Dake’s Dangerous Demonology and Its Destructive Legacy
The young mother sat trembling in her pastor’s office, dark circles under her eyes from weeks without sleep. “I can’t stop seeing them,” she whispered, clutching a worn Dake Bible. “The demons. They’re everywhere, just like Brother Dake describes. Behind every problem, every sickness, every struggle. I’ve been binding them for months, claiming authority over them, but they won’t leave. What am I doing wrong?”
Her pastor, trained at a Bible school that used Dake materials exclusively, opened his own Dake Bible to the extensive notes on spiritual warfare. “Sister, you need more faith,” he said confidently. “Dake teaches that we have the same authority Christ had. You can command these demons just like Jesus did. Let’s look at what he says about territorial spirits…”
Three months later, the woman was hospitalized for a complete nervous breakdown. Convinced that demons controlled every aspect of her life, she had stopped taking medication for her clinical depression (those were “demons of mental illness”), refused medical treatment for her diabetes (“demons of sickness”), and alienated her family with constant accusations that they were under demonic influence. Her obsession with invisible spiritual enemies had destroyed her visible earthly life.
This tragic story, repeated in various forms across the globe wherever Dake’s teachings have taken root, illustrates the devastating impact of his extreme spiritual warfare doctrine. What began as an emphasis on spiritual realities became an obsession with demonic hierarchies. What started as faith in God’s power morphed into formulas for manipulating spiritual forces. What should have brought freedom brought bondage to fear and superstition.
What Dake Said:
“There are demonic spirits for every sickness, unholy trait, and doctrinal error found in the world today. Demons must be cast out in order to obtain relief from their influence.”1
—Dake Annotated Reference Bible, New Testament p. 55, note on Matthew 10:1
This single statement encapsulates the heart of Dake’s error: the attribution of virtually everything negative in human experience to specific demons that must be identified, named, and cast out. While Scripture certainly teaches the reality of spiritual warfare, Dake transformed biblical truth into an elaborate system of demonology that goes far beyond anything found in God’s Word.
The Construction of an Elaborate Demon Hierarchy
Finis Dake didn’t merely acknowledge the existence of demons—he constructed an entire cosmology of evil spirits, complete with detailed hierarchies, specific functions, and territorial assignments. His system reads more like medieval demonology or pagan mythology than biblical theology.
The Multiplication of Demon Types
Where Scripture speaks generally of evil spirits or unclean spirits, Dake identified specific demons for every conceivable human problem. According to his extensive notes, there are:
- Demons of sickness (with subspecies for every disease)
- Demons of poverty and financial lack
- Demons of addiction (separate ones for alcohol, nicotine, drugs)
- Demons of mental illness (depression, anxiety, confusion)
- Demons of false doctrine (one for each theological error)
- Demons of relationship problems (divorce, strife, rebellion)
- Demons of sexual sin (lust, perversion, adultery)
- Demons of occult practices (witchcraft, divination, fortune-telling)
- Demons of emotional states (fear, anger, jealousy, pride)
- Demons of physical habits (overeating, laziness, insomnia)
Big Word Alert: Demonology
Demonology means the study of demons and evil spirits. Think of it like studying different types of germs, except these are spiritual beings that the Bible says can influence people. While the Bible does teach that demons exist, it doesn’t give us the detailed information about demon types and hierarchies that some teachers like Dake claim to know.
This multiplication of demon categories served a dual purpose in Dake’s system. First, it provided a seemingly comprehensive explanation for human problems. Why do you struggle with anger? There’s a demon of anger. Why can’t you quit smoking? There’s a demon of nicotine. Why are you poor? Poverty demons are blocking your prosperity. Second, it offered a simple solution: identify the specific demon and cast it out.
But this approach creates massive theological and practical problems. Scripture nowhere supports such detailed categorization of demons. When Jesus and the apostles encountered demons, they didn’t engage in elaborate diagnostic procedures to identify specific types. They simply commanded evil spirits to leave in the name and authority of Christ.
What Dake Said:
“Disease germs, which are closely allied with unclean spirits, are really living forms of corruption which enter into our bodies, causing sickness and death… Germs are agents of Satan, corrupting the bodies of his victims through unclean spirits that work unseen among us.”2
—Bible Truths, Chapter 2
This bizarre teaching that physical germs are “closely allied with unclean spirits” demonstrates how Dake confused natural and supernatural categories. While illness can sometimes have spiritual components, most sickness results from natural causes—viruses, bacteria, genetic factors, environmental conditions. By spiritualizing all illness, Dake created a system where medical treatment becomes unnecessary or even faithless. After all, why take antibiotics for a spiritual problem?
