Post by LDM on Oct 24, 2009 5:11:47 GMT -5
I just wanted to clear up what I believe are some misconceptions about demons.
Society has been brainwashed to dismiss ideas of demons, even when people expressly state that they are struggling with them. They either laugh it off or say, "Well, they don't mean literal demons. They just mean they have some problems." It can be an uncomfortable topic if one is not ready to address spiritual matters.
I think sometimes of the Gadarene demoniac in Scripture (Mark Chapter 5).
"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. " Mark 5:1-20
When Jesus came to the area, He saw the man possessed by man devils who was a rather wild man, who cried, could not be contained and would mutilate himself. When He came to Jesus, Jesus cast those demons out into pigs nearby and the man was clothed and in His right mind.
But when the people of that country came by, the Scriptures say this:
"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." (verse 15).
Just think about this response for a minute. Is this a normal way to respond? Why were they scared when they saw the demons had been cast out of this man? They had tried everything in their power to control the man (chains, fetters, etc.) and had repeatedly failed. Wouldn't they rejoice that - not only did they not have to deal with this issue any more - but the man had been set free. But no. Seeing the man in his "right mind" made them "afraid."
THESE people were supposed to be the normal ones while the crazy man was supposed to be the demon possessed one. So, why were the normal people afraid when they saw this happen?
Because they were not in their right mind. Those people were also full of demons. It was the demons in them who were afraid because they didn't want to be cast out.
Remember, the demons in the wild man were also afraid. Even as the man threw himself at Jesus' feet to worship, the demons cried out in fear.
Notice the difference. One man - FULL of demons - has enough sense to know that He needs Jesus and runs to worship Him and receive help. This man was not a happy man. He was tortured by these demonic entities which had invaded his soul and he wanted deliverance. He received it.
Yet, the "normal" people in that country chose to keep their demons. Instead of approaching Jesus in worship, the held back in fear and asked Jesus to leave their country. Just like the wild man, their demons were afraid of Jesus' power; but unlike the wild man, they did not personally want to be set free.
So many times, I get comments about the Beyonce videos about how, "If Beyonce was really demon possessed, she would be out there killing folks and doing things that are crazy." That is far from the truth.
Demons have no set pattern of behavior other than how they react to the power of God. They can put forth many types of behaviors, including many that appear to be normal. Demon possession is a spiritual issue and one must have spiritual eyes to identify and deal with it.
You probably pass more demons even just walking through the mall or on your job than you can imagine. This is not something that is far out and spooky. This is a common plight of man that Jesus Christ AND His disciples addressed as a standard part of their ministry.
Don't buy into extreme, Halloween-like presentations of demonic forces. Pray to God for eyes to "know no man after the flesh" but to discern spiritual things so that the power of God can be brought to bear in people's lives allowing them to be set free.
Society has been brainwashed to dismiss ideas of demons, even when people expressly state that they are struggling with them. They either laugh it off or say, "Well, they don't mean literal demons. They just mean they have some problems." It can be an uncomfortable topic if one is not ready to address spiritual matters.
I think sometimes of the Gadarene demoniac in Scripture (Mark Chapter 5).
"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. " Mark 5:1-20
When Jesus came to the area, He saw the man possessed by man devils who was a rather wild man, who cried, could not be contained and would mutilate himself. When He came to Jesus, Jesus cast those demons out into pigs nearby and the man was clothed and in His right mind.
But when the people of that country came by, the Scriptures say this:
"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." (verse 15).
Just think about this response for a minute. Is this a normal way to respond? Why were they scared when they saw the demons had been cast out of this man? They had tried everything in their power to control the man (chains, fetters, etc.) and had repeatedly failed. Wouldn't they rejoice that - not only did they not have to deal with this issue any more - but the man had been set free. But no. Seeing the man in his "right mind" made them "afraid."
THESE people were supposed to be the normal ones while the crazy man was supposed to be the demon possessed one. So, why were the normal people afraid when they saw this happen?
Because they were not in their right mind. Those people were also full of demons. It was the demons in them who were afraid because they didn't want to be cast out.
Remember, the demons in the wild man were also afraid. Even as the man threw himself at Jesus' feet to worship, the demons cried out in fear.
Notice the difference. One man - FULL of demons - has enough sense to know that He needs Jesus and runs to worship Him and receive help. This man was not a happy man. He was tortured by these demonic entities which had invaded his soul and he wanted deliverance. He received it.
Yet, the "normal" people in that country chose to keep their demons. Instead of approaching Jesus in worship, the held back in fear and asked Jesus to leave their country. Just like the wild man, their demons were afraid of Jesus' power; but unlike the wild man, they did not personally want to be set free.
So many times, I get comments about the Beyonce videos about how, "If Beyonce was really demon possessed, she would be out there killing folks and doing things that are crazy." That is far from the truth.
Demons have no set pattern of behavior other than how they react to the power of God. They can put forth many types of behaviors, including many that appear to be normal. Demon possession is a spiritual issue and one must have spiritual eyes to identify and deal with it.
You probably pass more demons even just walking through the mall or on your job than you can imagine. This is not something that is far out and spooky. This is a common plight of man that Jesus Christ AND His disciples addressed as a standard part of their ministry.
Don't buy into extreme, Halloween-like presentations of demonic forces. Pray to God for eyes to "know no man after the flesh" but to discern spiritual things so that the power of God can be brought to bear in people's lives allowing them to be set free.