Why no devil or demons for 2000 yrs?

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The number of books on territorial spirits on Amazon, for instance, tells me that they are a major consideration in world evangelization. The one I saw while under the influence of LSD years ago looked more like a gnome. My guess is that these are lower-level evil spirits along the lines of imps, sprites, and trolls that operate within the "power of suggestion" since these lower-level spirits are seen in medieval drawings perched on someone's shoulder as if to whisper in the ear....just an observation...
By the way, "casting out devils" is not just a suggestion. It's a command from "The Throne Room".
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

analambanœ, "to take up" in order to use, "to take to one's self," thus, "take up" as one takes up armor to put it on. The verb is aorist imperative, which construction issues a command given with military snap and curtness, a command to be obeyed at once and once for all. Thus, the Christian is to take up and put on all the armor of God as a once-for-all act and keep that armor on during the entire course of his life, not relaxing the discipline necessary for the constant use of such protection. (from Wuest's Word Studies)

There are some who are given the gift of dicernement of spirits and they are the ones who deal with them.. Different people have different gifts so not all are tasked with casting out demons..

 

[he-man]

So the writer had it wrong?

Sitting, clothed, and in his right mind

 

[he-man]

That's not what that verse says. That verse says, essentially, the same thing as Paul said to the Colossians: For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
And yet that same Paul also said:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
And James said: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. And Jesus said: Then the unclean spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. And yet demons said to Jesus: 'What do you want with us, Son of God?' they shouted. 'Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?' The fact that demons are under the domination of the Lord does not argue against their existence.

You are misquoting scripture. It does not say what you THINK it says.

 

[he-man]

That's not what that verse says. That verse says, essentially, the same thing as Paul said to the Colossians: For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
And yet that same Paul also said:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
And James said: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. And Jesus said: Then the unclean spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. And yet demons said to Jesus: 'What do you want with us, Son of God?' they shouted. 'Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?' The fact that demons are under the domination of the Lord does not argue against their existence.

First the word devil is only used in the N.T. and

You are misquoting scripture. It does not say what you THINK it says.

He-man, if you are going to champion obscure theology that's not even regarded as "Christian" in any traditional sense of the word, you have a responsibility to provide more than just short, vague, poorly punctuated responses.

What does the above post mean? Are you saying the demons are lunatics? I'm presuming (though not at all certain) you mean that lunatics who are out of their minds are possessed by demons. But are you not contradicting your own position?

Please be considerate enough to take a few moments and explain your positions clearly, so we're not all sitting here incessantly having to try and figure out what's in your head.

LUKE 8:35 if you read the verse it isimplying that this was a lunitic who was out of his mind and afterJesus spoke the man was then found "sitting and clothed, and in his right mind

 

[he-man]

As a psychiatrist, I diagnose mental illness. Also, I help spot demonic possession.

Oh? Good now explain how you can spot demonic posession that does not even exist except in the distorted mind of the patient.

 

[Hammster]

Sitting, clothed, and in his right mind

That didn’t answer the question. I see that you have now avoided dealing with questions on scripture. That explains just about everything.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Oh? Good now explain how you can spot demonic posession that does not even exist except in the distorted mind of the patient.

Unfortunately for you, I don't claim any special authority about demonology. I see no reason to not believe, or at least no reason to dismiss the possibility out of hand.

 

[he-man]

That didn’t answer the question. I see that you have now avoided dealing with questions on scripture. That explains just about everything.

Matthew 16:23 Peter a devil?; 2 Timothy 2:13 slanderer; Numbers 22:22 adversary not a devil; 2 Samue 19:22 adversary; 1 Samuel 19:10 adversary;Matthew 7:22; the word devil is not even in the O.T.

 

[Hammster]

Matthew 16:23 Peter a devil?; 2 Timothy 2:13 slanderer; Numbers 22:22 adversary not a devil; 2 Samue 19:22 adversary; 1 Samuel 19:10 adversary;Matthew 7:22; the word devil is not even in the O.T.

Again, was Luke wrong?

 

[he-man]

Unfortunately for you, I don't claim any special authority about demonology. I see no reason to not believe, or at least no reason to dismiss the possibility out of hand.

Good, now tell me where you think the idea cam from. Are you aware of the Oreintal Dualism of pagans? 2 Timothy 3:13 the word is translated as seducer.

