Archive for the ‘Jesus vs demins’ Category
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October 9, 2009
Studies of events reported in the Gospels
Each of the synoptic Gospels contain certain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The Case of the Bound Believer
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” (Luke 10:10-16)
Observations
1. Crippled by a spirit. This is simply additional evidence that demons can influence physical health, even to the extent of crippling a victim. Later Jesus revealed that Satan had kept this woman bound for “eighteen long years.” While this and other stories in the Gospels hardly warrant claiming that all illness is caused by evil spirit, together they certainly seem to support the idea that any illness may have a demonic cause.
2. nexpected Healing. In this case the woman had not expected Jesus to heal her, nor did she ask him for healing. Luke pictures Jesus taking the initiative: he “called her forward” and set her free.
Too many limit Christ by insisting that a person must have faith to be healed. The claim is made that if anyone has enough faith, God will [must?] heal him or her. Then if an attempt at healing fails, the sufferer can be blamed for the failure by claiming he or she lacked the elusive “enough faith.”
It’s true that in some cases faith is associated with Christ’s miracles of healing, particularly that faith that led a person to seek Jesus in the first place. But there’s no evidence that God is bound to heal those with “enough faith.” We can hardly accuse Paul of lack of faith when he sought God three times for healing, yet God chose not to heal him (2 Cor. 12).
What is determinant in healing is not the amount of faith exercised by a sick person but the freedom Christ has to heal or not to heal, and the love-driven wisdom that moves him to heal or to refrain from healing for his own good purposes as well as for our benefit. It is the height of arrogance to assume that God must do this or that if only we have “enough” faith. God is God, and the corollary is, we’re not. Let faith drive us to Jesus. And let faith in his wisdom and love move us to submit to his judgment as to whether to heal us now, or not. Our ultimate healing is assured, for in the resurrection perfection waits to greet and to enfold us. Until then let faith function as is should, as trust in the loving wisdom of God and as willing submission to his will.
3. The woman was crippled by “a spirit.” But later Jesus says that Satan had bound her. Evil spirits act as they are commanded by Satan, looking up the chain of command to their master and mentor. They share his hostility toward God and toward human beings, and delight to cause suffering of every kind.
4. Jesus called the woman a “daughter of Abraham.” The phrase may simply indicate physical descent from Abraham. But in the minds of the Jewish people the claim of relationship with Abraham had powerful spiritual connotations. The rabbis of that time taught that Abraham, by responding to God’s call to leave Ur and travel to an unknown land where he fathered God’s people, had done God such a great favor that the Lord God owed Abraham a great debt. In fact, the merit Abraham had gained by his initial obedience was deemed so great that it covered every one of his physical descendants. Thus a Jew had to do something truly terrible for him to be rejected by God in the world to come. As a physical descendant of Abraham, a Jew not only could count on the merit he earned by obeying God’s law and doing good works; he also could count on the merit earned by Abraham.
Thus we can understand the shock of the Jewish religious leaders when Christ called them “sons of your father, the Devil,” and stated that God could fashion sons of Abraham from the stones under their feet.
Still, in the context of Jewish belief, it is significant that Jesus identifies the woman as a “daughter of Abraham.” He was confirming that the woman who had been bound by Satan was a true believer, one of God’s own.
This is important because today there are sill those who insist that a believer cannot be demonized. Certainly this believer was, and the demon had “bound her” for eighteen long years. I’m sure that today no demon can access the spirit, that central location of our true identity. The Holy Spirit, who enters our life on conversion, settles down there, at the core of who we are. But our bodies, our minds, our attitudes, our beliefs, are still accessible to Satan’s agents.
5. “Woman, you are set free.” This is what Jesus does. He sets people free. This woman who had suffered for so long wasn’t out seeking Jesus’ help. But she found herself in his presence. And Jesus took the initiative to heal her and set her free.
We may not be aware of our own needs, even as the woman apparently was unaware that it was an evil spirit that had bound her. But let’s seek out Jesus’ presence, for his own sake. As we live in his presence, Jesus often takes the initiative in our lives. And when Jesus does, he sets us free. From whatever it is that binds us.
Summary
Don’t make the mistake of pining your hopes of being freed from whatever binds you on the amount of your faith, or of assuming that God must act if only you have “enough” faith. Focus on being in Christ’s presence. Leave it to him to take the initiative, and you may well be freed from burdens you didn’t even know you carried.
