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Most People today - even most Christians have trouble believing in an unseen spiritual enemy. This is the Devil's most powerful scheme, convincing Christians that he and his demons do not exist. Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, is mentioned in a number of places in the Old and New Testament. From the very moment of the creation of the world, Satan and his fallen angels were on the scene. We need to be aware that there is a life form in existence called Satan or the devil. Satan is the source of all evil and all that is bad and ungodly. The devil hates God; he is the enemy of God. There is a war going on for the souls of men. This war is a war between the forces of good and evil. This battle is called spiritual warfare. Therefore it is necessary to identify Satan and his workers.
Ezekiel 28:11-19 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
These statements can only be applied to a supernatural being and not a man who ruled Tyre. (Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God) The king of Tyrus had not been in the garden of God, no one has been in the Garden since God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden. ( in the day that thou wast created) Adam and Eve are the only created humans.
Tyrus might have been filled with this evil person which is the devil and Satan, but Tyrus had no relationship with old times. Ezekiel 28:1 - 10 was tacking about a man the ruler of Tyre.
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
A person may get great fortunes, on there own wisdom but the danger is that it can case great pride, believing themselves to be God or beyond God's touch. God's judgment will show the weakness of such wisdom. The ruler of Tyre was punished for claiming to be a god.
Ezekiel 28:11-19 Is talking not about a man but the evil price of Tyrus which is Satan himself.
v.12 . . . king of Tyrus = Satan
v.13 . . . Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God
v.13,15 . . . created = he was not born
v.14 . . . Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth
v.14 . . . Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God
v.15 . . . Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,
. . . till iniquity was; found in thee.
These things could only be applied to a supernatural being. Satan has made himself head of this present world system. He is the invisible, power behind the world rulers. He was the power behind Tyre, behind Babylon, behind Greece and behind Rome.
Dan 10:12, 13 and 20, 21 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
We can see very quickly that Lucifer was in heaven. He possessed great power, and was evidently perfect in his original state. Pride seems to have been the cause of his fall. Satan fell through pride over his personal beauty. Pride is a destroyer. His heart was filled with pride and corrupted by his wisdom.
Ezekiel 28:16,17 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Satan tried to possess, take control or God's throne, he was not content to be the beautiful, intelligent angel, Lucifer son of the morning, bright star, an anointed Cherub. Instead he wonted to be god, so the conflict has continued through out the ages and will not be entirely ended until Satan is cast into the lake of fire.
Isa 37:16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
Psa 18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Ezek 9:3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;
Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus, through his life, death, and resurrection won the battle against Satan and his kingdom. Even though the battle was won, the fight continue to this day. The battle is for the souls and bodies of men and women.
Every soldier knows that the first rule of warfare is to identify your enemy. If you do not know who your enemy is, what kind of strength he possesses, and what his tactics are, your hope of victory is greatly reduced.
One must remember that there is one Devil but many demons, demons are some times called devils.
The Word of God teaches that apart from Satan, the Prince and Power of the Air, there exist evil spirits of lesser degree of leadership and power. We call them Demons, the word demons is not in the bible. The word comes from a Greek word, meaning adversary, false accuser and slanderer. Demons are fallen angels. When Satan rebelled he drew with him a great multitude of lesser angels, It is believed that about 1\3 of the angelic host followed Satin.
Rev 12:4a, And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:
7-9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Demons are personalities without corporate existence that is a physical body. These wicked spirits are under Satins kingdom and dominion. They are his agent and subjects. They are called evil, unclean, and wicked spirits and they vary in degrees of wickedness and strength. These fallen spirits seek to inhabit the bodies of men, in order to manifest them selves throw. They occupy no physical space in a person, yet control many of the activities of such a person. This is called demon possession.
Allow demon possession is not the best wording, for
possession implies ownership of. Demons do not own people.
The Greek word for possessed is G5224 hoop-ar'-khon-tah things extant or in hand, that is, property or possessions. This word is never used as demon possessed.
(Acts 4:32 KJV) And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
(Luk 12:15 KJV) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
The Greek word G2192 ekh'-o to hold. The main English word it is used as is have. This word is used two times in Acts in relationship to demons.
(Acts 8:7 KJV) For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
(Acts 16:16 KJV) And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
The Greek word used in demon possessed is G1139
daimonizomai dahee-mon-id'-zom-ahee to be exercised by a
daemon.
This word is used 25 times and it is always used as demon possessed or vexed with a devil. This Greek word is not a signal English word but always the phase demon possessed or vexed with a devil.
So with this understanding I believe Demonization is a better wording to use instead of demon possession. Demonization is the control or influences of an individual’s personality so that there actions are influenced by an evil demonic spirit.
Demonization can also cause sickness. Throughout the Word we see these evil spirits indwelling people.
