Dear Mr. Wilson:
I have been watching your video seminars on the web. Thank you for making them available for free! A few days ago, I was watching a segment on Revelation, and I heard you say that predatory violence is the clearest evidence of demonic possession.
Maybe it’s just me, but after hearing you say this, I am seeing predatory violence in the news almost every day. You probably saw the story about a disgruntled truck driver in Connecticut who killed eight coworkers before killing himself. Then, in California, an uninvited husband showed up at his ex-wife’s birthday party and after killing her and her friends, he dropped their two children off with his parents and then killed himself.
Last week, three young men in Boston ordered pizza and they ambushed the 58 year old pizza delivery man. They stabbed him to death for about $100 before eating the pizza. These tragedies are senseless and outrageous, but until I watched your video I had not connected the dots. If your conclusion about predatory violence is correct, then demonic possession is rampant! How does a person become demon-possessed?
Thanks,
Cindy
Hello Cindy:
Thank you for your email. You are correct: There is more demonic possession around us than people realize! Demonic possession is an important topic and many Christians shy away from it because (a) they believe demon possession is part of the occult, and (b) they believe there is nothing that can be done about it. Actually, demonic possession is not limited to the occult and there is something that can be done about it!
A demon possessed person is dangerous because he is not in control of himself. His need for gratification can eclipse whatever pain or suffering his actions may cause. When a person has no empathy for others and no controlling sense of right or wrong, everyone around that person is at risk.
The Bible speaks of demonic possession in many places (Matthew 4:24; 8:16; 8:28; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22), but it does not differentiate between mental illness and demonic possession. An important difference between demonic possession and mental illness is this: Mental illness has a predictable pattern of behavior which mental health experts can detect and diagnose.
Fortunately, many people with mental illness are helped with “leveling” drugs. Even though mentally ill people can be dangerous to themselves and others, they are not predators with a predetermined scheme or target. The three examples you cited indicate demonic possession to me. So, let us determine how a person becomes demon possessed.
First consider this thought: Everyone is a possible candidate for demonic possession. In fact, a time will come during the Great Tribulation when there will be two groups of people on Earth. One group will have the seal of God and the other group will be demon possessed!
Therefore, demonic possession is only going to increase and it is imperative that Christians understand the topic. The only way out of demonic possession is through divine intervention. (Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:15) Medical science cannot exorcise a demon. An ordinary person cannot help someone who is demon possessed and neither can a possessed person cast out a demon who has consumed him. (Matthew 8:28–29; 17:14–20)
Demonic possession comes through the process of sinking lower and lower into the clutches of sin. The Bible teaches there are four types of sin: defiant, willful, accidental, and ignorant. Of course, all wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5:17), but God deals with our sins in different ways as outlined in the following paragraphs:
Defiant Sin
To understand defiant sin, we must first understand how the Holy Spirit works in a person’s life. The Holy Spirit sets the clearest evidence of God’s will before us (the truth about God’s will), strongly impresses us that this knowledge is true, and convinces us that God’s will must be obeyed (conviction).
Defiant sin begins when we refuse to obey the knowledge and conviction given by the Holy Spirit. Over time, defiance can become habitual and when it does, the Holy Spirit will eventually cease to work within us. Let me be clear, when it comes to defying the Holy Spirit, there is a point of no return.
The Bible calls this point the unpardonable sin. After a person reaches the point of no return, he or she has no desire or internal urging to do what is right, to learn about God, or please and honor Him. When the Holy Spirit leaves a person’s heart, it is as though a person becomes a zombie having little discernment or concern about right or wrong. There is no peace in such a soul only a restless, cold, tormented heart.
Accidental Sin
Accidental sin, on the other hand, occurs spontaneously without forethought such as telling a lie, uttering a bad word, being dishonest, etc. Accidental sins plague humanity because every sinner is “spring loaded” toward wrongdoing. This explains why the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We cannot help it, but sooner or later the carnal nature will rise up and cause each of us to accidentally sin.
Even though he had been a Christian for more than twenty-five years when he wrote this, the apostle Paul lamented, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.”
Even though all wrongdoing is sin, God will not hold a person guilty for an accidental sin if that person confesses his sin (1 John 1:9) and restores or repairs the damage caused (makes restitution). (Matthew 5:23–24, 1 John 5:17) God knows that no one is perfect, but God does require that each sinner show sorrow for his sins by forsaking them and making things right.