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October 2, 2009
Studies of events reported in the Gospels
Each of the synoptic Gospels contain certain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The Case of the Uncooperative Demon
“When they came to he other disciples, they saw a large crowd arond them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and rant to great him.
“‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.
“A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid, but they could not.’
“‘O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied. ‘How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’
“So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled as round, foaming at the mouth.
“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’
“‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’
“‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible to him who believes.’
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.’
“When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit, ‘You deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
“After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?’
“He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’”
Observations
1. This story, quoted here from Mark 9:14-29 (NIV), is told also by Matthew (in chapter 17) and Luke (in chapter 9). Repeated reports of any incident in Jesus’ life generally indicate that the event is an important one.
2. In both Matthew and Luke Jesus expresses dismay over a lack of faith. In this account he challenges the father to put complete trust in him. The father does believe, but his faith in Jesus is mixed with unbelief. While trust in God is essential, God doesn’t require a perfect faith to act on our behalf.
3. The child exhibited a number of symptoms that led the father to diagnose his son as demonized. The deafness and inability to speak were presenting symptoms. The timing of the seizures, when the child was near fire or water where his life could be threatened, were further evidence.
4. “When the demon saw Jesus.” We don’t know just how a demonic presence integrates with the human. But however it is done, a demon can apprently use the senses of the human he infests to gain information, and can even speak using the human’s vocal capacity.
5. In this atypical case the demon did not leave quietly. Mark reports that the spirit shrieked and convulsed the child, leaving him unconscious on the ground. In most other cases reported in the Gospels or in Acts evil spirits left quietly, leaving the demonized person healed and rejoicing. A reluctant but quiet departure is probably the norm in most exorcism, particularly if the demon(s) in commanded not to make a scene.
6. The phrase, “I command you,” is significant. As noted in earlier studies, demons are expelled by a word, that that word is a command. Jesus’ authority was such that a word of command was sufficient to expel the evil spirit.
7. The disciples had failed to cast out the demon, and were confused as to why they had failed. Matthew’s Gospel makes it clear that prior to this incident (Matthew 17), Jesus had previously granted his disciples authority to heal and cast out demons (Matthew 10:1). So, clearly, the disciples had expected to be able to deal with the demon plaguing the child–and had failed. Thus that asked Christ, “Why couldn’t we drive it out.”
8. In the other Gospel’s accounts where Jesus decries a general lack of faith. Many take Jesus to be critical of his disciples lack of faith. But we should consider the possibility that Jesus was decrying the crowds lack of faith, rather than the disciples.
When thinking about “faith” it’s always important to be clear that faith has an objective as well as subjective dimension. Subjectively faith is believing, and we can speak of strong or weak faith. But it’s a mistake to assume that the subjective is in view in most Bible Passages. What makes faith valid or invalid is the object of faith. It is the trustworthiness of whom or what we believe in that is the real issue. We may have a strong faith that a bridge we approach will hold up in a storm. But the strength of our faith has nothing to do with the reality. If the trusses of that bridge are about to fail because of metal fatigue, or if the pillars which anchor it have been undermined by currents, the bridge is unsafe however strong our faith in it might be.
Let’s view Jesus’ comment as one about the object of the crowds’ faith rather than the about the strength or weakness of his disciples’ faith. The father of the boy was bringing his son to Jesus, but when he found only the disciples, he turned to them. Possibly someone in the crowd had urged this course. “Here’s his disciples. They can heal and cast out demons. Turn your son over to them.” The problem is, of course, that Jesus was the objective source of authority over demons, however strong might the conviction of the father or even of the disciples that Jesus’ followers could accomplish the supernatural task. When we look to anyone but Jesus, or rely on anyone but Jesus, our faith is flawed in an essential way. If this is what was happening that day, Jesus’ complaint about that “unbelieving and perverse generation” makes total sense. For when he then says, “Have long shall I stay with you and put up with you” it makes perfect sense. Jesus had been with these people for years, but still they did not recognize him as their only true source of hope.
When a deliverance minister conducts an exorcism, he commands demons in Jesus’ name. The focus is still and always has to be on Jesus’s presence and power, not on the minister.
9. “This kind can come out only by prayer.” When asked by the disciple why they hadn’t been able to cast out the demon, Jesus didn’t cite a lack of faith. That comment comes at the beginning of the story, and not as a response to the disciples’ question, Why? Two things are significant about Christ’s answer.
this kind. We learn from other passages of Scripture that Satan’s kingdom is organized as a hierarchy. Evil spirits have different levels of power. I suspect that most demonization reflects the activity of relatively lower level, or ordinary, demons. But now and then a more powerful, higher order demon is involved. And “this kind,” Jesus seems to suggest, are more difficult to expel.
