Stuart,

I believe demons are alive and tormenting people daily. My father has cast out 100’s of demons. If you need some help let me know and I’ll get you in touch with him.

I’m with Kevin and have some of my own experiences with them. I’ve not been in many overt confrontations, especially like you describe, but it is a potential battle at any time. I know in our study on James on Sun. nights, we just finished up with the section on submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. We are not very submitted to God and so we do not see the great victory. Individually, local church, or as the larger body of Christ. It appears in the context of James talking about unity, and the wisdom of this world which leads to discord, envy and selfish ambition. Satan fears a person, a church, the body of Christ submitted and unified.

I pray this young man finds the deliverance of Christ–I pray you are able to fight that battle with the Holy Spirit as your source of power. The blood of Christ covers you, the armor of God protects you, the Word of God arms you. Submit to God and “the 5″ will fear the Spirit in you.

Kelly

I think you should go for the snake handling! Just kidding! I needed a little light humor after reading you story.
Reading that story just breaks my heart! It angers me so that satin has such a tight squeeze on that man. Of course demons are alive and active. The bible is full of demon-possessed people and maybe we have become fools thinking that we are immune to demons living in each of us. I’m just so happy that God has surrounded that young man with many strong believers.

WHATZ UP KEVIN!!!

Stuart,
Thanks for providing that link on the “flip side” of the argument. I would fall on the side of the discussion that sees demonic possession in the Bible as evidence of psychiatric tramau that the ancient world had no hope of understanding. It would concern me greatly to think there are people out there today who are being treated for “demon possession” by prayer and exorcism and not also treated with psychiatric and/or medical care. I respect those who see this issue differently, but as for me, I cannot forget that the Bible was written in a pre-scientific, pre-medical culture that attributed many things to supernatural causes that we today know are quite “natural.” And watch the snake handling. Those suckers bite!

[...] [For more on the demon debate go here] [...]

I think demons are certainly real and can possess and oppress people today. Why not? The Bible speaks of them. We know that when Satan chose to be cast out of heaven, he took other angels with him. What do we think they’re all doing? Just hanging out?

The Bible says that our enemy is roaming around seeking whom he can devour.

Yes, psyciatric problems may be caused by demons tormenting people. I think alcoholism and drug addiction can also be a type of demon oppression.

Maybe some of the demon-possessed people in the Bible really had chemical imbalances. Is that what you mean, Brian? Well, then, who’s to say that demons hadn’t caused the chemical imbalances? If the Holy Spirit inspired the writers to say the people were demon-possessed, then I’ll believe they really were demon-possessed. I’d much rather choose to believe God is telling the truth than rely on my own short-sighted understanding.

Stuart

Get to work. Luke Chap 10…”I have given you all authority to trample upon scorpins and snakes and no power of the enemy by any means shall harm you.”
The way to identify if this person has a demon is to ask his name in the name of Jesus. Ask this question as though you are addressing a demon. If he has one it will manifest and give its name (demon name). After that you call forth the spirit man in him and ask if he wants to be set free. If he answers yes than bind the demon in the name of Jesus and command it to come out in the name of Jesus. Do not engage the demon in any and I mean any conversation. If it keeps talking, do what Jesus did and command it to be still. Once the demon has left lead this man ask the Holy Spirit to tell you if there are anymore there can be more than one. IT IS ESSENTIAL YOU LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. One other very important factor show no fear…remember ‘There is no fear in love, Perfect love casts out fear. I know this sounds spooky and if you feel you can’t or don’t waant to do this find a true man of God somewhere in your church that will accompany you. I have found it is always better to have two believers in situations like this. Finally, after the demon or demons have left lead this man to salvation in Christ and fill the void otherwise the demon can return with even more demons.

Psalms 91

Stuart,

There is no reason to believe in gods or demons. However, such idiotic superstitions have been pervasive throughout all cultures, a relic of our first primitive speculations on what exists outside the sphere of possible human knowledge. Occasionally, perhaps even often, people in societies where such myths are popular claim a personal involvement with those supernatural figures. As you remarked, some claim to be demons. Others claim to be related to Gods, as your Bible records.

I have a hypothesis. I suspect that before the ancients spawned the myth of the monotheistic God, no one claimed to have seen or experienced his presence. No one asserted that Satan had acted through them. The entire human population was entirely devoid of any pretensions to possession or inspiration. But once Israel had produced a series of prophecies wishfully predicting the coming of a Messiah, it was only a matter of time before someone with enough gall pretended that he was, in fact, that Christ. Someone did. While an uncommonly brave and virtuous man, he was possessed of a number of serious delusions of which a paternity test and a talk with an articulate atheist would likely have disabused him. His followers decided to express their esteem for him by calling him a God, and western civilization went downhill from there.