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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



Putting the previous verses together then, the picture I get
is that, given a choice, demons prefer to possess flesh and
blood bodies, and they are just as willing to take over the
body of an animal, as that of a human; although I do suspect
that the body of a human being is probably their preference;
my reasoning being that, as we know, Satan's objective is to
destroy humanity, and to keep people out of God's Kingdom.
Not only that, but by possessing the bodies of weak-minded
humans, they can influence other humans, and persuade them
to engage in evil and rebellion against God. In the case of
"Legion", the demons obviously knew that the Lord would not
allow them to transfer to another human being, so they chose
the next best thing; the herd of swine. If there had been a
choice in the matter, I strongly suspect that they would
have happily hopped onto, or into, another human being.

Taking all of these thoughts one step further; we have now
seen how demonic possession, disease and sickness are very
closely related; particularly when it involves diseases that
are associated with the mind and the nervous system. One of
the more recent scourges of our times, which has been felt
all around the world, and which has highly alarmed medical
professionals and world governments alike, is the transfer
of traditional animal diseases to the human body. We have
all heard of rabies; but in the past several decades, the
world has been shocked to learn of AIDS, Mad Cow Disease,
West Nile Virus, SARS, and others. Some of these horrors,
such as AIDS, have reached epidemic proportions, with many
millions of people already dead, or doomed to die without
any hope for survival, in such places as Africa. It is as if
the human-animal barrier has been breached, and I suspect
that this has occurred on the spiritual level as well. Satan
and his demons certainly seem to be out in full force! Why
is this happening? One word: sin! Remember; God is still in
control and not Satan. That demon of darkness is only the
executioner of God's Will.

Returning to the story of "Legion", it is also interesting
to note, that after Jesus had cast out the demons, we are
told that the man was "in his right mind", which implies
that prior to his deliverance from the demons, he was not
sane. In other words, this story again points to a direct
connection between mental disorder, such as schizophrenia,
and demonic possession. As I stated earlier in this series,
our mind is Satan's primary battleground. Once he controls
our mind, he is capable of controlling our physical body as
well, including our nervous system. Please also note that
the Apostle Paul wrote:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7, KJV

Notice how Paul presents having a spirit of fear as being in
contrast to having a sound mind. Perhaps you have noticed
how some mentally disturbed people tend to have a wild look
of fear in their eyes, or else they will have a propensity
for shifting their eyes back and forth, as if they are in a
state of paranoia. If God has not given us a spirit of fear,
as Paul tells us, then who does? Obviously, it is Satan. In
similar fashion, if God gives us a sound mind, who would rob
us of the same? Again, the answer is obviously Satan.

There is actually more to that verse from Paul's Epistle to
Timothy, than what meets the eye. In the original Greek, the
phrase "sound mind" is derived from the word "sophronismos".
In addition to meaning soundness of mind, it also refers to
self-control. When people become possessed by Satan, or by
one or more of his demons, as I have already pointed out,
they lose control of their minds. As a result of having no
control over their mind, they may likewise lose control of
their nervous system as well; which ultimately results in
loss of control of their physical body. We've already seen
this clearly in a few of the Scriptural examples we have
examined, such as the case of the deaf and dumb man who
suffered from epileptic fits, and thus repeatedly harmed
himself in the fire. So once again, we see how some mental
and nervous disorders can be directly related to demonic
possession.

When these demonic possessions occur, as I have explained in
a few other articles, it seems that what happens, is that
the spirit of life which God has given to every human being,
is apparently overpowered by the invading spirit or spirits.
In other words, as long as the possession is occurring, a
person loses control over their own spirit; and that is one
of the reasons why possessed people act like someone else,
or even like a number of different people, as in the case of
split personality disorder. In the Book of Proverbs, we find
the following interesting verse:

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city
that is broken down, and without walls." Proverbs 25:28, KJV

In the previous verse, the word "rule" is derived from the
Hebrew "matsar", which means restraint or control. So what
that verse is really saying, is that when we lose control
over our own spirit, when we lose control of our mind, when
we fail to bring every thought into captivity in obedience
to Christ, we are in effect defenseless, just like a city
without walls. We leave ourselves open to demonic attack. If
there are no walls of defense up, if we have not put on the
full armour of God, and are not standing guard, anyone can
come in; ANYONE! What a sobering thought indeed!

As you can clearly see by now, demonic possession is a very
serious matter. Equally serious is the job of trying to cast
one out. To confront a person who is stark raving mad, and
who may possess the strength of ten men, is certainly not
something that I personally would want to do by choice. But
some people have felt the calling to do exactly that. These
people have come to be known as exorcists. We find a clear
example of exorcism in the Book of Acts. The reason why I'm
mentioning this particular story, is because it shows how
demons can overpower the young; particularly if they are
provoked to do so. In Acts chapter nineteen we read the
following:

"Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon
them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of
the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew,
and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit
answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who
are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on
them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that
they fled out of that house naked and wounded."
Acts 19:13-16, KJV

So the lesson here is very clear: It is not wise to provoke
demon-possessed people, unlike you really know what you are
doing, and are certain that God has given you the spiritual
authority to cast them out. To do so otherwise, is not only
foolish, but you could be placing yourself in grave danger
as well. It is because of accounts like the previous one,
that I advised the woman in question that her children could
be in a very dangerous situation, if it is in fact true that
the other family member is possessed by a demon, or a group
of demons. Again, I can only go by what this woman has told
me.

