Demons and the devil

[Sleepy]

Can't help thinking that the belief in demons as actual beings is a great excuse to pass responsibility elsewhere. Instead of: facing up to the fact that we choose to sin and taking responsibility for that.

Casually speaking I see "our demons" as the things we struggle with but the fact that they are evil beings inside of us .... I find difficult to accept.

The devil ... Who is he? The one who throws doubts about God's love and our relationship into our hearts, tries to confuse us and fall away.... even give up. I see that and believe that.. yes, as the bible states, there is one who seeks to destroy and hates. It is clear in our world.

I believe in Jesus as God and the promise of salvation though him.
My demons ... are present ...Yes.. and I take full responsibility for them and seek God's help in following the right path daily.

What do you think? Believe?

 

[sparky]

Sleepy do not underestimate the influence satan and his demons have over us.Adam and eve were quite happy and content in the garden of eden until satan came along.Of course it is us as individuals who sin,demons cannot make us sin,but they have been around for along time and will make the road to sin seem easy and enjoyable.They gain mastery over us only if we let them,they cannot defeat us and this they know.

I think also you need to take into account the testimony of people to whom demons have played a real part in their lives.(by digging you will find them here at tj).Indeed consider yourself lucky to have not come into direct contact with demons.Ask someone who has been demonicaly possesed or has been invoved in voodoo or practices of black magic and they will tell you of the existence of such creatures.

Psalm 37v10,11-just a little while longer and the wicked one will be no more,and you will certainly give attention to his place and he will not be.But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

 

[jiggyfly]

Mark 16:15-18

15*And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. 16*Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17*These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages.* 18*They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.”

Mark 5:6-13
6*When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him. He ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him. 7*He gave a terrible scream, shrieking, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God’s sake, don’t torture me!” 8*For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
9*Then Jesus asked, “What is your name?”
And the spirit replied, “Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man.” 10*Then the spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place. 11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12*“Send us into those pigs,” the evil spirits begged. 13*Jesus gave them permission. So the evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of two thousand pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake, where they drowned.

Believing that demons don't exist is exactly what the devil would like us to do. Satan is not omnipresent.

 

[lll3]

Demons are very real and yes they get inside us. But Jesus gave us power over them to cast them out. Read the gospels and see how many times Jesus cast out demons. We have victory in Jesus over Satan. Read the Great Commission at the end of Mark.

 

[Adstar]

I do not believe the Holy Spirit will allow a demon to dwell with it. If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us then I do not believe we can be possessed by a demon.

We can be tempted by satan but i do not believe we can be possessed. I cannot find anywhere in the bible an instance of a person who has received the Holy Spirit being possessed by a demon. If they where possessed by a demon it was before they received the Holy Spirit.

All Praise The Ancient of Days

 

[jiggyfly]

I do not believe the Holy Spirit will allow a demon to dwell with it. If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us then I do not believe we can be possessed by a demon.

We can be tempted by satan but i do not believe we can be possessed. I cannot find anywhere in the bible an instance of a person who has received the Holy Spirit being possessed by a demon. If they where possessed by a demon it was before they received the Holy Spirit.

All Praise The Ancient of Days

You may want to check out Oberlin theology> Charles Finney

 

[Chad]

Luke 11:24—26

24"When an evil[a] spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

(1 John 4:4)
"The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world"

Evil spirits and holy spirits do not dwell in the same temple (our bodies).

 

[Adstar]

Evil spirits and holy spirits do not dwell in the same temple (our bodies).

There is only one Holy Spirit

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[WingedGrace]

Satan/demons tempt you to sin. It is us who make the choice. But like an earlier poster said, don't underestimate the influence or effect they have. They can do some pretty bad damage. Yes, there are people who pass the blame too easily. But not everyone.