Isaiah 49:24 (KJV) “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
Today, I want to answer the question: “Can a believer in Christ suffer the effects of negative ancestral covenants?” My answer is YES! A believer in Christ can suffer the effects of negative ancestral covenants, BUT a believer is not “legally bound” to them. Here is the balanced, biblical, and spiritually accurate explanation. A believer cannot be “legally owned” by ancestral covenants. When you came to Christ you were translated from the kingdom of darkness to light (Col. 1:13); you became a new creature and old things passed away legally (2Cor. 5:17). Again, you inherited a new lineage in Christ (Gal. 3:29). So, in terms of legal spiritual identity, NO ancestral covenant has authority over a believer. Legally, you are FREE.
Now, a believer can still suffer the effects of ancestral covenants. Why? Because FREEDOM IN CHRIST IS PROVIDED, BUT IT MUST BE ENFORCED. It is just like Israel legally owned the Promised Land, yet they had to fight giants to possess it. So, experientially, many believers are saved but still battle with generational patterns, family altars, demonic legal grounds in their families, and ancestral influences. NOT because they belong to darkness, but because old covenants have not been consciously broken. A believer in Christ is redeemed and so, his spirit is saved and delivered, but not everything regarding his body and soul, breaks automatically; some things require knowledge, alignment with God’s word, and spiritual warfare. The LORD God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee ...” (Hos. 4:6). Salvation deals with the spirit, but satanic oppression often works through the soul (mind, emotions) and body. So, as a believer in Christ Jesus, if you notice any satanic ancestral patterns in your bloodline, you need to consciously separate yourself from the power of satanic family altars, reverse every generational curse, cancel every ancestral dedication, and close every inherited spiritual door. Those things require spiritual enforcement using God’s Word and WARFARE PRAYERS. A believer can be compared to a man who has the key to the house (salvation) but must still open the door to enter (deliverance, renunciation, warfare). Christ has paid for freedom, but you must enforce it.
It is important that I state here that a believer in Christ can be “oppressed” by the devil but cannot be “possessed” by the devil. This distinction is extremely important. Possession means ownership, control, and indwelling by an evil spirit. A believer is God’s property (1Cor. 6:19–20). But a believer can be oppressed by the devil. Oppression means external pressure, harassment, affliction, or influence that attacks the believer’s mind, emotions, body, or circumstances. Oppression is from the outside, not the inside. Paul warns that Satan can take advantage of even believers (2Cor. 2:11). A believer in Christ can suffer satanic oppression or obsession if he or she lives a life of continuous disobedience to God. The Bible says, “Neither give PLACE to the devil” (Eph. 4:27; KJV). Why? The Greek word translated “place” is topos, meaning, a foothold, a room, “a legal ground”, an opportunity, a space of influence. Apostle Paul is saying: Do not grant Satan any opening, any entry point, “any legal right”, or any room from which he can operate in your life. Hear this: A foothold (small compromise) can become a satanic stronghold (mental, emotional, or spiritual bondage) if not dealt with (2Co 10:4). Now, in 1Corinthians 10:14-22, Apostle Paul warned believers in the Church at Corinth about the danger of having “fellowship with devils” through partaking in meals offered to idols. Why? Because such acts open the door to “satanic oppressions” and activities even in the life of a believer in Christ Jesus.
Tomorrow, by God’s grace, I will talk about how we can deal with Satanic oppressions and the effects of unbroken ancestral covenants. Be blessed!
Written by: Andrew A. Esemudje