need to know about demons/negative energy

[SJK11]

I consider myself a new Christian as a result of realizing that (or the suspicion that) I am being pursued by a demon. I think this might be the case for most of my life, but I am only clearly aware of it now (I am 22).

I could give details about why I think this, but I'd rather ask some questions I have.

How do demons pick who they pick to bother?

What's the best way to counter it? I have been reading my Bible which definitely provokes it more. I have been to church a few times recently which really provokes a lot of angry emotion inside me that does not feel like me. When I feel particularly attacked/bothered, I feel scatterbrained, irritable, like I am blocked from dong productive or positive things for my well being. I feel compulsive toward easy gratifications that don't really satisfy what I need.

Can demons be attached to a family? Home? It has been suggested to me that my family has a curse because the negativity pretty much runs throughout my whole immediately family. And I happen notice when a particular house, room or space feels negative and I always feel that when I am at home.


Any answers would be greatly appreciated. I feel brand new to this whole topic and am extremely curious.


Oh, and I also have quite a few dreams about either the devil or demons, which picked up in my teens. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with uneasy or scared feelings. Last night I woke up and felt as though there was something locked on to me, not physically, but onto my energy or soul or however you'd term it.

 

[Optimax]

Have you ever received Jesus as your personal Lord?

The Bible calls it being born again.
1 Peter 1:23
Being born again , not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
KJV

In order to be born again, can you do this?

Rom 10:10
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
KJV


Will you do that?

 

[itisdeliciouscake]

The Bible does not actually give a lot about specifics when it comes to demons about how they act, why they act, etc... so for me to try and go into too much detail about demons would be me just speculating or making stuff up. I'd rather just be honest with you and tell you that the bible doesn't focus EXTREMELY heavily on demons.

But know that if you have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and believe in Him that you have received the Holy Spirit of God living in you. Jesus cast out demons numerous occasions during his life and that power over demonic forces is present in you.

If you think you are being bothered by demonic forces my main suggestion would be to pray that Christ would cast it away. One of the most dangerous things that I've seen demons do in people's lives (and particularly new believers) is to distract them and make them more concerned with demon/spirits/etc than necessary. It may be the case with you and I would suggest praying that Christ would cast it away so that you could focus more fully on Jesus and the love and hope that He offers.



In love,
Hartley

 

[Tangible]

My advice - talk to your pastor as soon as possible.

 

[SJK11]

I believe that I have been born again. I have asked and cried out to Jesus to fill me and be my Savior, and I believe that he is.

I have also prayed and read scriptures about casting away evil. I've told them to go away, and I've asked Jesus to be with me when I feel an attack. I don't ever feel particularly reassured by doing those things. Maybe the key is to do those things but not in contex of the devil or evil? To do them in a positive way to just feel God's presence?

I also think you are right about the Devil distracting people with being overly concerned with trying to figure out what he is doing. The reason I am asking these questions is I need to know about it works to some degree so I know what to look our for and what to hate! I also just need confirmation of what is actually going on before I can fix it.

I do think you're right though, that the best way to be with God is to just BE with him.

 

[PaladinValer]

And what makes you think you're experiencing the demonic?

Sorry, but I remain very skeptical. Demonic possession is real, but it isn't as common as a lot of holiness and Pentecostal-types like to make you think it is. True demonic possession and influence is a supernatural and downright frightening thing.

Being tempted doesn't mean demonic; it means being tempted. Going through trials and tribulations doesn't mean demonic automatically either. If you are as new as you say, then I highly suggest spending time learning about your new faith and less about what the Devil is going to do with you know. The mentality will drive you towards terrible theology and may eventually just drive you right out of Christianity.

And yes. that's happened before.

 

[joey_downunder]

From what I understand demons pick on whoever they can. Sometimes families seem to have severe spiritual problems that can't be explained away by illness or just sad circumstances. Some christian writers say that is due to demons being passed down from generation, and that stronghold is only broken by christian faith. It has been debated whether christians can be truly possessed or merely oppressed. Often people use "the devil made me do it" as an excuse for poor self-control or deeply ingrained pattern of sin though.

