Demons

[mrcorey]

We seem to keep having this debate.

I am fairly new to this forum and have not seen any discussions on demons. That's why I posted my questions.

Corey

[Aim_64bIT]

In the scripture, even the people who are damned could cast out devils (Mat 7:22). How much more, then, can a born-again believer cast out devils? We know that if any man be a worshiper of God and do his will, the same God heareth. Jesus is the LORD, God of Hosts, and he is head of all principality and power. His accusers could not even lay hands on him before his time had come. Blessed be the Lord God of our salvation: his mercy endureth forever.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

(Isaiah 54:17 KJV)

Edited October 28, 2005 by Aim_64bIT

[apothanein kerdos]

There is a distinct difference between posession and opression. To use slavery and discrimination as an example:

Slavery is the posession of another person. That person is your property and belongs to you. You can do what you will with that person and they are under your complete command. Posession always includes opression, however opression does not always include posession. In the instance of discrimination, African Americans were opressed by certain segregationists. This included hurting them, trying to take away their rights, and performing acts against them, yet at no point was any African American owned by these evil people.

It is the same with Christians. Due to the fact we are already owned by God, we cannot be posessed by demons. However we can be opressed, that is, attacked and put down...this is not the same as posession in that we have the will to work against these powers.

[Scarletprayers]

Good explanation SJ!

[nebula]

We seem to keep having this debate.

I am fairly new to this forum and have not seen any discussions on demons. That's why I posted my questions.

Sorry - that wasn't directed at you . . .

It was a pre-defense maneuver knowing the objections I would likely get hit with - like before.

Ask all you w ant, OK?

[felix]

In the scripture, even the people who are damned could cast out devils (Mat 7:22).

Actually, that is a misunderstanding of scripture based on OSAS.

These are men who once loved and served the Lord, even perfoming miracles in his name, but chose to turn their backs on him.

The lost do not have power to cast out devils, even in "Jesus name", as just such an attempt is recorded in the book of Acts, and it failed miserably.

Acts 19:13Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Couple points here:

1) The devil knew Jesus by name. The devil "believes" in Jesus too. Or didn't you know that?

2) The devil knew Paul by name. The devil knows who has been doing him harm.

3) The devil did not know the names of the "exorcists" who were using Jesus' name to rebuke the devil. They were unimportant, and not a threat to the demonic world.

Matthew 7:22 is therefore not proof of unbelievers casting out devils, but is rather proof against OSAS.

Nice to point this out brother.

The men here were physically hurt by these demons ..."so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded". These men were not clothed with the Holy Spirit; they were not in Christ Jesus. The demons are thus able to touch them.

Since these men did not belong to God, they posed no threat to Satan's kingdom so the demons did not know them. They were not important to them.

[Can Do (Phil 4:13)]

Hi everyone. I have a brother who is a buddhist and I believe he is riddled with demons. In the last 6 months he has been acting in a very evil, irrational way and has been to my mothers house, my nieces house and yelled abuse at them both. He destroyed pictures of my husband, children and myself. He was horrible, but not once was he able to physically harm them, just destroy property thankfully.

My question is.....IS IT POSSIBLE for my mother and I to release Russell from the demons and claim peace and restoration upon his life? The Lord brought Corinthians 13 to my mind, where it speaks of love and I got my Mum to start claiming those over Russells life this morning. I urged her to pray it over Russell every day. He lives 3000km away, but is unpredictable. He starts of smiling and then he gets very demonic in attitude and manner.

ALL HELP is appreciated!!

Faithie

[Smalcald]

Well, I've told some of these several times. But here goes.

I have had several demonic attacks in dreams. In every case, taking authority over the evil spirit in Jesus' name has ended the attack, although not neccessarily immediately.

Most of these attacks happend while I was asleep. In the dream, I would wake up, still inside the dream, with a terrible crushing sensation, and apparant paralysis. A formless, invisible force would be on top of me, I could recognize a "personality", but nothing more. There are never any describable features except for the fact that it is evil incarnate. the paralysis is so complete that often I cannot open my mouth to speak at first, and must rebuke it in my mind in Jesus name several times just to get the strength to speak. Sometimes after I finally can speak, the evil spirit would be thrown up against the wall in my room. Sometimes afterward I would get out of bed, still in the dream, and turn on the lights. Usually the dream ends at that point and I wake up for real. At least one time, however, I woke up into another dream being attacked by the same spirit. It took a while to realize I was still asleep, and it was all part of the evil spirits mind tricks. I don't know how often I have a dream like this, sometimes it happens more often, sometimes less.

Some times it afflicts me physically when I am wide awake, such that I feel needles, or whatever it is, tearing through my face or other body parts. I rebuke it, quote scripture, etc. It always goes away. Sometimes with less of a fight, sometimes more.

the devil doesn't leave you alone as you grow in Christ. Teh book of Job ought to be enough evidence against that, but just in case. Paul spoke about putting on the whole armor of God. Peter said that the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

Poke a hole in an ant nest, and you might not get any ants. Poke a few more, and they're coming out to see who's encroaching on their turf. The devil is the same way. If your doing anything at all for the Lord, he, satan, is going to start getting ticked off at you destroying his kingdom of darkness.

But there is good news. Satan has already been tried and convicted. His sentence is sure to come soon.

Col. 2:10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

I have had the same sort of dreams, they happened in a succession many years ago over a one-year period, but are still very vivid. In mine however I was literally engaged in a fight, it was like a whirlwind with a wild beast or animal, I did not feel that I had "won" the fight, but I also did not feel like I had been doomed either.

I have not had any in many years, but they stand in my mind as a spiritual warfare that I must be on guard for and be ready for, but they only stopped with the use of scripture and prayer.

If you ever read the descriptions of what some of the ancient believers went through in the second and third centuries this sounds close to it. As we have grown more modern I think many of us and the Christian community in general is less open about talking about these experiences.