Chapter 27
HEALING
Part II - Spiritual Possession and Oppression
(Matthew 9:32-33)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God as we explore this subject of demonic possession and oppression please take away our doubts, fears and skepticism and replace them with faith, trust and reliance upon You, Your Son, the Holy Spirit and Your Word.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
In the previous chapter, that is chapter 26, we saw that God is the healer of our physical infirmities. In this capacity we saw that He heals in various ways, that is through the miraculous, such as the laying on of hands, and through natural means, such as medication.
The Bible also teaches us that in addition to our physical infirmities God also heals us from spiritual afflictions. To see an example of this let us read the Scripture from the theme of this study. This Scripture records the time when Jesus delivered a mute man from the demon that kept him silent. It is recorded in,
Matthew 9:32-33
"[32] While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. [33] And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.""
To gain more insight with respect to this subject of spiritual healing we will,
BACKGROUND
Before we begin our study it is important for us to understand that in Biblical times the name of a person was synonymous with that person. To help us better understand this concept let us read the following excerpt from "The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible
1":In the Bible the name of a person is more than the distinguishing title of God or man.
The Biblical term which comes closet to our modern concept of personality, that is the total picture of a man's organized behavior, is name. Thus, the sum total of a person's internal and external pattern of behavior was gathered up into his name. Knowing the name of a person was equivalent to knowing his essence, for the believing know the name of their God, that is they know God.
Thus, the Name "Jesus Christ" is synonymous with Jesus Christ Himself.
With this background in mind, we begin our study by reviewing the fact that,
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR LORD AND OUR GOD
To see this let us read the following testimony God the Father gave with respect to His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:1-12
"[1] In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. [3] The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. [4] So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. [5] For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father " ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? [6] And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." [7] In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire." [8] But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. [9] You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." [10] He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. [11] They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. [12] You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.""
Let us notice the following verses,
2 Jesus is the heir of all things. It was also through Jesus Christ that all the worlds, that is the entire universe, was created.
3 Jesus is the expressed image of God and is now sitting at the right
hand of God the Father.
4 Jesus' Name is superior or above all the names of the angels.
5 Jesus Christ is God the Father's only begotten Son.
6 All the angels must worship Jesus Christ.
8 God the Father declared Jesus Christ as God and that His throne will remain forever and ever. In other words, God the Father has identified to us the second person of the Godhead, who is God the Son, Jesus Christ.
10 All things were made through Jesus Christ.
In other words the Scripture is teaching us that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our God. As a testimony to this truth let us read what happened when Jesus, after His death and resurrection, appeared to Thomas. He came to meet with Thomas for the expressed purpose to show Thomas that He was not dead but alive. This meeting is recorded in,
John 20:24-28
"[24] Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." [26] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" [27] Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." [28] Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!""
Given that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our God let us now explore the fact that,
JESUS' NAME IS ABOVE ALL, THAT IS JESUS CHRIST HAS AUTHORITY OVER ALL THINGS
In addition to what we read from the book of Hebrews we also find a testimony to the reality that the Name of Jesus is above all things in,
Philippians 2:8-11
"[8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
To illustrate the significance of recognizing and accepting this truth with respect to the healing of spiritual afflictions, let us read some examples that demonstrate Jesus' authority over unclean spirits. It is interesting to note that in reading these examples we will discover that the demons and evil spirits know exactly who Jesus is and His authority.
The first example is,
The deliverance in Capernaum
A record of this deliverance can be found in,
Mark 1:21-28
"[21] They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. [22] The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. [23] Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, [24] "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" [25] "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" [26] The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. [27] The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." [28] News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee."