Good personal prayers, supportive christian friends and/or church prayer ministry are extremely important. If you do believe you need prayer ministry then you should see your pastor for advice as soon as you can.

Some good reading material: Spiritual warfare & deliverance ministry Avoid false doctrine on spiritual warfare prayer, deliverance, etc

Spiritual Warfare and Breaking Curses | Christian Faith Site

If you are greatly helped by spiritual prayer remember you will still need to walk closely with God afterwards and confess sins straight away. You need to keep well-armed through God's help. Ephesians 6:10-18

 

[Vendetta]

My advice - talk to your pastor as soon as possible.

This advice is credited.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

It is impossible for a Christian to be possessed by a demon because this means that with full possession the demon dwells in his spirit, but the Holy Spirit dwells there in a born-again Christian and the demon has no entry there.

But Christians can be infected if they continue to deliberately commit sins of the flesh, or they engage in occult activities. Even going into a pagan temple can cause a demonic infection. By doing these things, the person is inviting the demon in, even though he may not be aware that he is.

This is not possession, and there is no bizarre behaviour, and the Christian can continue growing in grace normally. It is just a particular area of his life that is infected.

Let's say someone goes into a Buddhist temple just out of curiosity. Afterward they start having unexplained headaches, nightmares and a general feeling of deep fear. But there is no logical reason why these things are happening. We can then assume that while the person was in the temple, he picked up a demon.

When dealing with demons, it is best to start from a counselling perspective to find out whether it is actually a demon that is the cause of the problem, or whether there are natural causes. If the Holy Spirit reveals that a demon is involved, then the person must ask God's forgiveness for any sin, renounce and repent on any sins of the flesh, and/or occult involvement. This weakens any demon, and the demon is them commanded to leave, which it will do without any problem or drama.

To prevent any demon infection, we need to keep ourselves under the protection of the blood of Christ any time we think we might be under any threat of demon activity.

 

[Incariol]

I believe that I have been born again. I have asked and cried out to Jesus to fill me and be my Savior, and I believe that he is.

I have also prayed and read scriptures about casting away evil. I've told them to go away, and I've asked Jesus to be with me when I feel an attack. I don't ever feel particularly reassured by doing those things. Maybe the key is to do those things but not in contex of the devil or evil? To do them in a positive way to just feel God's presence?

I also think you are right about the Devil distracting people with being overly concerned with trying to figure out what he is doing. The reason I am asking these questions is I need to know about it works to some degree so I know what to look our for and what to hate! I also just need confirmation of what is actually going on before I can fix it.

I do think you're right though, that the best way to be with God is to just BE with him.

You shouldn't rely on your feelings like this.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" --Jeremiah 17:9

 

[tturt]

Some are more spiritually sensitive than others and you must be. Since you are experiencing negative, then it's not Godly. Why do they bother certain ones? The demonic relies often on legal rights that's the reason Oscarr is encouraging certain actions in his post. Sometimes it is generational - we only have to look back at Adam and Eve to know this exist. Asks the Holy Spirit. Once you've done Oscarr's suggestions, I would add to more often - take communion, play Godly music, meditate (doesn't mean to empty but to focus) on Yahweh and Scripture, praise and worship Yahweh more.

 

[SharonL]

Yes Oscar is a great one to listen to on this subject.

As far as you 'thinking' that you have repented and that Jesus is Lord of your life - You can be sure - Just make sure you have ask Jesus into your heart and repented of your sins - once you have done that you can square your shoulders look in the mirror and see yourself as God sees you - washed white as snow and covered by the blood of Jesus - you can go boldly to the Throne - your sins are in the lake of forgetfullness, God sees them no more.

Once you have Jesus as Lord of your life - the demons are more afraid of you than you are of them. When you feel you are being attacked - just say 'get behind me satan - I am a child of God' - put that defeated fo under your feet and go boldly letting the light of Jesus shine in a darkened world - you have nothing to fear - they cannot touch you - keep shining the light of Jesus upon your life and keep the full armor of God upon you - You will be fine.

