Satan and Demonism
Prologue
BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN
HISTORY Satan and his angels instigated a conflict in the spiritual realm that
continues to this very moment. The drama of this spiritual warfare storms
across the pages of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Mankind was created
to resolve this ancient conflict, but Satan and the unseen demon hordes he
commands will not suffer defeat without an intense struggle. One tactic Satan
employs is the varied facets of demon activity. Demonism has pervaded and
plagued man since the fall of Adam.
How do these invisible creatures
influence mankind? In the most insidious ways! Satan’s soldiers, the demons,
are supernatural beings originally created by God who possess immense power.
Opposed to God, they have devised a vast array of subterfuges and counterfeit
activities which appeal to the innate curiosity of mankind. The harmless
appearance of these myriad enterprises camouflages their evil nature and intent.
To become embroiled is to practice demonism.
Human beings under the influence of
demons are pawns in the diabolical cause of Satan. Disaster is the ultimate
finale for human devotees. The Bible emphatically warns believers against
consorting with these sinister powers.
Nations that succumb to demonism
cannot survive. There is a direct correlation between the rise and fall of
nations and their interest in the occult. God must ultimately destroy the
degenerate and pervasive effects of demon influence and demon possession. Every
nation that allows demon activity to gain a foothold courts disaster. Such was
the divine judgment on the ancient Canaanites, whose complete abandonment to
the evil practices of demonism led to God’s command that they be utterly destroyed
(Deut. 20:17). The fate of demon-influenced societies is recorded forever in
the Scriptures to deter those who would become involved with the powers of
darkness.
Demonism, published in 1971, warned
of the dangers of dabbling with satanic evil. Critical questions demanded
answers! How prevalent is demon possession or demon influence? Who can be
demon-possessed? Who can be demon-influenced? Is the practice of exorcism
valid? The Bible, the infallible Word of God, clearly resolves these
significant questions.
Prior to the 1970’s demonism and
Satanism were terms seldom heard in the United States of America outside a
church or theological classroom. Then, two events focused public awareness on
demonism. In 1969 Charles Manson and his ‘family,’ a cult immersed in demonism,
committed the ritualistic Tate-LaBianca murders. Later, the release of the 1973
film The Exorcist transfixed audiences with the bizarre antics of a young girl
possessed by a demon. A flood of chilling films and horror books began to inundate
a general public fascinated with the demonic.
Films of witchcraft, vampires, and
ghosts, along with sensationalized news accounts distort demonism by
emphasizing overt Satanism and occult rituals. But Satan is far from the
proverbial hideous monster enticing people to perform grotesque and shocking
acts which represent the obvious forms of demonism. Satan disguises his most
devastating demonic attacks as benign or even beneficial to the individual.
Satan cloaks his most successful deceptions in the guise of religion, enticing
the gullible who would never suspect they are being deceived by demons.
The New Age movement is just another
wave of demonism. New Age ideas are ‘new’ only in that they are a contemporary
conglomeration of antibiblical practices and beliefs derived from ancient
occult and pagan religions, astrology, humanistic psychology, and Eastern
religions. Old demonic practices are introduced in enticing new packages, in
the name of self-awareness, self-fulfillment, and self-love, occult techniques
are taught to” an unsuspecting public. Western mindsets are captivated by
trans-channeling. Eastern mystical meditation, and divination when craftily
presented in scientific and psychological terminology. These-techniques have
even infiltrated certain-business and employee training seminars.[1]
Numerous New Age concepts are
derived from mystical experiences which offer hope of a “greater” reality or
direct union with a ‘higher being.’[2] But mystic contact with higher
beings is in fact contact with demons. Mysticism has been nourished in this
country by the-influx of Asian religions, especially Hinduism, Buddhism, and
Taoism.
Christianity is not immune to the
controversies surrounding demonism. Some believers wrongly blame carnality on
demon possession while other believers think they must battle demons to grow
spiritually. A primary weapon in this confrontation is exorcism, a spectacle
which lures large crowds and lucrative offerings in worship services. Confused
Bible teachers urge Christians to “bind” and “rebuke” the devil to be
victorious in the Christian life. The average believer in the pew is being
victimized by this focus on the spectacular.
Misconceptions, distortions, and
false teaching about demonism abound. A preoccupation with the demonic and
offensive action against Satan distract many believers from the goal of
spiritual maturity through learning and applying Bible doctrine. Only the
infallible Word of God prepares and protects the believer so he can “stand firm
against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
Before you begin your Bible study,
if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ be sure you have named your sins
privately to God the Father. If we confess our [known] sins. He is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our [known] sins and to cleanse us from all [unknown,
or forgotten sins] unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)[3]
You will then be in fellowship with
God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and ready to learn Bible doctrine from the
Word of God.
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in
[the filling of the] spirit and [biblical] truth.” (John 4:24)
If you have never personally
believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, the issue is not naming your
sins. The issue is faith alone in Christ alone.
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who
does not obey [the command to believe in] the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
__________________
Chapter One
THE ORIGIN OF DEMONISM
SATAN THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
BEFORE THE CREATION OF MANKIND, God
created a vast angelic host, unseen today but nevertheless real (Col. 1:16).
The preeminent angel was “Lucifer, son of the morning” (Isa. 14:12 KJV), the most dazzling creature of light ever to come from the hand of God:
his radiant beauty breathtaking in its perfection; his voice resonant and
melodious; his wisdom beyond mortal comprehension; his clothing of iridescent
light studded with priceless jewels. God appointed this peerless angel to the
exalted position of honor guard to His throne.
“Son of man,
take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre [Satan], and say to him, “Thus says
the Lord God,
“You had the
seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom
and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
Every precious
stone was your covering:
The ruby, the
topaz, and the diamond;
The beryl, the
onyx, and the jasper;
The lapis
lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald;
And the gold,
the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day
that you were created
They were
prepared.
You were the
anointed cherub who covers,
And I [God the
Father] placed you there.
You were on
the holy mountain of God;
You walked in
the midst of the stones of fire.
You were
blameless in your ways
From the day
you were created,
Until
unrighteousness was found in you."’”
(Ezek. 28:12-15)
Lucifer should have responded to
this supreme honor and privilege with utter devotion to his Creator. Instead,
he became narcissistic, enamored with his own importance: Such brilliance, such
beauty should never be subservient to anyone. His spark of arrogance ignited
the flames of power lust as Lucifer grew increasingly dissatisfied with the
position God had sovereignly assigned him. He craved to possess the very power
and glory of God, to usurp the throne for himself, to overthrow divine
authority. His desire to rule the universe!
“But you
[Lucifer] said in your heart,
1 will ascend
to heaven;
I will raise
my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit
on the mount of assembly
In the
recesses of the north.
I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds;
I will make
myself like the Most High."’ (Isa. 14:13-14)
Lucifer rebelled against God and
persuaded one-third of all the angels to join his revolution (Rev. 12:4). This
heavenly mutiny divided the angelic creation into two hostile forces: the elect
angels who maintain their estate and serve God, and the fallen angels, demons,
who serve Satan. This revolt between the angels of light and angels of darkness
inaugurated a prehistoric conflict which continues into the present and will
not conclude until the end of human history.
In eternity past God convened a
trial to judge the defiant angels. God was the judge and prosecution, Satan the
defense attorney. After evaluating the evidence against Satan and the fallen
angels, God pronounced them guilty; He condemned them to spend eternity in the
lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10). Except for periodic angelic
convocations (Job 1:6; 2:1), Satan was forbidden to enter the presence of God
(Ezek. 28:16). Since his condemnation Satan has sought to outmaneuver God to
foil the execution of his sentence.
Since Satan and his angels have
already been condemned and sentenced, why has this sentence not been executed
(Job 1:7)? God graciously postponed the judgment in response to an appeal
lodged by Satan at the conclusion of his trial. Satan’s argument impugned the
character of God: How could a loving God cast His creatures into eternal fire?
To resolve Satan’s appeal God created
the human race. Through mankind God will display His perfect justice. Like the
angels, mankind has been endowed with volition, the freedom to choose for or
against God. Satan must now contend with the volition of this new creature.
Through the decisions of the human race God will vindicate His judgment and
refute Satan’s accusations against His character.
Confirmation of this appeal trial is
revealed in Lucifer’s new title, Satan, derived from the Hebrew (Satan), meaning
“adversary, accuser” (Zech. 3:1-2). Satan was the adversary of God at his
prehistoric trial and continues to act as “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev.
12:10). He remains the irreconcilable enemy of God.
Satan, not content to be merely a
spectator to the unfolding events of human history, rallies his demons. He goes
on the offensive to influence and to win the allegiance of mankind. In his
first skirmish Satan tempted Eve in the Garden to commit the initial human sin
of rebellion. Adam then chose to join Eve and follow Satan’s lead. Adam’s
disobedience condemned all
mankind.
Therefore,
just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through
sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Rom. 5:12)
Though the human race is condemned,
God has not deserted it.
God’s magnificent grace is available
to every human being. The sublime manifestation of His grace is the plan of
salvation for mankind. God the Father knew in eternity past that Adam would sin
and plunge the human race into condemnation, so He planned a means of
redemption.’ He sent Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, to become
perfect humanity and to
die
on the cross as a substitute for the sins of every person. Anyone can be saved
by faith alone in Christ alone.
“Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:31a)
Human history demonstrates that
volition determines a person’s eternal destiny.
“He who believes in Him [Jesus Christ] is not judged; he
who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)
“He
who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
Satan loses his appeal trial when
just one person believes in Jesus Christ. But the faith of millions magnifies
the grace and sovereignty of God and continually vindicates the perfect justice
of His decision. Each believer becomes a testimony of God’s grace and a witness
for the prosecution against the accusation of Satan.
Few people realize that the world is
in the throes of this ceaseless, invisible warfare — a fight to the finish
(Eph. 6:10-17). Earth is the battleground between believing humanity and the
armies of Satan. In the conflict, Satan, the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31;
14:30; 16:1 1), uses every trick, every ruse at his command, to neutralize or
destroy the plan of God for the human race.
In order that no advantage be taken of
us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (2 Cor. 2:11)
SATAN’S STRATEGY
Master
Counterfeiter
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers,
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan
disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his
servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall
be according to their deeds. (2 Cor. 11:13-15)
Although God defrocked Lucifer, this
leader of the angels of darkness still “disguises himself as an angel of
light.” He is the master of deceit. Were he visible today, millions would be
captivated by his charming personality and deny that he is evil. Why is the
devil so intent on revealing himself in the best possible light? To seduce as
many followers away from Jesus Christ as possible, ever seeking to avert his
inevitable doom.
One of Satan’s greatest stratagems
has been the attempt to keep men in ignorance of the real nature of his being and the fraudulent dimensions
of his pretensions[4]
Since Lucifer became obsessed with
the desire to be “like the Most High,” his only recourse for outmaneuvering God
is to counterfeit the truth. As the master counterfeiter Satan’s schemes are a
sham. God is truth, but there is no truth in Satan (John 8:44).
How does Satan counterfeit the
truth? Since God magnified His Word according to His name (Ps. 138:2), Satan
retaliated by inundating the world with counterfeit doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1). When
the Lord bestowed spiritual gifts of pastor-teacher and evangelist, Satan
countered with his own counterfeit teachers and prophets (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
When the Lord instituted the Eucharist for the Church Age, Satan developed his
own communion table.
No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles
sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to
become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Cor. 10:20-21)
Since God’s policy for His
relationship with man is based on grace, God does all the work and man humbly
receives the benefit of that work through faith alone. Satan has contrived a
counterfeit righteousness which appeals to human arrogance (Matt. 19:16-26).
People presumptuously believe they can merit or earn God’s approbation through
their own self-righteous efforts.
Jesus Christ strongly condemned this
counterfeit modus operandi in the Pharisees of His own day (Matt. 23; Luke
18:9-12), and Isaiah likened self-righteousness to a “filthy garment.”
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And
all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment. (Isa. 64:60)
These ingenious counterfeit systems
of Satan are extremely deceptive. Listen to the message proclaimed by many
pastors today. Their pronouncements neutralize faith with human works. They
proclaim a counterfeit gospel (2 Cor. 11:3-4) far more often than the biblical
Gospel of faith alone in Christ alone. To pervert personal faith in Christ,
Satan strives to obscure the true Gospel of salvation (2 Cor. 4:4).
Anticipating this attack the Apostle Paul warned:
But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should
preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him
be accursed. (Gal.
1:8)
Since God designed a perfect plan
for the believer’s spiritual life based on grace, Satan offers a counterfeit
spirituality based on human works and morality (Gal. 3:2-3). To complement this
pseudo spirituality Satan emulates the power of God. Many will be deceived by
the counterfeit power, signs, and wonders performed by the devil’s disciples (2
Theses. 2:8-10). Satan also adapts an array of counterfeit gods to appeal to
the degeneracy prevalent in any culture of the past, present, or future (2
Theses. 2:3-4).
To discern error we must first know
the truth. The Bible commands the believer to “buy truth, and sell it not”
(Prov. 23:23). Only when we know the truth — Bible doctrine — can we recognize
and avoid Satan’s deceptions.
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching,
do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one
who gives him a greeting participates in-his evil deeds. (2 John 10-11)
The
God of This Age
God created man to have dominion
over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden he
surrendered rulership of the earth to Satan. Today the devil is still the ruler
of this world and holds the title “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4).
The Bible recognizes the prerogative
of Satan to award the kingdoms of the earth and their glory to any person of
his choice. Satan’s offer of splendid earthly domains to Jesus during the
wilderness temptation was legitimate (Matt. 4:8-9). Exercising his temporary
authority in the future Tribulation, Satan will establish the “man of sin,” the
infamous dictator of the Revived Roman Empire (2 Theses. 2:3-9 kJ; Rev. 19:20).
Despite his genius, the world
remains in chaos. Satan cannot effectively administer the world. He possesses
enormous power, but he lacks the character of God — the holiness, justice,
love, grace, omnipotence, the consistency to execute all that he has planned.
Satan’s consuming arrogance prevents
him from ever being faithful to his subjects. He manipulates them strictly for
his own purposes, then dismisses them when they cease to be useful to his
cause. Satan’s treatment of Judas Iscariot exemplifies his faithlessness. After
he used Judas to betray Christ (John 13:2, 21-30; 18:2, 5) Satan deserted him.
Overcome by guilt, Judas “went away and hanged himself’ (Matt. 27:3-5).
Satan’s authority in the world is
implemented through his liege angels. As their supreme commander, he is known
as “Beelzebub the ruler of the demons” (Matt. 12:24).1L These highly organized
and specialized demon forces operate both actively and effectively under the
command of demon generals.
During the Age of Israel, Satan
attempted to destroy the spiritual life of Israel by alienating the Jews from
the true God. 22 Satan promoted elaborate pantheons populated with major and
lesser gods who demanded offerings, even human sacrifices (Lev. 18:21; Jer.
32:35). These polytheistic religions captivated the Israelites and perverted the
worship of Yahweh.[5]
So pervasive was the lure of
demonism that when God ordered Israel to annihilate the Canaanites for demonic
practices, they ignored God’s command and spared them. As the debauched
Canaanites continued to live in their midst, the Israelites were enticed to
assimilate their demonic religion, even sacrificing their own children to
appease the demons (Deut. 32:17). Satan’s religious counterfeit temporarily
prevailed.
They did not destroy the peoples,
As the Lord commanded them,
But they mingled with the nations,
And learned their practices,
And served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters
to the demons,
And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with the blood. (Ps.
106:34-38)
In the Church Age Satan is far too
subtle to tempt Christians with such horrors as child sacrifice. Instead, he
distracts the believer from the plan of God by appealing to the “lust of the
flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
Succumbing to these seductive lusts carries a high price for the believer. The
road to ruin is paved with misery, ultimately ending in the sin unto death (1
John 5:16). Yet this need never happen! At salvation God frees the believer
from the power of Satan.
The Son of God appeared for this
purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8b)
We are born into the devil’s world.
Our spiritual death is proof of our earthly citizenship. The only hope is faith
in the Savior. Regeneration transfers us from the family of Satan (John 8:44)
to the royal family of God (1 Pet; 2:9; Rev. 1:5-6).”[6]
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12; cf. Acts
26:18; Col. 1:13)
As children of God we are indwelt by
the Holy Spirit and can never be demon-possessed or indwelt by Satan. We have
the options of the filling of the Holy Spirit and learning the Word of God as
the only means to repel satanic or demonic influence. Only through Bible
doctrine resident in our soul can we defend ourselves against Satan and his
demons.
