I remember growing up and seeing movie characters say things like “I curse you!” or “A hex on you!”. Usually, it was some witch or another evil villain. I never thought much else of curses beyond that until a few years ago, because honestly, I didn’t even think curses were real. I am sure that many, like myself, fit the idea of a curse into the realm of fantasy and fiction as I once did.
My first encounter with a curse came about two years ago when unexpectedly, a stye formed on my right eye. It was very scary not knowing why I suddenly had this giant, painful sore on my eye. Each day it became larger and more painful, and the panic rose within me as I wondered what I had done to deserve something so awful. That is until I found out what I was really dealing with. A curse.
Thankfully I was able to work with a friend in prayer to find out the deeper spiritual root of the sty. With prayer, the sty disappeared very quickly. That is until a new one appeared just a day later.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Romans 12:19
So what exactly is a curse? Well according to Merriam-Webster a curse is:
1: a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one: a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon one
2: a profane or obscene oath or word
3: evil or misfortune that comes as if in response to imprecation or as retribution
4: a cause of great harm or misfortune: torment
When we break down the meaning of a curse, it is words spoken with contempt and the intent to cause harm, or a punishment (by God). A curse causes all types of misfortune or torment to the person the words are spoken over, but every curse is not a punishment from God. In my case a curse caused four styes to form on my eyes, as I searched for the true root.
No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 54:17
Curses are commonly found in the Bible. The first time we see a curse being spoken is by God in Genesis 3:14-15. God speaks this curse over the serpent (Satan) to be lower than an animal and hated by mankind. Before Lucifer entered the Garden to tempt Adam and Eve, he was an anointed guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God. His actions of betrayal against God, and his attempt to be a god are what brought this terrible curse on him.
The next curse we see is over the ground in Genesis 3:17-19. This was a direct result of the disobedience of God’s command to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam decided to listen to another human instead of trusting in the word of God. Adam not only listened to another human, but he listened to someone who was under the spell of Lucifer the deceiver.
With each of these curses, there was an attempt to take God’s place by changing the laws given to them. These curses are a result of disobeying God by trying to take His place and breaking the spiritual laws. They are the consequences of our agreement with sin. As we see in Deuteronomy 28:15-68, the entire list of curses are results of disobedience.
Even though there are curses against man for disobedience towards God, these curses are not acts of evil. God does not do evil, and it is not possible for Him to do anything contrary to His nature. God is good, and He is a God of justice. These punishments are fair and just because they are results of the betrayal of God.
Another type of curse mankind is under is the curse that comes when we try to follow the law. We are no longer commanded to follow the Levitcal Law. However, if we try to live under the Law instead of God’s new covenant, we are still held accountable for the punishment that comes from disobeying the Law.
We are redeemed from following the Law through the blood of Christ and instead are under a new covenant of grace. This covenant was established to protect us from our own proclivity towards sin. The sacrifice Christ made for us on Calvary began the Year Of The Lord’s Favor, a season where we have God’s grace and mercy for our sin, as long as we repent.
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
Galatians 3:10
Another type of curse is an agreement with sin through the false beliefs that come with it. A curse cannot affect us if we do not have any agreement with that curse. For example, when the person placed a curse over my eyes, I had an agreement with that curse through my self-hatred. My self-hatred was a deeply rooted belief system that I was evil and deserved punishment. This belief system aligned my body, mind, and soul with the effects of the curse, so it took root in me.
My self-hate was also a sin because to hate myself is to hate who God created me to be. Self-hatred is also a form of hatred towards God because as a human I am created in God’s image and as a Christian, I am a reflection of the work of the Holy Spirit in me. Self-hatred is also an act of rebellion against God, and therefore not only a sin but also breaking spiritual laws against God. There are many other such instances when we can agree with a curse through our beliefs and sin, and allow it affects to take hold of us, without realizing what is happening.
For me, it took me several weeks of working through repenting of my self-hatred, forgiving myself and others, as well as understanding how deeply it was affecting me, for the curse to be lifted. I suffered from four different styes on my eyes because of my own self-hatred. It was a huge blessing in the long run because it allowed God to do a mighty work of healing within me. I would not have gotten to such deep roots of pain if I had not been cursed in the first place.
We do not have to be the one to sin to experience the result of the curse. If our forefathers, like Adam and Eve, have made agreements with Lucifer, trusting in him over God, then we as the offspring are subject to those curses. The reason these curses are allowed to affect future generations is that Lucifer is careful to ensure that every contract he makes is in blood and inclusive of all future generations.
Generational curses are a common type of curse. They come down the familial bloodline into every generation until they are broken. A generational curse starts with either making a covenant or pact with Lucifer. For example, previous generations in my family participated in blood sacrifices and rituals, giving the rights to the family bloodline to Lucifer. No one else in the family knew, so the rights to my family stayed intact until I broke them.
This means that Lucifer has had rights to my entire family line, with the ability to use whatever means of destruction he chose against each one of us. Self-hatred was only one of the many ways I was aligning myself with Lucifer and allowing him dominion over my life. If I hadn’t been willing to go into the depths of inner healing and see the hidden secrets of my family, I would never be free from this line of generational curses, and neither would my children. This is why deliverance is absolutely necessary.
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 on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:5-6
We must all take the courage to stand and fight against the devil in a cruel and perverse world. We must all be willing to truly surrender our hearts and souls over to the Lord. That means going to places that have been hidden from us so that Jesus can be the one to set us free. It has never been easy to see I have agreed with sin, or agreed with curses against me. When I found out that I had four styes because of hidden self-hatred, I wanted to hate myself even more. Yet I took all that anger and despair to the Lord, so He could show me the truth. I was already forgiven for my sin, all I had to do was release myself from the contract I had made with it.
We will always have trials and tribulation in this world. We were not meant to live a perfect and pain-free life. We were meant to live a spirit-filled and grateful life, by the power of Christ. It is through His strength that we stand to fight another day. Jesus has given us His Spirit and His power so we can truly overcome these obstacles set in our paths. Until then, we must use every obstacle, every pain, every moment of suffering, to draw near to Him, allowing Him to be our everything.
We cannot look to the world to ease our pain and suffering. There is no amount of healing, or medicine, or freedom that can replace the love of God we truly desire. I would never trade a life without suffering for a life without Christ. On the contrary, I will choose to suffer, over and over again, if it means just one day with the Lord. Thankfully, He is with me always, through the good and the bad, and I can learn to lean on Him through it all.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:12-13
Finding out you have a curse, or generational curse is only the beginning of a path of healing. Every single Christian needs deliverance and emotional healing and recovery. Deliverance is a great way to begin to break off generational curses over us, but it is only the beginning. Living a life for Christ is living a life of sacrifice and of submission. It takes commitment and work, but it is worth every bit of it.
You are not alone on this journey. I am right there with you, suffering and rejoicing as you are. Together, we will build an army strong, for the day when the Lord returns. Until then, remain faithful and seek Him with all your heart, as I am.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23