As simple and clear as this truth is, it explains why many people are walking in bondage, unaware of the root of their problems.

Darkness and Light Do Not Coexist

This may sound like a cliché, but let me make it more practical.

When you step into any environment, you must be conscious of your spiritual atmosphere—not just your physical surroundings. This is the first key to victory for any believer. A believer who expects victory but is unaware of their spiritual environment will often find their victories sabotaged.

The first thing you must do when you enter an environment is take charge of its spiritual atmosphere.

The Spirit of God and evil spirits cannot cohabit. One is always in operation, while the other is not. Spirits do not operate in the realm of man unless they are invited. If there is a strong demonic presence in your environment, it is a sign that someone—a human like you—labored to install that presence. They may have done so for reasons like protection or prosperity.

You cannot walk into such an environment ignorant of what is happening and still expect to walk in the victory Christ has purchased for you. Ignorance is the first step toward defeat.

In such an atmosphere, no amount of prayer will yield results—if you can even pray at all. It’s a complete waste of time!

To avoid wasting your time, the moment you enter a new environment, your first priority should be ensuring that the atmosphere reflects the presence of heaven. If it doesn’t, you must enforce the atmosphere of heaven over that place.

This means driving out demons from any territory you occupy.

Remember what the Bible says:

"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you." (Joshua 1:3)

This is nothing to fear. Any spiritual warfare you engage in is launched from a position of victory. You’re not unsure of the outcome; you’re simply enforcing the victory you already have.

Why?

Because Satan doesn’t respect written victories (what is written in Scripture). He only respects enforced victories—when the beneficiary proclaims and demands the integration of that victory into their daily life.

So, as you enforce your dominion, do so with the consciousness that the finished work of Christ has given you authority. When you understand this truth and resist the devil, as James 4:7 instructs, he will flee.

How Do You Know If Your Atmosphere Carries the Presence of God or Demonic Presence?

Not every environment is filled with demonic activities. There are atmospheres where saints, who understand spiritual matters, have been. Such environments will be void of demonic presence because someone has labored there. As I mentioned earlier, humans invite spirits. Demons are invited by humans, and the Spirit of God is always invited by humans as well. So, if the atmosphere is already sanctified, it means a saint has worked to keep God's presence active there—and you can become such a saint.

For example, Jacob unknowingly stumbled into the presence of the Lord. He only realized God was in that place after his encounter that night.

Genesis 28:16

"And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not."

If you enter into such environments, you’ll begin to sense the presence of the Lord and the liberty it brings. As the Bible says, in the presence of the Lord, there is liberty.

2 Corinthians 3:17

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Liberty is an indicator of the presence of God.

What does that mean?

The Greek word for liberty in this verse is eleutheria (pronounced el-yoo-ther-ee'-ah), which means freedom.

Freedom means the power or privilege to act, speak, or think without restriction.

So, when you walk into such environments, you experience an ease of worship and a freedom to reach out to your Father in heaven. You begin to hear the Spirit of God cry out, "Abba Father," from your spirit.

Romans 8:15

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

You have the freedom to pray—and to pray easily—because there’s a holy spiritual influence in that place. An example of such an atmosphere is a worship service where the presence of the Lord is heavy. However, when you step out of such an environment, your experience may be very different.

This should not be a one-off or occasional experience for the believer. It should be a permanent experience, a sign that you are in good spiritual health. Therefore, it’s important to maintain it. Just like you do regular medical checkups to ensure you stay healthy, once you notice the river of spiritual freedom has ceased, you need to work it back. You must understand that it’s a priority, because if it’s absent, it means a different spirit is in operation—and that spirit only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. You don’t want to experience such negative activities in your life.

I’ve heard saints complain that they forget their dreams. When the presence of the Lord is there, you can’t forget your dreams. Forgetting your dreams is a sign of demonic presence, and you need to cast it out. God speaks to many through dreams, and forgetting them means something unholy is trying to cut you off from spiritual knowledge.

Where the presence of the Lord is, you won’t struggle to pray. You know those times when you felt energized to pray and you just prayed like it was your last opportunity? That’s an indicator of the presence of God. If the atmosphere isn’t supporting your prayers, it’s a sign that the wrong presence is there.

If you’re a professional in the marketplace and you’re not productive (you feel unnaturally lazy and unproductive), it’s a sign that you’ve been operating in the wrong atmosphere for a long time, and as a result, you don’t have a sound mind. You need to address that quickly.

There are many other indicators. In fact, any form of negativity is a sign that you’re operating in the wrong atmosphere because the Spirit of the Lord does not birth negativity.

Apart from these indicators, there may be situations where you’re unsure of the cause of the problem—whether it’s the wrong atmosphere, your mistakes, or something else. You might just be confused. In the case of sin, I’ve done a detailed teaching in my newsletter, The Mindset that Drives Victory in Prayer.

Sometimes, Satan can be cunning, and you may not easily identify the issue. In such cases, your relationship with God will come to your rescue. All you need to do is ask Him what’s going on. This is called the prayer of enquiry. Once you set your heart to seek the answer, He will reveal it to you and show you the way out.

Many times, you will need to use this strategy.

How Do You Cast Out Demonic Presence?

It's simple: by declarations. You must cast out unclean spirits from your atmosphere and enforce the presence of God over it. Do this as you're led by the Holy Spirit and stay at it until you sense victory. Only then can you do anything fruitful in that environment.

You may experience a sudden unnatural relational reactions at times, and that's because you are undoing the work of evil personalities in your environment. If they notice that you are the one disrupting their influence, they may react unfriendly towards you—and that's perfectly okay. Sometimes, if they can't cope anymore, they'll simply have to relocate. That’s how it’s meant to be. As a believer, you should be the one relocating demons and their agents, not the other way around. Just ensure you don’t slack in your profession of faith.

How Long Does This Victory Last?

Well, it’s a matter of sensitivity. Once you notice any of the above indicators, or if you're no longer able to utilize your God-given abilities, it’s time to re-enforce your authority.

I hope this blessed you!

Feel free to drop your concerns and questions in the comments below, and I'll be more than happy to answer them. Don't forget to subscribe and share with friends and loved ones.