Are there habits in your life that you just can’t seem to shake? You may be dealing with more than just a lack of discipline. Frank and Ida Mae Hammond wrote a book about deliverance. They present their findings about the practice in their book, Pigs in the Parlor: A Practical Guide To Deliverance.Â
An Overview of Deliverance
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond present themselves as experts in the field of deliverance. Not only have they experienced deliverance from demons meant to oppress them, but the Hammonds have also rendered deliverance sessions wherein individuals have found relief from dark forces. Their voice is authoritative throughout the book as Frank and Ida Mae define deliverance and reveal the target audience for the practice. The authors make it clear that deliverance is for the Christian spirit and not for unbelievers.
Body, Soul, and Spirit
One reason why Frank and Ida Mae Hammonds’ theory of deliverance being for Christians is so strong is because of the authors’ commitment to breaking down the differences between a person’s body, soul, and spirit. According to the Hammonds, the body is the physical aspect of the individual. Meanwhile, the spirit of a person is inward and unseen. The soul is often used interchangeably to describe a person’s connection with God but is actually the psyche of the individual, which is separate.
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond argue that God saves the spirit of a person when that individual accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The soul, which houses an individual’s emotions, is not immediately saved but, rather, needs consistent deliverance from invasive thoughts that could lead them to commit terrible acts in the physical world.
This is why there are Christians who read the Bible every day, yet find it difficult to apply aspects of forgiveness to their lives. Their spirit is willing to follow God in the way of forgiving others. The soul of the person, however, may need to be delivered from the demon of unforgiveness that seeks to keep tabs on wrongdoing.
Questions and Answers
Pigs in the Parlor: A Practical Guide To Deliverance was published in 1990 with controversy. Many in the Church world did not understand how the light of Jesus could reside in a body that also housed demons. The debate on such a concept is still out, which is why Frank and Ida Mae Hammond provide a chapter that seeks to answer some of the more pressing questions about deliverance ministry.Â
The authors take their time explaining how they believe a Christian can have a demon and also use the chapter to advocate for deliverance ministry being reserved for believers. According to Frank and Ida Mae Hammond, deliverance is available to anyone. Ministers, however, should be cautious to administer on individuals who do not claim salvation through Jesus because such individuals could end up worse off in the end. Demons, according to the authors and the scriptures, return to the original house and re-enter if they find it clean. Having a relationship with Jesus is the only way, then, to keep demons out long-term.
The unsaved individual ultimately runs the risk of falling back into what he or she was delivered from unless salvation through Jesus is received. It would be better then, according to Frank and Ida Mae Hammond, for the deliverance minister to invite unbelievers to accept Jesus as their Savior before casting out demons.
But Are They Really Demons?
On some levels, I still question whether or not the things described as “demons” by Fred and Ida Mae Hammond are actually demons as portrayed by the authors. Self-pity, unforgiveness, and bad temperament are certainly not things anyone should want to cultivate. I am hesitant to call everything a demon, though, for fear of personal responsibility getting lost in the name-calling.
In any case, Pigs in the Parlor: A Practical Guide To Deliverance by Fred and Ida Mae Hammond is a great book for individuals interested in learning about deliverance ministry. Those who feel called to be deliverance ministers may really benefit from reading this guide.Â