Hitch Hiking Demons

I’ve written it before, and here I go again. “Demon possession” is a really unfortunate translation of a Greek term that is better rendered “demonized” or “has a demon.”

What’s wrong with “demon possession”?

First, demons almost never gain “control” of a person, as control implices submerging the individual’s will or acting through that persons body against the individual’s will. Demons might like to have that kind of control. But humans don’t surrender their freedom of choice that easily.

When Satan manipulated Eve and then Adam into rebelling against God, I suspect he imagined that humans would align themselves with him and his purposes, just as the angels who followed him in the Great Rebellion had done. But that didn’t happen. In stating the consequences of Satan’s effort to enlist humans, the Creator told Satan he would put “enmity” between Satan and the woman’s seed. Yes, some do commit to Satan. But for most of us there’s a healthy suspicion of Satan and a reluctance to trust him which keeps humankind from total submission. We’re no more ready to commit to Satan than we are to God. We humans just naturally want to go our own way rather than submit to either God or Satan. And thus “enmity,” a deep seated suspicion and underlying hostility to the supernatural that makes us hesitant to commit ourselves totally to the Creator, also protects us from domination by the Evil One. We certainly can be and are influenced by Satan’s minions. But controlled? Seldom.

Second, the phrase “demon possession” is unfortunate in that it seems to release us from any responsibility for demonic influences in our lives. While we humans are undoubtedly vulnerable to Satan’s schemes, and often are victims of choices made by others, there seems always to be some level of personal responsibility when demons establish a foothold in our lives. This doesn’t mean that we make an intentional choice to let demons in. But I would argue that there is always some responsibility on our part for the entry and/or continued presence of evil spirits in our lives.

For both these reasons, speaking of and picturing demonic activity as “possession” is unfortunate. Personally, I prefer to speak of demons as “hitch hikers.”

Hitch-hiking in the 30s

When I was a kid the 1930’s [OK, so I’m old!]. one fun thing I could do was to “hitch hike.” In those days cars had running boards. These were six inch wide strips along each side of the car that a person would step on to enter the vehicle. But, if dad rolled the car window down, a kid like me could also ride on a running board, holding tight to the frame of open widow. That was fun! I was outside the moving vehicle, as the wind seemed to whip my hair!

Of course, dad never drove very fast while I was out there. But it was still exciting, and I called it hitch-hiking.

I think “hitch-hiking” is a much more accurate picture of demonization than “possession.” Somehow we’ve rolled down a window that’s give demons a place to grab hold, and they’ve jumped aboard. They’re holding on tight, feet curled around the running board, eager to make as much trouble for us as possible. And they’re enjoying the ride.

A better image of reality

I like the “hitch-hiker” image a lot better than the “possession” image. There’s no question of demonic control. For all intents and purposes they’re clinging to our outside. Sure, they might reach inside the window and tug on the steering wheel. They might even cause an accident or two. But control? No.

For another thing, the possession image makes it seem that demons are so tightly fused with us that they’re almost impossible to get rid of. But it’s not difficult to picture a hitch-hiking demon being given a good shove and landing in a heap alongside the road. That’s a pretty accurate picture too. When commanded to leave in Jesus’ name, demons are expelled. It doesn’t even take the shouting or posturing we sometimes see on TV! Just, “Git, demon!” And off the demon tumbles.

I like the image for another reason, too. If my dad kept the window of the car rolled up, so there was no place for me to hold on, there was no way I could stay on that running board. If you and I keep our figurative windows rolled up, there’s no way for demons to gain access to our lives either. And, spiritually speaking, we can keep those windows rolled up by confessing our sins, by extending forgiveness to those who hurt us, and in other ways that are clearly taught in the New Testament. Especially things that Ephesians deals with, that I cover in my FREEDOM WORKSHOP [Plug!].

Not So Scary

That’s right. Talk of “demon possession” is scary. Who wants to picture being “possessed” by a demon. But picture a demon hitch-hiking, and the scary goes away. One push from Jesus and that demon tumbles off, to be left along the highway. And then we roll up our windows, making sure there’s no place in our lives for a demon to get a grip.

And we continue on our way.
Demon-free.

Are You There, Demon?

Solomon commented that there’s no end to writing books (Ecc. 12:12). I sometimes feel that there’s no end to reading them. Especially books on deliverance. Most of which I don’t recommend picking up, much less buying.

But every now and then I come across something in one of the books I read that shines a bright light on a dark and shadowy issue.

I had one of those moments reading the book Deliverance: Rescuing God’s People [Tate Publishing], by Pat Legako and Cyndi Gribble, two ladies who lead a deliverance ministry in a local church in Oklahoma. I can’t say this is a “must have” book, as I’ve just begun reading it and already have a few hesitations. But on one thing at least they’ve provided the best help I’ve run across.

