Attacks on Our Family Line

VIDEO: Generational Curses

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

God's ways are always the same. Looking at the New and Old Testament is necessary to fully understand what our Lord expects of us. Some Christians today think generational curses are nonexistent, and yet they cannot explain why the same thing that happened to their parents or grandparents shows up in their life and the lives of their family members. It may be a sickness, attitude, or a sin that we have a hard time avoiding. When we see a pattern of behavior in our parents, grandparents, or siblings, there is a chance that a generational curse from our ancestors is active. 

When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. (Ephesians 4:26-27 AMPC) 

This is one of the many places that the New Testament encourages us to turn from our sin. If sin has no effect on our life, then why should we turn from it? This is one scripture showing that the sin of anger gives the enemy an opportunity to attack us in this life. 

You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me… (Deuteronomy 5:9 AMPC)  

Certain sins can pass down negative influences to our offspring for several generations. There were other curses (plural) that were determined by the actual sin. These curses can be passed down the generational line due to that sin.  This is why we are encouraged to remove any sin immediately. When our ancestors, have sinned, it gives the enemy the right to come and tempt us into the same sin. Should we commit that sin, then the enemy has a right in our life. 

This is how generational curses travel down a family line. The sins of our ancestors may create a stronghold for demons to influence us. These influences are negative behaviors that can be seen in others along our family line. Like our DNA, they seem to be passed on from our ancestors and often we think that they are “just who we are.” If our mother or father was an alcoholic or had trouble forgiving others, we can be fooled into accepting a family trait as part of us instead of what it really is: a stronghold for the enemy to move into our life and bring sickness, attack relationships, or wreck our finances.  

A generational curse is revealed when parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents commit the same sin over and over again. These “traits” produce a particular type of behavior that is demonically influenced due to sins of our ancestors and when we continue to operate in these traits, a demonic attachment may develop. When we know how ancestral curses impact us, we can confess the sins of our ancestors (Daniel 9) and repent if we, ourselves, have personally opened the door to them. This allows the Lord to remove the stronghold of the enemy from our lives and even from the lives of our children! 

I have personally seen my own children's behavior suddenly change once I found and removed generational curses from my life.  I didn't even tell them I had prayer. One day they said, “Well, two weeks ago, I suddenly didn't feel that way anymore.” That was the same day I took care of the generational sin in my own life. We see the need for removing sin in the New Testament:   

“You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23:26 ESV)  

We must take care of all sins in our life, even internal ones. Repentance is needed to remove sins that allow a curse to remain in our lives.  

Two Types of Generational Curses  

As the bird by wandering, as the Swallow by flying; so the curse causeless shall not come. (Proverbs 26:2 KJV)   

A generational curse must have a reason to come upon us. The enemy looks to hinder and afflict us through two types of ancestral curses: 

1.     Sins
2.     Agreements 

Curses can be activated by the actions of our ancestors and must be dealt with in different ways.

Sins 

Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me. (Deuteronomy 5:9 KJV)   

Iniquity is continued and repetitive sin. When we continue in a sin, knowing that it is wrong, then this will give the enemy the right to push our descendants into sin.  The word translated “hate” is the Hebrew word sane, which can also be translated as “enemy.” Sins are actions against God’s ways and His kingdom. They align us with Satan instead of God, turning us into His enemy. This will give a curse a place to land in our lives.  

The soul that sins, it [is the one that] shall die. The son shall not bear and be punished for the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear and be punished for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him only, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon the wicked only. (Ezekiel 18:20 AMPC)   

This verse seems to say that the sins of our ancestors cannot affect us. It actually states our children, “shall not bear and be punished for the iniquity...” This means we will be punished for our own sin. When our ancestors sin, it allows the enemy to tempt us into the same sin, usually before the age of adulthood. Then that curse can now stick to us and allow the enemy to afflict us. 