The Creation of Territorial Hierarchies
Beyond individual demons, Dake taught an elaborate system of territorial spirits ruling over geographic regions. Drawing heavily from a misinterpretation of Daniel 10, where an angel mentions the “prince of Persia,” Dake constructed a complex hierarchy of demonic rulership:
Dake’s Demon Hierarchy (According to His Notes):
- Satan – Supreme ruler of all demons
- Principalities – Ruling demons over nations
- Powers – Demons with delegated authority
- Rulers of Darkness – Demons controlling specific spheres
- Spiritual Wickedness in High Places – Demons in the atmosphere
- Territorial Princes – Demons over cities and regions
- Common Demons – Individual tormenting spirits
While Ephesians 6:12 does mention principalities and powers, Paul’s point is to emphasize that our struggle is spiritual, not to provide an organizational chart of hell. Dake transformed a call to spiritual alertness into an obsession with demonic organization.
What Dake Said:
“Satan has trusted angels over all the governments of this world. They are responsible to him for carrying out his will in those governments… All wars lost or won on earth are results of wars lost or won by these heavenly armies.”3
—Dake, Heavenly Hosts
This teaching that earthly wars are merely reflections of heavenly battles between angels removes human responsibility and reduces international conflicts to puppet shows controlled by invisible forces. While spiritual forces certainly influence world events, Dake’s deterministic view ignores human agency, political factors, economic causes, and the complex realities of international relations.
The Formula Approach: Binding and Loosing Gone Wild
Perhaps no aspect of Dake’s spiritual warfare teaching has caused more confusion than his interpretation of “binding and loosing.” Taking Jesus’s words in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 completely out of context, Dake taught that believers have unlimited authority to bind Satan and loose blessings through verbal formulas.
Misunderstanding Matthew 16:19
Jesus told Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). In context, Jesus was speaking about church discipline and the apostolic authority to declare what is prohibited (bound) or permitted (loosed) based on God’s Word.
But Dake transformed this into a blanket authority for all believers to bind demons and loose angels through verbal declarations. He wrote extensive notes about the proper formulas for binding various spirits, the exact words to use, and the specific procedures to follow.
What the Bible Says:
The biblical concept of binding and loosing refers primarily to:
- Church discipline – Determining what behavior is acceptable (Matthew 18:15-20)
- Apostolic authority – Declaring God’s standards (Acts 15:19-20)
- Forgiveness of sins – Proclaiming the gospel’s power (John 20:23)
Nowhere does Scripture teach that Christians can bind Satan with verbal formulas or control spiritual forces through specific words.
The Magic Formula Problem
Dake’s approach to spiritual warfare often resembles magic more than biblical faith. He taught specific formulas that supposedly guaranteed results:
What Dake Said:
“If doubt, unbelief, pain, sickness, poverty, unanswered prayer, lack of spiritual power, or anything else that is contrary to the Word of God, continues to linger… simply rebuke demons in the name of Jesus… say, ‘You demon of doubt and unbelief, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ your master, whom you fear and whom you cannot stand before. Get out.'”4
—Bible Truths
This formulaic approach treats the name of Jesus like a magic incantation rather than recognition of His authority. It assumes that saying the right words in the right way will automatically produce results, regardless of God’s sovereign will or purposes.
The danger becomes clear when these formulas fail to work. A believer rebukes the “demon of cancer” but the disease progresses. A pastor binds the “spirit of poverty” but the church still struggles financially. A parent casts out the “demon of rebellion” but their teenager continues to struggle. When the formulas fail, Dake’s system offers only one explanation: lack of faith.
Real Story: The Formula Trap
Sarah, a devoted Christian mother, learned Dake’s binding and loosing formulas from her church. When her son was diagnosed with autism, she spent months “binding the spirit of autism” and “loosing the spirit of wholeness.” She refused therapy and special education services, insisting that accepting them showed lack of faith. Years later, she tearfully admitted: “I wasted precious early intervention time chasing formulas instead of getting my son the help he needed. Dake’s teaching cost my child years of development.”
The Authority Obsession: Believers as Little Gods
Central to Dake’s spiritual warfare system was his teaching about the believer’s authority. Going far beyond biblical teaching about our position in Christ, Dake essentially made believers equal to Christ in authority and power.
