Demons are a daily reality for Christians and we do battle with
them every waking hour. Unlike the non-believers in Christ
Jesus, Christians have the Lord to draw on for help, and to do
battle for us. Demons are not the devil for there is only one devil,
that is satan.
Their origin is not clearly revealed, but should not be confused
with the angels mentioned in (2 Peter 2:4): For God did not spare
the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment, and
(Jude 1:6): And the angels who did not keep their proper domain,
but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains
under darkness for the judgment of the great day. These two
groups of angels are separate from the demons we do battle with.
Demons in the New Testament Scriptures bear abundant
testimony. Let us see what the Scriptures say about demons:
A demon is a spirit, (Matthew 12:43,45): “When an unclean spirit
goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and
finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to the house from which I
came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in
order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more
wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last
state of the man is worse than the first.”
Demons are satan’s emissaries, (Matthew 12:26-27): “If satan
casts out satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his
kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom
do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.”
Demons are so numerous as to make satan’s practically
ubiquitous, (Mark 5:9): “What is your name?” And he answered,
saying “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
Demons are capable of entering and controlling both men and
animals, (Mark 5:2-5,11-13): “And when He had come out of the
boat , immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an
unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no
one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often
been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been
pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither
could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the
mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with
stones.” “Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the
mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying “Send us to the
swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them
permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the
swine (there were about two thousand) and the herd ran violently
down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.”
Demons seek to embody unsaved people to obtain power to
commit evil through a person. (Matthew 12:43-44): “When an
unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places,
seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to the
house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty,
swept, and put in order. (Mark 5:10-12): “Also he begged Him
(Jesus) earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.
So all the demons begged Him, saying “Send us to the swine, that
we may enter them.”
Demon influence and possession are reference in the following
verses (Matthew 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33; 9:32; 12:22; Mark 1:32; 5:15-
16, 18: Luke 8:36; Acts 8:7; 16:16.) “Then His fame went
throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who
were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who
were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed
them.” (Matthew 4:24), “When evening had come, they brought to
Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the
spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,” (Matthew 8:
16), “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the
Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming
out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that
way.” (Matthew 8:28).
How is it us Christians can stand against such a powerful and evil
force that works its darkness in this world each day. Jesus Christ
the Lord fights for us, look here. “Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod
your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all,
taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all
the saint” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
God’s brings us victory because it is far more than a protective
covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself. “Put on the
Armor of Light,” wrote Paul in his letter to the Romans, “Clothe
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:12-14) When
you do, He becomes your hiding place, and shelter in the storm
just as He was for David. Hidden in Him you can count on His
victory, for He not only covers you as a shield, He also fills you
with His life. “I am the vine; you are the branches,” said Jesus. “
If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart
from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Living with one in the
Lord means we share both in His struggles and His peace. God
promises us victory in the midst of trials, not immunity from pain.
So “do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as
though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice that
you participate in the sufferings of Christ.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)
Heroes of our faith have been tortured for their faith and endured
unthinkable pain. They affirm with Paul “Yet in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I
am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39) This beautiful truth is a reality to us who
put our trust in the Lord Jesus. When we put on His armor, His
life surrounds us, keeps us safe from the evil invisible war that
continues around us every day. Learn more about each piece of
armor and what it does for you in sermon #6. Let us now pray to
the Lord.
Prayer:
Give to us, O God, the girdle, the helmet, the breastplate, the
shield, the sandals, the sword—and above all things, prayer.
Grant to us the power and opportunity of well-doing, that before
the day of our departure comes, our efforts may have produced
good fruit for You Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
them every waking hour. Unlike the non-believers in Christ
Jesus, Christians have the Lord to draw on for help, and to do
battle for us. Demons are not the devil for there is only one devil,
that is satan.
Their origin is not clearly revealed, but should not be confused
with the angels mentioned in (2 Peter 2:4): For God did not spare
the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment, and
(Jude 1:6): And the angels who did not keep their proper domain,
but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains
under darkness for the judgment of the great day. These two
groups of angels are separate from the demons we do battle with.
Demons in the New Testament Scriptures bear abundant
testimony. Let us see what the Scriptures say about demons:
A demon is a spirit, (Matthew 12:43,45): “When an unclean spirit
goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and
finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to the house from which I
came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in
order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more
wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last
state of the man is worse than the first.”
Demons are satan’s emissaries, (Matthew 12:26-27): “If satan
casts out satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his
kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom
do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.”
Demons are so numerous as to make satan’s practically
ubiquitous, (Mark 5:9): “What is your name?” And he answered,
saying “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
Demons are capable of entering and controlling both men and
animals, (Mark 5:2-5,11-13): “And when He had come out of the
boat , immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an
unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no
one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often
been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been
pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither
could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the
mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with
stones.” “Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the
mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying “Send us to the
swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them
permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the
swine (there were about two thousand) and the herd ran violently
down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.”
Demons seek to embody unsaved people to obtain power to
commit evil through a person. (Matthew 12:43-44): “When an
unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places,
seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to the
house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty,
swept, and put in order. (Mark 5:10-12): “Also he begged Him
(Jesus) earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.
So all the demons begged Him, saying “Send us to the swine, that
we may enter them.”
Demon influence and possession are reference in the following
verses (Matthew 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33; 9:32; 12:22; Mark 1:32; 5:15-
16, 18: Luke 8:36; Acts 8:7; 16:16.) “Then His fame went
throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who
were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who
were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed
them.” (Matthew 4:24), “When evening had come, they brought to
Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the
spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,” (Matthew 8:
16), “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the
Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming
out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that
way.” (Matthew 8:28).
How is it us Christians can stand against such a powerful and evil
force that works its darkness in this world each day. Jesus Christ
the Lord fights for us, look here. “Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod
your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all,
taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all
the saint” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
God’s brings us victory because it is far more than a protective
covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself. “Put on the
Armor of Light,” wrote Paul in his letter to the Romans, “Clothe
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 13:12-14) When
you do, He becomes your hiding place, and shelter in the storm
just as He was for David. Hidden in Him you can count on His
victory, for He not only covers you as a shield, He also fills you
with His life. “I am the vine; you are the branches,” said Jesus. “
If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart
from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Living with one in the
Lord means we share both in His struggles and His peace. God
promises us victory in the midst of trials, not immunity from pain.
So “do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as
though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice that
you participate in the sufferings of Christ.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)
Heroes of our faith have been tortured for their faith and endured
unthinkable pain. They affirm with Paul “Yet in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I
am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39) This beautiful truth is a reality to us who
put our trust in the Lord Jesus. When we put on His armor, His
life surrounds us, keeps us safe from the evil invisible war that
continues around us every day. Learn more about each piece of
armor and what it does for you in sermon #6. Let us now pray to
the Lord.
Prayer:
Give to us, O God, the girdle, the helmet, the breastplate, the
shield, the sandals, the sword—and above all things, prayer.
Grant to us the power and opportunity of well-doing, that before
the day of our departure comes, our efforts may have produced
good fruit for You Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
Learn more about angels and demons in the bible:
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