Earlier in the “Diagnosing Demonization” series on this blog I suggest a number of clues that might alert us to the presence of demons in our own or someone else’s life. I wish now that I’d read this book first, because Pat and Cyndi provide the absolutely best brief discussion of this issue I’ve run across. Of course, they would tell us that these clues aren’t enough to establish the presence of demons. And they’re right. But for warning signs, or early indicators, Pat and Cyndi zero in on symptoms of which we all need to be aware.

What demons do

Before we look at the warning signs, let’s recap what demons do. Basically, demons are intent on making humans miserable and keeping Christians from become all God wants us to be. Ephesians says that God has “prepared beforehand” for each individual the good works that he intends us to “walk in.” Satan and his demons are intent on disrupting God’s plan for our lives, stealing our blessings, and destroying our hopes.

In some cases demons may do this by exploiting physical weaknesses and making us chronically ill. But they are more likely to try to disrupt our lives by attacking us through our thoughts and emotions. They particularly love to amplify thoughts such as “There’s no use my trying,” and emotions such as “I just feel worthless.” Using this strategy demons remain hidden, and we blame ourselves for our negative thoughts and feelings. And, of course, this makes us feel more and more guilty. It’s a win/win for a demon out to make us miserable and ineffective. And it’s a lose/lose for us.

Most Christians have no idea that many of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors are demon driven. It’s not that we don’t own those thoughts and feelings. We do own them, and we’re responsible for believing what are actually Satan’s lies. But without the involvement of demons who attach themselves to our thoughts and feelings, the negatives probably wouldn’t dominate us. And its domination by such deceiving thoughts, emotions, and actions that disrupt the lives of Christians.

So, are you there, demons?

What do these two ladies suggest are clues to the presence of demons?

1. Behaviors the individual can’t control. We’ve all heard the excuse, “I just can’t seem to help myself,” or “I really want to, but I couldn’t stop.” Whether it’s giving in to the urge for a chocolate bar or loosing control of our temper, there are times when anyone will feel that he or she has lost control. I suspect that in many cases this experience is completely natural. None of us are strangers to anger. And it’s well established that chocolate changes some of the chemicals that affect our mood. But for some people loss of control is chronic. Their temper flares at minor slights and they’re suddenly filled with rage. The urge to mow down on chocolate is uncontrollable, especially when trying to diet. When a person feels a certain behavior is beyond his or her control, or a loved one or friend seems to loose control over and over, it’s time to suspect that demons may be involved.

2. Sudden mood changes. Everything seems to be going along normally, and suddenly a wave of depression sweeps over us. Or we’re out to dinner with the family, everyone is laughing and chatting, and suddenly, out of the blue, someone says something harmless and we’re crushed by a sense of rejection and worthlessness. Or we suddenly find ourselves so angry we strike out verbally.

3. A craving for power. For most people this expresses itself in manipulation. A husband tries to manipulate his wife, a wife tries to manipulate her husband. Or an adult child manipulates mom into babysitting even though mom had other plans. In some relationships manipulation is the dominant pattern. Such behavior is often a sign of demonization.

This also is seen in those who resort to the occult in an attempt to control others or to control the future. The drive to gain power over individuals or situations and the behaviors that drive energizes are often demonic.

4. Persistent, uncontrollable bad habits. Lying, kleptomania, gossip, looking at pornography, shopping on line, gambling, smoking, all may become uncontrollable habits. The authors point out that bad habits in themselves are not indicators of possible demonization. But when a person has tried sincerely and often to break a habit he or she recognizes as bad, and continually fails, its likely there’s demonic involvement.

5. A pattern of victimization. Situation after situation in which people take advantage of the person, or in a person sees himself as a victim, may also be symptomatic of demonization. The victim has bought into Satan’s lies and is denying who he or she truly is, a person created in God’s image, a child of God through Jesus Christ.

So, who’s demonized?

Remembering that demons are hitchhikers, and looking over the clues identified in Deliverance: Rescuing God’s People, we’re likely to conclude that demonization is more common that we imagine. Actually, I believe it is. Demons usually don’t behave as they are portrayed in movies like The Exorcist. Instead they quietly attach themselves to our thoughts, emotions and behaviors, to strengthen tendencies they can use to mess up our lives.

I’m coming to the conclusion, reached both from study and experience, that most Christians could benefit from a deliverance session. Assuming, of course, that what we mean by “deliverance” is ‘freeing from the influence of Satan and his demons in our lives.”

Jesus on Demons #2

Each Gospel contains at least one comment made by Jesus concerning demons. In this series we look at these comments to see what we can discover.

Jesus on “strong man:

   Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

   Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

    “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils (Luke 11:14-23; cf Matthew 12:22-32)

Observations

1.  As we saw in our series on Jesus vs Demons, demons can be the cause of a physical disability, and driving out the demon can effect a cure. This does not imply that all illness or disabilities are due to demonization.

2. While the onlookers recognized the demonic origin of this individual’s disability they did not conclude that God was the source of Jesus’ power over demons. His enemies argued that Jesus was empowered by Satan, the ruler of demons. Others, asking for a “sign from heaven (ie., from God)” wanted more evidence.

