How to maintain freedom

WHAT IS THIS METHOD

Teaching by Derek Prince (1915–2003), presented especially in the book “No Vacancy for the Enemy” and the teaching material “Seven Ways To Keep Your Deliverance.” It shows a person after deliverance prayer how to build a daily life in Christ and avoid returning to former bondages.

MAIN PRINCIPLES

Prince builds the teaching on the picture in Matthew 12:43–45: the “empty house” to which an unclean spirit tries to return. Removing what was destructive is not enough; life should be consciously submitted to Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, prayer, and healthy fellowship.

WHAT THE PRACTICE / SESSION LOOKS LIKE

This is not a description of one session but a summary of seven principles for daily life after deliverance.

MAIN TOOLS / TECHNIQUES

1. Make Jesus Lord

Consciously and wholly submit every area of life to the authority of Jesus.
Prince presents this as the first and foundational step without which the others have no firm basis.
Fill the “empty place” with the real, active presence of Christ as Lord, not only Saviour.

2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Consciously seek and receive the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Recommended as something renewed, not as a one-time event.
Fill the “empty house” with God’s presence.

3. Live by God’s Word

Read, meditate on, and apply the Bible regularly.
A daily discipline rather than occasional reading.
A mind fed on truth leaves less room for lies.

4. Put on the armour of God

A reference to Ephesians 6 and the picture of the believer’s spiritual equipment.
Prince recommends consciously “putting on” each part in prayer.
Protection against renewed attack.

5. Right fellowship

Active belonging to a healthy community of believers.
Prince stresses avoiding isolation as a risk factor for the problem’s return.
Support, accountability, and companionship rather than isolation.

6. Stand in Christ’s finished work

Consciously receive a new identity “in Christ” instead of returning to old ways of thinking about oneself.
Practise renewing how one thinks about personal identity.
Protection against returning to the identity and ways of thinking held before deliverance.

7. Actively resist evil

Take a conscious, active stance against temptation or attack instead of waiting passively.
A reference to James 4:7: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Prevent passive surrender to relapse.

ROLE OF THE PARTICIPANT

Consciously and consistently apply these seven points as a way of life, not a one-time act.

RECOMMENDED AFTER THE SESSION

The teaching itself describes life after deliverance: abiding in Christ, prayer, God’s Word, fellowship, and conscious resistance to evil.

DECLARED BIBLICAL / SPIRITUAL BASIS

Matthew 12:43–45 (the “empty house”) as the central picture; Ephesians 6 (the armour of God); James 4:7 (resisting the devil). Prince reads these texts as a call to fill life after deliverance with Christ’s presence, the Word, the Holy Spirit, and fellowship.

WHAT THE AUTHORS CLAIM ABOUT BENEFITS

According to Prince, consistently applying these principles helps guard received freedom, recognize renewed attacks, avoid returning to former patterns, and build a stable life under the lordship of Jesus.

LIMITATIONS AND SAFETY

The seven principles are not a magic formula or a burden of perfect performance. Jesus Christ remains the source of freedom. If difficulties return, the person needs renewed discernment, prayer, and support rather than shame.

CONTROVERSIES / DISAGREEMENTS

Churches may organize aftercare in different ways. The centre of this teaching, however, is personal abiding in Christ rather than dependence on a particular method or team.

WHAT IS FACT VS. INTERPRETATION

The central practical truth is that freedom requires consciously abiding in Christ. The picture of the “empty house” shows that after removing what was destructive, a new life must be built and filled with the Holy Spirit, the Word, relationship with God, and healthy fellowship.

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR OWN DISCERNMENT

Does the person understand these seven points as a daily relationship with Jesus and practical habits rather than a magic formula?
Do they have a safe community, support after prayer, and a plan for responding to temptation or renewed attack?

SOURCES AND FURTHER RESEARCH

Derek Prince Ministries — No Vacancy for the Enemy
Primary source, book.
Derek Prince Ministries — Seven Ways To Keep Your Deliverance
Primary source, teaching material.