Archive for May, 2010
Posted by owner on
May 25, 2010
The fifteenth and last in a series of studies of demons in Paul’s epistles.
The Apostle Paul uses the “principalities and powers” vocabulary of his day when refereeing to demons in his New Testament letters. The evil spirits in Satan’s kingdom are referred to by titles, such as principality, power, authority, ruler, dominion, etc.
The emphasis in Paul’s epistles is squarely on the vastly superior power of Jesus, The people of the first century were in awe of the demonic powers. Yet Paul portrays them as forced to bend the knee to Jesus, who bears a name [title], “Lord,” that is above every name (Philippians 2:10,11). Since Jesus is exalted to a place “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given,” the Christian has no need to fear Satan or his underlings.
This consistent emphasis in Paul’s letters is clearly intended to strengthen and encourage believers living in a society which both feared and revered the powers, (gods, goddesses, spirits, ghosts, and other disembodied beings) and which shared the culture’s view of the supernatural. It is significant that Paul ignores many details about the spirit world that were the subject of active speculation in his day as in ours. A helpful summary of some of the issues Paul does not address is found in Clinton E. Arnold’s book, Powers of Darkness (InterVarsity). These include the origin of demons, their names, their ranks, their specific assignments, and their relationship to territories.
Unanswered questions
The origin of demons. In first century Judaism there were two theories concerning the origin of demons. The first viewed demons as angels who fell with Satan when that great angel rebelled against God (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 29). The second theory proposed that demons were the spirits of the Nephelim, a half-himan, half-demon race produced by the union of the “sons of God” (fallen angels) and human woman (Genesis 6). Paul nowhere alludes to either theory nor propounds another. Paul seems content to focus on the fact that evil spirits exist, and are a threat to believer and unbeliever alike. The speculation of those fascinated by demons seems to hold no interest for Paul, who is far more intent on instructing believers on Satan’s schemes and how to counter them.
The names of demons. Popular Jewish religious writings available in Paul’s day emphasized providing personal names for demons. Apart from a single reference (2 Core 6:15), Paul lumps demons together by their generic “power” name. This may very well have been intentional, as those engaged in occult practices believed it was essential to know the name of any supernatural being on whom they called. By incorporating the name in a spell or incantation they believed they could move or manipulate a being to act on their behalf. For Paul, and for us, the only name on which to call is that of Jesus. And, as Jesus is “far above” all demons, his is the only name a Christian need to know.
The rank of demons The Jews speculated about which order of supernatural beings was more powerful. Do authorities outrank powers? Where do dominions and principalities fit in? One of the earliest players of this game was the author of the Jewish work, The Testament of Adam, Christians too have played and still play at ranking the orders of spirit beings. Paul totally ignores the question. What’s important for Paul is that there are hosts of spirit beings intent on harming believers, and that Christ provides the resources we need to deal with them.
The assignments of specific demons. Along with the intense interest in providing demons with names, Jewish writings focused on identifying their assignments. If one knew the name of a demon and the specific authority that demon had over humans—for instance, the ability to cause headaches—then one could appeal to a specific angel who was equipped to thwart that demon. Again, this approach, common in Jewish writings of the day as well as in pagan writings, has no parallel in Paul’s letters. It makes no difference which demon launches which demonic attack. Jesus has authority over all demons, and Jesus has given believers authority to cast out demons in his name.
Demonic territories. The Old Testament book of Daniel makes it clear that some powerful demons have territorial authority. Thus Daniel writes of the Prince of Persia, clearly indicating a demon who is charged with seeing that Satan’s agenda is carried out in that nation (Daniel 10:13). Yet Paul never mentions a demonic “prince of Ephesus” or “prince of Rome” in his writings. Nor does Paul encourage believers to confront territorial demons per se. They, like every other kind of demon, of whatever rank, are subject to Jesus. Whatever demons do, believers equipped with authority provided by the Lord are able to confront and to overcome them.
Should we try to Fill the Gaps?
We humans are blessed [or cursed?] with curiosity. We have a desire to know, to learn, to find out. One of the questions those of us who study demonology should consider is, “Should we even try to fill the gaps left by Scripture’s silence?” Some do make this effort, usually drawing on testimony from demons they are casting out, a questionable source at best..
Nowhere does Paul set out to write a treatise on demons. Paul writes as a pastor to his flock, and he deals with demons when [and only when] they are relevant to matters he’s dealing with. This does not mean that Paul doesn’t know the origin and nature of demons, for instance. The origin simply wasn’t relevant to any of his pastoral concerns. And, as far as origins is concerned, there are relevant passages of Scripture to which we can go. [In an upcoming post I’ll deal with this issue.]
