BEHIND ENEMY LINESSTRATEGIES FOR LIFE IN SATAN’S TERRITORY

Understanding the Works of DemonsLuke 4:31-37

THE WORKS OF SATAN/DEMONS

1. Keep us or take us outside God’s will. 2. Defeat us with his condemnations. 3. Weaken us spiritually in his fallen world. 4. Hinder the work of the Church through

disharmony and false teaching.5. Steal, silence, the joy of the Lord.6. Inflict illness through his presence.

WHAT IS “SPIRITUAL WARFARE”?

•The action of satan (or his fellow angels or demons) to hinder or disrupt the plan of God in the lives of believers, the church or the world. •1 John 3:8, “…Son of God came for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil.”

WHAT IS A DEMON?•Matthew 25:41 - angel of satan. •satan is the “first” of this kind. Matt 12:24

•Referred to as:•Unclean spirit, evil spirit•Demon•Angel of the devil•Demons who are not God; new gods

•Gentile thought- spirit of deceased person. (Josephus). Ghost.

SATAN “TYPES” AND DEMONIC HIERARCHY

•Rulers, authorities, powers, dominions on earth; and in the heavenly places.•Ep 1:21, 3:10, 6:22, 1 Peter 3:22, Daniel 10

•False deity. Deut 32:16-17•Antichrist. 1 John 2:18, 22-23; Rev 13:10-18•Demon. 81x in NT and OT.

2. DEMONS HAVE HUMAN–LIKE CHARACTERISTICS

1. Fear. Luke 4:34, 8:28; James 2:192. Reason. Luke 4:34, 8:28-30, Ezek 28:173. Morally responsible. Mt 25:41; Jude 1:6 4. Sometimes named. Luke 8:30, Rev 9:11

3. DEMONS HAVE SATAN–LIKE CHARACTERISTICS

1. Destroyer, destruction.•Luke 8:26-33; Matt 27:5

2. Supernatural power? Acts 19:14-16 3. Prefers to hide. Ezek 28:12. John 8:444. Ability to identify believers spiritually

(not by sight). Luke 4:34, 8:28, Acts 19:15. Rev 12:17

3. DEMONS HAVE SATAN–LIKE CHARACTERISTICS

5. Desires to reside in a human host:•Luke 11:24-26•Goes out of a person. •“waterless places.”

•Luke 8:30-31•“abyss” is the “bottomless pit.” Luke 8:30-31, Rev 9:1-2; 11

•Must have a door. Matt 16:23, Ep 4:26-27

4. CAN A CHRISTIAN BE INDWELT BY A DEMON?

•Argument: the Holy Spirit and a demon cannot be present in the same individual.•A demon cannot control a “place” that has been yielded to the Holy Spirit. •1 John 4:3-4

THE MEANING OF “POSSESSED”

•Greek verb, passive tense – to have.•Literally, v33, “…a man who had an [evil] spirit…” KJV, ESV•Not “owned” by the [evil] spirit”•Under the power or influence of …

•Cain – 1 John 3:12 (of the evil one)

5. DEMONS HAVE THESE WEAPONS

•Our fears.•Our ignorance. (Western only)•Our knowledge. (Western only)•Demons lie to us in our own voice.•Their lord satan has the world’s microphone.•Demons know our buttons (the flesh).

6. WHERE DOES THE OCCULT FIT IN WITH DEMONS?

•Leviticus 19:31, 20:6-7•Deuteronomy 18:9-14• Isaiah 8:19

7. DOES THE BIBLE SUGGEST THAT DEMONIZATION WAS TEMPORARY?

1. Authority to cast out. Matt 10:1, 3:15, Luke 10:18-19

2. Paul warns multiple times.3. John warns about antichrist, satan, end-

times activities. 1 John 2:18, 22-23; 4:1f4. Every NT book. Hebrews 2:14.

7. DOES THE BIBLE SUGGEST THAT DEMONIZATION WAS TEMPORARY?

6. Jesus mentions 17x; casts out 9x; in synoptic

7. Jesus’ final prayer for believers is that they be kept from the evil one. John 17:15

8. WHEN SHOULD A DELIVERANCE BE DONE?

1. Only after a complete surrender to the Lord. •Luke 11:24-26

2. In the faith that Christ is greater. •1 John 4:4