A. Definition.
1. All demons are fallen angels under the command of Satan, in contrast to elect angels under the command of God.
2. Satan is the ruler of demons, Mt 9:34, 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15.
3. Demons are called ministers of Satan, Lk 4:32-36, 9:1, 4:2; Jn 10:21. 4. Demons are well-organized under Satan, Eph 6:10-12. There is rank and authority in Satan’s organization. Every angel is smarter than all human beings.
B. Biblical Nomenclature.
1. Hebrew.
a. SAIR means hairy, shaggy, rough one; used for a he-goat, or a demon; a satyr. Lev 17:7; 2 Chron 11:15; Isa 13:21, 34:14.
b. SHED means idols or demons; idols represent demons. It also means “destroyers,” a reference to human child sacrifice, Deut 32:17; Ps 106:37.
2. Greek.
1. DAIMON means demon, Mt 8:31; Mk 5:12; Lk 8:29; Rev 16:14. This word almost always refers to a disembodied spirit.
2. DAIMONION means refers to a specific category of demons determined by the context, Mt 7:22, 9:33-4, 12:24-8; Mk 1:34,39, 7:26-30; Lk 4:33-35,41, 8:27-35, 11:14-20; Jn 8:48-52; 1 Cor 10:20-21.
3. DAIMONIODES means demonic, James 3:15.
4. DAIMONIZOMAI means to be demon possessed or to be tormented by a demon, Mt 8:16,28,33; Mk 5; Mt 15:22; or to be influenced by a demon.
C. Demon Possession Versus Demon Influence.
1. Demon possession is defined as demon invasion of the body of the unbeliever only. Generally, this occurs through the phallic cult or some form of way-out religion.
2. In contrast, demon influence is the demon invasion of the soul with Satanic thought. Satanic thought isn’t expressed in terms of evil, but in terms of improving this world, doing nice things for your fellow man, and supporting crusades. It is false thinking comprising the policy and principles by which Satan operates.
3. All demonic activity is related to man’s free will; human consent must be involved. Demon possession never occurs apart from human consent whereby some form of bad decision is made, so that the demon can invade the body of the unbeliever only.
4. The believer is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit who makes a temple out of the body of the believer, 1 Cor 6:19-20. A demon cannot dwell in that temple. 5. The attack on the unbeliever is to line him up with Satan’s policy. The attack on the believer is to discredit him and to utilize him in some way against the Lord. 6. Decisions that result in demon possession include:
a. Idolatry, 1 Cor 10:19-21.
b. Drug addiction, Gal 5:20.
c. Religious reversionistic sensitivity, dabbling in the occult, consulting mediums, the function of necromancy, Isa 8:19.
d. Phallic cult activity, Isa 2:6, Lk 8:2; Mk 16:9. This includes demonic orgastic response, auto-eroticism, lesbianism, homosexuality, verbal response demons, promiscuity demons, group orgies, human sacrifice, idolatry, and unrestrained sexual lust. (In themselves, these things do not imply demon possession.)
7. However, idolatry is the basic system for demon possession, as taught in Lev 17:7; Deut 32:17; Ps 96:5, 106:37-39.
8. Demon influence, by way of contrast, is the infiltration of Satanic thought into the soul of a believer or unbeliever, 1 Tim 4:1; Eph 4:17, or the substitution of emotion for thought. The believer enters demon influence through the various stages of reversionism.
9. Satan uses certain demons to produce disease in human beings, Matt 12:22; Lk 13:16; Acts 10:38. Demon influence attacks the body through demon-induced illness. When the mentality of the soul is in certain conditions, it brings on certain kinds of diseases.