When it comes to the personal names of demons and the ranks of the various
powers, Scripture is silent. In such cases speculation seems to have no valid purpose other than to satisfy curiosity. And, to be blunt, satisfying curiosity should be of low priority. Especially when God’s Word is silent on a matter.
There is one other area in which Paul makes no direct statement, but which is hinted at in Scripture, and on which deliverance ministers universally agree. Demons today can be identified by function. That is, demons can addressed not by a personal name but by the nature of the attack they mount on their human victims. For instance, anyone in deliverance ministry will tell you that there are demons who cause fear, whom they address by the name. “demon fear.” In deliverance literature we read of clusters of such demons, such as “demon panic,” “demon terror,” or even “demon fear of failure,” “demon fear of rejection,” etc. Those in deliverance ministry agree that it’s helpful to learn the identity of any demons present, and to cast them out by name [function]..
In a new series which I’ll launch next issue I’ll explore this question of the functional names of demons, and look at the biblical evidence for the common conviction that this is the way we are to deal with demons today.
Conclusion
Demons are mentioned frequently in Paul’s letters, although seldom by that name. Paul uses the common vocabulary of the first century and identifies demons as powers, principalities, rulers, authorities, etc. Paul’s references to the evil spirit beings who range themselves against God and attack human beings are found in passages where his intent is pastoral, rather a discussion of demons per se. Paul wants us to understand how demons operate, and how believers can protect themselves against demons. He also wants us to grasp the wonderful truth that Jesus is far superior to demons; so superior that Christians need not fear Satan or his followers.
There are a number of questions about evil spirits that Paul simply does not deal with in his epistles. Some of these questions are speculative, and thus should have low priority for Christians. Some questions have practical implications. But one of the questions Paul does not deal with directly has great practical implications for deliverance ministry today. That question, “How do we address demons who have taken up residence in human victims?” is something we will look at in a future series on “addressing demons by name.”
Posted by owner on
May 25, 2010
Applying biblical principals of Freedom* in Living Free support groups.
“Living Free Support Groups” help believers apply biblical truths about identity, faith, peace, righteousness and truth in order to experience freedom in Christ. New activities for Living Free Support Groups are published every two weeks on www.demondope.com.
Living Free Support Group
Activity #4
FAITH
Activity
Materials needed: decks of playing cards, 1 tennis ball
Work together to build a five-level structure using playing cards. Let each person know before you begin that the structure must be strong enough to hold up a tennis ball placed on its top.
When the structure is complete, carefully place the tennis ball on its top. What happens to the “house of cards?”
Then talk about how each felt when beginning to build. How much hope did each have that you would succeed, from no hope [0%] to total confidence of success [100%].
Invite each person to identify one area in his or her life that’s characterized
by at least 50% hopelessness; the feeling that you’ll never succeed and that things will never change. Share those areas with each other.
Specific situations will differ, but discuss what your experiences of feeling hopeless have in common.
Recognize Satan’s Lie
Satan wants to convince us that we’ll never succeed in doing things that are important to us and to the Lord. He wants to destroy our confidence, and make us feel hopeless. We all have different life situations. But most of us have some area in our lives where we feel hopeless. Often we cry out to God, and yet nothing seems to change. And Satan’s demons say, “See! I told you so. Things will never change. You’ll never make it in this area. You’re a pitiful failure.”
Hear God’s Truth
The God who loves us and has chosen us, the God who has adopted us into his family as sons with full access to his resources, doesn’t see our situations as we see them. Ephesians 2:10 states that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Since God is faithful, we can trust him in strengthen us in our situations so that our lives and actions will glorify him. Because of God’s faithfulness we can live confidently, certain that he has provided for us “a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Respond to God’s Truth
Share one way that God has proven faithful to you. As each shares, let an awareness of God’s past involvement in your lives fill your hearts with hope.
Then pray. Invite the Holy Spirit to be with you in power and to take charge of the rest of your time together. If anyone has been struggling with hopelessness and despair, pray for him or her. Rebuke the spirits of hopelessness, despair and depression, and command them to leave. Then bless each person present with a renewed trust in God’s faithfulness, and the hope that fills us as we trust in him.
