This will be the last blog on demons for a while. Many Christians have received no teaching on the demonic at all or, perhaps, have received inaccurate information so I feel the need to do some teaching on the subject from time to time. The danger is always putting too much emphasis on the enemy or giving him too much credit rather than focusing on the all encompassing power of our Lord.

But, long after the cross, Satan is still referred to as having power on the earth. John says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 Jhn.5:19).      Paul also speaks of Satan’s continuing power. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col.1:13). Most of the world is still under the authority of Satan, the dominion of darkness, because most have not been rescued and brought into the kingdom of Christ. The victory that Christ won over Satan is a victory for those of us in Christ and a potential victory for those still in the hands of Satan. The key for believers is to maintain the victory we have while extending that victory to others.

If we are in Christ and the victory is ours, then how does Satan access believers in order to torment or oppress them? Few of us have trouble believing that we are tempted by Satan every day. The New Testament tells us to put on the armor of God, to be aware of Satan’s schemes against us, to watch out for Satan who prowls around like a lion waiting to devour those who come within his reach, etc. Although we are citizens of heaven and walk in victory, we will still encounter the enemy. As we occupy territory and continue to push back on darkness, the enemy will still resist and still try to take out believers. Think about the Middle East. Even when we were occupying Iraq, enemy snipers still shot at our soldiers and car bombs directed by the enemy still created tragedy. Even though Saddam Hussein was toppled and the victory was ours, we still had to maintain defenses and guard ourselves against attacks of the enemy who were still determined to take back what they had lost.

In the spiritual realm, demons still snipe at believers and try to draw them out of heavenly defenses. The primary way of attacking believers is to draw them into some agreement with Satan in some part of their lives. That’s what Satan did in the Garden with Eve and then with Adam. His lies brought them into agreement with him about the character of God and that agreement cost them (and us) their unique place with the Lord. The prophet Amos said, “How can two walk together unless they are agreed?” The corollary is that when we agree, we are walking together. A kind of unity is established by agreement and, if nothing else, a welcome mat is placed outside our door.

Unbelief, unrepented sin, unforgiveness, dabbling with the things of Satan, buying into his lies, etc. are all forms of “coming into agreement” with the enemy. Believers are not immune. Paul often tells believers to put away those things that open the door for the enemy. He says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.         Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph.4:22-27). Paul is essentially telling believers not to revert to their old ways of thinking and doing or they will eventually give the enemy a foothold – a place in their life. If you invite someone to your home often enough, they may just move in with you. When that happens, a believer can be demonized.

The good news is that Jesus is more powerful than any demon and much more powerful than even Satan himself. Jesus demonstrated that time and again as he cast our demons and so did his followers. For believers, the first step back to freedom is always re-establishing alignment or agreement with the Father. That comes in the form of confession, repentance, a renewal of faith and a heart of obedience, and often a verbal renouncement of sin. Our agreement, even as believers, has given Satan authority to establish a place in our lives. Confession and genuine repentance revokes that authority and then demons can be commanded to leave in the name of Jesus. That is really the deliverance process. The key is true repentance and realignment with the Father. Half-hearted repentance will not get you freedom. Having regained his or her freedom, the believer must then maintain his or her defenses and walk faithfully with the Lord.

I really can’t count how many demons we have driven out of believers. Some come out quickly. Others take a wile depending on their rank and how long they have been attached to that individual or even a family line. The greatest factor, however, is how much that believer wants freedom and how much he or she is willing to trust and surrender every part of their life to Jesus, withholding nothing. James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. “Resist” is not a word that means a casual dislike or opposition but a great opposition based on a hatred for the things of Satan. When we get there, we will be in a very good place.

The key for believers is to keep the doors and windows of our souls closed to the enemy. Dabbling in bitterness, unforgiveness, pornography, horoscopes, etc. and compromise with the culture are open doors that may eventually give the devil a foothold which can become a stronghold. When that happens, Jesus still has the remedy but it is much better not to go there period. Be blessed and know who you are in Christ today… and don’t forget to put on the armor (Eph.6:11-18)!

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Mt. 28:18-20).