The Equality with Christ Error
What Dake Said:
“Man in innocence was God’s masterpiece of creation… made in the image and likeness of God… to have dominion over all the works of God’s hands… Man was made to be a god over the material universe, but not to be God Himself.”5
—God’s Plan for Man, Lesson Six
This teaching that humans were made to be “gods” (with a small ‘g’) over the material universe laid the foundation for an inflated view of human authority in spiritual warfare. If believers are “little gods,” then naturally they should be able to command demons just as God does.
Dake further taught that believers have been given the exact same authority that Christ had during His earthly ministry. While Scripture does teach that believers have authority in Christ’s name (Luke 10:19), Dake removed the crucial qualification: our authority is derived, delegated, and dependent on Christ. We don’t possess inherent authority; we operate under Christ’s authority.
Big Word Alert: Delegated Authority
Delegated authority means power that someone gives you to use on their behalf. Like when a teacher leaves the classroom and puts a student in charge—that student has authority, but only because the teacher gave it to them. Christians have spiritual authority, but only because Jesus gives it to us, and we can only use it the way He wants us to.
The Presumption Problem
When believers think they have the same authority as Christ Himself, dangerous presumption follows. They begin commanding God to act, declaring what must happen, and speaking things into existence. Prayer becomes less about submitting to God’s will and more about exercising one’s authority.
Consider the contrast between biblical prayer and Dake’s authority teaching:
| Biblical Prayer | Dake’s Authority Teaching |
|---|---|
| “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10) | “I declare my will in Jesus’ name” |
| “If it be thy will” (1 John 5:14) | “I claim my rights as a believer” |
| Submission to God’s sovereignty | Exercise of personal authority |
| Recognition of human limitations | Assertion of unlimited power |
This presumptuous approach to spiritual authority has led countless believers into disappointment, disillusionment, and even shipwrecked faith when their commands and declarations fail to produce the promised results.
The Fear Factor: Creating Paranoid Christians
One of the most destructive aspects of Dake’s spiritual warfare teaching is the fear and paranoia it creates. When believers are taught that demons lurk behind every problem, that spiritual forces control every aspect of life, and that constant vigilance and warfare are required just to survive, the result is not faith but fear.
Demons Under Every Rock
Dake’s system turned normal Christian living into a constant battle against invisible enemies. Every negative thought might be demonic oppression. Every illness could be a spiritual attack. Every relational conflict might involve territorial spirits. Every financial struggle could indicate the presence of poverty demons.
This hypervigilance against demonic activity creates several serious problems:
The Paranoia Pattern:
- Loss of Personal Responsibility – Everything becomes the devil’s fault rather than acknowledging personal sin or poor choices
- Constant Anxiety – Believers live in perpetual fear of demonic attack
- Relational Breakdown – Others are viewed as potentially demonized rather than as fellow humans
- Spiritual Exhaustion – The constant warfare mentality leads to burnout
- Mental Health Crisis – Obsession with demons can trigger or exacerbate mental illness
Real Story: The Cost of Constant Warfare
Pastor Jim followed Dake’s spiritual warfare teachings for fifteen years. He held weekly “warfare prayer meetings” where the church would bind territorial spirits over their city. He taught members to rebuke demons throughout the day. He saw demonic activity everywhere. Eventually, he suffered a complete breakdown. “I was exhausted,” he later reflected. “I felt like I was in hand-to-hand combat 24/7. I forgot that Christ already won the victory. I was trying to fight a war that was already over.”
The Superstition Trap
Dake’s elaborate demonology inevitably leads to superstitious practices that have more in common with paganism than Christianity. Believers begin to:
- Perform elaborate cleansing rituals for homes and objects
- Avoid certain places deemed to be under demonic control
- Use “blessed” objects for protection
- Speak certain phrases repeatedly for spiritual protection
- Fear certain numbers, symbols, or words as having demonic power
- Attribute supernatural significance to coincidences
- Engage in constant “spiritual warfare” rituals
These practices reflect a magical worldview where correct procedures and formulas manipulate spiritual forces—exactly what the Bible condemns as sorcery and witchcraft. Ironically, in trying to combat the occult, Dake’s followers often adopt occult-like practices.
What the Bible Says:
About Fear: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7)
About Victory: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)
About Protection: “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4)
The Bible presents a picture of confident victory in Christ, not paranoid warfare against omnipresent demons.