Unison Affirmation
God of Power and Might,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We worship and praise You, Father,
All Powerful
We worship and praise You, Jesus,
Name above every Name
We worship and praise You, Holy Spirit,
Who Fills with divine power
O God of Power and Might,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
We confess our feelings of hopelessness
We acknowledge that those feelings are not rooted in truth
We repudiate them as Satan’s lies
O God of Power and Might,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Your presence in our lives guarantees us hope and a future
We choose to trust you and your Word
We choose to live in hope,
Now and forevermore. Amen
Copy this Bible Verse
Post it in your home, and memorize it
“ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
____________________________________________
*Larry Richards’ FREEDOM WORKSHOP provides instruction on Satan’s schemes and teaches about identity, faith, peace, righteousness and truth, to free those who have fallen victim to the devil’s snares.
Posted by owner on
May 25, 2010
Deliverance from Evil Spirits
Michael Scanlan & Randall Cirner
Servant Books
This little 114 page book is written by a Charismatic Catholic priest (Scanlon) and a friend who has worked within Catholic covenant communities. The book retains a Catholic flavor, but not strong enough to be troublesome to protestants or to diminish its value to the whole Body of Christ. The authors view “deliverance” as “any confrontation with an evil spirit aimed at overcoming its influence.” The distinctive of the book is its emphasis on deliverance within the context of pastoral care, and in its breadth of understanding of the range of demonic attacks on Christians.
The authors treat demonic attacks under the headings of temptation, oppression, and bondage.
Demonic temptation many involve anything from sudden, unexpected, one-time enticements to sin on to overpowering temptations that function as compulsions or addictive sins.
By opposition the authors mean demonic harassment intended to keep something positive from happening. They recognize possible opposition in anything from car trouble that keeps a person from an important meeting, to the promotion of strife and disunity in a church or marriage.
In the author’s view bondage may range from demonically caused illness and emotional turmoil to the inability to break sinful habits.
The authors also present a balanced view of deliverance. They understand our authority to deliver through a straightforward command to Satan and evil spirits to leave a person or situation. But they also emphasize “making oneself less vulnerable to demonic spirits” by avoiding sin and by “living a dynamic Christian life.”
The authors observe that “those who want to live a fruitful and effective Christian life must recognize the satanic reality where it exists and defeat it in the power of the Lord. One of the great difficulties the Christian Church faces today is that many Christians simply do not acknowledge that Satan and evil spirits exist.” This balanced little book helps to dispel this error, and provides solid help for the practicing Christian.
Posted by owner on
May 11, 2010
The fourteenth in a series of studies of demons in Paul’s epistles.
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God–or rather are known by God–how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
Galatians 4:1-9
Background
At first glance, you might wonder why I included this passage in a study of references in Paul’s letters to demons. The reason both for the confusion and for my choice is Paul’s use here of the Greek term, stoichcia. The term is used only four times in Paul’s letters, twice here and twice in Colossians, and has a wide range of meaning. In the first century stoichcia was used both to refer to spirit beings and to basic or foundational principles. Translators of our English versions do not agree on which use is intended here. Thus the
NIV takes it one way and translates stoichcia as “the basic principles of the world,” as does the NASB, which renders it “elementary principles of the world.” On the other hand, the RSV and the NEB take it as a reference to personal spirit beings, and translate stoichia “the elemental spirits of the universe,” while the TEV agrees and translates, “the ruling spirits of the universe.”
I believe there is a better case for understanding Paul’s reference to the stoichcia in a personal rather than impersonal way. And that the flow of Paul’s argument makes this meaning clear.
Galatians
The little book of Galatians is rightly viewed as a polemic against those who would rob the Gospel of Grace, first by insisting that works are necessary for salvation, and second by insisting that works provide the basis for the believer’s continuing access to God. Paul argues that human effort has nothing to do with salvation, and that human effort has nothing to do with spirituality. Both salvation and spirituality are rooted in personal relationship with Jesus Christ; a relationship that is possible only through a faith response to the divine Promise. To shift the focus of Christianity away from relationship distorts the Gospel itself, and cuts the believer off from the power that the Holy Spirit provides for holy living.
For Jewish Christians the problem was that they had grown up thinking of Law as the key to relationship with God. And they had taken commitment to keeping the Law in all its details as the measure of spirituality. Hellenistic Christians, who had grown up in a different religious tradition, had a different problem. Most of the non-Jewish Christians of the first century viewed spirituality in a dramatically different context. The spiritual person was sensitive to the spirit world, and showed due respect to the gods and goddesses by setting aside moments and days for ritual and worship.
In the present passage Paul speaks to believers from both traditions, and makes an argument that applies to both.
Observations
“as long as the heir is a child” In Roman law an underage child had no personal rights. In fact, it was normal for a Roman father to place the child under the supervision of a paidagog, who was himself a slave. Thus the situation of an underage child was that of a slave to a slave!
