BEWITCHED - BOTHERED - BEWILDERED - NYOBS 40.02

 BEWITCHED BOTHERED BEWILDERED

First Word

Some folks believe that Fallen Angels are demons that roam free on the earth today.

Others believe they are entities from the first earth age, a time before this age begin; which is what I believe.  I will not debate that here, but only deal with the effects of their reality.

However, I must point out that scripture does say that fallen angels are being held in

chains of darkness. - They are not free - NYOBS 11:16 – DEMONS – NYOBS 17:16 – THE OTHER FLOOD

Jude 6 – Fallen Angels are in chains of darkness.

6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. NIV

First Question

·         The first question right out of the box is; “Can a BELIEVER; a Christian be possessed by a demon” and the answer is a resounding NO. – END OF WORD STUDY.

·          Well, sort of – While a Christian cannot be possessed, he can surely be bothered, messed with, and tempted and that’s what we are going to look at today.  NYOBS 38.20 – MAKE BELIEVER

·         I need to point out that there is a big difference between a BELIEVER who is a Christian; and a MAKE-BELIEVER who is an imposter; one who deceives and is being deceived.

Acts 19:13-16 – Believer; Paul – Make Believer; who are you?

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva were doing this.

15[One day] the evil spirit answered them, "JESUS I KNOW, and I KNOW ABOUT PAUL, BUT WHO ARE YOU?"

16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. NIV

2 Timothy 3:13 – Make Believers will Deceive and be Deceived
¹³ Evil people and impostors (make-believers) will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (ESV)

Invisible War

·         Let’s set the Record Straight and get it down deep in our spirit just who Satan really is.

·         We acknowledge that there is an Invisible War going on between, good and evil; between Satan and God. -  We think of two Equal and Opposite forces.  When we speak of demonic activity and power, we always speak of their Prince Satan and his power. 

·         Satan is NOT the opposite of God; he is the opposite of Michael the High Archangel. – Satan is no match for God in any situation, he is not even in the same league. 

·         While he has been given power, he is NOT equal. -  He’s a dog on a leash that can go only as far as the length of the leash and raise all the HELL he wants to within that circle.

Eph 6:12 – Our fight is INVISIBLE - not against flesh and blood

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. KJV

Eph 2:2 – Satan – The PRINCE of the power of the air

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: KJV

Job 2:6 – Satan’s power is given and LIMITED by God
⁶ The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; BUT you must spare his life.” (NIV2011)

Demons

• Demon is from the Greek word daimon – In the KJV it is translated Devil – The Jewish traditional roots passes down to us that demons are the forces of darkness and wickedness and their leader is Satan. – Demons are HELL’S ANGELS.
• The evil spirits or demons that live today are the same spirits from the first earth age – moving from person to person, killing, stealing and destroying as they go. - NYOBS 11:16 – DEMONS
• They do not consist of matter or material body or substance – they are without physical existence in themselves, but they belong as property or a thing to Satan.
• They are invisible and operate above the laws of nature – have supernatural intelligence and knowledge along with terrible physical strength which they impart to those possessed.
• A demon spirit needs a moist place to find rest and attempts to take over humans as well as animals. – They need to possess a person’s mind and body to enable them to get around
• Jesus validated the existence of Demons. - He referred to them as Unclean Evil Spirits and went on to say some people could be possessed by many of them.

Mark 1:32 – People brought the demon-possessed to Jesus
³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. (NIV2011)

Mark 1:39 – Jesus preached and drove out demons
³⁹ So He (Jesus) traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

(NIV2011)

Matthew 4:24 – News spread Jesus healing demon-possessed
²⁴  News about Him (Jesus) spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. (NIV2011)

Luke 7:21 – Jesus called Demons; Evil Spirits
²¹  At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

(NIV2011)

Matt 12:43 – A demon spirit cannot rest in a dry place.

43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through DRY PLACES, seeking rest, and finds none. NKJV

Mark 5:12 – Demons desire a moist place to live, even an animal

12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them. NIV

Free and Bound

• There seems to be two classes of demons; those that are free in “The Air” and those bound in “The Abyss”. – The Abyss is a temporary holding place for evil spirits until they are thrown into the lake of fire.
• Their leader is “The Prince of the power of THE AIR” – Satan

Eph 2:2 – Satan – The prince of the power of the air

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: KJV

Eph 2:1-2 – Some demons free “in the air”

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of THE AIR, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. NIV

Luke 8:31 – Some demons bound “in the Abyss”

31 they begged him not to order them to go into the ABYSS. NIV

Gateway

·         A demon is the gateway to your body.  Once one enters he can allow others to take up residence. - Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her by Jesus. 

