Friday, May 17, 2024

DEALING WITH DEMONS #4

 Dealing with DEMONS!

Disease Demons!


by

Ralph Woodrow

                          




DISEASE DEMONS




     Many Christians recognize the work of demons in a person who

is violently insane. But not as well known, or as widely

recognized, is the fact that demons can also work in the realm of

disease. What? Disease caused by evil spirits? Admittedly, this

appears to have all the earmarks of superstition! We might

picture a "witch doctor" performing magic rites over sick people

to drive off evil spirits or putting on some horrid-looking

costume in an attempt to scare them away!

     From a wall carving at Nineveh, the illustration given here

shows how the ancient Assyrians portrayed a demon of disease. It

was a lion-headed, eagle-footed creature holding instruments to

wound and afflict.


     In spite of the primitive methods and concepts that have

existed, however, the basic concept that evil "spirits" can

physically afflict people - is certainly based on scripture.


DEMONIC DEFORMITY


     As Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, "there was a

woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was

bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself." Jesus

spoke words of deliverance: "Woman, thou art loosed from thine

infirmity." He laid his hands on her and immediately she was made

straight! Jesus did not diagnose her trouble as spinal arthritis

or a bad case of dislocated vertebras. In this case, a "spirit of

infirmity" was the cause - and though she was a "daughter of

Abraham" - "Satan" had bound her for eighteen years (Luke

13:10-16).

     I think it is fair to assume that this woman was a daughter

of Abraham, not just in some fleshly sense, but in the same sense

Jesus used the term in John 8:33-39. Those who are of faith are

the true seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29). The victim of a

demonic attack is not necessarily a bad person.

     Today, especially in lands where demons are actually

worshipped, and demon power is strong, missionaries are not

unfamiliar with cases of deformity caused by demon spirits.


DEMONIC SEIZURES


     The word "epilepsy" is based on the idea of being seized

upon by an outside force - reflecting an old belief that seizures

were caused by demonic attack. I don't believe all cases of

epilepsy are caused by demons, many of which can be controlled by

medical treatment. But, that demonic attacks can throw people

into "fits," as they have been termed, stands on solid Biblical

ground.

     A woman who sought help for her daughter, said to Jesus, "My

daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" (Matt. 15:22). But

Jesus cast out the demon, even at a distance. "And when she was

come to her house, she found the devil gone out and her daughter

laid upon the bed" - still, quiet, tormented no more (Mark 7:30).

     The inference is that before her healing, the epileptic

condition would throw her off the bed uncontrolled.

     When Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, "there was a man

which had a spirit of an unclean devil" who cried out such things

as: "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of

Nazareth?" Deliverance came when Jesus "rebuked" the demon in

this man (Luke 4:33-36). A few verses later (verse 39), Jesus

"rebuked" a fever from Peter's mother-inlaw. In this case, we are

not expressly told the fever was caused by a demon, but the fact

that Jesus rebuked the fever implies a demonic personality was

involved.

     Some might object to "rebuke" implying personality, pointing

out that Jesus also rebuked a storm (Mark 4:39). But who is to

say the power behind this storm was not Satan, "the prince of the

power of the air" (Eph.2:2)? A Hebrew word that appears only

twice in the Bible - translated "devils" (Deut.32:17; Ps. 106:37)

- stems from a word meaning to devastate. It is believed these

were storm demons - evil powers that sought to devastate by

storms.


"TORMENTED"


     Though we are not directly told it was demons that caused

the centurion's servant to be "grievously tormented" (Matt.8:6),

by comparing this wording with other Biblical descriptions,

demonic activity is strongly implied. Also, we notice that the

centurion (an army captain over one hundred men), spoke of how he

could command the soldiers under him and they would obey. In the

same way, he felt that Jesus had the authority to issue a command

or rebuke to that personality that was tormenting the suffering

servant. 

     Could a case of skin disease, like severe boils, be caused

by Satan? According to the book of Job, "Satan went forth from

the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with boils from the sole

of his foot unto his crown" (Job 2:7). This may be a unique

incident, but it shows that a Satanic attack can cause physical

affliction.

     Could demonic oppression cause difficulty in breathing? In

the Old Testament, an "evil spirit" caused king Saul to be taken

with fear so that he was "troubled." But relief came when David

"took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed

[breathed freely - Moffatt translation] and was WELL, and the

evil spirit departed from him" (1 Samuel 16:23).


     I know a minister's wife whose parents, both dedicated

Christians, were deaf mutes. It always bothered her when

evangelists would come to the church and make statements to the

effect that deaf mutes are demon possessed. The Bible does not

say that all deaf mutes are demon possessed - and it would be

cruel to imply this. However, we read that Jesus healed a deaf

mute boy by "rebuking the foul spirit," saying: "Thou dumb and

deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him." When the evil

spirit came out he fell over "as one dead" - some even thought he

had died! But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. With

the evil spirit gone, he was normal (Mark 9:17-27).


     On another occasion, "they brought to him [Jesus] a dumb man

possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb

spake" (Matt.9:32,33). Another man, "possessed with a devil," was

blind and dumb. When the demon was cast out, he could see and

speak (Matt.12:22).


     I once talked with a man who had been a deaf mute. He told

me he wanted to talk, but some strange power would not let him.

He wanted to hear, but could not. But when a man of God laid

hands on him and commanded the deaf and dumb spirit to come out

of him, an evil pressure released its hold and came out. Since

that time he has been able to talk and hear.


     Years ago I knew a man quite well who was deaf in one ear.

Apparently his wife had been deaf. When she died, according to

his story, he became deaf in one ear. Was this a spirit of

deafness that left her and then afflicted him? I don't know, but

the Bible does imply in several scriptures that a spirit leaving

one person can transfer its abode to another (Matt.12; Mark 5).


     Thus we see that the Bible tells of cases of dumbness,

deafness, blindness, deformity, and other afflictions that were

caused by evil spirits. This is not to say all cases of infirmity

are caused by demons. Several scriptures draw a distinction

between "healing" and "casting out of demons." An example would

be Mark 16:17,18: "These signs shall follow them that believe;

they shall cast out devils," while "they shall lay hands on the

sick and they shall recover," is listed as a separate ministry.


AN UNUSUAL HEALING


     Mark records the healing of a man who was deaf and had an

impediment in his speech. As in many of the healings of the

Bible, there is no mention here of an evil spirit being cast out.

"And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment

in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And

he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into

his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue" (Mark 7:32,33).

     Why would Jesus spit and touch the man's tongue? In his

commentary, Adam Clarke argues, and I think plausibly, that it

was the man, not Jesus, who did this. Not being able to speak and

explain his condition, he put his fingers into his own ears, as

though to say to Jesus: "I cannot hear." And then, so there would

be nothing offensive when Jesus looked into his mouth, he spat

out, and touched his own tongue, as though to say to Jesus: "I

cannot speak." This gives a good sense to this passage. His

healing was instantaneous - "his ears were opened, and the string

of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain" (verse 35).


     When is a disease demon related? I would think, as a general

rule, these would be cases that are extremely abnormal, cases for

which there is no physical cause. If a person burns a finger

while cooking, for example, I don't believe this is a case for

demonic exorcism. (I once knew a preacher who would say in such

cases: "You burn devil, I command you to come out!"). 


     If a person is in ill health because of a bad diet, diet,

not demons, is the source of the problem. Just exactly where we

draw the line on all of this, is not always clearly known.


     Nevertheless, the basic thesis stands: the Bible does teach

that physical diseases, in SOME cases, can be caused by demons.


                            ...................



To be continued


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