Territorial Spirits

Definition and Meaning

Territorial spirits (Korean jiyeok gwisin), also called regional spirits, are evil spirits believed to be attached to a particular area and to influence its people and society. The Korean term is a translation of the English "territorial spirits." Those who accept the concept attribute the difficulty of spreading the gospel in certain areas to opposition from the spirits that control them. They therefore hold that the way is opened for evangelism and missions only when the names and characteristics of these spirits are identified and the spirits are resisted through prayer. Such prayer and related activities are commonly called "strategic-level spiritual warfare."

Biblical and Historical Background

Proponents cite three principal passages:

• Daniel 10:13, 20: the account in which "the prince of the kingdom of Persia" and "the prince of Grecia" hindered an angel
• Ephesians 6:12: the struggle "against principalities, against powers"
• Mark 5:10: the scene in which the demons besought Jesus "that he would not send them away out of the country"

Critics hold that these passages merely show the reality of the spiritual realm. In their view, these texts do not teach believers to identify regional spirits, call them by name, and confront them.

The concept became widely known from the late 1980s through leaders of the Third Wave and charismatic streams, such as C. Peter Wagner. George Otis Jr. and others proposed "spiritual mapping," a method of researching the history and religion of a region to identify the strongholds of spiritual forces. In the 1990s, discussions of spiritual warfare reportedly took place within the Lausanne Movement as well. In the course of these discussions, critics argued that the concept lacked sufficient biblical support and voiced concern that it could foster an excessive preoccupation with demons.

Practice in the Korean Church

The concept was introduced to Korea from the 1990s onward through translations of books by Wagner and others and through various conferences. Some churches and mission organizations of Pentecostal and charismatic orientation have applied it to "land-treading prayer" (prayer walking through an area) and to intercessory prayer for particular regions. They understand these activities as a practical way of dealing with spiritual resistance on the mission field.

Critics, including Presbyterian theologians of the Reformed tradition, take a different position. They hold that the means of spiritual warfare emphasized in Scripture are the proclamation of the gospel, prayer, and the Word. They contend that attempts to determine the names and ranks of spirits rely on extrabiblical speculation and resemble a shamanistic worldview (see The Korean Church and Shamanism).

The concept of territorial spirits also reportedly became a target of criticism as various denominations studied and issued cautions concerning the New Apostolic Reformation. Land-treading prayer conducted at the facilities of other religions has provoked public controversy, prompting voices within the Korean church to call for restraint.