Ignorant Sin
Even though every sin has guilt, God does not condemn a sinner of wrongdoing if he is ignorant of his sin. This may sound comforting; however, ignorance is not bliss. Each sin has seeds of death within it. Each sin (big or small) has the potential for a deadly outcome even if we ignorantly sin! For example, consider the past 6,000 years. What has been the outcome of Eves ignorant sin (Genesis 3:13; 2 Corinthians 11:3) of eating the forbidden fruit?
Ignorance will not alter the consequences of wrongdoing. For example, what difference does ignorance or knowledge make if a person falls out of a tree? The law of momentum is impartial and so is the law of sin! The law of sin demands that ignorant and informed sinners reap what they sow. Look at the stories in the newspapers; people are reaping all that has been sown. Even worse, history says that we are corporately reaping the consequences right now which generations sowed in the past!
This brings us to a profound point. Sin is not a set of arbitrary rules which God made up according to His pleasure. God infinitely understands the seeds of death found in every sin and He wisely set up boundaries (laws) to protect us from sin’s deadly harvest (the consequences of wrongdoing). Because every sin has the potential of a deadly harvest, God commands us to avoid wrongdoing for our benefit, not His. So, blessed are those who are honest in heart, willing to grow in discernment about matters of right and wrong and double-blessed are those who walk in the light!
Honesty
Knowledge is a doubled-edged sword. Knowledge can save us or it can condemn us. Consider the following two examples: A sinner receives knowledge and the Holy Spirit convicts the sinner to obey the knowledge; however, the sinner refuses to obey because he prefers to indulge in the pleasures of sin. God reads the sinner’s heart and sees that the sinner has chosen to rebel. In this example, God holds the sinner guilty of defiant sin.
In this next example, suppose a devout person loves God but he has chosen to honestly refuse to embrace advanced truth about God’s will because the new information is contrary to his present knowledge of God. In this situation, the sinner’s rebellion stems from his love for his religious heritage instead of the pleasures of sin.
Even though this sinner insists on remaining ignorant, God sees that he has an honest heart. God will not hold this sinner guilty because guilt is not imparted unless knowledge and conviction are both present. Unfortunately, the person in this example will not benefit from advancing truth.
This was Israel’s experience and we know they wandered in the wilderness forty years, eventually dying there. Again, the point is made that ignorance is not bliss when it comes to sin. In this example, we see how “honest rebellion” can keep a sinner in the wilderness throughout his life, even though he will not lose eternal life.
God reads the heart. He understands defiant, willful, accidental, and ignorant sin. He sees our knowledge base and the amount of Holy Spirit conviction in each heart. (1 Chronicles 28:9) God is more than fair in His judgment. Human beings sin every day (through acts of commission or omission) without any awareness that our actions are sinful in God’s sight, but a merciful God overlooks our ignorance as long as we are honest and faithful according to all that we believe to be right and true.
When it comes to pleasing God, He is primarily concerned with our honesty and faith. Human beings cannot comprehend God’s higher ways because God is infinite. His ways are a thousand times higher than our highest thoughts! Therefore, honesty and faith are nonnegotiable in His sight.
Honesty is an openness to the facts and a willingness to know more truth. If we are honest in heart, the Holy Spirit will be able to show us new concepts from God’s Word. After we receive knowledge, the Holy Spirit will produce conviction. Together, these produce a compelling sense of “this is the way, therefore, walk in it.”
When knowledge and conviction come together, a testing truth occurs. God tests us because He requires everyone to step out in faith and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, even though our friends and family may think we are crazy. Therefore, honesty (an attitude of openness toward new truth) and faith (our willingness to act on conviction) enables the Holy Spirit to sanctify (purify) us.
Deliberate Sin
Sin is a topic that has multiple dimensions and we have briefly looked into defiant, accidental, and ignorant sins. Now, we need to examine deliberate sin because this sin is the doorway through which demons attempt to gain control over people. When deliberate sin finally becomes defiant sin, demons rejoice!
When Jesus created Adam and Eve, He gave them intelligence. Because we have intelligence we have the capacity to think and analyze situations and to intelligently reason from cause to effect. Even teenagers can analyze some aspects of life and determine what is good and what is evil. (Smile.)