Anyone who has spent any time at all in evangelical churches should be familiar with “The Great Commission.”  This was Christ’s final command to the church before his ascension and has been the fuel behind world missions for centuries. It is called a co-mission because Jesus works with us to fulfill the mission. It is something we do together.

However, it seems to me that in most of the last hundred years we have missed the mark on this to a great degree in the U.S.   Jesus said to make disciples of nations.  To disciple an entire nation is a daunting thought but God said, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession” (Ps.2:7-8).  In giving the “Great Commission” to his church wasn’t Jesus asking his Father for the nations?

In 2010, churches in the Untied States sent out 120,000 missionaries to countries around the globe. At the same time, 1500 pastors are leaving their ministries each month in American churches. In addition, although there are 4000 church plants in this country each year, 7000 churches close their doors. As a nation we are heading in the wrong direction.  It is clear that the American church is failing to make a disciple of this nation.

In order to disciple a nation two things must happen.  First of all, the kingdom of God must be planted in the hearts of the nation’s people.  Jesus said that the kingdom is within.  Faith and righteousness cannot be legislated in the hearts of a nation’s people. If it could, America would be drug free and the Prohibition era of the 1920’s would have wiped out alcoholism.  The kingdom must first bear fruit in the hearts of people.  But as the Holy Spirit does his work of transformation, the kingdom of God begins to manifest in the exterior life of the disciple.  The salt and light principle then begins to touch culture and when enough culture has been touched, a nation is discipled.

The founding fathers were very clear in their writings that this American experiment could only stand if the people persisted in faith and the morality that comes from faith. A great start does not guarantee a great finish.  Although we began as “one nation under God,” we may have forgotten that every new generation must be evangelized and discipled as well.  There have been seasons in the past fifty years where there have been upticks in evangelism.  The Billy Graham crusades, Campus Crusade, the third wave of the Holy Spirit, Promise Keepers, etc. and we celebrate every person who received Jesus Christ as Lord.  But there is a huge difference between being saved and being discipled, between salvation and sanctification.

Salvation separates us from darkness and brings us under the umbrella of God’s grace but sanctification shapes our entire life so that the kingdom of heaven is reflected in all that we do.  When that happens Jesus touches other people and culture through us.  The culture of heaven then begins to flow through us to our family, to our friends, to business, education, media, recreation and politics. What we see in America today is that the devil has been much more effective at making disciples and touching culture than the church has been.

Part of that is because the church has led significant numbers to Christ but has stopped short of discipling those who have come. Discipleship takes time, energy and an extended commitment to a new Christian. As Americans, we are far too busy to make those kinds of commitments and so we outsource our discipleship to the 700 Club, Sunday School, and community Bible studies.  We even do that with our children rather than taking personal responsibility to disciple them through both teaching and modeling. The model Jesus used was the Rabbinical model of choosing a few promising students and then doing life together – teaching, modeling, handing off responsibilities, etc. It still takes that.

There really is a war raging in the heavenlies over the soul of America. The disciples of the enemy have chipped away at the culture of heaven in our country until we are truly at a tipping point. Millions of unborn children have died at the hands of those who swore first “to do no harm.”  Prayer and God’s word have been ejected from schools where this generation of children is being discipled by a secular culture.  The media has effectively normalized sin and made it “cute” or acceptable so that evil is called good and good is called evil.  From the enemy’s perspective, America is strategic.  If America falls into darkness who stands with Israel?  Who exports the gospel through missions all over the world?  Who feeds the hungry in starving nations? Who stands against Sharia Law that will make faith in Jesus a capital crime?

Jesus has asked his Father for the nations and God has commissioned his church to bring those to the Son. America is sliding away and Satan has ramped up the attack. Will the church respond or continue to compromise and secularize itself for the sake of being “accepted and relevant.” When we are accepted by a secular culture we are no longer reflecting Christ because the world has always hated Christ. Can the nation be turned around? If not the entire world loses.

It can be turned around just as every nation can be brought to Jesus. We are to make disciples of all nations but that means not just saving but also discipling the citizens of that nation so that God’s love, values, and righteousness begin to permeate the cultural landscape once again. Every mature believer has that mandate. Go and make a disciple. I know many mature believer but very few are intentionally mentoring or discipling those who are young in the faith. Very few are intentionally taking a believer from the waters of baptism to a submitted like in Christ that is impacting everything it touches with the life of Jesus. Let me encourage you today to ask God to give you one or two believers to do life with and to disciple so that they can disciple others and take back a nation for whom Jesus died. It takes time, energy, commitment and a lot if inconvenience.  But the Great Commission was not just a great suggestion.