This, Paul argues was the condition of the Jew under the Law. But a non-Jew was a slave to demons, “to those who by nature are not gods.”
“God sent his Son, .. . . that we might receive the full rights of sons.” From the beginning God, who created human beings in his image and likeness, viewed us as his children. But we were errant children, who went astray. So God placed the Jews under the Law as paidagog, and the Jew became a slave to the Law. He permitted the rest of human kind to experience the consequences of their rebellion, and so mankind fell into the hands of Satan and his demons, who masqueraded as deities.
But now Christ has come, and both Jew and non-Jew are emancipated. In Christ both have been granted the full rights of sons. Now the Jew is freed from domination by the Law, and the non-Jew is freed from domination by demons. What Paul yearns for is that the new believers in Galatia might experience what it means to live as a son, in intimate personal relationship with the Father, relating directly to him.
“God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts . . . . So you are no longer a slave, but a son.” The Holy Spirit who has been given to believers is the living link between us and God. And the Spirit is a direct link. The Jew no longer needs to approach God through the Law. And the non-Jews no longer need attempt to approach God as he did before, through ritual observance.
In just a little Paul will develop this further, and show that the Holy Spirit is the key to a transformed life and true spirituality. “Walk in the Spirit,” Paul will exhort us, and he will describe the new life believers in Christ can experience. But in this present passage Paul is concerned with making a single point. The old ways in which these new Christians once approached salvation and spirituality are to be abandoned. Totally. Neither way succeeded in the past. And neither Law nor “religion” will work now.
“How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? For the non-Jew, turning back to worship organized around ritual and the observance of special days and seasons is tantamount to placing himself under the domination of the stoichcia who had enslaved them. Rather than a sign of spirituality, such observances are a pathway leading to further domination by demons.
Conclusion
In this Galatians passage Paul uses stoichia in a distinctly personal sense. The spirit beings, demons, who had masqueraded as deities, had imposed a false notion of spirituality on non-Jews. But as Christians, Jew and non-Jew alike are now in a relationship with God that is like the relationship of a child who has become an adult and has been acknowledged to be a son. That child is no longer a slave of slaves. He is free. And he has a direct, personal relationship God the Father.
The glorious message of Galatians is that we are sons. We are freed from our old slaveries and equipped to live as God’s heirs in this sinful world. Because of and through our personal relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will serve as God’s living voice to guide us. And he will empower us to live God’s kind of life in this world. No longer slaves, we are truly free.
Posted by owner on
May 11, 2010
A demondope service
Question
I have a question with regards to our own awareness of demonic activity and or (oppression, possession , influence ) in our own present age. Reading the Gospels I am impressed by the fact that demonic activity ect was (it seems) common knowledge, easily recognized by the uneducated poor, not even questioned by the Pharisee’s or Sadducees. Can the same be said today? It seems to me there is a certain amount of confusion, hesitation, and a need to explore other physical, or psychological explanations other than demonic activity. Why the discrepancy between the Gospel account’s and our own present? Do you think there is a discrepancy? If so why is this so? Even among the Gentiles (in the Gospels) this awareness seems to exist apart from the Jewish community. Such as when Jesus cast the demons into the herd of pigs. The Gentiles did not question (it seems) what had happened to the herd of pigs. It was accepted the pig threw themselves off the cliff because of the demons entering them? Is this a valid observation?
Answer
This is a very good question. The answer is complex, but I’ll try to simplify as much as I can.
1. The Gospels report a period of what I call “open conflict” in the invisible war between God and Satan, angels and demons. There was a public, power confrontation between demons and Jesus. Two other biblical periods of open conflict have taken place: the Exodus, where plagues served as judgments on the demon-gods of Egypt, and the time of Elijah/Elisha, during which 21 public miracles are recorded. But most of the biblical era was not marked by this kind of open, public conflict between God and Satanic forces. So we should not take the events recorded in the Gospels to portray the way that either demons or God “normally” works.
2. The epistles say a lot about demonic forces, using the vocabulary of the first century Mediterranean world . . . referring to demons as powers, principalities, rulers, authorities, etc. Paul’s letters also speak of Satan’s “schemes” or “strategies,” picturing more subtle attacks than we see in the Gospels.
3. These two sources help us see something that CS Lewis pointed out. Satan is equally served if (1) a society is well aware of his powers and so terrified that they submit to him, or (2) a society is unaware of his activities and ascribes natural causes to the bondage into which he brings human beings.