Prior to sinning, Adam and Eve knew the difference between right and wrong, (Genesis 2:17) but they did not have the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 3:22) Prior to sinning, Adam and Eve had a natural tendency toward right doing. They did not have to struggle to do right because it came naturally.
When Eve ignorantly (Genesis 3:6,13; 2 Corinthians 11:3) sinned and then Adam deliberately sinned, the result was the same. Both became subject to the law of sin which leads to death. (Romans 7:23–24) They lost their sinless natures and wrongdoing came naturally not only to Adam and Eve, but to their offspring as well!
Sinners commit all four types of sins from time to time and God knows that we cannot prevent it. (Romans 3:23; 7:12–20; 8:5–12) But, a God of amazing grace and bountiful mercy does not give up on us until He sees there is nothing further He can do with us!
The Knowledge of Good and Evil
God has given us the Bible for several reasons. First and foremost, He wants us to know about His love for us! This knowledge can be transforming if properly understood and embraced. God also gave us the Bible because it contains the truth about good and evil. God wants every human being to understand good and evil because seeds of death are within every sin.
The Royal Law contains the greatest two commandments (Matthew 22:34–40; James 2:8) and this is followed by the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17) which show us what love will do and not do. The Bible also tells us about the thirst of the carnal nature (Galatians 5:17–21) and it reminds us that sins of omission are treated like sins of commission.
Finally, the Bible tells us there is the sin of failing to bring glory to God. (Romans 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:31) This knowledge may appear to be overwhelming, but sinners are not helpless and neither are they hopeless. This is a fact: In our own strength, we cannot overcome sin. Here is another fact: We can overcome sin by allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from within!
John wrote, “No one who is born of God will continue to [deliberately or defiantly] sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God [and power to overcome sin is given to everyone born of God]. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:9–10)
Of course, the devil does not want people reading the Bible or advancing in the knowledge of God’s love or the Bible’s definition of good and evil. Consequently, the devil tries to reduce or eliminate the importance of the Bible, and sadly, his efforts are paying off very well. (Recent surveys taken by the Pew Research Center indicate that succeeding generations of Christians tend to study the Bible less than the previous generation.)
To further reduce the effectiveness of our minds (so that human beings cannot determine good from evil) and reduce self-control (so that human beings will find it easier to do evil), the devil and his demons have introduced all kinds of mind-altering substances into society.
The demons well know that mankind is “spring loaded” to do evil. Therefore, demons prey on young people because (a) they are largely ignorant about matters of good and evil, (b) having the carnal nature, they are spring loaded toward wrongdoing, and (c) they are fascinated with mind altering substances that give a delusional sense of well-being. Add promiscuity and sexual immorality to this mix and there is a doorway to pleasure that most young people cannot resist. (Galatians 5:19; 2 Timothy 3:4; Jude 1:7)
God hates promiscuity and sexual immorality (Colossians 3:5–6) because once a person becomes involved in sexual immorality, there is a possibility that sexual gratification will shut out self-control. (Leviticus 18:1–30; Matthew 5:17–20; Acts 15:29; Hebrews 13:4) In other words, it is very easy to become a slave to passion. (2 Peter 2:19–20) If a person willingly engages in sexual immorality, knowing that it is sin, then it is deemed a deliberate act and God holds that person guilty for his sin.
On the other hand, if a person ignorantly engages in sexual immorality, the consequence of this sin will be horrible even though God may overlook the sinner’s guilt. Remember, there is no difference when falling out of a tree. The man who understands the law of momentum hits the ground just as hard as the man without knowledge. There is a sorrowful harvest for every sin because seeds of death are within every sin.
The Doorway of Hatred
There are other doorways besides sexual immorality that lead to demonic possession and we must consider one more doorway involving passion. This passion is hatred. God’s anger toward evil is sometimes called hatred (Deuteronomy 16:22; Psalm 45:7; Proverbs 6:16; Malachi 2:16), but God’s hatred is unlike human hatred. Human hatred is the inverse of love.
The ultimate desire of human hatred is murder. (John 8:44) Hatred generally springs from bitterness, jealousy, or vanity. Hatred can grow from real or imaginary injustice. Hatred can become a passion and it can become so powerful in a person’s heart that he cannot free himself of it. Prisons are full of people who are bound internally with hatred.
