Christians Demons Part I The Spiritual War Within

Christians & Demons Part I The Spiritual War Within

Ephesians 6: 12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ”

Who is Satan? Was one of three original Archangels • Michael – Gabriel - Lucifer • Revelation 12: 7 -9 – “…war in heaven” • Luke 10: 18 – Jesus to Disciples: “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. ” • Isaiah 14: 12 – “How you have fallen O’ Morning Star, son of dawn…” • Ezekiel 28: 15 – “…you were anointed as a guardian cherub. ”

Who is Satan cont… • Hebrew - ‘sah-tan’ – “To act as an adversary” • Greek Transliteration of Hebrew word ‘satan’ or ‘satanas’ • Greek - ‘Diabolos’ – “devil”, “adversary”

Names for Satan • • “Tempter” – Matt 4: 3, 1 Thess 3: 5 “Beelzebub” (prince of demons) – Matt 12: 24 “Enemy” – Matt 13: 39 “Evil One” – Matt 13: 19, I John 2: 13 “Belial” (worthlessness) – II Cor 6: 15 “Deceiver” – Rev 12: 9 “Great Dragon” – Rev 12: 3 “Father of Lies” – John 8: 44

Satan’s Role in the Fall • Genesis 3: 1 -7 “Now the serpent was more crafty…” • Genesis 3: 14 – Prophecy of Satan’s fate • Revelation 20: 7 -10 – Satan’s fate is eternal bondage

Other Descriptions of Satan • • God of this world – 2 Corinthians 4: 4 Prowls the Earth – Job 1: 7 A murderer and the father of lies – John 8: 44 Accuser of the Brethren – Rev 12: 10 Seeks to snare men in sin – 2 Timothy 2: 26 Attacks Christians – Ephesians 6: 11 Keeps people in bondage – Acts 10: 38

‘Demon’ - Etymology • Hebrew - “Evil Spirit” • ra‛-ra ‛a h – ‘Evil’ • ru ach – ‘Breath’ • Greek – “Demon” - “Evil Spirit” - “god” • ‘daimon’ and ‘daimonion’

Where did Demons Come From? Fallen Angels Jude 1: 6 - “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home— these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. ” II Peter 2: 4 - “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment…” Offspring of Angels and Antediluvian Women Genesis 6: 2 – “…sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they took wives for themselves.

Characteristics of Demons They know who Jesus is: • Luke 4: 33 -35 – Identifies ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ • Luke 8: 28 – Demon identified Jesus as the ‘Son of the Most High God’ They can cause illness and physical affliction: • Luke 13: 10 -13 – Woman crippled by a spirit for 18 years • Luke 11: 14 – Mute man caused by mute spirit • Luke 9: 42 – Boy convulsing and foaming at the mouth – Possible Epilepsy • Matthew 12: 22 – They caused the man to be blind and mute.

Characteristics of Demons They can control the human body: • Luke 11: 14 – Mute man caused by mute spirit • Luke 9: 42 – Boy convulsing and foaming at the mouth • Matthew 12: 22 – They caused the man to be blind and mute. • Acts 19: 15 – Seven sons of Sceva and the demon possessed man They can speak through a person: • Luke 4: 41 – Demons speaking to Jesus • Luke 8: 26 – Demons begging Jesus to be merciful to them There are categories of spirits: • Mark 9: 25 – “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit, ” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. ”

Characteristics of Demons • They are disembodied and desire to be inside something living: • Luke 11: 24 -25 – “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left. ’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of the man is worse than the first. ” • They can group together as one spirit with one identity: • Mark 5: 9 – “Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name? . ’ ‘My name is Legion, ’ he replied, ‘for we are many. ’ • They can exhibit great strength: • Acts 19: 15 – Demon beat up the sons of Sceva • Luke 8: 29 – Demon possessed man breaking chains from his hands and his feet.

Believers & Demons in the Bible II Corinthians 11: 3 -4 -3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. I Tim 4: 1 -3 - The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Acts 5: 1 -10 – Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit? ”

Believers & Demons in the Bible 1 Corinthians 12: 1 -4, 7 -10 - Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed, ” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord, ” except by the Holy Spirit. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Believers & Demons in the Bible Mark 8: 31 -33 – “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. ”

I Thessalonians 5: 23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ”

Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The Triune Man How we Relate to our Environment. Experienced through the five senses Body

The Body GK - Soma – “Body” Literal flesh and blood 2 Peter 1: 13 -14 – “I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ” 2 Corinthians 5: 1 – “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

The Triune Man How we Relate to our Environment. Experienced through the five senses Body Soul How we Relate to the People Around us. The Mind, Will, Emotions.

The Soul GK - Psuche– “Breath” The divider between Spirit and Body Matthew 22: 37 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. ” 1 Corinthians 2: 14 – “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

The Triune Man How we Relate to our Environment. Experienced through the five senses Body Soul Spirit How we Relate to the People Around us. The Mind, Will, Emotions. How we Relate to God. Called the ‘Spirit in Man. ’ Faith, Hope, Reverence, Worship. Sanctification happens here

The Spirit GK - Pnuema– “Current of Air” - The part of us that indwells the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3: 16) 1 Corinthians 2: 11 – “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. ” Romans 8: 16 – “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. ” 1 Corinthians 14: 14 – “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. ”

Descriptions of Demon Possession To ‘have’ and unclean spirit • Matt 11: 18, Mark 7: 25, Luke 8: 27 To ‘be with’ and evil spirit • Mark 1: 23, Mark 5: 2 To be demonized • Matt 4: 24, 8: 16, 8: 28, Mark 1: 32, 5: 15, Luke 8: 36

“Demon Possession” Daimonizomai – ‘Possessed by a Demon’ – ‘demonized’ Mark 5: 15 – “They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down…” ‘Possession’ - English = ‘Total control’ - Greek = ‘To be afflicted by’

The Triune Christian and Demons Body Soul Spirit Our spirit is protected by the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 6: 11 Demons

Argument Against Christians Having Demons 2 Corinthians 6: 14 - Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? Scripture NEVER discusses demons influencing our ‘spirit in man’. Just our body and our soul.

“A Christian can ‘have’ a demon, just as they can have a sickness or disease. Saying a Christian can be possessed, is like saying that a person’s body is owned by an infection on that person’s finger. The infection may ‘influence’ the body, but it does not mean that it ‘owns’ the body. The same is true with demons: while a Christian can ‘have’ a demon and be in bondage (influenced), it does not mean that the person is owned by the demon. ”

Ephesians 4: 27 - “Neither give place to the devil. ” 2 Corinthians 2: 11 - “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. ”

We Are Not to Fear Satan or Demons! James 4: 7 - “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ” 1 John 4: 4 - “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ”

How do Demons Enter the Christian? Doorways that are opened in our lives either willingly or unwillingly. 1. Sins in the past before the believer came to know and accept Jesus 2. Abuse (emotional, mental, physical) 3. Past dealings with the occult 4. Un-Godly Soul Ties - Sexual sin 5. Un-forgiveness 6. Rejection 7. Destructive Secrets

Possible Evidence of Demons 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Addictions that cannot be totally beat Chronic illnesses Unusual fears Chronic relationship difficulties Suicidal thoughts Extreme behavior

Time of Response 1. Ask God to search you and reveal where demonic strongholds may exist. 2. Ask God to take away any spirit of fear that may be stopping you from seeing these strongholds 3. Listen