We must not take the scripture out of context. The entire chapter is devoted to urging God’s people to walk in the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, we see that sin causes us to be spiritually dead:

And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins... (Ephesians 2:1 AMPC)

And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. (Revelation 3:1 AMPC)

When we are in sin, we are apart from God, we are dead. Right before this verse, we see that this is the correct application of the scripture:   

Yet do you say, Why does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right and has kept all My statutes and has done them, he shall surely live. (Ezekiel 18:19 AMPC)   

To not bear the iniquity of the father, you have to keep ALL the statutes of God. In Israel, they had to keep all the Ten Commandments. Before Jesus, if God's people violated any part of it, then they would not receive eternal life.

If we look at the ancient language, the word translated as “live” is the Hebrew word ḥāyâ (khaw-yaw') which can mean to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously or to live forever.  We know this isn't talking about our physical life, because people who sin do not immediately die: there would be none left on the Earth! This is confirmed in the book of Job when one of his friends, whom God said spoke wrongly, suggested that man was killed for their sins. 

As I myself have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble and mischief reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed. (Job 4:8-9 AMPC)

Eliphaz the Temanite said that God's anger would consume and destroy those who were in sin. Later, Job had to intercede in prayer for Eliphaz because he had spoken wrongly about God. This means our sin does not cause God to take our life from this Earth. 

This is the context to consider when looking at what Ezekiel said to Israel. He was talking about the connection to God which provided eternal life at the time of our death, not our consequences for sin in this life on this Earth. God's people have depended on the fact that they were descendants of Abraham to receive eternal life. Ezekiel was revealing that it is our own righteousness, our own walk with God, that determines our eternal destination. John the Baptist pointed this out as well:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming? Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]; And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:7-10 AMPC)

Spiritual leaders of Israel were not removing sin from their lives. Instead, they were relying on the fact that they were descendants of Abraham to secure their place in Heaven. Our eternal life and our final destination is not determined by our ancestors. It is determined by our own relationship with God, not what our ancestors have done. No one is born ineligible for a relationship with God because of their parent's sin. However, their sin may give the enemy additional access to us.

Generational Influences

When the enemy knows there is a possibility of activating a curse, he puts pressure on us to commit the same type of sin as our ancestors so that he has a place in our lives. When there is a generational curse active, often the enemy acts in the life of a child so that a “stronghold” is developed. This allows the enemy to increase the pressure on us to operate in sin, like our ancestors continuing the curse upon the family.

When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:14 AKJV) 

In the Book of Leviticus, the first step for anyone who sinned was to recognize that they had sinned. You then were able to make a sacrifice for the sin only after you became aware of it.  

One of the first people I prayed for concerning generational curses was a red-headed acquaintance of mine; let’s call her Lucy. Like many people with flaming red hair, her temper was just as fiery as her mane. When she got mad, Lucy would explode both with words and deeds. Later she would regret her actions, but she just couldn’t seem to stop herself.  

The Holy Spirit brought us words concerning the actions of her ancestors. Even though she was adopted, she knew her biological mother was guilty of these sins. Both she and her sisters were guilty of many of the behaviors as well, which marked it as a generational curse. Those unrepented sins, along with the angry outbursts, allowed that particular curse to remain attached to her.  

After confessing for herself and renouncing the sins of her ancestors, she applied the blood of Jesus. The first weeks after the intercession prayer, Lucy found that just as she was about to have an outburst, she was able to stop, turn around, and leave the room. Of course, with each incident, she would still ask for forgiveness and plead the blood over the actions she averted.  

During the next month or so, Lucy was able to catch her temper after a single word or a hand slap on a wall. Six months later, the anger felt like it was coming from outside her. It was so foreign to her that it was almost laughable. Now, Lucy could easily push the behavior aside.  

The only way to break a generational curse is to find out what sin you have walked in that was connected to your ancestors’ sin. Through confession, this sin can be removed by the blood of Jesus and the curse will be broken. We no longer have to sacrifice an animal because of what our Lord has done, but we do need to turn from the sin!  