Given the context, which is late in a public ministry during which Jesus has been known for healings and other miracles, neither of these reaction is warranted. Much earlier a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious court of the Jews, had admitted to Christ, “we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do the works you do except God be with him” (John 3).  The accusation was dishonest, and the request for an additional sign from God hypocritical.

3. In Jesus’ response he depicts Satan as a being who rules a kingdom. In the first century kings were absolute monarchs, standing at the top of a hierarchy. Jesus’ illustration indicates that the spirit kingdom of Satan is organized rigidly. It allows for no independent action by individuals or groups within it. Only by presenting a united front can Satan’s kingdom hope to “stand.’ All must fall in line with Satan’s intents and purposes.

4. It follows that Satan’s purposes were being fulfilled in the activity of the demon who caused the man’s inability to speak. And that Jesus’ healing of the individual was a blow to whatever purpose of Satan the demon was seeking to accomplish.

This raises a question. There are many reports of healings performed by psychics or spiritists. This is especially common in the third world, where many seek out witchdoctors or sorcerers for healing. A book I’m currently reading by Koch, which I’ll review soon on demondope, documents a variety of such incidents. The question is, what purpose might Satan have in performing healings? Isn’t relieving humans of pain and suffering out of character for demons? We can answer that question best by considering Satan’s “interests and purposes.” While benefiting any individual is far from Satan’s intent, and it might seem that healing is a benefit, the fact is that occult healings provide access to humans for demons. As Koch points out, there’s a price to pay for any healing performed by occult means.

While God transforms evil to accomplish his good purposes, Satan and his demons transform apparent good to accomplish evil purposes.

5.  Jesus characterized the demon causing the man’s muteness as a “strong man” who was guarding “his own” house. Many have used this analogy to generate a title for Satan, “Strong Man.” In this passage, however, the strong man is a demon who has such a grip on an individual that the man can be called the demon’s “own house.” The only hope for truly being freed is if someone stronger attacks and expels the “strong man.”

This reminds us that dealing with demonization is a power issue. No matter how powerful a demon may be, Jesus is far more powerful. He and he alone is able to expel demons, and we cast out demons in his authority, relying on his power.

6. Jesus cast out the demon by “the finger of God.” The OT frequently uses the image of a hand or arm as a symbol of power. Jesus’ power is so great that just a finger is needed to deal with demons, however strong they may be.

Conclusions

In this incident Jesus revealed several important facts. First, Satan rules over a kingdom, and maintains control over the demons who are his subjects. The demons are committed to carrying out Satan’s purposes. We can’t imagine that there are “good” demons and “bad” demons who sometimes find themselves in conflict. All spirit beings in Satan’s kingdom are essentially evil, hostile to human beings, and committed to achieving Satan’s purposes.

The view of modern neopagans, that the majority of spirit beings in the unseen world are beneficial and benevolent, has no basis in Scripture. And any “good” such spirits may perform are self-serving [actually, Satan-serving] and intended, in Jesus’ words, to “take possession” of the person “helped.”:

The incident and Jesus’ remarks also make it clear that no matter how strong demons may be, Jesus has more than enough power to overcome them. We are to respect the power of evil. But we are not to have such a fear of evil spirits that we fail to stand against them.

Jesus vs demons (#3)

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 Raving Madmen

“When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have you come to torture us before the appointed time?’ Some distance from them a herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, ‘If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ He said to them, ‘Go!’So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water” (Matthew 8:28-32).

Oops!

At a dinner put on by one of my [now defunct] publishers, I listened to a couple of authors commenting on this passage and on the parallel passages in Mark 5 and Luke 8. “It just shows that Scripture has errors,” these wise men agreed. It’s true the that place names differ and that Matthew describes two men while Mark and Luke focus on one. It’s also true that the rest of the details make it clear they are describing the same scene. But to say the discrepancies show that “Scripture has errors” is a conclusion jumped at too hastily.

If I were to write a newspaper account of an event and say it happened in “central North Car0lina” and another account of the same event said it happened “near Raleigh,” no one would call that an “error.” As archaeological research has shown, the place names in all three accounts reference the same area, though by different names. And if in one account I included several people, while someone else’s account focused on one of those individuals, it wouldn’t mean that either of us had made an error.

Scripture certainly deserves enough respect for people to seek out explanations — and in my experience there are reasonable explanations for all the Bible’s so-called errors — before jumping to the conclusion the authors across the table recited so glibly. But, back to the passage, and our task of learning what we can from reports of Jesus’ encounters with demons.

Observations

1. Again we meet the term “demon possessed.” Again the Greek says ‘demonized.” But its possible that in this case demon possessed is an appropriate translation. These men were totally out of control. They ran naked and lived among tombs, howling at night, attacking anyone who passed by. They were isolated from normal human society, hostile and violent. In the 17th century they would have been classified as madmen, and ended up in an asylum.

The extent of their demonization is something we seldom see. Now and then, however, as in the case of the Virginia Tech massacre, we see individuals under the control of demons acting out a demonic hatred. As Scripture says, Satan’s goal is to “steal and kill and destroy.” And, at times, his demons gain enough control to do just this.

