There are many homes across the land in which the devils have already taken up residence; some know of it and others don’t. The manifestation of demons does not only take a gruesome form, with persons frothing at the mouth, or doing other weird things, unthinkable things. Manifestations also occur in the form of paranormal activity, or in constant bickering amongst husbands, and wives, and family members. Whatever the case might be, this study will focus on the root causes, the God-ordained remedies, and how we may avoid a repeat of these phenomena in the future.
To begin with, it’s important for us to understand that God has set certain bounds by which every created intelligence living on the planet are to live and operate, and it’s very comforting to know, that although we live in a sinful world, God has not left us to the arbitrary control of evil spirits. There are several pertinent promises in the scriptures which confirm to us God’s protecting watch-care, and by these we are to live.
These precious promises are given on condition, and whenever, and wherever the stipulations are fulfilled, God’s Omni-potent hand will be over and about His people as an invisible shield of defense. In other words, if demons or evil men attempt to harm or curse God’s people, they will first have to pass through God. And the sacred record teaches us that whenever, in His own wisdom it becomes necessary to use force in the accomplishment His benevolent purposes, He most definitely will, even though it is not His preferable method of working. Let’s read:
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
2nd timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round
about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
[Excerpts From The Great Controversy. pp 511>513] The connection of the visible with the invisible world, the ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil spirits, are plainly revealed in the Scriptures, and inseparably interwoven with human history. There is a growing tendency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the holy angels that “minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14) are regarded by many as spirits of the dead. But the Scriptures not only teach the existence of angels, both good and evil, but present unquestionable proof that these are not disembodied spirits of dead men.
Angels are in nature superior to men, for the psalmist says that man was made “a little lower than the angels.” Psalm 8:5. We are informed in Scripture as to the number, and the power and glory, of the heavenly beings, of their connection with the government of God, and also of their relation to the work of redemption. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, were the heavenly messengers beheld by the prophet Daniel.
The apostle Paul declared them “an innumerable company.” Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 12:22. As God's messengers they go forth, like “the appearance of a flash of lightning,” (Ezekiel 1:14), so dazzling their glory, and so swift their flight. The angel that appeared at the Savior's tomb, his countenance “like lightning, and his raiment white as snow,” caused the keepers for fear of him to quake, and they “became as dead men.” Matthew 28:3, 4.
When Sennacherib, the haughty Assyrian, reproached and blasphemed God, and threatened Israel with destruction, “it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand.” There were “cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains,” from the army of Sennacherib. “So he returned with shame of face to his own land.” 2 Kings 19:35; 2 Chronicles 32:21.
Angels are sent on missions of mercy to the children of God. To Abraham, with promises of blessing; to the gates of Sodom, to rescue righteous Lot from its fiery doom; to Elijah, as he was about to perish from weariness and hunger in the desert; to Elisha, with chariots and horses of fire surrounding the little town where he was shut in by his foes; to Daniel, while seeking divine wisdom in the court of a heathen king, or abandoned to become the lions’ prey; to Peter, doomed to death in Herod's dungeon; to the prisoners at Philippi; to Paul and his companions in the night of tempest on the sea.
Thus holy angels have, in all ages, ministered to God's people. A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ. These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. Said the Savior, speaking of those that believe in Him: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father.” Matthew 18:10. The angels appointed to minister to the children of God have at all times access to His presence.
Thus God's people, exposed to the deceptive power and unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance given without need. If God has granted to His children promise of grace and protection, it is because there are mighty agencies of evil to be met—agencies numerous, determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power none
can safely be ignorant or unheeding.
The following therefore are some fundamentals we must understand pertaining to the spiritual realm.
[1] It’s important for us to understand that there is generic protection, by which all humanity is brought under the safety net of the Holy Spirit, who is The General running things on the planet, in Christ’s stead. Then there is tailor-made protection through which The Lord commissions His special forces to surround, and watch over His people, and all those who shall be heirs of salvation, night and day. This fact was acknowledged by satan himself, after he observed that Job had an invisible shield of holy angels guarding his family, his property, livestock, and pets night and day. Let’s read:
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
This leads us to our second basic point:
[2] Demons are banned from making incursions into the homes in which God-fearing believers dwell.
Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
[The Adventist Home. pp. 323] When Christ is in the heart, He is brought into the family. The father and mother feel the importance of living in obedience to the Holy Spirit so that the heavenly angels, who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, will minister to them as teachers in the home, educating and training them for the work of teaching their children.
[The Desire Of Ages pp. 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.
Let’s take two well-documented examples:
1st Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit troubleth thee.
1st Samuel 19:19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?
Numbers 23:4 And God met Balaam,
5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 449] The great magician had tried his power of enchantment, in accordance with the desire of the Moabites; but concerning this very occasion it should be said of Israel, “What hath God wrought!” While they were under the divine protection, no people or nation, though aided by all the power of Satan, should be able to prevail against them. All the world should wonder at the marvelous work of God in behalf of His people—that a man determined to pursue a sinful course should be so controlled by divine power as to utter, instead of imprecations, the richest and most precious promises, in the language of sublime and impassioned poetry.
And the favor of God at this time manifested toward Israel was to be an assurance of His protecting care for His obedient, faithful children in all ages. When Satan should inspire evil men to misrepresent, harass, and destroy God's people, this very occurrence would be brought to their remembrance, and would strengthen their courage and their faith in God.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 457] When Balaam was called to curse the Hebrews he could not, by all his enchantments, bring evil upon them; for the Lord had not “beheld iniquity in Jacob,” neither had He “seen perverseness in Israel.” Numbers 23:21, 23. But when through yielding to temptation they transgressed God's law, their defense departed from them.
When the people of God are faithful to His commandments, “there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.” Hence all the power and wily arts of Satan are exerted to seduce them into sin. If those who profess to be the depositaries of God's law become transgressors of its precepts, they separate themselves from God, and they will be unable to stand before their enemies.
Thus, the question is: “What causes houses to be haunted, and what causes paranormal activity in homes? Is it possible for demons to make arbitrary, or random incursions into the homes where God reigns supreme?” This leads us to our third point.
[3] Forays, disturbances, and paranormal activity which occur in homes, and families are the result of something spiritual being out of place, such as sins, or errors that are being cherished, or wrongs that have not been repented of or forsaken. In addition, if there is anything that is deemed accursed that has been deliberately brought into the house, and kept there, the house can thus become haunted. These forbidden items include, but are not limited to idols, talismans, Ouija boards, mounted jewelry, amulets, genies, pornography, all books on magic, good-luck charms, and horror movies, amongst others. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.
26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Proverbs 26:2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
Thus the remedies for haunted houses must include the removal of the root cause, whatever it may be. As was stated before on numerous occasions, God is much more practical, and down to earth in His instructions, and therefore, in order to fix a haunted house, the following scriptural instructions must be followed precisely. [1] If the root cause involves any accursed thing, it must be immediately searched out, and permanently removed from the dwelling.
Let’s read:
Joshua 7:10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
Acts 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
[2] If the problem involves any national or personal, cherished sins, they must all be acknowledged, and confessed, and forsaken, or else The Lord will turn a deaf ear to prayers and entreaties for deliverance. It is of critical importance for us to take heed of this second point, for there is a subjective form of the gospel that’s being actively peddled across the land, by which answers to prayers are purportedly given without compliance. This constitutes a doctrine of devils, and will never produce any real or lasting results. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[3] Sending for the elders in certain situations is highly recommended, for there are times when one saint may not have the faith or the courage, or the spirit to pray, as he or she ought. In such cases, the instructions given by James are to be followed, and God will hear and answer according to His good will when the prerequisites are met. Let’s read:
James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
In closing, the Bible gives us warning against being repeat offenders, for if God has chosen to deliver us from haunted homes and minds, we should then treasure our deliverance as a most precious gift, with a firm determination not to walk in the paths of evil anymore. This is critically important, because if we were to return to the former ways, or sins, the case with us will be much more difficult to extricate ourselves from. This, according to the word of God. Let’s read:
Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
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.
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.
John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
2nd Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!