 

[Rick Otto]

Oscar is right that it's important to tell the difference between the really demonic & the organic brain or mental/emotional dysfunctions up to & including hallucination, especially when accompanied by paranoia.
I had a relative getinvolved in seances, and I had an experience with a ouijaboard, both before I was 11yrs old. That along with all the stories I'd heard was enough to convince me how true all that scary supernatural stuff is. I prayed to God to keep it out of my life & He did, but I still had to deal with the mental junk. It was no easy road, but easier for me than havin' to deal with demons.

If it is on the mental side, it can help to think of "spirit" & "spirits" as attitudes.
Demons in this sense represent bad attitudes - character traits that we need to defeat.
There's a book called "War On The Saints" that has a good rep on the truly demonic side. Do watch out for obsession, as you said.

 

[SJK11]

If I can't rely on my heart and emotions, then I will never feel God either!

I sort of thought that anything mental or emotional was caused by a demon anyway. Maybe 'demon' is the wrong term, but I thought that generally anything negative was the result of negativity, or lack of the positive. What is the difference?

I realize this is not possession, that would be outrageous to think. I do feel oppressed, however.

So how do I begin to know whether it is something mental and internal, or demonic and outer? Because i really do feel they are one in the same.

 

[PaladinValer]

If I can't rely on my heart and emotions, then I will never feel God either!

You are equating your faith by how you feel instead of what is true. That isn't logical nor is it orthodox.

I sort of thought that anything mental or emotional was caused by a demon anyway.

Let me say it outright: if the place of worship or your current pastor is teaching you this, FIND A NEW PLACE RIGHT AWAY.

Maybe 'demon' is the wrong term, but I thought that generally anything negative was the result of negativity, or lack of the positive. What is the difference?

The difference is you've been indoctrinated, either by your pastor or by yourself, into unorthodox and unhistoric ideas that are completely outside the Christian religion. Negative things happen not because of the Devil or demons but due to God's willingness to allow them to happen. Furthermore, negative doesn't necessarily mean evil outright: disappointments are negative but they happen; people sometimes let each other down by failing to commit themselves when they promise, etc. In addition, sometimes bad things just happen that are completely unrelated to direct human involvement, such as the weather interrupting a picnic. That's negative, but hardly demonic.

Positive and negative are relative terms. What is positive to one is negative to another. Truth and goodness however are not, and sometimes the truth can be negative, especially to those who out of ignorance or choice refuse to accept it.

You've fallen into a very dangerous and even outright abusive idea that the Devil is out to get you. Before you know it, it is all you'll think of instead of focusing on Christ. And the sad fact is, many places of worship whip their congregations into such emotional frenzy that such people eventually leave Christianity and end up into worship of their own emotions.

I realize this is not possession, that would be outrageous to think. I do feel oppressed, however.

You've become too emotionally driven. You need to inject cold, firm logic into your life. There is nothing wrong with emotions; they are a good and natural part of the human state. However, to let ourselves be whisked away in them without support from a solid grip on rationality (another good and natural part of the human state) is to be out of balance with reality. Truth doesn't change depend on how we feel, but on what is real.

So how do I begin to know whether it is something mental and internal, or demonic and outer? Because i really do feel they are one in the same.

Simple: you stop blaming the Devil for things he doesn't do and start accepting human nature and the natural state of existence for what they are.

And I will repeat myself: if you are getting this theology from your place of worship or your pastor, leave now and do not return. Find a new place of worship or a new pastor/priest immediately.

 

[Rick Otto]

quote=SJK11;If I can't rely on my heart and emotions, then I will never feel God either!

i totaly sympathize. We need to be free to be spontaneous to some degree, but without the Holy Spirit's fruit of self control we spaz out. Not a big deal, just stay busy peelin' potatoes (readin' scripture). It takes awhile to get your system over the shock of good food. I used to picture myself gettin' turned away at the pearly gates with Peter sayin' "Didja even read the book?" So I determined to read it ten times thru so I couldreply, "Yeah, 10 times! What'd I miss?!"
I managed to read it 7 times cover to cover, but the first few were NIV, so they don't count to some KJV-Only-ists.
Anyway, achieving the discipline over my fidgety whiny flesh brain freed me to actualy start absorbing content... to the point that I started spontaneously thinking about it & making connections.
Stayin' busy it kept trouble out of my mind & my face.