Once demonic oppression is indicated in the life of a believer, dealing with the demonic is fairly straightforward.

Deliverance is based on a few essential beliefs and principles.

1.  The kingdom of heaven has power and authority much greater than anything in the kingdom of darkness.  Satan was cast down.
2. Jesus demonstrated that authority over demons again and again while on the earth as the Son of Man.
3. Satan, death, and the grave could not hold the resurrected Savior who died for our sins to take away Satan’s legal claims against us.
4. Positionally, we are sons and daughters in the house of God, kings and priests on the earth, and the representatives of Jesus Christ who carry his delegated power and authority over the enemy.
5.  The only power Satan has over believers is the power we give him when we choose to live unaligned with God in all or part of our life. Others to whom we are connected may also have given him that right (sins of the fathers, curses, etc.).
6.  Our misalignment gives Satan a legal right to “rent a room,” i.e. afflict or oppress us.
7. Re-aligning ourselves with the Father removes the enemy’s legal right to afflict us.
9.  Having removed that right, we can command demons to leave us by the authority of Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Basic Process for Finding Freedom from the Demonic

Make all declarations or statements verbally because you are declaring these things to the spiritual realm.

1.  Begin your re-alignment by declaring your faith in and allegiance to Jesus Christ.
2.  Renounce sin and all the works of Satan.
3.  Acknowledge the areas in your life that are unaligned with the Father. These may be areas of persistent unrepented sin, unbelief, or unforgiveness. As King David prayed, “Search my heart O God and show me if there is any offensive way in me,” you should also pray and ask God to show you any hidden sins or rebellion in your life. Do not rationalize, minimize or blame others for your sin and do not accuse God of having unjust standards.
4.  Confess and repent of your sins by declaring God’s standards to be righteous and agreeing with him about his standards and your failure to keep them. Ask for forgiveness in the name of Jesus based on his sacrifice for you and nothing else.  Be as specific as possible. Thank God for forgiving you. (See 1 Jn. 1:9).
5.  Confess the sins of your Fathers if you know them specifically.  If not, confess the wickedness, known and unknown, of your ancestors and renounce their sins and wickedness. Ask God to break the affects of their sins in your life and thank him for doing so.
6.  Forgive all those whom you have not forgiven.  This is an act of the will not your emotions. Biblical forgiveness is choosing to no longer require payment for a wrong done to you.  It is turning judgment of the matter over to God.  It is a decision to no longer act in any way designed to make someone pay for the wrong he/she did to you.  Jesus then instructs us to bless them and pray for them.  We must forgive those who sin against us because Jesus forgives our sins. It is not because they deserve it, but because Jesus deserves it.

Having re-aligned yourself with the Father, you may….

• Declare that Jesus became a curse for you so that you might blessed (Gal. 3:13-14).  Because of that you may ask Jesus to sever, make null and void, and cancel any curses that have ever been established against you by words or sins. Thank him for doing so.
• Declare that you are a son/daughter of the king. God’s representative on the earth, and that you serve in the power and authority of Jesus Christ.
• Renounce any sin, emotions or thoughts contrary to God’s truth that you believe demonic spirits have prompted or produced in you.  It may be something like … In the Name of Jesus I renounce fear, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bitterness, pornography, unbelief, gossip, apathy, etc.
• Then in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ and by his blood that was shed for you, you can command those spirits to leave you immediately and never return.

That is the basic process and scriptural principles for breaking the power of the enemy in your life or someone else’s life based on whom Jesus is, what he has done and who you are in him.

For more details about this process and for suggested commands and declarations over the enemy I would recommend reading my book Born to Be Free. It is also important that you learn how to walk out your freedom so that the enemy cannot return. The book will give you a more thorough theological base, a more thorough understanding of who you are in Christ, and lead you through a thorough assessment of your life to discover entry points for the enemy.  It will also walk you through a systematic process for deliverance and maintaining your freedom.