Demons can easily possess a hate-full heart because hatred does not care about right or wrong, justice or truth. Hatred is blind. If possible, it would seek more than death can offer! Hatred is like a bucket with a hole in its bottom that cannot be filled. Demons seek out people who harbor hatred because such people will often commit predatory violence.
John wrote, “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. [So,] Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. [Cain was humiliated when God honored Abel’s offering, but refused to honor Cain’s offering and this made him furious with Abel. Cain’s hatred for Abel led him to kill his brother for revenge.] We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” (1 John 3:12–15, insertions mine)
The Fight to Do Right
As long as the carnal nature is within us, we must not stop fighting the good fight. (1 Timothy 6:12) The greatest battles on Earth occur within the human heart the fight to do right must never end. We cannot give in and allow passions of hatred, sexual immorality, or pleasures to overtake us.
Be assured, the devil has a custom set of temptations carefully crafted for each person. If a person is too old or too wise to chase after pornography and knows better than to indulge in the temporal pleasures of sexual immorality, then be assured that the devil has plenty of other temptations.
In the game of life, the devil uses chips such as money, power, fame, drugs, leisure, shopping, sports, and materialism to capture our affections. He uses these chips as a foothold into our soul and too many sit at his game table, winning very little, but having a great time (they think) as he overtakes their souls!
There is a doorway into each heart and the devil and his imps know where it is. They are doing their best to kick it down with tailor-made temptations so that they might overpower us and possess us. Until the sealing of God’s children is completed (See Chapter 6 in my book, Jesus: The Alpha and The Omega) the war between Christ and Satan over the souls of human beings will not end. If, through Christ’s strength, we persevere and win a victory over one passion, watch out for a “door kicking event” in another area. The devil doesn’t knock.
He lures us into temptation and when opportunity is present, he attempts to kick down the door with everything he has. Jesus said, “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, I will return to the house I left. When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24–26) We see here that no victory over the flesh is final until the sinful nature has been removed. So, be on guard fight the good fight!
Lucifer has been called a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) because he was the first to be filled with violence. When Lucifer saw that he could not have what he wanted, violence broke out in Heaven. (Revelation 12:7–9) The same process holds true on Earth. When someone is filled with insatiable bitterness, craving, or passion, predatory violence often follows.
The devil and his demons never sleep. They are doing everything possible to increase the misery index of mankind. They are on a mission to destroy us by (a) eliminating the Word of God (which tells us about God’s love for us and the knowledge of good and evil), (b) dulling our minds with addictive substances, and (c) inflaming carnal passions and pleasure.
These demons are relentless because they know that they can overtake a person when a sinner gets so deep into sin that he stops struggling to do what is right. Listen to the words of this wise woman: “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short if anything increases the authority and the power of the flesh over the spirit, that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself.” Susanna Wesley (mother of John Wesley)
Is There Any Hope?
Is there hope for a sinner after he sins defiantly, willfully, accidentally, or ignorantly? Yes! Yes! Yes! There is hope for any sinner unless he becomes defiant and remains defiant. Defiant sin leads to the unpardonable sin. (Matthew 12:31–32) The Holy Spirit only gives up on a person when that person becomes so stubborn that nothing further can be done to change his mind.
The Holy Spirit knows the incalculable value of eternal life. The Holy Spirit loves each sinner with boundless love. The Holy Spirit knows the devil’s games. Therefore, the Holy Spirit does a little “door kicking” at times in an effort to get through. The Holy Spirit is not temperamental or easily discouraged.
He dearly wants to enter a sinner’s heart and bring that sinner to Christ so he might be saved! “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1–2)
Summary
The human race is caught in a war for souls that is intensifying. The Holy Spirit is working hard, but the devil and his demons are winning the battle just as they did in Noah’s day. (Genesis 6:3) Sinful natures mean we are hit with a double whammy! We have a carnal nature and there is a devil.
The Bible teaches there is a sin that does not lead to death (Romans 3:23; Romans 7:11–20; 8:5–12) because God knows that it is impossible for someone with a sinful nature to consistently live without sinning. (1 John 5:16–17) Yes, Jesus offers victory over every temptation. (Romans 6:14; 1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians 15:57) Jesus offers to transform the desires of our hearts and minds so that we will not become a victim of our own passions.