D. Two Systems of Demon Possession.
1. There is the unlawful isolation of dormant faculties.
a. The body is brought under the control of the soul and the soul is given to Satan. Emotion takes over the soul.
b. The Satanic mass becomes the ceremony for turning the soul and volition over to Satan.
c. Such a person becomes a disembodied person.
d. Such a person can send his soul into space to determine what others are doing, e.g., mental telepathy, ESP.
e. This occurs when seances are involved, in astrology, etc.
f. Under this system, the mind of one person can often influence and take control of another.
g. Telepathy, thought transmission, and mind reading are definitely related to this phase of demon possession.
h. Anything which orients you to authority makes it impossible for this system to work.
i. The mind of one person can both influence or hypnotize to such a degree so as to impart knowledge not previously known.
2. There is the passive submission to demons. This is accomplished through idolatry, drugs like LSD, the Hindu soma mysteries, whirling dances, tongues, the phallic cult, the oracle of Delphi. In this system, emotion must be stimulated to the exclusion of thought.
E. Demonism Related to Idolatry and Human Sacrifice.
1. Sacrifice to demons is prohibited by the Bible, Lev 17:7; Deut 32:17.
2. Heathen nations and their worship was strictly demon possessed and influenced, Ps 96:5. The idols of these nations were demons.
3. Demon worship and idolatry included the most horrible sexual practices, such as rape, homosexuality, bestiality, and the sacrifice of children, Ps 106:37-39.
F. Demon possession was the basis for the administration of capital punishment, Lev 20:27. Authority is necessary to restrain demonism.
G. Jesus Christ controls history by the restraint of demonism.
1. An example of His control was the first-born judgment on Egypt, Ex 12:12. At the same time, demons were also judged, Num 33:4. Without the judgment of demons in Egypt, Israel would not have become a nation.
2. Isa 19:3 says demons are powerless to change the course of history.
H. Demonism and Judgment.
1. The nations of Canaan were destroyed because of their demon activity, Deut 18:9-12. The same is true of Athens, Persia, Assyria, and the Mycenaeans. Military disaster can occur because of demon influenced leadership.
2. The practice of necromancy was the cause of personal judgment to Saul, 1 Chr 10:13-14; 2 Kgs 21:2-3. The Jews reached the lowest form of apostasy because of demon activity.
3. Demonism brings the fifth cycle of discipline to a nation, Isa 47; Jer 27:6-10; Isa 29:4. 4. Satan and demons are used by God in the administration of the sin unto death to reversionistic believers, 1 Cor 5:5 cf. 1 Tim 1:19-20, and for divine discipline, Lk 22:31-32 (Peter).
5. Satan is used as a warning of discipline, 1 Tim 3:6-7. Arrogance is a part of the condemnation of Satan.
I. Because of Satan’s power, he is the source of disease, death, and miracle cures, Ps 109:6-13. As a result of demon possession, certain abnormal activities occur. Satan uses demons to do many of the following.
1. He blinds through religion, verse 7.
2. He shortens life, verse 8a.
3. He removes people from authority, verse 8b.
4. He has the power of death, verse 9.
5. He persecutes children, verse 10.
6. He removes wealth, verse 11.
7. He turns everyone against you, verse 12.
8. He cuts off posterity to the second generation, verse 13.
9. He is a killer, Heb 2:14-15; 1 Jn 3:8; Job 1:12, 18-19; Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:12.
10. He executes believers under the sin unto death, 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Tim 1:19-20.
11. He is the source of certain diseases, Job 2:6-8; Mt 12:22 cf Lk 13:16, Acts 10:38. These are demon induced illnesses.
a. Also produced are certain mental diseases, Mk 5:1-13.
b. A few cases of dumbness are related to demon possession, Mk 9:17; Lk 11:14.
c. Dumbness and deafness, Mk 9:25.
d. Dumbness and blindness, Mt 12:22.
e. Epilepsy, Mk 1:26, 9:20; Lk 4:35.
12. Therefore, Satan uses healers. Satan orders the removal of a demon induced illness and the person appears to be cured.