·         Seven is the number for completeness; she was completely possessed. - You can see by her actions in scripture, how grateful she was for her deliverance as she joined and faithfully served Jesus in His ministry and even after His death.

·         There can be many more that possess you, perhaps even hundreds.

Luke 8:1 – You can be possessed by more than one demon
¹ Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; (NIV2011)

Mark 5:8-9 – Perhaps even hundreds of Evil Unclean Sprits

8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is LEGION," he replied, "FOR WE ARE MANY." NIV

Characteristics

·         Unclean demons are NOT abstract thoughts, diseases, or just aliments, they are rational beings. - They have attributes of a person with personality, intellect, emotion and will.

·         Believe in God - These unclean sprits believe in God, but just do not accept Him and cannot because they have already been judged and doomed.

·         They Can Speak through those that they possess.

·         They are Rational – The Demons know who Jesus is.

·         They have Knowledge – They know that their time is short and beg not to be punished before their time of judgment.

·         They are Fierce – They are just plain out mean. - Seizes, Throws, Batters and make you scream – Relentless.

·         They are Incredible strong – They can transforms someone into a totally different person with incredible strength and fierceness.

·          They can make you deaf and mute – This does not mean that anybody that has these characteristics is demon possessed.

·         Cripple - Convulsions – Foam at the mouth – Grinding of the teeth – Will try to kill you.

Luke 4:33-34 – Knew who Jesus was & their impending Judgment
³³ Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,
³⁴ saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" (NKJV)

Matthew 8:29 – Knowledge – Know their time is short
²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

Matthew 8:29 – Can speak through the possessed
²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (ESV)

Luke 4:33 – Demons speak loudly when they speak
³³ Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, (NKJV)

Mark 5:4 - Become incredible strong
⁴ Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. (NLT)

Matthew 8:28 - Fierce
²⁸ Two demon-possessed men met Him (Jesus), coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. (ESV)

James 2:19 – Even the demons believe in God
¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (ESV)

Acts 8:7 – Demons can cripple you
⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

Luke 11:14 – Lose ability to speak
¹⁴ Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. (ESV)

Mark 9:25 – Lose ability to hear
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.” (NIV2011)

Mark 1:26 – Cause convulsions
²⁶ And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. (NKJV)

Mark 9:22 – Tries to kill the possessed
²² The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” (NLT)

Luke 9:39 – Throws, batters and causes foaming at the mouth
³⁹An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. (NLT)

Mark 9:18 – Grinds the teeth
¹⁸And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth (NLT)

Side Bar

·         I grew up with a neighborhood kid named Larry who was just plain mean.  His grandmother had the Spirit of God, but Larry had a Demonic Spirit. - He would do things to animals just to torment them.  He would twist your arm, hit you in the back, knock you down, scatter your books and take your lunch.  I don’t ever remember hating anybody in my life, but Larry. 

·         If ever the world would be better off, it would be when Larry was dead.  After High school Larry was killed while engaged in a robbery.

·         Today we see people bringing guns into the schools and work place and killing just to kill.  We say that they were just not in their right mind.  I say this is plain and simple demon activity.

Demon Possession

·         Demon Possession is a demon residing in a person and exerting direct control and influence over that person causing certain derangement of mind and body.

·         Demon Oppression or Influence must always be distinguished from Demon possession in relationship to a person.  Demon influence is just demons messing with you cause they can.

Can a Christian be Demon Possessed?

·         The Spirit of God inhabits us permanently – Our body is the temple of Holy Spirit – God, who is in us is greater and stronger than he who is in the world. (Satan and his demons)

·         Demons cannot enter into a person who is occupied by someone stronger than they are.  The Holy Spirit and an unclean spirit cannot co-exist in the same person, just as light cannot co-exist with darkness.

·         There is NOT one scripture in the New Testament about a Believer; a Christian being possessed by a demon. We may be troubled, bothered, harassed and tempted by demons, but never possessed. - We can be Obsessed and Oppressed, but NOT Possessed. 

