Possession is used in Scripture to describe the control of a person by one or more demons. It has a secondary meaning of ownership. This is brought out in the fact that demons often claim ownership of the body in which they dwell. Demons are strictly spirits without bodies or visible form. They seem to crave a body from which to work.

An example of demon possession is found in Mark chapter 5. The demons that possessed this man cannot be seen, but their character is clearly described in verses 2 through 13. Verse 2 states that he had an unclean spirit. In other words, he was indwelt by another being. According to verse 3, this man possessed unusual physical strength. No one could bind him. No chains could be found strong enough to hold him. Verse 4 describes the third characteristic — fits of rage. The fourth characteristic is found in verses 6 and 7. He had more than one personality. We refer to this as the splitting of the personality or schizophrenia. (It is important to note that schizophrenia is not always the result of demonic activity.) The fifth sign is found in verse 7 — opposition to the Christian faith. He simply told Jesus to leave him alone. It is quite common to meet with this type of resistance when seeking to counsel those in whom demons have obtained a foothold. Verse 7 also describes the sixth symptom. He had clairvoyant powers. He knew immediately who Jesus really was. Verse 9 gives us the seventh characteristic — demons speaking through the man’s voice. When this takes place, there is an alteration of the voice so those present know it is not the voice of the person possessed. The eighth characteristic is found in verse 13 where occult transference takes place. The demons left the man and entered into the pigs. It is interesting to note that a number of these symptoms are found in mental illness today. I do not mean to imply that all mental illness is demonic. But obviously, some areas. The case of the demoniac at Gadara is certainly extreme. Most of you do not face this sort of problem. Let us look at some of the more common symptoms of demonic activity.

In Acts 10:38, John explained "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil; because God was with him.." The phrase, "under the power of the devil" suggests that the devil can bring pressure or influence to bear on certain individuals. The King James Version uses the word "oppress" here. It appears from the various shades of meaning of the word "oppress" that it describes the operation of Satan working from without. It is quite difficult or impossible for a believer to be possessed by a demon because the word "possess" suggests ownership. But this does not stop demons from using extenuating circumstances, cantankerous people, and an unwholesome atmosphere to bring pressure to bear upon Christians. Demons will relentlessly attack a victim until he becomes depressed and despondent. If not dealt with, this can even lead to a desire to commit suicide. Of course, not all suicide is the result of demonic activity, but I am convinced that a portion of it is. Christians are not exempt from this sort of pressure. The wife of a very good friend of mine committed suicide the day after she returned from attending a Bible conference on the Deeper Life. This woman was not some second class Christian. She was a spiritual leader. Her husband was chairman of the Board of a Bible teaching church. There was no evidence of deep sin in her life. She was a quiet, unassuming believer who, for some time, had been under attack from the enemy. She had even voiced some of her problems to my wife sometime before this, but at that time we were not aware of Satan's method of attacking Christians. My wife did not know what to do beyond encouraging her and praying for her. Her husband, who was aware of her suicidal tendencies, had hidden all of his guns where she could not get them, but she knew where her father kept his. She went to her father's home, got his gun, went into the bathroom and shot herself. There was no one to help her for no one was aware of the source of her problem. If you know of a believer with suicidal tendencies, do not take it lightly.

Sometimes, demonic activity is seen as mental illness. There are many examples in the New Testament where mental disorders are attributed to demonic activity. One of these is found in Mark 5:1— 20. After Jesus cast out the demons, it is recorded that the man was "sitting there, dressed and in his right mind . . ." (verse 15). When the demons were cast out, the person is said to have been restored to his right mind. Nevertheless, we need to understand that mental problems may also be caused by such things as chemical imbalance. Therefore, we must be careful not to attribute all mental problems to demons.

Demons can be responsible for the inability to think clearly and logically, or to concentrate on spiritual truth. To the believer it could be the failure to understand the Bible or to grasp a certain spiritual truth . . . a blank mind when it comes to spiritual things. Perhaps you have had the experience of discovering some new truth but as you try to put it all together to get a clear understanding, your mind goes blank, or you grasp some truth today, and you cannot remember it tomorrow. It may take the form of daydreaming when you try to pray or read the Word. Your mind just drifts off on something else and you seem to be living in a world of imagination. These things do not appear to be very serious, but they do affect your spiritual growth and maturity. Therefore, it should be dealt with. Second Corinthians 11:3 clearly states that a believer's mind can be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. In Chapter 10 verse 5, we read that believers do have the responsibility of "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." You are not to be conformed to this world but transformed by "the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). The mind is the control center of the body, therefore, what we think is extremely important, because, in a very real sense we are what we think. In Philippians 4:8, we are told "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things." If you are buffeted with evil thoughts, put on the "Shield of faith, with which ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16 KJV). Remember, Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead as Victor over the enemy. He has given you the authority to stand against satanic forces, so, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:16). Then, ask the Holy Spirit to fill your mind with his thoughts. As you "come near to God, he will come near to you" (James 4:8). Reject every thought that comes from the enemy.