I sort of thought that anything mental or emotional was caused by a demon anyway.

Well, sure in a sense. It's all evil. Directly or indirectly,... it canmake adifference in effect & cure.

Maybe 'demon' is the wrong term, but I thought that generally anything negative was the result of negativity, or lack of the positive. What is the difference?

Whatever works to get you out of deep water & back on solid ground, I guess.

I realize this is not possession, that would be outrageous to think. I do feel oppressed, however.

Heard dat. The world is a ghetto.

So how do I begin to know whether it is something mental and internal, or demonic and outer? Because i really do feel they are one in the same.

Unpack that for me. In what way could your internal mental state be an objectively external entity?
I can see you might see causal linkage, but that isn't assimilation of or disintegration of self that I can see. Have others witnessed any of these external imanifestations of demonic character?
Have you anyone to confide in?

 

[RABBIT-HUNTER]

There are certainly alot of things that fall into the category of the flesh. I think some people, not meaning the op, are too quick too see demons. That is my view anyway.

 

[Optimax]

I believe that I have been born again. I have asked and cried out to Jesus to fill me and be my Savior, and I believe that he is.

I have also prayed and read scriptures about casting away evil. I've told them to go away, and I've asked Jesus to be with me when I feel an attack. I don't ever feel particularly reassured by doing those things. Maybe the key is to do those things but not in contex of the devil or evil? To do them in a positive way to just feel God's presence?

I also think you are right about the Devil distracting people with being overly concerned with trying to figure out what he is doing. The reason I am asking these questions is I need to know about it works to some degree so I know what to look our for and what to hate! I also just need confirmation of what is actually going on before I can fix it.

I do think you're right though, that the best way to be with God is to just BE with him.

The advice to talk to your Pastor is excellent.

Do you have one?

If not, look in the phone book and choose one.

Suggestion:
This may offend some, sorry!

Choose one that understands how to deal with the issues you are experiencing.
That means do not go to a mainline denomination church or organization.

Might even call and discuss it some over the phone. Pay attention to how they respond.

Do they talk as if they know how or do they discount what you are saying?

Pray before choosing those who you call.

 

[tkoman]

Hi.

Haven't posted in a quite a while, I think, but I have had some limited experience with what might in some way sort of be described as demonic activity.

Not an easy topic, and there are no easy answers, but there is a lot of things that can happen in this world to lead one to believe that activity is "supernatural".


Based only on reading your posts, what I am hearing is that you at age 22 have begun to feel that a demon(s)/the devil is pursuing you. You asked how do they pick their targets. My best guess is that (and I think Oscarr used a great term when he said 'infection') is that like a parasite, they look for a type of wound in a host and will even provoke a host to make the wound worst, and they will also harass like a bully for fun, and also there is no explanation - they think chaotically and you are facing chaos in action.

I will say that one thing you said was that you had nightmares and when you woke up you felt something akin to them locked unto your energy - anytime you have an experience upon wakening it is very likely that you are in a sort of twilight state of mind - even when you are fully awake at some point the feeling continues. I try not to think much about what I think or feel upon wakening, especially from a nightmare.

You mentioned "feelings" alot, and a few helpful posters did note that in may ways it is really the Truth that is important, not how you feel. With that being said, if you are experienceing what you say you are I know that must be very scary for you - it is not easy. but 'feeling' something is not exactly the same as 'discernment'.

It has been said here that this is a great distraction from your faith and that is correct, but these feelings also need to be dealt with, I am sure it is not easy for you.

With that being said, I think some great posters here who are well grounded in the Bible have some great advice - especially when you said "I sort of thought that anything mental or emotional was caused by a demon anyway". What you also asked what is the difference between the negative and a 'demon' proper, and then followed up with a doozy of a question "So how do I begin to know whether it is something mental and internal, or demonic and outer? Because i really do feel they are one in the same." I too, would start with studying and discussing scripture (and not the hocus pocus 'demon' books littering the shelves these days) with someone who is well grounded to see what the bible (again - NOT one of the popular fiction type books) says about these issues so maybe it will not be as scary for you and hopefully provide some relief.

Feel free to PM me.