Demons

“As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town.” (Luke 8:27 NLT)

Demon possession isn’t a preferred topic for most preachers today, but I’m of the opinion it shouldn’t be left unaddressed. My sense is it’s far more prevalent than we’d like to imagine. It’s most commonly “disguised” as “mental or emotional illness,” but, at least in Scripture, characterized by self-destructive tendencies. The other frightening piece to me is demons can also control people who otherwise seem relatively normal.

They’re not necessarily self-destructive but advocate for Satan’s agenda through whatever means or channels made available to them. Men like Hitler were evil beyond the range of normal people and, while intelligent, his intelligence was driven by evil and selfish intents that involved horrific suffering for others.

It’s not my intention to name “names,” but to caution us to be aware that Satan is alive and well and is an enemy with which we must reckon. God’s intention is to open hearts and to liberate people to be loved and cherished, while Satan’s goal is to close hearts to God and enslave people to follow the dictates of their own selfish lusts, usually, to harm themselves and/or others. I think of the demonic decisions to murder millions of unborn babies. And no, I’m not suggesting that every woman who opts to have an abortion is demon possessed, but I am suggesting that a “law” that allows abortion is driven by evil.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan has no authority, and demons cannot possess a child of God. A person filled with God’s Spirit need never fear possession by an evil spirit; however, we are subject to demonic oppression. Satan is no respecter of persons and will go anyplace he sees an opening. Even as a believer, when we start flirting with the occult, witches, palm reading, and the like, we’re opening ourselves to the devil’s playground.

Jon Bloom wisely declares: “The devil has no authority over any Christian, except the authority we grant him by believing him.” How do we believe him? Most commonly by believing his lies. Like the devil in the garden, Satan is always whispering things contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture. Among the most common “lies” he’s spreading in our culture today is that there’s nothing wrong with homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27; I Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10).

We couch it in more favorable terms like “gay” or “sexual preference,” but the Bible is clear that it’s wrong and not a lifestyle acceptable to a child of God. Does that mean we can’t love gay people or seek to invite them into a relationship with the Lord? Of course we love them, but there’s no reconciliation between homosexuality and Christlikeness, any more than between adultery and Christlikeness.

At some point a decision has to be made. Either obedience to Christ and submission to His authority or obedience to the cravings of our flesh. Like the rich young man in Luke 18:18-29. Jesus offered him an opportunity to follow Him by giving up his “idol,” his fortune, but he chose instead to keep his money.

It’s the same decision those “possessed” by evil must make: to turn from their “captor” and be freed to follow Jesus, or to maintain their course and suffer for all eternity. We continue to love them and pray for their deliverance, but must maintain our distance, in terms of our involvement in their sin of choice. We hate their sin, as we hate our own sin, but love them as a sinner, which, of course, we all are in our essence, but not in our lifestyles as a Jesus follower.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