Dealing With DEMONIC POSSESSION

In the Bible it is observed that the Lord delivered people from demons who induced insanity, deafness, muteness and infirmity (Mark 5:1-20, 9:17-29 & Luke 13:10-16). It’s clear from the scriptural evidence that being possessed (or oppressed) by an evil spirit can induce mental or physical ailments. Such demons are “spirits of infirmities,” which we’ll address momentarily.

How many people in our mental institutions are being drugged up and essentially imprisoned for the rest of their lives when what they really need is exorcized of dark spiritual entities that have possessed them to one degree or another? Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not against these kinds of asylums and realize that we, as a society, are just doing what we have to for such ailing people; that is, what we can.

Yet, what if someone of Jesus Christ’s stature were around, someone who had the authority, faith and courage to rebuke demons and send them fleeing with their tails between their legs, so to speak? The first chapter of the gospel of Mark shows the Messiah exorcizing demons from numerous people and this is merely one chapter of the New Testament! (See verses 25-26, 34 and 39).

A Real-Life Experience With Demonic Possession

I know of one person who was seriously mentally ill all her life but the best that professional medical science had to offer couldn’t deliver her. The best they could do was sedate her, try this or that (including shock treatments) and help her cope. Some of this is good to an extent, but they could not set her free. She lived and died with this severe illness. I’m convinced that these symptoms were the result of some type of demonic possession/oppression. Other believers who were close to the situation have drawn the same conclusion. The signs pointed to a partial possession, which we’ll look at shortly. If only I knew then what I know now and was the person I am now, I would have exorcized her of this spiritual subjugation without a second thought, as long as she was willing (which is necessary since God never heals or delivers people against their will).

Am I suggesting that we should let loose a bunch of religious kooks into our mental institutions to supposedly exorcize the severely ill of their (very possible) literal demons? No, but if some people show evidence of the power and boldness Jesus Christ walked in, shouldn’t we? Didn’t Yeshua come to “set the captives free,” “heal the sick and brokenhearted” and “release the prisoners from the darkness”? (Luke 4:16-21 & Isaiah 42:5-9).

The fact that so few believers are walking in this authority, power, faith and boldness is a shame to the modern Church in general. It’s also testimony to the powerless nature of so many counterfeit sects and “believers” who “have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Not that all the believers within these camps are counterfeits, not at all. But their leaders are unaware, disingenuous or spiritually blind. And didn’t Jesus say, “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit?” (Matthew 15:14).

One of the purposes of this book is to reveal the reality of dark spiritual entities, how their attacks manifest, and how to effectively combat them by faith.

The Believer’s Authority

Where is the Church of Jesus Christ, the “called-out ones” who are called out of the darkness of this world? Why is the Church so inert and seemingly powerless when it comes to dealing with victims of demonic possession or oppression? I’m asking with humble concern, not arrogant denunciation; plus I’m including myself when I say ‘the Church.’

Let’s not forget the incredible authority the Lord gave believers:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:18-20

“Snakes and scorpions” are figurative of the devil and demonic spirits. Yeshua gave the disciples authority to trample them under their feet, that is, overcome their power. Hence, filthy spirits had to submit to them and the disciples were understandably elated (see verse 17). They delivered people from demonic oppression and possession; they healed the sick and brokenhearted; they set the captives free because they had the authority and power to do so. Authority is the right to rule whereas power is the ability to rule.

If Jesus’ disciples—who weren’t even spiritually regenerated at the time—had authority to overcome the powers of darkness, how much more so Christians who have been spiritually born of the imperishable seed of Christ?

Get a hold of this fact: If you’re a believer, YOU have authority over the kingdom of darkness! All the spiritual forces of evil are under your feet! They don’t have the authority to overcome you; you have the authority to overcome them!

Words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21), so make this powerful positive confession:

I [state your name] have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the devil and his wicked angels. Nothing will harm me. I have the victory in Jesus Christ—Hallelujah!!

Make Biblical statements like this your regular confession. Speak them with fervor! Never speak disempowering words of doubt, defeat, fear or grumbling. Cast such things off on the LORD in prayer, which is venting (Psalm 55:22 & 1 Peter 5:7). When you spend quality time praising, adoring and communing with the Most High the very light of God’s presence will squelch emotional waste like doubt, fear and worry. Do this regularly. God is the Fountain of Life and, in his light, we see light (Psalm 36:9); darkness vanishes!

Christ Is the Genuine Lion While satan Is a Counterfeit

The devil may prowl around like a roaring lion trying to frighten people immobile with his intimidating roar but, for the believer who walks in faith, he’s a toothless, clawless, sinew-less lion. More than that, the Bible describes Jesus Christ as the genuine Lion of Judah. In other words, Yeshua is the real deal, while the devil is just a counterfeit—a fake—who prowls around like a roaring lion. Oh, sure, he can attack since he’s “the god of this world” and we’re invading his turf, but the Bible says that all we have to do is “submit to God and resist the devil” “standing firm in the faith” and the enemy will literally “flee” from us (James 4:7 & 1 Peter 5:8-10).

This is what the apostle Paul called fighting “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). When we stand in faith with our spiritual armor on and swing our spiritual swords, the forces of evil have no recourse but to “flee.” One minister I heard said the imagery in the original language paints the picture of a dog running away with his tail between his legs—“Yipe, yipe, yipe, yipe!!” Picture that the next time you take a stand in faith against the enemy—including exorcisms—and have yourself a knee-slapping victorious laugh.

Walking in the Amazing Authority of Jesus Christ

We live in a generation that idolizes reason and pseudoscience above all. These are the only criteria for determining reality to the unspiritual man, and understandably so. Thus anyone who looks to the Holy Scriptures for truth and has the audacity to act accordingly is viewed with disdain and ridicule. Which explains why the Church is so powerless and timid when it comes to dealing with demonic possession or oppression: We fear the scorn of the world.

This reminds me of a Pentecostal pastor who told me about a prophet he had at his assembly for a few services. The prophet ministered to the people and apparently dealt with a couple cases of demonic oppression or possession. The pastor said he was uncomfortable with the man’s ministry because it was sometimes awkward and even shocking. But dealing with filthy spirits can get ugly! Yelling, vomiting, screaming, wiggling on the floor, etc. come with the territory. We’ll look at examples from the Scriptures in a moment. The pastor said that the experience made him “gun shy” of demonic deliverance and everything that goes with it. Unfortunately, he threw the baby out with the proverbial bathwater because his church had the most sterile atmosphere of any I’ve experienced; and it was “Pentecostal”! I’m not being mean or disrespectful, just telling you what I experienced at this fellowship.

I realize we have to “become all things to all people that by all possible means we might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Hence, we have to “locate” where individuals are and act accordingly, otherwise we’ll scare ’em off with things they simply can’t handle, at least not presently. We need to do this to reach people, but let’s not do it to the extent that we become as spiritually powerless as the world. We are the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), meaning that the Church is the light that inspires those lost in the darkness of this world. Those in the darkness “who have ears to hear and eyes to see” will naturally be drawn to the light and ultimately delivered; and the closer they get to The Light the freer they’ll be (John 8:12,31-32). This is the way it’s supposed to be.

But something’s wrong when the Church allows the darkness of the world to squelch our light to the point that we’re impotent and ineffective, all because we fear the world’s contempt and ridicule! Needless to say, this is an example of allowing the world to mold us into its form; something the Bible instructs us not to do (Romans 12:2).