13. Satan is a source of abnormal behavior through demon possession.
a. Convulsions, Mk 1:26, 9:20.
b. Abnormal violence, Mt 8:28.
c. Abnormal strength, Mk 5:4; Lk 8:29.
d. Raving, screaming, Mk 5:5.
e. Self-mutilation, Mk 5:5.
f. Foaming at the mouth, Mk 9:20; Lk 9:29.
g. Nakedness in public, Lk 8:27.
h. Living among dead bodies, Mk 5:3.
i. Grinding the teeth, Mk 9:18.
j. Trying to destroy oneself, Mt 17:15 (exposing yourself to known danger).
14. Healing was a temporary gift, Acts 19:11-12. Paul could heal at random, but this gift was removed once his authority was established, Phil 2:27; 2 Tim 4:20. God occasionally performs acts of healing. Satan “heals” in certain strategic times, like during the Tribulation, 2 Thes 2:9; Rev 16:14; Mt 24:24.
J. Satan is the source of the present tongues movement.
1. Tongues was a sign to warn the Jews of the coming of the fifth cycle of discipline. They were warned by being evangelized in foreign languages for forty years.
2. Isa 28:9-11 is said to be fulfilled in 1 Cor 14:21-22.
3. The first historical reference in Acts 2:1-11 states that the purpose is to turn cursing into blessing.
4. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the gift was removed, 1 Cor 13:8-10.
5. Tongues continues to be perpetuated by Satan for his use in the Tribulation, 2 Thes 2:7-12.
6. The mechanics of tongues is related to the engastramuthos demons, Isa 8:19, 29:4; Rev 16:13-14.
7. Tongues is a Satanic cheap substitute for doctrine, 2 Cor 6:11-12; Rom 16:17-18.
8. Tongues becomes a authorized spiritual function again only in the Millennium, Joel 2:28-29.
K. Demon possession explains supernatural phenomena. Supernatural phenomena include such things as “divine healing,” speaking in tongues, the rise of certain world rulers, certain wars, anti-Semitism, contacting the dead, etc. Demons attack both through weirdo activity and antithetically through culture and intellect.
L. Summary.
1. Demon possession never occurs apart from human consent.
2. Some bad decision is made which results in demon invasion of the body of the unbeliever.
3. These decisions are related to cosmic involvement, idolatry, the occult, drugs, etc.
4. The phallic cult uses human sacrifice, idolatry, and unrestrained sexual lust.
5. Idolatry is a basic system for demon possession, Lk 17:7; Dt 32:17; Ps 96:5, 106:37-39.
6. Passive submission to demons is accomplished through drug addiction, idolatry, the phallic cult, deliberate development of emotional revolt of the soul, the Satanic mass, and any prolonged involvement in the cosmic system.
7. Active submission to demon possession can be both violent and painful, Lk 13:11-16. This woman was positive, trying to get to Jesus and apparently couldn’t speak because of the demon.
a. Whenever Jesus cast out a demon there was always some arrogant, self-righteous, person standing around to challenge exorcism by Jesus, Mt 12:22-28.
b. In Mk 3:15, Jesus delegated the authority of exorcism to his disciples. In Acts 5:16, 8:7, 19:12, He delegated that authority to the apostles of the church.
8. Because demon possession involves human sacrifice, it was the basis for capital punishment under the laws of divine establishment, Lev 20:27.
9. In the control of historical trends, our Lord often judges demon activity, Ex 12:12.
10. Demons are powerless to control history, Isa 19:9.
11. Demon activity results in the administration of the fifth cycle of discipline, Dt 18:9-12.
12. Demons are often used by God for the administration of the sin unto death. 13. Demonization of a nation results in the destruction of that nation, Isa 47; Jer 27:6-10.
14. Ministers who faithfully teach the Word are targets for demon influence, 1 Tim 3:6-7.
15. Satan uses certain demons to produce disease, Mt 12:22; Lk 13:16; Acts 10:23.
16. Some diseases are demon induced. Healing is often Satan removing one of his demons to produce a cure.
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© 1989, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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