There are many people who deny the existence of a real devil, and there are others who believe that he is merely a figment of our imagination, representing the evil side of humanity. Especially is this denial of his existence to be found in both the scientific and intellectual communities, where a logical, scientific reason for everything is sought. But the scriptures teach quite the opposite, and especially in our day, when demonic activity across the land is scheduled to increase exponentially, we need to be very aware of the tectonic shift to the doctrines of devils, as the scriptures clearly warn us of. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
There is one very important point for us to consider as we study this subject, and that is the fact that complete demon possession does not take place suddenly, for it occurs on an incremental basis. A long process unknown to the world takes place in the mind before a person, or a nation is brought fully under the control of evil spirits, but when it does happen, that individual or that nation is forced to do the bidding of satan, even when it is against their own will, for once he is in full control of the mind, he rules by force, and not by free choice as is the case with The Lord Jesus Christ. Hence the reason for the solemn warnings given in the Bible. Let’s read, and we will explain:
Matthew 12:43 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man”…. [This means that every individual who is born on planet earth is assigned at least one evil spirit by the adversary of souls, and decisions we make, facilitate, or lessen their control over us. This solemn statement is certified by the prophet Isaiah, who confirms this inconvenient truth. The doctrine that teaches moral neutrality at birth is a false doctrine of devils which contradict the plainest teachings of the Bible on this point.
One holy angel is assigned to the children of those who believe, but that assigned angel does not take up residence in the heart. Only The Holy Ghost can do that, through our freedom of choice. In the case of parents who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Master, this assigned angel remains on the external, to protect and guide until such time that a conscious decision is made either for or against Christ. The temper tantrum exhibited by kids when their candy is interfered with for any reason, is not
the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ. Let’s read:
Isaiah 49:24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
[Messages To Young People pp. 51] Fallen man is Satan's lawful captive. The mission of Jesus Christ was to rescue him from his power. Man is naturally inclined to follow Satan's suggestions, and he cannot of himself successfully resist so terrible a foe, unless Christ, the mighty conqueror, dwells in him, guiding his desires, and giving him strength. God alone can limit the power of Satan. He is going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it. He is not off his watch for a single moment, through fear of losing an opportunity to destroy souls. It is important that God's people understand this, that they may escape his snares.
Psalm 14:2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Matthew 12:43 “he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none”… There are millions upon millions of evil angels sitting on the sidelines, employed in generic evil work, such as stirring up strife, the production of sinful movies, terrorist activities, gambling, drunkenness and pornography. Millions of them are thus employed because they have either been evicted from their home by Christ, or their home has been foreclosed on by the death of the individual. Let’s read:
Mark 3:26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.
[The Great Controversy pp. 660] For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the desolate earth, to behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. Since his fall, his life of unceasing activity has banished reflection; but he is now deprived of his power, and left to contemplate the part which he has acted since first he rebelled against the government of Heaven, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future, when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done, and be punished for the sins that he has caused to be committed.
Mark 5:8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Matthew 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Some people often wonder at the prospect of one person being possessed by ten to twelve thousand demons. The fact that it can, and does take place is not far-fetched, when we understand the concept of “My house”. At times we invite friends over to our house, and at other times relatives and friends may be invited over to stay for an extended period of time. The same thing takes place in the spiritual realm, where demons invite their fellows over, and often take up residence, since they were sitting on the sidelines anyway.
Matthew 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
There are many, even in the secular world who are at a loss for answers to explain the very tumultuous political environment we now find ourselves in, and it’s because of this, that a detailed explanation of what’s really going on is warranted. Thus, in order to better understand the scriptural warning against demon possession, we will use as our case study, the history of Judas, together with the Jewish nation at the time when Christ walked the earth, and soon thereafter. We will begin with the time when Judas came under the direct and complete control of evil spirits, and then we’ll work our way backwards to trace the cause. Let’s read:
John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
This full possession of Judas’ mind did not happen suddenly, because demon possession takes place in increments, and never all at once. But because of a persistent and deliberate rejection of truth, anyone or any nation can become permanently entrenched in rebellion, to the point where there remains no more remedy. Throughout Judas’ entire experience with Christ, he seemed to be often at odds with The Lord’s agenda, and whenever his covetous spirit was reproved, he took deep offence to it, and he refused to confess and forsake his sin.
