A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES
By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com
Perhaps the reason many Biblicists have trouble understanding – or believing - that demons can and do attach themselves to people today is because most perceive demons to be like fire-breathing monsters.
They seldom are, but it is easy to think that all demons are raging dragons like the demon named Legion whom Jesus shifted into the pigs which then went berserk and head-bombed to their death off a cliff.
Legion is a powerhouse demon but is weak in the presence of the Creator.
Mark 5:1-20 tells us Legion was attached to an unnamed man who was made super strong and violent.
Verse 4 says, “For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.” We haven’t read of anyone like that on the news lately, or ever.
Likely, Legion is a freak, a powerhouse but a lesser light than Satan. And, likely, the majority of demons are weaker than Legion and work quietly in the shadows.
Remember the demonized guy we read about in Mark 1:23-26 who was in the synagogue when he locked eyes with Christ, the Messiah?
Mark writes, “Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, ‘What do You have to do with us, Jesus - Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God.’”
“But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet, and come out of him!
“And the unclean spirit convulsed him, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.”
Prior to seeing Jesus, the demonized man likely blended in with the Temple crowd and worked for Satan as an inside operative.
If his demon had been a raging nutcase like Legion, he would not have been able to interact normally with the Temple drop-ins before Christ showed up. Perhaps he presented himself as just a mumbling heretic or as a silent Joe with a twitch and an evil agenda.
The Bible reports that Jesus confronted many demonized people in His travels and swept away their unclean spirits with a quick command.
Likely, those demonized people were used by Jesus to validate His power, to prove that He was the promised Messiah. Onlookers must have been in awe when Jesus flicked evil spirits away and brought peace and health to people with mental and physical issues.
How do we acquire a demon and what are the signs we have one?
A Christian counsellor, Shirley, who works with people who are demonized and the fallout from that, says we acquire a demon(s) today when we sin.
“Sin gives a demon a legal right to be with us,” she says. “There usually aren’t any signs we have a demon. Demons are cunning and don’t want to be revealed.
“There are demonic manifestations when a person has many demons. Demons manifest only when they think they have a person in complete bondage. It helps to know that the main battle is for a person’s mind, not the body.”
There are several ways that demons attach to us.
Getting involved with satanic blood rituals is inviting Satan into your living room.
Blood rituals are used by hard-core Satanists to summon demons to attach to helpless children who are often served up by Satan-worshipping parents. The end result for the child is a crazed and controlled mind. The only source of healing lies in the work of Christ and His healing blood.
Past or present involvement in occult activities such as Ouija boards, tarot cards, astrology, seances, necromancy (contacting the dead), and divination also invite demons to link to us.
Involvement in false religions is a door-opener. according to 1Timothy 4:1 and Matthew 24:24, false religions are ultimately doctrines of demons.
Why aren’t Christian leaders sounding the alarm?
You’d think we’d be taught more about the work of demons from Christian pulpits today. After-all, they are often mentioned in the Bible, and they did interacted with Christ while He was on Earth.
Sadly, these subjects are usually ignored. Too many Christian pastors avoid addressing the topic of demonism because it is may be uncomfortable for the pew dwellers. It gets shoved to the back of the bus, or thrown under it.
It is quite wrong to think that demons were active at the time of Jesus and the early Christian church but are inactive today. It is quite the opposite.
Fact is, they are more active today, and they gain more control of us the more we allow the protective walls of God to slide down.
1Timothy 4:1-3 says that in the latter days people will give into deceiving spirits and "doctrines of demons."
It makes sense that dealing with a demonized person would frighten most of us. But we must remember that God has a larger army of patrolling angels which the Creator has ready to protect His own if we ask Him. But like salvation, we must ask.
Why might a demon maintain a low profile?
After attachment, a demon may lie low for some time, maybe years, before being triggered into action by Satan. Rattlesnakes wait.
A demon can function like a disease that is dormant in a child and becomes active years after taking up residence. Under orders from the Prince of Darkness, a demon often functions in a person like a terrorist sleeper cell. Satan is patient and cunning as a lion, ready to pounce, harm, or destroy.
Do we not see hints of that today? Not all the high school and college mass killers out there get crazy because of mind-altering drugs or from being picked on by their peers. No, many are likely demonized.
Satan is powerful. He was once the mighty angel Lucifer who lured one third of the angelic force to worship him, then sought God’s power. Revelation 12:3-4 reports the rebels were tossed out and are all Hell-bound.
Here are some biblical facts about Satan.
1. Satan is the ruler of this world: John 12:31; 14:31; 16:11
2. He is the prince of the power of the air: Ephesians 2:2
3. He is the god of this world: 2 Corinthians 4:4
4. He promises the world to those who will obey him: Matthew 4:8-9
5. His domain is a sinful world: 1 John 5:19
6. God is more powerful than Satan: 1 John 4:4
7. Satan rules the world through deception: Revelation 12:9
Satan's war against God is for domain or property rights of our soul.
1. Because of inherited sin, Satan has a toehold in us at birth.
2. God pays our sin debt with His blood: 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Acts 20-28; Peter 1:18; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation5-9
3. When a person becomes a Christian, Satan goes to war with him trying to make him fall away: Ephesians 6:10-18; 4:27 4. Satan is more at war with Christians than non-Christians.
