DEALING WITH DEMONS #2

 Dealing with DEMONS! #2

Casting Out Demons

by

Ralph Woodrow

CASTING OUT DEMONS      The story is told of a man who had not attended church in years. After a night of carousing and drinking, he walked into a church. He had it in his mind he would help the minister preach! He kept mumbling disjointed phrases, disturbing everyone present. Finally after repeated warnings to be quiet, a couple ushers threw him out a side window. Now it so happened that the church was built on the side of a steep hill. He went tumbling down the hill, his clothes were torn, and he was quite a sight to behold! When he got home his wife asked: "WHERE have you been?" "To church!", he replied. "You? at church? What are they doing at the church?" "Well," he answered, "I don't know what they're doing now, but when I left, THEY WERE CASTING OUT DEVILS!"      Apparently this man recognized he was a devil! But in the ministry of Jesus, demon possessed people were not cast out of the church. Jesus cast the demons out of the people! (see Mk. 1:23-26).      This point is well illustrated by the fact that some of the most devoted followers of Jesus were those from whom he had cast out demons. Luke writes of "certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance" (Lk.8:2,3).      In the case of Mary Magdalene, we are not told how the seven demons affected her life, but it is generally believed she was a grossly immoral woman. In any event, when she was delivered from demons, her life was victoriously transformed! Amazingly, it was to this woman that Jesus first appeared after his resurrection (Mark 16:9). INSANITY DEMONS      The Bible describes in detail the case of a violently insane man whose dynamic deliverance is one of the great stories of the Bible.      Jesus had crossed the stormy sea of Galilee, only to be confronted with another storm that raged within a man possessed with many demons. He did not live in a house, but in the tombs. In fits of violence he had superhuman strength. At times men had bound him with chains, only for him to break the chains to pieces. He would scream and cut himself with stones. People were terrified to even go near him. He did not wear any clothes. Luke describes the man this way: "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. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man)" (Luke 8:27-29).      Once the demons were cast out, the man became normal. The next scene shows him "sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind" (Luke 8:35). He was in that moment changed from a maniac to a minister! "Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him" (verses 38,39).      The words of a lovely hymn, penned by Oswald J. Smith, describe this man's case:      From home and friends the evil spirits drove him,       Among the tombs he dwelt in misery;       He cut himself as demon powers possessed him,       Then Jesus came and set the captive free.      When Jesus comes, the tempter's power is broken;       When Jesus comes the tears are wiped away.      He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,       For all is changed when Jesus comes to stay!      When Jesus cast the demons out of the insane man at Gadara; they entered into a herd of two thousand swine which ran down a hill and were drowned in the sea. I don't know that the idea stems from this incident, but the statement has been made that pigs cannot swim. In trying to swim, it is said, they cut their own throats with their forehooves. This is not true. Pigs can swim. The reason these pigs were destroyed, was not just the water. It was the impact of the demonic attack that drove them into the sea.      We see from this incident that a human has more power to resist demonic attack than an animal. The man had cut himself with stones - the demons were trying to kill him by suicide - but he had survived. Yet when the spirits went into the swine, they were quickly destroyed.      Also, we notice that some demons prefer one area over another. Here they besought Jesus that "he would not send them away out of the country," choosing rather to enter the herd of swine (Mark 5:10-12).      The Bible reveals that some demons are "more wicked" than others; yet some who are less wicked can influence the others (Matt.12:43-45). Some demons are stronger than others and, consequently, more difficult to cast out. The disciples, having cast out many demons, were unable to bring deliverance to a certain demon possessed boy. They asked Jesus: "Why could not we cast him out?" And Jesus said: "Because of your unbelief... howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Matt. 17:19,21).      After the disciples failed in their attempt to cast out the demon, the father said to Jesus: "Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water ... a dumb spirit taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away" (Matt.17:15; Mk.9:18). What a sad case! Demonic powers would throw this boy into the fire or water to destroy him. He would foam at the mouth or fall over and appear to be dead. Certainly all of this would be considered insanity. But it was not incurable. "Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour" (Matt. 17:18).      This boy, because of the drastic demon possession, probably looked abnormal. Other cases may appear normal until confronted.      I recall an incident that happened at a church where I spoke in New York - a church that takes a strong stand on deliverance. Among those who came forward for deliverance was a woman, probably about 60 years of age, who looked like she had been a church member for many year - holy and sanctified! In my own mind, at the time, I questioned if perhaps this church had put so much emphasis on deliverance that "everyone" was trying to get into the act - even a holy looking woman like this. She didn't look demon possessed to me. But as two or three of us gathered around her and began to pray, something within her began to resist. Her facial expression became distorted, twisted. Eyes that were soft became wild. Her whole personality changed and when I reached out to touch her, she grabbed my hand and tried to bite me! Unbelievably foul language flowed from her mouth. I learned that appearances can be deceiving; that some demons are sly and hide very well until exposed.      