I have had what I believe to be three encounters with the demonic. Two of them involved witnessing to people who were lost and in gross sin. The other was personal and prior to my salvation. It is sufficient to say that that, in my case, the light of the gospel dawned in my heart and revealed the face of Christ. Grace is irresistible, even to the demonic.

 

People allow demonic activity in their life when they give ground to Satan who then builds strongholds. Our culture is embracing the occult at a frenetic pace which will ultimately lead to many more encounters with the demonic world.

The apostle Paul was not shocked by demons. He recognized their source and rebuked them by the power of the name of Jesus. We are not fighting flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness.

You make an assumption however that I have heard often; that demons are fallen angels. Do you have any scriptural support for this claim?

 

Jim,

Ephesians 6:10-12 we read that we (Christians) battle against spiritual powers and principalities, that is, against spiritual rulers (authorities) and their wicked armies (hosts). When I use the label -Demon- I am referring to those spiritual entities that scripture plainly teaches are both real and presently adversarial to the believer.

In the gospels when a malevolent spiritual entity is encountered, the name they label the spiritual entity with is demon, and so I have used the name that scripture has used to describe those spiritual entities we encounter here on earth.

In Colossians 1:16 we learn that Christ created everything that exists both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. Whatever demons are, they are first and foremost created beings.

In Colossians 2:15 Paul tells us that these same powers and principalities were disarmed and made a public spectacle of by Christ on the cross where He triumphed over them, and we are told again by Paul, using the same language to describe these beings, that our struggle here on earth is not merely against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities, whom Paul articulates further to be rulers and their armies (hosts) (c.f. Ephesians 6:10-12).

We see the same described by the Apostle John in Revelation 12:7-9 where we read, "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. " [ESV]

Continuing on in Revelation 12 we read that when Satan saw that he had been cast down to earth, he made war on the "offspring of the woman" - whom John tells us are those who keep the commandments of God.

Scripture tells me that angels who rebelled against God were cast down to the earth and are presently making war against those who keep God's commandments.

Now, in the gospels when spiritual entities were raging against those who were keeping God's commands - these were called "demons" - and if I have used the name that scripture uses to describe these entities, I do not feel I do injury to the text simply because it lacks a verse that unequivicably equates fallen angels to the term demon.

In my own studies I have found no compelling reason to extrapolate and speculate beyond a simple understanding: if a created spirit has been cast down to earth from heaven I label such a one a "demon".

Let me know if that makes sense.

 

Daniel,

I bring this up not to cause controversy but simply to ask a question that has bothered me for some time. I agree with your understanding of the spiritual nature of our enemy. I also agree that Jesus and His disciples encountered many demons during their ministry.

Let me first ask you another question.

When does the battle in Rev. 12 take place?

 

I was in India in 1984. We had just concluded a tent service and lines were forming in front of both me and my pastor; lines of people wanting the foreign preachers to pray over them. About 20 or 30 people into the line an individual wanted me to lay hands on him for prayer, just I had been doing with all the rest. As soon as my hand made contact with his head he fell to the ground and started screaming at the top of his lungs. Just then I noticed his foot was about to make contact with a large battery that we were using to power the sound equipement. As I went to stand in the way, he, all 120 pounds of him, while laying on his back, was able to push me aside. I could not believe the strength. To my knowledge he never came to Christ. Sad that...

 

Jim, the events of revelation 12 happen at a time when Satan and his angels have been cast to earth and during that time they make war with those who follow the commandments of God and keep the testimony of Jesus.

My answer to your question will be the same as your answer to this question: When did people begin holding to the testimony of Jesus?

 

Mark - 120 lbs ain't much. That must have been quite unnerving.

 

Daniel, I am going to assume you mean the resurrection of Christ or shortly thereafter.

If you believe the angels were cast to earth and became demons after Christ's conquering the death and grave, how do you explain the demon worship of the old testament and also the remainder of Rev. 12?

I don't necessary have a specific answer but would like to hear if you have any revelation on this?

 

Jim, I don't know if the things that happen in heaven can rightly be understood as happening simultaneously on earth - that is, I don't know if it is wise to presume that what happens in eternity can be mapped back to a specific date on a calendar, and even if it can (and I am not suggesting that it can't), we certainly lack any perspective to nail it down to a date.

I don't insist therefore that these things happened after the cross.