Resist
the devil and he will flee from you [demon influence]. (James 4:7b)
SATAN’S SOLDIERS
Satan, the “prince of the power of
the air,” commands innumerable ranks of demons (Eph. 2:2; cf., Eph. 1:21;
6:12). The Greek (daimonion) (Matt. 9:33)
and the Hebrew equivalent (shed) (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:36-37) identify the
fallen angels who chose Satan’s side during the prehistoric angelic revolt.
Another Hebrew term for demon, “sa’ir”
(Lev. 17:7), means “hairy one or he-goat,” a word applied to the satyrs of
Greek mythology.’[7] Further references to
demons in our English Bibles are the words “familiar spirits” (Lev. 19:31 KJV) and “devils” (Deut. 32:17 KJV). Regardless of the word
used, one or more of Satan’s angels are in view. To avoid confusion, “demon,”
unless otherwise specified, will be used when discussing these malevolent
spirit beings.
Demons serve the cause of evil. They
are avowed enemies of God and in open rebellion against Christ. Since Satan
lacks the attributes of deity, including omnipresence and omnipotence, he
compensates for his inadequacies by relying on his demons for reconnaissance
and the execution of his nefarious schemes. By himself, Satan could accomplish
little, for his field of operations ranges far beyond his ability. His domain
includes the earth and its atmosphere. Further hindering Satan are the divine
restraints that prevent him from operating at full capacity. One group of
fallen angels not operating today comprises the demon assault army which comes
forth from the Abyss (Rev. 9) during the Tribulation. Those demons await their
release for a future assault on humanity during the last great apocalyptic
period of history. Their objective is to assist Satan
in
his final attempt to gain control of the world.
God has also incarcerated a vast
company of Satan’s demons in Tartarus to await their final punishment (Jude 6;
1 Pet. 3:19-20). This segment of fallen angels, called (Bene ha’Elohim),
translated “sons of God,” always refers to angelic beings in the Old Testament (Gen.
6:4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). These demons deliberately procreated with “the
daughters of men”
(Gen.
6:2). The union produced half-human, half-angelic creatures, the (Nephilim), in
an attempt to contaminate the purity of the human race. 18 Their insidious goal
was to corrupt human genetics and thereby foil the virgin birth of the Savior
who had to be true and pure humanity. This genetic attack on the human race
necessitated the worldwide judgment of the Noahic flood (Gen. 6:12-13) to
annihilate the mixed-breed offspring. The demons involved were incarcerated in
darkness, chained with eternal bonds to prevent further attempts to destroy the
line of Christ (2 Pet. 2:4).
After the sexual invasion of Genesis
6, God removed the ability of all the demons to appear as human beings and
procreate (Matt. 22:30). Since that time the demons still at large must remain
invisible. They can manifest themselves only through demon possession, entering
the body of an unbelieving man or woman. The power they are able to exert over
the human body is tremendous. Demons are capable of imparting supernatural
strength (Luke 8:29), as well as inflicting physical abnormalities and
deformities (Luke 13:11-17). Demons can cause blindness (Matt. 12:22) and
inability to speak (Matt. 9:32-33). They are able to induce mental disorders
and suicidal mania (Luke 8:26-35), and are often responsible for personal
injury to their victims (Mark 9:17-18). Once they have established control over
a human body. these evil spirits may come and go at will (Luke 11:24-26). This
accounts for the apparent success of alleged exorcists who knowingly or
unwittingly become the agents of the devil. One of the objectives of the demons
is to deceive the human race through their spurious demonic doctrines and thereby
thwart the plan of God.
Chapter Two
DEMON INFLUENCE
DEMON INFLUENCE OCCURS when the soul
of either an unbeliever or believer is invaded by cosmic thinking; This human
viewpoint reflects Satan’s strategy that opposes and obscures God’s plan.
Satan’s perpetual objective is to usurp the rightful place of God and to be
worshipped as God. A primary duty of every demon is to corrupt the thinking,
ideas, values, and actions of the human race. By so doing Satan believes that
he can obstruct the plan of God and prove his case in the appeal trial of the
angelic conflict.
After the fall of Adam, Satan became
the ruler of the world. To gain and maintain control of this realm, his
counterfeit philosophies of life and religions are his strategies to deceive
and confuse believers and unbelievers. Satan uses contrasting systems such as
legalism and licentiousness to appeal to the trends of the sin nature. All his
strategies have similar characteristics: arrogance or preoccupation with self,
and antagonism, hatred, or hostility toward grace and truth. The original Greek
of the New Testament gathers all satanic stratagems into the Greek designation
“kosmos,” from which is derived the English “cosmic,” usually translated
“world.” Kosmos describes an orderly, cohesive system and organization with a
purpose, policy, and structure of authority designed to subvert the thinking of
the human race.
The
cosmos is a vast order or system that Satan has promoted, which conforms to his
ideals, aims, and methods. It is civilization now functioning apart from God a
civilization in which none of its promoters really expect God to share, who
assign to God no consideration in respect to their projects; nor do they
ascribe any causativity to Him. This system embraces its godless governments,
conflicts, armaments, jealousies, its education, culture, religions of
morality, and pride. It is that sphere in which man lives. It is what he sees,
what he employs. To the uncounted multitude it is all they ever know so long as
they live on this earth. It is properly styled the satanic system, which phrase
is in many instances a justified interpretation of the so-meaningful word,
cosmos. It is literally a cosmos diabolicus.[8]
A successful strategy in Satan’s
repertoire is to promote a superficial understanding of cosmic thinking or
worldliness among believers. Worldliness is not doing so-called ‘worldly’
things or violating cultural taboos, such as smoking, drinking, dancing, going
to movies, or other activities that shock legalistic Christians. The focus of
worldliness is on human viewpoint which leads to carnality. You are what you
think (Prov. 23:7a).
The
Bible strongly admonishes every believer to resist cosmic thinking (James
4:4).
Do
not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)
Any believer who lives, thinks, or
operates his life according to the world’s standards is not only enslaved to
Satan’s authority, but unwittingly executes Satan’s policy and fulfills his
purpose.
Everyone born into Satan’s world
domain is bombarded with Satan’s propaganda until the day he dies. The
unbeliever’s only protection against the more extreme forms of demon influence
is through the application of the laws of divine establishment as exemplified
by the Ten Commandments. God’s fundamentals of virtue and morality intended for
the freedom of all mankind
are
the antithesis of Satan’s scheme.
After salvation, the believer’s sole
protection against demon influence Is learning and applying Bible doctrine.
And do not be conformed to this world [cosmic thinking],
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the
will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)
The truth of doctrine guards against
human viewpoint, the false wisdom of the cosmos, and frees the believer from
enslavement to Satan’s policy (John 8:32). The tragic victims of demon
influence are believers distracted from God’s plan for their life.
Whenever a believer sins, whether
knowingly or unknowingly, his sin nature assumes control and he enters the
cosmic system. Residing in this system through rejection of Bible doctrine
creates a vacuum in the soul. Demon doctrines supplant Bible doctrine.
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some
will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and
doctrines of demons. (1 Tim. 4:1)
As spiritual decline continues, the
believer descends into reversionism. This is the state of spiritual decline or
decadence resulting from rejection or neglect of Bible doctrine.
The longer the believer resides in
cosmic thinking, without using rebound (1 John 1:9), the more susceptible he is
to demon influence. Eventually it becomes impossible to distinguish between the
unbeliever and the believer saturated with cosmic thinking. Like King Saul, the
reversionistic believer faces the risk of increased divine discipline. Saul was
definitely a believer (1 Sam. 10:6; cf., 28:19). His life reveals the depths of
carnality to which any believer can sink. Though every believer is saved at the
moment of faith in Christ, he still possesses a sin nature. Any sin he could
commit before salvation he can commit after salvation because of the depravity
of the sin nature. When the reversionist is dominated by lust patterns of the
sin nature unrestrained by Bible doctrine his life will imitate the unbeliever.
Saul’s rejection of doctrine was manifested by intense bouts of depression,
neuroses, and psychoses. Believers today can manifest these same traits. The
solution
is confession of sin and subsequent recovery of the filling of the Holy Spirit,
restoration of fellowship with God, and resumption of the spiritual life which
includes daily perception and application of Bible doctrine.
Although the totality of Satan’s
policy in the cosmic system is evil, his scheme incorporates good works and
morality. One of Satan’s most effective tools against spiritual growth in the
believer’s life is the distraction of activism, any zealous crusade for a moral
cause. Thousands of believers fall prey to campaigns that culminate in
furthering Satan’s agenda. The only sure way to accomplish God’s plan is not by
whitewashing the devil’s world, but by utilizing the assets God provides for
every believer in the Church Age.
DEMON INFLUENCE vs. DEMON POSSESSION
Does the Bible distinguish between
demon influence and demon possession? Absolutely! New Testament Greek
unambiguously designates demon possession with the words (daimonizomai), “to be possessed by a demon,” and (echo daimonion), “to have a demon. These
terms are synonyms in Luke’s account of the Gerasene demoniac.
And when He [Jesus] had come out onto the land. He was
met by a certain man from the city who was possessed with demons (echo
daimonion], and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not
living in a house, but in the tombs. (Luke 8:27)
And
those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed
(daimonizomai) had been made well. (Luke 8:36)
When these particular words appear
in any biblical context they indicate demon possession.
Further evidence that daimonizomai indicates internal
possession by a demon comes from the description of the demon entering the
madman.
And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he [the
Gerasene demoniac] said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered (eiserchornai)
him.” (Luke
8:30)
Eiserchornoi,
meaning “to enter into, to go in,” emphasizes the internal residence of a demon
within the body of the Gerasene demoniac (cf., Mark 5:12; 9:25). Not only is
the demon said to be “in” the person, but immediate healing was accomplished
when Jesus “cast out” [ekballo] the
invading demon.
And
He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out [ekballo] many
demons. (Mark l:34a; cf., Matt. 9:33; 10:1; Mark 1:39; 3:15; Luke 11:14)
Jesus often used the imperative mood
of (exerchornai) to command the demon
to “come out”; the indicative mood of this word describes the demon’s
departure.
And when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He
rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and dumb spirit, I command
you, come out [imperative of exerchomai) of him and do not enter (eiserchornai]
him again.” And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it
came out [indicative of exerchomai]. (Mark 9:25-26a, italics added; cf., Matt. 17:18;
Mark 1:25-26; 5:8, 13; 7:29; Luke 4:35. 8:2)
A demon could not be cast out or
come out if it had not first entered and subsequently resided in the person
afflicted.
From the analysis of key words in
these passages it is incontestable that daimonizomai
and its synonyms always mean the invasion and control of a person’s body by one
or more demons. Daimonizornai should
never be transliterated ‘demonized’ because this obscures the distinction
between demon possession and demon influence. Demon possession must never be
confused
with
or construed as demon influence.
King Saul and Demon Influence
One of the most prominent examples
of demon influence is found in the Old Testament narrative about King Saul.
Some expositors use this as an instance of a demon-possessed believer, but
there is no hint of demonic indwelling in the biblical account.
After Saul was rejected by God
because of his prolonged disobedience and reversionism, he came under personal
demonic attack. In First Samuel 16:14-16, 23; 18:10; and 19:9 the Hebrew
prepositions indicate that Saul was never indwelt by a demon. In each account
the demon “came upon,” (‘al), or “came
to,” (el), Saul and terrorized him.
These prepositions are in contrast to the Hebrew preposition (be) which means
“into” or “within.” How- ever, he is not present in any of the above passages.
Furthermore, the demon was never portrayed as being “cast out” of Saul.
While believers can come under demon
influence, they cannot be demon-possessed. If Old Testament believers like Saul
who were not permanently endued with the Holy Spirit could not be
demon-possessed, how much more impossible for a Church Age believer permanently
indwelt by the Holy Spirit to be demon-possessed (1 Cor. 6:19-20). No demon can
indwell the believer’s body since God the Holy Spirit has made it a temple for
the indwelling of Christ.
Chapter Three
AVENUES TO DEMONISM
How DOES SOMEONE BECOME SUSCEPTIBLE
to demon influence? The origin of this vulnerability lies in the volition and
the sin nature. The motivator of the sin nature resides in the lust patterns:
power lust, materialism lust, pleasure lust, sexual lust, approbation lust, chemical
lust, criminal lust, social lust, crusader lust, revenge lust. A person may
choose any path of temptation to satiate his lusts. Therein lies the road to
ruin: Frustration from unfulfilled lusts produces bitterness which ripens into
hatred and, in turn, hardens into implacability, vindictiveness, and violence.
For example, hatred and vindictiveness are the driving forces underlying the
demonic practices of voodooism, a primitive religion combining aspects of
idolatry, mysticism, and drug-enhanced sorcery.
Some people may engage a
fortuneteller to gain information and guidance or seek security through
knowledge of future events. Others may seek a medium to receive solace in
bereavement by attempting to contact a departed loved one. These seemingly innocent
pursuits in reality provide a facade for demonism. Some justify their
involvement as-merely amusing entertainment’,
others-earnestly
search for answers to disturbing questions. Deluded by satanic strategies these
people succumb to the influence of demons.
Among the most prevalent avenues to
demon influence are idolatry, divination, necromancy, drug addiction, the
phallic cult, mysticism, and astrology. Each of these avenues is embodied in
the doctrines of demons. Demon influence-becomes the staging area for demon
possession of the unbeliever. The believer who engages in these practices
becomes increasingly demon influenced as the doctrines of demons infiltrate his
thinking and control his decisions.
IDOLATRY
Idolatry, the worship of anything
other than God, wears countless faces from seemingly harmless symbols and icons
to trees, animals, and representations of the natural world. Idolatry deifies
The forces of nature and gives obeisance to man-made objects.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged
the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man
and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave
them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored
among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Rom. 1:22-25)
Scripture records many instances of idolatry
among the nations surrounding Israel: the Canaanite worship of Baal and the
Asherah (Deut. 29:17; Judg. 2:1 1-13; 3:7), and the Philistine worship of
Dagon, the fish god (Judg. 16:23; 1 Sam. 5:I-7).” Today, Asiatic religions
offer a plethora of animate and inanimate idols, representing their various
pantheons.
The enticing snares of idolatry
include the worship of icons, ancestor and hero worship, the licentious rites
of the phallic cult, as well as more intangible forms of idolatry such as the
worship of self, status, power, and money (Col. 3:5). In every generation
idolatry lures faithful followers from every walk of life, inviting demonism
which adversely affects body and soul. Idolatry is spiritual adultery,
unfaithfulness to the Lord, and contributes to divine judgment when enough
people in a nation succumb to its deception.
“And
I [the Lord] saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent
her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did
not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. And it came about because of the
lightness of her harlotry, that she polluted the land and committed adultery
with stones and trees [idolatry].” (Jer. 3:8-9)
“So your altars will become desolate, and your incense
altars will be smashed; and I [the Lord] shall make your slain fall in front of
your idols. I shall also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of
their idols; and I shall scatter your bones around your altars. In all your
dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that
your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought
to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted
out.”
(Ezek. 6:4-6)
Idolatry is the foundation for
demonism and the environment for contacting demons. Demonic involvement subtly
entangles the lives of many who are unaware demons use idolatry to seduce
willing subjects. The first two of the Ten Commandments prohibit corrupting the
worship of the true God. “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not
make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or
serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of
those who hate Me.” (Ex. 20:3-5)
Overt expression of idolatrous
worship is always preceded by a mental attitude of idolatry that blasphemously
substitutes some aspect of nature, some ideal, or some person for God (Rom.
1:25).
Idolatry is not restricted to
primitive cultures or to unbelievers. Even believers become embroiled in this
evil. In the Exodus generation many believers succumbed to the worship of the
golden calf. The Israelites wallowed in idolatry while Moses was absent from
their encampment receiving instructions from God on Mount Sinai (Ex. 32).
After forty days on the mountain,
Moses had not returned. The people became frightened and impatient, questioning
whether he would ever come back. Moses left his brother Aaron in charge but
“without his personal leadership, authority broke down. The rebellious
Israelites belligerently demanded of Aaron: “Come, make us a god, who will go
before us” (Ex. 32:1). Shortly
before
that fateful day they had solemnly agreed to obey the law of God (Ex. 19:8).
Yet now, with the apparent demise of Moses, all faithfulness was quickly
forgotten. They turned to the idolatry of Egypt for comfort.