2. Jesus and his followers were in a Gentile district, something we know not only from the name of the district but from the fact that the residents herded pigs, an unclean animal to the Jews. This may be significant, as the other demonized people described in the Gospels are Jews. It is certainly true that non-believers have less protection against demons that do believers. I suspect that only in the rarest of cases are Christians as controlled by demons as these men were.

3. The shout, “What do you want with us,” is an expression of deep hostility. There is no hint here that the demonized person was approaching Jesus for relief from his situation. It is the demons who are speaking through the man, and they both hate and fear Jesus.

4. The demons recognized Jesus and called him “Son of God.” Their complaint,’have you come to torture us before the appointed time,’ is significant. The spirit world recognizes not only the authority of Jesus but also recognizes the fact that in his death and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan and, in the words of Colossians, exposed his utter defeat ['made of him an open show'].

This is something we should always remember when dealing with any case of demonization. The demons who torment and terrify are a defeated enemy–and they know it! It’s often a good idea during an exorcism to remind the demons of the weakness of their position and the destiny they face. If we show fear, they arrogantly boast about their strength. If we expose their weakness, their power to resist our command to “Go!” is drained.

5. The appointed time. There is a day set for the judgment of Satan and all his hosts. Until that time God permits them a limited freedom. We do not know why God has made this choice. But we do know that even today God has given believers authority to confront and to exorcise demons, casting them out of those they seek to harm. It’s as important for us to remember we face a foe who has already been judged and is awaiting punishment as it is to remind demons of their fate. The reminder comforts and strengthens us even as it weakens them.

  
6. Why pigs? It may seem strange, but during exorcisms demons may ask permission to enter a cat or a dog or other animal. Many have testified that demons seem intent on inhabiting a physical body. The answer to any such request is, of course, no! The pigs infested with demons rushed into the water and their own destruction. No animal, much less human, deserves to be demonized. Instead of acceding to such a request, we tell them to go wherever Jesus sends them. And we place the cross and resurrection between them and their victim, ordering them to never return or send their fellows.

Why did Jesus permit this legion of demons to enter the herd of pigs? Perhaps to demonstrate the danger of permitting demons access to any animal. Demons are spirit creatures, and have no place in any living creatures of this world.

7. Note that it was with a single word “Go!,” that Jesus expelled the demons. As we saw in our last study, words have power. I don’t mean the words of a ritual or ceremony. I mean the words of one to whom Jesus has given authority over demons; ordinary words like “Go!” spoken in full reliance on the Spirit of God who empowers them. We’ll deal more with authority in future studies.

Conclusions

There are situations in which demons may gain fuller control over the demonized. In the case we’ve just looked at the result was an obvious and apparent madness. But the demons who torment humans are well aware of the fate that awaits them, and well aware that they serve a defeated master. The Jesus who commands demons “Go” is the risen Son of God, and it is before his power–not ours–that demons bow today.

Multiple Personalities Book

Earlier I discussed and recommended Tom Hawkins book on DID [Dissociative Identity Disorder]
I just finished reading the book ‘Multiple Personalities’ by Tom’s wife, Diane. It’s subtitled ‘understanding and supporting the severely abused.”

Talk about a 5 star rating! I only wish it were on Amazon so I could enthusiastically plug it there.

Diane understands DID from the inside, as one who was ritually abused as a young child and who has struggled with the after effects as an adult. With the help of her husband Tom and some wise counselor she’s now been restored and the dissociated identities reintegrated. Whats so impressive about the book is not only the authenticity that personal experience provides, but also the solid research into such issues as the role of conflict and denial, and the functioning of memory. Also thee are extremely helpful discussions of the kinds of support a victim of ritual abuse leading to DID will need, and how to provide that support.

If you have loved ones or friends you suspect may be victims of DID, or if you have begun the process of recovering suppressed memories of something terrible that happened in your childhood, this sensitively written book can provide insight, support, and most of all hope.

The book also raises a warning for exorcists. Evil spirits may attach to one of the fragmented identities. The author argues that In such cases it’s important to begin reintegration before simply attempting to expel the evil spirit. He reasoning for this is sound, so anyone who attempts to confront demons should read what she says and proceed cautiously. 

As I noted, the book isn’t yet on Amazon. You can order copies from Restoration in Christ Ministries, phone 540 249 0677 or order online at www.rcm-usa.org.

Exploring the Web

I usually don’t have time to explore the WEB. These days I’m much too busy trying to promote The Blind Prophet and the Invisible War novels, and writing articles for demondope. But every now and then I find some time to dabble.

Recently I ran across an interesting article at http://fspp.net on warning signs of demonic Possession. It looks at mental, emotional, and physical symptoms that may be associated with demonization. As the author points out, many of the same symptoms fit mental and other illnesses (and, I might add, dissociative identity disorder.) The author also adds to the list Outward Manifestations, and warns of the need for evidence from each list of symptoms before jumping to the demonic conclusion.