One of the things that drew people to the Mighty Christ was the genuine authority he walked in, which shouldn’t be confused with pompous authoritarianism. This made his ministry—his service—effective, including demonic deliverance. Observe:

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

²⁷The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Mark 1:21-28

Verse 22 shows that the people were amazed at the aura of authority Jesus displayed merely with his public teaching. This was something the religious leaders of that day didn’t have, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees; all they had was religious bluster. The people were even more amazed when the Messiah proceeded to command evil spirits to shut up and come out of people, as shown in verse 27. Unsurprisingly, news spread about him throughout the region.

Speaking of commanding demons to shut up, Christ typically did this when encountering possessed people (Mark 1:24-25 & Luke 4:35,41). Why? Because evil spirits are liars who have ages of experience duping even the brightest of people. In light of this, never talk with demons; just tell ’em to shut up and exorcize the individual, presuming the person is willing.

A pastor in my area testified of his first encounter with a demon-possessed man. The wicked spirit started a conversation with him that went on for a couple of hours (!) whereupon the pastor’s head was spinning, so to speak. Then a seasoned fellow-minister, who just so happened to be visiting from out of state, entered the room and immediately discerned what has happening. He didn’t talk with the foul spirit at all, but simply said “loose” and that was the end of it.

Rise Up and Walk in Your Authority!

Unlike 1^st century Israel where Christ ministered, I realize most people reading this live in irreligious cultures of the post-Christian Western world (or, at least, Western-influenced). As such, we have to be careful how we minister and make sure we’re led of the Holy Spirit. Regardless, you can be sure that if we boldly rise up and walk in our authority and people start getting miraculously healed or freed from life-dominating sin and demonic oppression or possession nothing will keep the news from spreading. It will light a spiritual fire in this dark, dying world and those who long for healing and freedom will literally come running for deliverance! Make no mistake, Jesus plainly said that “anyone who has faith” will do the works he did. In fact, he said such people would do even greater works (John 14:12).* Please note that he said “anyone who has faith”; this means “anyone” who simply believes!

* See this article for details on what this means.

Do you sometimes struggle with faith? All believers are believers precisely because they have “a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). The wonderful thing is that this is merely the starting point of the faith walk because faith can grow. Here are the three ways faith increases:

1. Getting closer to God, who is the Fountain of Life and therefore gushes life, light, power and belief into whoever gets close to him (Psalm 36:9).
2. Through regular feeding on God’s Word, as shown in Romans 10:17 and Matthew 4:4. Whatever element of the Word you feed on is where your faith will grow. For instance, if you want strong faith in regards to the believer’s authority, spiritual warfare and exorcism, then I encourage you to master the material in this article and the linking ones (listed at the bottom of this page).
3. By praying in the Holy Spirit, as shown in Jude 1:20 (see also Ephesians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 and 2 Timothy 1:6-7).*

* For details, see the seventh piece of the armor & arms of God in this article.

A pastor I know, Rick testified to something he experienced when he was in Bible college: He attended a big service where the Charismatic leader was ministering and Rick happened to be standing in the front row. The minister was not far from him when fear suddenly seized Rick and he felt paralyzed. The minister looked at him, but seemed to be focusing on something unseen over Rick’s shoulder. He simply pointed to this thing and waved his hand, as if to say “Go,” and the fear immediately left the brother.

This minister was obviously walking in the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:1-11), which is the ability to perceive what’s happening in the spiritual realm. (Contrary to what some think, discerning of spirits is not the gift of carnal judgment and gossip/slander). An Old Testament example of this spiritual gift can be observed when Elisha’s assistant was suddenly able to see into the spirit realm (2 Kings 6:15-17).*

* Since Paul, by the Spirit, didn’t elaborate on the gift of the discerning of spirits, there must be a biblical precedent to define it. While the gifts of the Spirit are a New Testament phenomenon, Old Testament prophets obviously functioned in these gifts, as the Spirit willed.

Don’t you want to walk in the gifting and authority that this minister functioned in when he delivered this brother seized by a spirit of fear? Of course you do; I do too. The material in this book is a good starting point.

Dealing With “Spirits of Infirmities”

At the beginning of this article, it was pointed out that Christ delivered people from demons which induced infirmities of one sort or another, including mental illness. Here are two biblical examples:

• Deafness and muteness: Mark 9:17-29.
• Crippling: Luke 13:10-16.

Let’s look at both cases:

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

²¹Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³ “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Mark 9:17-29

This passage reveals several insights:

• This evil spirit induced muteness and deafness (verses 17 & 25).
• While the muteness and deafness were presumably constant conditions, the demon only seized the child on occasions, not 100% of the time (verse 18). Luke’s account verifies that the spirit would leave him on occasion (Luke 9:39), which indicates a partial possession. (This was the situation with the person in my life, shared earlier). In this particular case of partial possession there was only one demon involved whereas in the example of total possession concerning the man from the Gerasenes there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of demons involved (Mark 5:1-20).
• Speaking of partial possession, it’s clear that the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy was demonically influenced to commit his atrocious crimes; and the evidence points to partial possession: When he was his normal self, he was affable and charismatic, which explains the inexplicable loyalty of several naïve people close to him, not to mention his mounting fan club (!). Many remained loyal during his eleven years of imprisonment before his execution in early 1989. Even the judge who sentenced him noted how likable and gifted he was. Yet his myriad wicked murders and subsequent abuse of the corpses indicated a wholly sinister side. An investigator who visited Bundy’s cell in Florida witnessed firsthand his satanic mood swings: During an ordinary conversation the murderer abruptly metamorphosed before his very eyes wherein Bundy’s body & countenance weirdly altered and the investigator perceived an odor. He described the situation as extremely intense during this dispositional change, which lasted about 20 minutes.
• Getting back to Mark 9:17-29, when the demon took control of the boy it threw him to the ground where he foamed at the mouth, gnashed his teeth and became rigid (verse 20). Needless to say, it helps to recognize these characteristics of demon-possession.
• The demon drove the boy to self-harm by often trying to kill him via throwing him into fire or water (verse 22). This demon-influenced tendency is covered in chapter 9 of my book ANGELS.
• Christ rebuked the demon, calling it a “deaf and mute spirit,” which simply means it was an evil spirit that had the ability to cause deafness and muteness (verse 25).
• Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the boy, adding “and never enter him again” (verse 25). This is an important addition.
• The spirit shrieked and convulsed the lad violently during the exorcism (verse 26). These are further characteristics we need to recognize when exorcizing demons.
• Explaining why the disciples couldn’t cast out this particular wicked spirit, Jesus said “This kind can come out only by prayer” (verse 29).* Since prayer is communion with God, this indicates that a close relationship with the LORD and the corresponding increased spiritual sensitivity & anointing are required to operate in the authority necessary to deliver people from demons of this magnitude. Obviously some evil spirits are more powerful or obstinate and, hence, are more resistant to exorcism.

* While some translations say “prayer and fasting” (e.g. the KJV), the earliest (and therefore most reliable) manuscripts available omit “fasting.” It was likely added by an overzealous scribe at some point.