Let’s take for instance, the occasion when Mary opened her alabaster box to anoint Jesus’ feet. At this time Judas raised a remonstrance against the supposed waste, and Jesus, in the most gentle and unobtrusive manner, sought to correct the evil. As a matter of fact, Christ did it in such a vague manner so as not to even mention, or implicate Judas by name. In the reproof administered by The Lord, He strategically uses the word “Ye”, which being plural, could apply to anyone, thus causing the real culprit to remain completely anonymous, so as to avoid any public embarrassment to Judas. Let’s read:
John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Mark 14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
[The Desire Of Ages pp. 719] Christ's discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of Judas. He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch.
From that time he expressed doubts that confused the disciples. He introduced controversies and misleading sentiments, repeating the arguments urged by the scribes and Pharisees against the claims of Christ. All the little and large troubles and crosses, the difficulties and the apparent hindrances to the advancement of the gospel, Judas interpreted as evidences against its truthfulness. He would introduce texts of Scripture that had no connection with the truths Christ was presenting. These texts, separated from their connection, perplexed the disciples, and increased the discouragement that was constantly pressing upon them.
Yet all this was done by Judas in such a way as to make it appear that he was conscientious. And while the disciples were searching for evidence to confirm the words of the Great Teacher, Judas would lead them almost imperceptibly on another track. Thus in a very religious, and apparently wise, way he was presenting matters in a different light from that in which Jesus had given them, and attaching to His words a meaning that He had not conveyed.
The same experience was duplicated in the lives of many of the Jewish leaders of Christ’s day. Evidence upon evidence was heaped upon them, undeniable miracles and truths, which they could not avoid were sent their way, but instead of yielding to the promptings of the Spirit of God, they stubbornly closed their eyes, and like pharaoh of old, refused to surrender to the truth. And thus, with the utter rejection of irrefutable truth and evidence, demon possession of the leaders of the nation increased, until they were brought under the full control of satanic forces. Let’s read:
John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, what do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
John 12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
The servant of the Lord makes a very pointed statement about the Jewish nation after their rejection of Christ. Bit by bit, and in ever larger increments, the leaders and people came to be directly controlled by demons, but this time no one was frothing at the mouth, or carrying on in a loud, ridiculous manner. Decent, briefcase carrying folks were now full possessed as they attended church regularly, whilst doing satan’s bidding each and every day. This is the dark abyss we keep referring to, into which we are now staring as a nation. Let’s read:
[The Desire Of Ages pp. 256] The same evil spirit that tempted Christ in the wilderness, and that possessed the maniac of Capernaum, controlled the unbelieving Jews. But with them he assumed an air of piety, seeking to deceive them as to their motives in rejecting the Savior. Their condition was more hopeless than that of the demoniac, for they felt no need of Christ and were therefore held fast under the power of Satan. Let’s read:
Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
That “Season” spoken of in verse 13, was short-lived and not spent in idleness, for the devil immediately went to J.C Penny’s, bought himself a suit and tie, and a decent pair of shoes, in preparation for the church services he would be attending shortly. He also stopped by your local bookstore to purchase himself a Bible, a Queen James bible, and headed for the synagogue to have fellowship with the many friends and associates he had there. Let’s read:
Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the
Spirit into Galilee”…
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days.
33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
[The Great Controversy pp. 28>29] For forty years after the doom of Jerusalem had been pronounced by Christ himself, the Lord delayed his judgments upon the city and the nation. Wonderful was the long-suffering of God toward the rejecters of his gospel and the murderers of his Son. The parable of the unfruitful tree represented God's dealings with the Jewish nation. The command had gone forth, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” But divine mercy had spared it yet a little longer. There were still many among the Jews who were ignorant of the character and the work of Christ.
And the children had not enjoyed the opportunities or received the light which their parents had spurned. Through the preaching of the apostles and their associates, God would cause light to shine upon them; they would be permitted to see how prophecy had been fulfilled, not only in the birth and life of Christ, but in his death and resurrection. The children were not condemned for the sins of the parents; but when, with a knowledge of all the light given to their parents, the children rejected the additional light granted to themselves, they became partakers of the parents’ sins, and filled up the measure of their iniquity.