Let us notice the following verses,
23 The man had an unclean spirit living within him.
24 The unclean spirit recognized Jesus as the "Holy One of God."
25 Jesus spoke to the unclean spirit and commanded it to come out of the man.
26 The unclean spirit obeyed and came out of the man.
The second example is,
The deliverance in Gerasenes
A record of this deliverance can be found in,
Mark 5:1-13
"[1] They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. [2] When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. [3] This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. [4] For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. [6] When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. [7] He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" [8] For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" [9] Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." [10] And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. [11] A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. [12] The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." [13] He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned."
Let us notice the following verses,
2-4 A man with a very powerful unclean spirit was living in a grave yard.
6 When the man saw Jesus he came before Him and worshipped Jesus.
7 The unclean spirit recognized Jesus, who He was and His authority.
8 Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.
10-12 The demons inside the man begged Jesus to send them into the swine. The implication of this is at least twofold: (1) Without Jesus' permission the demons could not enter the pigs and (2) The demons desperately wanted a host to live within.
Before we proceed to the next topic let us close this portion of our study by reading the following summary of all Jesus did during a stay in Galilee.
Luke 4:40-41
"[40] When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. [41] Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ."
As we found with the healing of physical infirmities, our Lord has also delegated His authority to us to deliver people from demonic possession. However, in this case, His authority comes to us through the use of His Name. Since Jesus' Name is synonymous with Jesus Himself, we find that,
THERE IS SPIRITUAL POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
To illustrate this principle let us first read what the seventy two disciples said after they returned from their missionary journey. The portion of their comments that pertain to this study can be found in,
Luke 10:17
"[17] The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.""
Secondly, it is also interesting to note that the faith in the spiritual power of Jesus' Name by a person who is not a follower of Jesus Christ can still bring about a demonic deliverance. We discover this by reading the following conversation John once had with Jesus concerning those who were not following them.
Mark 9:38-40
""[38] Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." [39] "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, [40] for whoever is not against us is for us."
RECAP
Before we proceed to the next portion of this study let us quickly recap what we have covered thus far.
Revelation 2:1-7
""[1] To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: [2] I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. [4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. [5] Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. [6] But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Let us notice the following verses,
2 The membership of the church in Ephesus worked very hard and persistent for the Kingdom of God. They also would not allow false preachers or teachers to enter into their meetings.
3 The people in the church in Ephesus endured hardships and self sacrifices for the cause of the Gospel and Jesus' Name.
4 Even though they did all the above good works and endured all the associated hardships, their heart's were becoming cold. Somewhere along the line their love and heartfelt devotion to Jesus was waning.
5 Hence Jesus calls them to return to the simple and pure love for Him that they once had.
The next portion of this study is devoted to addressing,
SOME QUESTIONS
Given all that we have covered, the following six questions come to mind,
We begin this section by addressing the question of,
IS DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL SPIRITS FOR TODAY, THAT IS FOR THE TIMES AFTER JESUS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN?
The answer to this question is yes. To see this let us read just two New Testament examples when God used His servants to deliver people from demonic possession.
The first example is the time when,
Philip was preaching in Samaria
The record of this deliverance is recorded in,
Acts 8:4-8
"[4] Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. [5] Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. [6] When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. [7] With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. [8] So there was great joy in that city."
Let us notice the following verses,
5-6 God worked miraculous signs through Philip. It is important to point out that Philip was not an apostle. Philip was appointed deacon in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-6).
7 Unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed by them.
The second example records for us the time when,
Paul and Silas delivered a slave girl from a spirit of divination
This deliverance is recorded in,
Acts 16:16-18
"[16] Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. [17] This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." [18] She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her."
Let us notice the following verses,
16 There was a slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination. In other words, using the body of the slave girl, the spirit that possessed her was able to tell the fortune or future of others. Hence, a sober warning for today. Any person who is into fortune telling or predicting the future either: (1) Has the Holy Spirit's gift of prophecy or (2) Is possessed by a spirit of divination or (3) Has opened themselves up to be possessed by a spirit of divination. As we will see in the following verses, if we find ourselves in a situation such as the one Paul and Silas found themselves, the Holy Spirit's gift of discernment is extremely important to be used or sought after.