All I have trued to do in this blog is to give you a sense of how the demonic operates and a basic framework for understanding deliverance.  Faith in Jesus is still the key in all of this.  I hope this eight part series has been helpful.

As Christians, we are unique in the universe.  We live under grace while everyone and everything else exists under law.  Law operates on the basis of authority and legalities. When Jesus died on the cross he redeemed us from the dominion of darkness (Col.1:13-14) and in doing so revoked Satan’s legal right to lay claim to us or treat us as slaves. For those who enter the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus Christ, Satan’s access is limited.  Temptation and persecution from the outside seem to be permitted in the spiritual realm.  Otherwise, we would not need divine weapons (2 Cor. 10:3), the armor of God (Eph.6:10-11), or an awareness of Satan’s schemes contrived against us.  We are told, however, that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear (1 Cor.10:13). Therefore, God has set limits on the extent to which Satan can attack or harass those who belong to Jesus.   The book of Job reflects those kind of spiritual boundaries.  As Satan came before God wanting to target Job, God set definite limits on Satan’s access to Job with each round of temptations.

For unbelievers, Satan seems to have very few limitations. The evil, brokenness, and perversion that is so prevalent in our world attests to that. That condition is not necessarily confined to the 21^st Century. The man who lived among the tombs in Mark 5 who had a “legion” of demons resident within him attests to that.  The question is, “Can Christians be afflicted with demonic spirits so that deliverance is needed to set them free?” and, if so, “How does Satan gain access to them since they have been delivered from his dominion?”  Great questions!  I’m glad you asked.

Many will argue that demons cannot possess believers because we belong to Christ and his Spirit lives within us.  I fully agree because possession implies ownership and we have certainly been purchased by the blood of Christ.  I do not believe Christians can be possessed by Satan (owned), but I believe they can be harassed and afflicted by spirits who are attached or residing within the person.

Jesus speaks about an unclean spirit being cast out of a man and then returning to that “house” to find it “unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order.” The spirit returns and brings other demonic spirits with him. (Mt.12:43-45).  Think of your body as a house. Suppose you decide to rent out a room in your house to generate some extra income. A young man knocks on your door and tells you that a friend told him about your room for rent.  He tells you that he goes to school all day and studies at night, is quiet, has few friends and you will hardly know he is there. You shake hands, write out a brief lease with the monthly amount you agree on and rent out the room.

In a week or two, however, you begin to notice loud music, friends coming to his room at all hours, and horrid smells drifting through the house.  You confront your renter and tell him that he is making your life miserable and he will need to move. He laughs, says he will stay as long as he likes and shows you the lease that you signed without written stipulations regarding noise, friends, or smells.  He has not taken possession of your house.  Except for the one room, the rest of your house still belongs to you, functions well, and is neat and clean.  However, because he was given a legal right to establish a dwelling in one room of your house, he can harass you from that position and eventually make your life miserable.  You will need to find a way to void his lease and then you can have him and his friends removed.

Although Jesus has removed Satan’s legal right to access believers, in general, an individual believer can give the enemy the right to rent a room “in their house” which can lead to a great deal of torment and chaos in that believer’s life.  So, how can Satan gain legal access to set up a stronghold in a believer’s life?  It happens through the process of coming into agreement with Satan in part of your life.  As you agree with him you walk with him (Amos 3:3).  If you walk with someone long enough, it is only a matter of time until they come home with you.

1. When Christians refuse to submit an area of their life to the lordship of Jesus and persist in unrepented sin, the enemy has open access to any area that is not under the Lordship of Jesus.
2. A refusal to forgive those who have wronged us gives Satan a legal right to invade a believer’s life because our refusal to forgive keeps God’s forgiveness from covering our sins.
3. “Sins of the Father’s” can give the enemy access. Scripture declares that certain sins will be passed down to the children to the 3^rd and 4^th generations. That means that the consequences of that sin will be inherited by the children which may include demonic assignments.
4. Curses that are attached to sins or that have been spoken over an individual may have demons assigned to enforce the curse and that curse will give the enemy a legal right to invade a believer’s life.
5. Many people come to Christ demonized and, like the promised land, the enemy still must be driven out even after entering into their salvation.
6. Unbelief can also be an open door to the enemy. Unbelief in God or the Word of God is actually coming into agreement with Satan.  Paul tells us that strongholds are belief systems within us that oppose God’s truth. When we fail to believe God about who we are in Christ, who Christ is, God’s standards for living, etc. we open a door to the demonic.
7. Experience also tells us that the demonic can gain entrance to our hearts through trauma  – especially violent or sexual trauma.  The wounds seem to create an opening for the enemy’s lies and the lies create an agreement with Satan.  Sometime the bitterness and unforgiveness attached to wounds opens the door as well.