·         When we submit to God we are delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light. - We are NOT taught to cast Satan out, we are taught to resist Satan and he will flee from us.   

·         The Ruler of this world, Satan and his demons have already been judged. Jesus has already disarmed his powers and authorities, and has made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by way of the cross.

1 Corinthians 6:19 – Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit
¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, (ESV)

1 John 4:4 – God who lives in us is greater than Demons
⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (ESV)

Matthew 12:29 – Demons can’t bind someone who is stronger
²⁹ Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. (ESV)

James 4:7 – Submit to God and RESIST the Devil.
⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (ESV)

Colossians 1:13 – We have been delivered from darkness.
¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (ESV)

John 16:11 - The ruler of this world has been judged
¹¹ Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. (NLT)

Colossians 2:15 – The Cross has disarmed the demons
¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (NIV2011)

Bewitched – Bothered – Bewildered

• Demonic Activity can have you Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered whether you are a Christian or not.

·         Oppressive – Demons just HANG ON and oppress those they can’t possesses. – READ ON -

• In fact count yourself special when you are attacked. – Count it all joy when you fall into various trials for you must be doing something great in God’s plan.  This is a test of your Faith and Patience; not for God’s benefit, but for yours.
• Satan and his unclean spirits can get a foothold in your life through; Willful sin – Pride – strife – un-forgiveness – Doubt - Fear and Negative speech to name just a few.
• There are invisible chains of infirmity that are not physical.  You can’t see them, but the bondage is ever present. 
• It can move around your body exhibiting headaches, backaches, chest pains, upset stomach, nausea, dizziness, sadness, depression, stress, fear, paranoia, rage and even cause you to exhibit different personalities.
• This suffering is not really a physical sickness; so medical treatment gives minor relief if any. – For sure, it’s not God trying to teach you something. – It is God’s will that you are healed. – “Prayer”, “The Word” and “Faith” is the only remedy.
• This can even be found in the Church – Attaching itself outwardly – Hoping to gain entrance though discouragement and stress. – Christians cannot be inwardly possessed; only messed with. - Demonic “attacks” will not succeed in the life of the believer, they will eventually fail.

Matthew 8:16 – They Oppress
¹⁶ That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. (ESV)

Luke 13:11 – A spirit of infirmity

11 There was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

KJV

Mark 1:40-41 – Jesus said He wants us healed.

40 Then a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You want to, You can heal me”

41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I WANT TO”; be cleansed."

LB

Isa 54:17 – It will not succeed – It will fail

17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, NKJV

James 1:2-4 – Count it all as Joy – You are being tested.
² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (NKJV)

Shake, Rattle and Roll

·         How to shake it off 

a)    Flee from sexual immorality - All other sins a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

b)    Flee Youthful passions which could include drugs, alcohol, gambling and multiple partners. We should pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

c)    Flee from idolatry – Things of the Occult – Dungeons and Dragons - Ouija boards - Tara Cards – Astrology – Horoscopes - Hypnosis – Silva Mind Control - Symbol Therapy - Visualization & guided imagery – Yoga - Tai Chi – Reflexology - Magnetic Healing - Transcendental Meditation – Chanting - Spirit Channeling – Automatic Writings – Séances - LSD color experimentations – Cosmic consciousness – Necromancy (raising the dead for communication). - Speaking in Demonic languages – Biofeedback – Psychics - Music with occultist lyrics.  - In the end times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.

d)     Flee from demonic images: Get rid of jewelry and symbolism such as Zodiac signs – pentagrams – hexagrams - enneagram (9 triangle points in a circle) – all seeing eye - perverted cross – swastika - Egyptian ankh – dragon – serpent - yin/yang – locus – unicorn - flying Pegasus horse - the lotus blossom - point within a circle – sign of the cloven hoof or footprint of the devil.

e)    Reject the trend to be pre-occupied with media; Movies, Books and Magazines that glorifies the occult, sin and idolatry.  We are told to flee, Run from every connection to the occult.

f)    Renew your mind daily – The serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, her mind was led astray by demonic craftiness. – What you think is what you are.– Bring every thought into captivity – Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

g)    Speak and Confess good stuff - We are what we confess. Satan cannot read our mind.  He only knows what we speak. – SPEAK LIFE.

h)    Refuse to give Satan the advantage – We are not to be ignorant of his schemes.

i)     Prepare your minds for action – You have entered a WAR ZONE where there are land mines on the ground and missiles overhead.

j)     Put on the whole armor of God, that you will be able to stand against Satan and his demons to stop his schemes and his ability to manipulate your mind.