I also ran across an illustration of how the unsuspecting are lured into dangerous practices that may lead to demon possession. It seems that there’s a technique that “transforms anyone–and I mean anyone–into universe-hopping utopian beings, with the ability to consistently accomplish any goal, master any skill, and manifest endless abundance [that means, get rich!], health and happiness.” It seems the purveyor of this breakthrough secret, labeled “Quantum Jumping,” will teach anyone to Quantum Jump, billed as a “far more powerful form of astral projection.” It promises to help anyone–and he means anyone–attract wealth, boost creativity, get guidance from other dimensions, find inspiration, wisdom, and knowledge, and MANIFEST everything you DESIRE.” And best of all, the first course is FREE! [No price structure is provided for follow up courses.]

Shades of L.Ron Hubbard and Scientology. Can Quantum Jumping be the next new religion?

Spiritual Warfare with the Devil (7)

The Gospels portray humans as the victims of demonic attacks that cause both mental and physical suffering. Jesus deals with this type of possession or oppression by casting out the demons.

The book of Acts portrays human beings cooperating with demons, with the target of the demons efforts not the demonized but those who are deceived by the powers given the one who is possessed. In such cases there are apparent benefits for the demonized individual. Simon the sorcerer was viewed with awe as a “great power.” Elymas gained influence with the Roman procouncul of Cypress and a place in his court. The slave girl of Philippi earned a prosperous living for her owners.

In pointing out such benefits I do not suggest that such persons are not victims of demons. They are . . . and increasingly so as the demonic gains greater and greater control of their lives. At the same time, the fact that the apostles rebuked such persons rather than immediately expelling the demons suggests that there is definite cooperation by the person with the demon possessing him or her. There appears to the demonized individual to be some benefit to be gained through the relationship with the demon(s).

We can place all contemporary practitioners of the occult who exercise any real powers in this group. There are those who argue that some clairvoyants, fortune tellers, etc. exercise native human gifts rather than supernatural gifts. However, as Deut 18 forbids reliance on all occult practices, the association of such practices with the demonic seems to me to be established.

Two types of demonization

So far in looking at our spiritual warfare with the devil we’ve focused on two types of demonization. The one involves a direct attack on the victims, with its symptoms being physical and/or mental distress. We can call this “hostile demonization.” The normative response to this type of attack is to “meet the devil head on” and exorcise the demons.

The second involves the demon(s) launching an indirect attack on others through the demonized person. Here the symptoms are the exercise of some occult ability by the demonized individual. We can call this “beneficial demonization.” The normative response to this type of attack is (a) to avoid all reliance on such a person’s powers, and (b) to rebuke the individual.

Satan’s strategy

To put this second type of attack in perspective we need to understand something of Satan’s basic strategy for dealing with humans. Simply put, that strategy is “deceive them.”

It’s not difficult to demonstrate this thesis. The Bible call’s Satan a “liar, and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Paul points out that Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” and notes that it’s not surprising if his agents “masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
Revelation portrays Satan as the deceiver of the nations, a characteristic we observe in early Genesis as the serpent works at deceiving Eve in Eden.

Underlying most if not all demonic activity is the intent to deceive and thus to gain control of humans.

Truth vs falsehood

Jesus encouraged his disciples by promising them that if they acted on his words they would know the truth, and that the truth would set them free. Satan’s strategy is to distort truth, so that humans wander through life in darkness, never able to identify the truth they are to live. Wandering in darkness, a person finds himself in bondage to the evil one.

A brief digression

One of the cleverest of Satan’s strategies is to play with the connotations of words. As the meaning of words is distorted, humans are blinded to the truth and deceived. This is in total contrast with God’s strategy of filling words with freshly defined meaning.

In the first century there were two Greek words we commonly translate by “love.” One was philos, associated with the warm relationships experienced with friends and family. The other was eros, associated with sexual passion. Neither of these words were capable of expressing the character of God’s love, so the writers of the New Testament selected a seldom-used and undistinguished word, agape, to use in the New Testament to express God’s love. They filled that new word with unique meaning by using it to described God’s decision to send Jesus into the world to sacrifice himself for human beings who were his enemies. Suddenly agape, “true love,” conveyed a commitment to the well-being of others so deep that one loving willingly sacrifice himself for his beloveds benefit. And so a word conveying self-less love, a “true love,” was born.

Today Satan has succeeding in draining muddling the meaning of our English word “love” almost beyond recognition. The concept of self-less and self-sacrificial love that was added by agape to the vocabulary of the New Testament has been almost stripped away from our English term. When a person says “I love you” all he is likely to mean is, “I want to have sex with you,” while the enthralled listener understands him to say “I care about you.” It’s likely neither understands “I love you” to mean “I care about you so much I’m willing to sacrifice my own interests for your benefit.” In the process of confusing the meaning of “I love you” the statement “God loves you” has been drained of much of its power.

