Soul fragmentation — Win Worley

Description

Win Worley was among the earlier teachers in modern deliverance ministry who explicitly taught about the “fragmented soul.” His teaching “When There Was None to Deliver — The Fragmented Soul” dates from 1982, and the text “The Fragmented Soul” was later published in Worley’s materials and is now available as Booklet 26.

Worley understands the soul as consisting primarily of the mind, will, and emotions. On that basis, he interprets soul fragmentation as an actual injury to or loss of parts belonging to those areas. One of his foundational texts is Psalm 7:2, where the soul is pictured as being torn “in pieces” by a lion when there is no one to deliver.

In his teaching, the new birth makes the human spirit alive, but the soul still needs cleansing and restoration. Worley refers especially to Psalm 23:3: “He restoreth my soul.” He therefore treats the restoration of the soul as part of spiritually recovering what, in his view, has been taken from or damaged in a person through the work of the enemy.

Worley teaches that when a part of the mind, will, or emotions is taken away, a demonic entity can enter its place and begin to imitate the function of the missing fragment. He compares this to an artificial tooth replacing a real one. In his view, such a spirit can then supply its own thoughts, attitudes, and reactions in the area it occupies, while the person may not recognize that a foreign influence is operating there.

In Worley’s teaching, soul fragmentation is part of the enemy’s spiritual strategy. A person is called to love God “with all” the soul, and Worley therefore holds that an attack on the soul is intended to limit a person’s ability to turn fully toward God and give Him the worship that is due to Him.

One area he identifies as leading to fragmentation is improper sexual relationships. He refers to Proverbs 6:32–33, where the adulterer is described as destroying his own soul, and to 1 Corinthians 6:18, where Paul commands believers to flee fornication. Worley treats sexual sin as one of the actions that can damage and fragment the soul.

A second area he strongly emphasizes is witchcraft. Worley refers to Ezekiel 13:18–20 and interprets the description of “hunting souls” as an actual spiritual action directed against a person’s soul. He teaches that curses and witchcraft practices can result in fragments of the soul being taken away. In the same context, he also speaks of spiritual grounds arising from earlier family involvement and of the need to break the rights used by evil spirits.

Worley also identifies religious systems that demand extreme, unconditional submission to a human being. In his view, such a mechanism can cause similar damage to the soul. He also warns against false teaching and words that can “subvert” the soul, referring to Acts 15:24.

Among other things that, in his experience, can lead to fragmentation, he lists drugs, alcohol, improper sexuality, false religious systems, rock music, and various forms of idolatry. He gives particular attention to idolatry, which he believes can progressively destroy and fragment the soul.

Worley does not stop with describing the enemy’s activity. He teaches that the believer has authority in Jesus Christ to demand the restoration of what has been lost. He refers to the words “He restoreth my soul” and to the authority given to believers over the power of the enemy.

The prayer he gives is very specific. In the name of Jesus Christ, he declares the restoration of the soul, breaks curses, and asks God to send the necessary angels to recover fragments of the mind, will, and emotions taken through sexual sin, drugs, alcohol, idolatry, religious error, and the other areas he names. He then directs that the recovered parts be restored to their proper place.

At the same time, he commands in the name of Jesus Christ that all demonic entities which, in his model, occupied the place of the missing soul fragments be cast out. Restoration and deliverance are therefore two connected actions in Worley’s teaching: recovering what was taken and removing what entered in its place.

Worley also describes a specific case from his own ministry. According to his account, fragments of a woman’s soul had been scattered and bound in many places through witchcraft. During prayer, he instructed angels to break the curses and recover the stolen fragments. He reports that as they were restored there was also an intense expulsion of demons, and that the woman later told him she was experiencing her restored soul.

After the restoration of the soul, Worley emphasizes the need to maintain the recovered ground. He points to committing one’s soul to the Lord’s keeping, obeying His commandments, giving no place to the devil, and developing a spiritually minded way of thinking.

In his teaching, then, soul fragmentation is not merely a figurative expression for wounding. Worley understands it as an actual spiritual process in which parts of the mind, will, or emotions can be taken away, their place can be occupied by demonic spirits, and the soul can then be restored through the authority of Jesus Christ, the breaking of curses, the recovery of the missing fragments, and deliverance.

Sources

Win Worley — The Fragmented Soul, Booklet 26, WRW Publications; text reprinted by permission from Smashing the Hosts of Hell, 1983

Win Worley — When There Was None to Deliver — The Fragmented Soul, teaching from 1982

Win Worley — Warfare Prayers, Booklet 4

Bible: Ps 7:2; Ps 23:3; Ps 42; Prov 5:22; Prov 6:32–33; Ezek 13:18–20; Matt 16:26; Luke 10:19,27; Acts 15:24; 1 Cor 6:18; Eph 4:27; Heb 4:12; 1 Pet 4:19