Step off, Satan.

It didn’t matter if it was in a Southern California city in broad daylight…  It didn’t matter if she was a small, normal looking, white woman…the fact is, she had aligned herself with devilry.  As such, she was an open vessel for demonic activity.  (If you don’t know what I am talking about, read “The devil is in the park”.)  Hearing of that kind of stuff is always disturbing, though the reality is, probably 99.5% of the population will never see such a thing! 

Nonetheless, I feel compelled to remind us of a few things.  While demonic activity, and especially demon possession, can be ‘spooky’, there is no cause for fear—here’s why:

If you are a child of God, a demon cannot possess you or take you over. Why?  “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”1 If you haven’t already, memorize that phrase—like the Orthodox Jews did/do with Scripture, tell it to your children, and bind it about your wrist.  It is true, and it is powerful.

It used to be, and in some parts of the world is still, people attribute(d) everything to the devil; while most of us in the western world today attribute very little to him and his activities.  We must be wise.  We must be aware.

Peter admonished us to “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, stand firm in the faith, because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.2   And again, we remember what Paul wrote that we are to put on the armor of God—truth, righteousness, Scripture, prayer—

Kathy asked, “If I can’t be taken over or possessed by demons, what can demons do to me, as a follower of Jesus Christ?”  They can demonize you—physically, (causing sickness such as epilepsy-type behavior), mentally, (causing psychological problems), and spiritually, (causing deception, doubts, and constant temptations of the flesh).  Paul warned Timothy “that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons”4  (Friends, you and I live in ‘later times’)

“Is there any protection for a Christian from demonization?”  I believe there is—we are to walk in faith and live godly lives.  “For he [the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”5  I have personal experience with this point as well.  Choosing to live in sin, when you know better, can be dangerous.

About seven years ago, I got a phonecall from a distraught husband, who told me he thought his wife was ‘possessed’, and she was hearing voices.  I agreed to meet with her, and when things were sorted out, it seems they had both been deeply into pornography and drugs—both of which provided an ‘entry point’ for demonic activity.  Frankly, in their case, the results were disastrous.

“Okay, so I’m not sure, but if I suspect that I have encountered demonic activity, what can I do?”  John Wimber6 gives several succinct suggestions:

1.  In faith turn to Christ, committing every area of your life to his lordship.

2.  Confess and renounce any area of sin or temptation with which you are having difficulty.

***3.  Use your authority!  It is rightfully yours in Christ.  Command any spirits that you sense present to leave.  Just a simple prayer like,

“In the name of Jesus, I command you, spirit, to leave and stay out of my life”.  Or if you feel the presence of evil around you,

“In the name of Jesus, I command you, Satan—be gone!  You have no part here.”

4.  Destroy any objects you might have around that are associated with a struggle with sin—i.e., occult books or objects, illicit drugs, pornography, etc.  There is no reason to have them around if they tempt you or trip you up, so get rid of them.

This morning, I had a conference call prayer meeting with my corporate guys, and one of them reminded me that the devil doesn’t usually act the same way in areas of the country where he has already won the battle through materialism and busy-ness.  Whoa—that was quite a comment—insightful and a little tough to swallow too!  That said, could he be right?

I pray you feel assured, empowered and equipped.  GREATER IS HE that is in you, my dear ones, THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD.  Step off, Satan.

Christine