(Mat 8:16 KJV) When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
(Mat 8:16 Etheridge) And when it was evening, they brought before him many demoniacs, and he cast out their devils by a word; and all those who were heavily afflicted he healed.
(Mat 8:16 Wesley's) When it was evening, they brought to him many demoniacs; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were ill:
Luke 11:24-26 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Satan has a well-organized ranks of angels who further his purposes. Two of these ranks are labeled rulers and authorities which are the same designations for two of the ranks of good angels in Eph. 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
A) principalities
B) powers
C) rulers of the darkness of this world
D) spiritual wickedness in high places
Some demons live in the air above the earth, for Satan is the prince of the power of the air, and some are rulers over large areas as lords or leaders and governors in the evil spirit world.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
In the book of Daniel we can see that Satan has assigned fallen angels as princes over various nations in order to influence leaders to act contrary to the will of God. It appears that a demon was assigned control over the Persia Empire. God had sent Daniel a message by a good angel and the evil spirit prince of Persia resisted him. So that Michael the Archangel came to help the good angel get throw with the message. This evil prince must have been a very powerful demon.
Michael the Archangel appears to be the guardian angel of Israel. He will help Israel during their time of great trouble yet to come. He leads the angelic armies of heaven against Satan and his hosts of evil ones.
During the great tribulation Just before Armageddon demons will be involved in moving the leaders of the nations to prepare for that war against God.
Dan. 10:21; But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Rev. 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev. 16:13-16 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Since demons are fallen angels they belong to the same class of beings as angels and Satan, all these creatures have much in common. The less we teach about demon powers, the more control the devil and his demons take over society. Many people in the world are possessed by the devil, and they do not even believe in his existence. We must know that Satan and his demons exist for Satan works in ignorance.
2 Cor 2:11b Says for we are not ignorant of Satans devices.
We need to be able to identify demon power at work. By looking at the names and titles of Satan and his demons we can get some insight to their nature and character. If we know the character of demons and their names we will be able to identify them at work. Satan is mentioned in the word, by many names.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Acts 19:14 - 16, And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 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.
Mark 5:3,4 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
1 Tim 4:1, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
1) Spirit of Infirmity
Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a
woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
2) Dumb and Deaf Spirit
Mark 9:25 Jesus saw that the people
came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit,
saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit,
3) Unclean Spirit
Matthew 12:43, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mark 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
Luke 9:42 And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
4) Blind Spirit
Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto
him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he
healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake
and saw.
5) Familiar Spirits
Leviticus 20:6, And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
2 Kings 23:24 Moreover the workers
with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images,
and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied
in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put
away, that he might perform the words of the law which
were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found
in the house of the LORD.
6) Lying Spirit
1 Kings 22:22,23, And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
2 Chronicles 18:21,22 And he said, I
will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all
his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him,
and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now
therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in
the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath
spoken evil against thee.
7) Seducing Spirits
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils;
8) Foul Spirit
Mark 9:25, When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a
strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is
fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the
hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean
and hateful bird.
9) Jealous Spirit
Numbers 5:14,30 And the spirit of
jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife,
and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come
upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not
defiled:
Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he
be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before
the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this
law.
10) devil or devils
Luke 9:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
Mat 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
1) Demons have legs and can walk
2) They seek; they have intelligence; search for human beings to dwell in
3) Need rest; get tired; have emotions
4) Can see; have eyes
5) Demons can talk
6) They have a will; decision making ability
7) Can think; imagination
8) They believe
9) Have memory; remembers
10) Can examine things
11) Know how to plan
12) Knows how to call for help
1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Matthew 10:1, 8 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Luke 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
Mark 16:15 - 18 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mark 5:1 - 27 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mark 9:25 - 27 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
Luke 4:35 - 36 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Mat 16:22, 23 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Acts 16:16 - 19 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Acts 19:13 - 16 Then 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. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 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.
Mat 7:21 - 23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In Jude verse 9 we read that Michael the archangel, a angel of great power and position in heaven refused to rebuke Satan in the dispute over Moses body. Even in his fallen state, Satan is still one of the greatest and keenest of Gods created beings. Michael did not dare to rebuke Satan, but respected the authority given to him by God.
Jude 8, 9 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
When Jesus was accuse of using demon power to cast out devils, He said a kingdom divided against itself shall not stand.
Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
One cannot be an effective part of two opposite kingdoms. Jesus said a man cannot serve two masters.
