WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.940
We're continuing our conversation about demon possession and in the last episode I talked

2
00:00:04.940 --> 00:00:12.440
about the idea of the Greek word dimonosomai meaning possession in the King James Version

3
00:00:12.440 --> 00:00:18.300
and even in the New King James Version, but that rather today I think the word is actually

4
00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:25.100
archaic for what it means in Scripture and I'm using the word demon-influenced, demonized,

5
00:00:25.100 --> 00:00:30.220
influenced by demons, I mean those kind of phrases are more accurate and asking the

6
00:00:30.220 --> 00:00:37.220
question can a Christian be demon-possessed and the answer is yes and no.

7
00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:45.900
No if we're saying that a Christian can be owned by, completely possessed by a demon.

8
00:00:45.900 --> 00:00:51.540
I don't believe that's possible. I do believe though with a big resounding yes that we can

9
00:00:51.580 --> 00:00:57.500
be influenced by and I shared in the last episode the fact that the epistles in the

10
00:00:57.500 --> 00:01:02.620
New Testament are constantly talking about demons and Satan and those epistles were

11
00:01:02.620 --> 00:01:07.500
all written to believers. They wouldn't be a subject matter if it wasn't relevant to

12
00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:13.860
their own lives. So I want to begin this session talking about one of the key verses that really

13
00:01:13.860 --> 00:01:19.980
had a big influence in my life in understanding how we can be influenced by the demonic. This

14
00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:26.980
is Ephesians 4, 26 and 27. Paul writes, Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go

15
00:01:28.900 --> 00:01:35.900
down on your wrath, verse 27, nor give place to the devil. Interesting word for giving

16
00:01:37.340 --> 00:01:43.500
place to the devil. You'll find in some translation the word is foothold. Do not get a foothold

17
00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:50.500
for the devil. It's the same Greek word as a stirrup on a saddle. So it's the idea don't

18
00:01:50.940 --> 00:01:56.780
give the stirrup of a saddle to someone you don't want to get on the horse. So that's

19
00:01:56.780 --> 00:02:01.820
the imagery. That's the metaphor behind it. So what he's saying here is and he's talking

20
00:02:01.820 --> 00:02:08.300
here about anger and he's talking about wrath. So obviously the context here someone who's

21
00:02:08.300 --> 00:02:13.380
in anger they struggle with anger and that if you're not careful you're giving a place

22
00:02:13.380 --> 00:02:16.940
to the devil. And that's really important in understanding how we can be influenced

23
00:02:16.940 --> 00:02:23.940
by the demonic. In Matthew 16, 16 through 23, Peter has just confessed Christ to Christ

24
00:02:26.980 --> 00:02:33.980
that Jesus confessed to Jesus that he's the Christ. And then turns around and tells him

25
00:02:34.300 --> 00:02:41.300
don't go to the cross which then Jesus says to him that he's filled with demons. And that

26
00:02:43.820 --> 00:02:49.980
Satan the dark one is speaking to him and he rebukes the devil in Peter. So isn't that

27
00:02:49.980 --> 00:02:55.900
crazy? So obviously he's being influenced by Acts 5, 1 through 11, Ananias and Sapphira.

28
00:02:55.900 --> 00:03:01.420
Now there's no doubt that we don't know whether Ananias and Sapphira were believers or not.

29
00:03:01.420 --> 00:03:08.020
But we would tend to believe from what we see in Acts chapters 4 and 5 that they were.

30
00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:14.740
And again in this case Peter actually says and I think it's interesting it's Peter because

31
00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:21.740
Jesus says to Peter get behind me Satan. And then Peter's saying to Ananias and Sapphira

32
00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:27.300
that Satan has filled their hearts. And so they actually literally are killed at that

33
00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:34.300
point pretty little bit drastic never seen anybody killed in a deliverance session. But

34
00:03:36.220 --> 00:03:42.420
they were. So see Peter Wagner in his book The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit says this

35
00:03:42.420 --> 00:03:48.580
in my research I have noticed several things. For one almost all those who themselves are

36
00:03:48.580 --> 00:03:55.220
actively involved in a ministry of exorcism or deliverance affirm that Christians can

37
00:03:55.220 --> 00:04:01.260
be demonized. Those who deny it by and large have had little or no direct contact with

38
00:04:01.260 --> 00:04:06.420
the demonic. For another I have discovered that several Christian leaders have changed