By prayer. This phrase is puzzling, first because the text shows that Jesus commanded the demon, and this word of command expelled it. Jesus did not pray for God the Father to expel the spirit; he did it in the normal way. So it seems unlikely that Christ was telling his disciples to pray uncooperative demons out. Every demon Christ or, later, the Apostle Paul, confronted, was driven out by a spoken command.
There is however one thing that the Gospels make clear. Jesus himself was always “prayed up.” His relationship with God the Father was vital, the bond between the two was uninterrupted, the Son was always responsive to the Father’s will. When one of Jesus’ modern disciples confronts an uncooperative demon, it’s vital that disciple also be prayed up, that his or her relationship with God be vital, intimate, and ever responsive to the Father’s will. I suspect that the prayer Jesus is thinking of is that most basic prayer; prayer seeking and experiencing intimacy with the God who is the sole source of our authority to deal with evil and the demonic.
Summary
This story, told in three of the four Gospels, reminds us who the object of our faith is. Our faith may waver, but Jesus never. The story of the uncooperative demon also reminds us that demons differ in power and authority. While in exorcism we act with an authority Christ has granted believers to expel demons with a spoken command, our present closeness to or distance from God does have an impact on our effectiveness. The stronger the demon infecting an individual, the closer we need to draw to the Lord
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September 22, 2009
Studies of events reported in the Gospels
Each of the synoptic gospels contain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The Case of the Shocking Discovery
“Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’”
“‘Be quiet!’ Jesus said sternly. ‘Come out of him!’ Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him” (Luke 4:31-34; cf Mark 1:21-26).
Observations
1. It was no surprise that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. All respectable Jewish males and most of the women followed this practice. It was one of the ways that the people of Israel honored God on the day he had set apart for rest.
2. It was no surprise when Jesus was asked to teach. He was a guest in Capernaum, and guests were often asked to comment on the passage of Scripture being read that Sabbath. It should be noted, however, that neither Mark nor Luke place any of Jesus’ public healings prior to this event. Jesus wasn’t yet a ‘celebrity.’
3. It was a surprise when Jesus taught “with authority.” Jewish rabbi’s based their teaching on the interpretations of previous rabbis, whom they cited as authorities for what they said. Jesus, rather than depending on past sages, Jesus spoke as if he himself had authority to interpret and apply the Word of God. This amazed his listeners. What happened next, however, was truly shocking, for several reasons.
4. “There was a man (present) possessed by a demon.” We can sense the shock as the demon unexpectedly shouted at Jesus. Here was a man who had come to the synagogue service just like everyone else. He was a neighbor, known by the other members of the closely knit community. He fit in; no one was surprised to see him at worship. No one drew away because he was “strange.”
You might suppose that people who are demonized aren’t to be found in worship services. But this story challenges that assumption. And our passage supports the experience of many involved in deliverance ministry who report casting demons out of the most unlikely individuals. From this text and from experience, we note:
a. People who display no
obvious telltale signs
can be demonized.
b. People who attend our
churches and worship
services and appear
to be “good Christians”
may be demonized.
c. It’s even possible
that the man at that
Synagogue service
didn’t realize himself
that he was demonized
until the demons
shouted out at Jesus!
5. The man “cried out.” We noted in earlier Jesus vs Demons studies that no demonized person is said to have come to Jesus for help. Rather the demonized were “brought to” Jesus, or were present where he was teaching and healing. The cry, uttered by the demons infesting the man rather than the man himself, must have totally shocked his neighbors, as it expressed both fear and hostility.
6. “Be quiet,” and “Come out of him.” Both these expressions are commands. Jesus didn’t pray ask God to cast out the demons. Jesus commanded them. As noted in a previous study, he simply spoke the command and the demon was forced to obey.
In the first century world exorcists used magical formulae, uttering spells that featured the names of powerful demons, in the hope of manipulating those demons into expelling less-powerful demons from demonized individuals. Just as Jesus taught as one who had authority, without citing others, so Jesus spoke to demons as one who had authority. There was no reliance on spells, or power words, or on supernatural beings. Jesus simply commanded, and the demons obeyed.
When we exorcise demons today we follow Jesus example. We speak commands with an authority given us by Jesus himself. And demons are forced to obey. There is nothing “magical” about contemporary deliverance ministry. There is simply a complete reliance on the Holy Spirit when as command demons in Jesus name.
