Ephesians 6:12
I do believe that demons are real and that our fight is with them.
Casting out demons was a regular feature of the ministry of Jesus Christ and that of the Apostles.
Luke 10: 17 and 20
Demons submitted to the disciples but Jesus Christ warned them of what they actually should rejoice in.
The ‘Deliverance Ministry’ focuses on casting out demons from believers. This led me to ask to basic questions and Search the Scripture for answers:
Q 1: Can an evil spirit and the Holy Spirit dwell within the same person at the same time?
Q 2: Are there any clear cases of believers being processed or released from demon procession in the Bible?
1 Samuel 16:14
Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him
Here we find that the Holy Spirit and the evil spirit did not live in the same person at the same time. We also note that the evil spirit was actually sent from the LORD.
In Jobs case we find that God permitted satanic attack within limits set by Him. Ultimately God accomplished His higher purposes in the process.
2 Corinthians 12: 1-10
Here we find Paul referring to the thorn as a messenger of Satan. We may assume it was a demon attack. Paul was NOT delivered from it despite his repeated requests. It was permitted by God to accomplish Gods higher purpose.
So what I find in Scripture is that instead of believers becoming victims of demons, demons were used by God to accomplish His higher purposes in and through them.
As a believer, we can therefore not only be assured of angelic service/protection, but also that if ever God allows satanic attack on believers, it will not only be within God set limits, it will ultimately accomplish some of Gods higher purposes in /for and through us.
1 Corinthians 5:4, 5 and 1 Timothy 1:19, 20
Here we find the church handing over the believer to Satan for his ultimate good. So not only is there NO evidence in the New Testament of believers being delivered from satanic attack, on the contrary, what we do have some evidence is just the opposite: believers being delivered TO Satan!
These truths elicit our praise to God for the fact that Satan is ultimately under Gods control and at Gods disposal to be used unawares to accomplish Gods own higher purposes.
In Mark 8:33 Jesus Christ rebukes Peter: ‘Get behind me Satan!’ This is best understood in its context. Peter was trying to influence Jesus against the very purpose of God for which He had come into this world – the Cross. ‘Behold that Lamb of God that taketh the sin of the World’
Deliverance Ministries claim Demonic entrance into a believer through various means. What does the Bible state regarding two most likely means of demon entrance?
# 1: Food that has been offered before idols
1 Corinthians 10: 18-29
Actually what this passage makes clear is that I need not be so cautions, I can just go ahead and eat what has been placed before me without asking questions. Verse 29 makes clear that if I do have to abstain from the food that has been offered before the idols it would be for the one reason of regarding by brothers’ conscience, not to prevent demonic entry. If demonic entry was possible through food that had been offered before idols then, eating that food would have been banned altogether in Scripture.
# 2: Demonic entrance through Generation transfer
The natural consequences of the sins of one generation may be carried over to the next generation.
Genetic tendencies may be carried on from one generation to the next, but these are not demons
Ezekiel 18:1-4; 5-9; 10; 11-13; 14-20
Even if there are other passages that suggest transference of generational sin in the Old Testament, this was specifically got rid of under the New Covenant
Jeremiah 31: 29-31, v 34 B
Galatians 3:13: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the LAW
Psalms 91:9-11
Numbers 23:23
Whatsoever happens for a believer, the believer ought to say it is Gods work.
General Warnings this subject
1 Timothy 4:1
But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons
1 Timothy 5:15 Some have already gone after Satan
1 Corinthians 12:10 We need the gift of discernment to distinguish between spirits.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 In the latter days satanic activity is going to increase
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
If we don’t proactively love the truth, we will be made to believe the lie.
A number of ministries are mushrooming with the offer of providing inner healing and deliverance for believers in Christ Jesus. It would be wise for us to be like the believers at Berea, going back to the Scriptures to find out if this is really what the Bible teaches, especially when there is so much warning in the Scripture on this subject. Be cautious!
