In a world where quick fixes are the norm, many believers find themselves frustrated when deliverance doesn’t bring lasting freedom. The conversation between Pastor Mike Signorelli and Pastor Chris Durso reveals a profound truth that many miss: deliverance breaks the curse, but discipleship breaks the cycle.
The Deliverance Dilemma: Why Freedom Feels Temporary
Many Christians have experienced powerful moments of deliverance—casting out demons, emotional breakthroughs, and spiritual warfare victories. Yet they find themselves battling the same issues weeks or months later, wondering why their freedom didn’t last.
“We live in a day and age where everybody wants Ozempic, the quick fix. I don’t have to do anything,” Pastor Chris points out. “We’re all in a rush with our healing. God isn’t in a rush with your healing.”
This rush for instant transformation overlooks a crucial biblical principle: true freedom requires both deliverance and discipleship.
The Both/And Approach to Spiritual Freedom
The modern church has often created a false dichotomy between deliverance ministry and discipleship. Pastor Mike addresses this directly:
“Some of y’all are talking to demons more than you’re talking to Jesus,” he notes. “People are like, ‘But Mike, I thought you’re the guy who cast demons out. Yes. But Mike, you tell stories about spending years in Christian therapy. Yes, it’s a both/and.”
This balanced perspective recognizes that sometimes we need immediate spiritual intervention, while other times we need the slow, transformative work of discipleship and healing:
- Deliverance breaks the curse – Addresses immediate spiritual bondage
- Discipleship breaks the cycle – Builds new patterns through consistent obedience
Structures Before Shouts: Why Your Prayers Lack Power
One of the most powerful insights shared is Pastor Chris’s perspective on the walls of Jericho story. Many believers focus only on the shout that brought down the walls, missing the disciplined process that preceded it.
“Growing up in church, you would hear people preach about the walls of Jericho,” Pastor Chris explains. “The point of the march was to get to the shout. And it’s amazing because I would see people come to the altar and they would shout for those walls of lust to come down or those walls of anger or addiction, and they would shout and they would shout… and then they would leave. And those walls were stronger than ever.”
What was missing? The structure, discipline, and process that give authority to our spiritual breakthroughs.
“The reason why your shout lacks authority is because you’re skipping the system that goes before the shout,” Pastor Chris emphasizes.
When It’s Not a Demon: The Discipline Problem
Not every spiritual struggle is demonic. Sometimes the problem is much simpler—and harder to accept.
Pastor Mike shares about encounters with young men seeking deliverance: “I’ve had kids stand in a prayer line for two hours to have me pray over them. And they’re like, ‘Please, I’ve got a demon of lust.’ And I’m like, ‘Do you trust me as one of the leading demon slayers in the whole world?’ They’re like, ‘Yes, I trust you.’ And I’m like, ‘Can I tell you what I’m discerning?’ And they’re like, ‘Yes.’ And I said, ‘I’m discerning that you have a discipline problem, not a demon problem.'”
This truth-telling shifts the blame from external spiritual forces to our own responsibility and choices. It reminds us that freedom comes through the daily, often unglamorous work of:
- Developing spiritual disciplines
- Building accountability relationships
- Making consistent choices to resist temptation
- Renewing our minds through Scripture and prayer
Breaking Generational Patterns: It Stops With You
Many believers struggle with patterns passed down through their families—what the church often calls “generational curses” and what therapists might call “intergenerational trauma.” Understanding both perspectives helps us address these issues comprehensively.
Pastor Mike references remarkable scientific findings: “If a father was morbidly obese and had children, those children had a genetic predisposition towards obesity. That same man, if he lost all of the weight and then had another child, that child did not have the genetic predisposition for obesity.”
This epigenetic reality shows that our choices can literally change what we pass to future generations. The spiritual principle mirrors this truth—we can break generational patterns through intentional discipleship.
From Jezebel to Narcissism: Recognizing Destructive Patterns
Both pastors acknowledge how the church sometimes mislabels psychological issues as purely spiritual ones. Pastor Chris notes how what therapy might call narcissism, the church often labels as a “Jezebel spirit.”
“I’ve seen a lot of born-again believers behave like Jezebel,” Pastor Chris observes, emphasizing that we must be willing to examine our own behaviors rather than just pointing fingers at others.
This level of self-awareness is crucial for breaking destructive patterns. Rather than simply labeling others, we need the humility to ask whether we might carry some of those same tendencies.
Choosing Pain: Same vs. Change
Ultimately, breaking generational patterns comes down to choosing between two types of pain:
- The pain of staying the same – Continuing in familiar destructive patterns
- The pain of change – Embracing the discomfort of transformation
“We haven’t really taught Christians how to suffer well,” Pastor Mike reflects. “There’s two kinds of pain. There’s the pain of the same or there’s the pain of change, but either way, we’re going to experience pain.”
The question becomes not whether something needs to die, but what needs to die. As Pastor Chris puts it: “We all have something that needs to come to an end at any point or any season of our life. There are behaviors, ideas that need to be surrendered at the altar of Jesus.”
The Invitation: Go Deeper
For those who feel stuck, disappointed, or bound despite seeking deliverance, this conversation offers a profound invitation: go deeper. True freedom isn’t found in a single moment of deliverance, but in the lifelong journey of discipleship.
Remember the powerful truth Pastor Chris articulated: “Deliverance breaks the curse, discipleship breaks the cycle.”
If you’ve experienced deliverance but still feel bound, perhaps it’s time to embrace the discipleship journey that leads to lasting transformation. The path isn’t quick or easy, but it leads to the authentic freedom Christ promised when He said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
A Call to Action: From Deliverance to Discipleship
How can you move from momentary deliverance to sustained freedom? Consider these practical steps:
- Embrace accountability – Find trusted believers who will speak truth into your life
- Establish daily disciplines – Prayer, Scripture, and practical obedience
- Engage in therapy when needed – Professional counseling can help address deep-seated patterns
- Examine your heart regularly – Practice honest self-reflection before God
- Endure the process – Commit to the long journey of transformation
Remember, God isn’t in a rush with your healing because the process itself transforms you. As you walk this path of both deliverance and discipleship, you’ll discover that true freedom isn’t just about what you’re delivered from, but Who you’re walking with.
For more resources on breaking generational patterns and finding true freedom in Christ, visit Inherit Your Freedom or consider supporting this ministry at Mike Signorelli Donations.