Conclusions
This passage raises more questions than it answers. For example, if there may be no obvious telltale signs of demonization, how can we know if a person is demonized? And, is it possible for a believer not to be aware that demons are present in his or her life? And, what’s the basis for believing that we have authority to cast out demons as Jesus did, with a word of command? This last question will be answered in an upcoming series, Jesus’ Teachings on Demons.
I’ll interrupt the present series to take up the first two questions in posts titled “Demonized? How Can We Tell?,” “Can I Be Demonized and Not Know It?”
Until then don’t forget that our culture is especially vulnerable to neopagan religions and an occult spirituality that throws open the door to demonic activity.
Posted by owner on
September 14, 2009
Studies of events reported in the Gospels
Each of the synoptic gospels contain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The Case of the Easy Cure
“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed the sick” (Matthew 8:16).
Observations
1. The translation “demon-possessed” is unfortunate. The Greek simply means “demonized,” or “has a demon.” The English translation is unfortunate because it implies demonic control or ownership, when the fact is that while demons may be present in a person’s life they are seldom in control of the person’s choices or actions.
2. This individual was “brought to” Jesus. It’s interesting that most who suffered physical illnesses “came to” Jesus on their own. Yet in the incidents recorded in the Gospels, demonized individuals were either “brought to” Jesus, or “were there” when Jesus was. This shouldn’t be taken as evidence that no one who is demonized will come to Christ or one of his people for help. But “brought to” here and in other passages does indicate that there’s a significant role for family and friends in recognizing and seeking help for a person who’s under demonic attack. Often its necessary for family members or friends to take the initiative and “bring” an individual to receive help. What I’d suggest if you suspect demonization is to first talk with someone who understands deliverance ministry. Then if the friend or relative is willing, bring him or her to talk with the same person or whoever he or she recommends. Then, if the demonized person consents, the deliverance process can take place.
3. When the demonized individual of Matthew 8:16 was brought to Jesus, Christ “drove out” the spirits. Again, it’s clear from the fact that evil spirits were driven out of those Christ freed that \ spirits were in some sense “inside” the individual. Charles Kraft makes an important distinction in discussing this phenomenon, and especially addressing the question of whether a Christian can be demonized. The argument generally raised against the demonization of believers is that the Holy Spirit indwells believers, and no evil spirit can keep company with the Holy Spirit. This argument is flawed, however. The fact is that, as Paul notes in Ephesians, believers are to “put on the new man” and “take off the old man.” That is, the believer has two natures, the natural and the born again. Conversion to Christ does not eradicate the old nature which is characterized by sinful motives and desires. Why should we be surprised that while the new nature is energized by the Holy Spirit, evil spirits may be present in and energize the old nature? If evil spirits are present with and working through our old nature [the "old man"], its important that they be expelled and that the grip our old nature has on us be loosened.
4. The text uses the plural, “spirits.” We’re reminded that demons generally work in concert and that most exorcisms involve driving out more than one evil spirit. In view of the legion of spirits Jesus expelled from a single individual–and a Roman legion was made up of about 2,000 men–we shouldn’t be surprised if a half-dozen or more evil spirits are found in the typical demonized individual. Those who do deliverance ministry agree that in nearly every case those who are demonized are infested by several rather than a single demon.
5. Jesus drove out the spirits “with a word.” One of the most fascinating elements in the accounts of Jesus’ confrontations with demons is the apparent ordinary-ness of the event. That is, there was no ranting or shouting. No posturing. No striking a person on the forehead to “slay in the Spirit.” Instead, as this verse specifically states, Jesus simply spokw. He “drove out the spirits with a word.”
It’s important to remember the significance of words. God spoke, and with a word he created the universe. Jesus speaks, and with a word drove out evil spirits. As Hebrews reminds us, “the Word of God is living and active.” As Jesus spoke, his words were infused with power by the Holy Spirit, and no evil spirit could resist that power. In deliverance ministry we speak to demons in the name of the Lord Jesus, relying not on ourselves but on the authority Christ gives to his followers who rely on his cross and resurrection not only for salvation but also for that resurrection power that gives life to our moral bodies. Thus deliverance ministry is a matter of prayer and of words: prayer led by the Spirit, and words empowered by the Spirit. Don’t expect fireworks when demons are exorcised. They are driven out by words, and generally they go quietly.