Now let’s look at the other passage and cull insights from it as well:

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

Luke 13:10-16

• The woman’s crippled condition was caused by a demon (verse 11). This shows that evil spirits have spiritual powers that can negatively affect those in the physical world. Medical science has, of course, discovered various other causes of ailments, whether physical or mental, but this does not discount the effect the spiritual has on the physical. Furthermore, could it not be possible—even likely—that these spirits induced these “causes,” as pointed out earlier?
• Unlike with the spirit that brought muteness and deafness, Christ did not rebuke the demon or command it to leave (at least Luke didn’t cite this in his account). Jesus simply said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity,” followed by laying his hands on her, and she was both delivered from the spirit and healed (verses 12-13). This shows a correlation between the two—being delivered from demonic oppression and receiving healing. Comparing the two accounts also shows that exorcizing demons and healing people are not one dimensional in nature as there are various methods we can employ, which grant the same result, and 2. we should rely on the Holy Spirit’s distinctive leading in each case.
• On a side note, this passage shows that legalists like the Pharisees—i.e. lifeless religionists—are prone to opposing genuine ministerial works, such as exorcism and healing. Big surprise, huh?

It’s possible that not every infirmity is directly caused by evil spirits, so you have to have spiritual discernment in order to effectively minister in these situations. And the only way you can do this, again, is to have genuine spiritual sensitivity, which comes by drawing closer to the LORD, as well as eagerly desiring gifts of the Spirit rather than eagerly denying them (1 Corinthians 12:1,31 & 14:1,39). If you’re not sure if a malady was induced by a demon, you can simply rebuke the ailment itself, as Jesus did here:

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

Luke 4:38-39

As a New Covenant believer and co-heir in Christ you have the authority to do the works the Messiah did (John 14:12).

Closing Blessing

 Rise up O man of God, rise up O woman of God, and walk in the authority that is yours in Jesus Christ. May you walk in faith and do the works Yeshua did! May you heal the sick and set the captives free through the power of God that’s in you and upon you. Let it be so.

For additional insights, see the linking article Demons Vs. Jesus Christ — No Contest.

As well as Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them

This article is also available in book form as chapter 21 of…

• The print book is available here  for only $12.50  (303 pages)
• The Kindle eBook is available here  for just 99¢!

Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.

Related Topics:

ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer

How to Enlist the Help of Angels

Why do Unclean Spirits seek out Dry Places?

Why is this World so Messed Up?

REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation

The Basics of Christianity

Why Do Unclean Spirits Seek Out DRY PLACES?

Christ said impure spirits naturally seek “arid places,” which means dry, waterless areas (Matthew 12:43). This isn’t referring to places that are physically dry, like deserts, but rather spaces that are spiritually dry; that is, places where God is absent. You see, the LORD is likened to Living Water in the Bible — God is The Fountain of Life who gushes forth life (Psalm 36:9). This corresponds to what Christ said about Himself and the Holy Spirit:

…Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.     

John 7:37-39

The Lord encourages those who are spiritually thirsty — spiritually dry — to come to Him and drink. He then points out that those who receive the Holy Spirit will have “rivers of living water” flowing within them.

Furthermore, it is through “the washing with water through the word” that Christ cleanses his Church, making ‘her’ holy (Ephesians 5:26), which refers to the process of sanctification.

So the key to repelling demonic spirits in your personal life is to stay well-watered by cultivating a relationship with the LORD. Saturate yourself with the things of God: prayer, simple communion, Scripture reading & meditation, praise & worship, fellowship with genuine believers, mutual submission (Ephesians 5:21), etc. As you do this, you automatically stave off wicked spirits. How so? Because demons seek dry places — waterless spaces absent of God’s presence.

Related Topics:

DRINK UP from the Fountain of Life! (video)

Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them

Spiritual Warfare — The Basics

Exorcism and the Believer’s Authority

Christianity — Does it Weaken People or Empower?

Armor & Weaponry of God

Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer

EVIL SPIRITS (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Fallen angels refer to the angels that fell from Heaven after their failed coup. These disgraced angels are one-and-the-same as evil spirits, which are demons, as witnessed here:

…Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others.

Luke 8:1-3

As you can see, fallen angels are described as evil spirits. The Greek word for “evil” is ponéros (pon-ay-ROSS), meaning “bad, wicked, malicious.” This shows that evil spirits are the opposite of heavenly angels, which are good spirits. The latter function in submission to the LORD and therefore serve people (Hebrews 1:14) whereas evil spirits are “bad” and so do the precise opposite—they seek to hurt people one way or another. This is in line with their leader’s mandate “to kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10).

Speaking of their leader, Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and so his wicked minions constantly try to deceive people. Take ‘ghosts,’ for example, which are supposedly the disembodied souls of the dead stuck on this plane and haunting a particular environment. Isn’t it possible or even likely that this type of paranormal phenomena is the deceptive activity of demons?

Unclean (Filthy) Spirits

Evil spirits are also referred to as unclean or impure spirits:

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Matthew 10:1

The Greek word for “impure” here is akathartos (ak-ATH-ar-tos), which simply means unclean or impure. It reveals that evil spirits are filthy. This makes sense in light of the fact that ‘holy’ refers to absolute purity, the natural result of being separated unto God. The LORD is absolutely pure—holy—and so anyone consecrated unto Him must be pure. Thus anyone who rejects the Almighty and is cast from his presence becomes the opposite—unholy, impure. Since you can’t get further from God than the irredeemable fallen angels, they’re utterly unholy—unclean, impure, filthy.

Being filthy, there’s a stench to unclean spirits in the spirit realm. This explains why one spiritually-sensitive minister said he could always recognize someone who was walking in sexual perversion, like homosexuality, when they came up for prayer at his meetings. He said there was a foul odor in the spirit.

One of my relatives married a wicked witch (seriously) and she wasted no time in getting her new husband to totally separate from his family. My nephew met her when he was a child and he kept curiously asking “What’s that smell? Something stinks!” He was just a little kid at the time and said the odor smelled like vomit. No one present knew what he was talking about, so he was obviously picking something up in the spirit. Children are more sensitive to the spiritual realm and are therefore apt to pick up things that hardened adults can no longer perceive. Consider the typical scenario where kids think there’s a “monster” under the bed or in the closet. Is it simply their imagination or are they picking up an evil spirit in the vicinity?

All this explains why the Bible instructs us:

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 1:21

While believers are born holy in their spirits when they receive spiritual regeneration (Titus 3:5), practical holiness only occurs as you learn to put off your flesh—the “old self ”—and live according to your new righteous nature—the “new self ”—with the help of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:22-24). This is what theologians refer to as the process of sanctification—purification—and part of this process includes doing what James instructed: “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.”

How does this tie-in to our topic? Simple: Impure spirits are naturally attracted to that which is morally impure. Just as flies are attracted to dog doo-doo and rats are drawn to garbage, so filthy spirits are attracted to that which is morally filthy. So get rid of all moral filth and you’ll stop attracting filthy spirits! It’s just common sense.

Getting back to Luke 8:1-3, notice what verse 2 says:

…some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;                                                          

Luke 8:2

Some women were cured of evils spirits through Christ’s ministry and one of these was Mary Magdalene, who was exorcized of seven demons. This shows that…

Evil Spirits Are Demons

Evil spirits are one-and-the-same as demons. We see this above and also in Jesus’ encounter with the demon-possessed man in the region of Gerasenes (JAIR-ah-seens). The man is described in Scripture as being possessed by multiple evil spirits that spoke to Jesus through him:

The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs.

Mark 5:12-13

This is further evidence that demons are synonymous with filthy spirits.

I said earlier that evil spirits are fallen angels. While I think this is obvious, some people have brought this into question with highly creative (to be nice) alternative views. In order to prove that evils spirits are fallen angels let’s first establish that…

Satan Was a “Cherub” Who Fell From Heaven

Jesus said he “saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). This monumental event is chronicled in the Old Testament using the kings of Babylon and Tyre as types (Isaiah 14:12 & Ezekiel 28:12-17). The passage in Ezekiel shows that Satan was once a “cherub,” an angel (28:14,16).

