Demonic Possession/Exorcisms

[Warhawk17]

There was a time when I was borderline obsessed with this topic. I've watched many shows and horror movies where people were supposedly possessed by demons, and Catholic priests were called in to perform exorcisms. Many of the shows billed the events as true stories, and I thought these things were the real deal. I don't really believe in that stuff anymore, and I believe many theories about demonic possession come from pagan theology. What is everyone's take on this?

[ded2daworld]

I might tend to believe if someone other than a catholic priest performed the exorcism.
I do believe some of the accounts of demonic possession were epileptic seizures and some were other brain disorders.
I do not believe an evil spirit may enter a person that has the holy spirit of God residing in them. :Peace2:

[jabcat]

I do not believe an evil spirit may enter a person that has the holy spirit of God residing in them. :Peace2:

:thumbsup:  Aggravate, but not infiltrate.

[eaglesway]

I dont expect anyone to take my word for it. But I have seen demons cast out of people who were possessed twice- New Testament level, nothing like the movies.

[Warhawk17]

I dont expect anyone to take my word for it. But I have seen demons cast out of people who were possessed twice- New Testament level, nothing like the movies.

You have seen demons cast out of people in person? I'd like to hear more details about that because you have peaked my curiosity. I know the Bible speaks of Jesus driving out demons, but I guess I never really knew if they were literal demons who were possessing them like you see in the movies with the black capes and the Darth Vader masks  :icon_jokercolor: or if that was just a metaphor for the uncleanliness that Jesus was casting out of people. I tend to view the latter as truth now.

[lastpost]

My belief is that anything which is an enemy to God falls under the category of the devil, and both angels of God and wicked spirits can influence humans, and in some persistent cases of wicked spirits influencing humans it becomes possession.

[micah7:9]

I dont expect anyone to take my word for it. But I have seen demons cast out of people who were possessed twice- New Testament level, nothing like the movies.

Just asking, that' s all.
How was this casting out done? How did you/or someone know the demon had possession?
What kind of a demon was it? :dontknow:

Devil  G1228  diabolos  a traducer; specifically Satan : - false accuser, devil, slanderer.
         G1140  daimonion  Neuter of a derivative of G1142; a daemonic being; by extension a deity: - devil, god.

         G1142  daimōn  a demon or super natural spirit (of a bad nature): - devil.

The word "demon" is not found in the OT or NT. The word "devil" is only used in the NT. The word devil has two meanings and yes one is "demon."
My question, how do we know that the "possession" is either the "traducer/ adversary" or a " a daemonic being-demon"?
And also how can we know that what is called "possession" is not just one of the many diseases-infirmities-sickness that is in the nature of human kind?

Just asking. :dontknow:

[ded2daworld]

Micah, I have the same questions :dontknow:

[eaglesway]

Well, the manifestations that "devils" (strongs shuwd-malignancy) have are many, as in the scriptures. The madman of the Gadarenes was a good example. As to how you would kno there is a devil involved in a situation...... there is a gift of the spirit called "discernment of spirits"- that is one way. Another is just by the manifestation itself. I have seen spirits(had my eyes opened to see spirits)- I think this is one operation of the gift of discerning of spirits. I once was in a room where a girl who had become demon possessed was being prayed for. The demons in her were speaking to people in the room that she did not kno personally, with knowledge of details of their lives, combined with many insults and "glory to Satan" praises etc.  One of the men in the room( a minister in this street ministry in Detroit Mich.) stood up to strike the girl. At this I grabbed him to stop him and the girl got up to leave.

The Lord spoke to me, "Tell her to sit down and shut up in the name of Jesus". So I looked over at her and said, (I was a relatively new beliver at the time but I am good at following instructions), "Sit down and shut up in the name of Jesus" and it was like an invisible hand slapped her down on her back and she stayed there, unable to get up for several hours until some brothers from another inner city ministry that had more experience with deliverance came and picked her up. She became a  isciple of Chrsit and I saw her around the fellowship a few times after that.

I have had a few other experiences of supernatural healing and deliverance along the way in my walk with God.