39
00:04:06.420 --> 00:04:12.660
their opinions on this matter over the years. But the changes I have found have all been

40
00:04:12.660 --> 00:04:19.300
in the same direction. From once denying that demons can harm Christians to now affirming

41
00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:25.340
that they can and do. As of yet I have not known of those who have changed from believing

42
00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:30.700
that demons harm Christians to not believing it anymore. And then he actually gives an

43
00:04:30.700 --> 00:04:35.540
example of someone. So that's totally my story too. I can't tell you how many times I've

44
00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:41.780
been with Christian leaders in large organizations that I worked for or helped out in some way

45
00:04:41.780 --> 00:04:48.780
with either consulting or knowing the top leader who in one session maybe years ago

46
00:04:49.380 --> 00:04:54.260
said no way I don't agree with this stuff. And then their daughter goes through something

47
00:04:54.260 --> 00:04:58.740
or their son goes through something or they have a best friend that has something happen

48
00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:00.060
to them and they move.

49
00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:05.200
in the direction of believing that, yes, we can be influenced by the demonic.

50
00:05:05.200 --> 00:05:12.920
Galatians 5, Paul writes, I say to you then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill

51
00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:15.680
the lust of the flesh.

52
00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:22.440
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are

53
00:05:22.440 --> 00:05:27.040
contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

54
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:30.240
But if you're led by the Spirit, you're not under the law.

55
00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:37.480
So Paul is clearly expressing, in Galatians 5, that there's this battle going on with

56
00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:45.600
the flesh, that old man, is what he says in Romans, Romans 5, 6, and 7 especially, and

57
00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:47.680
this new man in Christ.

58
00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:48.680
There's a fight that goes on.

59
00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:56.200
Now the reason that's important in our case is because that's where demonization happens.

60
00:05:56.200 --> 00:05:58.240
That's where demonization happens.

61
00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.720
It's that foothold that comes through our flesh.

62
00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:09.240
Now Paul names some of those sinful flesh tendencies that all of us have struggled with,

63
00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:10.720
at least some of these.

64
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:18.160
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

65
00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:26.840
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions,

66
00:06:26.840 --> 00:06:33.520
heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you before,

67
00:06:33.520 --> 00:06:37.360
and just as I also told you in the past, those who practice such things will not inherit

68
00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:39.000
the kingdom of God.

69
00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:45.720
So this feeding on, this feeding on the flesh is where the demonic works, and that's Ephesians

70
00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:50.680
24, 26 and 27, be angry, do not sin, do not let the sun go down in your wrath, nor give

71
00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:53.320
a foothold to the devil.

72
00:06:53.320 --> 00:06:56.680
So how do people get demons?

73
00:06:56.680 --> 00:07:00.600
How do people begin to be demon influenced in their life?

74
00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:05.880
It's through this, it's 99% the sins of the flesh, and so the best way I can describe

75
00:07:05.880 --> 00:07:09.400
it to you is using my hand as an example.

76
00:07:09.400 --> 00:07:12.960
So every one of us struggle with the sins of the flesh.

77
00:07:12.960 --> 00:07:15.040
Sometimes we're angry and we shouldn't be.

78
00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:16.480
Sometimes we struggle with lust.

79
00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.360
Sometimes we struggle with gossip, or envy, or strife.

80
00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:23.640
And we have, you know, this battle that I wish we could be free of, but we won't be

81
00:07:23.640 --> 00:07:29.480
free of until, you know, we meet the Lord, and we're in the millennium with Him, and

82
00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:31.800
we're living with Him in that kingdom.

83
00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:32.800
But we're going to struggle with it.

84
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:38.480
So we know that we've got an area that we're weak in, we struggle with, but when we confess

85
00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.640
it, when we repent of it, we're back to walking in the Spirit.

86
00:07:43.640 --> 00:07:45.520
Now here's where the problem lies.

87
00:07:45.520 --> 00:07:54.840
There's also corresponding demonic spirits of strife, and lust, and envy, and gossip

88
00:07:54.840 --> 00:07:56.440
that are in this fourth dimensional world.

89
00:07:56.440 --> 00:08:00.400
I don't understand it all, but it's obvious in Scripture that they're there.

90
00:08:00.400 --> 00:08:04.040
Like I said before, it's kind of like, it's like radio waves.