In some parts of the world today Satan is feared, and witchdoctors and sorcerers are relied on for their ability to influence demons to curse or to heal. In our part of the world Satan is viewed as a myth, and the impact of demons on peoples’ lives is ascribed to natural physical or psychological causes.
4. The situation is further confused by the fact that demon’s “hitch hike” on normal problems and exacerbate them. For instance, suppose a person has a hot temper. That character flaw gives a demon an entry point, and it can then intensify the anger so it becomes rage. [We see this in Genesis, where Cain, already furious with Able, takes him out into a field intending to harm him, and “then Satan entered into him,” creating a rage that led to Able’s murder.] Compare the recent case of Yeardly Love’s beating to death by her boy friend, who’s history shows an anger problem!]
Usually it’s not a case of “demonization OR psychological problem”, but rather “demonization AND psychological problem.”
That’s why it’s important for anyone in a deliverance ministry to realize that there will be underlying problems which provided demons with access and a continuing grip on a person that must be dealt with. We can expel (exorcise) the demons without solving the underlying problems, and unless we help with the underlying problems that person will continue to be vulnerable to demonic influences.
5. Which brings me to the FREEDOM WORKSHOP which I now give most of my time to presenting. Working from the Book of Ephesians which describes how to “put on the armor of God,” I show how demons operate in our lives today . . . and how we can find freedom from their influence.
I just completed a Workshop at Dayspring Fellowship in Durham, NC, this past Friday and Saturday. The folks there have put up an audio of the workshop on their website. If you want a fuller explanation, you will find some 6 hours of content at
http://idayspring.com/index,php?option=com_content&view=article&id=210&Itemid=61
Or I’d be delighted to come to your city and church and conduct a FREEDOM WORKSHOP there.
Posted by owner on
May 11, 2010
Applying biblical principals of Freedom in Living Free support groups.
The FREEDOM WORKSHOP provides instruction on Satan’s schemes and teaches biblical truths (about identity, faith, peace, righteousness and truth) that free those who have fallen into the devil’s snares. Living Free Support Groups help believers apply these truths and experience freedom in Christ. A new activity for Living Free Support groups is published every two weeks on www.demondope.com.
Living Free Support Group
Activity #3
IDENTITY
Activity
Materials needed: crayons and 8½ x 11 sheets of paper
Ask each person to close his or her eyes and go back to a time when he felt terribly threatened and insecure. Visualize that time, let yourself experience those feelings.
With the crayons, use shapes and colors to capture the situation and express how you felt at that time.
Show your pictures to each other, and tell about the experiences and feelings you captured in them.
Recognize Satan’s Lie
Satan tells us that we’re helpless. He tells us that our lives are out of control, He tempts us with fears and feelings of insecurity, making us reach out desperately for some anchor for our lives. But the things he urges us to grab hold of – money, our job, good health, a relationship – are insubstantial and are sure to fail us, ultimately robbing us of the sense of security that each of us needs to be healthy and whole.
Hear God’s Truth
I am vitally important to God. I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, who is “a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession (1:14). The Holy Spirit is the mark both of God’s ownership – the stamp that says “you belong to God” – and also is the living presence who bonds us to the Lord. Being sealed by the Spirit means that God is always present within us, his strong arms wrapped around us, holding us close and safe when life’s storms rage all around us. Circumstances may be out of my control, but are never out of his control. God is our anchor, and even when I feel too weak to hold on to him he is holding on to me.
Respond to God’s Truth
Close your eyes and picture yourself in God’s arms, warm, safe, secure. Let out a deep breath and let your entire body relax. Sit quietly for a few moments, enjoying the relief that comes from not having to struggle, not having to hold on, simply being held.
Then take up your crayons again. Picture yourself in the same situation you represented in the first picture you drew, but totally aware of God’s presence with you, holding you safe and secure.
Show your pictures to each other, sharing the picture you created and what it expresses.
Offer sentence prayers expressing your feelings to God.
Unison Affirmation
Father,
We confess our fears
We acknowledge our feelings of insecurity
We admit to taking our eyes off you to focus on our circumstances
Yet, Father
You have never left us
You have sheltered and protected us
You have thwarted every attempt of Satan to destroy us
Dear Father
Your strong arms are wrapped around us
You protect and guard us
You are here,
Now,
And forever more.
Copy this Bible Verse
Post it in your home, and memorize it
“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).
Posted by owner on
May 3, 2010
The thirteenth in a study of demons in Paul’s epistles
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15).