This process of confusing meanings is taking place constantly in our culture. When I was a youth “gay” was associated with happiness and joy. Not it describes a perverted lifestyle. Not long ago “tolerant” meant “accepting of persons with views that differ from our own.” Today to be tolerant means accepting views that were once believed to be morally wrong as totally acceptable, and even “good.” Just as Miss California has recently been viciously attacked for stating her belief that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman rather than a homosexual pair, “tolerance” has become a word that means forsaking all moral judgment.

“Adult” which once con notated mature and responsible, now has been co-opted to cloak the pornographic with a veneer of respectability.

Satan truly is constantly at work in human cultures to distort truth by manipulating words and their meaning to deceive speaker and listener alike.

But, back to the point

Satan’s basic strategy in dealing with humans is to blind us to the truth, using distortions and half-truths to deceive us. He shapes culture [the world] to resonate with man’s sinful tendencies [the flesh], and convinces us that the evil which results is actually good.

Those who do not accept, understand, and live the truth and who buy into Satan’s distortions of truth are deceived, and vulnerable.

We could, if we had time, go through the Scriptures and contrast hundreds of truths with the half-truths and lies promulgated by Satan. The apostle Paul takes this approach in 2 Corinthians 2. The church in Corinth has disciplined a sinning brother, who has now repented. Paul urges them to now forgive him and accept him back into fellowship, “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2:11). In this situation Satan would over-emphasize the importance of church discipline, insisting “let’s really make him pay for his sin” to the exclusion of complimentary truth about forgiveness and restoration.

However, since I don’t want to publish a book on Satan’s distortions on this blog, let’s focus on a Scripture that speaks of combating specific distortions and deceits through which the Devil attacks believers.

The Armor of God

In Ephesians 6:10-18 the Apostle Paul describes a Roman foot soldier arrayed for battle in his panoply–fully armored. Paul tells us to put on full spiritual armor; armor provided by God “that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Paul then develops his analogy by linking each piece of the soldier’s armor to a particular divine provision for standing against the devil’s schemes [strategies].

As we look at each piece of armor we see (1) our vulnerability, (2) Satan’s exploitation of that vulnerability, and (3) how we “stand against” Satan’s attack.

So in following posts I plan to examine each piece of armor as well as our vulnerabilities and Satan’s corresponding schemes. I’m personally looking forward to this study to see just what we discover. And to apply what we discover to dealing with both hostile demonization and beneficial demonization.

Spiritual Warfare with the Devil (6)

When we look at demonic attacks in the Gospels we get the impression that demons target individuals and then attack their physical and metal health. We see the demoniac of Gadara howling among the tombs, mutilating himself and attacking anyone who comes near. We see the tragic figure of the woman bent over in pain for some eighteen years. And we see a child victimized by seizures as the inhabiting demon struggles to throw his body into a nearby fire. The counter to these demonic attacks reported in the Gospels is exorcism. Jesus confronts the demons and orders them out of the victim’s body.

Not so in Acts

But when look at demonic activity recorded in the book of Acts we see another dimension. At Philippi we meet a slave girl who tells the future for her clients. There too Paul’s response is to expel the demon. But in this case there is no direct attack on the girl. Rather the demon uses to girl to alter the direction of the lives of her clients. Given the unchanging character of demons, any guidance from the demon, although it may seem to the client to be positive and helpful, will be destructive, in full harmony with Satan’s elemental hatred of God and of humans.

Strikingly, we see this same phenomenon in other recorded incidents in Acts. IN Acts 8 we meet Simon, who practiced sorcery in Sameria and who was viewed with awe. He held up his powers as evidence of the working of a deity called “the Great Power,” and his apparent miracles gave him influence over “all the people, both high and low” (Acts 8:10). Later, as the Apostle Paul set out on his first missionary journey, he was opposed on Cyprus by a man named Bar-Jesus, or Elymas, who was a Jewish “sorcerer and false prophet.” Bar-Jesus used his influence in an attempt to keep the Roman procounsul from accepting Christ. In this case Paul called on God to [temporarily?] blind the demonized man, demonstrating the power of Jesus. Later still, in Ephesus, which was both a religious center and a center of occult activity, the so many turned to Christ that not only was the worship of the goddess Diana threatened, but the people brought out books of witchcraft and spells whose value in today’s funds would rise into the millions, and burned them.

Note the contrast between the stories in the Gospels and in Acts.

The Gospel stories picture demons directly attacking their victims by causing physical and mental illness’s. The demonized individual is the primary target.

The Acts stories picture demons using possessed individuals to influence others. The primary target is not the demonized individual, but others who are impressed by the demonized person’s “gift.”

Two strategies, two responses

The Gospels describe demons directly attacking individuals. When demons directly attacked individuals,the response of Jesus, and that of the disciples whom he empowered, was to cast out the demons. 

The Book of Acts describes demons empowering individuals with a view to gaining indirect influence over others. A critical difference here is that the demons enabled those they possessed to perform some extraordinary feat that enhanced their reputation and influence.
And here the response of the Apostles does not seem to be to cast the evil spirit out of the demonized individual!

