Can a Christian Be Cursed?
The Narrow Road
Before breaking this down, we have to understand the path of salvation and our narrow road. Below I list out what that path looks like:
IN FAITH Confess Christ is Lord
Repent of your Sin
Be Baptized
RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST
BE LEAD BY THE HOLY GHOST
Desire Holiness and Sanctification through new desires of the Holy Spirit working in you *This is where deliverance and breaking of curses take place. *It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that changes you. *It is only the power of the Holy Spirit that can free you from demons and curses.
Partake in Communion, continually
Do the will of God, continually
Curses and deliverance of demonic oppression isn't as clear and step by step as salvation in the bible. This is because after you have received salvation, the Holy Spirit teaches you the rest through FAITH. Salvation opens the door of Jesus' blessing and freedom. The Holy Spirit then shows you what needs to happen to receive God's promises and freedom in faith. Just like salvation, you can't receive any of God's promises without faith.
Under the Law vs Under Christ
Understanding Our Redemption
The Law was a way to gain righteousness and salvation through physical acts in the Old Testament. Under Jesus you obtain Christ's perfect righteousness through faith, but Jesus has given us commandments to obey that have replaced the Old Testament. Now the question becomes, can a Christian receive a curse if these commandments are broken? Before we can answer this question we have to first understand the following verse:
Galatians 3:13
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
The Curse of the Law is the eternal damnation that comes upon you when you reject Jesus as your Lord and Savior. To those that are now in Christ, before you accepted Jesus you rejected him and earned the eternal death. Jesus paid the price of this eternal death (as well as sin and much more) for you to receive salvation.
Reprobates
When you live a life in opposition to God and are purposeful in your sin, God gives you what you want, a reprobate mind. The path to a reprobate mind is found in Romans 1:21, which states this type of person knew God, yet were ungrateful and didn't give God glory. God then gives this person a reprobate mind. Later in 2 Corinthians 13:5 God's word says those with a reprobate mind don't have Christ in them. No one is exempt from receiving a reprobate mind, Romans 11:20-24 tells us we can be cut off from salvation if we lose belief or stop seeking him. You reap what you sow, and a reprobate mind is the fruit of backsliding.
To answer the initial question, yes a person who once knew God can be under the curse of the law. And these curses are earned, you can't accidently fall into it. So how do we obey God's New Testament commandments and avoid the curse of the Law?
Galatians 5:18
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
If you ARE lead by the Holy Spirit you are NOT under the Law
If you are NOT lead by the Holy Spirit you ARE under the Law
But what does it mean to be lead by the Holy Spirit?
Galatians 5:19-22
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
The Holy Spirit removes you from the desires of the flesh and the works of the flesh remove you from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings freedom from the law as well as the power to set you free from the curses of the law. This only comes when you are under the Holy Spirit. This leads us to the next question, what does it truly mean to be under the Spirit of God?
Victory over sin, right?
To be in Christ
Just like the victory over sin through Jesus (Romans 6:14), freedom is obtained in faith as you chose to walk by the Spirit. But it is a choice, you must chose to walk after the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:1-2
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
The freedom Christ gave us through his victory on the cross is as follows:
Romans 6:14
"...sin shall not have dominion over you...
Romans 6:14
"...for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Just like Romans 8:1-2 states, those in Christ don't walk after the flesh. Only then do we receive this grace in Romans 6:14. I'm not saying you have to be perfect (Jesus is! Matthew 5:48), the grace is there for you to keep pushing towards God's kindness (Proverbs 24:16 "a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again").
This grace is removed when we slide over to the reprobate mind and stop seeking the Holy Spirit. And If you're not under grace and not seeking the Holy Spirit, you're under the law. And if you're under the law, you're susceptible to receive the curses in the law.
Servant to the Master
Romans 6:16
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
The word of God states you must make an active decision to submit ALL members of your body to the will of God. If not, then you are giving yourself into sin which is death. The word of God is painting a clear picture:
If you are indeed lead by Christ, you do not fulfill the desires of the flesh and are free from the curse of the law, as well as eternal death.
If you are NOT lead by Christ, you will fulfill the desires of the flesh and are under the curse of the law, and without change you will receive a reprobate mind and obtain the eternal death.
The bible states we are under grace, but right after that it says not to give your body parts to sin which is death.
Romans 6:14-15
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
If you give your body parts and areas of your life over to sin, you forfeit God's freedom from the curse of the law. It's not a 100% guarantee you'll receive a curse and that's because God is merciful. To put it simply, living in sin gives the curse a reason to land on you.
Proverbs 26:2
"As the bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, so a curse without cause shall not alight."
What Do Curses Look Like?
It's right under your nose!
Generational curses are explained in the second commandment.
Deuteronomy 5:9
"...the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me..."
People like to look at curses expecting a "Job" scenario, but that just isn't the case most the time. Modern day curses look like breast cancer being passed down generation to generation, it looks like a family where all the women are pregnant before 17 years old, it looks like all the boys in a family going to jail at one time in their life. These REAL examples can go on for a while!
In my own life, my grandmother is Catholic and worships the statues of the saints. Without going into details, there is a very old demon enforcing this curse. Her blood line has practiced idolatry for generations and it passed down to me. Before God changed my life my idol was money, I even had a bull and bear statue representing the stock market. Yet once God changed me he had me throw it all out in Jesus mighty name! God's mercy set me free from idolatry.
A very common curse is found in Deuteronomy 23:2, God places a curse on bastard children stating they cannot enter into the congregation of the Lord for 10 generations! This is why a lot of people who have kids before they are married end up having kids who end up doing the same thing. Almost every atheist I've met has parents who are not married. I'm not implying it's a 100% sure thing they'll get a curse, but when the shoe fits, it fits!
With curses comes the enforcer of the curse, usually a devil or an unclean spirit (what many call demons). This evil spirit passes down from generation to generation and it's hard to track down it's "entry generation" because relatives can be dead or non-existent in our lives. It's even hard to find the source in your own close family because you're fighting against an evil spirit that doesn't want to get uprooted! This is why you need the Holy Spirit to revealed it.
Path to Freedom!
It is your decision make sin your enemy and rule over it. Jesus has already conquered sin but you must IN FAITH claim this victory by following the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has put many gifts on the table for us to receive in faith. The Holy Spirit leads us to receive those gifts, and freedom from curses is one of the many gifts on the table. It is no different from salvation, healing, and others, they are only obtainable in faith paid for by the blood of the Lamb.
If you do not in faith apply Christ's power with the tools given to us by the Holy Spirit, then sin will conquer you. Christ came to give us life and life in abundance. Freedom from being under addiction, lust, hate, curses, demons, evil, and wickedness. Let no one deceive you, only Jesus Christ can free you, not a specific pastor, not a special "anointed" person of God, only Jesus Christ. This is how you can receive deliverance, and be released from a curse when you go to God on your own by yourself in truth and spirit. Because Jesus' power is the only power that can set you free.
Prayer
I'm not going to give a walk along prayer like normal, I'm going to encourage you to take a season and begin to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if you're under any curses. After he's revealed it, simply confess of your sin, repent of the sin you or your ancestors have committed, and ask that God would break you free from the curses with the blood of Jesus Christ.
If you believe you need deliverance of a demonic spirit, I have a guide to receive self-deliverance here! God bless you and I'm praying this helps!