The Prayer Mapping Deception: Territorial Spirits Gone Wild
Dake’s teaching about territorial spirits laid the groundwork for the “prayer mapping” movement that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. This practice involves identifying supposed demonic strongholds over geographic areas and engaging in targeted spiritual warfare to break their power.
The Mythology of Territorial Control
According to Dake and his followers, every city, region, and nation has specific demons assigned to control it. These territorial spirits supposedly have names, personalities, and specific strategies for keeping people in bondage. Prayer mapping involves:
- Researching the history of an area to identify past sins
- Identifying supposed demonic strongholds
- Learning the names of ruling spirits
- Conducting “prayer walks” around the perimeter
- Performing elaborate warfare prayers at key locations
- Making declarations of spiritual authority over the region
This entire system lacks any clear biblical support. While Daniel 10 mentions a “prince of Persia” who opposed an angel, this single passage cannot support the elaborate territorial spirit theology Dake constructed. The passage is descriptive, not prescriptive—it tells us what happened in one instance, not what we should do.
What Dake Said:
“As in earthly warfare, angelic warfare involves territorial conflicts… The prince of Persia here is the satanic prince who is ruling the kingdom of Persia for Satan.”6
—Dake, Heavenly Hosts
The Distraction from the Gospel
Perhaps the greatest danger of prayer mapping and territorial warfare is how it distracts from the church’s actual mission. Jesus commanded us to preach the gospel, make disciples, and demonstrate God’s love. He didn’t command us to map demonic territories or engage in elaborate warfare rituals.
Churches caught up in territorial warfare often spend enormous time and energy on spiritual mapping exercises while neglecting:
- Evangelism and outreach to their actual neighbors
- Discipleship and spiritual growth of believers
- Practical ministry to the poor and needy
- Building genuine community and relationships
- Sound biblical teaching and doctrine
- Character development and holiness
The early church turned the world upside down without any knowledge of prayer mapping or territorial spirits. They simply preached Christ crucified and risen, demonstrated the love of God, and trusted the Holy Spirit to work. Their spiritual warfare was defensive (Ephesians 6:13 – “stand against”), not the offensive territorial conquest Dake promoted.
Real Story: A Church Transformed
Grace Community Church spent five years focused on territorial warfare, following Dake’s teachings about spiritual mapping. They held elaborate prayer events, conducted spiritual warfare seminars, and mapped supposed demonic strongholds in their city. Church attendance dwindled as members grew exhausted from constant “warfare.” Finally, a new pastor redirected focus to simple gospel preaching, practical discipleship, and community service. Within two years, the church doubled in size and saw more genuine conversions than in the entire previous decade of “warfare.”
The Connection to Word-Faith Heresy
Dake’s spiritual warfare teachings didn’t develop in isolation—they became foundational to the Word-Faith movement’s approach to spiritual authority. Major Word-Faith teachers have explicitly cited Dake as a primary source for their understanding of believers’ authority over demons and circumstances.
Kenneth Hagin’s Debt to Dake
Kenneth Hagin Sr., often called the father of the Word-Faith movement, regularly used the Dake Bible and incorporated many of Dake’s concepts into his teaching. Hagin’s famous (or infamous) teaching that believers are “little gods” who can command reality through their words draws directly from Dake’s anthropology and authority doctrine.
The progression is clear:
- Dake taught: Humans were created to be “gods” over the material universe
- Dake taught: Believers have the same authority Christ had
- Therefore: Believers can speak things into existence like God
- Result: The “name it and claim it” prosperity gospel
The Prosperity Connection
Dake’s teaching that there are specific demons of poverty and lack provided theological justification for the prosperity gospel’s claim that all financial struggle is demonic opposition. If poverty is caused by demons, and believers have authority over demons, then believers should never be poor—they just need to exercise their authority.
What Dake Said:
“Prosperity is needed by modern Christians… If all Christians will appropriate the benefits of the promises as they should, all the financial problems of every local church and of the worldwide work for God will be taken care of.”7
—Bible Truths
This teaching ignores the numerous biblical examples of godly people who experienced poverty:
- Jesus had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20)
- Paul experienced hunger and need (Philippians 4:12)
- The Macedonian churches gave out of extreme poverty (2 Corinthians 8:2)
- James speaks of poor believers as rich in faith (James 2:5)
- The church at Smyrna was poor but spiritually rich (Revelation 2:9)
By attributing all poverty to demonic activity and teaching that believers have authority to command prosperity, Dake laid the foundation for the prosperity gospel’s false promises and the spiritual abuse that follows when those promises fail.