Although saved and in Christ, we know that many Christians live in bondage to addictions; are tormented by fears and deep depression; live for decades with “secret sins;” and carry deep emotional wounds for years that destroy one relationship after another.  If believers can carry that kind of bondage and darkness within of them – even though they are saved – why would we doubt that they can be afflicted by demons as well?

Tomorrow, how to rid “your house” of the demonic in Part 7.

When dealing with the demonic, attitude and perspective is important. Regardless of their origins, demons (unclean spirits) are woven into the fabric of scripture throughout both the Old and New Testaments. We should never obsess about the demonic, however, but instead learn to fix our eyes on Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth. If you decide to walk through the woods on a cool fall afternoon, you want to be aware of poison ivy but not focus on it to the extend that you never notice the brilliant fall colors all around you or deer drinking out of a nearby stream. We need to simply keep an eye out for it as we walk through wooded areas, recognize it, stay clear of it when possible, eradicate it if it shows up on our property, and treat it if we feel its sting.  The demonic is the same.

Peter compares Satan to a roaring lion going about looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9).  However, he tells us to be self-controlled and alert, not to be afraid.  He tells is to resist him and stand firm in the faith, not to run away. James tells us that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Our response to the demonic is faith rather than fear, wisdom rather than carelessness, and boldness rather than retreat when encounters occur.

We need to carry with us a strong sense of authority when we encounter the enemy because the one we represent is far greater that any demonic spirit. Roman consuls understood their authority.  In 168 BC, Antiochus IV, a Seleucid king, was laying siege to Egypt that, at the time, was an ally of Rome.  A Roman Consul named Gaius Popillius Laenas was sent to persuade Antiochus to withdraw from Egypt and return home.  The arrogant Antiochus responded that he would “think about it.” The Roman consul took his sword, drew a circle in the sand around the king and said, “Fine.  But before you step out of that circle, I want you to give me an answer for the Roman Senate.”   The implication was that Antiochus would face the legions of Rome if he stepped out of the circle without a decision to leave Egypt immediately. Weighing his options, Antiochus decided to withdraw. The consul understood the power that backed his authority and so he displayed boldness in the face of the enemy.

You represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose everlasting kingdom took down Rome and overcame the kingdom of darkness. Our attitude against the enemy is not arrogance but confidence – confidence not in ourselves but in the one who gave us our commission to set captives free. Remember that a commission is a co-mission.  Jesus is there working with us when we face the enemy.

Having said that, demons are spiritual entities that roam the earth with a mission to harass, torment, derail people and oppose the will of God on the earth.  Jesus compared Satan to a thief who only comes to kill, steal and destroy (Jn.10:10).  Just as our mission is to impart life and peace because that is what our Lord does, demons come to kill, steal and destroy because that is what their lord does.

In scripture, we see a number of manifestations of these demonic missions. In the Old Testament we clearly see them promoting false worship in the form of idolatry.  That worship included sacrificing children on altars and in fire and all kinds of sexual perversions meant to arouse “the gods” in fertility rites. We also see warfare in spiritual realms as demonic princes fought to prevent angels from completing their tasks on behalf of God’s people. Demons are also evident in the dark arts of Pharaoh’s magicians, in Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew boys to prevent a “deliverer” from being provided by God to free his people, and in the unrelenting hatred held by surrounding tribes toward the Hebrews.

In the New Testament, demons tormented individuals such as the Garazene demoniac who lived among the tombs (Mk.5) and the boy who often fell into water and fire in seizure-like episodes (Mk.9).  They afflicted many individuals with physical conditions such as back pain, deaf and dumbness, blindness, etc.  They also continued the demonic tradition of “temptation” as they would draw people into sin and the consequences of that sin. We are told that Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her. There is a strong tradition that she was a prostitute before coming to Jesus and being set free. The demonic clearly had a hand in her brokenness.