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26 ESV) 

When we remove a curse, the enemy will leave, sometimes for a few days or a few months. Then he will return to see if a place is still open for him to come back. We must turn from sin and not go back to it.  We must also fill our lives with God and give His Spirit a place to prevent the enemy from returning. The Lord asked us to help to free His people by having:

•     many courses of study to teach you His ways
•     fellowship groups to help you grow and apply His ways to your life
•     appointments for intercession to help set you free 
  

Agreements 

An agreement with the enemy by our ancestors can be found in many forms:  

•     Oaths and Covenants 
•     Dedications   
•     Sacrifices  

These actions can be carried out with or without the use of blood. Unlike other curses that only last three or four generations, these will remain until they are renounced, and a payment is made for the agreement. The Blood of Jesus has paid the price for our freedom, but we must confess the sins.   

Some sacrifices and oaths can be passed down our generational line. Shrines can be found outside of cities or villages in some countries. To enter certain places, visitors are required to place a sacrifice by the shrine. This is actually worshiping and offering a sacrifice to another god which may allow a demon to attach to us and be passed down to future generations. The curse will continue as long as someone in the family line commits idolatry, or a sin connected to worshiping other gods.   

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king. (1 Samuel 15:23 AKJV)  

Idolatry is not only bowing down to a statue, it is any action we stubbornly persist in doing that does not agree with the word of God.

Mortify therefore your members which are on the Earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry…  
(Colossians 3:5 KJV)  

Idolatry occurs when you desire what others have or you place your desires above God. Unless you find the root of idolatry in your life, blindly renouncing the possible sins of your ancestors will do no good. You must find the root of your sin as well as renounce your ancestors’ sin so that the curse can be broken. 

Blood Rituals  

Using blood in rituals, dedications, or oaths is a common practice in secret societies all around the world. When blood is involved, it cries out and can be used against us.  

What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10 AKJV)

So you shall not pollute the land wherein you are: for blood it defiles the land:  
(Numbers 35:33 AKJV)  

Blood always speaks. The more blood the perpetrators shed, the more judgment they fall into, and the more polluted the land becomes. Blood rituals or any form of agreement, require a witness to activate and to remove. Paul said:  

In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.  (2 Corinthians 13:1 KJV) 

One witness is from the person declaring a statement and the other is from the blood that cries out from the ground. This is how blood dedications, blood sacrifices, and blood oaths can affect us. They must be removed in the same way.

And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].  (Hebrews 12:24 AMPC)

Praise God that the perfect blood of Jesus still cries out for mercy! Its cry will trump any other blood that cries out. 

Oaths, covenants, dedications, and sacrifices create written agreements between our ancestors and Satan’s kingdom. It will take a verbal confession and the blood of Jesus stated as payment to remove them. I have seen this many times in visions as we pray.  

When a person renounces their ancestors’ sin and confesses and repents for their own sin, a legal agreement between the ancestors and the enemy is placed before the Lord. As they plead the blood over the sins, the Lord places His palm on the document. When it is removed, it is stamped with His blood, “Paid in full.”  

Once you have faith in the necessity of addressing your sin and the payment made for you by Jesus, you are ready to claim your freedom. When God reveals a generational sin, you should do the following:

•     Acknowledge that you and your ancestors have sinned.   
•     Acknowledge that the Mighty Judge was right to judge you and your ancestors, and you have been justly afflicted by the enemy.   
•     Plead the blood over the sins of your ancestors and your sins as well.   
•     Ask the Lord to contend for you in the Courts, removing any cases where the sins have been blotted out.   
•     Ask the Lord to remove all curses that no longer have a place to land in your life and restore all the enemy has taken from you.  

God sent His only begotten Son to die for you because of His deep love for you. God has a purpose and a great destiny for each one of you. There is hope in Christ, once we become aware of what is against us. Keep your eyes focused on Him and may the Holy Spirit, our Counselor in Heaven, make you aware of any generational curses that you need to remove. 

Sometimes we need help to find the root cause or how we have come into agreement with the sins of our ancestors. This is why we have intercession available at our Online Christian Church.  

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