Safe Harbor Ministries
What is the spiritual atmosphere of your home? Most Christians would say they want their homes, as well as their lives, to reflect the presence of Christ. Too often, however, they don’t. The reason? The spiritual atmosphere of their homes has been polluted by practices, behaviors, and/or objects that give the enemy the right to oppress the inhabitants. Satan is a legalist. He cannot have access to us unless we have opened a “door” to him. What we watch, listen to, play with, seek entertainment from, decorate with, and put faith into can allow the enemy to infiltrate our homes and torment us. One of his most successful tactics is to minimize the spiritual influence and potential damage to us as a result of what goes on in our homes. Even the very land our homes are built on can affect our peace and well-being.
Ephesians 5:8-11 says: “For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light . . . finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Spiritual house cleaning is never to be done out of fear or superstition, but rather out of devotion to the Lord and a desire to please Him. Ask yourself if any sacrifice is too great in order to have a peaceful, godly, wholesome environment in your home. As Christians, we are born into a spiritual battle. We are in a real war and Satan is not shooting blanks. We are accountable to walk in the light of truth that God reveals to us, including a sober understanding of spiritual warfare and our authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19). Just as we would not leave food around that would attract pests, we must not leave items around that draw and attract demonic forces to our living space. Certain objects are like a heat-seeking missile, drawing enemy fire straight to the bulls eye—you and your house!
If questionable items in the home belong to a roommate, spouse, or family member other than yourself, appeal to the owner of the item in love with as many facts as you can present. It will then be up to them to discard the item or keep it. If they refuse, ask the Lord to intervene and to protect you in the mean time.
Perhaps the most compelling reason to cleanse our homes spiritually is so that we can achieve sustained victory in spiritual warfare. In Joshua 7, God told Joshua to sanctify the people and get rid of the “accursed thing”. In like manner, we need to cleanse our homes and consecrate our lives to Christ.
Some warning signs of oppression in a room, apartment, or house are:
· Coldness, heaviness, eeriness, foggy or smoky- looking areas of the house
· Foul smells
· Doors that open and close, the sound of footsteps, objects falling or disappearing, etc.
· Nightmares and disturbed sleep
· A feeling of being choked or heaviness on your chest in the night
· Uneasiness, anger, lust, depression, fear, etc. upon entering a certain room or part of the house.
· Chronically restless, unhappy children or even pets (birds and cats are especially sensitive to oppression).
· Unexplained illness (sudden severe headaches, stomach aches, itching, asthma/allergies, extreme fatigue/apathy, etc.)
Here are some areas to “clean up” in order to experience freedom.
1. A demonized person died there (of murder, suicide, etc.) and their spirit now inhabits that physical space. These are called “familiar spirits” and are what the secular world refers to as “ghosts” or “haunted houses”. In actuality, they are demons. When a person dies, their spirit goes immediately to either heaven or hell. God does not allow them to roam the earth or come back to earth. See: Luke 16:19-31 and Luke 23:43.
2. Unclean Sexual spirits may remain in a house, room, or even in furniture where a person was molested or raped. Prostitution, adultery, homosexuality, or viewing pornography also gives the enemy a place in your home.
3. Occult practices
Occult practices that invite demonic spirits into the house include playing with Ouija boards, Tarot card reading, séances, Zodiac/horoscope readings, seeking psychic guidance, hypnosis, etc. Objects associated with those practices must be destroyed. Practices such as Yoga or Martial Arts must be forsaken and any books, clothing, videos, etc. that accompanied them should be discarded as well. “He has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light” (I Pet. 2:9).
4. Books, Movies, and Video games that glorify violence and the occult provide a pathway for the enemy to infiltrate your home. Guard against themes of the supernatural (zombies, vampires, werewolves, reincarnation, sorcery, magic, ESP, UFO’s, ghosts, witchcraft, mind-reading, etc.). Don’t allow the devil to dump his garbage in your home.
