What Is a Spirit of Infirmity?
I was asked the other day what the spirit of Infirmity is.
We had a brief discussion, which led me to write a blog post about what it is, how it affects, and how to pray against it.
The word Infirmity means physical or mental weakness.
Let's look at scripture
Luke 13:11 New King James Version
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
We know it was from Satan.
Luke 13:16 New Living Translation
This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”
This is a demon that was responsible for causing sickness and disease. This is not part of God's will or plan.
You will notice that in this passage of scripture, she had it for 18 years, she was held captive, bent over, and was living a terrible life. What we don’t know is when she became sick, but something happened; it does not say she was born with it; it somehow gained access to her life.
But we do know that she was healed.
Luke 13:12-13
But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Jesus healed her by rebuking the spirit, identifying the ailment as spiritual bondage. This demonstrates that spiritual forces can be behind physical sickness,
Mark 9:17-29,
For context, read the passage of scripture from your Bible
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. ...
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” ...
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
This is another example of an evil spirit causing affliction, as seen in the case of a young boy who is possessed by a mute spirit. Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, commanding the deaf and dumb spirit to leave and not return:
Jesus healed the boy by rebuking the spirit, showing His authority over the spiritual forces behind physical
Spiritual Warfare
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, powers of darkness, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We are not fighting against what we can see, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness, structured in a hierarchy of evil spirits influencing the world. The battlefield for these forces is the spiritual realm.
How do Spirits of Infirmity get in?
I will list some ways that they have access to our bodies, emotions and minds; at times, it is not our fault. Something has happened in our lives that gives them access, and there are times we give them access through our choices.
Luke 13 and Mark 9 demonstrate that evil spirits can sometimes cause physical and mental sickness. Luke’s reference to the “spirit of infirmity” shows that a demon was allowed to inflict disability in that case.
In Luke 13, Jesus specifically states that Satan had bound the woman, but in other instances, Jesus heals throughout the Bible without reference to evil spirits.
While it is true that Satan and his demons can attack our bodies, emotions, and minds, not every illness, emotional struggle, or sin can be traced back to demonic influence. There are many reasons why a person may experience these challenges.
Jesus is the answer.
In these times, we need to draw near to Jesus and talk to those whom we trust to pray with us, to listen to us, and be there for us. Jesus gives us a key to a breakthrough here. Jesus gives us the key to unlock what the enemy has planned. Go back and read Mark 9:17-29
Mark 9:29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [e]and fasting.
Fasting is necessary at times to draw closer to God. Fasting is a way to humble ourselves and seek God's perspective. Fasting is an essential discipline for believers, helping remove spiritual barriers and enabling significant spiritual change. Fasting is a regular, biblically ordained practice, vital for effective prayer and dealing with stubborn spiritual issues.
James 5:13-16 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Prayers against the spirit of infirmity often focus on exercising spiritual authority to rebuke illness and to claim healing through biblical promises. These prayers assert faith and rely on God’s power to overcome sickness and affliction.
• Generational Sickness: "In the name of Jesus, I break and renounce all generational curses and inherited spirits of disease from my family line."
• Physical Restoration: "In the name of Jesus, I speak to every organ, cell, and tissue in my body: to come into alignment with the Word of God and function as I was designed to function. Restore and Renew Jesus”
• Spiritual Strongholds: "I bind and break every evil spirit in the name of Jesus spirit of fear, death, and any infirmity that has tried to establish a stronghold in my life.”(anything else Holy Spirit reveals to you)
• Blood of Jesus: "I plead the blood of Jesus over my life and my household, declaring a perimeter of protection that the enemy cannot cross."
Take communion at this time, reading and declaring Mark 14:22-25
22 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”23 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant[a] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many
Jesus body was broken, and Jesus’ blood was poured out for your healing
Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
The WORD of God
Read, meditate, and memorize these scriptures.
Psalm 103:3: "Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases."
Jeremiah 17:14: "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise."
Luke 13:12: "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."
Psalm 91:10: "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling."
For more on healing, see my blog, Yes God still heals today.