Christianity and demonology

[Aspoir]

Hello,
I am new at this forum, so I didn´t know where to post this question, so I am sorry. :/ As I said, it is a Question. First of all, I am new to Christianity, I started to believe in lord Jesus Christ like a 6 month ago, and to be honest, it has been the best part of my life so far. I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

Thank you.

 

[Albion]

How to fight and banish demons is not really an important pursuit of the followers of Christ; it can easily lead you into error; and it would be better left alone.

As for the question of it being a sin, that's hard to say. To inquire or inform oneself isn't normally considered a sin, but as most of this stuff you are talking about studying is highly questionable as to its claims of accuracy, it might be a sin.

That's because it is thought by theologians that it is a sin to deliberately place oneself into a position where committing a sin is made more likely. In other words, it is a sin to tempt God, which is what we do if we so much as "play with (intellectual) matches" like this.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello,
I am new at this forum, so I didn´t know where to post this question, so I am sorry. :/ As I said, it is a Question. First of all, I am new to Christianity, I started to believe in lord Jesus Christ like a 6 month ago, and to be honest, it has been the best part of my life so far. I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

Thank you.

As a new Christian you should focus on the "living waters" of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rather than the darkness of Satan. It is not you who fights or banishes "them" , it is the power of the Holy Spirit. So walk in His Spirit daily and you will avoid any and all deceptions from demons, their modus operandi.
Be blessed and stay healthy!

 

[Aspoir]

How to fight and banish demons is not really an important pursuit of the followers of Christ; it can easily lead you into error; and it would be better left alone.

As for the question of it being a sin, that's hard to say. To inquire or inform oneself isn't normally considered a sin, but as most of this stuff you are talking about studying is highly questionable as to its claims of accuracy, it might be a sin.

That's because it is thought by theologians that it is a sin to deliberately place oneself into a position where committing a sin is made more likely. In other words, it is a sin to tempt God, which is what we do if we so much as "play with (intellectual) matches" like this.

I know that, I know that everything.. but what about exorcists? They also have to know something, don't they?
Again please, don't get me wrong, as I said, everything is so new to me and I am curious about these questions..

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Hello,
I am new at this forum, so I didn´t know where to post this question, so I am sorry. :/ As I said, it is a Question. First of all, I am new to Christianity, I started to believe in lord Jesus Christ like a 6 month ago, and to be honest, it has been the best part of my life so far. I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

Thank you.

I agree with both Albion and Maria Billingsley above. The only additional thing I'd add is that as Christians, and as we are to follow and focus upon the Lord, we are to realize that part of our walk with Christ comes in preparing ourselves to remain wise as we make daily choices, especially as we may face various expressions of evil in our world. Some of that evil is directly demonic in nature; on the other hand, some of it is man's undoing of himself before the Lord. Either way, we have to face what is more properly called "spiritual warfare."

If I were you, and if I were to find that I just can't help myself in wanting to understand aspects of the "darkness" as we stand in the light of Christ's Truth and Love, then I WOULDN'T BE studying 'demonology.' But I would study a little bit about Spiritual Warfare, and in this recommendation, I would probably remain somewhat simple about it and read the following books, praying and deciding in the light of Scripture 'how' I think I should best prepare and walk my daily Christian walk in a sinful world:

The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views - Walter Wink, David Powlison, Gregory Boyd, C. Peter Wagner.​

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

Hello,
I am new at this forum, so I didn´t know where to post this question, so I am sorry. :/ As I said, it is a Question. First of all, I am new to Christianity, I started to believe in lord Jesus Christ like a 6 month ago, and to be honest, it has been the best part of my life so far. I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

Thank you.

Be careful what you wish for. It is nothing to play with. Don't look for trouble because you may find it.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Hello,
I am new at this forum, so I didn´t know where to post this question, so I am sorry. :/ As I said, it is a Question. First of all, I am new to Christianity, I started to believe in lord Jesus Christ like a 6 month ago, and to be honest, it has been the best part of my life so far. I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

Thank you.

