Hey, everyone, we've been talking about Satan, demons, and the fourth dimension, and today
I want to talk about demon possession.
It's often the discussion point that even draws people into watching or listening to
a message related to what we classically call spiritual warfare.
But this idea of demon possession is kind of controversial, actually, in the body of
Christ.
You may not know that, but it is, in that there's a section of the evangelical body
of Christ that doesn't even want to talk about it.
There's another section of the evangelical body of Christ that would say Christians can't
be possessed.
There's another part that is obsessed by it.
And as I've talked about in the past, there's one viewpoint that's like there's a demon
behind every bush, and every problem's demonic, and there's another version that there's a
demon behind no bushes.
There's no bushes that have demons, and so he gets completely neglected.
So what I'm coming from is a perspective that's very pragmatic, and I think it's very theological.
So all of our messages we've had up to this point, I hope you haven't skipped them, but
if you have, they're all based in scripture and theology.
So I'm always going back to the word, and the reason is is because that's my story.
So my story is one of coming up as a new believer at college, never hearing about demon
possession, never hearing about the demonic, except maybe a verse or two that came up.
But then I go to the mission field.
So here I am on the mission field, I'm in Japan, and I'm seeing all kinds of weird stuff.
Weird stuff that comes from Shintoism, weird stuff that comes from Buddhism, weird stuff
that comes from a land, and in this case it was Japan, where Christianity really hasn't
made much of a mark.
And so, you know, you would go, you could go in a Shinto temple, I mean Shinto shrine
or a Buddhist temple, and you're going to see these like gargoyles, you're going to
see these lions that are mounted.
What's that?
Is it just an idol, or is there something there?
And as I began to look at scripture, especially 1st and 2nd Corinthians, I came across passages
that talked about demons behind idols.
And then I began to read stuff, I began to read authors who had a lot of experience in
this stuff, and it just sort of opened my eyes.
And as a result, I started looking with a different lens at different issues that are
affecting our ministry.
So as I began to pray differently, as I began to think differently, and even as I began
to teach differently, it kind of got me in trouble on a number of fronts with those that
were not familiar with that, but it actually drove me deeper into the topic.
And then, as I shared in an earlier episode, I suddenly was faced with a young man that
some might classically call demon-possessed, and I had to cast out his demons, and it took
three hours to cast out three demons, but the guy was radically healed, radically set
free, he was healed of epilepsy.
He was, but he was a believer, okay, he was a Christian, he was a Jesus follower.
So the question I want to begin with here is, can Christians be demon-possessed?
And I'll tell you what the answer is, yes and no.
So let's look at what the word possession actually means, where it comes from.
What is demon possession?
Fifteen times, fifteen times in the New Testament we come across demon possession.
Matthew 4.24 is just one of fifteen.
In verse 24 we read, Then his fame, meaning Jesus' fame, went throughout all of Syria,
and they brought him all the sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments,
and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, paralytics, and he healed all of them.
And that's the New King James Version.
Possession in the Old King James Version and, as you just read, in the New King James Version
is the Greek word, daimonosomai.
Daimonosomai is where the translators in the 1700s, the 1600s, the 17th century, as
they were translating the Scriptures, they came to this word, daimonosomai, and they
chose possession.
That's interesting.
The reason that's interesting is because the meaning of possession has changed through
the centuries.
So I possess a car.
If you're working with an insurance company, if you're working with a car that's been in
a bad crash, they talk about possessing the car.
Well, the idea behind possession to us today in the 21st century is ownership.
You own the car.
But if we go by that meaning today,
that it's complete ownership.
So I have a 4Runner, I own that car.
I literally have paid it off, so it is mine.
It's not the bank's, it's not anybody else's,
it is mine, I own it.
So according to possession, as we use it today,
the question is, can a Christian be demon possessed?
And I say, no.
A Christian cannot be completely owned
by a demon or a set of demons or a host of demons.
But this is where the mistranslation comes, in my opinion,
is that what I think Jesus is speaking of
is demon influence.
That would be the operable word.
And daemonosomai can be translated influence by.
So if we talk about being influenced by the demonic,
can a Christian be demon influence?
The answer is unequivocally, yes, they can be.
We know this also scripturally,
because almost in every, not every,
but almost every epistle,
that would be the letters of the New Testament,
there's something about Satan and demons.
There's something to be said by the writer,
whether it's James or Peter or John or Paul,
writing their epistles,
they're talking about this thing we call spiritual warfare.
Now why, since you're writing to believers,
you're writing to churches,
why would you be including that in your letter
if it can't even happen to a believer?
So for me, in my understanding of scripture,
my understanding from experience,
is the answer is yes and no.
If it's the old version of a possession, no.
If it's what I consider more of a modern,
translated understanding of daemonosomai
being influenced by, the answer is yes.
Let's take James 4.7, for example.
Therefore submit to God, resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
Now why in the world would James say that
if there's no need to resist the devil,
because I've got the Holy Spirit within,
I'm walking with Jesus,
I may not even be a very good Christian,
but the devil can't touch me.
You know, greater is he that is in me
than he is in the world.
