Unforgiveness Opens Door to Demonic Forces

According to the Bible, we can experience failures simply because of ignorance. The prophet Isaiah writes, “My people go into exile (captivity) for their lack of knowledge (Is 5:13).”  The Apostle Paul tells the church at Ephesus to “walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them…”(Eph 4:17-18).

One area of ignorance at the root of people’s emotional pain and problems is unforgiveness. In His teachings, Jesus linked forgiving others to answered prayers and well-being. He warns that, if we do not forgive from the heart, we open ourselves to torturers; i.e., the realm of Satan.

1. Allows Satan legal access to us

Unforgiveness opens the doorway to the kingdom of Satan, allowing all manner of evil things to trouble us. When we will not forgive someone from the heart, destructive spiritual powers and rulers of the darkness have the “legal right“ to access us.

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity (a place) (Eph 4:26, 27).

Once unforgiveness gains a foothold, we develop more serious spiritual problems. Evils like resentment, revenge, rage, hatred, violence, and murder begin to consume our hearts and minds, forming destructive strongholds within the structures of our personalities. Note, these are spiritual problems—not psychological symptoms!

2. Hinders God’s protecting grace

Unforgiveness, resentment and anger open us to demonic bondage and the devil’s power. Failure to forgive moves us out from God’s protecting grace.

Turning away from the Lord moves us out from under God’s protection and opens the door to invisible and negative spiritual forces. When we deliberately turn away from doing what God says, we open ourselves to God’s judgment and curse.

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice (Deut. 30:19-20).

The intent of a blessing is to release positive, godly, spiritual power on the person. The intent of a curse is to release negative spiritual energy or power against someone or something.

Most curses mentioned in the Bible are caused by God or his servants releasing God’s power of judgment against sin. Curses are one of the main ways God brings about judgment on the rebellious, the unbelieving, and the ungodly.

3. Our enemy wants to destroy us

Jesus did three things while on earth: 1) healed the sick and oppressed, treating sickness as an enemy; 2) taught that the kingdom of God is available to us here on earth; and 3) dealt with demonic activity, setting people free from evil spirits.

• God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil (Acts 10:38).
• They brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick (Matt 8:16).
• Jesus healed every kind of disease and every kind of sickness; lunatics; palsy; divers diseases and torments; and healed those oppressed by the devil (Matt 4:24).

From the work of Jesus, it is clear that the kingdom of darkness and demonic beings are involved with physical, mental, and emotional problems. Jesus treated sickness as a work of an enemy. We need to recognize that we have an enemy who wants to kill, rob, and destroy us.

• Be sober, be watchful, because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (I Peter 5:8).
• In order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes (II Cor 2:11).
• Every man of you who passes judgment for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself…(Ro 2:1).

4. Forgiveness required before freedom

The Bible commands us to forgive before we can be freed. When we will not let go of the sins of others, we are keeping that person under the “bondage of our judgment.” When we hold someone’s sins and do not forgive them, we are holding a curse upon ourselves.

• If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained (John 20:23).
• I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, “Raca” (empty headed, good for nothing), shall be guilty before the supreme court…  (Matt 5:22).
• What I have forgiven … I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes (II Cor 2:10-11).

Dear Heavenly Father, Open my eyes that I might see how my unforgiveness and desire to make others pay for how they injured me is impacting my life. Send Your grace so that I can connect the sin of unforgiveness to the problems in my life. If there be any guilt or bitterness in my heart, please bring it to light?