17 The spirit of divination spoke the truth about Paul and Silas. It also told the truth that Paul and Silas were preaching the way to be saved.
18 Paul was troubled by the spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit's gift of discernment revealed to Paul that these words were not coming from Him but by an unclean spirit. Thus, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Paul commanded the spirit of divination to leave the girl. Obeying the authority of Jesus Christ, the spirit of divination came out of her.
This incident between Paul and the slave girl is an excellent example to illustrate the importance of the Holy Spirit's gift of spiritual discernment. Even though the spirit of divination spoke the truth about Paul, Silas and their message, Paul, with the gift of discernment, recognized that the words being spoken by the slave girl were not coming from the Holy Spirit but an unclean one. Consequently, by Paul using the authority and power of Jesus' Name, the slave girl was delivered from her spiritual affliction.
As another testimony that deliverance of evil spirits is for today, my wife Eleanor and I have been confronted with people who were possessed by unclean spirits. In these situations, we have also seen and experienced the power of Jesus' Name.
Just as the demons or unclean spirits know who Jesus is, they also know those who truly believe in Him and/or the authority of His Name. To see this let us now explore the question of,
ARE THERE SITUATIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH DELIVERANCE FROM UNCLEAN SPIRITS WOULD NOT OCCUR?
The answer to this question is yes. The reason for this is that the successful deliverance of unclean spirits is predicated upon the faith and belief in Jesus Christ and/or the power of His Name. Thus, without this faith a command to an unclean spirit would be ineffective. In some cases a command without faith could have disastrous consequences. The following two examples illustrate this principle.
The first example is the time when some non believing Jewish exorcists decided to use Jesus' Name to cast out an unclean spirit. This incident is recorded in,
Acts 19:13-16
"[13] Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." [14] Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. [15] One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" [16] Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding."
Let us notice the following verses,
13 These Jewish exorcists did not believe in Jesus not did they have faith in His Name. We know this because they said, "In the of Jesus whom Paul preaches." Specifically, they did not place their faith or trust in Jesus or in His authority. They deferred to Paul.
15 The evil spirit said that it knew Jesus, it knew Paul but it did not know them.
16 As a result of their lack of faith in Jesus or in His Name, the evil spirit not only did not come out of the man but also physically abused them.
The second example to illustrate the importance of faith to heal a spiritual affliction is the time when Jesus took Peter, James and John on a high mountain. After Jesus' transformation on top of the mountain, the four of them came down to reunite with the rest of the disciples. To find out what happened let us read from,
Mark 9:14-29
"[14] When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. [15] As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. [16] "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. [17] A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. [18] Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." [19] "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." [20] So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. [21] Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. [22] "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." [23] "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." [24] Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" [25] When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." [26] The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. [28] After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" [29] He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer.""
Let us notice the following verses,
19 Jesus lamented over the unbelief of His disciples.
23 Let us pay special attention to what Jesus told the boy's father: "Everything is possible for him who believes."
24 This should be a regular prayer of ours.
25-27 Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave the child. The spirit obeyed and came out of the boy.
28 The disciples were perplexed about their inability to cast out the deaf and mute spirit. Consequently, they asked Jesus why they were unable to heal the boy.
29 In Matthew 17:20 we discover it was because of their lack of faith that they could not cast out this particular unclean spirit. In verse 29 above Jesus gave them and us the remedy, that is for this demon their faith needed to be strengthened through prayer.
The next question to be addressed is,
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIRITUAL POSSESSION AND OPPRESSION?
To answer this question we begin with,
OPPRESSION
This form of spiritual affliction is the demonic activity that affects an individual from outside of their person. In other words, the unclean spirit or demon does not live within the individual.
Perhaps the best way to see this affliction is by reading the following two examples. The first example is the one of,
King Saul
Because of King Saul's continual disobedience and pride, God sent a distressing spirit to torment him. Let us read the following excerpt that describes Saul's affliction.