When temptation comes knocking, we should recognize that the devil is hiding, ready to rush in, kick the door down and take over another soul. On our own, we cannot overcome a single temptation for very long, but we can overcome a whole world of temptations through honesty and faith in Christ.
Prayer is the key to overcoming. Pray ahead of temptation. If we ask the Lord to change our heart from within, He will! When He sees that we really mean what we say, He will repair the damage within us and that temptation will have no appeal! If we abide in Christ, we will become and remain conquerors, and like Peter, walk on the water.
It is highly important that we show the Lord our sincerity. If pornography is a problem, show the Lord you recognize it is a problem by throwing it out of your house, shut off the internet and all sources through which it comes. Buy no more of it! If sexual immorality is a problem, show the Lord you recognize it is a problem by breaking off the relationship.
If it is an ongoing relationship, by all means, do not get married until the relationship is rebuilt on solid ground and the Lord is at the center of it. If substance abuse is the problem, show the Lord your sincere desire to stop the problem by seeking a counselor who understands the twelve step program.
If spending or shopping is a problem, show the Lord you are aware of it and seek a godly counselor who understands problems involving insatiable desires. Most of all, we have to stop looking to this world as a pattern for our lives. We have to focus on God’s Word: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
I hope this helps!
Larry Wilson
Watch a detailed seminar on Youtube about how Lucifer uses demon possession
I am afraid I have committed the unpardonable sin, in part because at times I feel I have that cold, tormented heart and think God is telling me that I did. I also theorize I am demon possessed.. Yet I am grieved by my sin! And the sins of others! I long to do what is right, and I am passionate about God’s law.
Hello:
You may be having the feelings of the prodigal son.
You’re beginning to realize that the pleasures of the world are empty, sin has nothing to offer at the end of the day but emptiness.
Please read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Our Father in Heaven is anxious for His children to come home!
If you have any desire to please God in word and action, if you will live according to the two laws of love, you will come out of the dark pit that wants to swallow you! Keep in mind that if you have this desire, the Holy Spirit is working on your heart and you have not committed the unpardonable sin.
If you haven’t seen them, please watch these three short videos:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCjTA_z__Ocqw-RibYLrNjUD9ORBZXclq
Jesus can bring you peace and joy like nothing else!
Prayers and best wishes
Thank you for responding to this very intriguing question with such an amazingly insightful article that’s supported by the Holy Bible; I’ve been blessed by it and shall pass it on for others to read and share. God is good.
Hi. I’m a Hindu. But I respect Christianity.. And I wanna know if I can be possessed cause I swear my heart is full of hatred. There is no other thing in it. Do I have any hope. Or I’m just killing myself?!
Hello Shantanu:
Bitterness, hatred and anger are avenues which demons often use to gain control over us. They well know that when rage becomes strong enough, reason is powerless.
Even if/when bitterness, hatred and anger are justified because of past abuses, ongoing injustice or even justified indignation, they are still spiritual cancers.
Christians believe that freedom from these destructive feelings is possible through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If you would like to conduct an experiment t experience this freedom, sincerely and humbly ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to you. Ask Jesus to walk with you on the road to freedom. Ask Him with a sincere heart, believing that He will hear your prayer and you will notice a change. Jesus is alive! He answers prayers when we ask appropriately.
This is what makes Christianity exciting for me. Jesus hears and answers our prayers, even if we don’t know how to pray.
Try it. Ask Jesus for freedom from the hatred and anger that rages within you. Ask Jesus for seven consecutive days and let me know about the changes you notice! I don’t know what He will do, but I know that He will do something that you can see. (I will also be praying for you, praying that Jesus will show you how you can resolve the conflict(s) that ruin happiness.)
Best regards
Mr. Wilson,
I don’t know what to do. I’m only getting worse.
