On Demons

As you can tell from the video blog, I'm not really coherent talking.  For some reason, I seem to do better writing, I guess different

Agh.

It helps to take the pills, before I whine about side effects.  Well, that's done now.

I'm up to 7 pills a day - just prescriptions.  I also take some supplements and vitamins, which I'm happy to discuss if you're interested.

Anyway, I had a request to do a video blog on demons.  I'd be happy to, but I just did the giant 20 minute one with me rambling.

I doubt I'd be coherent.  And I certainly don't see myself as informed, either.

I know this: Bad Things exist.  The Bible tells me so.

Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

However, God is a lot bigger than the Bad Things.  

Romans 8:37-39

New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Colossians 2:15
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

A quick search of the gospels will show you that Jesus is far more powerful than demons; he conclusively kicked demonic butt in every encounter - too many to list.  With His death, He made us heirs to that power.  

So, here are my thoughts.  

1.  The only book I trust on the subject of spiritual warfare or demons; the Bible.  
2.  God is greater than Bad Things, but Bad Things are more powerful than me alone.  
3.  For this point, I have to go to Job 1:12
¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”  Satan only has the power God gives him.  He can only harm us to the extent that God permits.  That can be very hard to understand at times.  This also applies to his lackeys, the "Bad Things", principalities, demons, whatever you call them.  
4.  God gives me the strength to fight my battles; my power comes from Him.  God allows my trials to make me stronger, to develop my faith and my trust in him.  

I believe that demons have tormented me quite a bit.  I venture to say there are demons behind every depression, every hallucination, every speck of paranoia, every bit of dissociation - those days when I feel like I'm not really present.  They exist.  They love my illness and, to the extent they are permitted, use it to torment both me and others (I can be very mean).  

Which brings me to point 5.  Medication helps me combat the demons.  Faith without medication is useless.  Medication without faith - I don't know.  Faith is a part of who I am.  

I think demons have a couple of roles: 
1.  Torment believers. 
2.  Damage a believer's witness - making them ugly or encouraging them to sin.  
3.  Get between us and God.  One time I went to do my God time, and the cat came in and got sick on my foot.  Often it's throwing so many small hassles, Ron needs to find something, I lost something myself, and I need to get the trash out before the pickup... or keeping me up late the night before - this is the big one, gang - so I'm utterly exhausted in the morning and skip my God Time.  

What is a demon's role for an unreached person?  
Well, keep them from God.  
Torment them.  
Encourage them to sin, which takes them back to the first.  

How can we fight?  Well, I think, if you're a believer, regular God Time, as in daily, is vital.  Pray, do some Bible study.  Actually reading from the Bible, Bible-study.   I have a few devotionals, very nice, but only one Bible verse.  That's not enough.  It always bugs me when I read an inspirational novel and they have the heroine "reading a few verses for the day".  No, she should be reading chapters.  

If you see anything good in my faith walk, anything admirable, it comes from reading chapters of the Bible, every day, asking God to help me understand.  James 1:5 says if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it.  

Then comes the hard part.  I get out my notebook and pray like hell, for everyone.  I pray for you.  I pray for the president and our leaders.  I pray for evangelists, missionaries, the unreached, even down to my neighbor's pets.  Most importantly, I pray for those who have harmed me.  I pray for those who hurt Ron.  God has commanded this, so I want to do it.  

If it's just happened, I have to pray for God to give me the desire to pray for the person.  Kind of circular but you get the idea.  When I got mugged, it was "God take care of him" for about a month, before I could move on and deepen it.  

That's how I fight.  I also aim to live a "clean" life, as sin-free as possible - and I fail in so many ways.  But God is gracious to forgive me; so I confess my sin to him, repent (turn from my sin), and move on.  

I would also strongly encourage any of my unreached readers to please refrain from occult practices.  Mediums, getting your palm read, horoscopes, ouija boards, all of that open you up to demonic tampering.  Many people who complained of "haunted" houses, on reflection, realized they had been messing with the occult.  If you're into that stuff, get out.  Burn your paraphernalia.  Even if you don't get saved, please do this.  

That said, am I going to get in trouble for handing out candy tomorrow night?  For loving a black cat?  No.  God bless you all, I'm praying for you daily.  

((((Hugs)))