Okay, there's all kinds of ways to parse it
from another perspective,
which would give the idea that, you know,
we don't have to worry about this stuff.
Well, the reality is we do.
And James is saying, if you don't submit to God,
and if you don't resist the devil,
he will not flee from you.
That's also what he's saying.
So we can be influenced by the enemy.
One of the classic and most important passages,
I think, is Ephesians 6, 10 through 18.
Paul is writing to the Ephesians.
He says, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord.
And in the power of his might, put on,
again, why do you need to put on?
Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil.
Okay, again, play the devil's advocate.
Let's say that, finally, my brethren,
if you're weak in the Lord,
and you're not walking in the power of his might,
and you're not put on the armor of God,
then obviously, the rhetorical response would be,
then you are standing with the strategies
and wiles of the devil.
Does that make sense?
It should.
Verse 12, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in every place.
I don't think it could be any more clear
that we are in a pitched battle
against principalities and powers, which are demons.
So when we're talking about the fourth dimension,
I said this earlier in another episode,
there's levels, and I'm gonna cover that later on,
not in this broadcast, but in the next one,
there's levels of demons.
I can tell you unequivocally that I've been
in demonic battles with people
who are carrying demonic influences over their life.
I could not get the demon out.
With the knowledge that I had and the anointing that I had,
I was not at a level in my growth and understanding
where I could cast that demon out.
Now, you say, well, I mean, greater is he that is in you
than he is in the world.
Yes, that's true.
But I didn't know yet how to proactively
and intentionally work with the Holy Spirit
that is greater in me than that demon that was in him
and that was in me.
So there's a learning process.
There's a process in everything that we do.
It doesn't mean that God's less powerful
than a, say, a medical doctor
who's telling you something you shouldn't do
and something in you, but you don't know the argument.
You don't know how to handle.
you're not mature enough yet. So, there's this growth
process that's involved in that. But there are high level
demons, and there's low level demons. And so, he says here
that that's the battle of the Christian life is with
principalities and powers in the Heavenly Realm. He
continues, therefore take up the whole armor of God that
you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done so, also to stand, verse 14, stand therefore, having
girded your waist with truth, having put on the breast
plate of righteousness, 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 a 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
saints. It's obvious that Paul is writing to believers.
He's talking about the helmet of salvation. You can't have
the helmet of salvation. You can't have faith. You can't
have the Word. You can't have truth. You can't have peace
in your life without Christ. So, here's one thing that
just stands out for our understanding today about
demon possession. He says in verse 16, above all, above
all. He says, above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked one. Now, why is that important? All of these
are important. All the different armor pieces are
important. But I think this is important because the big
issue with demon possession is faith. I mean that is always
the battle when you're dealing with demonization. And that's
the word I use now. So, the word you're going to hear me
use from now on is demonization. I never, ever use
the word demon possession at our church, in seminars that I
do that are related to this particular topic. I always
talk about demonization. So, demonization means demon
influence. Faith, because this is the other part of even
casting out a demon out of someone is if there's not at
least enough faith, even in that other individual and in
me, we're wasting our time. So, I've been with Christians
who want to be set free from lust. They want to be set
free from porn. They want to be set free from epilepsy,
whatever it might be. But they don't believe this stuff. And
they say, well, I don't really believe this stuff. But hey,
Steve, you can pray for me. And I say, that's a waste of
time. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to go against
your faith. If you don't believe it, then just you know
keep packing your growlers. That's fine with me. But if
you want to be on the team, you know, if you want to be
free, if you want to be clean, let me know when you're ready
and I'll do it. I mean I can't tell you how many times people
have said that. And some never come back. That's fine with
me. I mean they can go and haunt some other church. But
those that really want to begin to grow, now we've got
something to work with. And so, I've talked a little bit on
truth encounter and power encounter. But the reality is,
is that a power encounter of casting out demons is really a
truth encounter. So, on the one hand, there's power that sets
someone free. But if I don't build truth into them
simultaneously, man, the demons are all coming back. And it's
going to be seven times worse is what Jesus says. And so,
that's what I wanted to start off with, with demon
possession. I want us to understand the word. I want us
to understand what it means. And then in our next session
I'm going to begin to talk practically about how we get
demons, and then how we get set free. So, the challenge
before you today is put on the whole armor of God. And what I
do, not every day, but for not every day now. But I'd say for
ten years, almost every day, I prayed the helmet of salvation.
And this is what my prayer was, Lord I just pray the helmet of
salvation right now. I pray You'd renew my mind for this
day. And I walk with a renewed spirit and a renewed mind in
Christ. I take the shield of faith. God would You increase
my faith. I take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word
of God. Use the Word of God to increase my faith. Faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Lord I put on, and
I shot up my belt here with truth. I pray that the truth of
the Gospel, the truth of life, which is common grace would
rule my life today. Lord I put on the breastplate of
righteousness, which is the motives of my heart. That the
motives of my heart would be right.
That my heart would be where you want it to be, and then I shod my feet with the gospel of peace.
Lord, wherever I go today, I pray to be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker, but I'd be a peacemaker.
Where there's warring parties, where there's hurting people, I can be a bridge of peace to them in the name of Jesus.