I have seen people oppressed or even possessed by demons get set free. My first encounter came 16 years ago. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I prayed a woman whose violently demonstrative demons didn’t want to leave and screeched at us in a horrible guttural voice.
Parents, you need to help your children grow in discerning what is good and evil. There is a process for that. First, recognize that there is a personal evil. We call him the devil. He is real and he hates you and he will lie, steal, kill, and try to destroy you.
While we’re not to focus on evil, we need to be prepared for it in the future. The parallel in war is that I would be a fool to not try to figure out what my enemy is doing. The Americans are struggling to get spies in Iraq. Is that a preoccupation with the enemy?
No – our enemies in Iraq have been creating havoc for us for too long and one of the keys to the U.S. forces being able to pull out of there is our ability to accurately assess the strength of the enemy we’re leaving behind.
I got a call last night from this mainline church – one of their members is being demonized and they don’t have a clue what to do about it! I don’t understand these Christians who know that the devil exists – they’ve read about the multiple demons that Jesus confronted in Scripture. They can look at the movies showing in theatres and see they are full of occult activity. They can look at the tide of evil and filth pouring into their living rooms on cable or over the internet, yet they have this head-in-the-sand posture about evil. Even as they are being targeted, as their children and friends are caught in a struggle for freedom, they have their hands over their ears and are saying “la-la-la-la-la!” to block out the evidence.
Yes folks, you have an enemy. Don’t become preoccupied with learning about him, but don’t be seduced by the absurd rational world view so prevalent in our society that ignores his reality. He’ll eat your lunch if you let him.
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Great post. I feel fortunate to have parents who educated me early on to not be unaware of the devil’s schemes. My father has been involved in deliverance ministry for years and he and my sister have pretty pronounced gifts of Discernment.
Potentially the most educational books I have read on the subject have been Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness (and Piercing the Darkness) and Neil Andersons The Bondage Breaker.
Great post. I was going to ask you about some good books on this issue but then saw jimmies post above. This issue is still wierd to me. I dont 100% understand the devil yet. I get the evil, but i guess I struggle with where the devil came from and why?
You prompted this post, Taryn. Check out this passage for the origin of Satan and get a good concordance to study the origin of evil. I recommend books by Peter Wagner or Neil Anderson on the subject.
Isaiah 14:12-15 (New American Standard Bible)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
12″How you have (A)fallen from heaven,
O (B)star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13″But you said in your heart,
‘I will (C)ascend to heaven;
I will (D)raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14’I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
(E)I will make myself like the Most High.’
15″Nevertheless you (F)will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
more info:
http://www.carm.org/bible/angels.htm
http://www.allaboutgod.com/story-of-lucifer.htm
Satan Walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Satan was cast out of heaven with one third of the angels who decided to follow him. Angels are fallen angels which are now called demons. We as born again believers are in a continous fight daily to live holy. The plan of salvation for our lives is to resist teh devil and he will flee from us. We will always have battles and we get the victory when we learn to do spiritual warfare. Prayer and fasting are key weapons.
Some thing will only come out through prayer and fasting. We are not to get caught up in demon but I do know they exist and have had many cast out of my body and have cast them out of others. Demons logdge themselves in the flesh of humans in order to do the work that they desire to do. I do not debate with anybody regarding demons because I have seen for myself what they do to born again believers who have struggled with problems for years and have prayed, fasted and gotten on prayer lines to get rid of the problem. The person is filled with the holy spirit but still continues to smoke, drink or have desires to fornicate. A Christian can have a demon and it can be cast out by the power of God. Schizophrenia is also a demonic force as stated in Frank and Ida Mae Hammond’s bood which references the many spirits that can indwell a Christian. Jesus Christ has made a provison for us through his holy word and we can live abundant life. He has come to set the captives free. I do not debate about this subject but provide knowledge that I have seen and experienced personally. Because of my deliverance I have been able to work freely as a child of God to do the will of him who sent me. I pray that someone is blessed by this post.