Pastor's Corner: Dealing with demons
By Daniel AusbunFirst Baptist Church, Moreland
A man once told me he was struggling with porn.
He called it his demon. It had control over his mind, what he viewed on the Internet and how he looked at every woman he saw. He asked me to pray for God to drive out the demon of pornography from his mind.
Demonic activity is real and active all around us. Demons manifest themselves in different, more subtle ways than in the past.
Satan wants us not to believe in the demonic at all, or to become so obsessed with the subject that we see demons everywhere. Satan looks more like Kim Kardashian than the horned, red-suited, clover-tailed, pitchfork toting Halloween costume we picture him.
The demonic doesn’t always express itself in strange manifestations such as unusual voices coming from the throat of the one possessed, violent and erratic behavior. In our more sophisticated society, demonic forces often express themselves in more clever ways so as not to call attention to their work.
The spirit of unbelief is strengthened and resistance to the Holy Spirit is intensified with demonic influences. The spirit of unbelief may express itself in the inability to concentrate when reading the Bible or praying, spiritual doubt, inner turmoil and even depression or suicidal feelings. These problems often lead to outward compulsions and excesses such as violence, promiscuity, lying or drug abuse.
What do demons do?
They oppose Christians (Ephesians 6:12).They spread false doctrine (I Timothy 4:1).They create temptation to sin (Matthew 4:1).They lie to your heart (John 13:2).They assault your mind (2 Corinthians 11:3).They inflict diseases and cause physical problems (Luke 13:11).If demons try to influence your mind and what you think about, a believer must renew his mind (Romans 12:2). Satan is the great deceiver; he is the chief of fallen angels, known as demons. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (II Corinthians 11:14-15).
How are we delivered from demonic attacks?
• Confess every known sin (1 John 1:9).
Repudiate any Satanic or demonic strongholds in your life – porn, alcohol, drugs, double-life, scratch-and-wins, masturbation, pre-marital sex, gossip. (Acts 19:18-19).In Christ, you have authority over demonic forces. (James 4:7).The demonic is nothing to joke about. Jude 9 says, “Yet Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with the Devil in a debate about Moses’ body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” There is a cautious fear of angels from making accusations with Satan.
Jesus said of Satan and his angels, “Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!’” (Matthew 25:41). Satan knows his impending doom and has a purpose to bring as many people as possible to hell with him.
Can Christians be demon possessed? No. John 10:28 tells us believers cannot be snatched from God’s hand.
Believers, however, can give a foothold or a make a place for demonic forces in their lives (Ephesians 4:27). This gives liberty for the demons to work chaos and wreak havoc within our lives, bringing devastating doubt and confusion into a believer’s heart. This explains how some believers can fall into tragic sin and how some could even commit suicide. We must not give Satan any place in our lives.
Should you deal with demons? Our culture is surrounded by demonic influence – disguised as fun, enjoyable, and harmless. After Jesus was tempted, He told Satan to, “Go away!” (Matthew 4:10). Nothing good, honoring and pleasing to God can come from dealing with Satan, sin or demons.
