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FOUNDATIONAL SURVEY OF THEOLOGY

Section Eight:  ANGELOLOGY

THE ANGELS OF SATAN, DETAILS OF DEMONOLOGY
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          "Then one of the multitude answered and said,
     'Teacher, I have brought You my son, who has a mute
     spirit.  And wherever he seizes him, he throws him down;
     he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes
     rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should
     cast him out; but they could not.'

          He answered him and said, 'O faithless generation,
     how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with
     you?  Bring him to Me.'

          Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him,
     immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the
     ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

          So He asked his father, 'How long has this been
     happening to him?'  And he said, 'From childhood.  And
     often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the
     water to destroy him.  But if you can do anything, have
     compassion on us to help us.'

          Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things
     are possible to him who believes.'

          Immediately the father of the child cried out, and
     said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!'

          When Jesus saw that the people came running
     together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him,
     'You, dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of
     him, and enter no more.

          Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly,
     and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that
     many said, 'He is dead.' But Jesus took him by the hand,
     and lifted him up and he arose."    Mark 9.17-27


     The reality of the evil spirit, demonic fallen angels,
is questioned by the 'rational world.'  Consider, however,
the reality of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He
recognized their presence.  He rebuked their action. He spoke
to them according to the revelation of their nature. He
commanded them to depart from the possessed. To disbelieve in
demons is to disbelieve in the Saviour commands them.


I.   The ACTIVITIES of Demons in PROVOKING and OFFENDING

     A.   They attack the Purpose of God

          They attack the program and purpose of God by action
     against the human race through governments and national
     leaders (Rev. 16.13-16; Dan. 10.13-14; 1 Kings 22.19-23).

     B.   They attack the People of God

          They attack the human race through sickness and
     physical maladys:

          1.   Imposed dumbness and deafness (Matt. 9.32-33;
               Mark 9.25)

          2.   Physical blindness (Matt. 12.22) and spiritual
               blindness (2 Cor. 4.3-4)

          3.   Lunacy and paralysis (Matt. 4.23-34)

          4.   Oppression (Acts 10.38)

          5.   Infirmity, deformity (Luke 13.11-17)

          6.   Convulsions (Mark 9.20)

          7.   Uncleaness, the doorway to disease (Luke 4.36)

          The Scriptures do not attribute all ailments and
     sickness to demons.

          Conversely, all healing, particularily through a so-
     called "healer", is not necessarily Divine.

          If a demon can cause sickness, then he can relax
     that infirmity, therefore instant "healing". This action
     focus attention on the deceived "healer", who represent
     himself as a minister of righteousness (cf 2 Cor. 11.13-
     15).

          Healing, genuine supernatural complete and
     instaneous caring, is accomplished by God alone. This
     healing is to the praise of His glory and is testified as
     such.

     C.   They attack the Proclamation of God

          They attack the Word of God by hiding the Gospel (2
     Cor. 4.3-4), promoting false doctrine (1 Tim. 4.1-3) and
     encouraging heresy (1 Tim. 4.1)

     D.   They attack the Provision of God


          They oppose the Christian's walk by faith, even to
     the point of open warfare. (Eph 6.11-12)

          1.   Enactment

               By enacting counterfit worship (Lev. 17.7;
          Deut. 32.17; 2 Chron. 11.5; Psa. 106.37; 1 Chron.
          10.14-21)

          2.   Error

               By error, contrary to the Word of God (1 John
          4. 1-6, cf. 2.18-22; 1 Tim. 4.1)

          3.   Emotionalism

               By emtionalism, charismatic workings,
          experiential "feelings" apart from direct direction
          of the Scriptures.

          Spirituality is not obtained from experience, "holy
     rollers", "gibberish talking" and the like.  These things
     do not make an individual spiritual.

          Spirituality is obtained by a moment by moment
     dependence upon the Holy Spirit, Who manifests forth the
     "Christ life" in and through the dependent saint.