Background
Colossians presents the Gospel against the background of an emerging heresy that was rooted in a particular view of the universe. Apparently many in the city of Colosse bought into the idea that, in order to reconcile the belief that God is good with the presence of evil in the world, it was necessary to make a sharp distinction between spirit and matter. God is good, and God is spirit. So that which is “spiritual”—understood as immaterial and invisible—must also be good. And since evil is resident in matter, this group of people who were later called Gnostics, assumed that our physical bodies and our lives in the world are necessarily tainted by evil.
It seemed to these Colossians that it followed logically that God, who is both good and spirit, must isolate himself completely from the evil material universe. Thus God could not have created the material universe. Nor could God have entered the creation as a true human being, for human beings have an “evil” material dimension as well as a “good” spiritual aspect. To have taken on humanity God would have had to bond with the material, and as the truly good could never unite with the wholly evil, incarnation seemed to these people utterly impossible.
The Apostle Paul contradicts this abstract, philosophically reasoned set of beliefs. For one thing, there are evil spirit beings, those very principalities and powers that the ancient world feared. So spirit can not be “good by definition.” For another, God did create the universe. And God did enter the universe he created as a true human being. What’s more, the incarnate God died bodily on the cross, was resurrected bodily, and even now is at the right hand of the Father, eternally bonding in the person of Jesus Christ both God and human being.
It is in the context of these conflicting views of the universe that Paul focuses our attention on the cross, and asserts that in the cross Jesus disarmed the “powers and authorities” and triumphed over them.
Observations
“principalities and authorities” The terms “principality” and “authority” are two of thirteen different “power” terms in the Epistles used to identify supernatural beings that the people of the first century believed occupied the spirit world. These terms might be applied to a pagan god or goddess, or to any other spirit being, such as a demon or a ghost or demi-god [half human, half deity}. In the first century these supernatural beings were generally feared, for the populace firmly believed that beings in the spirit world controlled what happened in this world. Spirit beings determined whether humans would be sick or well, poor of wealthy, unlucky or lucky. So principalities and authorities were held in awe, and people were desperate to placate or to influence them.
“having disarmed” The exciting message of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ has “disarmed” the enemy in the spirit world. The image is drawn from military life. When a foe was defeated it was forced to surrender every sword, every spear, every knife blade, every blunt object, with which it might harm the victor. The weapons were surrendered, or they were torn from the unwilling hands of the defeated but still hostile enemy.
The principalities and powers, Satan’s demons all, would not surrender voluntarily. So Jesus disarmed them! The weapons they wielded against a helpless humanity were torn from their hands at Calvary by a triumphant Christ!
“he made a public spectacle of them” When a Roman general defeated a stubborn foe the Senate might vote him a triumph. So honored, the general led a procession through the city of Rome itself. The victorious general rode in a chariot, cheered by admiring crowds. He was trailed by the defeated foe, who stumbled after him in chains, forced to endure the jeers and insults of the mob.
This is the image that Paul draws of the principalities and powers who once terrorized humankind. Jesus has triumphed. Satan and all his demons are now exposed as powerless, having been disarmed by the Lord. And we are invited to envision Satan’s hordes as, powerless now, they trail after the Savior, heads bowed, the objects of our jeers and our contempt.
“triumphing over them by the cross” How did Jesus triumph over Satan? In the most amazing manner. Not by power, with flashing lightening bolt as thunders pealed. Jesus triumphed by dying like some criminal on a Roman cross.
The writer of Hebrews explains it for us. Jesus chose to share our humanity “so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14,15). It was our mortality that gave Satan his power over us. We lived in fear of what might come, knowing how vulnerable each of us was and how helpless before the specter of our own approaching death. Then, in his death, Jesus ripped that power from Satan’s hand, revealing that what lies ahead for us is life, and that eternal!
With the power of death torn from his hands by the death of Jesus, Satan and his demons truly are disarmed. Satan is a defeated foe. Freed from the fear of death we are released from Satan’s grasp. There is nothing now that Satan or his demons can do to harm us. For all the demons’ posturing, for all their threats, demons know all they can do is try to bluff those who do not realize who they are in Christ, or who fail to grasp the truth Paul states so clearly. Jesus truly has disarmed the powers and the authorities. Today they cringe when we see them as they are; powerless, disarmed, dragged unwillingly along behind the triumphant Jesus who lifts high his cross.
Conclusion
So many in Christ’s church today shy away from the subject of demons. They would rather pretend that evil spiritual forces do not exist. It seems dangerous to acknowledge the reality of evil spirits or explore the harm demons may do to believers. These Christians seem to feel that if we ignore demons, they may ignore us. But the good news of the Gospel is that Christ has triumphed. He has disarmed the evil forces that we so foolishly fear. In spiritual warfare the outcome is no longer in doubt. Because Christ has disarmed the forces of evil, we have already won! All we need to do is understand the enemy, take our stand against him, and he will flee.