I believe that every sin or tormenting condition listed in the bible has a corresponding spirit whose assignment is to produce that condition or sin in the individual, family, organization, or nation to whom it is assigned. I also believe there are spirits not named in scripture that also harass the human race. Demonic spirits rarely produce an “exorcist moment” though I have seen some extreme manifestations.  Typically, they torment and harass by mimicking physical and psychological conditions that are experienced in the natural realm.  By doing so they remain undetected for years and, perhaps, generations. Their first goal is to keep people from accepting Jesus as Lord so that these individuals continue to be trapped in the kingdom of darkness. Failing that, the next goal is to cause fresh faith to wither and fail by orchestrating trials in a believer’s life.  Later these spirits will attempt to choke out the seed of God planted in believers by creating cares and worries in their lives or even by directing riches and pleasure their way (see Lk.8).

My experience and the experience of those who minister with me is that demonic oppression is far more prevalent than we think – even among believers. In a rational/technical culture demonic activity isn’t even on the radar screen and within the church generations have passed with no teaching or training in spiritual warfare.  We believe we are seeing the accumulation of demonic activity that has gone unchallenged for decades or centuries. In Part 6 of this series we will discuss how demons gain access to individuals, including believers, and how authority plays a significant role in that process.

We’ve been looking at theories regarding the origin of demons.  These are each theories or speculations because scripture does not specifically speak to the issue.   Each view has strengths and weaknesses and you will need to decide which seems most plausible if you need to adopt one.  The good news is that we have what we need in Christ to deal with the demonic without knowing their origins, but because so many believers ask the question, we’ll continue.

The Nephilim Theory

In Genesis 6 and Numbers 13 there are small sections of scripture that grab your attention because they are so unusual while at the same time causing you to wonder what those verses are all about.

After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth. When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. (Gen.5:32-6:4).

They gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. “There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Num.13:32-33).

This theory suggests that the “sons of God” who were attracted to the daughters of men were angels.  That phrase seems to apply to angels in Job 1:6 when the “son’s of God” came to present themselves before God and Satan also came with them.  Some translations use the word “angels” in place of “sons of God.”

This view of demons states that angels (not necessarily those cast down with Satan) were so taken by the daughters of men that they essentially abandoned their nature as angels and married them.  The children from those unions were extraordinary, large, and powerful. They were the Nephilim and their descendants were seen as giants by the Israeli spies who went into Canaan in the Numbers passage. Remember Goliath was seen as a “giant” and he was approximately nine feet tall so you don’t have to think of “Jack and the Bean Stalk giants” here.

The theory states that these half-human, half-angelic beings were destroyed in the flood but their spirits remained on the earth and are the demons that now serve Satan and attempt to enter human bodies to satisfy their desires – especially sexual desire since that was what tempted them to abandon their angelic nature in the first place. Certainly, Satan was a tempter of angels as well as men or a third of the angelic population would not have joined him in the rebellion spoken of in Revelation 12.

Another interesting twist of this theory is that the Nephilim were said to be on the earth “in those days and also afterward.”  That phrase suggests that they were on the earth before the flood and after the flood so that their descendants were living in Canaan at the time of the Exodus – descendants of Anak.  Of course, you see the problem immediately.  How could these Nephilim have descendants after the flood if all flesh, other than Noah and his family, was destroyed by the flood?  This view responds that their spirits remained on the earth after the flood and are the demonic spirits spoken of in scripture.

The objections to this view revolve mostly around the notion of angels producing offspring with humans.   In response to a question about a man being married multiple times and which previous wife would be his at the resurrection, Jesus responded, “For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven” (Mt. 12;25). Many scholars take the view that this passage indicates that angels are not sexual since we have no scriptural record of them reproducing nor marrying.  If angels are not sexual then how could they reproduce with women?  However, in Luke 20:36 which is a parallel passage to this, Jesus seems to say that in the resurrection, the righteous do not marry but are like the angels in that they are not subject to death.