          Emotionalism, feelings, anything the agents of evil
     can substitute in place of the Word of God will be the
     things they use.

          Trust God the Holy Spirit to make the Lord Jesus
     Christ real in your life and give you the experiences He
     has for you because "All Scripture is profitable... that
     the man of God may be perfect..." (2 Timothy 3. 16-17)


II.  The ACTION of Demons in POSSESSING and OPPRESSING

     A.   Demonic Possession

          1.   Demonic Possession Defined

               Demonic possession is exactly what the term
          implies.  A demon, a fallen spirit creature, enters
          into and resides within in a person for the express
          purpose of controlling and dominating the physical
          body of that individual.

               This process finds the individuality of the
          demonized under the direction of the demon. Dr.
          Merrill Unger, states regarding possession.

          "The loss of what may be called 'individualism,' or
     the consciousness of a distinct and self-determining
     individuality, with the power of self-origination in
     mental and moral actions, which distinguish the human
     soul from the animal, accounts for the hideous, inhuman,
     and often bestial behaviour of the demonized. Their
     conduct is not due to mental disease, where injury to the
     brain or nervous system may cause previously existing
     mental impressions to be excited without corresponding
     outward stimulas in maniacal disorders, nor is it due to
     vice as involving the power of moral self-origination and
     self-action, but it is attributable to the presence of an
     inhibiting superior power of evil.  (*Biblical
     Demonology*, Scripture Press Publications, Wheaton, IL,
     p. 96.

          2.   Demonic "Possession" Demonstrated

               Review an Extreme Example- Mark 5.1-20,
          parallel passages: Matt. 8.28-34; Luke 8.26-39

               -The possessed man's abode, the "tombs" (5.2-
          3,5) caves in rock cliffs.

               -The possessed man's plight "with an unclean
          spirit" (5.2,8,12,13).

               -The possessed man's state - self-destruction:
          "could not be bound" (3-4); "crying and cutting
          himself...day and night" (5); "chains plucked
          asunder" supernatural strength (4).

               -The demon's abode, the "possessed" man (15).

               -The demon's plight - confrontation with the
          Lord (6-13).

               -The demon's state: having to "worship" the
          Lord Jesus (6);  pleading "torment me not" ( 7);
          having to vacate the host "come out" (8); request
          "send us into the swine" (12).

               Refer: Matt. 4.24, 8.16, 28; Mark 1.32

          3.   Demonic Possession Deliberated

               Not all examples of possession are as violent
          or harsh upon the host as the previous example, but
          all can be eternally damning unless the Lord Jesus
          Christ intervenes.

               -Some are religious, Satan's ministers (1 Cor.
          10.13-21 and 2 Cor. 11.13-15).

               -Some are rebuked, Saul and the witch of En-Dor
          (1 Sam. 28.7-20; cf. Lev 19.31, 20.6-7, 27; Deut.
          18.10-12).

               -Some are revealing, Satan entered Judas (John
          13.27; Luke 22.3).


     B.   Demonic oppression

          1.   Demonic Oppression Defined

               Demonic oppression or influence is the activity
          of one demon, or more, influencing, oppressing or
          harassing a person from without, exerting indirect
          control over actions, attitudes, etc.

          2.   Demonic Oppression Demonstrated

               Refer: Acts 13.6-12

               Seeking to "withstand" the Lord, a demon
          possessing a sorcerer, hindered the testimony of
          believers.  Paul perceiving this perversion and
          rebuked the evil spirit, encouraging belief in all
          who witnessed the event.

               Refer:  Acts 16.16-18

               Attempting to undermine the Lord's work, a
          demon-possessed slave girl continues to harass Paul
          and company. When the demon was expelled from the
          girl, her masters lost their source of ill-gotten
          gain.  Subsequently, they accosted Paul and Silas
          and brought them before the city magistrates, who
          beat them and cast them into prison.

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