The inability to tell the truth and an extreme tendency to exaggerate could be the result of demonic workings. I am sure you have met people who really have difficulty telling the truth. They will lie when the truth would fit much better. Remember that lying is one of the characteristics of Satan. Look at John 8:44b, to see what Jesus had to say about Satan. "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." In other words, Satan is the originator of the lie and to lie is natural for him. Therefore, if you find it difficult to tell the truth, you should investigate to see where this characteristic originates. I would like to remind you also that you don't have to tell a lie to be a liar. It's possible to live a lie. A person who pretends to be something he is not is living a lie. I have observed that a great many Christians are actually lying about their spiritual life. They can give long testimonies describing how they love the Lord and how the Lord is blessing them. This is a problem that the Pharisees had. They would make long prayers in public places to convince people how spiritual they were. Their clothing pointed up their spiritual status. Actually, they were pretending to be something they were not. And this is the reason that Jesus dealt harshly with the Pharisees. He called them "hypocrites, white sepulchers filled with dead men's bones".

It is not only important for us to be honest with other people, but we must be honest with ourselves. Some are not willing to face the reality of their own problems or their own deplorable spiritual condition. You know that God cannot forgive sin until you are willing to confess it. To confess simply means to agree with God that it is sin. In 1 John 1:9 we are told, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." This does not mean that we confess that we are sinners, but we are to confess the individual sin. Name it! Have you ever heard anyone pray "Lord, forgive us all our sins. Amen?" He is actually wasting his time because the Lord never hears that kind of prayer. Confession must never be general, it must be specific. Just suppose you were taken into court for a particular crime and you say to the Judge, "Yes, I am guilty of crime." He's going to ask you one question; "Are you guilty of this particular crime with which you are charged?" Confession requires that you be specific.

Be aware of anything that is extreme. Even that which is good. If Satan cannot lead the believer into some immoral sin, he will seek to make his testimony ineffective through extremes. An uncontrolled temper, appetite, or sex drive has been a snare to many believers. The extreme could also take the form of excessive desire for pleasure, work, study, or approval. So beware of any extreme. Even some truth can become error when overemphasized and carried to the extreme. An example would be baptism which pictures the believer’s death, burial and resurrection with Christ. Some extremists claim this ceremony is a necessary part of our salvation. This reduces the value of the atoning death of Jesus.

God made man with a will and gave him freedom to choose. Everything you receive in the Christian life involves your will. God has provided all that you need to live the Christian life but you must choose it. For this reason, much satanic activity is aimed at immobilizing your will. If he can keep you from making a choice for God, he has accomplished his purpose. Every spiritual advance you make involves a choice. Therefore, your enemy’s goal is to immobilize your will to make you so passive that you cannot make that choice.

In James 4:7, we have a command that is very definite and positive. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Beware of persons or doctrines that urge you to submit to some unknown power. The word submit in the first part of this verse does not suggest passivity. To submit to God means that you have chosen to place yourself under his protection and authority. This is the same choice that you are called upon to make in Romans 12:1, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship." In James 4:8 we are told, "Come near to God and he will come near to you." Perhaps the most critical point in the life of any believer is when he comes to the place of being willing to submit his life to the Lord. When he comes to see the need for turning his life completely over to the Lord, Satan will encourage him to become passive. Beware of those who tell you to "Let go, and let God.", Remember that everything that God does for you and through you involves your will, so this is an extremely critical time.

Sometimes it is very difficult to determine the difference between an experience that comes from the Lord and one that comes from Satan. Perhaps the best way to tell is to check your life afterwards. Has there been a continual spiritual growth, and have you become closer to the Lord since that experience? Has there been a consistent manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in your life? "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." as listed in Galatians 5:22, 23. Is the Bible now an open book to you? When you read it, do its pages come alive so that you can now grasp spiritual truth in a new way? In Ephesians 4:27 we are told not to give a foothold to the devil. This is another way of saying "Resist the devil," as stated in James 4:7. As you study the Word of God you will notice that every command given concerning spiritual warfare is positive. There is no room for any passive attitude in the life of the believer. As long as you have a will to resist Satan, his influence on your life will be limited.