It’s striking that while demonization in the Gospels unquestionably harms the victim, demonization in Acts appears to help the person in whom the demon resides! Further, the reaction of the demonized individual in Acts seems to indicate cooperation with the demon. That is, the demonized individual welcomes the ‘gift’ the demon brings, and is quick to take advantage of it.

As noted, the enhanced reputation gained by the demonized person is rooted in the possession of some occult ability provided by the demon. That is, the demonized person possesses an ability which cannot be explained in terms of native human abilities. Whether the occult ability is clairvoyance–the ability to see the future–is sorcery or witchcraft–the ability to manipulate events by supernatural means–the occult ability sets the demonized individual apart and gives him influence over others.

Surprisingly, the response in such cases seems not to be direct exorcism of the demon, but a direct challenge to the occult power. The clairvoyant girl’s ability to foretell the future is stripped from her (although by the expelling of the demon). Simon’s the sorcerers powers are eclipsed by the power of the Spirit, Bar-Jesus pernicious influence is destroyed by the blinding of the sorcerer. And the hold of witchcraft in Ephesus is broken as the converted burned the books of spells on which they had previously relied.

Another distinction

There seems to be another significant difference between the demonization stories told in the Gospels and those told in Acts.

In the Gospels The demonized people are seen as victims of a demonic attack. And there seems to be no direct responsibility of the victims for their situations. Indeed, the demonic presence in each case causes devastating harm to the individual.

In Acts the demonized people seem to be the beneficiaries of demonic possession. Rather than being harmed by the evil spirit, the demon possessed in Acts appear to gain from the demonic presence. Whether that gain is monetary, a gain in reputation, or an increase in influence, there is a definite benefit to the demonized. In such cases it appears that the demon’s target is not primarily the person demonized but those around him or her. In Acts the demons use those who are given occult powers to ensnare others, and as in the case of Bar-Jesus, to keep them from responding to the Gospel.

How are we to respond?

The Apostles Peter and Paul came into direct conflict with demonized individuals who had been given occult powers. They responded in a variety of ways, but each response seems to undermine or destroy the influence of the demonized individual, rather than drive out the demon. We can’t say for certain why this is, but it is possible that the demonized person had become so dependent on the occult powers granted that he or she wanted the demon to remain. In such cases destroying the individual’s influence released the demon’s hold on his primary targets.

If we are not to exorcise such demons [and certainly not try to do so without the active consent and participation of the demonized person], what are we to do?

Our basic response to those with occult powers is laid out in the Old Testament in a passage we’ve cited before. In Deuteronomy 18 Moses lists a number of occult practices and warns believers against them. Essentially, believers are never to seek or to accept supposed aid from any supernatural source other than God Himself.

A surprising focus

The focus in Acts is not on the deliverance of the demonized individual, but rather on protection from such a person’s influence. Our first responsibility seems to be to refuse to seek or permit ourselves any contact with the occult or with those who claim occult powers.

There really are critical differences here. The demonized in the Gospels truly were victims of the demonic presence. The demons manifested themselves by causing physical and metal illnesses. The appropriate response to such attacks is to cast out the demon.

The demonized in Acts were apparent beneficiaries of the demonic presence. We can assume that rather than desire freedom from the demonic presence they welcomed that presence. In such cases the appropriate response is to limit the occult influence.

Did the demonized in Acts truly benefit from their demonization? Of course not. But some people are more than willing to trade eternal rewards for temporal benefits. They, as well as the demons’ true targets, are deceived. And they are blinded to the Gospel’s good news.

Demons, or Multiple Personalities?

They used to call it Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). The helping professionals now label it more accurately Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Much more is understood about this disorder, which is typically rooted in ongoing childhood trauma.

I’ve just been reading a fascinating book, written by Tom R. Hawkins with his wife Diane, that brings together the latest research and his own insights into this disorder which affects an estimated 1-4% of the normal population, and as much as 50% of those who are in-patients in metal facilities. Tom’s book, Dissociative Identity Disorder,  is important reading for anyone who counsels, for the disorder may not be easy to diagnose.

Roots of the disorder

Typically the disorder originates in childhood abuse prior to age 7. The abuse creates such 
trauma that in order to deal with it the child dissociates. That is, the child creates an area in his memory where the trauma experiences are stored that is isolated from his primary personality. This coping mechanism enables the child to deal with the abuse without developing other mental illnesses which are even more devastating. But in time a separate “identity” which is different from the primary personality may develop. Often such identities are fragmented. But frequently several functioning alternate identities develop, of which neither the person herself or himself nor others may be aware.

While dissociation may serve as a positive coping mechanism initially, the traumatic experiences are stored in the memory, and at later dates may be recovered, often with devastating effects. Tom’s book deals with these effects, and with how a counselor can help a client with DID reintegrate the multiple personalities or deal with them positively.