Posted by owner on
May 3, 2010
Published items illustrating the growing impact of neopagan and occult religion on Western culture.
11,000 at Beltane Festival
That’s the number that showed up at Carlton Hill in Scotland for the pagan inspired festival. Most watched as some 350 costumed and body-painted celebrants danced and drummed the entry of Spring on May first.
Meanwhile, in Connecticut
Beltane 2010: A Pagan Odyssey was celebrated on Schrieber’s Farm in Southbury. The “incredible festival” was “stuffed full of workshops, rituals and entertainment.”
And in Iowa
In Waterloo where according to the last census some 355 residents of the region identify themselves as pagans, the Beltane “holy day” was viewed by Tiffany Lazic as “the union of masculine and feminine divinities mingling with the ‘apark’ that leads to new life.” There public celebration has been replaced by low-key rituals performed alone or in families.
Too Much for the Sheriff
The Sheriff’s office in Livingston Parish, LA, plans to keep a close eye on the planned 4-dau May celebration at Gryphon’s Next Campground, billed as Louisiana’s only “dedicated pagan camp.” The festival is scheduled to include drumming circles, Celtic music, pagan spiritual music, fire dancers and “authentic voodoo rituals.” Perry Rushing, chief of operations for the sheriff’s department said “We vehemently oppose this type of activity in Livingston Parrish.” But he added that as long as all laws were followed to the letter, “we can’t do anything about it.”
Demons’ Delight?
According to the UK Telegraph, demonic activity has reached a level in Great Britain equal to that of medieval times. At least that’s what the “Demonic Britain” report on the US TV program “Supernatural” says. Lionel Fanthorpe, the UK’s leading authority on the unexplained, noted, “The report clearly shows we are a nation still rich in sightings and reports of devils, demons and evil spirits of various forms.”
=Scottsbluff to Take Inaction
Officials of the Nebraska city were apparently surprised when the local ACLU sent them a letter asking for repeal of an ordinance against fortunetelling, clairvoyance, and divination. Apparently no one except the resident who complained to the ACLU was aware the ordinance existed. The Police Chief can’t remember pursuing any such cases. The city attorney promised to look into the matter, to see whether any further action—or inaction—is called for.
Shopping Salt Lake City?
Seems that the Utah city has three of the best Pagan stores in the country. There’s Spellbound, whose vast assortment of herbs “would make any Witch or Wizard’s head spin in a dizzy glee.” There’s Free Spirit Pagan, a “virtual pagan paradise” with clothing and tapestries for pagans who “love to wear their religious and spiritual beliefs on their sleeves.” And there’s Elemental Inspirations, featuring fantasy items and incenses. Of course, these are just three of the at least five pagan stores I found on the Web serving Salt Lake County’s 1,2 million population. I wonder how many customers it takes to support all five stores?
White History Week
The traditional white history month at the University of New Mexico opened – and closed – with Wiccan rituals. The event was designed to show how “white privilege has developed and denied white people aspects of their culture.” Part of that lost cultural heritage, according to sponsors, is “monotheistic pagan religions.” Hence the Wiccan element, complete with magick intended to “help with healing.”
Slapping Centerville
A resident of this Georgia town has written a hot column taking a swing at the city council for writing an ordinance prohibiting the offering of such services as palm-reading, fortune telling, and astrology from charging money. For free is OK, says the city counsel. But Bill Ferguson finds the law unconstitutional, with its intent to stifle the “New Agey” folks from the free exercise of religion. After all, “don’t preachers, pastors and imams take money? Apparently the courts will decide.
Speaking of Ordinances
There’s a proposal before the Cook County [Chicago] board of commissioners for a new ordinance banning “fraud” under the guise of “spiritual services for pay.” The ordinance would affect mediumship, palmistry, card reading, astrology, seership, and fortune telling “that might take place as gatherings, circles and séances.” An article on The Wild Hunt, a pagan religion site, argues that there are already ordinances against fraud, so there’s no need to single out spiritual services in another ordinance.
A Spoonful of Sugar
Clyde Blackwater wants a spoonful and then some from his ex-employer. It seems that Clyde, a Medicine Man in his Native American religion, was fired by Process Equipment and Service Company in Albuquerque. He claims that once they learned about his faith his fellow-employees made comments about his practicing witchcraft and worshipping the devil. The company even sent a letter to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, claiming that Blackwater had “created a hostile work environment” for the other workers because he was known as a Medicine Man. The case is before a federal court now, and Clyde hopes for that spoonful of sugar that will definitely help the medicine go down.