Aaron eagerly indulged their
sacrilegious demand. The people enthusiastically donated their gold jewelry so
he could fashion a golden calf (Ex. 32:2-5, 24). With the idol completed, the
people rose up shouting, “This is your god, 0 Israel, who brought you up from
the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 32:4b)
Seeing their zeal, Aaron constructed
an altar to the calf and proclaimed a religious feast which culminated in a
frenzied, blasphemous orgy. God threatened to destroy all the people for their
idolatry. Only the fervent intercession of Moses preserved the Israelites from
the wrath of God and instant annihilation (Ex. 32:9-14). Even so, three
thousand died the sin unto death for their idolatry (Ex. 32:28).
Israel’s pattern of failure
epitomized by the golden calf debacle began with negative volition toward the
Word of God as it was then revealed. This pattern is duplicated in the lives of
carnal believers today. Reversionism, spiritual decadence caused by neglect or
rejection of Bible doctrine, results. God designed the soul to be controlled by
metabolized Bible doctrine under the filling of the Holy Spirit. The
reversionist makes emotion rather than doctrine his criterion for life. This
emotional revolt makes a god of emotion. Satan seizes this opportunity to
penetrate the vacuum in the soul created by negative volition with false
doctrine and evil ideas. The invasion of the soul by doctrines of demons from
Satan’s domain of darkness (Eph. 5:8: Col. 1:13) produces blackout of the soul,
blinding the mind to truth. Continued rejection of doctrine hardens the soul
with scar tissue and the last vestiges of doctrine disappear. With the truth
blacked out in the soul, the reversionistic believer plummets into the final
stage of reversionism — reverse process in reversionism.”[9]
In reverse process reversionism, a
complete reversal or loss of a doctrinal scale of values completes the cycle to
degeneracy. Affections and loyalties become so distorted that the reversionist
deserts the true objects of love in favor of all that is evil and destructive.
Finally, he turns his back on his love for God. In this state of apostasy he
succumbs to idolatry, a definitive manifestation of demon influence among
believers.
After World War II, some military personnel stationed throughout Asia returned to the
United States enamored with Eastern mystic religion and culture. With this
broadened mystical consciousness, a new tolerance for idolatry gradually
emerged. Idolatrous concepts soon began to infiltrate Christian worship and
practice. Ideas from Eastern religions, such as ‘all religions are pathways to
God’ became common.
Asian religions which had enslaved
and impoverished adherents in their own lands increased in popularity
throughout the United States. Certain Americans exchanged their Christian heritage
— the only source of freedom, prosperity, and hope — for the slavery, poverty,
and despair of Eastern religions. At one time our country was at the forefront
in sending missionaries to spread Christianity into foreign lands. Now
Westerners by the droves make pilgrimages to the meccas of idolatry to study
Eastern mysticism. Gurus tour the United States disseminating doctrines of
demons while God’s truth remains ignored and rejected.
The Scriptures warn of the
ever-present, insidious danger of idolatry, mandating believers to separate
themselves from all forms of this evil. Though idols may be nothing more than
wood or stone, they represent demons. Idolatrous religions promote demonic
doctrines. Unbelievers enmeshed in idolatry unwittingly worship demons and risk
demon possession.
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. . . . What do
I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is
anything? No, but / say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in
demons [through idolatry]. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Cor. 10:14,19-21).
Or what agreement has the temple of
God with idols? For we are the temple-of the living God; just as God said,
“I will dwell in them and
walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is
unclean;
And I will welcome you.” (2 Cor. 6:16-17)
DIVINATION
You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice
divination or soothsaying. (Lev. 19:26)
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his
son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who
practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.” (Deut. 18:10)
Divination is the attempt to foresee
or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by means of
interpreting omens or by the aid of supernatural powers. Clairvoyance,
palmistry, dowsing, and psychometry are the media of the diviner.”[10] God expressly forbids
participation in such practices.
“For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.”
(1 Sam. 15:23a)
The fascination with fortune-telling
and psychics corroborates the success of divination as a satanic scheme to
distract people from the plan of God. Interest may begin as innocent curiosity:
reading a horoscope in the daily newspaper, calling a psychic hotline, playing
with a Ouija board or tarot cards. The popularity of Eastern religions and
ideas has made divination more acceptable. These and other long-suppressed
demon pursuits surface periodically like scum on a pond to spawn a plethora of
evil practices condemned in Scripture.
‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them
out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.’ (Lev. 19:31)
‘Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist
shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their
bloodguiltiness is upon them.’ (Lev. 20:27).[11]
God has revealed through biblical
prophecy many future events, but in His wisdom He has withheld certain
information from mankind (Deut. 29:29). Though the Bible provides only a broad
sketch of the future, God has supplied all the knowledge we need to enter into
a personal and permanent relationship with Him. The Bible delineates every
guideline, every principle required for living the Christian life. Yet, despite
these perfect provisions, attempts to foresee the future by means other than
those revealed by God continue to entice mankind. The future is best left in the
Lord’s hands.
Babylonian Wizardry
After the Battle of Carchemish,
while pursuing the fleeing remnant of the Egyptian army, Nebuchadnezzar came
suddenly upon the spectacular city of Jerusalem (Dan. 1:1). He hesitated:
Should he continue the chase or besiege Jerusalem?
“For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the
way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he
consults the household idols [teraphim], he looks at the liver.” (Ezek. 21:21)
To help make his decision
Nebuchadnezzar resorted to three types of divination: belomancy, consultation
of the teraphim, and hepatoscopy. He was convinced one or the other would
surely point the way. Each method involved demon activity.
In the practice of belomancy, new bright
and shining arrows, one marked in a special way, were tossed into the air. The
marked arrow dropped to the ground, pointing toward Jerusalem. Still
Nebuchadnezzar hesitated. He sought additional confirmation from the small,
portable idols, teraphim, that represented his household gods. When these idols
were consulted, the demons assured him by a designated omen to advance on
Jerusalem.
Even this failed to convince
Nebuchadnezzar. For final assurance he turned to hepatoscopy, using the liver
of an animal to determine the future. A ritual dance was performed around a
chicken or some other animal. In the case of a chicken, its neck was then wrung
and its body pulled apart so the liver would fall to the ground. The diviner
then dropped to his hands and knees and stirred the organ with his finger. He
examined the construction and position of the liver, awaiting guidance from
their pagan god. This final directive convinced Nebuchadnezzar to break off
pursuit of the Egyptians and besiege Jerusalem. This decision was based on
demon activity through divination.
Oracular Predictions
In the sixth century B.C. a king
named Croesus was the last and most renowned ruler of Lydia. Located in present
Turkey, Lydia expanded from a small kingdom to a mighty empire after the fall
of the Hittites. Sardis, the capital city, was acclaimed for its splendor and
legendary wealth. Croesus, rich beyond imagination, is credited with
originating coined money as a medium of exchange.
When the victories of Cyrus the
Great of Persia began to threaten Lydian supremacy, Croesus grew uneasy. He
hastily allied himself with Amasis II of Egypt and Nabonidus of
Babylonia. But these alliances failed to provide him with a sense of security.
He sought advice from supernatural sources to assist him in making decisions.
Croesus’ first act was to determine
which sources of divination were valid. He sent emissaries to various heathen
temples throughout the land. His carefully conceived plan called for
synchronized action on the part of his messengers. One hundred days after they
received their order, each of the couriers was to enter a specific temple and
inquire, “What is Croesus, King of Lydia, doing today?”
At the appointed hour, Croesus would
be at the seashore. He would meticulously dismember a tortoise and a lamb and
then boil them in a brass cauldron fitted with a brass cover. Whichever temple
most accurately described this bizarre royal behavior would be considered the
most reliable of the oracles.
As the king expected, the temples
vied with each other for royal patronage. The appeal to each oracle involved
complicated ritual and mysterious jargon. Only the oracle of Delphi described
exactly the king’s whereabouts even before the courier asked the crucial
question. Pythia, the demon-possessed priestess, pronounced:
I
can count the sands, and I can measure the ocean; I have ears for the silent,
and know what the dumb man meaneth; Lo! on my sense there striketh the smell of
a shell-covered tortoise boiling now on a fire, with the flesh of a lamb, in a
cauldron, brass is the vessel below, and brass the cover above it.[12]
Elated, the courier hastened back to
deliver his message to the king. Upon hearing the pronouncement, Croesus
immediately knew the right oracle had been found. Once again, he dispatched
envoys to Delphi. They arrived laden with priceless gifts intended as a
magnificent sacrifice to the Delphian deity. Ancient historians report an
offering of three thousand oxen, resplendent robes and royal tunics, immense
vessels of silver and gold, ingots of precious metals — opulent gifts that
amazed even Herodotus, who saw them a century later at Delphi.
These treasures, Croesus thought,
would be consigned to the flames atop an enormous sacrificial pyre in exchange
for an answer to this critical question: Should Lydia attack the Persians? The
reply came back from Delphi: If Croesus crosses the Halys River, he will
overturn a mighty empire. Croesus misconstrued this ambiguous advice to be a
promise of success. The armies of Croesus marched across the border. Indeed,
the demon was accurate in his prediction: Croesus’ attack on Cyrus did overturn
a mighty empire his own. A similar case is related about the Roman Emperor
Trajan.
The Emperor Trajan made a like
demand of the oracle of Heliopolis by sending a sealed letter to which he
required an answer. The oracle replied by sending to the emperor a bit of blank
paper nicely folded and sealed. Trajan was amazed to find the answer in perfect
harmony with the letter sent, which contained nothing but a blank paper.[13]
These illustrations of divination
from ancient history have modern counterparts. When anyone, however innocently,
visits a fortune-teller, whether it involves reading palms, tarot cards, or tea
leaves, contact with demons is possible. When divination accurately foretells
the future, demons are operating. Certainly not all fortune-telling indicates
demon possession; much of this frivolous dabbling may be nothing more than
clumsy deception or clever fakery. Yet those who participate in divination are
flirting with possible demon involvement.
When people resort to divination
before making decisions, they are susceptible to demon influence or demon
possession. Divination is merely an extension of witchcraft and idolatry.
Sponsored by demons, these are strictly forbidden by God.
Before the completion of the canon
of Scripture, God revealed His will through dreams, visions, and prophecy.
Today God communicates only through His written Word. Divine guidance comes
from Bible doctrine in the soul. The Bible is “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor.
2:16) and doctrine is your protection against the evils of demon influence.
NECROMANCY
Necromancy originates from two Greek
words: (nekros), meaning “dead,” and “manteia,” meaning “divination.”
Necromancy is foretelling the future by alleged contact with the dead.
Practitioners of necromancy are mediums through whom demons communicate,
go-betweens who contact the spirit world for others.
One of the most ancient of religions
is Spiritism, often called spiritualism by adherents who wish to give it a
semblance of religious respectability. The origin of modern Spiritism can be
traced to 1847 when Kate and Margaret Fox, two teenage daughters of a Methodist
minister, devised a system of raps and knocks to communicate with a spirit
allegedly inhabiting their house in western New York state. As word of their
encounter spread, the curious and gullible came to witness this alleged contact
with the spirit of the dead. Two years later, P. T. Barnum hired the sisters
who subsequently gained world-wide notoriety. In 1888 the Fox sisters finally
admitted the hoax, but their followers remained unconvinced.
Interest in the spirit world and the
paranormal spawns societies and associations dedicated to the study of psychic
phenomena. The National Spiritualist Association of the United States reported
a membership of 126,000 in 1863 which increased to 228,000 spiritists in
1945.3888 In post-World War II America several major
universities, including Duke and Stanford, have established departments to
investigate psychic and paranormal events hoping to establish their legitimacy.
However, others have definitively exposed its spurious claims.
Much
of contemporary Spiritism has been exposed by competent professionals as
fraudulent. The classic expose was by Houdini and Dunninger (Magic and Mystery,
New York: Weathervane Books, 1967). Other exposes include that by former
“psychic” M. Lamar Keene (The Psychic Mafia, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1976)
and a joint investigation by a Christian physician, Paul Meier, and a Christian
magician, Danny Korem (The Fakers, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980).
However,
not all psychic or spiritistic phenomena can be exposed as fraudulent. There is
a spiritual dimension which cannot be ignored. Authentic spiritists draw their
power from the one the Bible calls “a roaring lion” who seeks “whom he may
devour” (1 Peter 5:8), who is Satan.[14]
Today, the New Age movement has popularized
necromancy under the term channeling. Traditional forms of necromancy were
usually private seances where the medium attempted to contact and communicate
with the dead. In contrast, channeling involves a medium or trans-channeler who
permits the spirit to possess his or her body and speak directly to an
audience. Often these activities take place before large groups of people who
pay vast sums of money for the advice they receive.
Some channelers have received
inordinate attention in our culture. Their predictions and counsel are sought
by politicians, sports celebrities, entertainers, and business leaders. The
appeal of contacting the dead is a subterfuge used by Satan and his demons to
cultivate a constituency in this world. The practice of necromancy has become
one of the major thrusts of demonism in our generation. Ethereal beings
contacted by mediums do not always claim to be spirits of the dead. Some
present themselves as extraterrestrials, angels, gods from ancient religions,
or ‘ascended masters.’ Are those who hold seances and channel spirits actually
contacting the dead? Definitely not! In fact, so-called mediums are either
frauds or they actually do contact demons but never the dead. When anyone
follows the advice of demons, those whom they influence are indirectly and
unwittingly affected and guided by doctrines of demons.
People overcome with grief sometimes
possess a strong desire to communicate and fellowship with their departed loved
ones and discover where they are. Only the Word of God provides the answer.
Those who have died without accepting Christ as Savior are in a place of
eternal condemnation (Luke 16:22-23; John 3:18). Believers who have died “in
the Lord” (Rev. 14:13) are in His presence, a place of perfect happiness.
“And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and
there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or
crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)
They are “absent from the body, and at home
[face-to-face] with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).
Some believe the dead watch the
living. We indeed are being watched, but not by the dead. We are being observed
by both elect and fallen angels, as well as by living believers and unbelievers
(1 Cor. 4:9). Loved ones who have died can no more see or communicate with us
than we can see or contact them. Because of our relationship with Christ, we
are assured of eternal reunion with those loved ones who are believers in
Christ (1 Theses. 4:16-18).
We retain fragrant memories of them,
but we cannot reach across the divide. We can neither contact the dead in
heaven nor in Hades.
Since communication with the dead is
impossible. Scripture forbids all participation in necromancy (Lev. 19:31;
20:6, 27; Deut. 18:9-12; 2 Kings 23:24). These mandates protect the believer
from demon influence mediated through necromancy. Contact with the dead cannot
be accomplished so demons often impersonate the dead. These demons are called
in the Greek “engastrimuthos” (Isa. 8:19 LXX).[15]
The Engastrimuthos Demon
And when they [false prophets] say to you, “Consult the
mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult
their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? (Isa. 8:19)
The word “medium” is a translation
of the Hebrew (‘ov), the equivalent
of the Greek engastrimuthos which means “ventriloquist.” A ventriloquist demon
sometimes produces within the medium a strange cacophony of whispers (high
sounds) and mutters (low sounds). At other times he projects his voice out from
the ground, up from the table, or down from the ceiling. Frequently the demon
controls the vocal cords of the medium in a clever impersonation of the dead.
The engastrimuthos demons must possess and control the mediums through whom they
speak.
For example, a demon who indwelt
someone in India a thousand years ago may presently indwell someone in Los
Angeles. Through this person the engastrimuthos demon impersonates any number
of people from India who lived during that ancient time. Since no language
barriers exist for demons, the demon is able to make it seem as though
personages from different eras of
history
are projected into our century.
Isaiah describes another assignment
of the engastrimuthos demon:
Then you shall be brought
low;
From the earth you shall
speak,
And from the dust where you
are prostrate,
Your words shall come,
Your voice shall also be
like that of a spirit from the ground,
And your speech shall
whisper from the dust. (Isa. 29:4)
In this form of necromancy the
medium places his ear near the ground, ostensibly to hear the voice of the
dead. Yet the voice the medium hears is actually an impersonation by the
engastrimuthos demon.
The Witch of Endor
Rudyard Kipling, the English poet
and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, was familiar with the biblical
account in First Samuel 28 when he penned these lines from “En-dor”:
Oh, the road to En-dor is the oldest road
And the craziest road of
all!
Straight it runs to the
Witch’s abode,
As it did in the days of
Saul,
And nothing has changed of
the sorrow in store
For such as go down on the
road to En-dor!
In these terse words Kipling vividly
recounts the tragic consequences of consorting with demons. Saul’s journey down
the road to En-dor epitomizes the degradation and depravity to which the nation
Israel had sunk during his
reign.