Two types of causes

The book discusses two basic causes of DID. The first cause is sexual or other abuse by members of the family. The second cause is ritual abuse. Ritual abuse is the intentional creation of dissociative states. It was first recognized as practiced by Satanic cults but now is recognized as caused by practices of other cult-like groups as well.

When practiced by a satanic cult, ritual abuse is often associated with demonic forces that establish a presence in one or more of an individual’s identities.

The demon connection

The link of demonization and ritual abuse creates a significant diagnostic problem for both counselors and exorcists.

On the one hand, counselors must be aware of a possible demonic connection and must be prepared to deal with it. On the other hand exorcists must recognize that the surfacing of a separate identity within an individual does not necessarily indicate demon possession. The identity that surfaces may be a true part of the person being dealt with and not a demonic being at all. Thus an attempt to exorcise the alternate identity by treating it as a demon may do significant harm.

Buy the book

I strongly suggest that anyone who has personally experienced and later recalled childhood abuse, or who has a natural or adopted child who has possibly experienced prolonged abuse, purchase this book. I also strongly urge anyone involved in Christian or pastoral counseling of any kind to buy and to study this book carefully.

Tom not only helps us understand and recognize DID, but also offers effective strategies for resolving DID. You can find the book by clicking on Tom’s website address, www.rcm-usa.org.

The Devil (2)

This is the second in a series of posts on Spiritual Warfare against the Devil.

The Gospels contain a number of accounts of Jesus casting evil spirits/demons out of individuals. That makes the Gospels a good place to begin our thinking about spiritual warfare against the Devil.

I want to begin with the gospels because these stories seem to me to portray a number of symptoms of demonic oppression or possession. Because biblical demonology is pretty much ignored in most evangelical churches, the Gospel accounts have seldom been studied for the information they provide about signs pointing to possible demonic activity. Certainly few of us outside of some charismatic churches have ever heard sermons exploring biblical angelology or demonology.

Between a Rock and Hard Place

I can certainly understand hesitancy to focus on demonology. Pastors are well aware that people are suggestible. I suspect that any sermon or series of sermons on this subject would create unnecessary fear of evil spirits, or arouse unwarranted suspicions of demon oppression. Can you imagine the harm that assuming a depressed spouse or difficult child is demon possessed might do?  

On the other hand, ignoring the Bible’s teaching on the activities of Satan and demonization undoubtedly has led to the other extreme. Real demonic oppression and possession has gone unrecognized, and been misdiagnosed as physical, psychological, or psychiatric disorders.

This places those responsible for spiritual oversight in a truly difficult position. In a real sense, they are at fault if they do teach on Satan and demons, and at fault if they don’t.

I can’t say that I envy preachers, pastoral counselors, or professional Christian counselors tip-toeing on that tightrope. But at the same time, I can’t excuse those who simply ignore the issue and hope it never comes up in their ministries.

Let’s begin with assumptions

It’s always a good idea to make assumptions clear at the beginning of any teaching. So let me make mine as clear as possible.

1. The Gospel reports of demonic oppression and possession are reliable accounts of what actually happened.

2. Demons are capable to doing today what the Gospel accounts record they did in Jesus’ day.   
3. Demons and evil spirits continue to be hostile to human beings and are eager to do us harm.

If you’re willing to accept the assumptions, several conclusions seem to follow. First, there’s no reason to suppose that demon’s no longer oppress and/or possess human beings. Second, the symptoms of demonic oppression and possession today will be essentially the same as the symptoms described in the Gospels. Third, demonic oppression and/or possession are to be treated today in the same way Jesus treated them, by expelling or exorcising the demon.

We can go even further. If the assumptions stated above are accepted, and the conclusions are reasonable, we must be open to considering demonic causes of similar symptoms seen today. In fact, if we fail to consider demonic causes, if we ignore this supernatural dimension in dealing with similar symptoms, we do believers a terrible disservice and give demons a clear field to ruin Christians’ and others’ lives.

What do I mean by “symptoms”?

I’ve used the word “symptom” a number of times in the above. What do I mean by “symptom?”
What I mean by symptom is the same thing a doctor might mean by “presenting problem.” The Gospels tell of a woman who was held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years before Jesus healed her. The “symptom,” the “presenting problem,” was that she was bent over, unable to straighten up. But the symptom was an indication of her real problem, and the real problem, the cause of her frozen spine, was the presence of an evil spirit in her life.

This case obviously can’t be generalized to everyone with chronic back pain. We would be foolish in the extreme to suppose all chronic back problems are demonic in origin. But we would be remiss if we ignored the possibility of demonic involvement nad ruled it out a priori.

So what I intend to do in future posts is to examine cases in the Gospel where Jesus cast out demons, analyze their symptoms, and suggest how we approach ministering to people today who have the same or similar symptoms.

Hopefully we can develop a balanced approach that neither ignores nor overemphasizes the possibility of demonic involvement in the lives of people today. An approach that shows respect for Scripture’s revelation of reality rather than ignoring it; an approach that shows awareness of but not an overemphasis on spiritual dimensions of the disorders that plague us and our loved ones today.