One of the most dangerous things happening to our generation is the increased use of drugs, both prescription and illegal. For several years we have been hearing reports of the discovery of harmful side effects from prescription drugs that were thought to be safe. I am certainly not qualified to evaluate drugs from a medical or scientific standpoint, but there is one side effect from drugs that I would like to emphasize. Some drugs have a tendency to immobilize the will which can make the patient depressed and passive. Some years ago, a Christian doctor told me he had observed that when Christians had to take certain drugs, they seemed to experience a loss of contact with the Lord. This results in a lack of faith, fear and depression. This is especially true of tranquilizers and some pain killers. Spiritual warfare involves active participation.. Therefore, any drug that tends to deaden your senses or put you to sleep makes it difficult for you to exercise your will. When you cannot actively exercise your will, Satan has the advantage over you. If you are taking drugs and experience any of the above symptoms, you should talk with your doctor and the Lord about an alternative.

Sickness and disease are a result of the curse placed upon the earth and its people when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus associated some sickness and disease with sin. The gospels record what Jesus said upon healing some individuals, "Your sins are forgiven." You must be careful, however, not to attribute all sickness or disease to sin. Jesus also made this very clear where he explained that some sickness was for the purpose of glorifying God. However, I believe it is safe to say that there is a great deal of sickness among believers that can be traced to demonic influence and/or disobedience.. Nevertheless, I caution you to be very careful in your judgment of the cause of an illness. If doctors cannot find anything physically wrong and the illness persists, it would be wise to look for enemy influence or a spiritual cause.

Some doctors now see the need to treat the whole man – physical and spiritual. It is not unusual for a Christian doctor to pray with his patient for healing. So called, "Divine Healing" which is healing by the power of God, is becoming more and more accepted in both medical and Christian circles. When the children of Israel were heading into the wilderness after their escape from Egypt the Lord made this decree; "If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to all his commands and keep his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you" (Exodus 15:26). This tells us that some sickness and disease could be the result of disobedience of breaking God’s laws. Nevertheless, you can be assured that God does not want you to be sick. Psalm 103:2 – 5 challenges us to "Forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Our medical missionary teams are experiencing more and more miraculous healings overseas. This is especially true in non-Christian cultures where there is the need to authenticate the true work and power of God. When the power of God is manifested in this way the people are quick to acknowledge that the God of the Christians is the true God. Recently a Hindu who had been sick for years, was prayed for by an Indian evangelist and was healed by God. He said. "I offered 50 sheep as sacrifices to my Hindu god, but got no help." In addition to receiving healing, he received Jesus as Savior and Lord and threw away his Hindu gods and fetishes. When these people see the power of God at work, they are quick to admit that their demon gods have not been able to give them health and peace.

The Bible is very clear in expressing the fact that there are religious demons whose primary responsibility is to teach false doctrine. "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron" (I Timothy 4:1, 2). It is quite clear that the later times referred to in verse one apply to the end of the age. And it is also very evident that we are now living near the end of the age of grace. Thus, we can expect to see an increase in deception by the teaching demons. It seems that certain demons have been given the ability to teach false doctrine. It is because of this that we are told to "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (I John 4:1). This means that when you hear some new doctrine you should examine it to be certain that it is the truth as taught in the Word of God. Keep in mind that the Bible is the standard you must use to evaluate all doctrine. Beware of those who say "I know it is truth, because I feel it." Feelings can be very misleading and unreliable. Feelings change from day to day, but the Word of God does not change.

In order for you to be able to evaluate doctrine, you must have a working knowledge of the Bible, and this requires Bible study. If you are not now enrolled in some Bible study program, I would urge you to find a Bible teaching church that has a strong emphasis on expositional Bible teaching. If this is not possible, continue to study Bible study courses like this. When you finish this study contact us at ministry@lightforliving.org for more studies.

The demonic activities that we have discussed thus far are by no means complete. But we have given this information in order to help you to recognize satanic activity when you see it. But this information will be of no value to you unless you realize God has provided victory so that you can be set free. Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for sin – your sin and mine. That sin originated in the Garden of Eden when Satan persuaded Adam and Eve to make a decision contrary to the will of God. That sin involved deliberate disobedience to the command of God and resulted in spiritual death, which is separation from God. Separated from God, man came under the dominion of Satan and a member of his kingdom. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection from the dead, made it possible for man to be delivered from the kingdom and power of Satan and to be translated into the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).

A Christian is one who through faith in the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ has enlisted in the Lord's army, but who must continue to live in enemy territory. Therefore, he is constantly under attack. Let us consider what happened to you when you believed.

(1) You received a spiritual birth. Jesus said, "No one can enter into the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:5, 6).

(2) You became a child of God. Therefore, you are now a member of God's family.

(3) You became a joint-heir with Christ and have a valuable inheritance.