The Impact on Global Christianity
The global spread of Dake’s spiritual warfare teachings has had particularly devastating effects in the developing world, where traditional animistic worldviews make populations especially vulnerable to his demonology.
The African Experience
In many African contexts, where traditional religion already includes elaborate spirit hierarchies and territorial deities, Dake’s teachings seemed to provide a “Christian” version of familiar concepts. Instead of helping believers break free from animistic fear, Dake’s system reinforced it with Christian vocabulary.
The results have been tragic:
- Accusations of witchcraft against children and the elderly
- Violent “deliverance” sessions that have resulted in deaths
- Abandonment of medical treatment in favor of warfare prayers
- Economic exploitation by pastors claiming to have special warfare authority
- Social breakdown as family members accuse each other of demonization
Real Story: The Witchcraft Children
In certain regions of Africa, influenced by extreme spiritual warfare teachings traced back to Dake and similar teachers, thousands of children have been accused of witchcraft and demon possession. These children, often orphans or those with disabilities, are subjected to violent “deliverance” rituals, abandoned by families, or worse. Aid organizations report that many of these accusations come from churches teaching Dake-style demonology that sees demons behind every misfortune.
The Latin American Situation
In Latin America, where Pentecostalism has grown explosively, Dake’s warfare teachings have merged with folk Catholicism and indigenous beliefs to create syncretic practices that bear little resemblance to biblical Christianity. Churches engage in:
- Elaborate exorcism rituals that traumatize participants
- “Spiritual surgery” to remove supposed demonic implants
- Sale of “anointed” objects for protection against demons
- Marathon prayer sessions to break generational curses
- Prophetic declarations claiming to bind entire nations
These practices not only distort the gospel but also exploit vulnerable populations who spend scarce resources on spiritual warfare conferences, special prayers, and protection items sold by unscrupulous leaders.
The Asian Context
In Asian countries, particularly those with Buddhist or Hindu backgrounds, Dake’s detailed demonology has sometimes been seen as confirming traditional beliefs about the spirit world rather than liberating people from them. Instead of finding freedom in Christ, believers exchange one form of spiritual bondage for another.
Churches influenced by Dake’s teachings often focus more on identifying and combating local deities (reinterpreted as territorial demons) than on preaching the gospel or making disciples. The result is a syncretistic Christianity that maintains fear of spiritual forces rather than resting in Christ’s victory.
The Biblical Alternative: True Spiritual Victory
Against Dake’s elaborate and exhausting spiritual warfare system, Scripture presents a radically different picture of the Christian’s relationship to spiritual forces. The biblical approach is marked by confidence, not fear; victory, not constant warfare; rest, not exhaustion.
The Finished Work of Christ
The fundamental truth Dake’s system obscures is that Christ has already won the decisive victory over Satan and all demonic forces. The Bible declares:
What the Bible Says About Christ’s Victory:
Colossians 2:15: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
Hebrews 2:14: “That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
1 John 3:8: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
The victory is already won. Satan is a defeated foe. Our role is not to win the victory but to stand in the victory Christ has already won.
This doesn’t mean spiritual forces don’t exist or that believers never face spiritual opposition. But it does mean we face that opposition from a position of victory, not as combatants trying to win a war.
The Simplicity of Biblical Resistance
When the Bible instructs believers about dealing with Satan and demons, the instructions are remarkably simple, not the elaborate procedures Dake taught:
| Biblical Instruction | Scripture Reference |
|---|---|
| Submit to God, resist the devil | James 4:7 |
| Put on the whole armor of God | Ephesians 6:11 |
| Be sober and vigilant | 1 Peter 5:8 |
| Give no place to the devil | Ephesians 4:27 |
| Stand firm in the faith | 1 Peter 5:9 |
Notice what’s missing: no elaborate formulas, no territorial mapping, no demon hierarchies to learn, no constant offensive warfare. The biblical approach is primarily defensive—standing firm in what Christ has already accomplished.
The Priority of the Gospel
Most importantly, the Bible’s emphasis is not on fighting demons but on proclaiming the gospel. Jesus’s commission to His disciples was not “Go and bind territorial spirits” but “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The early church grew not through spiritual warfare techniques but through:
- Preaching Christ crucified and risen (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
- Demonstrating God’s love in community (Acts 2:44-47)
- Caring for the poor and needy (Acts 6:1-7)
- Living holy lives that adorned the gospel (Titus 2:10)
- Suffering faithfully for Christ’s name (Acts 5:41)
- Trusting the Holy Spirit’s power (Acts 1:8)
When believers focus on these biblical priorities rather than elaborate warfare schemes, genuine spiritual victory follows.