What I did when I wanted to learn about spiritual warfare, was to go to my favourite Christian second hand bookshop and buy up every book I could on the subject. I bought around 50 books on the subject from the widest range of authors I could. I read the good, bad, and ugly about it, and made some very insightful discoveries. There are many theories about it from seeing a demon under every bush, to denying the existence of demons altogether, and everything in between. I read about people casting out demons in public services, and others during private counselling. I ended up choosing two books that I felt had the most balanced view for me, and the most realistic approach to dealing with demonic influence and spiritual attack on believers. I won't tell you what those books are because you need to do your own research and come to your own conclusions as to what is best for you. Although if you trawl through my previous posts over the last year or so, you will discover the books that I would recommend.

 

[Richard T]

I think it Ok, to read books on demons that are written by Christians but I would worry if that is all you are reading. Where you might run into trouble is choosing books that are highly questionable. Also, you might encounter more demonic attacks by such an interest, especially if any thoughts of fear emerge. I pray that you take up the full armor of God and let the Holy Spirit teach you all the things you need to live a God-centered life.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I think it Ok, to read books on demons that are written by Christians but I would worry if that is all you are reading. Where you might run into trouble is choosing books that are highly questionable. Also, you might encounter more demonic attacks by such an interest, especially if any thoughts of fear emerge. I pray that you take up the full armor of God and let the Holy Spirit teach you all the things you need to live a God-centered life.

I did the same when I wanted to learn more about the divine healing ministry. I filled two shelves of my bookcase with the books I bought. I ended up writing a research paper on divine healing for my M.Div and got a 95% grade for it. When I wanted to learn more about the prophetic, so I did the same thing again and saw the whole range of authorship before I came to conclusions about it. To get a good balanced conclusion about any of these areas, one must be familiar with the good, bad, and ugly sides of it, rather than read just the material one agrees with. If we never closely consider all sides of the story, we will have just a biased, skewed understanding of it.

 

[Samaritan Woman]

I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

I am attaching a long document about Satanology by a well-established and highly educated Messianic Jewish teacher. Enjoy the reading!

https://www.arielcontent.org/dcs/pdf/mbs077m.pdf

 

[Albion]

I know that, I know that everything.. but what about exorcists? They also have to know something, don't they?
Again please, don't get me wrong, as I said, everything is so new to me and I am curious about these questions..

Exorcisms are performed by ordained ministers/priests under certain circumstances prescribed by their church and customarily only a few of them are so authorized. Also, they do not range into all the other activities and information that I thought, from your initial inquiry, we were talking about.

But I am not passing judgment on you; I just tried to answer your question, which was somewhat general in nature.

 

[1213]

...If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that...

I have understood sin is to reject God. And yes, witchcraft is wrong in the Bible, but it is not necessarily the same as banishing demons. Whatever book you read, if you don’t reject God, you don’t have sin. But, all reading is not necessarily good for you, and many books can be misleading. I think it would be good to think carefully to what is good to focus, on good or bad. And it would be good to be truly a disciple of Jesus before any banishing so that this would not happen:

But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this. The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Acts 19:13-17

 

[Francis Drake]

Exorcisms are performed by ordained ministers/priests under certain circumstances prescribed by their church and customarily only a few of them are so authorized. Also, they do not range into all the other activities and information that I thought, from your initial inquiry, we were talking about.

This is silly religious nonsense. Jesus cast demons out by the Spirit of God, and that is how the lowliest believer should also do it now. Religious office, purple robes, dog collars are meaningless to demons.
As an ordinary new believer back in the 70s, I quickly got involved with deliverance as a normal part of spiritual life. I have casting demons out ever since then, and I am still a nobody Christian.

 

[Albion]

This is silly religious nonsense. Jesus cast demons out by the Spirit of God....

God can do that, it's true. It wasn't what we were asked about on this thread, however.

 

[Hillsage]

Hello,
I am new at this forum, so I didn´t know where to post this question, so I am sorry. :/ As I said, it is a Question. First of all, I am new to Christianity, I started to believe in lord Jesus Christ like a 6 month ago, and to be honest, it has been the best part of my life so far. I just have a one question.. If looking into demonology a sin? NOT WORSHIPING, NOT CONJURING, just learning about them and/or how to fight them and banish them.. I´ve read in the Scriptures, that witchcraft is sin.. I don´t really know if it´s something like that..

Thank you.

As you seek information here, you just might want to ask which ever 'arm chair theologian' you're listening to if he/she HAS EVER DONE IT...even ONCE. If they say yes, ask for a testimony.