The New Testament offers a fascinating flashback to Satan’s fall from Heaven:

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth…

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.                                       

Revelation 12:3-4,7-9

This prophecy is actually a double reference and therefore has two applications: It refers to the devil’s last gasp attempt to conquer Heaven during the mid-point of the future seven-year Tribulation (Revelation 6-19), but it’s also a flashback to his original fall. Verse 4 figuratively indicates that a third of the angels fell with the devil—the “red dragon”—to the Earth. Keep in mind that “stars” are a metaphorical reference to angels (Job 38:7).

The notion that this passage is a “double reference” is in line with the law of double reference, which is the tendency of biblical prophecies to have two applications—one relevant to the general time of the prophecy and another far-flung, whether the distant future or past.

By the way, the fact that the devil & his filthy spirits again attempt to conquer Heaven shows that they’re hopelessly incorrigible. They never learn from their mistakes. It’s reminiscent of the saying: “Insanity is doing the same thing over & over again expecting different results.” If this is accurate, Satan & his minions are decidedly insane.

The Devil & His Angels Dwell in the Underworld

So Satan is described as a cherub—an angel—who was kicked out of Heaven, along with a third of the subordinate angels who rebelled with him.

Jesus said that the lake of fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41) as their eternal tormenting prison, but they currently roam the Earth, not in the physical realm, but the spiritual:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

The “spiritual forces of evil” dwell in “the heavenly realms.” This refers to the Underworld, which is the dark spiritual dimension that underpins the Earth & Universe (Philippians 2:9-11 & Revelation 5:2-3). This is where the devil & his fallen angels operate. They don’t dwell in hell because the lake of fire is hell and no one has been cast there yet. They inhabit the dark realm of the Underworld and operate from this plane—“roaming the earth, going back and forth in it,” as Satan put it (Job 1:7 & 2:2). This explains something Peter said:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

All this biblical data helps us conclude with confidence that demons or evil spirits are fallen angels.

Addressing an Alternative View

Some people have challenged this by suggesting that evil spirits are the spirits of a mysterious “pre-Adamic” race who were wiped out in a worldwide flood that occurred sometime between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

The reason such people argue that demons aren’t  fallen angels is because of two New Testament verses which show that fallen angels are imprisoned in tartaroó (tar-tar-OH), awaiting judgment from God (2 Peter 2:4 & Jude 1:6). However, these passages don’t refer to all fallen angels because, after all, the chief fallen angel, Satan, is still roaming about (1 Peter 5:8).

The idea that demons are the spirits of some ambiguous “pre-Adamic race” is creative, to be nice. The small number of people who embrace this odd theory are gap theorists who suggest that Satan ruled nations of a pre-Adamic race—a race that they won’t call human because the Bible clearly refers to Adam as the “first man” (1 Corinthians 15:45,47). If they weren’t actually human, then what exactly were they? Sasquatches maybe? Cha-Ka’s cousins perhaps? (I’m being humorous, of course). Whatever the case, this issue is addressed here (scroll down to the section A Pre-Adamic Race?).

Hierarchies and Territories of Evil Spirits

Returning to Ephesians 6:12, notice what the text says about fallen angels:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

The “spiritual forces of evil” are comprised of three different categories—“the rulers,” “the authorities” and “the powers.” This reveals a hierarchy in the spiritual realm with the devil as the wicked despot of his dark kingdom with “rulers,” “authorities” and “powers” under his command.

These demonic authorities are assigned regions on Earth in which they negatively influence political powers and the corresponding populace. For instance, in Daniel we observe “the prince of Persia” and “the prince of Greece,” both demonic authorities consigned to these areas (Daniel 10:13,20). Additional evidence can be observed when a conglomerate of demons named “Legion” begged the Mighty Christ not to send them out of the region (Mark 5:10). Why? Obviously because it was their assigned territory, their ‘home.’ Also, the glorified Lord said Pergamum was where Satan’s throne was located (Revelation 2:13).

This data corresponds to the fact that the devil is “the god of this world” and thus “the whole world is under the control” of the kingdom of darkness to one degree or another (2 Corinthians 4:4 & 1 John 5:19). Some places, like Pergamum in the 1^st century, are subject to greater satanic control than others. San Francisco, Hollywood and New York City are prime examples in modern America.

Why Do Demons Desire to Possess People (and Sometimes Even Animals)?

Evil spirits seek to possess men & women in order to operate more concretely in the physical realm. Being spiritual in nature, they’re limited to the spiritual plane and only operate in the physical realm in an indirect manner, unless they can totally take possession of a person, which they can only do with the person’s consent, conscious or subconscious (we’ll address this shortly). This explains why they seek to possess people.

The afore-cited Mark 5:12-13 shows that demons sometimes even seek to possess animals, but they can only do this with authorization from the Sovereign LORD. Why do they need Christ’s permission? Obviously because animals lack the ability to grant or reject consent.

That said, Genesis 6:1-4 shows that demons have the power to operate in the physical realm in a more direct manner. On this occasion fallen angels—the “sons of God”—copulated with women, which gave birth to people with demonically tainted DNA. God considered this a great transgression and so imprisoned these evil spirits in tartaroó to be held for judgment (2 Peter 2:4 & Jude 1:6). As such, the rest of the fallen angels presumably have never again sinned in this manner and, therefore, the height of their manifestation in the physical realm is through possession of a person or animal.

For more on the nature of these “sons of God” from Genesis 6:1-4 and their earthly offspring, as well as why some fallen angels were imprisoned in tartaroó go here.

Keep in mind that evil spirits naturally hate human beings because:

1. People are created in the image of God.
2. Angels lack the privilege and position granted redeemed people; that is, being co-heirs with Christ and thus seated with Him at the right hand of the Father in a positional sense (Romans 8:17, Hebrews 1:13 & Ephesians 2:6).
3. Unlike them, people are redeemable. (Fallen angels are irredeemable because they had full knowledge of the consequences of their rebellion whereas Adam & Eve did not. This is covered in this article and this one).
4. Angels are commissioned to serve people, and since arrogant angels didn’t want to do this they rebelled, which resulted in their ouster from Heaven.

The Prime Directive of Evil Spirits

As noted earlier, Christ encountered a man in the area of the Gerasenes:

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. ² When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

Mark 5:1-10

This demon-possessed man* had great strength, to the point that no one could subdue him. People in the area were understandably scared of him. Yet notice that the spirits who possessed him were terrified of the Mighty Christ (more on this here).

* Luke’s account of these events also records only one demon-possessed man (Luke 8:26-39) whereas Matthew’s rendition cites two possessed men (Matthew 8:28-34). How do we explain this seeming discrepancy? Obviously one of the demoniacs was much more prominent, likely due to the myriad demons possessing him, and so Mark & Luke simply disregarded the secondary man in their accounts.

The man’s great strength can be attributed to the numerous wicked spirits that possessed him. They interestingly referred to themselves in a composite sense as “Legion,” which is a Latin word for a division of the Roman army, 5120 infantry with additional cavalry at the time of Christ. In general terms, the word refers to a very large number and so we can assume that there were hundreds or even thousands of demons in this man. Think of it in terms of a snake pit where hundreds of snakes writhe together. The name of this group of demons—“Legion”—is akin to the names delinquent gangs adopt, like The Bloods, The Warriors or The Mecca Knights.

