The term deliverance in religious use describes the process by which a person, believed to be under the control of an evil supernatural entity called a demon, is set free - delivered - from the control of that demon. In the New Testament, Jesus and some of His disciples are described as "casting out demons" from individuals, and thus "delivering" them from "demon possession." Certain religious groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church, have a ritual that they use in attempts to deliver people from what is perceived as demonic possession. These rituals are usually performed by a specific religious official such as a priest, and are referred to as "exorcisms."
It has not been common historically for exorcisms to be part of Protestant practice. But the rise of the
Charismatic movement has been accompanied by a surge in interest in topics related to demons within some Protestant groups. Thus deliverance ministries have become common in many Charismatic circles. Some involved in such ministries reserve the term "demon possession" to indicate specifically that they are convinced that someone is totally under the control of the evil entity. They prefer the term "demon influence" to indicate that they believe that some portion of a person's life is affected intermittently by one or more demons.