5. Satan schemes to bring Christians under damnation of God: 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 13:28, 39
6. He sets hidden snares for Christians: 2 Titus 2:26; 1 Titus 3:7
Historical victories of Satan
1. Tricking Adam and Eve to eat forbidden fruit.
2. Enticing God's people to worship idols and to murder Jesus Christ: Luke 22:3
3. Prompting Christians to give up on the faith and fall away: 1 Titus 1:18-20
4. Tricking us to believe false doctrine: Titus 4:1-4
Major defeats of Satan in the Bible
1. War in Heaven. Satan is cast to earth: Revelation 12:7-9
2. Satan tests and fails God's tests with Job. Satan tells God, “You think Job is good. Take away his blessings and he will curse you."
3. Jesus refuses Satan’s earthy offers in the wilderness: Matthew 4:1-11
4. During His ministry on earth, Jesus casts out demons: Luke 10:17
5.The sinless death and resurrection of Christ defeats Satan: Colossians 14-15; Hebrews 2:14-16; 1 John 3:8; Rev 1:18
6. The “angels rejoice” every time a sinner becomes a Christian: Acts 26: 18; Colossians 1:13, Luke 5:7
Satan and the demons know that God has won and that they are damned: Matthew 25:41; John 16:11
1. Satan asks Jesus, "Have you come to torment us before the time?”:Matthew 8:29
2. “Demons believe God and tremble": James 2:19
3. Satan asks Jesus, "Do not torment me": Mark5:7, Luke 8:24. Satan asks Jesus, "Have You come to destroy us?:" Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34
How do we get free from an attached demon?
It is important to understand that a person must first be a born-again Christian for any lasting freedom from a demon or demons. If not, a tossed demon will be back in short order and seven times stronger.
Matthew 12:45 says, “Then it (the demon) goes and takes with it other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
For specific details as to how to make demons surface and see them removed by the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, write me at niteowldave@gmail.com
The Bible speaks of demonization
The power and antagonism of Satan and his hordes of demon loyalists criss-cross the Scriptures. Most of the information on demons in the Bible is in the New Testament. Other terms for demons, such as "familiar spirit," "lying spirit," "wizard" are often used.
Ancient Israel sought after evil spirits, and by New Testament times they had great influence. Christ cast out many demons and taught His followers to do the same.
In Numbers 23:2, Israel is said to have been protected from demonic influences. In Leviticus 19:31, Israel is told to have nothing to do with evil spirits.
In Matthew 4:24; 8:16, Mark 1:32-34, 39, Luke 13:32, and 16:18, Christ tosses demons and solves many other problems.
In Matthew 7:21-23, it says some people will claim to have cast out demons in Christ’s name, but not really know Him.
In Matthew 9:32-34, Jesus casts a demon from a mute/deaf man. The Pharisees claimed this demon was dismissed by the ruler of demons.
In Matthew 10:1-8, Mark 6:7, 14-15 and Luke 9:1, Christ sent His apostles out, giving them the authority to cast out demons.
In Matthew 11:18 and Luke 7:33, John the Baptist is accused of having a demon.
In Matthew 12:22-32, Mark 3:22-30, and Luke 11:14-23, Christ casts out a demon from a blind-mute man. The Pharisees accuse Him of doing it the power by Beelzebub, prince of demons, and Christ explains that attributing to Satan the miracles done by the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in the world to come.
In Matthew 15:22-28 and Mark 7:25-30, Christ casts a demon out of a woman’s daughter.
In Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-30 and Luke 9:38-43, the disciples could not cast out a demon causing epilepsy in a child. Christ said that this kind of demon required prayer and fasting to come out.
In Matthew 25:41, we read that everlasting fire is prepared for the Devil and his angels (demons).
In Mark 9:38-42 and Luke 9:49-50, Christ tells His disciples not to stop others from casting out demons in His name, even though they did not follow Him.
In Mark 16:8-10 and Luke 8:1-3, seven demons were cast out of Mary Magdalene. She helped to support His ministry and was the first to see Him when He arose from the dead.
In Luke 4:4, many demons were cast out while coming against Christ’s mission.
In Luke 10:17-20, 70 of Christ’s followers who were sent out and returned rejoicing that demons were subject to them.
In Luke 13:10-13, Christ heals a woman who had a "spirit of infirmity" for 18 years and could not stand up.
In John 7:20, 8:48-49, 52 and 10:20-21, Christ was accused of "having a demon".
In Acts 16:16-19, Paul and Silas cast a "spirit of divination" out of a woman.
In Acts 19:13-20, seven sons of Sceva were wounded when they were unable to cast out a powerful demon in the name of "Jesus whom Paul preaches." The demon recognized Jesus and Paul but not those men. The well-known event caused many to burn their magic books.
In 1 Corinthians10:19-21 and Revelation 9:20, people who worship idols were told they are worshipping demons.
In 2 Corinthians 2:11 it says, "Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
In 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 it says, "And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."
In Ephesians 6:11-12 it says, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
In James 2:19, it says that demons believe there is one God.
In James 3:13-16, it says that evil, earthly wisdom comes from demons.
In 2 Peter 2:4 it says, "For if God spared not the angels who had sinned, but having cast them down to the deepest pit of gloom has delivered them to chains of darkness to be kept for judgment."
In Jude 6-13, it says angels that left their proper place wander around doing evil and will be judged for it.
In Revelation 12:3-4, it says the great red dragon (Satan) "drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth." One third of the angels become demons.
In Revelation 16:13-14, it says demons can perform false miracles.
In Revelation 18:2, it says demons sometimes dwell in demolished cities.