Notice what these evil spirits compelled the man to do—he wandered amongst the tombs and hills crying out in torment day & night, regularly cutting himself with stones. Today we call this type of behavior self-harm or self-injury. People who do this are being harassed by demonic spirits. They may not necessarily be possessed (yet), but they’re definitely being oppressed to the point of harming themselves. Anytime you come across people bent on self-destruction you can be sure that evil spirits are involved.

A good example of this is this Swedish band that promotes suicide and self-harm in all its forms. The vocalist nonchalantly informed that there have been several cases of fans committing suicide or, at least, trying to commit suicide upon digesting the group’s music. He testified in an interview to his own struggles with depression & torment, including frequent stays at mental health facilities. Needless to say, evil spirits are attracted to this band like snakes to a snake pit; and they use this man & his music to spread mental illness and self-destruction to anyone attracted to the group.

The mass-murderer Richard Speck, who slew eight nursing students at a Chicago dorm in July, 1966, tried to commit suicide in his hotel room two days later. His senseless murder spree was obviously inspired by the kingdom of darkness. You see, wicked spirits use people to carry out their prime directive—destroy life—and then lose them, inspiring them to destroy their very selves.

Demons revel in the destruction of people because they hate us for the four reasons cited above. They’re gravely envious and mad as hell, literally, because fallen people are redeemable whereas they’re irredeemable. Thus demons do the very opposite of heavenly angels. Angels serve people (Hebrews 1:14) whereas evil spirits harass and destroy.

In fact, wicked spirits are hell-bent on destroying life period. This explains why the three Hebrew letters of Satan’s very name—shin/tet/nun—define his prime directive: the destruction of anything that contains life and any continuation of it.

The fact that filthy spirits are obsessed with destroying life can be observed by this conglomerate of demons—“Legion”—who begged Christ to allow them to possess a herd of pigs nearby, which he allowed. Thus the spirits left the man and went into the roughly 2000 swine wherein the herd promptly rushed down the steep bank and into the lake where they drowned (Mark 5:11-13). Why on Earth would they drive the pigs to do this? Because demons are hell-bent on the destruction of life in any form. They thrive on it.

How Do You Prevent Demonic Oppression or Possession?

How did this man get possessed by so many demons? (I’m not talking about cases where people are afflicted by “spirits of infirmities,” which we’ll look at momentarily). Was he just innocently walking along one day and an evil spirit suddenly possessed him and proceeded to invite his buddies to join in? No. As noted earlier, demons are impure or filthy spirits and so they’re naturally attracted to that which is morally filthy. If a person yields to fleshly thoughts and starts to dwell on them to the point of obsession and the corresponding evil behavior it’ll attract demonic spirits, which leads to oppression and, ultimately, possession. Once a person is possessed, additional demons are attracted to the wicked “party.”

This is one of the reasons why the aforementioned James 1:21 instructs us to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent” and, instead, feed on the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). It’s why Paul encouraged believers to get in the habit of meditating on what is true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy; he even stressed that this attracts the peace of God (Philippians 4:8-9). Do you want the peace of God in your life or the torment of wicked spirits? Obviously the former. Then “be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Proverbs 4:23 NCV).

This is what the Bible calls renewing the mind (Romans 12:2 & Ephesians 4:22-24). It’s simply changing your thought life from the bad and destructive to the good and productive. If we truly knew the power and life that is available to us through using our imagination for the positive we’d be so full of dynamic power we’d jump up & down with enthusiasm!

All this is linked to what theologians call the process of sanctification. ‘Sanctification’ is one of those big words of which few know the meaning. It simply refers to purification, which starts with spiritual rebirth (Titus 3:5) and continues throughout the believer’s life as you’re “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This not only saves believers from flawed ideologies and poisonous mindsets, it protects us from demonic oppression or, worse, possession. Poisonous mindsets, by the way, are noémas (noh-AY-mahs), which are mental strongholds that develop over time and by-and-large determine a person’s actions. There are whole ideologies that are demonic in nature, like communism.

As important as it is to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent” and feed on God’s Word (James 1:21), it’s just as vital to cultivate a relationship with the LORD by drawing near to Him:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:7-10

Verse 7 says to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” This is not solely referring to Satan himself, but rather to the kingdom of darkness in general and specifically the evils spirits that are attacking the believer. How do I know? Because James was addressing multitudes of believers scattered amongst many nations, which includes us today (James 1:1), and the devil’s not omnipresent, like the Almighty (i.e. everywhere at the same time). As such, Satan can only attack one believer or a group of believers at a point in time, like he did with his temptation of Christ in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). To attack numerous believers across the globe he has to use the network of demonic powers under him (Ephesians 6:12). Think about it in terms of one nation attacking another. We say, for instance, that “Bush invaded Iraq” when, in fact, Bush was half a planet away. It’s the same thing in the kingdom of darkness. The devil may be assaulting you, but it’s not Satan himself, but rather wicked spirits working under his perverse command.

With this understanding, notice what this passage says about deflecting the kingdom of darkness: The key to accomplishing this is to simply draw near to God, which automatically results in God drawing near to you. Coming near to the LORD includes repenting of immorality and feeding on His Word, but it’s also a matter of fostering a close relationship. This sends evil spirits fleeing!

That said, spirits of infirmities are a different issue. These types of evil spirits induce a mental or physical malady in those they assault, such as muteness/deafness (Mark 9:17-29) or a crippling condition (Luke 13:10-16). The victims of these spirits are not necessarily involved in moral filth, but rather are people who are spiritually feeble and ignorant, particularly in regards to spiritual warfare. In other words, spirits of infirmities take advantage of ignorance. Thankfully, knowledge and wisdom empower people and will protect you from such spirits (Proverbs 24:5), which is why this book exists. Spirits of infirmities are explained in this article and spiritual warfare here & here.

Evil Spirits Are Attracted to “Dry Places”

Christ taught that impure spirits naturally seek “arid places,” which means dry, waterless areas (Matthew 12:43). This isn’t referring to places that are physically dry, like deserts, but rather spaces that are spiritually dry; that is, places where God is absent. You see, the LORD is likened to Living Water in the Bible—He’s The Fountain of Life who gushes forth life (Psalm 36:9). This corresponds to what Christ said about Himself and the Holy Spirit:

…Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.     

John 7:37-39

The Lord encourages those who are spiritually thirsty—spiritually dry—to come to Him and drink. He then points out that those who receive the Holy Spirit will have “rivers of living water” flowing within them.

The key to repelling demonic spirits is to stay well-watered by cultivating a relationship with the LORD. Saturate yourself with the things of God: prayer, simple communion, Scripture reading & meditation, praise & worship, fellowship with genuine believers, mutual submission (Ephesians 5:21), etc. As you do this, you automatically stave off wicked spirits. How so? Because demons seek dry places—waterless spaces absent of God’s presence.

This reveals the danger in becoming spiritually dry. When a pastor & his assembly become spiritually arid it attracts evil spirits, who’ll start “whispering in their ears.” Spiritually-dry people are naturally susceptible to “doctrines of demons,” which gets them off track if embraced (1 Timothy 4:1). “Doctrines” refers to teachings or instructions; so “doctrines of demons” simply means teachings or instructions of demons. Take, for example, white or black fellowships that embrace racist ideology: Members of the KKK typically profess to be Christians, with some members even being church leaders. Then you have Jeremiah Wright’s hateful, crackpot false gospel. How can people of God—even fulltime ministers—go so far astray? Because they allowed themselves to become spiritually dry, which attracted evil spirits; and out of desperation they gave ear to doctrines of demons.

