As promised, in this last part of our series, I will be taking us through the steps required for healing of sicknesses that have a spiritual root. Just before we proceed, I want to re-emphasize that not every sickness has a spiritual root. How do we therefore know those that do? Here are a number of indicators:

1. Diseases that are chronic in nature, that is, that have no cure and physicians say it will be with you for the rest of your life.
2. Diseases for which doctors do not know the cause.
3. Disease for which doctors can find no clinical evidence for the symptoms. All the tests are negative yet there are symptoms of disease.
4. Diseases that have a known generational history. In other words, it runs in the family.
5. Disease that have fear, stress, anxiety, self-hatred, rejection, unforgiveness, bitterness, shame and other emotional components that require ministry rather than medicine.

Due to the spiritual nature of the root, the cure must be spiritual.

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Cor. 2:13)

The steps for healing of a disease with a spiritual root consist of the “8 Rs to Freedom” proposed by Dr. Henry Wright. These 8 Rs are scripturally based concepts that have been tried and proven very effective.  I was healed of fibromyalgia some years ago and although unaware of the 8 Rs at the time when I reflect upon the process that led to my healing I can recognize clearly the role of each of the 8 Rs in my healing.

The eight steps are Recognize, Responsibility, Repent, Renounce, Remove, Resist, Rejoice, and Restore.  I will provide a very brief summary of each step here. For further details of each step you may visit http://www.beinhealth.com to purchase the book 8 Rs to Freedom.

RECOGNIZE – The first thing you must do before you can be free is recognize you have a problem. You must recognize the connection between your spirituality, your thoughts and your disease. To gain better understanding of the spiritual roots of disease requires knowledge of the theology of disease and the pathways of disease. In this first step, the ultimate aim is to identify the opening in your life where the enemy gained access to you and began to teach you his ways. It could have been generational (past through the blood line), due to ignorance, or due to willful disobedience to God’s word. In essence, we are using discernment.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)

RESPONSIBILITY – It does not matter whether someone defiled you, whether it was your sin, or whether you inherited it, you became one with the root of your disease and you have to take responsibility for it and deal with it. When you agree with sinful thoughts you become one with the sin. You must stop blaming others or blaming God and accept responsibility for the part you have played in allowing the unclean spirit to inhabit your body.

REPENT – Repentance means ‘to turn away from’. The two preceding steps are essential preparation for repentance.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19)

It is obvious that this scripture is not speaking about repentance associated with initial salvation of the sinner, but rather to persons who are already believers. These are the only persons who can experience times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

RENOUNCE –  After repentance, you renounce the spiritual root by telling it to go so it can hear. For example, if you recognize that the spiritual root of the disease is fear you rebuke that spirit boldly and command it to go in Jesus’ name. You also speak the word of God against that wicked spirit.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7)

Repentance does not mean that we have fallen out of agreement with the sin. This is why renouncing is critical. You are formally declaring that you no longer accept or agree with the spiritual wickedness that is making you sick.

REMOVE – You make adjustments in your life so as to remove yourself from further influence by the spiritual root. You don’t place yourself in situations that encourage the influence to gain the upper hand. For example, if you realize you struggle with fear you do not watch movies or participate in other activities that will again encourage fear to gain a foothold in your life.

RESIST – When spiritual root is renounced and removed it is going to come back to check you out. This is why you do not seek to perform deliverance on the unsaved person as the latter state of the person can become worse than the former state. The unclean spirit will return to test the individual.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from where I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he goes and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also onto this wicked generation. (Mt. 12:43-45)

Resisting the enemy begins first with submission to God.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Jas. 4:7)

REJOICE – This step involves giving God thanks. An attitude of gratitude is a powerful weapon to help you maintain your new found freedom.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Phil. 4:4)

RESTORE – After God has met you and set you free, you need to turn your attention to others.

Restore onto me the joy of Your salvation; and uphold me with Your free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Your ways; and sinners will be converted onto You. (Ps. 51:12-13)

Part of restoring others is being a witness to others of what God has done in your life. In this way you help to build their faith to fuel their own deliverance. Restoration also includes sharing the knowledge gained, even as I have in this series of blogs, so that believers will not continue to be destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6). We are indeed our brothers’ keeper (Gen. 4:9)!!

Shalom.