Demon/devil threads

[Episaw]

I think a key word here is oppressed, not possessed. Generally if you are living a good life, you will probably never get possessed. You probably have as good of odds as being hit by an ice cream truck.

Now a much greater and more common worry, is oppressed.

According to scripture, no one leads a good life. We are what we are by the grace of God and without that, we are destined for eternal damnation.

For all have sinned and come short of God's glory.

There is none righteous no not one.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

[Episaw]

Oppressed, yes. Possessed, never. We wear the whole armor of God: Jesus.

Personally, I don't see any reference in scripture that says Jesus is the whole armour of God.

 

[Dr Bruce Atkinson]

I feel all these demon/devil threads open the door for bad things. I feel even asking about them out of genuine curiosity can be harmful. I don't think there should be a rule against it, as what if someone had real problems with them and needed help, I'm just saying. I created one of these threads myself, but that was before I knew better.

An unhealthy focus on evil is just that.... unhealthy. Evil exists, Satan and demons exist, but for those who believe in Christ, we have no reason to fear and no reason to pay them much attention at all. The following article lists 12 reasons why we need not fear Satan.
toeverynation.com/12-reasons-not-to-fear-satan/

 

[Adstar]

I am not sure this is true. The verse says......therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are Gods.

The fact that Paul said this indicates to me that some believers were not glorifying God in their body and spirits and if they were not doing that then sin had to be present.

If one believes Jesus and trusts in the atonement He secured for them then the Holy Spirit will be present.. They may be the poorest example of a Christian alive but they will still be saved.. Not by their level of goodness but by trusting in the Level of Goodness of Jesus.. Trully the worst examples of people in this world can be saved by the LORD Jesus Christ..

In addition, there are denominations that do not acknowledge the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their bodies or their corporate lives. That being the case, how can the Holy Spirit indwell the believer?
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Then there are two posabilities,, 1) They are indwelled by the Holy Spirit but do not realize it and have been eraniously taught wrongly. 2) they do not have the Holy Spirit and are thus not saved..

As I am a person who exercises the gift of discernment, I can assure you that I have been in many meetings where the Holy Spirit is no more there than the man in the moon. If we are indwelt by the Spirit why is that the case?
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There are two posibilities,,
1) They do not have the Holy Spirit..
2) The Holy Spirit is there but you cannot precieve it..

So, I would not be so sure that there cannot be demon activity in the life of the believer especially as I have seen and been used by God to bring deliverance to many believers from demonic activity.
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Maybe you did.. Maybe you believe you did.. Maybe you did not.. God knows..

 

[Another Lazarus]

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Psalm 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

May Jesus bless you all HalleluYAH

 

[FireDragon76]

According to Catholic demonology, it is possible to be completely possessed by a demon, to the point that a person appears to be a Christian, but is not. M. Scott Peck, in two of his books, discusses a case he encountered in his career as a therapist. In one such case, the woman and her husband were Episcopalians (as was he), who were mostly interested in religion for social prestige and influence.

Another case would be Dennis Rader, AKA B.T.K. He was the president of a mainline Lutheran church in Kansas. His pastor actually believes now he was possessed, and the case caused him to rethink his doubts in the existence of the demonic.

I believe in demonic possession but I believe it is a rare phenomenon. It's not something you should delve into until you have more maturity. Most cases can be better explained by psychological problems. Possession is more common in mission fields where animistic religions actively encourage that sort of thing.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I feel all these demon/devil threads open the door for bad things. I feel even asking about them out of genuine curiosity can be harmful. I don't think there should be a rule against it, as what if someone had real problems with them and needed help, I'm just saying. I created one of these threads myself, but that was before I knew better.

This suggests that the devils have kind of genuine power and we should be afraid of them. As a Christian that isn't a position I can take since I confess Jesus Christ is raised from the dead, and that the devil is a defeated dog. That doesn't mean the devils aren't dangerous, but it does mean that they have no real power--a chained dog is still dangerous if you walk up to it and stick your hand out to get bit; but it is still a chained dog. The devil is beaten down, defeated, and his doom is certain--Christ is risen from the dead, He is Lord: God wins.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[frettr00]

Researching demons cannot invite them in because research and enquiry are not sins. But continued involvement in the works of the flesh as described in Galatians 5, and experimentation and involvement in the occult can invite them in because then one would be putting garbage in their lives that demons feed on. If we continue walking in the light with Jesus, then the devil and his demons cannot come near us. Just saying to a demon, "I am a child of God and you cannot come near me!" is resisting the devil and he or a demon has to flee from you.

There is an example of a woman who was confronted by a mugger threatening her with a knife. She was a committed Christian. She cried out to him, "I am a child of God and the devil cannot come near me!" The mugger said, "Okay then." and walked away from her. Of course, one wouldn't want to depend on it, but it happened that time.

A Christian believer cannot be possessed with a demon because the Holy Spirit is already indwelling. But he or she can be obsessed or oppressed because of garbage in the person's life that keeps them there feeding on it. Good counselling gets rid of the garbage and then the demon departs much more easily.

For the most part it's true that demons will stay away if you're living a holy life because of God's protection. The only time they do come near is if God allows it to test you in some way. I know of saints that still had to deal with temptations and attacks from demons even though they were living lives dedicated to God.

 

[Episaw]

If one believes Jesus and trusts in the atonement He secured for them then the Holy Spirit will be present.. They may be the poorest example of a Christian alive but they will still be saved.. Not by their level of goodness but by trusting in the Level of Goodness of Jesus.. Trully the worst examples of people in this world can be saved by the LORD Jesus Christ..

Then there are two posabilities,, 1) They are indwelled by the Holy Spirit but do not realize it and have been eraniously taught wrongly. 2) they do not have the Holy Spirit and are thus not saved..
ey can earn their salvation.

There are two posibilities,,oly SWpirit.
1) They do not have the Holy Spirit..
2) The Holy Spirit is there but you cannot precieve it..

Maybe you did.. Maybe you believe you did.. Maybe you did not.. God knows..

One. The quality of their life is not under discussion and I am not aware some are putting forth the proposition that they can earn their salvation outside of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Two. Speculation that is very difficult to prove.

Three. Again speculation. And I am not aware of the experience of precieving the Holy Spirit.

Four. Again speculation without any substance.