Matthew 6:24 . . . No man can serve two masters:
2 Cor 4:4 . . . Satan is the god of this world
1 John 2:15 . . . Love not the world,
The spirit of the world is warring against the Spirit of God. If you yield to the spirit of the world it will dictat, control your spirit and body. Therefore we need to yield to the Spirit of God, not the spirit of the world. A Christian who yields to both spirits finds himself in the middle of a dangerous spiritual war. In Romans 6 we are warned, that to whom we yield ourselves, we become servants to. Jesus said you can not serve two masters. Satan has enslaved the world in sin and bondage and influenced many Christians with the spirit of this world. Satan has no right to demonize the believer who is under the covering of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. But when a Christian indulges in sin, God's hedge of protection over him is broken down, allowing evil spirits to demonize that person.
Ecclesiastes 10:8 warns that, " a serpent (demonic spirit) shall bite him."
If a believer fills his mind and time with television, movies, music, and magazines that are full of violence, pornography, lust, and immorality such activities may transfer the spirit of violence and lust to that person, he is breaking down his hedge.
Proverbs 4:23 warns Keep thy heart (or protect your spirit)
Even though a believer may be attending church, reading his Bible, and spending time in prayer, evil spirits are still able to seduce him if he gives place to them. A seducing spirit can enslave you if you give place to it; you can be slowly affected by it without even realizing that your attitude has changed. No one can withstand the steady influence of the evil spirits with out it affecting him, you need to submit to God and resist them.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1 Cor 10:21,22 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
1 John 2:15 - 17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Since we are fighting against enemies in the spirit world, we need special equipment both for offense and defense. God has provided the “whole armor” for us.
Eph 6:10 - 17 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Satan is a liar, but the believer whose life is controlled by truth will defeat him.
This piece of armor, made of metal plates, covered the body from the neck to the waist, both front and back. It symbolizes the believer’s righteousness in Christ as well as his righteous life in Christ. Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us.
If we are going to “stand” and “withstand,” then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we have the peace with God that comes from the Gospel, we need not fear the attack of Satan. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil. We must be prepared to share the Gospel of peace. If we wear the shoes of the Gospel, then we have the “beautiful feet” mentioned in Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15.
The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood, and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it protected him from spears, arrows, and “fiery darts.” The “faith” mentioned here is not saving faith, but rather living faith, a trust in the promises and the power of God. Faith is a defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts. Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.
Satan wants to attack our minds. The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God; we need to have our minds renewed to God. When God controls our minds, Satan cannot lead you astray. The Christian who studies his Bible and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led astray too easily. We need to be “taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus”. We are to grow in the knowledge Jesus.
This sword is the offensive weapon God provides us. Hebrews 4:12 compares the Word of God to a sword, because it is sharp and is able to pierce the inner man, the Word of God pierces the heart. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He used the sword of the Spirit to defeat Satan. Jesus said, “It is written”. Satan can also quote the Word: “For it is written”, but he does not quote it completely, he always takes the word out of context. Satan tries to use the Word of God to confuse us, so it is important that we know the word, in it context. The better you know the Word of God, the easier it will be for you to detect Satan’s lies and reject his offers.
The word Sword is word with out the "S", the word of God is your S-WORD
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
a) To submit
ourselves to God, means that we refuse to submit to the
devil's presence or his deceiving ways. God wants us to be
humble, Satan wants us to be proud.
b) Resist the devil. To resist is a military action. To resist shows strength. God declares that upon this action the devil will flee from you. To flee is not just to crawl, walk or even run. A fleeing person runs in terror.
When a person deliberately goes into the devil's territory, while he is there it is possible to become a victim to whatever the devil offers, even though he is a Christian. If you go on the devils side of the fence you are in trouble. If you do wrong you come out from the security of the blood. Those who know God but live a fleshly, carnal life, they open the door of their spirit, and soul to the devil, and he will take advantage of them and demonize them through evil desires, seducing spirits. If you live like the world you can be demonized.
1) Lack of the
word
Mat 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit
is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,
seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will
return into my house from whence I came out; and when he
is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then
goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits
more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell
there: and the last state of that man is worse than the
first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked
generation.
2) Unforgiveness
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth,
and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay
all that was due unto him.
3) Carnal mind
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace.
4) Profane language
2 Tim 2:16 But shun profane and vain
babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
5) Bitterness
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest
any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be
defiled;
6) Occult
Deu 18:10 There shall not be found
among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to
pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
7) Rebellion
1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion is as the
sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the
LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
8) Slander
Ps 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth
his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high
look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
9) Laziness
Prov 19:15,16 Slothfulness casteth
into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul;
but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
10) Wrong confession
Pr 12:13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
Satan and his demonic forces cannot rule or demonize us except by our own consent. You give them consent by your actions and words.
A) The first
degree is the occasional temptation, harassment, and
trouble
The Christian is successful most of the time.
B) The second degree: tempted, harassed, troubled, ect. demons "around" a person
The Christian is active participation with the demonic
influence.
