Do Demons Possess People Today?
After Paul Pelosi was brutally attacked in early 2023, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked her church’s clergy to exorcize, or remove, demons from their home. What do the scriptures reveal about demon possession? Do demons, or unclean spirits as they are sometimes called, possess humans (or buildings) today ? Are you or is anyone you know, including wayward children and crazy uncles, possessed? Before finding Bible answers, select “subscribe,” the “thumbs up” icon and the notification bell. (Thank you so much for supporting this channel.
First, the Bible doesn’t disclose their origin. (Jewish tradition saw unclean spirits as fallen angels. Historian Josephus (thought they were souls of the dead. The scriptures do reveal they took over their victims. Demons caused ghoulish and self- behavior for some and inflicted others with maladies like those of the non-possessed. Zechariah in 520 BC predicted, “…. I will…remove the prophets and…unclean spirit from the land.” (13:3). Jesus fulfilled the prophecy. Matthew 12:28 says, “But if I…cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.” Mark 1:23-26 records a typical demon expulsion:
There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit…he cried out… “What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth….I know who You are — the Holy One of God…” Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried… and came out.”
Mark 5:1-13 records the demise of a dangerously destructive demon at the demand of Christ.
…They came….to the country of the Gerasenes…. Immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him… No one was able to bind him…, even with a chain, because…chains had been torn apart by him, and…shackles [were] broken in pieces, no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly…he was crying out and gashing himself with stones. ….Seeing Jesus…he bowed down before Him; and crying out said, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!”…He [asked] him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” …The demons entreated Him…“Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” And He gave them permission. The unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand; and they were drowned…”
Second, only Christ and those he empowered could cast out demons (Mark 6:7). The Bible refers to exorcists once…when discrediting the practice: Acts 19:13-16 relates:
Some…Jewish exorcists… attempted to name over those who had…evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of…Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. The evil spirit answered… “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” The man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on…and overpowered them, so that they fled…naked and wounded.
Plentiful possession reports… peppering precious pages of scripture are a tiny sampling. John 21:25 says, “There are…many other things which Jesus did, which, if…written in detail… the world itself would not contain the books which were written.”
Third, possession is not a 1st century take of mental health or brain issues . Folks then knew there were, in addition to the possessed, others who were mentally troubled Matthew 4:24 says Jesus healed epileptics. In Acts 26:24, Paul relates to Judea’s Roman governor, his conversion to Christianity. Festus responded, “Your great learning is driving you mad.” He attributed Paul’s perceived “craziness” not to a demon, but to his vast knowledge.
Finally, what happened to demon possession? Zechariah predicted, “….I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will…remove the prophets and… unclean spirit from the land (Their reign of terror began about the time of Jesus’s ministry, and incidents of possession declined through the apostles’ ministries. The last inspired account of casting out an unclean spirit is in Acts 16.
Conclusion
Demons no longer seize people’s free will, health and soundness of mind. Therefore they are no longer cast out. Yet, they still fear Jesus. James 2:19 says, “Demons…believe, and shudder.” They now influence, unseen, from the spiritual realm. Ephesians 6:12 declares, “…Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers) against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the… forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says. “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh….We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised…against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
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Devil Destroyers: Tool Kits from God
Chinese religion 3,000 years before Christ saw good and evil as equal, signified by the Yin and Yang symbol. Harmony resulted from the two opposite entities. God is not a white curve baked on half a tile. He is an all-powerful person, far superior to Satan, who would make up far less than the black part of the Yin Yang square. The devil causes continuous conflict. Humanity, the prize, is caught in the middle. Invisible combat, stripped of niceties like Christmas ceasefires, truces, and soldiers with mixed feelings after killing an enemy because “he was just doing his job” never stops. Ephesians 6:12 declares, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers…the powers….the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in…heavenly places.” The devil’s ruthless abilities are immeasurable.
Perhaps he was once an arch (or chief) angel, blessed with extraordinary power. Only one struck 185,000 Assyrian soldiers dead (2 Kings 19:35). What clout the evil one must have! On top of that, he is assisted by third of the heavenly host that may have left heaven to join Satan’s rebellion. Revelation 20:4 says, “His tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth…,” explaining the phrase, “the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Isaiah 14:14 may describe his literally totally unlimited, boundless ambition: “ I will make myself like the Most High.” Imagine a human, intelligent, resourceful and leading a large nation who’s crazed by the sole ambition to destroy every person regardless of collateral damage. Please note the pure evil in an angel powerful enough to instantly kill 200,000 soldiers makes him an unimaginable threat. Then add the myriad of co-rebels. Jesus, The Lord contemptuously called him Beelzebub, or “chief of the dunghill.” Fence-straddling is impossible. Matt 24:14 says., “He who does not gather with Me, scatters. God’s gift his son proves Satan is a very real threat. Nothing less could have motivated the Father to sacrifice Jesus. The destroyer is not like the image of his dark PR machine: buffoonish, cartoonish; little more than spiritual vaporware. How do Christians join the battle? God provides a toolkit–the Bible. Let’s take a break. Your support of this channel is appreciated. Please select “subscribe,” the “thumbs up” icon and the notification bell. Thank you so much for viewing.