The “Put Off” / “Put On” Principle

Let’s read the full passage where Jesus said demonic spirits seek dry places:

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.                                                   

Matthew 12:43-45

When a filthy spirit leaves a person it naturally seeks rest in arid places—spaces absent of God and the living waters thereof. The presence of God torments wicked spirits and so they seek succor where He’s absent. If the demon can’t find such a place it will simply go back to the “house” it left—if it can, that is.

But why wouldn’t a demon be able to find a waterless place—a space lacking God and the things of God? We can only conjecture based on the scriptural evidence. We know that evil spirits are territorial; that is, they’re assigned specific areas (Daniel 10:13,20). We also know that they’re lazy. In Jesus’ hypothetical example the demon couldn’t find anywhere in its immediate territory for rest so it lazily goes back to the person it left and finds him “swept clean and put in order” yet “unoccupied.” This reveals that the person had enough discipline to get his life in order and “cleaned up his act,” but he wasn’t occupied with God and the corresponding things of God. It was an outward change lacking inward reality. So the demon acquires seven other spirits more malevolent than itself and returns to the unoccupied “house.” Needless to say, the end state of the man is worse than before.

This is a spur to seek more than mere superficial change based on self-discipline. You can’t just “quit a habit” or “break a habit” without filling the vacuum with something positive. And God—who is The Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:9)—is the most positive ‘thing’ to fill yourself. That’s why the Bible teaches the principle of “putting off” and “putting on” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Right patterns must replace wrong ones. Good behaviors must replace sinful activities. Productive thoughts must displace destructive ones.

On a side note, this passage shows that some demons are more malevolent than others.

Evil Spirits Getting Attached to Kids or Youths

Demons can get attached to people when they’re kids or youths if they’re regularly in an unhealthy environment where there’s significant demonic activity. For instance, if a child grows up in a household where there’s substantial immoral activity (including pharisaical religiosity) or one of the parents is demon-possessed or if they get involved with libertine gangs or groups.

The reason demons are able to attach themselves to children or youths in such situations is because—being young and influence-able—they’re vulnerable. Parents and guardians have a responsibility to protect kids under their authority, not just physically, but spiritually. Why do you think Jesus took the time to bless the children (Matthew 19:13)? Yet, even in these cases, evil spirits have to have the permission of the individual—conscious or subconscious—to increasingly oppress them and ultimately possess them.

Related Topics:

Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer

ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

This article was edited from chapter 9 of…

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EXORCISM and the Believer’s Authority

I’d like to take a different approach with this article by examining a film based on a true story. We’ll flesh out its biblical themes and use it as a bridge to our dealings with cases of demonic oppression or possession.

The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

The movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose was loosely based on the real story of a 23 year-old German girl, Anneliese Michel, who died while a priest was trying to exorcize her of demons in the late 70s. He was then put on trial for neglectful homicide.

In the movie, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is the agnostic lawyer who defends the priest (Tom Wilkinson), while the prosecutor (Campbell Scott) is a non-Catholic believer. I’m sure you see the conundrums of the situation: How can an agnostic defend a minister who performs a supernatural operation that ends in the death of a young woman? How can a genuine believer prosecute another believer who was simply fulfilling his calling and performing a service for a congregant?

The prosecution argues that the woman was physically & mentally ill with symptoms of epilepsy, psychosis and schizophrenia; and that the attempted exorcism was just a bunch of witch doctor hooey. The defense, on the other hand, argues that such physical/mental manifestations were the result of diabolical spiritual possession. In other words, the girl’s possession produced the symptoms of epilepsy, psychosis and schizophrenia. It’s the proverbial chicken or the egg question.

Observations

In the Bible, didn’t Jesus deliver people from demons who induced insanity, deafness, muteness and infirmity? See Mark 5:1-20, 9:17-29 and Luke 13:10-16. It’s clear from the Scriptural evidence that being possessed (or oppressed) by an evil spirit can induce mental or physical ailments. Such demons are “spirits of infirmities,” which we’ll address momentarily.

Another point of the defense in the movie is that a powerful drug that Emily was prescribed prevented the exorcism from being successful because it physiologically trapped her in a mode that was resistant to exorcism and the corresponding freedom.

All of this provokes many questions: How many people in our mental institutions are being drugged up and essentially imprisoned for the rest of their lives when what they really need is exorcized of dark spiritual entities that have possessed them to one degree or another? Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not against these kinds of asylums and realize that we, as a society, are just doing what we have to for such ailing people; that is, what we can.

Yet, what if someone of Jesus Christ’ stature were around, someone who had the authority, faith and courage to rebuke demons and send them fleeing with their tails between their legs, so to speak? The first chapter of the gospel of Mark shows the Messiah exorcizing demons from numerous people and this is merely one chapter of the New Testament! (See verses 25-26, 34 and 39).

A Real-Life Experience with Demonic Possession

I know of one person who was seriously mentally ill all her life but the best professionals medical science had to offer couldn’t deliver her. The best they could do was sedate her, try this or that (including shock treatments) and help her cope. Some of this is good to an extent, but they could not set her free. She lived and died with this severe illness. I’m convinced that these symptoms were the result of some type of demonic possession/oppression. Others who were close to the situation have drawn the same conclusion. The signs pointed to a partial possession, which we’ll look at shortly. If only I knew then what I know now and was the person I am now, I would have exorcized her of this spiritual subjugation without a second thought, as long as she was willing (which is necessary since God will never heal or deliver people against their will).

Am I suggesting that we should let loose a bunch of religious kooks into our mental institutions to supposedly exorcize the severely ill of their (very possible) literal demons? No, but if some people show evidence of the power and boldness Jesus Christ walked in, shouldn’t we? Didn’t Jesus come to “set the captives free,” “heal the sick and brokenhearted” and “release the prisoners from the darkness”? (See Luke 4:16-21 and Isaiah 42:5-9).

The fact that so few believers are walking in this authority, power, faith and boldness is a shame to the modern Church in general. It’s also testimony to the powerless nature of so many counterfeit sects and “believers” who “have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Not that all the believers within these camps are counterfeits, not at all. But their leaders are ignorant, disingenuous or spiritually blind. And didn’t Jesus say, “If a blind man follows a blind man they will both fall into a pit”? (Matthew 15:14).

One of the purposes of this book is to reveal the reality of dark spiritual entities, how their attacks manifest, and how to effectively combat them by faith.

Further Commentary on the Film

The Exorcism of Emily Rose works beyond the courtroom drama where the theological questions are hammered and tested; it works as a simple horror film, based on a true story. The movie successfully shows the reality of dark spiritual malevolence. It drives home the reality of unseen menace and literally scares the hell out of the viewer, but only unbelievers and immature Christians. Strong believers, by contrast, laugh at evil spirits and simply command ’em to shut up, like Christ did (more on this momentarily). You must understand that believers have authority over evil spirits and thus we have no reason to fear them (Luke 10:18-20). I don’t.

And yet, thankfully, the film is somehow affirming of life, love, hope and faith.

I only have one theological criticism introduced late in the story, the idea that Emily only had one of two options: To physically perish and go home to be with the Lord or stay in the body and suffer further as a supposed testimony to the world of the reality of the spirit realm and the dark powers thereof. This implies that God allowed Emily’s possession for the purpose of showing the world the unseen truth. The obvious problem with this is that Jesus was Immanuel, aka “God with us,” and He never hesitated to exorcize demons from the afflicted. In other words, it’s always God’s will to deliver the demon-possessed, as long as the person wants free. Such deliverances are not only a testimony to the realm of the spirit, but of the victory of light over darkness.