Luke 6:18 And they that were vexed
with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
C) The third
degree: afflicted, oppressed, sick demons "on" a person
Luke 13:10-13 And he was teaching in
one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there
was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift
up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to
him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from
thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and
immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
D) The fourth
degree: infested or disabled demons "in" a person
Matt 9:33-34 And when the devil was
cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled,
saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the
Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince
of the devils.
E) The fifth degree: possessed, dominated, overwhelm demons "in controlling" of a person
Mark 5:1-20 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
Mark 5:4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
1) They are dedicated as children
A) In Satanic cults to Satan
B) To pagan gods often in temples
C) By virtue of being
born to parents who are demonized as a result of the above
2) People are often demonized as a result of
A) Drug abuse
B) Homosexual or lesbian practices
C) Sexual abuse as children
D) Alcoholism
3) People are often demonized when they
A) Call upon or covenant with the devil or demonic presence’s in their lives
B) Commit themselves
to pagan worship or pagan gods
4) Sometimes people are victims of demonic onslaught
A) Caused by prayers of witches covens
B) The working of
black magic
5) Sometimes there is no traceable cause and effect as to why a person has a demon. they just do.
When any one goes into the devil's territory, the evil spirits have rights and privileges they do not otherwise have. Evil spirits seek to demonize humans as a means of expression of their evil.
A) There is a basic pattern to demonization
contact ---> a
pathway of entry ---> an inward hold
B) Spheres of contact
eyes, ears, mouth, nose, touch
C) Pathway of entry
These come through prolonged contact
D) Inward hold The person has continued to give the green light
Has it ever occurred to you that certain innocent statues, pictures, and household ornaments can actually be habitations for evil spirits?
A person can open a door to demonic influence and oppression by dabbling in the occult and even by possessing objects that are associated with the occult. Not only is the world involved in the occult, but many Christians are ignorantly held captive to disease, poverty, and failure because they have a accursed thing in there homes.
Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
Josh 6:18, Josh 7:1 . . . But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing:
1 Cor 10:20, 21 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Good luck charms, amulets, and assorted jewelry from certain cultures can actually invite demonization and curses on your life.
Have you ever seen households where everything that can possibly go wrong seems to?
Do you know people who seem to experience disaster after disaster?
Their children are always in trouble, there is a constant battle with sickness in the home, they are full of emotional turmoil, there is never enough money to pay all the bills, and they can never hold down a job. Some people actually seem doomed to failure....
Have you ever wondered why?
It could be because they have a accursed thing.
God's Word is very clear in forbidding certain cultic practices, and He placed strict penalties on those nations who participated in the occult throughout history. God calls the following an abomination: using divination or fortune telling; observing times or horoscopes and zodiac signs; enchanters or snake and animal charmers; necromancy or consulting the dead; and witchcraft which includes spells, potions, mind travel, hypnosis, and mind or psychic control.
Deuteronomy 18:10-14 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
God says He will remove His covering of protection from anyone who looks to the occult for direction and help for his life. Leviticus 20:6 God further demands, in Leviticus 20:27, that those who practice divination or are mediums should be stoned to death.
Leviticus 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Dabbling in the occult is certainly not the harmless diversion many claim it to be.
Many Christians today are sick and oppressed because they are ignorantly dabbling with or wearing cultic objects or jewelry. Satan goes around as a roaring lion seeking those he may destroy.
1 peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Satan cannot touch the Christian who is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. But, if the believer is wearing or in possession of cultic objects, they often give Satan the right to kill, steal, and destroy him. In the Old Testament, when Satan came before God, he complained that he could not touch Job because of the spiritual hedge of protection God had placed around him.
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
It is only when that hedge of protection surrounding the Christian is broken that Satan can afflict him.
Ecclesiastes 10:8, 9 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
When a person breaks his own hedge or removes stones from it, a serpent or demonic spirit can afflict and oppress him.
One of the first things Paul instructed the new believers in Ephesus to do was to destroy all their cultic books and more likely any charms and jewelry and any thing related to the occult.
Acts 19:19, 20 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
Paul knew that those cultic objects would curse and destroy the people unless they completely rid themselves of them. But many Christians today ignorantly bring things into their homes and wear jewelry containing cultic symbolism that is actually bringing a curse upon them.
Numbers 33:52-56 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
God says that the object must be destroyed by fire - the metal cannot even be reused for other purposes because it carries a curse and a snare.
Deuteronomy 7:25, 26 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
The scripture clearly states that the images and statues have no power in themselves, but have dangerous evil spirits inhabiting them or using them as a point of contact.
1 Corinthians 10:19-21 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Joshua 6:18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
Ezekiel 3:21, 19 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
The next action is yours! It is time for you to break, burn, and banish all evil objects from among your possessions.