1 Samuel 16:14-16
"[14] Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. [15] Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. [16] Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.""
Let us notice the following verses,
14 The Holy Spirit left Saul and a distressing spirit was sent to distress or trouble him.
16 The major point for this study is that the distressing spirit came upon Saul but not in him.
Our second example of spiritual oppression is the one of,
Peter
Just before Jesus was given over to be tried and crucified Jesus told Peter that Satan was going to sift him like wheat. To read what happened let us go to,
Luke 22:31-34
""[31] Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. [32] But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." [33] But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." [34] Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.""
Let us notice the following verses,
31 Satan had to ask permission to oppress Peter. We find a similar account when Satan had to ask permission to oppress Job (Job 1:12).
32 Since Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail, He knew that God the Father gave Satan permission to oppress Peter. Jesus also told Peter that after Satan finished his attack he, Peter, was to strengthen the fellow believers.
33 Peter could not accept what Jesus told him.
34 Jesus told Peter that not only was Satan going to sift him but in the process he, Peter, would deny Him three times.
As we read further in the Gospels we find that three times Peter denied Jesus. Then throughout the New Testament epistles we further read that just as Jesus asked, Peter did indeed help strengthen the believers.
Let us now address the issue of,
POSSESSION
This form of spiritual affliction is the demonic influence and activity that comes from within a person. In other words, the unclean spirit or demon lives within the body of the individual.
To better illustrate this form of spiritual affliction we will review the following two examples.
The first example is that of,
Judas Iscariot
To see what happened to Judas let us read about some of the events that proceeded Jesus' last supper. To do this let us read from,
Luke 22:1-6
"[1] Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, [2] and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. [3] Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. [4] And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. [5] They were delighted and agreed to give him money. [6] He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present."
Notice that in verse 3 the Bible tells us that Satan did not influence Judas from the outside of him but he actually entered Judas.
For the second example of possession let us read about,
The deliverance in Capernaum
For this portion of our study let us read about this deliverance as it is recorded in,
Luke 4:31-37
"[31] Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. [32] They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. [33] In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, [34] "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" [35] "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. [36] All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" [37] And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area."
Let us notice the following verses,
34 Again we are reminded that the demons and unclean spirits know exactly who Jesus is and His authority.
35 The unclean spirit came out of the man.
36 Even the people who witnessed the deliverance knew that the demon came out of the man.
The fourth question to be addressed is:
CAN A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST BE POSSESSED BY AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT?
The answer to this question is no. To see this let us recall that when a person becomes a born again believer in Jesus Christ God the Holy Spirit comes to live and dwell within the them. This is a fundamental doctrine that is taught throughout the New Testament. For example, let us read the following excerpt of what Jesus said to His disciples to prepare them for His return to Heaven.
John 14:15-17
""[15] If you love me, you will obey what I command. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- [17] the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
Let us notice the following verse,
17 Jesus told His disciples that while He was with them the Holy Spirit was living among them. However, when Jesus returns to Heaven the Holy Spirit will be in them. This phenomenon is what the Bible identifies as "the new birth."
In other words, the body of the true born again believer in Jesus Christ is a temple of God the Holy Spirit. This wonderful truth is clearly taught to us by reading from,
1 Corinthians 3:16
"[16] you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
Since there is no fellowship or agreement between God and Satan, the true born again believer can not be possessed by Satan or any of his demonic spirits. To see this let us consider what is written in,
2 Corinthians 6:15-16
"[15] What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? [16] What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.""
Let us notice the following verses,
15 What agreement is there between Jesus and Satan? This is a rhetorical question and the implied answer is none!
16 As we saw previously, the born again believer is a temple of God the Holy Spirit. Since God the Holy Spirit lives within them Satan or any of his demons can not. In other words, God and Satan can not co-exist within the same dwelling. In this case the dwelling is the body of the born again believer.