Even the insane man at Gadara was calm enough at times that others would bind him with chains, but only until the next demonic attack when he would tear the chains apart (Lk. 8:29).      Under the influence of these fits, a person may temporarily have the power of many men!      One time seven men, after seeing Paul cast out demons in the name of Jesus, thought they would try it too. They did not know Jesus, but apparently thought the name of Jesus could be used as a magic charm. They commanded a demon to come out of a man in the name of "Jesus whom Paul preacheth." Though these men were powerless pretenders, the demon was stirred up and "the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded" (Acts 19:16). They went running home minus shirt and trousers! One man against seven! FREEDOM FROM INSANITY      Many years ago I read the testimony of a Christian lady who was burdened for the people in a local asylum. She would visit patients there, talking of the Lord, and passing out gospel tracts written in simple language to those who could understand them.      A woman in one cell was a very violent case. The guards warned the Christian lady to keep away from this one. But when she saw this poor, demon possessed woman standing with her hands through the bars, her heart was filled with compassion. She walked closer to the cage, and putting her hand through to pat the woman on the hand, said, "God bless you dear." Immediately the woman became like a vicious animal. She grabbed the lady's hand and sunk her teeth to the bone. The guards came running to her rescue, and she was rushed to the hospital, her hand badly torn.      Somehow she could not forget that woman caged like a wild beast. She fasted and prayed, beseeching God for power to cast the demons out of this insane woman. Eventually she obtained permission to visit this woman again. The Christian lady told her, "I have come to tell you about Jesus." The insane woman plunged off her cot, screaming and hissing like a serpent. "I hate Jesus and I hate you," she said. "I'll tear the flesh from your body! I am going to kill you now!"      The Christian lady lifted her New Testament in one hand and laid her other hand on the woman's head and said: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I command every demon to come out of this body." Instantly the insane woman hit the floor. When the Christian lady lifted her to her feet, the wild stare was gone. The hideous look was gone. The cursing was gone. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She tenderly put her arms around the Christian lady and cried, "My God, my God, I've been waiting for twelve long years for someone to come in the power of that name and set me free!"      A highly publicized case in the Philippines some years ago involved an imprisoned girl, a street prostitute, who claimed she was bitten by hairy creatures. Though prison guards could not see the creatures, it appeared to them that the girl was actually being attacked and raped, while she would try to fight back. Was she insane? Was it only her imagination? How can it be explained that after these attacks, teeth marks were found on her body and hairs were taken from beneath her fingernails by authorities? The story was carried in the newspapers.      Reading about this strange case, a Christian missionary believed it was a demonic attack and made arrangements to visit her. When the day came for his visit, as his car approached the building where she was, she began to curse in English. But the source of this voice was actually demonic, for the girl did not know English! Ultimately the demons were cast out. CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMON POSSESSION      Some characteristics of demon possession can be summed up as follows: (1) a demon possessed person may lose his power of reason. (2) the personality becomes confused. (3) the person's will becomes the demon's will.  (4) the sensual habits and deeds are disposed to the inhabiting demons.  (5) the whole body at times may be addicted to cramp.  (6) the eyes do not look normal - the fire of hatred, revenge, and lust gleam from the depth of the pupil.  (7) actions and words become ungodly, tempers uncommonly irritative and at times violent.  (8) there is a pain that accompanies demon possession-a drawing, an inward torment, and unexplainable pressure or severe pain in the head.  (9) various kinds of fits, foaming at the mouth, and fainting. When demons are cast out, there are changes that occur, changes such as: (1) brightening of the facial expression - relaxed facial muscles; the eyes will become normal, soft, sympathetic.  (2) general weakness of the body or great tiredness may tempo- rarily result. (3) peace and joy in the mind, a feeling of great relief from a heavy burden.  (4) the personality will become normal.  (5) there will be a willing mind to hear the Word.      At this point, upon hearing the Word, it is essential that a person turns his life over to God. He must heed the scripture to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might .... For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [margin: wicked spirits] in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day" (Eph.6:10-13).      In the conflict, victory is ours in Christ.       "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," a great hymn written by Martin Luther, expresses it this way: Did we in our own strength confide,  Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side,  The man of God's own choosing.  Doest ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;  Lord Sabaoth His name,  From age to age the same,  And He must win the battle. And though this world with devils filled Should threaten to undo us; We will not fear, for God hath willed  His truth to triumph through us.  The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him;  His rage we can endure,  For lo! his doom is sure,  One little word shall fell him.                              ................ To be continued