In addition to warning the woman of the potential danger her
children faced, I also told her that I don't believe that it
is God's Will for the other family member to continue to be
tormented by such demons as has been the case, according to
what I have been told. In His Mercy and Love, I believe that
God would like for deliverance to occur; but, the afflicted
person must be a willing recipient of God's Deliverance. One
would think that anyone who finds himself in such a state,
would long for deliverance; but believe it or not, there are
some people who actually enjoy being possessed by demons. I
don't know if that is the case with the person in question,
but I do know that any such deliverance will require some
desperate prayer, and perhaps even fasting. Such was the
case in the following example found in the Bible:

"And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him
a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have
mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for
ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure
him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse
generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I
suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the
devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured
from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart,
and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto
them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you,
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
Matthew 17:14-21, KJV

I am not exactly sure why the Lord said that fasting was an
important requirement in the above case, but I suspect that
it may possibly have something to do with the fact that when
we are weak in the flesh, that is when we can actually be
the strongest in spirit. This is because God's Spirit can
more effectively work through us. The Apostle Paul seems to
suggest this very same thing when he writes the following.
Please note that these verses come right after those where
he discusses his "thorn in the flesh", which we discussed
earlier in this series:

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for
my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure
in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am
weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, KJV

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
2 Corinthians 4:7, KJV

So, in essence, the less there is of us, the more there can
be of Him shining through us; the more His Spirit is able to
operate through us; just as I point out in such articles as
"Are You Crucified With Christ?", "So You Think You Are So
Humble?" and "Are You A Burning Ember For The Lord?".

In this series, we've talked a lot about demonic possession,
disease, sickness, and life and death. We have discussed the
drama of human suffering. These things are not happy topics,
but I am sure that most of you reading this series, have had
your share of such experiences. My family has likewise not
been exempt. In particular, my daughter was diagnosed with
Juvenile Diabetes at the age of eleven. As you can imagine,
at the time, the news absolutely devastated me; particularly
because I was informed that a lack of proper health care on
our part, could lead to a number of serious outcomes in the
future; such as blindness; amputation of the extremities as
a result of gangrene setting in; coma; and kidney failure,
which would then require dialysis, which would ultimately
result in death after a three to five year period.

Had we not known the Lord, and His Word, perhaps we would
have reacted differently. Perhaps we would have totally
given in to despair. But, by His Grace, now, several years
later, we both continue to march forward in our faith, and
remain undaunted by any physical setbacks in the flesh. If
there is one thing of which I have no doubt, it is that my
daughter's heart truly belongs to the Lord, and she daily
sings praises to Him. There is no rancor in her heart, or in
mine for that matter. Yes, I admit that I sometimes wonder
in my heart why the Lord has allowed this to happen to us. I
also question if it is perhaps due to sins in my own life;
but I do not question God's Wisdom in the matter. Perhaps
someday, we will fully come to understand His reasons. In
the meantime, we both accept all things as coming from His
Hand, and cling to such inspiring verses as the following:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9, KJV

"And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose." Romans 8:28, KJV

So as I point out in "Why Doesn't God Heal Me?", God has a
plan and a purpose in our afflictions, even if that purpose
is beyond our current understanding. Regardless of whether
we understand or not, we should never doubt God's Love for
us. We must continue to trust in Him, and believe that He
would not allow something to happen to us, unless He knows
that it is for our own good. One of the most important
lessons I hope you will learn from this series, is that we
must each stand strong against our common enemy: Satan and
his minions. As Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter six, we
must put on the whole armour of God:

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth, and having on the breastplate of
righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"
Ephesians 6:10-17, KJV

In particular, we must guard our minds and control our every
thought, and not allow that Evil One to gain advantage over
us in any way. We must not even listen to him; because if we
do, we have already lost half of the battle. We must resist
the devil, and submit ourselves to God's Will fully, as we
see here:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world." 1 Peter 5:8-9, KJV

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you." James 4:7, KJV

So as you can see, part of winning the battle, isn't just
resisting the Devil, it is also submitting ourselves to
God's Will. If we will do this, then He also promises to
protect us, to care for us, to provide for us, and to bless
us. We must simply meet His conditions. In his Epistle to
the brethren at Rome, the Apostle Paul also wrote:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Romans 12:1-2, KJV

With these verses, we have now covered a lot of territory. I
am sure that I have not answered all of your questions on
this topic, and there are many other related verses which I
have not included in this series, but I do believe that I've
presented you with a lot of new information; some of which
even I was not aware of previously. As I stated earlier in
this series, when I write these articles, they are often a
learning experience for me as well. I am blessed, even as I
am being a blessing to others; so we all benefit from these
Bible studies.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

A Biblical Cafeteria, Or the Whole Course?
Are Personal Tragedies Due to Sin?
Are You a Burning Ember for the Lord?
Are You Crucified With Christ?
Beholding the Evil and the Good
Death: Final Battle, Final Victory
Free Will and Personal Choice
Great Cloud of Witnesses: God's Holy Ghosts?
Have You Been Slain in the Spirit?
Hell and the Lake of Fire
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
So You Think You Are So Humble?
The Lord Will Lift You Up
Why Doesn't God Heal Me?

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