This now brings us to the fifth question,
CAN A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER BE OPPRESSED BY AN EVIL SPIRIT?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is yes. To see this let us read about the spiritual oppression of the Apostle Paul. In the case of Paul the form of spiritual oppression came in the form of a physical infirmity. This is recorded for us in,
2 Corinthians 12:7
"[7] To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."
However, there may be times when spiritual oppression may take the form of enticing one to sin or deny the faith. Throughout the Bible we are constantly warned to avoid sin. We are warned about its devastating consequences. We are also warned that our enemy, who is Satan and his demonic forces, are the ones who lurk around waiting for an opportunity to entice us into sin and/or unbelief. To see this let us consider the following passage from,
Ephesians 6:12
"[12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
We now come to the sixth and last question which is,
HOW IS ONE DELIVERED FROM SPIRITUAL OPPRESSION?
With respect to the issue of physical infirmities there are times when God will heal us and there are times when He may not. For a more in depth study of the healing of physical infirmities please read chapter 26.
The second form of spiritual oppression is spiritual in nature with the intent to entice us into sin or unbelief. This form of oppression is not unusual and God has provided us with the way out. To see this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 10:13
"[13] No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
A detailed description of God's remedy or way out from this form of demonic oppression is found in,
Ephesians 6:11-18
"[11] Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. [12] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [13] Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. [14] Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, [15] and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. [16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [18] 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."
The good summary for the above instruction can be found in,
James 4:7
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Let us notice we are to:
1 Submit to God, that is put on His armor.
2 Resist the devil, that is stand fast.
3 And he, the evil one, will flee from us.
Given all that we have covered, what is the message? What is the point of this study?
THE POINT OR MESSAGE OF THIS STUDY
First of all, whether or not we believe it,
WE LIVE IN A SPIRITUAL WORLD
To illustrate this truth let us read how God revealed this truth to the servant of Elisha. It is recorded in,
2 Kings 6:8-17
"[8] Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place." [9] The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." [10] So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. [11] This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" [12] "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." [13] "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan." [14] Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. [15] When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. [16] "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." [17] And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
Let us notice the following verses,
8 The King of Aram, that is Syria, declared war upon the nation of Israel.
9-12 Even though the King of Aram would secretly devise various plans on how to attack Israel, God would reveal them to Elisha. To thwart the plans of the King of Aram, Elisha would reveal them to the King of Israel.
13-14 After he discovered that it was Elisha who kept spoiling his plans, the King of Aram decided to attack and capture the prophet Elisha. Consequently, he sent his army to surround the city in which Elisha and Elisha's servant were staying.
15 Elisha's servant saw the army and became terrified.
16 Elisha told his servant not to fret because the army that was protecting them was far greater and more powerful than the Syrian army.
17 Elisha prayed and the Lord opened the eyes of Elisha's servant so he could see the vast spiritual army that was around the prophet Elisha.
Thus, as Elisha's servant discovered, when confronted with our spiritual enemy, who is Satan and his army of demonic spirits,
WE MUST BE CONFIDENT IN OUR GOD
To help us be confident let us refresh our memories that it is God the Holy Spirit who lives and dwells within us. And, He is far greater than Satan or any of his demonic forces. To see this let us read from,
1 John 4:1
"[4] You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
Even though we are to be confident when confronting the demonic or demonic world,
WE MUST NOT BE PRESUMPTUOUS AND THINK THAT BY OURSELVES WE CAN CONFRONT THE ENEMY
To illustrate the importance of this warning let read how even Michael the Archangel would not confront Satan but said, "The Lord rebuke you." This incident is recorded in,
Jude 9
"[9] But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!""
In other words we must never forget that it is Jesus Christ and the power of His Name by which we can confront and overcome our enemy.
CLOSING
Let us close this study by prayerfully reading from,
1 Peter 5:6-11
"[1] Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. [8] Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [9] Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. [10] And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. [11] To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."
Shall We Pray?