5. Physical abuse and violence in the home can give access to demonic spirits. Constant strife and anger are fertile ground for the demonic also.
6. Objects associated with false religions, gods & goddesses, the occult/witchcraft, etc. [Buddha, Indian Spiritism, Hindu, Islam, Greek Mythology, etc.] Frogs, owls, crows, and wolves are commonly used as occult symbols/mascots. “Abstain from every form of evil” (I Thess. 5:22). These type objects often find their way into your home after a mission trip or vacation to foreign lands. Be extremely cautious about items you receive as gifts or buy as souvenirs.
7. Ungodly music. Secular music with themes of sexuality/lust/adultery, violence, rebellion, drug and alcohol abuse, or the occult will defile the spiritual atmosphere of your home. Be very careful what music you listen to.
8. Clothing, jewelry, pictures, or other memorabilia from former lovers, spouses, or friends need to be discarded. Items that remind you of your past sinfulness need to go. Possession of such articles allows an ungodly soul tie to remain with the person from your past and can sabotage your marriage and other relationships. Also, get rid of similar objects passed down to you from relatives (especially if they were not godly people). For example, a wedding ring passed down to you from a relative who was divorced could bring a spirit of divorce into your marriage if you wear it on your finger. Be sure to also rid your home of any décor and artwork that do not reflect God’s character.
Cleansing
First purge your home of any objectionable items. Don’t sell or give the objects away. Destroy them by smashing them or burning them. At the very least, throw them in the garbage. Then pray the following prayer:
Heavenly Father, I repent for having these items in my home and I renounce all involvement with them in Jesus’ name. I separate myself from all their influence. If any evil spirits have gained access to my home and family through these objects and practices, I resist them with the blood of Jesus and command them to leave right now. I break all evil curses that have been brought on me and my family in Jesus’ name. I dedicate this land and home to Almighty God. May Jesus Christ be honored in our home as we love and obey Him. May the inhabitants and guests in this home enjoy supernatural peace and safety. I invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into my home and purpose not to grieve Him by anything we say or do.
At this point anoint the door (a drop on the top and sides) and window frames of your home with anointing oil as you plead the blood of Jesus over them (like in Passover—Ex. 12:7,22-24). Claim your house/ apartment for God’s purposes and let Satan and his demons know that they are no longer welcome there. We also recommend that you walk the property line and sprinkle salt (we prefer rock salt) as a spiritual cleansing agent (II Kings 2: 20-22) as well as anointing oil poured out (a few drops as you walk along). You can pray in the Spirit, read scripture, or sing hymns/choruses as you walk. You may also find it helpful to leave praise and worship music playing in your home while you’re at work during the day. Saturate the spiritual atmosphere with adoration to the Lord (“He inhabits the praises of His people”—Ps. 22:3).
You may also want to pray specific scriptures over each individual room as a form of blessing. For example:
· Kitchen: “So shall you serve the Lord your God and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (Ex. 23:25).
· Living room/Den: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
· Front door and entry: The Lord will bless my coming in and my going out (Deut.). As we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths (Prov. 3:5-6).
· Bedroom: “I lay down and slept; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps. 3:5); “I will both lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8).
Remember that your home, property, and possessions are under your dominion as you stand in your God-given spiritual authority. “He has given you authority over all the forces of the enemy and nothing will harm you by any means” (Luke 10:19). You will be amazed at the hold these objects and practices have had on you. The harder they are to get rid of the more you need to! God’s Word clearly states that we are to have no other gods before Him. Many of the objects listed here have been a substitute for God in our lives at some time—in others words they have been idols! By ridding our homes of everything that grieves the Holy Spirit, we are in essence saying to Him that He is first and foremost in our lives. We are letting him know that we want a godly home that pleases Him and that we desire His presence more than anything. The Lord will honor your obedience to cleanse your home. He desires to bless you with protection, health, and peace.