I ask no one to take my word on these things, if they run contrary to your doctrinal beliefs write me off as a madman ;o) I really dont care :o)

[lomarah]

LOL "Sit down and shut up in the name of Jesus!" I'm sure there are many here who will not believe you just on account of those words.  :laughing7: Cardinal and I were saying just the other night, phewww we are so glad Father is not religious!  :LH:

Father has had Cardinal cast out many evil spirits since the beginning of her walk with the Lord. She knew what they were because Father told her, and told her exactly what to say and do, just like Eaglesway. Call her mad too, she won't mind either. She is quite used to it.  :declare:  :laugh:

Eaglesway thanks for sharing that, especially about the demons whispering in the ears. Confirms some stuff for me.  :thumbsup:

[lastpost]

My opinion, if I may say this, is that possession was very rampant in the rulers of Christ's time in that most rulers were themselves possessed by the most wicked and evil of spirits, themselves rulers of their own piece of darkness.

I think of the early followers of Jesus, those who loved Jesus Christ. I feel both something akin to shame and also a powerful love. Some they could expect a terrible end would come as a result of their love for the Master, and little ones who must be held in arms as flames licked. To Him who bore more pain than could be imagined is given my full adoration, and to those early pioneers of faith my heart goes out and my gratitude is full  :HeartThrob:

[eaglesway]

I do want to make it clear that I do not see devils around evry corner or think that devils are responsible for all sickness, disease, mental illness, addiction- etc. However i do believe the prince of the power of the air the ruler of the hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms are very involved in many of these things and occasionally are the root cause or even the whole cause.

I thank God for doctors, science and medicine, but i also thank God that at times He will overrule doctors science and medicine for the benefit of desperate supplicants(woman with the flow of blood, cripple at the pool of Bethesda, for ex.)

When the townspeople came out to see the Madman of the Gadarenes sitting at Jesus feet "sitting at Jesus feet whole and in his right mind", they asked Jesus to leave.

Most people are very uncomfortable with the supernatural because it brings them into a place where they cannot be in control and events do not follow the patterns of there naturl understanding.

[shawn]

I'll tell you, I'm pragmatic...student of both science and faith.  I understand disease and well-being.  I have seen many things and some just cant be explained by medical science.  I have a real hard time wrapping my mind around demons, and demonic possession.  With that said, when people of sound spiritual mind report to me, there are things I don't understand, principalities at work...I listen.

Not so long ago, washing hands before surgery was laughed at.  If doctors couldn't see it, they didn't believe it.  So, I keep an open mind.

Let me ask you all something.  Can demons effect a believers life, and if so why are demons allowed to attack and sicken a believer?  Is it something the believer does or doesn't do?

[eaglesway]

Believrs have weapons, armor, spiritual tools providd as sons of God. It is a part of the inheritance. The body of Christ as a whole, is seated in the heavenlies in Christ "far above all principality and power".

"For lack of knowledge the people perish."

Sometimes what we dont kno can hurrt us- but I dont believe a disciple of Jesus in good standing has too much trouble with demons.

"The gates of Sheol shall not prevail against it(the church)"

In the spirit, under the canopy of the love of God, I dont believe demons can function effectively.

A good "fellowship/gathering of the ecclesia" is real protection against demonic interference and oppression....but the grace of God will suffice wherever we are, IMO

[shawn]

Thanks for that answer...sounds reasonable to me.

[lastpost]

I suppose that people could (and do) consider evil spirits to represent other things. I believe however, that malevolent spirits of varying degrees of wickedness and strength (to me all fall under the term "the devil"), wander around seeking to find an outlet for their evil...

1 Peter 5
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

In my opinion, dangerous spirits with hatred in them are everywhere - but then, of course, so is God and His ministering spirits. Evil spirits can sometimes temporarily pass thoughts into one who, shall we say, is themselves full of hatred, and make the situation worse.

It is not God who is tempting but it is evil that is tempting. It is part of God's Plan that He has allowed the tempting of His children by wicked spirits for His purpose of raising up His children. He has permitted both testing and tempting by evil as part of His Purpose of the aeons and it is not Him. Evil and God are "separated"...

James 1
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Regarding temptation...

Luke 4
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season (kairos => a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time).

I personally believe that Jesus Christ was the perfect Example for man to reflect his own life upon, in that everything He did was a living, open and instantly accessible "Book", as it were, that man could read in order to best sojourn in this world in accordance with the Will of God. God is the Living God and as such each person who is guided by the Holy Spirit literally opens up new areas of spiritual life in the dry and lifeless desert into which he or she must sojourn.