Trip to Mecca Dangerous for Lebanese Psychic
In Lebanon, Sibit al-Khansa is a TV star, appearing as a psychic. In Saudi Arabia al-Khansa is a criminal. On a pilgrimage to Mecca in May 2008 the Lebanese psychic was arrested, charged with witchcraft, and sentenced to death. Although the Saudi high court confirmed the death sentence this April, his lawyer has stated that al-Khansa will not be beheaded. As far as is known, Sibit has made no predictions about his ultimate fate.
Posted by owner on
May 3, 2010
The apostle Paul pictures the “heavenly realms” as the abode of spirit beings. These rulers, authorities and “powers of this dark world” are the “spiritual forces of evil” against which believers must stand (Eph. 6:12). And the Gospels are filled with references to demons who infect humans and cause various illnesses and difficulties. Clearly demons exist. But nowhere in the New Testament are we told exactly what these spirit beings are, or where they came from.
Two theories
In first century Judaism there were two prevalent theories. The first was built on Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, which were understood to describe the transformation of the angel Lucifer into the Prince of Darkness, Satan. According to this theory, the demons and evil spirits which all ancient peoples believed populate the spirit world, were angels who had followed Satan in his great rebellion against the Creator.
The second theory was built on the Genesis 6 reference to Nephilim, who were the offspring of the “sons of God,” understood as angels, and human women. According to this second theory, demons are the disembodied spirits of these half-breeds who died in the subsequent Genesis Flood.
No other theories were offered then, or later. While in the first century the ghosts of humans were supposed to remain nearby for a time, and often supposed to harm the living, this was a pagan theory and not common in Judaism or early Christianity.
We’re left, then, if we wish to be biblical in our search for the identity of evil spirits, to ask whether either of these ancient theories has additional support in Scripture. We very quickly discover that the second theory is given no additional support beyond the Genesis 6 story from which it is drawn. But the theory that demons are fallen angels—angels who sinned with Satan when he fell—does have considerable New Testament support.
Six lines of evidence
1. Evidence that some angels fell with Satan
A statement in Revelation 12 pictures Satan as an enormous red dragon and refers to his tail sweeping “a third of the stars out of the sky and flinging them to earth (v.3). As angels are sometimes referred to in the OT as “stars” (cf. JOB 38:7), this reference is often taken as evidence that a third of the angels God created followed Satan in his rebellion. This interpretation is commonly supported by Rev. 12:7, which describes “the dragon and his angels” at war with Michael and God’s angels in heaven. A similar reference to “the devil and his angels” is found in Matthew 25:4.
2. Evidence from parallel expressions
The devil “and his angels” are linked in Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:7. A parallel expression is found in Matthew 12:24, where reference is made to “Bellzebub [a name for Satan] and his demons.” In these expressions “angels” and “demons” are parallel, and thus arguably the same.
3. Evidence from parallel activities
The Bible pictures demons as seeking to enter and control individuals (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 11:14,15), something which Satan also does (Luke 22:3; John 3:2). In the same way evil angels are seen joining Satan to war against God, just as are demons (Mark 9:17-26; Revelation 9:1-11).
4. Evidence from essential being
Angels are called “spirits” in Psalm 14:4; Hebrews 1:14). Demons are also called “spirits” (see Matthew 8:15; Luke 19:17).
5. Evidence from personhood
Both angels and demons are referred to by personal pronouns, indicating that both are persons (Luke 8:28, etc.). While members of a class, both angels and demons are revealed to be individuals.
6. Evidence of personhood
Like angels, demons can communicate with us and are pictured as having emotions, intelligence, and other marks of personhood (Luke 8:31, etc.) As above, angels and demons are each pictured as individuals in Scripture.
Conclusion
While any one of these lines of evidence might be challenged, it’s difficult to imagine that six distinct lines of evidence which support the same conclusion, are likely to lead to an erroneous conclusion. In short, there is enough Scriptural evidence to conclude with some confidence that the demons of the Gospels and the powers of the Epistles are in fact angels who rebelled against God
While we can say this with some confidence, whether our conclusion is right or wrong has little impact on biblical demonology. Whatever their origins, there clearly are supernatural beings who are engaged with Satan in an invisible war against God and human kind. The good news is that Satan and his followers are defeated foes, and that as we follow Scriptures guidelines we can meet, and defeat them today.