Although I wouldn’t call the film a masterpiece it’s effective in many ways. It provokes important questions: How many of our mentally ill—perpetually drugged-up and confined—are suffering from demonic possession? The drugs and confinement can only sedate them and help them cope (which helps those nearest them, of course); they cannot set them free. Only exorcism can do that, which is deliverance.

The Believer’s Authority

Where is the church of Jesus Christ, the “called-out” ones who are called out of the darkness of this world? Why is the church so inert and seemingly powerless when it comes to dealing with victims of demonic possession or oppression? I know there are a few “radicals” or “extremists” who function in this capacity, but what of the general body of Christ? I’m not talking about young, immature or erratic Christians, but rather seasoned believers who know the Lord & His Word and function in the body as deacons, elders, praise & worship warriors, teachers, pastors and prophets.

Let’s not forget the incredible authority Jesus gave believers:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:18-20

“Snakes and scorpions” are figurative of the devil and demonic spirits. Jesus gave his disciples authority to trample them under their feet, that is, overcome their power. Hence, filthy spirits had to submit to them and the disciples were understandably elated (see verse 17). They delivered people from demonic oppression and possession; they healed the sick and brokenhearted; they set the captives free because they had the authority and power to do so. Authority is the right to rule whereas power is the ability to rule.

If Jesus’ disciples—who weren’t even spiritually regenerated at the time—had authority to overcome the powers of darkness, how much more so Christians who have been spiritually born of the imperishable seed of Christ?

Get a hold of this fact: If you’re a believer YOU have authority over the kingdom of darkness! All the spiritual forces of evil are under your feet! They don’t have the authority to overcome you; you have the authority to overcome them!

As stressed in this article, words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21), so make this powerful positive confession:

I [state your name] have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the devil and his wicked angels. Nothing will harm me. I have the victory in Jesus Christ — Hallelujah!!

 Make Biblical statements like this your regular confession. Speak them with fervor! Never speak disempowering words of doubt, defeat, fear or grumbling. Cast such things off on the LORD in prayer, which is venting (Psalm 55:22 & 1 Peter 5:7). When you spend quality time praising, adoring and communing with the Most High the very light of his presence will squelch emotional waste like doubt, fear and worry. Do this regularly. God is the Fountain of Life and in his light we see light (Psalm 36:9); darkness naturally vanishes!

Jesus Christ is the Genuine “Lion” while Satan is a Counterfeit

The devil may prowl around like a roaring lion trying to frighten people immobile with his intimidating roar, but for the believer who walks in faith he’s a toothless, clawless, sinew-less lion. More than that, the Bible describes Jesus Christ as the genuine Lion of Judah. In other words, Jesus is the real deal, while the devil is just a counterfeit—a fake—who prowls around like a roaring lion. Oh, sure, he can attack since he’s “the god of this world” and we’re invading his turf, but the Bible says that all we have to do is “submit to God and resist the devil” “standing firm in the faith” and the enemy will literally “flee” from us (James 4:7 & 1 Peter 5:8-10).

This is what the apostle Paul called fighting “the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). When we stand in faith with our spiritual armor on and swing our spiritual swords the forces of evil have no recourse but to “flee.” One minister I heard said the imagery in the original language paints the picture of a dog running away with his tail between his legs—“Yipe, yipe, yipe yipe!!” Picture that the next time you take a stand in faith against the enemy—including exorcisms—and have yourself a knee-slapping victorious laugh.

Walking in the Amazing Authority of Jesus Christ

As The Exorcism of Emily Rose illustrates, we live in a generation that idolizes reason and science above all. These are the only criteria for determining reality to the unspiritual man, and understandably so. Thus anyone who looks to the Holy Scriptures for truth and has the audacity to act accordingly is viewed with disdain and ridicule. Which explains why the church is so powerless and timid when it comes to dealing with demonic possession or oppression: We fear the scorn of the world.

This reminds me of a Pentecostal pastor who told me about a prophet he had at his church for a series of services. The prophet ministered to the people and apparently dealt with a couple cases of demonic oppression or possession. The pastor said he was uncomfortable with the man’s ministry because it was sometimes awkward and even shocking. But, let me tell you, dealing with filthy spirits can get ugly! Yelling, vomiting, screaming, wiggling on the floor, etc. come with the territory. We’ll look at examples from the Scriptures in a moment. The pastor said that the experience made him “gun shy” of demonic deliverance and everything that goes with it. Unfortunately, he threw the baby out with the proverbial bathwater because his church had the most sterile atmosphere of any I’ve experienced, and it was “Pentecostal”!

I realize we have to “become all things to all people that by all possible means we might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Hence, we have to “locate” where people are and act accordingly, otherwise we’ll scare ’em off with things they simply can’t handle, at least not presently. We need to do this to reach people, but let’s not do it to the extent that we become as spiritually powerless as the world. We are the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), meaning that the Church is the light that inspires those lost in the darkness of this world. Those in the darkness “who have ears to hear and eyes to see” will naturally be drawn to the light and ultimately delivered; and the closer they get to The Light the freer they’ll be (John 8:12,31-32). This is the way it’s supposed to be.

But something’s wrong when the church allows the darkness of the world to squelch our light to the point that we’re impotent and ineffective, all because we fear the world’s contempt and ridicule! Needless to say, this is an example of allowing the world to mold us into its form; something the Bible instructs us not to do (Romans 12:2).

One of the things that drew people to the Mighty Christ was the genuine authority he walked in, which shouldn’t be confused with pompous authoritarianism. This made his ministry—his service—effective, including demonic deliverance. Observe:

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶ The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

²⁷ The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸ News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Mark 1:21-28

Verse 22 shows that the people were amazed at the aura of authority Jesus displayed merely with his public teaching. This was something the religious leaders of that day didn’t have, like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The people were even more amazed when he proceeded to command evil spirits to shut up and come out of people, as shown in verse 27. Unsurprisingly, news then spread about him throughout the region (verse 28).

Speaking of commanding demons to shut up, Christ typically did this when encountering possessed people (Mark 1:24-25 & Luke 4:35,41). Why? Because evil spirits are liars who have ages of experience duping even the brightest of people. In light of this, never talk with demons; just tell ’em to shut up and exorcize the individual, presuming the person is willing.

A pastor I know testified of his first encounter with a demon-possessed man. The wicked spirit started a conversation with him that went on for a couple of hours (!) whereupon the pastor’s head was spinning, so to speak. Then a seasoned fellow-minister, who just happened to be visiting from out of state, entered the room and immediately discerned what has happening. He didn’t talk with the foul spirit at all, but simply said “loose” and that was the end of it.

Rise Up and Walk in Your Authority!

Unlike 1^st century Israel where Christ ministered, I realize most reading this live in irreligious cultures of the post-Christian Western world (or, at least, Western-influenced). As such, we have to be careful how we minister and make sure we’re led of the Holy Spirit. Regardless, you can be sure that if we boldly rise up and walk in our authority and people start getting miraculously healed and freed from life-dominating sin and demonic oppression or possession nothing will keep the news from spreading. It will light a spiritual fire in this dark, dying world and those who long for healing and freedom will literally come running for deliverance! Make no mistake, Jesus plainly said that “anyone who has faith” will do the works he did. In fact, he said such people would do even greater works (John 14:12)! Please note that he said “anyone who has faith;” this means “anyone” who simply believes!