The long-suffering of God toward Jerusalem only confirmed the Jews in their stubborn impenitence. In their hatred and cruelty toward the disciples of Jesus, they rejected the last offer of mercy. Then God withdrew his protection from them, and removed his restraining power from Satan and his angels, and the nation was left to the control of the leader she had chosen. Her children had spurned the grace of Christ, which would have enabled them to subdue their evil impulses, and now these became the conquerors.
Satan aroused the fiercest and most debased passions of the soul. Men did not reason; they were beyond reason, controlled by impulse and blind rage. They became Satanic in their cruelty. In the family and in the nation, among the highest and the lowest classes alike, there was suspicion, envy, hatred, strife, rebellion, murder. There was no safety anywhere. Friends and kindred betrayed one another. Parents slew their children, and children their parents. The rulers of the people had no power to rule themselves.
Uncontrolled passions made them tyrants. The Jews had accepted false testimony to condemn the innocent Son of God. Now false accusations made their own lives uncertain. By their actions they had long been saying, “Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” Now their desire was granted. The fear of God no longer disturbed them. Satan was at the head of the nation, and the highest civil and religious authorities were under his sway.
This last statement is of such importance that we must read it carefully again. “The fear of God no longer disturbed them. Satan was at the head of the nation, and the highest civil and religious authorities were under his sway”. These two sentences should cause all to be gravely concerned, especially at such a time as this, when laws that are directly opposed to the principles and truths of God’s kingdom are being passed by the legislature.
For those who may not know it, the “fear of God” has to do with the enmity which God “Put” between the woman and the serpent in the garden of Eden. The reason why God had to put enmity is because it did not naturally exist after Adam and Eve sinned, and thus, if for any reason we provoke The Lord to withdraw His Holy Spirit from us, there will remain no animosity whatsoever, to every type of evil, and the things we now look upon as being terribly wrong, will then seem to be quite acceptable in our judgment, and we will indulge in evil as though there were tremendous benefits to be derived. Let’s read:
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 6: 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
When God’s Spirit was finally removed from the antediluvian world, they lost the ability to think of anything good, and this fact should serve as a stern rebuke to the doctrine of moral neutrality at birth. It’s important however for us to observe again, what is written concerning Judas, so we will better understand what is currently taking place in the nation. Let’s read again:
[The Desire Of Ages pp. 719] “Yet all this was done by Judas in such a way as to make it appear that he was conscientious. And while the disciples were searching for evidence to confirm the words of the Great Teacher, Judas would lead them almost imperceptibly on another track. Thus in a very religious, and apparently wise, way he was presenting matters in a different light from that in which Jesus had given them, and attaching to His words a meaning that He had not conveyed.
The following is a sample of what is being referred to. Here we observe a well-known, and respected leader, who gives Bible studies each week, claims to be a devout Christian, and instructs others in the ways of God. The plainest teachings of Christ on the issue of marriage are being discussed, and he is asked what he thinks Jesus would do in our current environment of alternative lifestyles. Let’s keep in mind that with each rejection of scriptural truth, demon possession increases exponentially. Let’s first read what Jesus says on the issue.
Matthew 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder……. Now let’s take a look:
It is very important then that we follow the steps that are necessary, to avoid the unpardonable sin, which ends in full demonic control.
[1] Never distort God’s word to be politically correct, or to court the majority opinion. Let’s read:
Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Deuteronomy 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto,
or diminish from it.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
[2] We should make certain that our choices do not facilitate demon possession, by only choosing to think, act, and speak in accordance with that which is written. Whenever decisions are made based on pop culture or contemporary sentiment, those who thus choose are in very grave danger of being lost eternally. Our motto should be, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Let’s read:
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
[3] Christ must be invited into our hearts each day as an honored guest, and the Holy Ghost must be implored to take up residence within. When our souls are left vacant for any length of time, the squatters move back in, and when they do, it becomes very difficult, if not impossible to get them to leave. This last point is of the utmost importance, for only Christ can give us the energy and staying power to run the Christian race with a steady, even tread. Trying to be good without God is a fallacy that is the equivalent of putting demons in the driver’s seat of a one-way train that is headed never-land. Let’s read:
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
[The Desire Of ages pp. 323>324] When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan.
But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.
We end with a solemn plea for us to do wisely, by not putting off The Lord Jesus for tomorrow, because tomorrow might be too late. Let’ read:
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!