Demon possession occurs when demons indwell, or take up residence,within a person. When indwelling a person a demon exerts a continuing negative controlling influence over that person. The influence may be mental, physical, or both. I’ve singled out demon possession as a specific Satanic technique to examine because it’s an emotional topic of confusion and misunderstanding for many Christians. This leads to doctrinal error and practice. In particular, those who believe they can cast out demons are operating outside of Scriptural revelation. I’ll argue those points below, but first let’s take a plain look at what the Bible teaches regarding…
Satan hinders God’s people. On his second missionary journey Paul established a church in Thessalonica, a seaport on the Aegean Sea. The local Jews knew Paul was an evangelist for Jesus and some were jealous of him. Some time after his arrival they formed a mob and dragged some of the new church members before the city authorities. They complained that the church members were welcoming Paul and his fellow missionaries, and that “…they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:7) The authorities released them after they posted a bond,…
Another method Satan uses to advance his kingdom is to hold the lost captive. He uses a two-part approach. First, he keeps the lost from coming to faith, and second, he moves them to do his bidding. From a practical standpoint, a Christian’s need to be aware that Satan holds the lost captive is perhaps second only to his need to understand that Satan is the god of this world and the father of lies. Unless we understand that Satan holds the lost captive, we’ll be confounded and overly frustrated by the spiritual darkness around us. We’ll wonder why the…
The importance of lies to Satan can’t be overstated. It’s not just a method he uses to build his kingdom but a reflection of a core defect in his nature: He is incapable of telling the truth. Jesus was speaking to some Jews in Jerusalem who were seeking to kill him. He told them that they couldn’t accept His word because they were like their father, Satan: “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is…
We’ve seen some specific examples of Satan’s methods, like his deception in the Garden of Eden, and his entering into Judas for the purpose of betraying Jesus. And, in the general information regarding fallen angels, I’ve offered a list of various specific powers and activities associated with Satan and his demons, tools available to him in his pursuit of being like God. Rather than focusing solely on Satan’s specific methods however, it’s also useful to step back and look at Satan’s methods in a general sense. I believe he has three basic methods to maintain and advance his kingdom: He…