Tool #1 is prayer. Paul was troubled about the Thessalonian church, “for fear…the tempter…tempted you, and our labor should be in vain…we…keep praying most earnestly…” (1 Thessalonians 3:5, 10). In Matthew 6:13, Jesus entreated, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Luke 22:31-32 proves prayer pulverizes the destroyer’s punitive plans. Jesus knew Peter would thrice deny him; “Satan…demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail…” Christ’s intervention kept Cephas’s faith from becoming particles, which, like Humpty Dumpty, defied reassembly.
James 4:7 defines the next tool: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” When we reject his enticements, Satan leaves. His dark PR machine presents him as buffoonish, cartoonish and little more thank spiritual vaporware. Yet James 1:14-16 says, “Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Tool #3: Shun seductive situations. Proverbs 5 says, of an adulteress, “ … do not go near the door of her house ” 1 Cor. 15:33) warns, “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Do not associate with a man given to anger…lest you learn his ways…” Believers must be strong enough for necessary contact with the world, such as work. I Corinthians 5:9-10 says, “I wrote you…not to associate with immoral people; I did not… mean with the immoral…of this world…then you would have to go out of the world.” Paul really warned against fellowshipping the godless.
#4 is strength. Eph. 6:10 says, …Be strong in the Lord….” The enemy is real, yet unseen… saints must…be vigilant and ready for combat. Ephesians 6:13 declares, “Take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day…stand firm.”
Conclusion
I Peter 5:8 says“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. The devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He succeeds. Many are called by the gospel to live the Christian life; few endure until the end (Matt. 22:14.)
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Beware of the Ultimate Gaslighter
Satan has gaslighted supposedly great scholars into believing he isn’t real. An article at the website Bible History Daily, said, “From…comical cartoons to…grotesque…gargoyles, most… today can immediately recognize an image of the devil…In the Hebrew Bible, YHWH’s greatest enemies are not fallen angels commanding armies of demons…but…human beings.” Effective lies contain particles of truth and this statement is partly true. Humans do evil but only because of Satan’s influence.
Non-Christians can be destroyed by one iniquity, and Satan is so effective he has led everyone to sin. He has batted 1,000 and bowled 300, according to Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Back to the online article, “Is this horned, red-skinned monster with a pitchfork…truly the great enemy of God envisioned by the writers of the Biblical texts? The short answer: no, not really.”
Popular theologian NT Wright, in Jesus and the Victory of God, writes “’Satan’” refers to the “dark power known in some Old Testament traditions as…the accuser.” He adds in a footnote, “… I prefer…“the satan,” retaining…Biblical ambiguity as to the ‘personhood’ of this figure.” Others who should know better see Satan only as a personification of evil, not a living being, much as a hurricane was personified by calling it Katrina. The Bible says the devil is personal, active, and determined to destroy mankind.
God created Adam and Even in the unsullied Garden of Eden. The evil one, appeared as a serpent and soon changed that pristine beginning into a place of death, sickness, pain, thorns, thistles and sweatshop labor. Only 1,500 words into the Bible, the Devil deceived the first humans. One hundred words after her creation, he convinced the first woman that when she ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she would become wise and God didn’t want the competition, thus giving birth to the lie. Jesus would later call Satan “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The devil influenced Eve to lure Adam into evil. The Old Testament has 622,771 words; the entire Bible 807,361. Satan appears in the first 400 words.
A principle of evil could not tempt God’s son, nor would Jesus debate a symbol. Jesus deflected Satan by talking to him. Matt. 4:1-10 declares:
Jesus was led… by the Spirit… to be tempted by the devil. After He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He…became hungry. And the tempter…said…If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered…it is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ Then the devil…had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said… If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written, HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU; And ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE. Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST. Again, the devil took Him to a…high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world…and…said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.
James 1:15-16 says, “When sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” 1 John 5:19 declares, “…The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Conclusion
2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “…Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” He has convinced some of the most brilliant among us believing made sense for the uninformed of the first century, but not for the sophisticated of our day. 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Note: Article may be reprinted, completely or in part, in its original, unedited form, and only with the author receiving credit.