The Healing Path: Recovery from Warfare Extremism
For those who have been caught up in Dake’s extreme spiritual warfare teachings, recovery is possible but often requires intentional steps toward biblical balance.
Recognizing the Damage
The first step in recovery is acknowledging the harm these teachings have caused. This might include:
Common Effects of Extreme Warfare Teaching:
- Spiritual Exhaustion: Constant battle mentality leading to burnout
- Relationship Damage: Viewing others as demonized rather than human
- Mental Health Issues: Anxiety, paranoia, or obsessive behaviors
- Financial Loss: Money spent on warfare conferences and materials
- Medical Neglect: Refusing treatment while “fighting demons”
- Faith Crisis: Doubt and disillusionment when formulas fail
- Theological Confusion: Distorted understanding of God and salvation
Returning to Biblical Balance
Recovery involves returning to biblical simplicity and balance in understanding spiritual realities. This includes:
- Refocusing on Christ’s finished work – Resting in His victory rather than fighting for victory
- Embracing biblical prayer – “Thy will be done” rather than commanding and declaring
- Taking personal responsibility – Acknowledging sin and poor choices rather than blaming everything on demons
- Seeking appropriate help – Medical treatment for illness, counseling for mental health, financial planning for money problems
- Rebuilding relationships – Apologizing to those hurt by warfare extremism
- Finding a balanced church – Fellowship that preaches the gospel without warfare obsession
The Journey to Freedom
Many believers have found freedom from Dake’s exhausting warfare system. Their testimonies share common themes:
Testimony of Freedom
“For twenty years, I lived in fear of demons. Every problem required spiritual warfare. Every setback meant identifying and binding specific spirits. I was exhausted, fearful, and isolated. Then I discovered the simple biblical truth: Christ already won. I don’t need formulas or warfare techniques. I just need to rest in His finished work. The peace I’ve found is indescribable. I wish I had understood this decades ago.”
—Former spiritual warfare teacher, name withheld
The Modern Perpetuation: Dake’s Warfare Legacy Today
Despite mounting evidence of the harm caused by extreme spiritual warfare teaching, Dake’s influence continues through various modern movements and teachers.
The Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare Movement
In the 1990s, C. Peter Wagner and others developed “Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare” (SLSW), building directly on Dake’s foundation. This movement teaches:
- Territorial spirits must be identified and bound before evangelism can succeed
- Special apostles and prophets have authority to command these spirits
- Elaborate warfare strategies are necessary for revival
- Cities and nations can be “claimed” through warfare prayer
Major missions organizations and prayer movements have adopted these concepts, spreading Dake’s errors globally under new packaging.
The Deliverance Ministry Industry
An entire industry has grown up around deliverance ministry, much of it based on Dake’s demonology. This includes:
- Deliverance conferences charging high admission fees
- Professional “deliverance ministers” who charge for services
- Books, videos, and courses on warfare techniques
- Special oils, waters, and objects for “protection”
- Certification programs for deliverance ministry
This commercialization of spiritual warfare not only exploits vulnerable believers but also turns what should be simple ministry into a complex professional field requiring special training and techniques—exactly opposite to the biblical model.
The Social Media Amplification
Social media has given new life to Dake’s warfare teachings. Videos of dramatic “deliverance” sessions go viral. Self-proclaimed warfare experts gain massive followings. Spiritual warfare memes spread fear and superstition. Young believers, lacking theological grounding, absorb these teachings without understanding their source or dangers.
Popular phrases on Christian social media that trace back to Dake include:
- “I bind you, Satan!”
- “I loose angels of prosperity!”
- “I break every demonic stronghold!”
- “I declare victory over every territorial spirit!”
- “I command every demon to flee!”
These declarations, shared and reshared millions of times, perpetuate Dake’s formulaic approach to spiritual warfare without users knowing the source or problems with such teaching.
The Pastoral Response: Shepherding the Fearful
Pastors face a significant challenge in addressing Dake’s warfare errors in their congregations. Many believers have been so indoctrinated in extreme warfare teaching that biblical balance seems like compromise or weakness.