The objection still stands, however, that we have no clear passages suggesting that angels are sexual nor do we have any passages suggesting that angels can give up their “angelness” (for lack of a better term) to become human or superhuman.  Many scholars are convinced that the “son’s of God marrying the daughters of men” refers to those who worshipped Jehovah marrying those who were not worshippers.  That would be consistent with the drumbeat of Judaism forbidding marriage outside the faith and taking foreign wives. Adam himself was referred to as a “son of God” in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus and he was not an angel. Lastly, if the Nephilim where on the earth after the flood simply as spirits, how did they reproduce so that their descendants were in Canaan?  I think these are significant objections to this view, although this may be the most interesting theory.

There is one final view of demons that I will mention. Some believe that there was a world created by God before Adam that was thrown into darkness and chaos when Satan was cast down from heaven.  That explains why the world outside the Garden needed to be subdued.  This view suggests that the Genesis account of creation was actually a re-creation.  Demons, according to this view are the wicked spirits of this pre-Adamic race. Again, we have to speculate a great deal about the origin of demons.

So, choose one of these or construct your own view of the origin of demons.  As I said in the beginning, none are completely satisfying and the speculation sometimes raises more questions than it answers.  Tomorrow, we will move into more practical and constructive areas when it comes to dealing with the demonic.

As followers of Jesus, how many of us really believe that “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” (Eph. 6:12)?

The New Testament is full of reverences to satanic schemes, demonic oppression and torment, and battles in the heavenly realms.  It is full of admonitions to recognize the enemy’s ploys and stand up against him.  In Matthew 4, we see a wilderness showdown between Jesus and Satan as soon as Christ’s public ministry is launched.  We then see Jesus, the twelve, the seventy, and the church exercising authority illness and over demons and casting them out each time the gospel was preached.

There are a number of ways demons afflict people in the New Testament record.  There is the tormented and “insane” tomb dweller of Mark 5.   Then there were those who were deaf, mute, and blind.  Some had back problems for years while others seemed to have conditions that produced seizures. Undoubtedly demons manifested in people in numerous other ways as well.  Tradition maintains that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute before coming to Jesus. We are told in scripture that she had seven demons cast out of her.  No doubt they contributed heavily to her brokenness and destructive lifestyle.  Many references to deliverance say that a demon was cast out and the person was healed as a result. It’s fair to speculate that demons manifested as all kinds of physical and mental illnesses as well as physical conditions.  Wherever there is an authentic disease or condition that exists in the natural realm, it is likely that demons mimic and produce those conditions in many. For one, medication will suffice.  For the other, deliverance is needed.

It’s interesting to me that many of the people who came to Jesus seemed to have an accurate diagnosis of physical illness versus demonic affliction. One would come and say that his daughter or servant was ill and needed healing while another would come and say that his son or daughter was suffering from a demon. We live in a culture where even Bible believing Christians never consider that an illness or psychological condition might be caused by demonic forces.

First century Jews lived in a culture that gave great credence to the spiritual realm.  When disaster, affliction, or torment entered their lives, they considered spiritual causes as much or more than natural causes.  So they ran to Jesus or his followers and found healing and deliverance. In our world of rationalism, technology, and science those who believe that physical illness, physical impairments, addictions, learning disabilities, or psychological conditions such as depression, rage, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. might be rooted in demonic activity are considered weird or backward.  In many cases, even the church rejects the notion of demonic affliction and would invite anyone who wanted to minister deliverance or supernatural healing to leave immediately.

Yet the biblical model is to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and even raise the dead.  Most churches declare that the Bible is their guide in all things and strive to duplicate biblical patterns and models in their churches … until it comes to “spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.” How many of us have heard prayers asking God to help the doctors do what they do rather than asking God to heal by his power and compassion?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t go to doctors or pray for them. I believe medicine is a grace of God and doctors are a grace to this world.  What I am saying is that greater power and greater solutions lie in the spiritual realm. I am saying that some illness and physical conditions have spiritual roots and vaccines will not solve that issue.

It is clear that the majority of believers in the western church believe our healing is in the hands of doctors and secular therapists much more than in the hands of God. Even believers tend to exhaust all solutions they can find in the natural realm before they turn to the spiritual realm in desperation. Paul’s admonitions would seem to suggest that we should look for spiritual solutions even before we turn to solutions in the natural realm.