• The Armor of protection – There are seven (complete) things protecting us from demons. – 1) Submission to God – 2) The blood of Jesus Christ – 3) The Holy Spirit that is within us – 4) God’s Word from the Bible – 5) Our authority as Believers – 6) The gifts of the Holy spirit  7) Our Prayer life.

1 Corinthians 6:18 – Flea from sexual immorality
¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

(ESV)

2 Timothy 2:22 - Flee youthful passions
²² So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Flee from idolatry
¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 11:3 – What you think can lead you astray.
³ But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (ESV)

Philippians 4:8 – Think on things of excellence.
⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

(ESV)

1 Peter 1:13 - Prepare your minds for action
¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

(NASB)

Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the whole armor of God
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

(ESV)

Prov 18:21 – What you speak or confess will come to pass

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. NIV

James 4:7-8 – Resist Satan and he will flee from you.

7 Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

NKJV

1 Timothy 4:1 – Deceitful Spirits and Demonic Teachings
¹  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 – We are not ignorant of Satan’s schemes
¹⁰ … I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
¹¹ in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware (ignorant) of his schemes.

(NIV2011)

Striking Back at God

• A demon when possessing a human being is striking back at God for taking their bodies in the pre-Adamic flood and placing a prophetic curse on them of damnation to the lake of fire
• They strike back by oppressing and destroying His greatest creation; “MAN” - made in His own image - Binding their victims with chains of physical and mental sickness.
• Jesus went about healing the sick and those oppressed of the Devil. – Sickness is of Satan. NYOBS 11.16 DEMONS – FAMILIAR SPIRITS - NYOBS 17:16 – THE OTHER FLOOD

Acts 10:38 – Sickness is an oppression from Satan

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

KJV

Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered Summary

• Fallen angels are not demons although many books written say they are – Scripture does not support this.
• Demons are disembodied spirits that died during the great flood of the first earth age. – They were created immortal, they were not under the law of “sin and death”.
• They are known as familiar spirits, unclean spirits, demons and devils. There is an invisible war going on to hinder God’s promises and our prayers from reaching us. God says to pray continuously till we receive our answer, and then continue praying in thanksgiving. He says to be thankful IN all things – not FOR all things.
• Demons and Satan cannot read our thoughts – But they act with haste on what we confess with our mouth – We are what we confess. – I confess that I AM BLESSED.
• The Christian has dominion over demons and is protected by seven things; 1) Submission to God – 2) The blood of Jesus Christ – 3) The Holy Spirit within us – 4) God’s Word; the Bible – 5) The believers authority – 6) The gifts of the Spirit and 7) and Our prayer life. – (Seven, we are complete.)
• An evil spirit cannot co-exist with the Holy Spirit; A Christian cannot be possessed.
• You can be bewitched, bothered and bewildered by demons trying to discourage you, trying to get a foothold in your life. – Specially causing doubt in your prayer life.

·         Through the death of Christ on the cross, the works of Satan has been destroyed – Christ did not shed his blood on the cross for fallen angels or demons – There is NO hope for a demon nor a fallen angel.

·         Satan has limited power for a short time given to him by God, but he has already been judged and doomed to be confined to the Lake of Fire forever.

·         There is therefore now no condemnations for those who have accepted Jesus Christ.

·         We have already won the war – It was settled at the cross. – We are more than conquerors’.

Oppressed? -  Then SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL

Luke 8:12 – Satan tries to quickly take away the seed of Faith
¹²  Those by the wayside (seeds sown of the Word)  are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. (NKJV)

Mark 6:7 – Christians have POWER over the Unclean Spirits
⁷ And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. (NKJV)

Romans 8:37 - We are more than conquerors
³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (ESV)

Phil 4:6 – Be thankful IN all thing – not FOR all things.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but IN everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. N IV

Hebrews 2:14 –Christ’s death destroyed the power of death
¹⁴  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,.

(ESV)

Matthew 25:41 – Lake of fire- prepared - Satan & Hell’s Angels
⁴¹Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

 there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

101 Q&A on Demon Powers – Dr. Lester Sumrall

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Hell’s Angels – David Jeremiah

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

Witchcraft, puppets and Voodoo – Irene A. Park