Common Pastoral Challenges
Pastors report these recurring issues when dealing with warfare extremism:
- Members who see demons everywhere – Requiring constant reassurance and intervention
- Pressure to hold warfare events – Demands for prayer mapping and territorial binding
- Resistance to medical treatment – Members refusing help while “fighting spiritual battles”
- Church conflicts blamed on demons – Avoiding responsibility by spiritualizing problems
- Fear of addressing the issue – Concern about being labeled “unspiritual” or “powerless”
Pastoral Strategies for Correction
Effective pastoral responses to warfare extremism include:
Recommended Pastoral Approach:
- Teach systematically through Ephesians 6 – Show the defensive nature of spiritual armor
- Emphasize Christ’s victory – Preach series on the finished work of Christ
- Model biblical prayer – Demonstrate submission to God’s will in public prayer
- Address specific errors gently – Correct false teaching without attacking individuals
- Provide counseling – Offer help to those struggling with warfare-induced fear
- Partner with professionals – Work with Christian counselors and medical professionals
- Create safe spaces – Allow people to share their struggles without judgment
Success Stories
Churches that have successfully transitioned away from warfare extremism share common characteristics:
- Patient, consistent biblical teaching over time
- Emphasis on the love and sovereignty of God
- Focus on practical discipleship and service
- Celebration of Christ’s victory rather than constant battle
- Balanced acknowledgment of spiritual realities without obsession
A Pastor’s Testimony
“Our church was consumed with spiritual warfare for years. Every service included binding and loosing. Members lived in fear. Evangelism stopped as we focused on fighting invisible enemies. Finally, I began preaching through the Gospels, showing how Jesus dealt with demons—simply, authoritatively, without elaborate rituals. Gradually, our people found freedom. Today, we acknowledge spiritual realities but focus on the gospel. Our church is healthier, happier, and more effective than ever.”
—Pastor Michael, Midwest United States
The Theological Foundations: Why Dake Was Wrong
Understanding why Dake’s warfare teaching is wrong requires examining several fundamental theological errors in his system.
Error 1: Misunderstanding Satan’s Current Status
Dake taught that Satan maintains significant authority and power that believers must actively combat. But Scripture teaches that Satan is already defeated and his power is limited:
Biblical Truth About Satan’s Defeat:
- His power is broken: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31)
- His works are destroyed: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8)
- His accusations are overcome: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11)
- His doom is certain: “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20)
Satan is not a rival deity requiring constant combat but a defeated foe whose judgment is certain. Our stance is not offensive warfare but defensive standing in Christ’s victory.
Error 2: Inflating Human Authority
Dake’s teaching that believers have the same authority as Christ ignores the crucial distinction between Christ’s inherent authority as God and our delegated authority as His servants. Consider the biblical evidence:
| Christ’s Authority | Our Authority |
|---|---|
| Inherent as God (Matthew 28:18) | Delegated by Christ (Luke 10:19) |
| Unlimited and absolute | Limited to His will |
| Commands creation | Submits to God’s sovereignty |
| Judges all things | Under Christ’s judgment |
We are not “little gods” with independent authority but servants operating under our Master’s authority and within His will.
Error 3: Creating Extrabiblical Revelation
Dake’s detailed demonology—naming specific demons, describing hierarchies, explaining territorial assignments—goes far beyond biblical revelation. He essentially created new doctrine based on speculation and imagination rather than Scripture.
The Bible’s relative silence on these matters is intentional. God has told us what we need to know about spiritual warfare—that it exists, that Christ has won the victory, and that we stand firm in His strength. The elaborate details Dake added distract from these simple truths and create unnecessary complexity and fear.
Big Word Alert: Extrabiblical
Extrabiblical means information or teaching that comes from outside the Bible. When teachers claim to know details about spiritual things that the Bible doesn’t tell us, they’re adding extrabiblical material. This is dangerous because it puts human ideas on the same level as God’s Word.
The Warning Signs: Identifying Warfare Extremism
How can believers identify when spiritual warfare teaching has crossed the line from biblical to extreme? Here are key warning signs:
Red Flags of Extreme Warfare Teaching:
- More time on warfare than worship – Services focused on fighting rather than praising
- Fear-based ministry – Constant warnings about demonic attack
- Formula dependence – Specific words or rituals required for protection
- Blame shifting – Every problem attributed to demons
- Special knowledge claims – Leaders claiming unique insight into the spirit world
- Financial exploitation – Selling protection or deliverance
- Medical negligence – Discouraging medical treatment
- Relationship destruction – Accusations of demonization within families
- Exhaustion and burnout – Constant battle mentality
- Gospel neglect – Warfare replacing evangelism and discipleship
When these signs appear, it’s time to return to biblical balance and simplicity.