Following the death of Moses’
successor Joshua, God appointed judges to rule over Israel. The last of these
political and spiritual leaders was Samuel, who served also as prophet to the
nation. Samuel’s advanced age and approaching death raised the question of
selecting his successor. The only apparent heirs were his worthless sons.
These rebellious young men refused
to walk in the ways of the Lord. Their corruption and cruelty were well-known
to the people (1 Sam. 8:3-5). Therefore, the elders of Israel petitioned Samuel
to appoint a king to succeed him to office. Samuel warned the people that their
request was contrary to God’s plan. God had established Israel as a theocracy:
God was their king. But the people, blinded by their obsession to be “like all
the nations” (1: Sam. 8:5), stubbornly demanded a king they could see and
touch. In grace God permitted Saul to be anointed king over Israel.
Saul possessed every quality of a
popular leader: a winsome personality, physical attractiveness, and true
humility (1 Sam. 9:1-2). In his younger years Saul was a grace-oriented
believer with Bible doctrine resident in his soul. He obeyed the commandments’
of the Lord.
Later in life, however, Saul began
to look at life from the human viewpoint. His persistent negative volition led
him into prolonged periods of carnality. The longer Saul remained in
reversionism, the more casually he treated God’s instructions (1 Sam. 15:3-29).
Consequently, the Lord rejected Saul and dispatched Samuel to anoint young
David as the future king of Israel
(1
Sam. 16:12-13). Though God had rejected Saul, He graciously permitted him to
continue to reign.
Samuel continued as the spiritual
leader of the land while Saul was the officially recognized ruler of Israel.
Following David’s spectacular victory over Goliath, the young shepherd-warrior
became a national hero. His tremendous popularity infuriated Saul (1 Sam.
18:6-8). Driven by insane jealousy and hatred for David, King Saul had but one
ambition to kill David, God’s choice as the next monarch (1 Sam. 18:9-29). To
achieve his evil goal, Saul employed the nation’s military might in a personal
vendetta against the man he regarded as his rival.
Saul’s carnal insecurity and
reversionistic paranoia led him to foolishly blame David for his own troubles.
Yet David was blameless; he never sought to take advantage of Saul’s failures
as an excuse to seize the throne of Israel (1 Sam. 24:10). Even when David had
opportunities to assassinate “the Lord’s anointed,” he chose to leave Saul in
the Lord’s hands (1 Sam. 24:6; 26:9).
David faithfully waited upon the
Lord to remove Saul from the throne. Though David was forced to become a
fugitive from Saul’s wrath, he utilized the time wisely. Establishing his
headquarters in the cave of Adullam, he began to organize and train other
outcasts, desperate men also persecuted by Saul who sought refuge from him (1
Sam. 22:1-2).
Under David’s brilliant leadership,
these men were forged into a well-disciplined, highly efficient fighting force.
Eventually they became David’s general officers and formed the nucleus of
Israel’s highest ranking military chiefs. They would lead the army of Israel to
victory after years of civil war precipitated by Saul’s selfishness. This is
the background for the incident at En-dor.
Now it came about in those days that the Philistines
gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to
David, “Know assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your
men.” And David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant
can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for
life.” (1
Sam. 28:1-2)
The clouds of disaster gathered on
Israel’s horizon. An ancient foe was mobilizing its forces and threatening the
survival of the nation. The powerful alliance of the five city-states of
Philistia was poised to strike. The ragtag remnants of Saul’s army, dissipated
by lack of leadership and poor discipline, were scarcely a match for this
mighty array of military force. Saul would discover too late that his unchecked
reversionism had rendered him useless to the Lord, vulnerable to attack by the
Philistines, and susceptible to demon influence.
In the meantime, David was in the
midst of a dilemma. King Achish of Gath, Goliath’s hometown, was a noble and
honorable unbeliever who had granted David asylum in Philistia from Saul’s
persecution. Achish hired David and his warriors as mercenaries. Greatly
impressed by David’s valor and loyalty, Achish rewarded the young warrior by
appointing him as the royal bodyguard “for life.” This custom of retaining
foreign troops as personal guards was not unusual, either in ancient or more
recent times. A monarch of Persia once employed Greek mercenaries, and Louis XVI hired the famous Swiss Regiment as his palace guard. However, David’s
promotion to mercenary bodyguard was not part of God’s plan for his life.
Although Achish expected David and his men to join the expedition against
Israel, David opposed fighting against his own people. God graciously delivered
David from his dilemma (1 Sam. 29).
Jesus Christ controls history. The
Philistine commanders viewed David and his men with suspicion. Not
surprisingly, they voiced their distrust to Achish: How could they be confident
of David’s allegiance? Might he not “in the battle . . . become an adversary”
to them (1 Sam. 29:4)? Finally, a reluctant Achish acquiesced to the demands of
his commanders. David and his men were ordered to return to Ziklag (1 Sam.
30:1). Thus the Lord spared David from warring against his own people.
THE CRISIS
Now Samuel was dead and all Israel had lamented him and
buried him in Ramah his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who
were mediums and spiritists. (1 Sam. 28:3)
During this crucial time in their
history, Israel lacked leadership. Samuel, the nation’s spiritual leader, was
dead. Saul’s spiritual weakness and irrational obsession with David had
corrupted his leadership. The nation was in disarray. Taking advantage of
Israel’s military paralysis the Philistines prepared to attack.
So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped
in Shunern; and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped in Gilboa.
When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled
greatly. (1
Sam. 28:4-5)
The battle lines were drawn between
the Israelites and the Philistines. Achish and his army bivouacked on the slopes
of Mount Moreh, overlooking the narrow end of the Valley of Jezreel, also known
as the plain of Esdraelon. On the opposite side of the valley, four miles away
at the foot of Mount Gilboa, lay the encampment of the Israelites. The sight of
the massed might of his enemy terrified Saul. Because of reversionism his
courage degenerated to cowardice and subsequent psychosis. As fear gripped his
soul, what was left of his doctrinal norms and standards deteriorated,
destroying his capacity to make wise decisions.
Fear is a devastating mental
attitude sin. The more you surrender to fear, the more you fear. The extent to
which you surrender to fear, the greater your capacity for fear. The greater
your capacity for fear, the more you increase its power in your life. You avoid
fear by focusing on learning, thinking, and applying Bible doctrine to the
problems you face, rather than concentrating on the problems.
For God has not given us a spirit [lifestyle] of timidity
[coward- ice], but of power and love and discipline [sound judgment]. (2 Tim. 1:7)
Cowardice brought on by fear
paralyzes both mind and body. People who live by fear become intimidated by
life. The ability to think under pressure evaporates. Rather than seeking
permanent solutions from God, the person controlled by fear frantically seeks
help from any source. When Saul surrendered to fear, his cowardice led him to
solve his problem with necromancy.
THE CRY FOR HELP.
When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer
him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. (1 Sam. 28:6)
Saul repeatedly sought divine
guidance, but received no answer from the Lord. Years earlier when Saul
brutally murdered the priests at Nob only the high priest escaped to join
David, taking with him the Urim and Thummim, the priestly instruments of divine
guidance.[16] Without priestly guidance
and the Urim and Thummim Saul desperately sought direction. He surrounded
himself with apostate teachers and false prophets who could offer no divine
help.
When adversity strikes, certain
believers who have been consistently negative toward Bible doctrine frantically
seek a miraculous deliverance. Panic negates the Lord’s true provision for
crisis situations. God mandates that we learn, think, and apply Bible doctrine
consistently under normal circumstances so when the crisis hits we are
fortified for the storm.
During the last fifteen years of his
life Saul both neglected and rejected Bible doctrine. Now his piteous cry for
God’s help was in vain. Any believer who remains out of fellowship with God
cannot expect an answer to prayer: “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the
Lord will not hear” (Ps. 66:18).
Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is
a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to
him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.” (1 Sam. 28:7)
Denied divine guidance, Saul
deliberately turned away from the Lord. Self-justification and self-deception
are commonplace for reversionistic believers who refuse rebound. Saul was no
exception. Believing God had failed him, he placed his hope in a medium and
appealed to the powers of darkness.
What a contrast! At the beginning of
his reign, Saul condemned witchcraft, recognizing that the presence of
demon-possessed people destroys the society in which they are tolerated (1 Sam.
28:9). Saul ordered the ban or execution of all who practiced witchcraft or
were known to be mediums. He now violated his own decree. He dispatched
reconnaissance teams and ordered them to locate a female necromancer. The
mission was successful. Ironically, a medium was found fifteen miles behind
enemy lines in the town of En-dor.
Reversionism held Saul in the grip
of strong delusion and self-absorption. He could no longer think logically or
function effectively as the leader of his army. Paralyzed by fear he was
absorbed with his own desperate situation. The safety of his men never crossed
his mind.
Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes,
and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. (1 Sam. 28:8a)
Whatever his disguise, Saul had
become a soldier out of uniform. He jeopardized the lives of his companions as
well. His destiny in life to serve the Lord, rule Israel, and command the army
was lost forever, diverted into the dark recesses of demonism.
Crossing the four miles that
separated the opposing camps, Saul and the two soldiers stealthily made their
way to En-dor. Saul was traveling down the road to his death. Twelve hours
later, he would fall in battle, miserably and painfully dying the sin unto
death.[17]
Posing as an ordinary citizen, Saul
approached the woman and requested a
seance.
And he said, “Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for
me whom I shall name to you.” But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what
Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the
land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?” (1 Sam. 28:8b-9)
Although she did not recognize Saul
as King, she reminded him of the royal decree against all witchcraft and
necromancy. Wary and suspicious, the medium feared this might be a trap. She
knew only too well the Mosaic Law specifically demanded the death penalty for
necromancers (Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:10-12). Saul realized he must reassure the
woman before he could elicit her cooperation.
And Saul vowed to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord
lives, there shall no punishment come upon you for this thing.” (1 Sam. 28:10)
For years Saul rejected every
provision and warning from God. Yet now he took a solemn oath in the Lord’s
name. Typically, reversionistic believers use anyone or anything to achieve
their purposes. Saul had disgracefully used his army in repeated attempts on
David’s life. He selfishly used his staff to accompany him on this dangerous
personal mission of no military significance. Now in his frenetic quest for
guidance, he defied the divinely ordained laws of the land by seeking to use a
necromancer. And finally, to convince the medium her life was not in danger, he
even called on God for a witness. What blasphemy!
THE SEANCE THAT WENT WRONG
Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And
he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out
with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived
me? For you are Saul.” And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do
you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up out of
the earth.”
(1 Sam. 28:11-13)
Her fears allayed, the medium fell
into a trance and began the seance. If the customary procedure were followed,
the engastrimuthos demon would control the session from beginning to end. But
the unexpected happened: God controlled the session. By divine permission
Samuel actually appeared. Astounded, the startled woman’s terrified scream
pierced the silence. She knew instantly this was no apparition, but the prophet
truly returned from the dead.
The witch of En-dor had anticipated
the usual demon hoax. She expected to hear only voices, instead Samuel stood
before her. The shock of Samuel’s appearance caused her to recognize her
nocturnal visitor as the king of Israel. The combination of these sudden revelations
further terrified her.
Unaware of the maelstrom of events
swirling around him, Saul tried calming her fears. Under strong psychotic
delusion, the apostate king was so certain Samuel would be contacted that he
was not at all surprised by the prophet’s appearance. He eagerly plied the
woman with questions. And he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An
old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe.” And
Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did
homage. (1 Sam. 28:14)
The medium’s description convinced
Saul that Samuel had truly returned “up out of the earth” from Paradise. Awed
by Samuel’s appearance-he prostrated himself before the prophet.
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by
bringing me up"?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the
Philistines are waging war against me, and God has departed from me and answers
me no more, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you,
that you may make known to me what I should do.” And Samuel said, “Why then do
you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your
adversary?” (1
Sam. 28:15-16)
Samuel was indignant. Saul had
rejected doctrinal teaching during the prophet’s lifetime. Now, under
adversity, he clamored for private tutoring from the very authority he had
rejected. No wonder the prophet reproached the foolish king. Believers who have
crossed the golden bridge of dying grace and reached the wonders of their
eternal destination have no desire to return to this earth 4” But Saul was far
too arrogant and self-absorbed to notice.
Saul repudiated doctrine and became
the “adversary” of God. His contact with the forces of evil compounded his
problems and intensified his discipline. As God’s enemy (1 Sam. 28:16; cf.,
James 4:4), through his own negative volition, he had passed the point of no
return. The prophet could only warn him of his imminent defeat and death.
“As you did not obey the Lord and did not execute His
fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day.
Moreover the Lord will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of
the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [a statement
of Saul’s eternal salvation]. Indeed the Lord will give over the army of Israel
into the hands of the Philistines!” (1 Sam. 28:18-19)
Saul’s life ended ignobly in a death
unworthy of one whom the Lord had anointed ruler over Israel. The man who had
once shown noble promise plunged a sword into his own chest on the heights of
Mount Gilboa. His three sons and many brave soldiers fell in vain at his side.
Israel was routed by the conquering Philistines (1 Sam. 31:3-4; cf., 2 Sam.
1:19-21).
Today, similar attempts to contact
the dead are made. Such ventures are not confined to unbelievers with a
penchant for the demonic. Just like Saul, believers who should know better also
try to contact the dead. But the spiritual consequences can be just as deadly
as they were to Saul.
Witchcraft
A witch (kashaph) or sorceress (Ex. 22:18; Deut. 18:10) is a demon-possessed
female medium; a wizard (yid’oni) is
the male counterpart (Lev. 19:31; 1 Sam. 28:3, 9). Witchcraft is associated in
the Old Testament with demonism (Deut. 18:10; 2 Chron. 33:6; Nahum 3:4). Those
who practice witchcraft rely on demons for information and guidance. In turn,
demons use witches to communicate their message. This was the procedure
attempted at the seance at En-dor.
The New Testament contains one
reference to witchcraft (Gal. 5:20 KJV). The Greek word “pharmakeia),” “drug addiction,”
describes a dimension of witchcraft, the use of drugs in sorcery.
Hallucinogenic drugs are employed in many religious rituals to achieve ecstatic
states in which spirits may be contacted.
MISUSE OF THE MOSAIC LAW. The
biblical mandate “You shall not allow a sorceress [witch] to live” (Ex. 22:18)
was a part of the Mosaic Law specifically codified for the nation Israel. This
injunction is no longer mandatory during the Church Age. Failure to understand
this distinction has led to the execution of hundreds of thousands of people
accused of sorcery over the centuries. Horrible abuses of Exodus 22:18 occurred
throughout Europe and Colonial North America in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and
seventeenth centuries. The Roman Catholic Church burned at the stake more than
five hundred condemned as witches in Geneva, Switzerland in 1515; then, 975 in
Como, Italy in 1524; and over one hundred thousand in Germany during the same
period. No records were kept of the vast number of immolations in France and
Spain.[18]
Roman Catholics were not alone in
this hysteria. During the Commonwealth period in England (1649-1660) over
thirty thousand so-called witches were executed by the Puritan-controlled
Anglican Church. Witch-hunts also occurred in Puritan America, but compared to
Europe, this hysteria was mild and short-lived.
SALEM WITCH TRIALS. During the long
winter of 1692 the two bored and mischievous daughters of the pastor of the
First Church in Salem, Massachusetts, encouraged a household slave from the
West Indies to recite tales from her childhood. Enthralled by her stories of
voodoo and hypnotism, the girls were soon learning these practices, along with
palmistry and spiritism. They invited their parents and other friends to the
meetings. Their strange barkings, groanings, and trances intensely concerned
their parents. The authorities soon investigated.
Frightened, but also thrilled with
their new-found fame, the girls began to make accusations of witchcraft against
anyone with whom they held a grudge. Others vindictively joined in. The
authorities convened a special court to try the accused — the infamous Salem
witch trials. Before the hysteria ended over four hundred had been arrested,
nineteen people and two dogs hanged, and one man crushed to death when his
interrogators applied weights to torture a confession from him. This
miscarriage of justice causing innocent people to be executed was a direct
result of the wicked fabrications of bored and devious girls.
As deplorable as witch-hunts are,
even more lamentable are the lives destroyed through demonism. The previous
historical examples of witchcraft, necromancy, and divination illustrate the
tragic consequences of demonic pursuits. Demons are deceptive; their objectives
promote Satan’s evil agenda. Scripture warns that involvement in demonic
pursuits can result in demon possession of the unbeliever and demon influence
of the believer.