I would say, reading above, that if the Holy Spirit should lead one to beat out a certain path for God which would open up new ground, then it requires a pioneering attitude of great resilience as malevolent spirits will play heavily and then more heavily still on that one.

Here, James appears to almost paraphrase and summarise the Example set by Jesus Himself...

James 4
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

I do not think it a mere coincidence that prayer and fasting (reverent communing with God and self-denial) are mentioned elsewhere by our Lord concerning the supernormal...

Mark 9
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Neither do I think it meaningless but rather telling that Jesus should converse with beings with intelligence - they speak to Him and He speaks back:

Matthew 8
31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go.

These particular encounters show that some prowling spirits are desperate to find "rest" from their miserable existence and care not for how they find that rest, even if it means destroying a life...

Luke 11
24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

I believe that the strongest temptations come to those who truly want to be pure in heart and mind so that they are closer to God and can make the most of their time here for Him...

Psalms 26
2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart....
2 Examine me (bachan => examine, try, prove), O LORD, and
prove me (nacah => test, try, prove, tempt, assay);
try (tsaraph => smelt, refine, test)
my reins (kilyah => figuratively: seat of emotion) and
my heart (leb => inner man, mind, will, soul, heart, understanding).

Psalms 139
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead (nachah  => lead, guide) me in the way (derek  => way, road, journey, manner [habit] evermore (owlam => perpetually).

James 1
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (peirasmos  => trials, provings);
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

There are some who become defensive that it might be suggested that for one who has accepted the gift of Love given forth from the Cross by the Saviour Christ, that it is possible to be influenced by evil and form a pattern of sinfulness and have the need to repent. However, Christ has made sure that such a thing cannot be assumed as a whole ekklesia gathering is addressed...

Revelation 3:1-22

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works (ergon  => acts, things done, products). You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent (metanoeo). If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers (nikao => victorious over all adverseries [i.e. sins etc.]) will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels...

It is easy to think that there exists no unseen enemies around but there appears wicked and malevolent spirits in the Biblical text directly [and I read indirectly]. I look at some people caught on film today who have just committed an atrocity and it is difficult not to see the evil spirit that has taken command of the will in that person. And what of those who commit an act of evil and then are found shaking their head wondering what has just happened? Psychological? Yes, but that does not mean there is not a deeper underlying cause - an evil spirit.

Peace

[shawn]

I have heard of those who believe the devil is the spirit of mans rebellion...sits on the throne of our hearts and calls itself god.  Demons those under control of his spirit.  All, symbolic and spiritual...no such thing as invisible beings that cause us harm.

I would much rather believe that, as the thought of invisible beings causing us harm brings me anxiety.  But, that doesn't mean it's truth.

I think the above thinking is problematic when Thinking about Jesus casting demons into pigs.

I'm still left undecided on the subject.  Good thing I dont have to have correct understanding on these things to have a relationship with God.

[lastpost]

Dear Shaun,

I really do like that teaching...

..."the devil is the spirit of mans rebellion...sits on the throne of our hearts and calls itself god.  Demons those under control of his spirit.  All, symbolic and spiritual..."

Symbolic and spiritual teachings which embody the truth are effective. Thank you for sharing that with me friend.

I like the idea that we must stay humble to be free of the lordship of the devil, and this by always submitting to God's Will which also has the added bonus of removing anxiety. This is a great protection whether the belief is the one I have or the one that you have.

1 Peter 5
5 ...God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

As for myself, well, I have no choice but to believe what I believe, it is part of my life, it is what God has shown me, and once that kind of thing happens it cannot be taken away, if you will, because it gives me my Lord Jesus Christ in as much abundance as I can take - He has shown Himself to be the only thing ever worth having which nothing else can replace...it is not possible to replace Everything...which I am sure is how everybody else who has found Him feels as well.  Yet He can be missed sorely. I hope that makes sense and is not too cryptic 
                                                            :dsunny:

[eaglesway]

I suppose that people could (and do) consider evil spirits to represent other things. I believe however, that malevolent spirits of varying degrees of wickedness and strength (to me all fall under the term "the devil"), wander around seeking to find an outlet for their evil...

1 Peter 5
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

In my opinion, dangerous spirits with hatred in them are everywhere - but then, of course, so is God and His ministering spirits. Evil spirits can sometimes temporarily pass thoughts into one who, shall we say, is themselves full of hatred, and make the situation worse.