 

[he-man]

Again, was Luke wrong?

Yes the word actually translates as fatalities; so the poor man had many fatalities; (a fatal influence) and being cured, he was sitting fully clothed and in his right mind.

 

[Hammster]

Yes the word actually translates as fatalities; so the poor man had many fatalities; (a fatal influence) and being cured, he was sitting fully clothed and in his right mind.

Actually, it doesn’t translate as that.

 

[he-man]

Actually, it doesn’t translate as that.

LSJ says it does.

Actually, it doesn’t translate as that.

logeion.uchicago.edu some fatality; ld.9.54

 

[Shempster]

Sitting, clothed, and in his right mind

If he was now in his right mind, then we should conclude that he was not in his right mind while under the influence.
To me that's a key in understanding how they work....in the mind. No, we don't see physical evidence that devils exist but we know for a fact we have huge numbers of people with mental disorders, though most people are still functional.
If the devils only affect our thoughts, then wouldn't it make sense that they are still present in the world?

The missing piece of the puzzle is modern church teaching that avoids the subject altogether with a few exceptions. Nobody bothers to tell us that thoughts of fear, anxiety, hate and jealousy are perhaps not our thoughts at all and that we do not have to own them.
We are just brought up to ignore the subject lest we get a funny look from others.
Perhaps they just understood those things better than we.

 

[W2L]

It's funny how one little word can change the meaning of something..

It is not "money" that is the root of all evil... although this is stated all the time.

It is "THE LOVE" of money that is the root of all evil.

The bible also talks about seeking wealth.

Proverbs 23:4 Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!
5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.
New King James Version (NKJV)

1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

 

[Dawnhammer]

are you implying that evil is all subjective depending on your personal perspective (which I would disagree with)?

There are some things most sane people will consider evil.

However you can be assured that lots of things your cultural upbringing makes you perceive as evil is not shared by people of different age, culture, habits and upbringing.

Just few things here ; abortion, mercy killing, cannibalism, subjugating women, beating kids , raising children as religious fundamentalist, beating dogs with sticks to get their adrenaline high so they taste better.

 

[parousia70]

Indeed. I agree with the explanation of your exegesis. It still doesn't explain why and where evil still is sourced from.

The heart of Man is the source.

“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
(Jeremiah 17:9)

Above ALL THINGS, Including the Devil.

And we are tempted by our OWN desires.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. (James 1:14)

No devils or demons necessary.
Human beings are perfectly capable of the gravest most wicked of Sin and Evil all on our own.

Please explain the following passages, perhaps I am mistaken.

1 John 5:19" We know that we are from God the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."

Since the unrepentant will never share in Christ's victory over sin and the Devil, I'm not sure what your challenge with this passage is.

2 Timothy 2:26 "and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will."

Again, only by repentance is this possible. Prior to Christ's work, there was no escape.

John 12:31 "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out."

Correct and truthful verse. We are not still waiting for this event that scripture testifies happened 2 millennia ago.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Good, now tell me where you think the idea cam from. Are you aware of the Oreintal Dualism of pagans? 2 Timothy 3:13 the word is translated as seducer.

I can't speculate on where the concept of demonic possession/oppression might have come from. Many cultures and civilizations worldwide seem to believe in it, even ones that had little or no interaction with each other at times.

Again, I don't claim expertise about demonology. But there is good reason to believe that this type of thing can happen.

 

[Hammster]

LSJ says it does.
logeion.uchicago.edu some fatality; ld.9.54

Is that supposed to be some sort of link?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Is that supposed to be some sort of link?

He's citing one of his University of Chicago sources because they espouse the same faithless theology he does.

He-man, if you could, present the case in full for a translation of "fatalities" for the Greek τὰ δαιμόνια.

Also, the word is used in Matthew 9:33-34 of the Pharisees accusing Jesus of "casting out demons through the prince of demons." If proper translation is "He casts out fatalities through the prince of fatalities," who would this prince be? He is Beelzebub in Matthew 12:24. Is he a human prince or a spiritual one?

In Luke 4:33-35, the demons spoke to Jesus, and He ordered them to be quiet and come out of the demon-possessed man. How would "fatalities" speak, and how could Jesus command them to be quiet?