91
00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:07.760
I mean, radio waves are flowing through here, but if you get the right antenna, you know,

92
00:08:07.760 --> 00:08:11.080
you can pick up a radio signal that's flowing through here.

93
00:08:11.080 --> 00:08:12.720
Fourth dimension is similar.

94
00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:16.720
So these spirits are here, and they're looking for a host.

95
00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.680
Demons are always looking for a host.

96
00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:25.880
And so an individual who's just hooked on porn, and the spirit of lust, there is a corresponding

97
00:08:25.880 --> 00:08:30.280
demon that at some point locks in on that.

98
00:08:30.280 --> 00:08:35.159
And you're now not just dealing with the sin of the flesh, you're also allowing a foothold

99
00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:36.400
of the devil.

100
00:08:36.400 --> 00:08:40.640
Now I don't mean literally the devil, Satan, capital S.

101
00:08:40.640 --> 00:08:48.920
I'm talking about devil influence, which would be the ground level army of Satan or

102
00:08:48.920 --> 00:08:51.240
demons and they lock in.

103
00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:58.560
So now you're dealing with not only a lustful spirit that is from the enemy, but you also

104
00:08:58.560 --> 00:09:01.080
have now habit patterns in your life.

105
00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:02.280
So that's what I mean.

106
00:09:02.280 --> 00:09:05.520
That's why I said earlier about truth encounter and power encounter.

107
00:09:05.520 --> 00:09:11.560
So someone comes to me and they're struggling with a spirit of lust, and let's say I struggle

108
00:09:11.560 --> 00:09:14.640
with lust or I'm struggling with porn, they probably don't call it a spirit of lust yet.

109
00:09:14.640 --> 00:09:18.920
But in my mind, I'm thinking probably there's a demonic spirit of lust here.

110
00:09:18.920 --> 00:09:19.920
What do I do?

111
00:09:19.920 --> 00:09:25.040
Well, we can go into my office or we can go behind the stage at church and we can cast

112
00:09:25.040 --> 00:09:26.040
out a demon lust.

113
00:09:26.040 --> 00:09:28.800
That's like not even hard to do.

114
00:09:28.800 --> 00:09:35.040
The problem is that if I don't change the habit patterns of the individual who's demonized,

115
00:09:35.040 --> 00:09:37.240
man, they're all coming back.

116
00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:42.160
And as we talked about earlier, that house has been cleansed, that's not replaced with

117
00:09:42.160 --> 00:09:43.160
the power of the spirit.

118
00:09:43.160 --> 00:09:48.600
And I would actually say habits, habits of the spirit, it's going to be seven times worse.

119
00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:49.600
So what do we do?

120
00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:53.260
Well, what do we do is we have a truth encounter instead of a power encounter.

121
00:09:53.260 --> 00:09:58.160
So I'd rather sit down with the person and say, look, what's the issue with porn?

122
00:09:58.160 --> 00:10:00.360
So they start sharing with me how they get into porn.

123
00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.700
when they look at porn, why they look at porn,

124
00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:07.940
and we begin a process called discipleship,

125
00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:12.700
called empowering that person to self-deliver.

126
00:10:12.700 --> 00:10:14.060
When we start working on that,

127
00:10:14.060 --> 00:10:17.020
that's when things really begin to cook.

128
00:10:17.020 --> 00:10:18.980
That's when freedom really starts to happen,

129
00:10:18.980 --> 00:10:21.500
and it's longer, I hate to say it, it is longer.

130
00:10:23.060 --> 00:10:25.980
They're gonna have to be in a small group,

131
00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:27.460
they need some bloodstained allies,

132
00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:29.020
they need some other men in their life

133
00:10:29.020 --> 00:10:30.940
who maybe have had similar struggles

134
00:10:30.940 --> 00:10:35.220
that can help them be accountable in the area of loss,

135
00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:39.740
and there will be a process in which that demon does leave,

136
00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:44.140
or it's so deep that they do need me,

137
00:10:44.140 --> 00:10:47.760
or they do need someone to come in and cast out that demon,

138
00:10:47.760 --> 00:10:50.880
but they've built enough good habit patterns,

139
00:10:50.880 --> 00:10:53.840
they've built enough strong discipleship tools

140
00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.140
in their life of, we call it PB&J, prayer, Bible,

141
00:10:57.140 --> 00:10:59.900
and journal, where they're praying, they're in the word,

142
00:10:59.900 --> 00:11:01.420
they're journaling, they're listening to God,

143
00:11:01.420 --> 00:11:02.580
they're learning how to worship,

144
00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:05.100
they're learning how to pray, all those things,

145
00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:08.740
then it's just, honestly, it's easy-peasy

146
00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:10.800
to cast out the demon at that point,

147
00:11:10.800 --> 00:11:13.340
because it doesn't even hardly have anything

148
00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:16.020
to hold onto anyway, and so it's,

149
00:11:16.020 --> 00:11:18.500
the way I've thought of it is like a ring.