DRUG ADDICTION
One blatant manifestation of
reversionism is drug addiction. The abuse of hallucinogenic drugs, such as
lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and narcotics, such as heroin, cocaine, and
their derivatives, destroys the mentality of the soul, corrupting norms and
standards in the conscience. Volition is neutralized. Demon influence fills the
vacuum created in the reversionistic soul. Once influenced by demons, how
easily the unbeliever surrenders to demon possession. Anyone who samples or
indulges in drugs out of curiosity, peer pressure, or to escape the adversities
of life becomes a prime target for demons.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery {pharmakeia], enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as
I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)
The passage catalogues a partial
list of mental, verbal, and overt sins, including the sin of “drug addiction,”
a more accurate translation of the Greek word pharmakeia. Originally the word
described the use of drugs to induce a religious trance for contacting the
spirit world and eventually came to mean addiction to drugs.
THE PHALLIC CULT
The phallic cult permeated ancient
religions and cultures. The phallus was symbolic of fertility, a vital economic
concern in agrarian societies. Fertility worship, a feature of ancient Sumerian
mythology, incorporated mystical orgiastic rites, ritual prostitution, human
sacrifice, and other bloody rituals. The phallic cult was adapted to a variety
of polytheistic religions from Sumerian to Greek civilizations.[19]
When Israel invaded Canaan ca. 1406
B.C., the phallic cult was entrenched in the religious practices of the worship
of Baal. To protect Israel from this debauchery, God mandated the annihilation
of the Canaanites to eradicate their demonic culture. Israel failed to execute
God’s command to the letter. Although Israel vanquished the Canaanites on the
battlefield, the Canaanites nearly defeated the Israelites by ensnaring them in
the cult of Baal.
So they [Israel] forsook the Lord and served Baal and the
Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them
into the hands of plunderers who plundered them; and He sold them into the
hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand before
their enemies.
(Judg. 2:13-14)
The phallic cult was an ingenious
satanic attempt to replace Israel’s worship of Yahweh with the licentious rites
of polytheistic worship. Baal worship mixed heathen deities with erotic rituals
and demonic doctrines rendering the participant vulnerable to demon possession.
The supreme deity of the Canaanite pantheon was El, a satanic counterfeit of
God the Father. Like the Greek god Zeus, or his Roman counterpart Jupiter, El
seduced both goddesses and mortal women. His wife, Asherah, comparable to the
Greek Hera, Roman Juno, or Babylonian Ishtar, presented El with a son Baal,
comparable to the Greek Dionysus or Roman Bacchus.
In this demonic mythology Satan
offered a counterfeit resurrection motif, a grotesque affront and preemption of
the person and work of Christ. Baal eventually superseded El as the central
deity of the cult. Baal’s enemy was Mot, the god of death, another Canaanite
deity. The epic literature from ancient Ugarit relates that Baal was slain by
Mot but later restored to life in an imitation of the resurrection.[20]
The Canaanite pantheon included
other deities, among them Astarte and Anath, Baal’s sister-wife with whom he
had an incestuous relationship. Three goddesses, Asherah, Astarte, and Anath,
were the tutelary heads of fertility, sensual pleasure, warfare, and murder.
The Canaanite phallic cult revolved
around worship of these deities, arousing and catering to every base impulse
and lust pattern of the sin nature, Specialized demons promoted sexual
perversion: promiscuity, autoeroticism, homosexuality, lesbianism, orgies,
masochism, sadism. These degenerate practices appeared in every subsequent
ancient civilization. A description of the appalling effect of the cult of
Dionysus is provided by W. K. C. Guthrie:
Madness (mania) is of course the
word for the ecstasy which actually did take possession of women in their
worship, and gave them their name of mainades, and the tearing to pieces of a
victim was the regular culmination of their rites.[21]
The Bible graphically describes
details of the phallic cult: immorality (Ezek. 16:36), human sacrifice (Lev.
20:1-5; Deut. 12:31), demonism (Lev. 20:6), rejection of authority (Lev. 20:9),
degeneracy (Lev. 20:10-23), and incest (Lev. 20:14-21). In the hills and groves
of Canaan were sculpted stone phalluses representing Baal, a wooden pole for
the fertility goddess, and an altar for sacrifice. By intensifying already
frenzied passions, demon possession induced horrific rituals. In times of
extreme catastrophe desperate worshipers immolated their own children. Onto the
altar’s arms these Baal worshipers, even mothers, laid their living children
while the din of the sex orgies drowned their screams.
No wonder the Lord commanded the
Israelites to “completely destroy” the Canaanites (Ex. 23:23-24). God’s mandate
was just — directed toward the destruction of a society that had reached the
nadir of degeneracy. Apart from the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, the
Canaanites were the most depraved of Israel’s neighbors. They were so demonic
that the abominations of
the
Canaanites threatened to engulf Israel (Deut. 18:9).
To assure the survival of the
fledgling nation Israel, the Canaanites were to be completely eliminated. Only
thus could Israel disentangle herself from such a pervasive and contagious
evil. Far from becoming the divinely appointed executioners of this evil and
vicious people, the Israelites ignored God’s warning, disobeyed His order, and
spared the Canaanites (Ps. 106:34-37).
Idolatry and the phallic cult lured
Israel away from Yahweh. Disobedience
to God’s mandate and assimilation of Canaanite religion swept Israel to their
destruction. The Lord’s prophetic warning, made near Gilgal at Bochim, came
true.
Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim.
And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I
have sworn to your fathers; and I said, “I will never break My covenant with
you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this
land; you shall tear down their altars.” But you have not obeyed Me; what is
this you have done? Therefore I also said, 1 will not drive them out before
you; but they shall become as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a
snare to you.’” (Judg. 2:1-3)
This avenue of exposure to demonism
led to the eventual defeat and destruction of the Southern Kingdom of Judah in
586 B.C. (cf. Lev. 26:30).
Thus says the Lord God, “Because your [Judah] lewdness
was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers
and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which
you gave to idols.” (Ezek. 16:36)
“I shall also give you into the hands of your lovers, and
they will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, strip you of your
clothing, take away your jewels, and will leave you naked and bare. They will
incite a crowd against you, and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with
their swords. And they will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on
you in the sight of many women. Then I shall stop you from playing the harlot,
and you will also no longer pay your lovers.” (Ezek. 16:39-41)
The deviant practices of the phallic
cult continue to lure unbelievers and believers. The Apostle Paul reminds
Church Age believers of Israel’s failure and warns against following their
immoral example.
Now these things happened as examples for us, that we
should not crave evil things, as they also craved. And do not be idolaters, as
some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and
stood up to play.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and
twenty-three thousand fell in one day. (1 Cor. 10:6-8)
MYSTICISM
Mysticism entices the undiscerning
with empty promises of a deeper, more meaningful spirituality. Mystics, under
the delusion of achieving a closer union or personal encounter with God, often
claim that God speaks directly to them, or that God, angels, or divine beings
have appeared to them. The false spirituality that mysticism promotes hinges on
a subjective experience that cannot be objectively verified. The emotions
generated by that experience become the criteria the mystic uses to evaluate
his own spirituality. But this mystical excursion, derived apart from
Scripture, is fraught with peril. Instead of hearing the voice of God, the
mystic is hearing either the voices of demons or is deluding himself. Since the
close of the canon of Scripture, God speaks to mankind only through His written
Word made perceptible to us through the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.
True spirituality is an absolute
status of fellowship between the believer and God the Father, maintained
through the filling of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). This ministry of the Spirit
is interrupted when the believer sins (Eph. 4:30; 1 Theses. 5:19). Spirituality
is recovered through objective self-examination and naming or acknowledging
personal sins privately to God the Father (1 Cor. 11:27-30; 1 John 1:9).”
Objectivity, not subjectivity, counts in the Christian life. Personal feelings
are never the criteria for spirituality.
Mysticism permeates Eastern
religions. Hinduism. Taoism, Shintoism, Buddhism cultivate mysticism as the
pathway to God. Eastern religions influenced the Theosophical Society founded
in 1875 by Madam Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Colonel Henry Steel. The New Age
movement is a direct descendant of Theosophy.
The beginnings of Islam and
Mormonism both derive from a mystical apparition: the appearance of an angel
who claimed to provide new divine revelation. Medieval Judaism also developed a
mystic strain based on the enigmatic speculations of the Cabala.[22] People who adhere to these
empty religious forms (2 Tim. 3:5) imagine that they worship the only true God,
while
in their unbelief they actually give tribute to Satan.
Christianity has not been immune
from the infection of mysticism. In the early Church mysticism influenced the
rise of the monastic movement with its self-righteous emphasis on asceticism.”
Monks would isolate themselves in the desert of North Africa, fast for weeks,
eat only grass, or sit for years atop pillars in the wilderness awaiting the
voice of God. From their hallucinatory revelations derive many of the heresies
that compromised much of medieval Christianity with the doctrines of demons.
The writings of these ‘Christian’ mystics are experiencing a revival today
threatening a return to the demonic Dark Ages of mysticism and subjectivity.
ASTROLOGY
Consulting the stars through
astrology and horoscopes to predict future events carries an increasing aura of
respectability. Celebrities, actors, businessmen, and heads of state have
embraced the occult to determine the future. Infatuation with astrology, like
divination and the occult, escalates during times of confusion and uncertainty
when divinely ordained laws of establishment break down. Astrologers and
sorcerers busied themselves during the decline of the Roman Empire and were
prevalent when deadly plagues ravaged seventeenth century Europe. Today
stargazing is once again a lucrative enterprise. Newspapers and magazines
feature daily and monthly forecasts. More personal astrological consultations
are as close as a telephone. These prognostications dictate the personal and
business decisions for numerous people.
Astrology thrives in a permissive
culture. When establishment principles and doctrinal teaching are absent,
absolute norms and standards of right and wrong are replaced by relative
values. Relativism then supplants the absolutes of divine establishment.
Desperate for solutions to problems, meaning for life, and hope for the future,
spiritually destitute people rely on the occult for answers. Lacking absolutes,
they grasp at any straw which offers hope. But astrology offers only a false
hope. Astrology is strictly forbidden by God (Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10). Using
the stars for planning your life or decision-making is contrary to and
distracts from the perfect plan of God.
DEVICES OF THE DEVIL
Idolatry, divination, necromancy,
drug addiction, the phallic cult, mysticism, and astrology are avenues for
communicating the evil doctrines of demons to the human race. Those influenced
by such doctrines serve the cause of Satan. Unbelievers influenced by these
doctrines are vulnerable to demon possession. However, do not attribute every
sin or base behavior to demon influence or demon possession. More often than
not, the evil that men do is simply the result of succumbing to the area of
weakness in their own sin nature.
“For from within, out of [from] the heart of men [sin
nature], proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,
pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the
man.” (Mark
7:21-23)
The warning that Satan actively
searches for disciples for his doctrines should alert every believer to the
subtle devices of the devil. For this reason Paul wrote:
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of
His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm
[hold your ground] against the schemes of the devil. (Eph. 6:10-11)
God made ample and perfect provision
for every contingency in the life of the believer. We are in the devil’s world,
but we are not part of it (John 15:19). We are surrounded by spiritual
darkness, yet we walk in the light of the Lord and His Word. We are in the
angelic conflict, but on the side of victory. We do not have power to defeat
Satan, but we do have God’s power to resist “the schemes of the devil.” All we
need in our defense against Satan is doctrine resident in our soul. The issue
is our volition. We alone make the decision to learn and to apply doctrine
which enables us to grow and mature in the Christian life thereby presenting a
divine defense against our enemy.
Chapter Four
DEMON POSSESSION
CAN BELIEVERS FALL PREY to demon
possession? Absolutely not! Only unbelievers are vulnerable. In every case of
demon possession in the Bible the possessed are unbelievers. Christians need
never fear being possessed or controlled by a malicious spirit. The Scripture
is explicit: Demons can possess only unbelievers. No biblical example or
statement exists to suggest or warn that believers can be demon-possessed.
At the moment of faith in Christ the
Holy Spirit indwells the body of every believer.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy
Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (1 Cor. 6:19)
The
indwelling Holy Spirit simultaneously creates a temple in the body of the
believer for the indwelling Christ as the Shekinah Glory.[23] The presence of this divine
temple guarantees that no demon can invade, indwell, or possess the believer’s
body.
Demon possession is distinct from
demon influence. In demon influence, which can affect both believers and
unbelievers, a person surrenders his soul to false concepts and human viewpoint
thinking called “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). For the unbeliever demon
influence can lead to demon possession.
MANIFESTATIONS OF DEMON POSSESSION
Demon-Induced Mental Illness
During His earthly ministry Jesus
Christ demonstrated His deity and sovereignty by healing people from
demon-induced insanity and illness. The healing of the Gerasene demoniac was a dramatic
demonstration. And they [Jesus and His disciples] came to the other side of the
sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. And when He [Jesus] had come out of the
boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he
had his dwelling among the tombs. (Mark 5:I-3a)
The Lord Jesus Christ deliberately
brought His disciples to this scene at Gerasa (Matt. 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-37). He
knew only too well the drama about to unfold. It was a perfect setting for the
eerie events because the numerous caves which tunneled through the cliffs along
the shores were used as tombs. No sooner had they set foot on shore than a man
emerged from these subterranean burial grounds and confronted our Lord. The man
presented a strange and terrifying sight: His hair was matted, his body naked
and filthy; self-mutilation had left deep scars and open wounds on his flesh.
To the inhabitants of Gerasa, the
madman was a familiar and exasperating sight. Attempts to restrain him with
chains had failed miserably.
And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a
chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains
had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was
strong enough to subdue him. And constantly night and day, among the tombs and
in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones. (Mark 5:3b-5)
The Gerasenes considered him a
hopeless case. But as long as he hurt only himself and kept away from the
mainstream of life, he was left alone — especially since the cause of this
man’s madness was demon possession.
According to this passage demon
possession includes extraordinary strength and bizarre behavior. However, not
all bizarre behavior is demon-induced. Yet, clearly this unbelieving man was
under the control of demons. He willingly made his home among corpses, slashed
himself with jagged rocks, discarded his clothing, and lived like an animal.
Demon possession left him mentally deranged.
Remember no believer can ever be
indwelt by demons. The indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit bars any
possibility of demon entry. However, if believers persistently reject Bible
doctrine, they can be influenced by demons and their actions resemble those of
unbelievers. When doctrines of demons enter the vacuum of the soul created by
negative volition, psychotic behavior may eventually develop. Christians may
become so demon-influenced that they believe themselves to be demon-possessed.
Actually, they are said to be “bewitched” (Gal. 3:1) because of scar tissue,
reversionism, and the influence of evil.
Any society may harbor
demon-possessed people. No system of psychiatry and medical science can solve
this problem. There are only three bona fide means for removal of demons:
1. Satan’s personal intervention
(Matt. 12:24);
2. direct divine intervention (Mark
5:8);
3. when a person believes the Gospel
message and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor, 3:16; 6:19).
Exorcism is never a valid
alternative.
Divine intervention would heal the
madman of Gerasa. What appeared to be a chance encounter was intended by Jesus.
The episode would be a testimony of His Messiahship to the people of Gerasa.
When Jesus approached, the demons indwelling the man were compelled by protocol
to bow before the King of kings. The man was not seeking deliverance, rather
the demons indwelling him wished to plead with Jesus not to be tormented. The
words the madman’s mouth uttered were not his own, but those of the demon
spokesman. The man had no control over his vocal cords while indwelt by the
engastrimuthos demon.
And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed
down before Him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What do I have to
do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not
torment me!” For He [Jesus] had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you
unclean spirit!” (Mark 5:6-8)
The Bible does not record any
instance of a demon-possessed person coming to Jesus for deliverance from a
demon. Most were brought to Him by others; persons under the control of demons
usually gave our Lord a wide berth. Unable to avoid the encounter with Jesus,
the demons possessing this man were terrified and begged Jesus not to cast them
out and consign them to their final punishment (Matt. 25:41). Although Jesus
had not touched them, His very presence implied a confrontation.
Demons know God exists (James 2:19)
and fully recognize Jesus Christ as undiminished deity and true humanity (Mark
5:7: cf, Mark 1:24-27; 3:11; Luke 4:41). However, since they rejected God’s
offer of salvation to them in eternity past and followed Satan, they are not
saved. They know their destiny is the lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Luke 8:31).
Unbelievers can also know certain doctrinal truths. They can quote Scripture and
from all outward appearance resemble believers. But like demons, they too have
rejected God’s gracious offer of eternal salvation.
