Jesus Broke the Silence: Freedom from a Tormenting Spirit

Torment and confusion limit our relationship with God as they cause restlessness and a mental and emotional struggle, where we feel trapped in cycles of doubt, fear, and internal chaos. When our lives are affected by this negative influence, our perceptions of God, ourselves, and the world around us will be clouded, preventing us from discerning God’s truth. Often, torment and confusion will thrive on past, unhealed, unprocessed, and unresolved trauma as the feelings of our emotional wounds arise in moments of distress or difficulty.  

Many people struggle with this negative influence due to a perception of reality that can seem distorted by the overwhelming complexity of decisions. In its most basic form, torment and confusion cause the human soul to experience disarray, undermining the inner peace of the Holy Spirit and the clarity that we have been given God’s Word and will for our lives. In personal ministry settings, I have witnessed those who struggle with torment and confusion, influenced by:  

• Intrusive, negative thoughts: individuals may experience negative, condemning, or fearfully intrusive thought patterns that feel overwhelming and difficult to control. This leads to feelings of being mentally “blocked,” where the mind is filled with worry, self-doubt, and pessimism.  

  
  

• Spiritual disconnection and despair: individuals will struggle to feel connected to God. This creates a sense of hopelessness, making spiritual practices (Prayer, worship, Bible reading) feel ineffective or burdensome.  

  
  

• Confusion in decision-making: individuals will find themselves trapped in cycles of indecision, constantly second-guessing their choices and feeling uncertain about the future. Major and minor decisions will feel paralyzing as they are stuck in seasons of doubt, fear, and clouded judgment. 

Freedom from the negative influence of torment and confusion happens as we rely on God’s word to reclaim the peace and clarity that comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we choose to confront this influence by renouncing its power and receiving God’s truth to replace every lie and tactic of the enemy, we will see greater levels of God’s guidance and peace. We will reinforce a resilient mindset against fear, doubt, torment, and confusion by consistently renewing our minds through worship and gratitude.  

Questions to Ask: 

1. 1.     Have you ever felt or seen things that may not be present? (Voices, condemning thoughts, etc.) 

   1. If so, to what extent? How did they occur to you?  

2. Do you or anyone in your family have a history of mental illness or distress? 

3. Could you describe your daily emotional spectrum? 

   1. Have you ever experienced unbalanced emotional turmoil? 

   2. Have you ever experienced times where you go with little to no sleep? 

4. Do you feel influenced by emotions of edginess, extreme anxiety, or anger? 

   1. Have you ever experienced an attack of fear, the feeling someone is out to get you or panic? 

5. Do distressing situations of others around you often get to you? 

6. Are there any lies you believe about God’s Word, your identity in Christ, or God’s promises to you that may be influenced by torment or confusion?  

Connected Influences: Confusion, distraction, hallucinations, insanity, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), paranoia, stress, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, anxiety and panic disorders, ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder, forgetfulness, brain fog, schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). 

Scriptural Truth: 

“For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress. 12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.” (Psalm 143: 11-12) 

“Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. 15 Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”(1 Samuel 16:14-16) 

“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. 20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!” (Psalm 34:17-20) 

“Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:18) 

“The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.” 42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his Father.” (Luke 9:37-42) 

How to Pray for Breakthrough from Torment (Confusion):

You may pray aloud, using each step below:

1. REALIZE: "Lord, I confess (negative influence) is an area that limits my walk with You. Would You show me the first time I experienced this?"

   
   

2. RELEASE: "Lord, who I need to forgive for influencing this in my life. I choose to forgive (name of person) for (what they did or failed to do). It made me feel (share your emotions with the Lord). I release them from any debt they owe me and repent for judging them. I choose to bless them."

   1. "Lord, do I need to forgive myself for how I responded to this negative influence?”

   2. "Lord, am I holding onto judgment or unmet expectations of You because of this negative influence?"

      
      

3. REPENT & RENOUNCE: "I repent of partnering with (negative influence). In the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce my agreement with (negative influence). I choose to hand this to You.”

   1. Lord, I also renounce my agreement with (any connected negative influences).

      
      

4. RECEIVE: "Lord, what do You want to give me in exchange for the negative influence I have given You?"

   1. What truth do You want me to walk in, based on Your Word, Your promises to me, and my identity in Christ?" (Write down and give thanks for the truths that you received from the Lord!)

You can break free from every negative influence present in your life! If you want to go deeper into the spiritual and emotional wholeness that God has for you, check out my book, Encountering Abba’s Heart, or use the purchase link below.

Encountering Abba's Heart