Summary of Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance by Neal Lozano

This book is a powerful & practical guide to the ministry of spiritual deliverance. For Neal Lozano, “deliverance” is a good word because it’s an overarching theme of the awesome story of salvation history in which we are delivered from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God (see Colossians 1:13).

For Lozano, spiritual deliverance is a non-confrontational way to apply to power of the Gospel to our everyday lives. Centred around 5 spiritual keys, Lozano invites us to use these 5 keys so that we may experience the full blessings of being a part of the Kingdom of God more and more every day.

To begin, Lozano invites us to picture a locked door which represents spiritual bondage.

Thankfully, Christ has won for us all 5 keys. In order to experience true & lasting spiritual deliverance, we need to use all 5 keys (4 keys is not good enough!).

Jesus wants you to use each of these 5 keys to you on a daily basis to unlock the door of spiritual bondage & experience the full blessing of His kingdom.

1st Key: Repentance and Faith.

Since sin is fundamentally a turning of our hearts away from God’s love, Jesus invites us to turn back to Him and respond in loving faith.

2nd Key: Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a choice. Based on having received the forgiveness of God from Christ crucified, we choose to “let go of the hurt and the desire for revenge” (43)… “releasing the blockage to receiving the love of God and being an instrument of His grace” (73).

“We know we have forgiven when we begin to realize that the person who has offended us is really a source of blessing. God gives us the gift of gratitude” (86).

3rd Key: Renunciation

Renunciation is a decision to break ties with any evil influences from our past. Speaking in the name and power of Jesus, we take personal responsibility to break the power of the enemies lies & empty promises & declare that we no longer agree with the lies that have been buried in our hearts.

“In the name of Jesus, I renounce the evil spirit of _______”

4th Key: Authority

  1. Put yourself in the presence of our Lord.
  2. If it helps, have a mature spiritual friend with you.
  3. Say out loud in a firm voice: “In the name of Jesus, I break the power of every evil spirit that I have renounced, and I command them to leave now.”
  4. If you have some areas of particular weakness, say, “I break the power of (i.e., selfishness, greed…) and I command it to leave now.”

5th Key: The Father’s Blessing

God the Father’s blessing is the ultimate goal, end, and aim of all deliverance. We go from bondage into blessing. In Christ, we have a new identity as the beloved children of our heavenly Father.

  1. Seek the Father’s blessing by praying with the baptism in the Jordan. The Father is delighted when you seek & ask for His blessing.
  2. Allow yourself to receive the Father’s blessing with Christ as the beloved.
  3. A prayer of thanksgiving can be a powerful way to express our reception of the Father’s blessing. “Thank You, Father, for blessing me… Thank You, Jesus, for setting me free from ___”

“Freedom from the influence of evil spirits is not an end in itself. Receiving the full blessing God has given us in His Son and becoming His disciple is. Deliverance releases us from bondage into blessing” (29).

Conclusion

Deliverance is an ongoing part of the process of conversion. Don’t look for a formula from freedom. Look for a relationship with Christ. When we consistently use the 5 keys, we can take hold of the redemption that Christ has won for us.

Remember: The Kingdom of God is on the other side of the door.

“But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’ – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:9 NRSV).

Keys to Helping Others

  1. Focus on Jesus : Jesus is the key player. Deliverance is His work, not ours. Also, don’t focus on the demon. “The only thing worth nothing that a demon says is something that reveals his entryway, his identity or his plan of destruction” (183).
  2. Listen well : Listen with love, empathy, and acceptance. Let the Lord fill you with love for this person as you listen deeply. You are only assisting. Listen to God. Stay in constant prayer.
  3. Give them freedom : Never force them. Never go where you are not invited. Allow them to take personal responsibility for their lives & respond to faith in Jesus. “Do you want to be set free?” Allow them to pray for themselves. Listen well to how they pray.
  4. Love well : “The true test of success is whether the person experienced being loved” (186). Make it your goal to love someone with the love of Jesus. Be relaxed, comfortable. Speak words of blessing, praise and thanksgiving into their lives after deliverance. Allow the Father to passionately bless them through you.