In response to the Lord’s command to
“come out,” the demon spokesman protested, “I implore You by God, do not
torment me!” Terrified of eternal torment, these demons resisted eviction. Our
Lord’s response was again, “Come out,” which caused the demon to howl in
protest. At this outburst, Jesus ordered the demon to identify himself.
And
He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion;
for we are many.” And he began to entreat Him earnestly not to send them out of
the country. (Mark 5:9-10)
This episode is not to be taken as a
paradigm for casting out demons, nor does it suggest that believers are to take
offensive action against demons as did our Lord. Offensive action was a divine
prerogative delegated to only a few during the time of the apostles. Today,
believers are commanded to take only defensive action against Satan by putting
on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17).59 The New Testament Epistles, written
to instruct Church Age believers on every aspect of the Christian life, contain
no mandates, instructions, or suggestions for casting out demons. Silence on
this subject speaks volumes.
Some confused Christians today
assume that being able to identify the name of the indwelling demon conveys
power over the demon. How absurd!
This method has been borrowed from
ancient pagan practices of exorcism, not derived from the Bible.[24] This passage does not
intimate Jesus used the name of the demon as a means of power to remove the
demon. Our Lord’s divine authority was all that was necessary.
The name “Legion” refers to an
echelon of the Roman army which usually included six to twelve thousand men.
“Legion” was not the demons’ name, but an indication that a multitude of demons
indwelt the man. The engastrimuthos demon was the spokesman for this demon
formation. Satisfied with their present assignment, the demons pleaded with
Jesus not to send them away.
Now there was a big herd of swine feeding there on the
mountain. And the demons entreated Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that
we may enter them.” And He gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean
spirits entered the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the
sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. (Mark 5:11-13)
The moment the demons were
transferred, the placidly feeding pigs were transformed by the violence of the
frustrated demons into a stampeding herd that plunged headlong into the sea and
drowned. As spirit-beings, the demons could not be destroyed. They would
desperately seek other victims to indwell.
One cause of mental illness is demon
possession or demon influence. Remember, however, there are myriads of other
causes for mental disorders. Demon possession is only a possible explanation to
why normally tranquil unbelievers suddenly turn violent and injure themselves
or others. But believers sometimes exhibit similar uncontrollable emotional
swings or physical violence. Why does this happen? When a believer persistently
rejects or neglects Bible doctrine a vacuum develops in his soul which inhales
false doctrine (Eph. 4:17). Having abdicated his spiritual life, the believer
becomes vulnerable to drug addiction, promiscuity, idolatry, and every manner
of debauchery. These believers are so influenced by demon doctrines they become
psychotic and resemble demon-possessed people.
In a psychotic state the believer’s
soul is fragmented. James described this condition as “dipsuchos,” (James 1:8) which literally means “two-souled.”
Unchecked, this fragmentation of the soul may develop into multiple
personalities, a condition that may be mistaken for demon possession. The only
solution for the believer is rebound through acknowledging personal sin
and
recovery from reversionism through consistently learning and applying Bible
doctrine.
News travels fast, even in biblical
times. The herdsmen had watched the miraculous event with speechless wonder.
Here was a spectacle they could not explain; they were terrified and amazed.
And their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city
and out in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had
happened. And they came to Jesus and observed the man who had been
demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who
had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. And those [the herdsmen] who
had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man,
and all about the swine. And they began to entreat Him to depart from their
region.
(Mark 5:14-17)
The
herdsmen lost no time running into town to spread the news. They were incensed
at the loss of their swine. The sole concern of these merchants was their
material possessions rather than spiritual life. No one thanked Jesus for
curing the unfortunate man; no one heaved a sigh of relief that the madman was
no longer a menace to society: no one rejoiced in the man’s salvation. Fearing
further financial setbacks, the ‘good’ citizens at Gerasa begged Jesus to leave
the area.
The miracle at Gerasa emphasized
Jesus’ Messiahship (Mark 5:18-19). The cured demoniac became a sensational
testimony. Jesus instructed him to return home and inform his family and
friends of the phenomenal things He had done for him.
Demon-Induced Physical Illness
The synoptic Gospels, the record of
Christ’s personal ministry on earth, contain numerous examples and
manifestations of demon possession. During the Incarnation Satan concentrated
his forces of evil to impede the saving work of Jesus Christ. Many of the
possessed people encountered by the Lord showed the pernicious effects of
demonism through their physical condition.
Whatever the symptoms of
demon-induced illness, no case was hopeless to Jesus Christ. When He
sovereignly decreed that the demon depart, the person was fully and
dramatically restored to health. Healing was one of His many Messianic
credentials; His miracles proved He was indeed the One He claimed to be — “the
Son of God with power” (Rom. 1:4). Because Christ is God, the omnipotent
Creator of the universe (John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2, 10), there was
healing in His voice and in His touch. Jeremiah prophesied of Christ:
‘Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I
will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.’ (Jer. 33:6)
The touch of His hand brought
instantaneous health to many, including Peter’s mother-in-law, bedridden with a
lingering physical disease (Matt. 8:14-15). So remarkable were these cures that
a joyful celebration began. Crowds of the ill and curiosity seekers gathered at
the door of Peter’s house. Among the throng were also those brought to be
delivered from demon-induced illnesses: the blind, the mute, the crippled, the
insane.
And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who
were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all
who were ill [literally, all having evil]. (Matt. 8:16)
A similar scene unfolds in Matthew
9.
And as they were going out, behold, a dumb [mute] man,
demon-possessed, was brought to Him. And after the demon was cast out, the dumb
man spoke.
(Matt. 9:32-33a)
In every case cited, when the indwelling
demon was cast out, the demon- induced illness immediately disappeared. These
unique results were in marked contrast to the drawn out, ineffective efforts of
Jewish exorcists. What does the Scripture reveal about the methods used by
Jesus Christ and His-disciples who legitimately cast out demons?
CASTING OUT DEMONS
Unique to the dispensation of the
hypostatic union of Jesus Christ and to the Apostolic Age, the casting out of
demons must not be confused with ancient or modern attempts at exorcism. The
authority and power Jesus Christ exercised over the demons were also delegated
to His disciples to identify them as His messengers and to authenticate their
message. Once their mission was accomplished the power to directly command
demons to depart was removed. The ability to cast out demons was never
available to every believer and terminated in the first century.
Today, God has given the believer
more than in any other age: the completed canon of Scripture and all of the
blessings, assets, and privileges delineated in the mystery doctrine of the
Epistles. Nowhere do the Epistles contain mandates or examples for casting out
demons. The only solution for the demon-possessed is faith in Christ. At the
moment of salvation he is instantly freed from any possessing demon, united
with Christ, and indwelt by all three members of the Trinity. Understanding the
scriptural teaching about casting out demons enables the believer to avoid the
illegitimate and sensational practices which distract from pursuing the
Christian way of life.
By Jesus Christ
The coming of Messiah into the world
had been prophesied since the dawn of human history (Gen. 3:15), along with the
miracles that would attend His earthly ministry and His ongoing conflict with
Satan and his demons. The performance of miracles was to give credence to His
message and testify to the identity and power of His person.
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears
of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the
tongue of the dumb [mute] will shout for joy. (Isa. 35:5-6a)
This Scripture was fulfilled right
before the eyes of witnesses. What more irrefutable proof could Jesus Christ
provide than to display His sovereignty over nature, life, death and even angels?
What He commanded, demons were compelled to do. If angelic creatures obeyed
Him, how much more should human beings!
People are easily impressed with the
spectacular: miracles draw tremendous crowds. But Jesus Christ was not a mere
miracle worker or healer. If this were His sole purpose during His sojourn on
the earth, then He failed in His mission. He did not alleviate all the
suffering in the world.
Sustained by the indwelling presence
and power of the Holy Spirit His ministry was fourfold:
1. He preached or announced the
Gospel to unbelievers;
2. He taught doctrine to believers;
3. He prophesied concerning the
future spiritual life of the Church Age;
4. He presented His Messianic
credentials by healing the sick and casting out demons.
These miracles testified to the
uniqueness of His person and the truth of His message. His main objective,
however, was to accomplish His Father’s will and so fulfill the divine plan —
our salvation. This He did completely (John 17:4).
Among the beneficiaries of the
Lord’s miracles, there was little doubt the Messiah had come at last. They
responded with awe and reverence. Some who watched the miracles also believed
in Christ. Others wondered and speculated about who Jesus was. And the
multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.” (Matt
9:33b)
But there were also those who
reacted and were clearly alarmed and threatened by His actions. These
dissenters were mostly comprised of Jewish religious leaders. Envious of the
drawing power of Jesus Christ, the priests and the Pharisees began their
vicious opposition to Christ’s ministry.
The Pharisees knew only too well
that the crowds were easily swayed and they made the most of it. Since the
validity of the miracles could not be denied, these wondrous events were
criticized, explained away. Just a hint here and an innuendo there raised
doubts about the source of Jesus’ power to heal: “He [Jesus Christ] casts out
the demons by the ruler of the demons [Satan]” (Matt. 9:34b). Thus the
Pharisees ascribed the miracles Jesus performed in the power of the Spirit to
the devil himself. This blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which occurred only
during the Incarnation was tantamount to rejection of Christ, the unpardonable
sin.
“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be
forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And
whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him;
but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him,
either in this age, or in the age to come.” (Matt. 12:31-32)
Despite the malicious attempts to
discredit His work and person, our Lord continued His ministry of grace. Jesus
Christ recognized the capricious approbation of the people who would welcome
Him as their King one day and stone Him the next. The defamation of His
character and holy person was known by the omniscience of Jesus Christ long
before the slander was voiced
or
even conceived by His enemies. He could not let it go unchallenged but
countered the slur with inescapable logic, which proved such maligning to be
ludicrous. At the same time He clarified the issue of casting out demons.
And knowing their thoughts He said to them, “Any kingdom
divided against itself is laid waste, and any city or house divided against
itself shall not stand.” (Matt. 12:25)
Christ refuted the Pharisees’ theory
with the “divided kingdom” metaphor: If Christ indeed performed miracles in
Satan’s power as the Pharisees asserted then Satan would defeat his own
purpose. His kingdom would be working against itself and would topple. To prove
the fallacy of the pharisaical position, Jesus pursued their assumption with
the skill of a consummate debater.
“And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against
himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out
demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your
judges.” (Matt.
12:26-27)
Jesus posed two rhetorical questions
using a debater’s first class condition. Assuming the veracity of their
premise. He demonstrated it to be illogical and false. h3 This accurate and
irrefutable reasoning put the Lord’s critics on the spot. To condemn Jesus
would be equivalent to condemning the prophets they claimed to revere. For once
the Pharisees were at a loss for words. Jesus stressed the logical conclusion:
“But
if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come
upon you.” (Matt. 12:28)[25]
The third use of the word “if” is a
true use of a first class conditional clause: “If I cast out demons by the
Spirit of God, and I do.” The authority Jesus had over the demons proved His
deity. Jesus depended entirely upon the power of the Holy Spirit for performing
many of His miracles. Had the people recognized this truth they would have
identified Jesus as the Messiah promised by God in the Davidic Covenant. His
power over the demons validated His offer of the kingdom, “the kingdom of God
has come upon you.” To further illustrate this truth Jesus used a parable to
emphasize His
authority
over Satan and his fallen angels.
“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s [Satan’s] house
[the world] and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man?
And then he will plunder his house.” (Matt. 12:29)
Jesus used a familiar scene of
larceny to explain His power over Satan. Before a thief can rob a house, the
owner must first be overpowered. The strong man is analogous to Satan, the
house is analogous to the world which Satan rules. In the fullness of time
Jesus entered the world (Gal. 4:4) and overpowered Satan to accomplish His
mission at the cross. Those who believe in Christ, former slaves to sin in
Satan’s world, are the “property” Christ redeems from the slave market of sin.
Since Jesus Christ cast out Satan’s
minions, clearly He had power superior to Satan. These legalistic Pharisees
through religious activity had become agents of Satan, even as the demons are
his angelic agents. Both groups vehemently opposed Jesus Christ and displayed their
enmity (Matt. 12:30). Jesus turned the Pharisee’s argument against them by
showing that it would be impossible for Him to cast out demons in the power of
Satan, for Satan would not cast himself out.
By the Disciples
When Jesus commissioned-the Twelve,
including Judas Iscariot, He instructed them in divine principles and invested
them with the authority and ability to perform miracles similar to His own.
And
having summoned His twelve disciples. He gave them authority over unclean spirits
[demons], to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease-and every kind of
sickness. (Matt. 10:1)
The Twelve thus went forth as
Messianic heralds to the house of Israel. Jesus warned them to expect political
and religious opposition and persecution even as He had (Matt. 10:17-18;
23-26). But He encouraged them to persevere regardless of adversity (Matt
10:19-31).
Subsequently, seventy others were
appointed and sent “two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He
Himself was going to come” (Luke 10:1). The seventy heralds returned animated
and elated. Their expedition was immensely successful. In triumph they
announced, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17).
The newly acquired power and heady
victory could easily have distorted their proper perspective. Miracles were a
temporary gift, designed to gain a hearing for the message of grace and to
validate the messengers. Jesus brought the jubilant disciples back to reality by
focusing attention on their mission — to announce the Gospel. The Lord warned
them not to become distracted by the miracles they performed.
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits
are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)
Why were the disciples told to
rejoice in the security of their salvation rather than in their power over the
demons? Salvation liberates the believer from the authority of the devil. Every
believer has the means of overcoming the wicked one: the indwelling and filling
of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4; Eph. 5:18) and Bible doctrine (John 8:32). But
doctrine that remains on the pages of the Bible is of little value to the
believer. The Holy Spirit works only with doctrine resident in the soul to
accomplish God’s plan in the believer’s life. Until the believer is filled with
the Holy Spirit and advancing in his understanding and application of doctrine,
he will lack correct motivation, stability, and power. The believer can love and
serve his Lord only to the extent that he metabolizes God’s Word (Jer. 15:16).
The failures of the disciples were
all related to a lack of doctrine in their souls (Matt. 17:15-20). One day even
their God-given authority over the demons short-circuited. They failed dismally
in their attempt to rid a “lunatic” of his demon-induced psychosis. Jesus
Christ Himself had to cast out the evil spirit (Matt. 17:18).
The disciples were utterly
dumbfounded. What had happened to the power they had been given? They asked
Jesus in private, “Why could we not cast it out?” (Matt. 17:19). The answer was
a reproof of their ignorance and unbelief.
And
He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith [application of
doctrine]; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you
shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,” and it shall move; and
nothing shall be impossible to you” (Matt. 17:20).[26]
The power of God had not failed; the
disciples failed. They failed to utilize the power available to them. They
doubted the omnipotence of the Lord. Each believer has the potential of turning
the world upside down. How? casting out demons? Certainly not! Real victories
over the enemy are won not through signs, wonders, and miracles but through the
power of Bible doctrine in the soul.
By the Apostles
During the closing days of the Age
of Israel the Lord’s disciples ministered almost exclusively to the unbelievers
of Israel. Then, on the Day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit
inaugurated a new dispensation — the Church Age. Since that day spiritual gifts
have been sovereignly bestowed by God the Holy Spirit to members of the royal
family of God ( 1 Cor. 12:4-11). Some of these gifts were temporary (1 Cor.
12:8-10), others were permanent (Eph. 4:8, 11b). One of the temporary gifts in
this new dispensation was that of apostle which included the ability to perform
miracles (Eph. 4:11a).
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with
all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. (2 Cor. 12:12,
The apostolic era was punctuated by
the performance of miracles. But the apostles’ unique immunity to the bites of
venomous insects and serpents eventually ceased (Luke 10:19). While the
spectacular gifts were still in use, they were never performed as an end in
themselves, but rather as a means toward an end — validating the Gospel message
in the era before the written canon of Scripture was completed. “Signs and
wonders and miracles” were the official divine stamp of approval for apostles
representing the absent King of kings. Miracles erected a platform for the
proclamation of the Gospel and demonstrated the grace of God even before it was
declared. These miracles terminated with the completion of the canon of
Scripture ca. A. D. 96 and the death of the last apostle, John.
The blessings of salvation
overshadow the temporary alleviation of suffering in time. Salvation insures
eternal well-being; healing conveys merely temporary well-being. The time spent
on earth is but a drop in the bucket compared to eternity.
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who
does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
The apostles were pursued by the
inquisitive and sometimes exploitative public seeking to be healed. No one was
turned away.