150
00:11:18.500 --> 00:11:21.560
So this is my wedding band,

151
00:11:22.980 --> 00:11:25.460
and I place that wedding band on,

152
00:11:25.460 --> 00:11:27.380
and you know, or maybe you don't,

153
00:11:27.380 --> 00:11:28.620
because I don't know where you're listening from,

154
00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:30.260
but if you live in Colorado,

155
00:11:30.260 --> 00:11:34.180
you know that your wedding band is looser in the winter,

156
00:11:34.180 --> 00:11:38.700
because it's colder, so you tend to expand

157
00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:42.180
with your fingers and stuff,

158
00:11:42.180 --> 00:11:44.780
they tend to expand more in hot weather,

159
00:11:44.780 --> 00:11:46.100
but if you get in colder weather,

160
00:11:46.100 --> 00:11:47.780
they tend to shrink a little bit.

161
00:11:47.780 --> 00:11:50.540
So what you're doing is he's shrinking

162
00:11:50.540 --> 00:11:55.540
the influence of that demon by living the kingdom way.

163
00:11:55.620 --> 00:11:58.980
The kingdom way, there's no foothold, there's no strength,

164
00:11:58.980 --> 00:12:02.180
and so if I come in, or someone comes in,

165
00:12:02.180 --> 00:12:04.020
whoop, just comes right off.

166
00:12:04.020 --> 00:12:05.600
It's right there, it was easy.

167
00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:07.940
Because, and I think in a lot of cases,

168
00:12:07.940 --> 00:12:10.060
it's more like this, it's more like,

169
00:12:10.060 --> 00:12:12.860
it just comes off, they don't even know when it left them,

170
00:12:12.860 --> 00:12:14.340
because they're no longer struggling

171
00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:15.740
in that habit pattern anymore,

172
00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:17.420
because they've been discipled out of it.

173
00:12:17.420 --> 00:12:20.860
That's a truth encounter versus a power encounter.

174
00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:23.020
Many cases, both are needed.

175
00:12:23.020 --> 00:12:25.740
But that's the key to getting set free,

176
00:12:25.740 --> 00:12:27.500
is to give people a truth encounter

177
00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:30.540
that they have what it takes within them

178
00:12:30.540 --> 00:12:33.780
as a Jesus follower to be set free.

179
00:12:33.780 --> 00:12:35.660
And that's what, that's really what

180
00:12:35.660 --> 00:12:36.900
the epistles are all about.

181
00:12:36.900 --> 00:12:41.400
The epistles are all about that truth.

182
00:12:41.400 --> 00:12:44.400
So, before I leave, before we're done with this,

183
00:12:44.400 --> 00:12:47.480
I wanna just say this, that the common ways

184
00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:51.480
that I think most people get demons is through the flesh.

185
00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:54.340
But also, I wanna give you a list of some other ways

186
00:12:54.340 --> 00:12:57.120
that you may not be aware of, that I think

187
00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:00.720
are actually more common than we'd like to believe.

188
00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.720
Indulging in a particular sin, talked about that,

189
00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:07.520
but dedicated to pagan gods in a temple.

190
00:13:07.520 --> 00:13:10.160
And I believe demons are involved in that,

191
00:13:10.160 --> 00:13:12.800
and that was my experience a lot in Asia,

192
00:13:12.800 --> 00:13:14.680
less so in America.

193
00:13:14.680 --> 00:13:17.760
Religious spirits, through a fixation

194
00:13:17.760 --> 00:13:20.920
and legalistic understanding of religion,

195
00:13:20.920 --> 00:13:23.080
can be, I think a religious spirit

196
00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:26.300
can be some of the most difficult spirits to cast out.

197
00:13:26.300 --> 00:13:29.160
Prolonged drug and alcohol abuse.

198
00:13:29.160 --> 00:13:31.480
Pornography and sexual sin.

199
00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:35.720
Uncontrollable anger, violence, and lust.