Conclusions
Even a brief verse like the one we’ve been looking at is packed with significance. It’s important to give each word and each phrase its due as we study, for “unpacking” a verse can reveal many important truths. To me, the most significant thing in this verse is the last one I commented on. Jesus drove out the spirits “with a word.” It’s on the basis of the Word of God that we are qualified for a deliverance ministry, as we’ll see in future studies. And it’s the words we speak in Jesus’ name that no demon can resist, for simple words can be, and are, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who works through us to release the captive, and set the prisoners free.
Posted by owner on
September 10, 2009
Each of the synoptic gospels contain stories of Jesus “driving out” demons from individuals. Luke also uses a passive construction, “demons came out of” this or that individual. In this series we take a look at specific incidents described in the Gospels.
The case of the speechless man
“A man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been dumb spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel” (Matthew 9:32-33).
Observations
1. The term “demon-possessed” is an unfortunate translation of a Greek word which simply means “demonized.” “possessed” implies that a demon has taken control of an individual, so that the demon not only “owns” the person but also has robbed him of all freedom of choice. In contrast, “demonized” simply implies that a demonic being has an impact on a person’s experience.
2. In the present case the demon influenced the man’s power of speech. We’re not told how the demon prevented the man from speaking> It may have been paralyzing his vocal cords, affecting the part of the brain that controls speech, etc. What we are told that the observable symptom of the demon’s presence in this individual was his inability to speak.
3. In other reports of demonization in the Gospels we see other physical symptoms. from blindness to chronic back pain to grand mal seizures. It’s significant that in at least one case Jesus addressed an evil spirit by the symptoms he caused (Mark 9:25). In the ancient Middle East as in ancient cultures demons were known by personal names. For instance, the demon thought to attack newborns and their mothers was known as Lilith in Judaism and Lamashtu in Sumeria. There are however no personal names of demons used in the Gospels except for Beelzebub for the Prince of Demons, and this name was introduced by Jewish leaders in an attack on Jesus.
4. Here as in most gospel reports of events involving demons or evil spirits, Jesus is said to have “driven out” the demon that was causing the man’s symptoms. This phrases makes it clear that a power struggle is involved in dealing with demons and demonization The fact that in each confrontation between Jesus and a demon or demons, no evil spirits were able to resist Christ’s power. In every case the demon was forced to leave the individual.
5. Luke’s use of the phrase “demons came out of” the person, along with the verb translated “drive out,” makes it clear that in some sense the demon was “in” the demonized individual. Whether the demon was “in” the man’s physical body, as might be suggested by the physical symptom, is unclear. In other cases of demonization described in the Gospels there’s evidence, as we’ll see, that demons also can affect a person emotionally and/or mentally. The significant point made in the use of “drive out” and “came out of” is that demons in some way have the ability to be inside an individual, rather than being outside of him.
It is this “inside” condition that is described as demonization.
6. The reaction of observers to Jesus’ healing is significant. The Gospels frequently credit Jesus with healings which have no demonic dimension. Not only did the crowd of observers recognize the exorcism of a demon in this case, the following passage describes Jesus’ enemies charging Christ with driving out demons “by the prince of demons.” It would be a foolish mistake to assume observers and enemies both were too “primitive” or “naive” to distinguish between natural and demonic causes of a debility.
7. The crowd’s stunned response, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel,” draws a sharp contrast between this exorcism and the common practice of Jewish exorcists of the time. Jewish exorcists were in great demand in the first century Roman world, in part because they were reputed to know the secret name of their powerful God. Exorcism in the ancient world rested on the assumption that the exorcist knew the names of powerful deities or demons, and that by calling them up by name the exorcist could request or require them to drive out less powerful demons. Jesus used no such approach. Rather than call on powerful spirit beings to drive out the demons to be exorcised, Jesus simply commanded. He was able to drive out demons and to heal on his own authority, in the power provided by the Holy Spirit.
Conclusions
There are a number of important conclusions we can draw from this brief, two verse description of an exorcism Jesus performed. It’s clear from this brief account that demons can get “inside” a person, and may cause debilitating physical symptoms. It’s also clear that Jesus has the power to drive demons out. In this power confrontation, Jesus has the advantage, and no demon can stand against him.
We also have gained some insight into identifying demons. Rather than identify them by name, as nearly all ancient cultures have done, we can identify demons by the symptoms they cause, and address them by those symptoms. This is a practice everyone in contemporary deliverance ministry follows, and the practice has a clear biblical basis.
In our next study we’ll look at another report of Jesus vs demons, and see what we can learn from it.