And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders
were taking place among the people; . . . to such an extent that they even carried
the sick out into the streets, . . . bringing people who were sick or afflicted
with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed. (Acts 5-12a,15a,16b)
Day after day the ill, the lame, the
blind, the psychotic, and the demon-possessed were fully restored to health of
body and sanity of mind. None of these wonders came about because all these
people deserved to be healed or because they possessed an overwhelming faith in
the power of the apostles. These miracles were manifestations of God’s grace,
power, and love. As a result, many accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior (Acts
5:14), much to the consternation of the apostate priestly hierarchy (Acts
5:17).
What a paradox that such genuine
benevolence did not evoke universal praise for God and respect for the
apostles, especially from the religious leaders in the nation Israel, Instead,
these healings aroused jealousy and enmity, primarily from the self-righteous
Sadducees.[27] To them, demons, miracles,
heaven, and hell were mere superstitions to be shrugged off or ridiculed. Yet
here was something they could not refute; the apostles were not charlatans or
magicians. The authority of the apostles was too obvious to be denied.
Consequently the Sadducees “were filled with jealousy” (Acts 5:17).
Corrupted by the mental attitude sin
of jealousy, these sophisticated rationalists became irrational. In their
opposition to the early Church they seized, abused, and jailed the apostles
unjustly (Acts 5:18). They ignored the Mosaic Law they so revered. There is nothing
as malevolent as self-righteous legalism blinded to the truth. There is nothing
as illogical as reason distorted by envy or hatred. Legalism always attacks
grace; but grace always triumphs. The apostles were delivered by an angel that
very night (Acts 5:19) and continued to disseminate doctrine in Jerusalem (Acts
5:28).
As the apostolic era advanced, God
appointed Paul as apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:8-9). On Paul’s
second missionary journey, he and his companion Silas (Acts 15:37-40) found the
doors of Europe open to the Gospel. The first two converts in Macedonia were
women: one named Lydia, an enterprising businesswoman who sold costly crimson
and purple
dyes
(Acts 16:14-15); and another, a Greek slave girl who was demon-possessed.
And it happened that as we were going to the place of
prayer, a certain slave-girl having [echo] a spirit of divination met us, who
was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling [manteuomai]. Following
after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of
the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” And she
continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned
and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her!” And it came out at that very moment. (Acts 16:16-18)
The Greek grammar indicates the
elapse of time between the conversion of Lydia and the encounter with the Greek
slave girl. Paul and his entourage were walking through Philippi to attend a
Jewish prayer service, apparently on a Sabbath day. Since there were no
synagogues in Philippi, the prayer meeting was being held by the Gaggitas
River, approximately a mile beyond the city.
The strange encounter occurred
somewhere between the place of prayer and the large arched gateway in the
western part of Philippi. The incident is recounted in the phrase, “a certain
slave-girl having {echo} a spirit of divination met us.” The present active
participle of the verb echo may be rendered “possessed” but literally means “to
have and to hold.” This young female medium kept on having and holding a (pneuma puthonos), a “spirit of
divination.”
Who is this pneuma puthonos? Equivalent to the engastrimuthos demon, he is a ventriloquist. Originally the word puthon, better known to us as “python,”
referred to the mythological snake that once guarded the oracle at Delphi. When
the god Apollo killed Python, the oracle became the preeminent shrine of
Apollo. Here the prophetess Pythia, named after the indwelling demon who
controlled her vocal cords, prophesied in an ecstatic trance common to pagan
prophets.
When the prophet speaks he is not
himself. He is wrought upon and changed in a manner sometimes terrifying to
behold and exhausting to himself. He is possessed by the god [demon] and
becomes for the time being only a mouthpiece for the utterance of the divine
voice [demon]. The Pythian prophetess of Apollo was of this sort. She was a
true mantic, giving voice in a state of possession.
The same pythian-type demon
possessed the Greek slave girl enabling her to predict the future with some
accuracy. A gangster syndicate in Philippi owned the girl who earned a
profitable income for her masters. However, their lucrative racket of
soothsaying was about to end.
The Greek verb manteuomai means “to utter oracles, to divine.” This word describes
the trance-like state of the slave girl through whom the demons uttered their
message. Her oracles concerning Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke were accurate.
The four were indeed communicating the way of salvation. What seemed strange
was her daily announcement in such close proximity to
the
apostles. Why would the demon advertise the apostolic presence and the saving
of souls?
Satan and his demons were practicing
the principle: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em !Satan could not stop the
advance of the Gospel, but he could neutralize its couriers. He would offer
Paul a compromising partnership. His demons would sponsor Paul in Philippi. The
demon controlling the girl hoped to set up an alliance with Paul by appearing
to support his evangelism.
Were Paul to accept Satan’s
endorsement and aid, he would deny that “the gospel . . . is the power of God
for salvation” (Rom. 1:16). To Paul such an alliance was intolerable.
“Annoyed,” Paul ended the charade by commanding the demon to leave the girl.
With this command Paul demonstrated God’s infinite omnipotence especially in
contrast to limited demonic power.
There can be no coexistence with the
devil. Jesus Christ Himself silenced the demons who testified to His identity
(Mark 3:11-12). The plan of God neither calls for nor solicits cooperation from
the adversary, Satan. Paul followed the precedent which the Lord set, and so
must every believer. One of the devil’s most subtle attacks in the angelic
conflict is his patronage. This we must refuse. A principle emerges from this
passage of Scripture: Never accept an endorsement for the Gospel from the
enemies of the cross.
Paul’s mission was not to deliver
people from demon possession, but to proclaim the Gospel. Likewise, the
believer’s mission today is not to deliver people from demon possession. If
casting out demons had been a priority, Paul would not have allowed this woman
to remain possessed for “many days.” Too many Christians today are obsessed
with finding demon-possessed people and exorcising demons. They become
distracted from the biblical mandate for spiritual growth and from the
responsibility of evangelism. No biblical
mandate exists for exorcism or casting out demons.
Powerless against the command Paul
issued in the Lord’s name, the demon departed and the girl was immediately
freed from the indwelling presence This elicited frustration among Satan’s
forces and fury among the racketeers whose profitable scheme was wrecked.
Though the satanic thrust to keep
Paul out of Europe had been neutralized the devil never capitulates. He quickly
switched from a policy of alliance to a policy of antagonism. Satan went
underground to employ guerrilla warfare Since Paul chose to spurn Satan’s offer
of compromise, he would now experience violent opposition from the state (Acts
16:19-24). Satan utilizes
the
judicial system of a Roman colony, Philippi, to pervert justice.
The vengeful owners of the girl
brought charges of disturbing the peace against Paul and Silas. Unaware they
were Roman citizens, the chief magistrates of Philippi violated Roman law by
having them severely flogged and thrown into prison.
God uses man’s difficulties to
glorify Himself. That night God miraculously caused such an intense earthquake
that the foundation of the prison was shaken, all the prison doors flew open
and everyone’s chains fell off. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped and
knowing he was responsible for them the jailer decided to commit suicide. Paul’s
timely intervention provided the opportunity to present the Gospel to the
jailer and his family who were saved that night (Acts 16:25-39). The divine
deliverance of Paul and Silas, the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his
family, and the subsequent discovery that the magistrates had illegally
brutalized Roman” citizens proved that “greater is He that is in you than he
who is in the world” ( 1 John 4:4).
THE FALLACY OF EXORCISM
As God, Jesus Christ cast out demons
by divine power. In the case of the disciples and apostles Jesus bestowed this
divine power only during the formative years of the Church Age for the purpose
of authenticating the Gospel message. Their unique ability to cast out demons
was in marked contrast to the practice common among exorcists of that day and
today.
And when evening had come [after the healing of Peter’s
mother-in-law], they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed; and
He cast out [ekballo] the spirits with a word, and healed [by the removal of
the demon who caused the illness] all who were ill. (Matt. 8:16)
Contrary to what might be expected,
the Greek verb for “cast out” is ekballo,
not exorkizo, from which derives the
English noun “exorcist.” The verb exorkizo
is never used in the New Testament to describe the removal of a demon. However,
the noun exorkistes, “exorcist,” and
its cognate verb horkizo, “to charge
under oath, adjure, implore,” are used of religious practitioners who attempted
to expel demons by uttering mysterious incantations (Acts 19:13). Exorcism,
therefore, is
pagan
ritual devised to evict demons by means of religious oaths. Ekballo is used throughout the New
Testament when Jesus or the disciples cast
out demons. Jesus cast out demons; He never exorcised a demon.
|
“To Cast Out” Demons |
“To Exorcise” Demons |
|
Gift delegated by God;
authorized only during the Incarnation and the apostolic era of the Church
Age |
Pagan religious practice;
never authorized by God in any dispensation |
|
Performed only by Jesus
Christ and disciples |
An illegitimate practice
performed by both believers and religious unbelievers |
|
An immediale departure of
the demons
upon command |
A process which includes
ritual |
|
Biblical |
Nonbiblical |
And God was performing extraordinary miracles by the
hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body
to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. (Acts 19:11-12)
The special miracles performed by Paul
at Ephesus caught the attention of an itinerant band of unbelieving Jewish
exorcists (Acts 19:13-16). Impressed by Paul’s miracles, they studied his
methods carefully, but failed to understand that it was God “performing
extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.” Being well-versed in the practice
of magic and trickery, they could find no fakery or sleight of hand in the
miracles they observed. What secret formula did Paul apply to achieve the
impossible so consistently? Was power resident in his handkerchiefs and aprons
that healed the sick and removed demons (Acts 19:11-12)? Both infirmities and
demons seemed to flee from contact with these garments.
When at last these fakers believed
they had discovered Paul’s ‘secret,’ they added a special incantation,
But also some of the Jewish exorcists {exorkistes], who
went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits
the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure [horkizo] you by Jesus whom Paul
preaches.” (Acts
19:13)
These would-be exorcists assumed
that success in casting out demons depended upon a clever chant rather than
divine power vested in the apostles. Assuming the name “Jesus” contained
magical power, they imitated Paul and invoked the name of the Lord in whom they
had not believed.
And seven sons of one Sceva, a [very religious but
unsaved] Jewish chief priest, were doing this. (Acts 19:14)
Persistent rejection of the Gospel
in Sceva’s household caused the infiltration of demonism. Sceva’s seven sons
became professional sorcerers and journeyed to Ephesus, infamous for demonism
(Acts 19:18-19). By the addition of this latest magic formula to their
repertoire, they hoped to win fame, fortune, and gain respectability. God has a
marvelous sense of humor; under direction of God the Holy Spirit, Luke records
what happened when these exorcists imitated Paul’s casting out of demons. They
were astonished by a sarcastic reply from the “evil spirit,” followed by a
physical attack from the very demon they attempted to remove from his victim.
And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I
recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15)
The pronoun “you” is in the emphatic
position and should be translated, “You, who are you?” This question from the demon
must have shocked the seven professional sorcerers. They became a laughingstock
before all their spectators. Then injury was added to insult:
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and
subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house
naked and wounded. (Acts 19:16)
Suddenly, the demon-possessed man
crouched and with supernatural strength sprang upon the seven brothers. He
shredded their clothing and clawed their flesh with the ferocity of a cornered
tiger. Wounded and humiliated, the sons of Sceva rapidly retreated from Ephesus
having learned never to exploit the name of Jesus Christ. Power over demons
resides not in magic incantations or articles of clothing, but in the
omnipotence of God.
In the future every knee shall bow
and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; then His name will
truly be universally worshipped (Phil. 2:9-1 1). In the meantime, the invoking
of His holy name for the purpose of demon expulsion was limited to only those
believers who had the God-given authority — namely, the disciples and apostles
in first century Christendom.
News of the traumatic humiliation of
these seven charlatans traveled like lightning through Ephesus. Unbelievers
were saved and superstitious believers under the spell of assorted mediums,
sorcerers, magicians, and necromancers awoke to the truth: All the believer
needs after salvation is Bible doctrine. This dramatic episode brought the
realization that spirituality was
produced
exclusively by God the Holy Spirit. They immediately began to name their sins
(1 John 1:9) to recover the filling of the Holy Spirit. Charms, amulets, and
other objects of the magic arts, along with books containing mystical formulas
and incantations were incinerated in a gigantic bonfire. A true spiritual
revival began in Ephesus which resulted in one of the most influential churches
of the first century. The truth of Bible doctrine liberated this city from the
insidious influence of demon-inspired fortune-tellers.
And this became known to all. both
Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear [respect] fell upon them all
and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. Many also of those who had
believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of
those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them
in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty
thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:17-19)
The illegitimate practice of
exorcism by both believers and religious unbelievers still continues. Believers
caught in this trap are pawns of demon influence. Religious unbelievers will
use exorcism as an heretical sign of divine favor. However, Jesus Christ
prophesied that exorcists have no part with Him.
“Many will say to Me on that day [the Great White Throne
judgment], ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast
out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to
them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matt. 7:22-23)
Judas Iscariot performed miracles
and cast out demons (Matt. 10:2-8) and died an unbeliever (John 13:2, 11). No
one has ever been saved by works (Rev. 20:12, 15; cf., Titus 3:5). Grace
excludes all human effort (Eph. 2:8-9). Mankind must have Gospel information
upon which to make a decision for or against Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:24a). To be
eternally saved, one need only believe in the Savior (Acts 16:31). Exorcism is
never an indication of salvation or a sign of God’s approval.
Since the completion of the canon of
Scripture, the power of Bible doctrine correctly interpreted and consistently
disseminated (Heb. 4:12) keeps demon activity to a minimum. Bible doctrine
fortifies the believer’s soul from within to withstand demon pressure and
influence from without. Moreover, believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
liberates the unbeliever from any demon who possesses him. All who are
“possessed of God” are eternally secure in Christ (John 10:28-29). Therefore,
exorcism and deliverance ministries are out of line with God’s plan. The
apparent success of those who engage in exorcism can be attributed either to
the cooperation of Satan, to demon involvement, or to a colossal hoax. Do not
be deceived by such subterfuge. Instead, make the knowledge and application of
doctrine your highest priority. God has magnified His Word above His name (Ps.
138:2). His Word provides the answer to every problem you will ever encounter,
including demonism.
Chapter Five
DEFENSE AGAINST DEMONS
EVERY BELIEVER is COMMANDED to remain on the defense against Satan and his
demons.
Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to
stand firm [defend] against the schemes of the devil. (Eph, 6:11)
In the realm of spiritual warfare,
as in military conflict, orders cannot be disregarded. The tragic military
disaster of the Fetterman massacre on the American frontier in 1866 illustrates
what can happen to the believer who disobeys God’s command and goes on the
offense against Satan.
In the summer of that year the
Second Battalion of the Eighteenth Infantry (2/18th) was ordered to establish a
line of forts to defend pioneers traveling along the Bozeman Trail in Montana.
Fort Phil Keamey was established by Colonel Henry B. Carrington on the forks of
the Piney Creek. Simultaneously, the renowned Sioux war chief Red Cloud had
secretly forged an alliance of some Fifteen hundred to two thousand Sioux,
Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors to eject the army from the Powder River country.
Since the Colonel’s mission was defensive, he was not allocated the equipment
or the manpower to mount an offensive campaign against the Sioux.
The Indians had no intention of
assaulting the well-constructed and well-defended fort. Their only chance of
victory was to lure the troops away from their defenses and into a fight in
open country.
On the morning of 21 December, a
decoy party under the command of the young Crazy Horse attacked a logging party
working across the ridge from the fort. Colonel Carrington then yielded to the
demands of Captain William J. Fetterrnan to rescue the work detail. The Colonel
ordered Fetterman to relieve and defend the column, but not to pursue the
Indians. However, Fetterman was in arrogant opposition to Carrington’s
defensive strategy and was openly hostile to his authority. As soon as he left
the fort, he disobeyed the colonel’s orders by maneuvering to attack the enemy,
unaware he was outnumbered at least eighteen to one. Instead of defending the
woodcutting party, Fetterman charged into an ambush. His entire command was
annihilated.
Like Fetterman, believers face a
superior enemy, crafty in strategy and shrouded in mystery. Like Fetterman,
believers are given the mission to defend against Satan, not to attack him or
his demons. Unfortunately, many believers fall into the same trap as Fetterman:
ignorantly or arrogantly rejecting the biblical mandates to avoid offensive
action against Satan. They charge headlong into disaster. Only by remaining on
the defense can the believer be a victor in spiritual warfare.