It is not God who is tempting but it is evil that is tempting. It is part of God's Plan that He has allowed the tempting of His children by wicked spirits for His purpose of raising up His children. He has permitted both testing and tempting by evil as part of His Purpose of the aeons and it is not Him. Evil and God are "separated"...

James 1
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Regarding temptation...

Luke 4
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season (kairos => a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time).

I personally believe that Jesus Christ was the perfect Example for man to reflect his own life upon, in that everything He did was a living, open and instantly accessible "Book", as it were, that man could read in order to best sojourn in this world in accordance with the Will of God. God is the Living God and as such each person who is guided by the Holy Spirit literally opens up new areas of spiritual life in the dry and lifeless desert into which he or she must sojourn.

I would say, reading above, that if the Holy Spirit should lead one to beat out a certain path for God which would open up new ground, then it requires a pioneering attitude of great resilience as malevolent spirits will play heavily and then more heavily still on that one.

Here, James appears to almost paraphrase and summarise the Example set by Jesus Himself...

James 4
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

I do not think it a mere coincidence that prayer and fasting (reverent communing with God and self-denial) are mentioned elsewhere by our Lord concerning the supernormal...

Mark 9
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Neither do I think it meaningless but rather telling that Jesus should converse with beings with intelligence - they speak to Him and He speaks back:

Matthew 8
31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go.

These particular encounters show that some prowling spirits are desperate to find "rest" from their miserable existence and care not for how they find that rest, even if it means destroying a life...

Luke 11
24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

I believe that the strongest temptations come to those who truly want to be pure in heart and mind so that they are closer to God and can make the most of their time here for Him...

Psalms 26
2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart....
2 Examine me (bachan => examine, try, prove), O LORD, and
prove me (nacah => test, try, prove, tempt, assay);
try (tsaraph => smelt, refine, test)
my reins (kilyah => figuratively: seat of emotion) and
my heart (leb => inner man, mind, will, soul, heart, understanding).

Psalms 139
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead (nachah  => lead, guide) me in the way (derek  => way, road, journey, manner [habit] evermore (owlam => perpetually).

James 1
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (peirasmos  => trials, provings);
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

There are some who become defensive that it might be suggested that for one who has accepted the gift of Love given forth from the Cross by the Saviour Christ, that it is possible to be influenced by evil and form a pattern of sinfulness and have the need to repent. However, Christ has made sure that such a thing cannot be assumed as a whole ekklesia gathering is addressed...

Revelation 3:1-22

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works (ergon  => acts, things done, products). You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent (metanoeo). If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers (nikao => victorious over all adverseries [i.e. sins etc.]) will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels...

It is easy to think that there exists no unseen enemies around but there appears wicked and malevolent spirits in the Biblical text directly [and I read indirectly]. I look at some people caught on film today who have just committed an atrocity and it is difficult not to see the evil spirit that has taken command of the will in that person. And what of those who commit an act of evil and then are found shaking their head wondering what has just happened? Psychological? Yes, but that does not mean there is not a deeper underlying cause - an evil spirit.

Peace

Good, sound, edifying and IMO correct.

[micah7:9]

Consider this, has the reign of God come to you? I believe there is much to consider. :HeartThrob:

Mat 12:28  `But if I, by the Spirit of God, do cast out the demons, then come already unto you did the reign of God.

[onlytruth]

Manifestation of " demonic spirit "is as simple as pushing someones button regarding a long held belief . People will rise up in indignation , get mad, storm out of the room or even worse!
When casting out a " demonic(or something that doesn't line up with Gods desire)spirit , we must have revelation of the source , where did they receive the lie ?
If we don't know , we can't play God  and all we can do is love them until it is the right time
God directed to me once to pray for a pastors wife in a wheel chair( even though I didn't want to)I prAyed and God showed me the source. She got up and next couple days shared with everyone!
Then a couple days later we got a call and were told that it wasn't possible, they expelled it to her and she received the curse back again
Needless to say the head pastor told my family we weren't a good fit and asked us to leave.