(4) You received a new life. God the Holy Spirit now lives in you. The cross not only settled the sin problem, it provided victory over Satan who is the author of sin. "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15). Satan was disarmed at the cross.

Hebrews 2:14 declares, "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil." The word destroy means to bring to nothing and make of no effect the one who had the power of death. The next verse, 15, declares, "And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." When you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you were set free from the authority and dominion of Satan's kingdom. You have been liberated and transferred into the kingdom of God according to the teaching of Colossians 1:13.

Ephesians 6:11-17 describes the armor that God provided for your protection against the enemy as well as the equipment needed to wage an effective war. You are urged to "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes" (verse 11). It is God's part to supply the armor but you must put it on. In fact, God has provided everything you need for victory, but his provision will be of no use unless you appropriate it. Verse 13 says, "Therefore put on the full armor of God." Unless you put on all the armor you will be vulnerable. Verses 14-17 describe the individual pieces. You are to be girded about with truth. Jesus said truth will make you free. The breastplate of righteousness speaks of the character or quality of being right. It is integrity, moral rectitude and right action, which is often used to describe the standing of the believer with God. Righteousness is actually the character of God that is provided for you because of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Jesus said, "My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). His peace enables you to remain in a state of tranquility even in the midst of fierce battle. The shield of faith describes your confidence in Christ, the Victor. Therefore, in a very real sense, your faith is the victory. Satan's fiery darts can never pierce the shield of faith. The helmet of salvation speaks of deliverance, safety and preservation. In verse 17, it specifically speaks about the present daily process of being saved from the habit and power of sin. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. You must learn to use it well. The gospels describe how Jesus used the Word of God on Satan when he was being tempted. Satan is not able to stand against the Word of God. You now have your armor and your sword. How do you use it? Verse 18 tells us, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

For us to better understand how prayer relates to spiritual warfare, we need to look at Matthew 12:28, 29 and 18:18. In chapter 12, we have the account of Jesus dealing with a person who is possessed by a demon. The demon had caused the person to be dumb and blind. When this person was released from the power of the demon, he was able to see and talk. The news about this spread quite rapidly and the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons. Jesus explained that this was absurd, because if it was possible to cast out demons by the power of demons, then Satan's kingdom was divided and therefore, weak and ineffective, and there was strong evidence to the contrary.

In verse 28 he says, "But if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them Out?" A similar statement is found in chapter 18 verse 18 where he says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." This binding and loosening authority seems to be related to prayer. As you know, it is extremely important that we know the will of God when we pray and that our prayers are in agreement with the will of God. We are told that if we pray in the will of God, we can be assured of the answer. This truth seems to apply here also. We must know the will of God and bind what has been authorized by Him. According to Luke 9:1, Jesus gave his disciples authority over demons. This authority was given first to the twelve disciples before he sent them out on a missionary journey. In chapter 10 we have the record of Christ sending seventy disciples on a missionary journey and giving them authority over demons also. This is stated quite clearly in verse 19, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven."

(1) Satan controls fallen man (I John 5:19).

(2) Satan is the prince of the power of the air. The spirit that is now at work (Ephesians 2:2).

(3) All sin is from Satan (I John 3:8 and James 3:14 & 15).

(4) Satan blinds minds (II Corinthians 4:4).

(5) Christ is stronger than Satan (Luke 11:22).

(6) The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a great victorious stroke over Satan that rendered him powerless (Hebrews 2:14).

The victory has already been won at the cross of Calvary, but you must apply this victory to your life and circumstances. The authority that Jesus gave to his disciples over Satan has not been rescinded. As a child of God, a member of God's kingdom, you have this authority today. Therefore, you should learn to use it.

When a situation arises that has definite earmarks of being an attack from Satan, or his demons, it is of utmost importance that you first make sure there is no unconfessed sin in your life. If there is any element of compromise, self or sin in your life, you will not be able to stand against the enemy. Therefore, confess your sins according to I John 1:9. After this has been done, you may boldly use your authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, taking your stand against Satan and his wicked spirits.

You might say something like this, "I stand against you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. With the authority He has vested in me as a child of God I command you to withdraw (or leave this place). You have no power over me because of the victory that was won at Calvary; therefore, I command you to leave." As you learn to use your authority in applying the victory that was won for us at Calvary, you will become an effective soldier in the spiritual war.

Please read carefully the instructions on the questionnaire in Part 3, answer all the questions, then e-mail it to ministry@lightforliving.org. Those who satisfactorily complete the questionnaire will be awarded a certificate of completion.

___________________________________________

Our staff is interested in your spiritual welfare. If you would like us to pray for you, please e-mail your requests to ministry@lightforliving.org