200
00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:38.680
Sexual abuse as a child.

201
00:13:38.680 --> 00:13:41.640
Illicit sexual relationships.

202
00:13:41.640 --> 00:13:44.720
Involvement in occult practices.

203
00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:48.000
Injustice committed against the person,

204
00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.600
especially as a child.

205
00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.840
Unforgiveness is huge.

206
00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:55.800
Unforgiveness is probably the most dangerous

207
00:13:55.800 --> 00:13:58.960
because most people feel they're justified in it.

208
00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:00.480
But unforgiveness is huge.

209
00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.920
Idolatry, yes, even in the West.

210
00:14:02.920 --> 00:14:05.160
I mean, I think there can be an idolatry

211
00:14:05.160 --> 00:14:10.160
toward movie stars or athletes, idols in our life.

212
00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:13.880
Lust for riches and having more stuff.

213
00:14:13.880 --> 00:14:17.080
1 Timothy 6, but having food and clothing,

214
00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:19.120
with all these we shall be content.

215
00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:20.640
But those who desire to be rich

216
00:14:20.640 --> 00:14:24.080
fall into temptation and a snare,

217
00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.880
and to many foolish and harmful lusts

218
00:14:26.880 --> 00:14:30.440
would drown men in destruction and perdition.

219
00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:34.000
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil

220
00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:35.240
for which some have strayed

221
00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:36.920
from the faith in their greediness.

222
00:14:36.920 --> 00:14:38.060
So I mean, it's pretty obvious

223
00:14:38.060 --> 00:14:40.820
he's talking about demonization there.

224
00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:41.860
Jealousy is huge.

225
00:14:41.860 --> 00:14:43.700
I mean, I could go through all these lists.

226
00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:45.300
My point is this.

227
00:14:45.300 --> 00:14:50.300
Anything in our life that we're indulging in

228
00:14:50.900 --> 00:14:53.220
that's not submitted to the authority

229
00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:55.300
and the power of the kingdom of God

230
00:14:55.300 --> 00:14:57.340
and Jesus Christ has a potential

231
00:14:57.340 --> 00:14:59.980
to begin to be a hook that drives us.

232
00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:07.560
Yeah, and so I challenge you if there's an area of your life that you're struggling with that you constantly can't seem to get free from

233
00:15:07.560 --> 00:15:14.080
It could be from a demon and I would encourage you to begin to think this is this is huge

234
00:15:14.680 --> 00:15:21.400
Think in terms of the opposite of that. So you struggle with anger. What's the opposite of anger?

235
00:15:21.400 --> 00:15:23.400
Well, the opposite of anger would probably be

236
00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.040
kindness and love so start to pray

237
00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:34.200
Kindness and love and you ask others to pray kindness and love in Europe. You're a greedy person. You're always thinking about money

238
00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:36.600
You're just driven by the lust for money

239
00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:39.360
Maybe you need to learn how to be generous

240
00:15:39.400 --> 00:15:46.620
Maybe you need to start praying for a perspective of even giving away a lot of what you have to break

241
00:15:46.800 --> 00:15:52.920
The power of materialism over your life, you know, I know I've known a lot of people that struggle with gossip

242
00:15:52.920 --> 00:15:58.400
They just talk about people all the time and and it's and it's an insecurity in their own life

243
00:15:58.880 --> 00:16:03.560
By which they somehow feel more important by talking down on others

244
00:16:03.640 --> 00:16:04.140
well

245
00:16:04.140 --> 00:16:09.880
maybe that person needs to begin to think about saying positive and good and beautiful things about other people and

246
00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:14.540
Building up their reputation and that'll break that power of gossip in their life

247
00:16:14.640 --> 00:16:20.640
so these are some of the tools that I've found that have worked over over the years and are super powerful and

248
00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:27.800
People can self deliver. I think self deliverance is the I think it's the most important way to be delivered because

249
00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:35.160
You can't self deliver without new habits being developed that are of the kingdom way. So I hope this has been helpful to you

250
00:16:35.760 --> 00:16:41.280
I hope that the whole series has enabled you to understand the power of God

251
00:16:41.680 --> 00:16:48.920
The power that you have and now even realizing that it's pretty important that you walk in holiness

252
00:16:48.920 --> 00:16:55.040
And you walk as a disciple of Christ and you have blood-stained allies in your life. God bless you. Thanks for listening