As believers we face three
determined enemies in the angelic conflict: the sin nature, the cosmic system,
and Satan. We take the offense against the first two antagonists by growing in
grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18) and we are mandated to “long
for the pure milk of the Word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation”
(1 Pet. 2:2b). That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside
the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind. (Eph. 4:22-23)
The scourge of carnality and cosmic
thinking is defeated by aggressively learning Bible doctrine. The filling of
the Holy Spirit supplies the impetus for gaining and maintaining the offense.
The resulting divine viewpoint builds a bulwark against cosmic thinking.
Military doctrine states that the
offensive is the only action by which victory is achieved; defensive action
avoids defeat. By analogy, offensive action is the only way to win spiritual
victory; defensive action is the only way to prevent defeat by Satan. The
mission given to a soldier determines whether he defends or attacks. The
Christian warrior is ordered only to defend against the assaults of the devil.
By attacking the sin nature and
cosmic thinking with doctrine in our soul, we resist temptation, reject human
viewpoint, and solve problems. With doctrine in our soul, we can defend
ourselves when Satan or his demons attack. Thus, we are able to stand our
ground and “resist the devil.”
But He gives a greater grace [more grace]. Therefore it
says, “God is opposed to the proud [makes war against the arrogant], but gives
grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist [anthistemi] the devil
and he will flee from you. (James 4:6-7)
“The arrogant” includes Satan,
fallen angels, unbelievers, as well as all believers who attempt to engage in
an offensive against Satan. Our only legitimate offensive action is to “submit”
to God by applying our knowledge of Bible doctrine. Under attack this knowledge
becomes our fortress against the devil. A “humble” believer sets up a FLOT line when he grows in the knowledge of the Savior.[28]
Submitting to God is offensive
action. Resisting the devil, our third antagonist, always implies defensive
action — the believer is to “stand firm.” The Greek verb anthistemi, translated “resist,” means “to stand your ground
against.” In a military context anthistemi connotes a strongly fortified
position. God promises that Satan will flee from the believer who utilizes
divine fortifications. This defensive posture of the believer toward Satan is
reiterated by the Apostle Peter.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the
devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist
him {anthistemi, hold your ground], firm in your faith [doctrine]. (1 Pet. 5:8-9a)
Satan is perpetually on the
offensive searching for victims to assault. Only by the daily study,
understanding, and application of doctrine are believers prepared to stand
their ground against the devil and his troops. In Ephesians 6:10-17 Paul uses
the metaphor of armor for the divine defense system.
DEFENSIVE ARMOR
Paul proclaimed the “unfathomable
riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8) when the eagle standards, plumed casques, and
gleaming spears of the Roman legion dominated the landscape. His contact with
the Roman military was inevitable since he lived under the shadow of the
world’s greatest martial empire. From the Mark Anthony barracks in Jerusalem
through his first imprisonment in Rome Paul was continually in the company of
the warriors of Rome. The combat equipment and weapons of the Roman soldier
inspired the military metaphor of Ephesians 6:10-17. Believers are commanded to
put on the full armor of God like a soldier equipping himself for battle. Just
as body armor protects the soldier against the slashes and thrusts of enemy
weapons, divine armor protects the believer against demonic attack.
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of
His might. Put on [enduo] the full armor of God. that you may be able to stand
firm [histemi] against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against
the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:10-12)
The battleground for the spiritual
life is the soul. When the armor of God is in place, the soul is protected from
the assaults of Satan. Where the defensive wall crumbles, the soul is left
exposed to Satan’s onslaught. The armor which God designed for the protection
of the believer in the angelic conflict is issued to every member of His royal
legion. The aorist middle imperative of the verb enduo. “to put on, to clothe,” is used of a soldier in the ancient
world who straps on his equipment for battle. The middle voice, “to clothe
oneself, to wear something,” describes the Christian soldier as the agent who
voluntarily yields himself to the result of the action in his own interest. He
clothes himself with the armor in obedience to the order he has received.
In verse 11 the Christian warrior is
ordered to defend, “to stand fast,” histemi.
Christians resist the “devil by girding for combat, not attacking but standing
fast. The divinely provided spiritual equipment furnishes protection for the
vulnerable soul. Satan’s schemes cannot penetrate the FLOT line of the soul.
Ephesians 6:12 pits believers against
hostile angelic beings under the command of Satan. His army of fallen angels is
desperate, fighting to win but losing every step of the way. Nevertheless, we
must never underestimate this well-organized, well-disciplined opponent. This
divinely inspired warning discloses a brilliant military organization composed
of evil spirit beings so that we might know our enemy and his capabilities.
Although Satan constantly undermines
the principle of divinely established authority in the human realm, he enforces
authority in his own organization with an iron hand. Authority and discipline
are vital to the efficiency of any group. Believers who fail to discipline
themselves distort their liberty to serve God into a license to do as they
please. No Christian is a law unto himself! The command, “Stand fast therefore
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Gal. 5:1 KJV), must never be construed to be a permit for either spiritual lethargy
or spiritual anarchy. Unfortunately, too many believers are spiritual draft
dodgers in the angelic conflict. Like their contemporaries in the world, they
enjoy the benefits of freedom while rejecting the discipline and
responsibilities freedom demands. By ignoring the divine mandates of Scripture
they play right into Satan’s hands.
Satan’s organization is effective
because of the authority he wields and the discipline he enforces. How much
more effective is the Royal Combat Legion when its members submit themselves to
the proper authorities: the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church our
supreme Commander; the pastor-teacher as the communicator of truth our drill
instructor who inculcates us with Bible doctrine and the modus operandi of the
spiritual life. When we hold our ground, the nobility of our soul will match the
nobility of our title. We are the Lord’s representatives on earth and as His
ambassadors we are not authorized to attack Satan’s forces.
Therefore, take up [analambano] the full armor [panoplia]
of God, that you may be able to resist [anthistemi] in the evil day, and having
done everything, to stand firm [histemi]. Stand firm [histemi] therefore,
having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of
peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be
able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:13-17)
The imperative “take up” mandates
the believer to pick up and put on his equipment. The panoplia of the Roman
soldier consisted of the helmet, breastplate, belt, caligae, shield, sword,
javelins, and sixty pounds of campaign equipment. It would have been
unthinkable for any legionnaire to disregard his standing orders. Likewise, it
is unthinkable for the believer to disregard the direct orders of our
Commander-in-Chief. Donning the full armor of God is tantamount to the
attainment of spiritual maturity. Defending himself with this panoply of armor
the Christian soldier is able to stand victorious.
The threefold repetition of histemi and its derivative anthistemi, “to resist,” (v. 11, 13,
14), reinforces the command to remain on the defensive. Until the Rapture, “the
evil day” of satanic attacks will continue without armistice; there can be no
holiday, no removal of the armor if the believer intends to maintain his
spiritual position.
Following the mandate to stand firm
is the description of the equipment which the divine Quartermaster has supplied
for the conflictthe belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the Gospel
boots, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit. Here the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is a defensive weapon.
Bible doctrine defends the believer from the influence of satanic doctrine.
The principle of taking the
defensive against Satan cannot be understated. Offensive maneuvers are never
part of the believer’s mission. No biblical warrant exists for binding or
rebuking the devil. Such teaching distorts the truth and represents false
doctrine. Disobedience to the divine defensive mandate transfers-the believer
from fellowship with God to an enemy of God (James 4:4).
THE ANTIDOTE FOR DEMONISM
The
Word of God adamantly condemns all forms of demonism and human involvement in
demonic schemes. In scathing rebuke the Scriptures warned the Israelites:
“For whoever does these things is
detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your
God will drive them [the Canaanites] out before you.” (Dent. 18:12)
God’s instructions are intensely
practical because each prohibition is strengthened with a positive mandate.
Thus, while contact with demons was sternly forbidden (Deut. 18:9-1 1), the
attitude and the conduct God expected of believers were specifically
articulated.
“You [believer in Israel] shall be blameless [mature]
before the Lord your God. For those notions [the Canaanites], which you shall
dispossess, listen to those-who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not
allowed you to do so” (Deut. 18:13-14, emphasis added)
The antidote for demonism in any
dispensation is Bible doctrine. Doctrine residing in the soul is the bit and
bridle which guide the believer’s life. So also, the dynamic influence of the
truth of the Word of God in the lives of believers preserves the nation and
restrains demon activity.
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like
me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. . . I will
put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him’.” (Deut. 18:15, 18b)
In God’s perfect time, Jesus Christ
came to execute the Father’s will. To our Lord, love and obedience were
synonymous terms (John 14:23); one was the inevitable result of the other. Yet
both depended upon a thorough understanding of the person of God and divine
directives. Our Lord conveyed this profound truth to His disciples. Step by
step, He inducted them into the Father’s plan as it related to His own earthly
ministry. He delineated principles for their spiritual life; He taught them
according to their limited capacity for spiritual perception “as they were able
to hear it” (Mark 4:33).
As the end of Christ’s ministry on
the earth neared, much needed to be impressed upon His disciples who would
represent Him after His ascension.
Jesus answered and said to him, “if anyone loves Me, he
will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and
make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and
the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. . . . the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:23-24, 26)
“I
have many more things to say to you, . . . But when He, the Spirit of truth,
comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:12a, 13a)
Bible doctrine preexisted the human
race (Prov. 8). By inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16), God’s
instructions to mankind were gradually reduced to writing. While Bible doctrine
is “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16), the content must be transferred from the
written page to the believer’s soul. Every believer has the responsibility to
avail himself of the teaching of Bible doctrine and to reach his divinely
ordained objective: to grow to spiritual maturity and glorify God. Bible
doctrine is your personal fortification against the unseen forces of demonism.
Through Bible doctrine, you can have tremendous impact on your generation. You
can exploit the victory which Satan and his demons seek to deny.
Epilogue
CAN THERE BE ANY DOUBT of Satan’s resourcefulness
in undermining the plan of God? Demonic action is cleverly adapted to any era
and culture as Satan strives to subvert mankind. Whether demonism assumes an
abhorrent or appealing form, our only protection comes from two sources: the
indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit, and maintaining our spiritual life
through the daily intake and application of the Word of God.
Satan is not just a personification
of evil, he is a real person. He skillfully commands a determined army of
demons. Although Satan is not omnipotent, he is the most powerful creature in
the universe. Although Satan is not omnipresent, the unceasing worldwide
operations of his angelic lackeys create an illusion of the archfiend’s
ubiquity. Although Satan is not omniscient and cannot read our thoughts, his
knowledge is continuously magnified through the intelligence network of his
legions. The demonic data base stores information that covers the thousands of
years of human history.
Satan blinds mankind to the truth of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Savior (2 Cor. 4:3-4) and neutralizes the impact
of Christians in the devil’s world (1 Pet. 5:8). If he can. prevent you from
reaching spiritual maturity, he can deprive you of the blessings God has
designed for both time and eternity and the blessing by association you offer
to family members, to other individuals in your periphery, and to your nation.
Satan cannot win. Although the
Church Age is the dispensation of the intensified stage of the angelic
conflict, demonic doom is absolutely certain. As soon as the Rapture occurs and
the Church is removed from the earth, Satan will roam the world for seven years
masterminding the greatest demonic offensive of history. At the Second Advent
of Jesus Christ, Satan and the demons will be incarcerated for one thousand
years. Then, as in Gotterdammerung, “twilight of the gods,” Satan and his
fallen angels will pass over the golden bridge to the flames of Valhalla to
spend eternity in the lake of fire.
Legend says that the great Reformer,
Martin Luther, once threw an inkwell at the devil. The truth of that report
cannot be confirmed. However, Luther condensed a considerable amount of
doctrine concerning the destiny of Satan in the third stanza of his famous
hymn. The title — “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” — speaks of our sure defense,
the bulwark of our safety and ultimate triumph in Christ.
And tho’ this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
[1] Jererny Main, “Trying to Bend Managers’ Minds.” Fortune, 23 Nov. 1987, 95-96.
[2] Louis Dupre, The Deeper Life: An Introduction to Christian Mysticism (New York:Crossroads, 1981), 20.
[3]All Scriptures in this book are quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), unless otherwise noted. Verses cited from the King James Version (KJV) are so indicated. Bracketed commentary reflects amplification of the NASB translation taught in Bible class lectures (available on tape from R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, Houston, Texas).
[4]Donald Grey Barnhouse, The Invisible War (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965), 156.
[5]Yaweh represents the sacred Tetragrammaton in the Hebrew (YHWH). This personal name of God is sometimes translated Jehovah. Out of reverence Jews never pronounced this Holy name; instead they substitute Adonai.
[6]Every person is born spiritually dead, separated from God. Regeneration is the theological term for spiritual birth, or being “born again”; the imputation of eternal life at the moment anyone believes in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation. A regenerate person passes from spiritual death to spiritual life.
[7]A satyr’s upper body was of a man, the lower body was that of a goat. They were often associated with revelries in the worship of Dionysus, the god of wine.
[8] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947), 2:77-78.
[9] The reversionist descends through eight stages of spiritual decline: (1) reaction and distraction; (2) frantic search for happiness; (3) operation boomerang; (4) emotional revolt of the soul; (5) permanent negative volition; (6) blackout of the soul; (7) scar tissue of the soul; (8) reverse process reversionism. See Thieme, Reversionism, 12-26.
[10] Dowsing uses a divining rod to discover water or minerals. Psychometry divines facts about an object or its owner through contact with or proximity to the object.
[11] The death penalty for mediums was part of the Mosaic Law intended for governing the nation Israel and is no longer applicable in the Church Age.
[12] Herodotus, The Persian Wars, Book I, trans. George Rawlinson (New York: The Modern Library, Random House, 1942), 25.
[13] John L. Nevius, Demon Possession and Allied Themes (1894; reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1968), 296.
[14] Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1985), 228.
[15] LXX is the abbreviation of the Septuagint, the earliest and most important Greek translation of the Old Testament. The LXX was the Old Testament version used most often by the writers of the New Testament.
[16] Prior to the completion of the canon of Scripture, God provided revelation and guidance through a variety of means including dreams, visions, theophanies, and the Urim and Thummim. The latter were two stones carried in the ephod, the holy breastplate of the high priest of Israel. Through them God answered the questions of the high priest and provided guidance for the rulers of Israel.
[17] The sin unto death is the final stage of divine discipline which removes the reversionistic believer before his normal time without the benefit of dying grace (Ps. 118:17-18; 1 John 5:16)
[18] Leo Confanti, The Witchcraft Hysteria of 1692 (Wakefield, Mass.: Pride Publications, 1971), 1:1-13.
[19] Helmer Ringrenn, Religions of the Ancient Near East (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1973) 1-48, 124-76.
[20] Sabatino Moscati, The Face of the Ancient Orient (Garden City, New York: Anchor Books, 1962), 222-24.
[21] W.K.C Guthrie, The Greeks and Their Gods (Boston: Beacon Press, 1969), 166.
[22] The Cabala, developed in the Middle Ages, was a body of mystical teachings of rabbinical origin based on an esoteric interpretation of the Old Testament.
[23] During the Age of Israel, the preincarnate Jesus Christ as the Shekinah Glory dwelt in the Tabernacle or Temple (Ex. 25:21-22; Lev. 26:11-12; Ps. 91:1; Heb. 9:5). The Shekinah Glory appeared as a cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night, as well as a bright light over the ark of the covenant. The presence of the Shekinah Glory guaranteed God’s promise of temporal and eternal blessings to Israel. In the present Church Age the Holy Spirit creates a temple in the body of the believer for the indwelling Christ as the Shekinah. See Thieme, The Divine Outline of History, 130-33; also R.B. ThiemeIII, “The Panorama of the Shekinah Glory” (ThM Thesis, Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, Portland Oregon, 1987).
[24] The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1975 ed., s.v. “Excorcism, Exorcist” by W.L. Liefeld.
[25] Since Israel did not accept Jesus as Messiah, the Kingdom He announced was not inaugurated but postponed until after the Tribulation and Second Advent. Jesus will then return in His resurrection body to the earth to establish His Kingdom and fulfill the Davidic Covenant by ruling Israel from the throne of David in Jerusalem during the Millennium.
[26] Matt. 17:21, which states, “But this kind [of demon] does not go out except by prayer and fasting,” is not contained in the oldest and best manuscripts and is not part of the original text. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (New York: United Bible Societies, 1975), 43.
[27]These wealthy aristocrats were religious rationalists who rejected the supernatural. They did not believe in the existence of angels or resurrection to a future life (Acts 23:8).
[28]FLOT is a military acronym for ‘Forward Line Of Troops.’ The acrostic is used here for the divine defense line formed from Bible doctrine circulating in the right lobe of the soul; the divine provision to protect the believer’s soul from invasion by all the insidious enemies of the spiritual life.