Lord, please help me to forgive others just as you have forgiven me.

I make this post in light of recently praying for deliverance for a demonized Christian woman. She related to me that her body felt tormented with pains in her body. She saw a doctor, but the doctor found no cause for her physical issues. Her experience with this started when she was on her bed, and she felt the demons crawling on it. She thought it was demons inside her as she felt something fluttering around her body. She revealed to me there were actually thin needles found in her legs, which was surprising to me.  

I sent her a link to the page about demonic door openers, and initially, she said she didn’t get involved with anything listed. She said she was a good Christian woman. But when I asked her if she lacked forgiveness towards anyone (which is listed as a potential demonic door opener) she said she did. She related to me that she hates or hated her husband, who was extremely controlling. Talking to her, I got the sense she had intense hatred toward her husband because of the abuse she endured.

After leading her in prayer to the Father to repent and renounce the sins of bitterness, anger, rage, lack of forgiveness, and hatred, I prayed for deliverance for her. Sure enough, there were manifestations, she felt the demon(s) rise up from the inside of her legs, and began to hyperventilate. After praying for about an hour, she said she felt much lighter and better.

In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus gives a parable about the necessity to forgive others from the heart when God has forgiven Christians for many more and greater sins. To paraphrase the parable: the king forgives a servant for the debt he owed him. But the servant refuses to forgive his own fellow servant for even less debt than what he owed the king. The king finds out how his servant was cruel and didn’t pity his fellow servant. The king punishes the servant to the tormentors. Jesus said this is what will happen to those who don’t forgive others for their trespasses.

Who are these tormentors? In my view, these tormentors are demonic spirits to which a person can open the doors to because of lack of forgiveness. This woman’s case is more confirmation to me that having hatred for someone can indeed open doors to the enemy or tormentors. The Bible gives stern warnings about hating someone.  

The scriptures also reads:    

“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother…” – Matt. 5:22

“⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” – Matt. 5:43-45

“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” – 1 John 3:15

“But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” – 1 John 2:11

“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”  – 1 John 3:15 

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” – 1 John 4:20

The scriptures also read that bitterness can defile a person:

“¹⁴ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:¹⁵ Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” (Hebrews 12:14-15)

I take it to be defiled in a spiritual sense. When one holds onto bitterness, that can roll the red carpet out for the enemy to come in.

The scriptures also read how not to hold onto anger, embitterment, or wrath, which can allow the enemy into your life, “²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:²⁷Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27). 

There are many other scriptures that read similarly that we should put away bitterness and lack of forgiveness:

“³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Ephesians 4:31)

“¹⁴ For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:¹⁵ But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

“²⁵ And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25)

“⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

“¹² Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” (Proverbs 10:12)

That said, to have hate in of itself is not sin, but only hating others. The Bible reads God instructs us to hate vain thoughts, false ways, lies (Ps. 97:10; 119:104, 128, 163, 101:3), evil, pride, arrogance (Pro. 8:13), and sinful spotted garments (Jude 1:23). Jesus hates iniquity and deceptive doctrines (Heb. 1:9, Rev. 2:6, 15).

Forgiving others who have done evil to you can be extremely difficult. I struggle with it at times as I have been the target of evil and have been treated unjustly. But the bitterness can weigh one down, and there can even be spiritual consequences. I had to seek and ask God to help me truly forgive from the heart.

It can be helpful to know that a lot of times when a person does evil towards another, it is the enemy operating behind the person. The devil does use people to attack innocent people. A lot of people have no idea the enemy is pulling their strings like a puppet—they do know not what they do. Remember, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against satan’s kingdom (Eph. 6:12).

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If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can receive Him into your heart, and He can deliver you from darkness and sin and have your name written in His Book of Life.

If you are sincere, you can say this simple prayer to the Father (it doesn’t have to be word for word):

“God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. Please forgive me of all of my sins just as I forgive others. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross, I believe in my heart Jesus is Lord and was raised from the dead and I long to receive the forgiveness you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in the Lord and GOD Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.”