A Study of Demon Possession

DEMONS 1 WS215

A Study Of Demon Possession

by Wesley Simons

1. The Devil is doomed.

1. Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the

lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are,

and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

2. The Devil wants us to be doomed.

1. Luke 8:11-12 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil,

and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe

and be saved.

2. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as

a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

3. The Devil tried to cause Christ to sin.

1. Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness

to be tempted of the devil.

4. The Devil is full of pride.

1. 1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into

the condemnation of the devil.

5. Demons also exist.

1. James 2:19 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the

demons also believe, and shudder. (ASV)

2. James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:

the devils also believe, and tremble. (KJV)

6. Demons or Devils indwelled people in the first century.

1. Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast

out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

7. Did Jesus and the Apostles cast out real Devils? ( Below we have listed

the possibilities ).

1. They did no such thing - the Gospel accounts are false.

2. They did pretended to do it, but they really could not do it.

3. They were as ignorant and superstitious on this subject as the people

and honestly thought they were casting out devils.

4. They really did cast out devils.

5. Number 4 is the correct answer.

8. The Lord and the Apostles cast out demons.

1. Luke 10:17-20 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord,

even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said

unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I

give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all

the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto

you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

9. Demon possession and diseases are not the same.

1. Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast

out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

2. Mark 5:7-12 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do

with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by

God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of

the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name?

And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10

And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of

the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great

herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying,

Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

3. Mark 1:34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases,

and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak,

because they knew him.

4. Mark 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou

Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou

art, the Holy One of God. ( They could talk ).

10. The evil spirits were subject to Jesus and the Apostles.

1. Mark 1:26-28 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried

with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed,

insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing

is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he

even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. 28 And immediately

his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

11. Effects of possession.

1. Matthew 9:32-33 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a

dumb man possessed with a devil. 33 And when the devil was cast

out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was

never so seen in Israel.

2. Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a

devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind

and dumb both spake and saw.

3. Matthew 17:15 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.

4. Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he

rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I

charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

5.Mark 5:2-5 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there

met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his

dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with

chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and

chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the

fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And

always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs,

crying, and cutting himself with stones.

12. Jesus and other godly men were accused of having a demon.

1. Luke 7:33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking

wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

2. John 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who

goeth about to kill thee?

3. John 10:21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a

devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

13. Some people had many devils.

1. Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week,

he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven

devils.

2. Luke 8:27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the

city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes,

neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

14. Some Observations.

1. Men, Women and children were possessed. ( Matt. 15:22; 17:15;

Mark 7:25-30; 9:21; 16:9; Luke 8:2-3 ).

2. It was possible to be repossessed. ( Matt. 12:43-45 ).

3. Demon possession occurred during the age of miracles. If not, then

there would be no means of expelling them today. ( Matt. 10:8; Mark

16:17 ).

4. Those possessed would not be held accountable for the deeds done

while possessed. Because the demons would be causing them to do

various things. Matthew 17:15 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.

5. The spirits that indwelled the people of the first-century must have

been either fallen angels or departed evil spirits. ( Jude 6; Lk. 16:23 ).

6. The purpose of demon possession seemed to be to prove that Christ

and His followers were more powerful then the demonic world. Mark

1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among

themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for

with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do

obey him.

7. No spirit could leave the haden world without Divine approval.

( Luke 16:19-31 ).

8. All who were possessed in the first-century seemed to be cured. Luke

9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power

and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

9. Others were also working on casting out devils. ( Luke 9:49-50; Mark

9:38-39 ).

10. Jesus controls the spirits and will bring them with Him judgment day.

( 1 Thess. 4:13-17 ).

11. There is only one Devil, but many demons.

12. Some today think that they can cast out devils, but they are wrong.

( Matt. 7:21-23 ).

13. The Sadducees did not believe in spirits. ( Acts 23:6-8 ).

..14. We are spiritual beings. ( 1 Thess. 5:23 ).

15. No one today is possessed by a devil.

16. Casting out demons is easy to fake today.

17. The Apostles cast out devils in the name of Jesus. ( Acts 16:18 ).

18. Sceva’s sons tried to cast out devils. ( Acts 19:14-15 ).

19. The disciples almost failed once in casting out a devil. ( Matt.

17:14-21 ).

20. Casting out devils proved Jesus’ deity. ( Mark 9:38-39; 3:11; 5:7;

Luke 8:28 ).

21. Devils tremble at the thought of God. ( James 2:19 ).

22. Devils will be punished. ( Matt. 8:29; 25:41; Luke 8:28 ).