[onlytruth]

Explained not expelled.....spellcheck !:)

[musicman]

I have had experience with having spirits casted out of myself!  The lady I know has had her eyes opened to seeing these "spirits"  I had the spirit of depression and the spirit of infirmity cast out of me.  IT was a crazy expericnce,  defentely felt like something that was not me was leaving, and even made me say some wierd things like "he let me in here"  and I was speaking but it wasn't me speaking.  hard to explain.    and some of these are familiar spirits past down the ancestral line.    she explained it to me as these things arent us they are spirits who need hosts.   and these spirits are always looking for hosts, and we open those doors for them to come into our lives through "sin" or unrighteous acts that open these spiritual doorways. I feel like whenever I'm near a night club with people drinking and doing drugs, these spirits are EVERYWHERE!!!   Ive had this experience of opening these doorways.  I don't necessarily believe that "those who have the holy spirit in them/believers in jesus can't have these spirits enter"  because the holy spirit is the spirit of truth, and I find it hard to believe there are many out there living completely embodied by the holy spirit and living in complete truth and righteousness like jesus was.  where ever there a lack of truth in our lives, I believe these "spirits" can enter.  just my thoughts.

[sheila]

I myself,expierenced a somewhat 'strange' occurrence....shortly before finding out the truth of the

salvation of all men.   I was awakened in the middle of the night by an argument going on,it had become

intense enough tht it aroused me out of my sleep.  This expierence reminded me of satan and Michael

  having a dispute over Moses body.

     I had first heard of the salvtion of ll men when I was 17 shortly after I was annointed..and rejected it...

    aand there-after I was sent into religious bondage to a very legalisticaally minded group for 10 yrs.

   through that expierence I fell off my 'high horse' and was more of the mind set to accept grace...and

  realized 'my own righteousness' of works..would not 'save me'

     I had 'come out" when the above occurred.  also...Jesus had awoken me one morning telling me I had

'dragon breath" beleiving and  speaking demonic doctrines of condemnation of men..in opposition

to what His son had accomplished.


    so was 'it' a lying religious spirit...'I will choose their delusion' becoz I rejected the truth when I heard

it[salvation of all men]?   all I know is He did a work on me..and I was sent to a religious prison house

for ten years[see parable of man who was forgiven much..then beat a man who was in debt to him]


    He did a chastising work on me!!!   I will not boast of myself[He scourged that out of me/and problably will

continue ] But I will  PRAISE HIM!!!!!! and what HE has done and does and will do for all of man.

     aand we are so Blessed to have HIM.   He IS IN CONTROL!!!!!!

       the evil contrst[evil spirits] are used of Him to educate us all.... He uses both positive and negative

   to teach His children.

    Molly put up a very good writing,a while back..how these spirits overtake the children...yes, the 'saints"

were overcome  as written in Daniel..... think not that it can't haappen to you..lest ye fall.

[lomarah]

Yeah musicman! Even when you go to a restaurant or any place there are lots of people, if you are sensitive to them you can really feel it. I was set free from alcoholism the other night. It runs on both sides of my family and although I hadn't given into it since I was seventeen (when I was well on my way of becoming a severe alcoholic until God got ahold of me) it still bothered me from time to time, giving me urges to "drink away the pain", most especially during hard times in my life. Well last week after the kids were in bed I finally gave in and had my husband make alcoholic slushies and I got buzzed. I felt fine with it (as in not guilty) and God even spoke to me that night so I knew He wasn't angry with me. I knew it was a slippery slope though and didn't want it to be something that I did often. A couple nights later I had had a particularly hard day and I was texting with Card and told her that I was glad there was no alcohol in the house because I was having heavy urges to drink again. She told me to curse that thing at the root and to ask the fire of the Holy Ghost to burn it up so it would be under the blood of Christ and unable to bother me anymore. I did what she said and immediately felt free and there was an intense warmth (I was feeling the fire of the HG!) and I have never felt so close to Him like I did then! It was awesome!!

I know that people get freaked thinking about having evil spirits in them but when you realize that we've dealt with them our whole lives and consider they are the things we have always called our personality (for example someone is known for having an angry disposition, another is known for having an anxious disposition) it doesn't seem so scary. And Father has shown me that these things are not us as well, so there is another witness to what musicman said. :) He showed me self hatred in myself once... I had always thought it was me. When He showed me it it scared the heck out of me... that thing is a nasty one!! 

He came to set the captives free... these are the things He is freeing us from.  :HeartThrob: