Can A Believer Be Cursed?

Yesterday a message was left on my answering machine by a friend who's been experiencing much ongoing affliction in her life for a number of years. Her life has been difficult from childhood and as a result... though she has been a believer for years and loves the Lord... her wounded soul has been very resistant to sound biblical councelling. She is now alone and disabled, due to suffering from several chronic physical conditions, and she is on pain-killers, which makes it difficult for her to focus. My heart goes out to her. Throughout the years I've prayed with her, ministered to her with the Word, been there for her as a friend...trying not to be like one of Job's "comforters..." all to no avail. This time, as has been the case on other occasions, she wanted prayer because she believes that someone is cursing her. My first inclination was to call her and once again pray and loose (shatter, destroy) the power and effects of any curse that may have been spoken against her. However, this time, as I was about to once again come to her rescue, I was stopped in my tracks as Proverbs 26:2 was brought to my remembrance:

"Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight."

I put the phone down and asked Father to give me His insight into this scripture. First He revealed that a curse can't take hold unless there's a place for it to light...a cause. He showed me that it does no good to loose the power and effects of a curse unless the cause is first dealt with.

The terms "blessing" and "curse" are covenant terms. In order to be able to relate to these terms we must have a basic understanding of covenant. It would behoove every Christian to do a study on covenant, as the subject is too extensive to cover here. Briefly though, in biblical terms a covenant is a contract between God and His people, with conditions laid out to which both parties agree. Biblical covenant is where each party agrees to completely give their whole being to the other...name, possessions, reputation, protection, provision...for life, then the covenant is sealed in blood. There are advantages (blessings) to upholding these conditions, and consequences (curses) for failing to do so. One can familiarize themselves with covenant blessings and curses in Deut. 28. The foundational conditions of covenant are based upon the Ten Commandments, and are summed up by Jesus in two requirements...to love (resulting in obedience) the Lord your God with your whole being, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Because mankind, in his fallen state, is incapable in himself of keeping the conditions of the covenant in all of its intricacies, it was necessary for God to make provision for us by coming to earth as the Son of Man...Jesus Christ...to perfectly fulfill the conditions of covenant on our behalf. Then the perfect, innocent One shed His blood as the ultimate sacrifice... the Lamb of God. He became our substitute and representative by taking upon Himself the sin of all mankind, along with all of the curses for breaking covenant, paying the ultimate price...death on the cross, once for all. We were "in"Him (joined with Him) as He suffered on the cross. In Him we died and were buried. We were in Him when He was resurrected as the Son of God with power, in Him we were reconciled to Father God, and in Him we ascended on high and are seated with Him in heavenly places. As He is, so are we in this world! These are all covenant concepts we must grasp in order to fully realize what Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf.

Understanding and having faith in the work of the cross of Jesus Christ and applying it daily and consistantly to our lives is what prevents the curse from alighting on us. However, first of all we must see our need for a Redeemer, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23). We must understand that the heart of man is desperately sick and wicked (Jer. 17:9), acknowledge that in God's sight our human righteousness is as filthy rags (Is.64:6), and repent from the heart for our sins. We must realize that Jesus died for the ungodly (Ro. 5:6)... all of mankind, while we were sinners (Ro. 5:8)...and while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son (Ro. 5:10).

We must be able to receive forgiveness for our sins and we must forgive those who sin against us. No sin, no matter how horrific, is too great to be atoned for by the blood of Jesus and forgiven; no sickness, disease, or wound of soul or body is beyond the healing power of the cross of Jesus; no torment is beyond the chastisement that Jesus bore on our behalf so that we could receive the peace that passes all understanding...unless, of course, we refuse to forgive ourselves or others (Mk. 11:25-26; Matt. 18:21-35).

Some causes that allow curses to alight:

• Practicing sin and corruption (Heb. 10:20)


• Lack of knowledge and understanding of covenant concepts


• Failure to know and understand covenant provisions and apply them to one's life


• Failure to understand the affects and consequences of the fall of Adam on mankind


• Unwillingness to acknowledge one's sin (your own sins against God, yourself, and others... and your wrong reactions to those who sin against you)


• Victim mentality, the constant replaying of painful memories with the unwillingness to release them and forgive those who were involved...and justifying that unforgiveness...or deny that you haven't forgiven.


• Failure to repent of sins


• Failure to consecrate oneself to God


• Unbelief (without faith it's impossible to please God)


• Disobedience and rebellion


• Idolatry (putting people and things before God)


• Murmurring


• Ignorance of the Word


• Double-mindedness (can receive nothing from God)


• Unforgiveness toward self and/or others (Failure to walk in love)


• Failure to ask for and receive healing for wounds in the soul once forgiveness has been applied to a situation, making one more vulnerable to repeat offenses


• Fear (placing faith in the circumstances and negative reports rather than in God's promises of deliverance)


• Placing trust in mankind or one's own strength rather than in the power of God (Jer. 17:5-10)


• Failure to have faith in God's transforming power to be accomplished in you and in others


• Misconceptions of God


• Belief systems contrary to the Word of God (Truth)


• Failure to renew the mind with the Word of God


• Wrong expectations


• Failure to guard one's heart from ungodly influences


• Meditating more on world events than on things of God

If after examining our hearts for a "cause" we find none, then we need to put on the full armor of God, finding applicable truths in God's Word to meditate on. Counter the circumstances with Truth and stand in agreement with Truth. Then, "having done all to stand, stand firm, therefore..." (Eph. 6:13-14), "considering it all joy that the testing (proving) of your faith produces endurance..." (James 1:2-4) rejoicing in the fact that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28) and glorifying God as He demonstrates His faithfulness to His Word and His willingness to act on your behalf...delivering you out of all of your afflictions (Ps. 34:19).