Chapter Summary: Main Points
Key Takeaways from Chapter 11:
- • Dake created an elaborate, unbiblical system of demonology that goes far beyond Scripture
- • His teaching turns normal Christian life into exhausting, constant spiritual warfare
- • The formula approach to binding and loosing treats God’s name like magic
- • Believers are not “little gods” with unlimited authority but servants under Christ
- • Territorial spirit teaching distracts from the gospel mission
- • These errors have spread globally through the Word-Faith movement
- • Many believers suffer mental, spiritual, and relational damage from extreme warfare
- • Christ has already won the victory—we stand in His triumph, not fight for it
- • Biblical spiritual warfare is simple, defensive, and confidence-building, not complex and fear-inducing
- • Recovery from warfare extremism requires returning to biblical balance
A Prayer for Freedom and Balance
Heavenly Father,
We thank You that in Christ, we are more than conquerors. Thank You that Jesus has already defeated Satan, destroyed his works, and set us free from fear and bondage.
Forgive us for the times we have acted as though the victory was uncertain, as though we had to win what Christ has already won. Forgive us for trusting in formulas and techniques rather than resting in Your finished work.
For those trapped in extreme spiritual warfare teaching, we pray for freedom. Open their eyes to see the simplicity and sufficiency of the gospel. Release them from fear of demons and obsession with invisible enemies. Help them to rest in Christ’s victory.
For those damaged by these teachings—those who’ve experienced mental anguish, relationship breakdown, or faith crisis—we pray for healing and restoration. Show them Your love that casts out fear. Rebuild their faith on the solid foundation of Your Word.
For pastors and leaders, give wisdom to address these errors with grace and truth. Help them to shepherd Your people away from fear and into faith, away from formulas and into relationship with You.
Lord, help Your church to maintain biblical balance—acknowledging spiritual realities without obsession, standing against evil without fear, exercising authority without presumption.
Most of all, help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who has already won every victory we need.
In Jesus’s mighty name, Amen.
Conclusion: Standing in Victory, Not Fighting for It
The young mother from our opening story eventually found freedom, but not through more warfare techniques or better formulas. She found it through the simple biblical truth that Christ has already won the victory. Today, she lives free from fear, focusing on loving God and serving others rather than fighting invisible enemies.
Her testimony echoes that of countless others who have escaped Dake’s exhausting system: “I thought I had to fight for victory. Then I learned I could simply stand in the victory Christ already won. That changed everything.”
This is the fundamental error of Dake’s extreme spiritual warfare teaching—it puts believers in the position of trying to win a war that’s already over. It focuses on Satan’s defeated schemes rather than Christ’s completed victory. It creates fear where there should be faith, exhaustion where there should be rest, and bondage where there should be freedom.
The apostle Paul, who knew more about spiritual warfare than Dake ever did, summarized the Christian position simply: “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Not “will give” or “might give” or “gives if we use the right formulas”—but “giveth,” present tense, accomplished fact.
This is our position: victorious in Christ. Not because of our authority, our formulas, or our warfare techniques, but because of His finished work on the cross. We don’t fight for victory; we fight from victory. We don’t battle to defeat Satan; we stand in Christ who has already defeated him.
May the church reject Dake’s exhausting warfare system and return to the biblical simplicity of resting in Christ’s completed work. May believers find freedom from fear and formula, discovering instead the peace and confidence of knowing that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.
And may those still trapped in extreme warfare teaching hear the words of Jesus echoing through the centuries: “It is finished” (John 19:30). The victory is won. The enemy is defeated. We can rest in Christ’s triumph.
The war is over. We won. Or rather, Christ won, and we share in His victory. This is the gospel truth that Dake’s elaborate demonology obscures but cannot overcome. This is the message the church needs to hear, believe, and proclaim.
Stand firm, then, not in your own authority or ability, but in the victory of Jesus Christ. And having done all, simply stand (Ephesians 6:13).
Sources
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963. New Testament, p. 55, note on Matthew 10:1.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Bible Truths. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1985. Chapter 2.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Heavenly Hosts. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1976.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Bible Truths. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1985.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949. Lesson Six.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Heavenly Hosts. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1976.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Bible Truths. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1985.
Additional Sources from Dake’s Works:
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963. Notes on Ephesians 6:10-18.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. Revelation Expounded. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1970.
- Dake, Finis Jennings. The Truth about Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1980.
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