I am encouraged, however.  There is a worldwide move of God at this present time where the power of the kingdom of heaven is being displayed in the name of Jesus. Millions are coming to Christ.  Thousands are being healed and delivered.  Even in western nations and America, churches are beginning to live out the commands to preach, heal and set free in the name of Jesus. It is just my heart that every Christian would find the power of Jesus Christ for their lives and the lives of those they love who live in torment and brokenness.  The church simply needs to remember Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 6 to live with an awareness of where the real battles are waged and the real solutions are found.  Then, press in to discover the power of God and the divine weapons he offers to every follower of Jesus.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1Jn. 3:8). Whatever Jesus healed, cast out, or overcame were works that the enemy had constructed on the earth.  In the opening salvo of Christ’s war on the devil, he announced that he had come to preach good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, and to set captives free (Luke 4).  He then proceeded to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, heal every kind of sickness and physical condition, cast our demons, raise the dead and break the power of sin over countless lives.

However, sometime in the last 2000 years, a few prominent theologians decided that the very things Jesus opposed on the earth did not come from Satan but from God himself.   Somewhere along the line, theologians decided that since God is sovereign, everything that happens on this planet is his will and has been ordained by heaven.  That kind of theology makes God the author of rape, abortion, famine, war, cancer, birth defects, and crib death. That kind of theology makes God a heartless manipulator of people and circumstances.  However, John definitively says that God is love.

The truth is that there are countless things that happen on this planet that do not reflect the heart or the will of God for his people.  For instance, in his first letter to Timothy, Paul says, “This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim.2: 4) Paul clearly states that God’s desire is for every soul to be saved.  Scripture also clearly says that not all will be saved. In the matter of the world’s salvation, God’s desire will not be completely fulfilled.

Even, when the persistent acts and sins of men demand God’s righteous judgment, that is not what God rejoices to do.  In the book of Ezekiel, God says, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” declares the sovereign Lord.  “Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live” (Ezek. 18:23)?  He also says, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezek.22: 30). Sometimes, disaster comes because man leaves God no choice.  Like parents exercising tough love toward a rebellious child, God sometimes brings discipline or judgment.  But it is not his pleasure to do so.

The world is clearly full of tragedy.  In his sovereignty, God gave man free will and in doing so set limitations on himself in terms of how he would intercede in the affairs of men.  When mankind chooses violence over peace, adultery over faithfulness, abortion over parenthood, bitterness over forgiveness, deception over truth and rebellion over obedience, bad things happen and people are wounded in ways that were never in the heart of God for his people. When men act in such ways they open themselves and their families up to the work of Satan who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

However we understand God and his heart for us, the clearest demonstration of his heart is found in Jesus. Jesus declared in John 14 that whoever has seen him (Jesus) has seen the Father.  Whatever Jesus did on the earth is an accurate reflection of the heart of God.  The heart of God, like the heart of God’s Son, is to heal, bless, set free, and eventually abolish death altogether.

When we blame God for the tragedies, the pain, the sorrows of life we misjudge his character and his heart for us.  That misconception is a great tool of the enemy to alienate people from a God who loves them and to limit our faith when we pray.  If we ever believe that God’s heart for his children is that they be raped, abused, murdered, ravaged by cancer, and stuck in crippling poverty, or die tragically then how will we pray against those things?  How will be believe that God is sitting on the edge of his throne waiting to arise and set his children free from the hate-filled works of the devil?  And yet, that is where he is.

The good news is that disease, disabilities, shattered emotions, broken families and all the rest of Satan’s work is not the heart of God for his people.  Jesus came to begin dismantling those works in individual lives and then in society as a whole.  The church has been commissioned to do what Jesus did and to continue to destroy those works with the love of God and the power of heaven.  God longs for us to call on him in faith to push back the borders of darkness through us.  He longs to display his power to heal, mend, and set free through us, just as he did through Jesus. Whenever we have it in our hearts to do the works that Jesus did then we can rest assured that heaven is ready to join us in the battle.  Be bold today.  Know that God is on your side when you push back in faith against the kingdom of darkness.