Nobody really talks about these.
It seems that the church at large doesn't talk about demons much, man. The only thing I really remember hearing about demons in any kind of church setting was a church camp, and mostly when they were trying to scare us. The Jack Chick tracts had 'em, too, but as I got into high school and then into adult hood it seems like the church just seemed to shut up about demons.
Anyway, this weekend it was pointed out to me that the Bible talks about demons pretty often, and talk about how a lot of folks got delivered from 'em, like Mark 16:9 - Mary Magdalene was delivered from seven demons. Now, she seems to get a lot of good press. I'd say that if Mary Magdalene can have a problem with demons, then I'm certainly not above it myself.
See - it was explained to me that demons can torment us. They can't possess us, but they can damn sure get a foothold, entrench themselves and pound us. Evidently, that's called oppression, and I've been reading a book that makes a pretty strong case about Christians being oppressed by demons.
I remember my Aunt Martha would talk now and again about somebody being under attack by demons. She believed in it pretty strongly. I think my Mom and Dad did, too, though they never brought it up very often. I guess it might have been too weird to bring up or talk about, and I get that. Hell - it is weird to talk about demons, especially in today's modern age. I don't think it's kosher to talk about demons anymore. I think that some folks are either scared to talk about demons, or they don't want to sound weird. I'll admit - I don't want to sound weird, and the thought of having demons crawling around over me and my family spooks me to my core. I'll do you guys one better and say that a lot of folks seem to want to explain "Bible-time demons possession" as mental illness or as some kind of brain chemistry malfunction, but if the Bible says "demon" I'm gonna go with demon.
So that leads me to where I am tonight, which is here: I think demons exist, I think demons torment belivers, and I think that I have some demons that have my number. I think there are demons that have a foothold because of a door that got propped opened somewhere down the line. TO be clear - I ain't possessed, but I'm now pretty convinced I'm being oppressed, and I think I have been for a very, very long time. It explains a lot, and from what I understand there are a lot of demons who have a lot of different jobs, though they seem to manage to come together and work toward the goal of making your life as sucky as possible.
Anyway, here pretty soon I'm going to do my damnedest to get rid of 'em, including going through a "deliverance" myself, and I'll keep you guys filled in as I go.
Ten years ago I'd have dismissed this all as crap, but I'm a much different cat then I was ten years ago. God willing, I hope I'm a bit smarter now, and a little (or a lot) more willing to seriously consider the validity of what I used to consider hogwash, hysteria, or hype.
I would have been too afraid to say anything about this, or I would have been only to happy to tell you why this was wrong, and/or sic Hank Hanagraff and the Christian Research Council on you and beat you with Scripture and/or sermons I'd heard about why you were wrong, but nowadays I'm more interested in getting better than I am in sounding sane or theologically sound.
I heard a line from a movie that went something like "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." For what it's worth, I'm through pretending, ignoring or denying.
So...there we are. Your input is welcome.
875 for Tuesday
5 comments:
No one can read the Bible, in particular the Gospels, and deny that demons exist and torment people. Jesus wasn't playing make believe.
I'd love to talk more with you about it. I don't know who you were talking to, but one word of caution: no one ever delivered themselves from demonic oppression or possession. Remember the old Looney Toons cartoon with the little kitten and the big bulldog? The kitten would hiss and swat at another dog and the dog would run off. The kitten would smugly strut, not knowing that the bulldog was standing behind him and it was actually he who scared off the dog, not the cat. It's the same way with spiritual battles. God is always the bigger dog and he is behind us.
Look at how Jesus handled temptation from the devil in Matt 4, Mark 1, Luke 4. Also study Ephesians 6:10- the end of the chapter and look up those references.
I love you. And you win the spooky pic award for the whole decade. Geez.
I posted a comment but it decided to leave. Hmmmm. anyone catch it on their rss feed or something?
Demonic/satanic activity is indeed very real according to scripture. The most pronounced verse (although there are others) that give credence to this is Paul speaking in Ephesians 6:12. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" I know you are familiar with
that portion of scripture. All demonic activity is oppressive because his desire is destruction in all it's many forms. I think one of the devil's most potent tools is discouragement and depression.
This is not a simple subject and I am not a Theologian, I do know scripture says in James 4:7 "Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." Verse 8 goes on to say "Come near to God and He will come near to you."
There are a lot of questions I do have answers for but this works for me.
If you were a demon with the power to affect people's lives (Opression), then why wouldn't you REWARD people for "doing wrong", for "sinning"?
Seems like a pretty simple, yet extremely effective way to lead the herd astray - if they are being Godly, oppress them, if they are being un-Godly, reward them somehow (whatever the opposite of opression is called)
I am a mere mortal and even I have no doubt that I could lead pretty near everyone astray if I had the powers attributed to Satan and demons.
I mean, look how easy it was for Obama to get enough people to vote for him to elect him president even though he's not even elligble to hold that office.
Someone as smooth and slick as Satan is depicted as being would have NO PROBLEM "directing the traffic of human emotion" to go his way.
All Christians should be living some of the most horrible, hard-to-imagine, unbearable lives of anyone if there were Supernatural Forces at work oppressing Goidly people.
OR, is all that above what he wants you to think?
He is supposed to be pretty damn tricky. :-)
the movie quote is from Usual Suspects; great flick.
Suggest you (re?)read the Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. in the intro he suggests that Christians fall into two equally wrong thouht patterns about demons - 1) that they don't exist, and 2) that they pay too much attention to / worry about them constantly.
i personally err more on the #1 side - a sure product of my generation and culture. reading that book and practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer and meditation have helped balance that, but i still find it difficult to really physically concieve of a devil or demons. evil as a force i get, as a force personified - that is harder to grok.
good luck in your exploration; let us know what you discover. but do watch out for the #2 trap - it's just as much a pitfall as #1...
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