Do you sometimes struggle with faith? All believers are believers precisely because they have “a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). The wonderful thing is that this is merely the starting point of the faith walk because faith can grow. Faith grows three ways:

1. Getting closer to God, who is the Fountain of Life and therefore He gushes life, light, power and belief into whoever gets close to Him (Psalm 36:9).
2. Through regular feeding on God’s Word, as shown in Romans 10:17 and Matthew 4:4. Whatever element of the Word you feed on is where your faith will grow. For instance, if you want strong faith in regards to the believer’s authority, spiritual warfare and exorcism then I encourage you to master the material in this article, as well as Chapter 19 and 20 of my book ANGELS.
3. By praying in the Holy Spirit, as shown in Jude 20 (see also Ephesians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 and 2 Timothy 1:6-7).*

* For details, see the seventh piece of the armor & arms of God in this article.

A pastor I know, Rick, testified to something he experienced when he was in Bible college: He attended a big service where the Charismatic leader was ministering and Rick happened to be standing in the front row. The minister was not far from him when fear suddenly seized Rick and he felt paralyzed. The minister looked at him, but seemed to be focusing on something unseen over Rick’s shoulder. He simply pointed to this thing and waved his hand, as if to say “Go,” and the fear immediately left the brother.

This minister was obviously walking in the gift of discerning of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:1-11), which is the ability to perceive what’s happening in the spiritual realm. (Contrary to what some think, discerning of spirits is not the gift of carnal judgment and gossip & slander). An Old Testament example of this spiritual gift can be observed when Elisha’s assistant was suddenly able to see into the spirit realm (2 Kings 6:15-17).*

 *  Since Paul, by the Spirit, didn’t elaborate on the gift of the discerning of spirits there must be a biblical precedent to define it. While the gifts of the Spirit are a New Testament phenomenon, Old Testament prophets obviously functioned in these gifts, as the Spirit willed.

Don’t you want to walk in the gifting and authority that this minister functioned in when he delivered this brother seized by a spirit of fear? Of course you do; I do too. The material in this book is a good starting point.

Dealing with “Spirits of Infirmities”

At the beginning of this article it was pointed out that Christ delivered people from demons which induced infirmities of one sort or another, including mental illness. Here are two biblical examples:

1. Deafness and muteness: Mark 9:17-29.
2. Crippling: Luke 13:10-16.

Let’s look at both cases, starting with the first:

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Mark 9:17-29

This passage reveals several insights:

• As you can see, this evil spirit induced muteness and deafness (verses 17 & 25).
• While the muteness and deafness were presumably constant conditions, the demon only seized the child on occasions, not 100% of the time (verse 18). Luke’s account verifies that the spirit would leave him on occasion (Luke 9:39), which indicates a partial possession. (This was the situation with the person in my life, shared earlier). In this particular case of partial possession there was only one demon involved whereas in the example of total possession with the man from the Gerasenes there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of demons involved (Mark 5:1-20).
• Speaking of partial possession, it’s clear that the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy was demonically influenced to commit his atrocious crimes; and the evidence points to partial possession: When he was his normal self he was affable and charismatic, which explains the inexplicable loyalty of several naïve people close to him, not to mention his mounting fan club (!). Many remained loyal during his eleven years of imprisonment before his execution. Even the judge who sentenced him noted how likable and gifted he was. Yet his myriad wicked murders and subsequent abuse of the corpses indicated a wholly sinister side. An investigator who visited Bundy’s cell in Florida witnessed firsthand his satanic mood swings: During an ordinary conversation the murderer abruptly metamorphosed before his very eyes wherein Bundy’s body & countenance weirdly altered and the investigator perceived an odor. He described the situation as extremely intense during this dispositional change, which lasted about 20 minutes.
• Getting back to Mark 9:17-29, when the demon took control of the boy it threw him to the ground where he foamed at the mouth, gnashed his teeth and became rigid. Needless to say, it helps to recognize these characteristics of demon-possession (verse 20).
• The demon drove the boy to self-harm by often trying to kill him, throwing him into fire or water (verse 22). This demon-influenced tendency is covered in Chapter 9 of ANGELS.
• Christ rebuked the demon, calling it a “deaf and mute spirit,” which simply means it was a demon that had the ability to bring about deafness and muteness (verse 25).
• Jesus commanded the wicked spirit to come out of the boy, adding “and never enter him again” (verse 25). It’s an important addition.
• The spirit shrieked and convulsed the lad violently during the exorcism (verse 26). These are further characteristics we need to recognize when exorcizing demons.
• Explaining why the disciples couldn’t cast out this particular wicked spirit, Jesus said “This kind can come out only by prayer” (verse 29).* Since prayer is communion with God this indicates that a close relationship with the LORD and the corresponding increased spiritual sensitivity & anointing are required to operate in the authority necessary to deliver people from demons of this magnitude. Obviously some evil spirits are more powerful and obstinate and hence are more resistant to exorcism.

* While some translations say “prayer and fasting” (e.g. the KJV), the earliest (and therefore most reliable) manuscripts omit “fasting.” It was likely added by an overzealous scribe at some point.

Now let’s look at the other passage and cull insights from it as well:

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

Luke 13:10-16

• The woman’s crippled condition was caused by a demon (verse 11). This shows that evil spirits have spiritual powers that can negatively affect those in the physical world. Medical science has, of course, discovered various other causes of ailments, whether physical or mental, but this does not discount the effect the spiritual has on the physical. Furthermore, could it not be possible—even likely—that these spirits induced these “causes,” as pointed out earlier?
• Unlike with the spirit that induced muteness and deafness, Christ did not rebuke the demon or command it to leave (at least Luke didn’t cite this in his account). Jesus simply said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity,” followed by laying his hands on her, and she was both delivered from the spirit and healed (verses 12-13). This shows a correlation between the two—being delivered from demonic oppression and receiving healing. Comparing the two accounts also shows that 1. exorcizing demons and healing people are not one dimensional in nature as there are various methods we can employ, which grant the same result, and 2. we should rely on the Holy Spirit’s distinctive leading in each case.
• On a side note, this passage shows that legalists like the Pharisees—i.e. lifeless religionists—are prone to opposing genuine ministerial works, such as exorcism and healing. Big surprise, huh?

Of course, not every infirmity is directly caused by evil spirits, so you have to have spiritual discernment in order to effectively minister in these situations. And the only way you can do this, again, is to have genuine spiritual sensitivity, which comes by drawing closer to the LORD, as well as eagerly desiring gifts of the Spirit rather than eagerly denying them (1 Corinthians 12:1,31 & 14:1,39). If you’re not sure if a malady was induced by a demon, you can simply rebuke the ailment itself, as Jesus did here:

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

Luke 4:38-39

As a believer and co-heir in Christ you have the authority to do the works the Messiah did (John 14:12).

Closing Blessing

Rise up O man of God, rise up O woman of God, and walk in the authority that is yours in Jesus Christ. May you walk in faith and do the works Jesus did! May you heal the sick and set the captives free through the power of God that’s in you and upon you. Let it be so.

For additional insights, see the linking article Demons Vs. Jesus Christ — No Contest.

As well as Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them

This article is also featured in chapter 16 of…

• Copies are available here for a special low price here (345 pages).
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Related Topics:

ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?

Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer

How to Enlist the Help of Angels

Why do Unclean Spirits seek out Dry Places?

Why is this World so Messed Up?

REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation

The Basics of Christianity