A lot of the time, I don’t feel like I am me. I am so full of anger, more than ever. It starts with my brain feeling foggy, and I know it’s coming. I yell at my spouse for anything, everything, nothing. He is wonderful to me and does nothing wrong. I say horrible, awful things. I don’t think them, they just come out of my mouth. It’s almost sinister. I yell and make threats. I have these urges to harm or kill myself in front of him. I can’t control myself, my body, my thoughts, words, or actions. It feels like another energy has taken over me and I’m in the back of my head just watching it happen, but I can’t do anything about it. Then, when I feel I’m back to myself, I’m very confused about what I did or why I did it. It doesn’t even feel like it really happened. The next day, or even a few minutes later, it’s hard to remember what happened exactly. It almost feels like a dream. My behavior is abusive to say the least, but I know it isn’t me.
Please tell me what to do.
Hello Taylor:
I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Please consider doing two things right away:
1. See a medical doctor. You may have a chemical imbalance in your brain that is causing these sudden impulses. The brain is very complicated and you may need medical attention to balance it out. I say this because demons can mimic brain disorders and brain disorders can mimic demonic torment and this leads me to point #2.
2. After you see a medical doctor, find a Christian clergy man or woman, someone you respect and trust. You need to learn about the power that comes through committing yourself to the gospel of Jesus so that you can receive the strength and transformation that only comes through Jesus. You will also need Christian friends to encourage and help you because transformation is not easy or quick, but it will come as you learn to walk with the Lord each day.
I hope this is helpful and Taylor, you can be sure that I am praying for your speedy recovery!
Mr. Wilson,
I was baptized Irish Roman Catholic, Unfortunately I have detached quiet a bit from my religion, i have always been skeptical when it comes to the subject of demons, guardian angels, spirits an what not, (im one of those gotta see it to believe it, if it didn’t happen to me, it ain’t real) type of people, but I’ve been having some creepy things going on in my house and I get the feeling im being watched, with a drastically overwhelming feeling of hopeless depression that seems to get worse everyday. And this all started after I took home a grievance card of my uncle. One particular incident i lit an incent, an my calendar caught on fire an it was nowhere near the flame, leaving a black ring staining the ceiling that looks like an eye. I feel like I’m going crazy, can you help me find answers?
Hello Sabrina:
Demons are living beings just like the holy angels. After all, demons were once holy angels before they were cast out of Heaven for rebellion.
If it were not for God’s hedge of protection, demons would promptly destroy us. They are evil, heartless predators. It sounds to me as if God’s hedge around you has been weakened by bad choices.
Since I am not acquainted with your situation, I cannot say this with 100% certainty, but it sounds as though you need to repent and go in a different direction with your life. If you are doing things that you know are wrong, God’s hedge around you is not secure. If we choose to do evil, demons are permitted to insert their evil thoughts into our minds. Demons may also torment a person with mysterious phenomena that you describe. Of course, they jump for joy if/when they can scare a person and create sleepless anxiety in a person.
There is a huge difference between superstition and faith in God. Superstition consists of doing man-made rituals that supposedly thwart demonic activity. Superstition is a meaningless activity and demons know it. However, faith in God includes obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit, doing what is right and leaving the consequences with God. If you will live this way, pleasing God with your actions and words, He will bless you and His hedge around you will become stronger!
Please consider these verses from the book of James:
James 4:4-10 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded [people]. Grieve, mourn and wail [because your sins have overtaken you]. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom [sober up and realize the devil is winning the battle for your soul]. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” [insertions mine]
I hope this helps!
Best regards
Mr. Wilson,
Thank you for your research and Scriptural insights into this scary topic. I am a pastor’s wife and have a friend, not a member of our church but another, who is possibly dealing with partial demonic possession of her 15 yo son. Your words describing hatred, bitterness and vanity sound like they were written about him, and I have witnessed him making death threats to himself, others and my husband.
What do you recommend if the person isn’t interested in being set free from the sins and/or demonic possession he is bound by. This young person says he wants only to die and burn forever in hell. He was raised in the Truth. Do you recommend an exorcism? This is outside the scope of experience for my husband and myself. We are looking for help.
Thank you!
Hello Mom2many:
Thank you for your email. The situation you describe is terrible and the options are few. Has the young man’s mental health been evaluated? Does he have a mental disorder that needs medicine and/or medical attention? These are the first two questions to be answered.
If he has become demonic tormented or possessed, the remaining choices are few. A godly group of people should come together and pray and fast concerning what should be done for the lad. If the Holy Spirit does not give anyone in the group a distinct direction (such as the power to cast out his demons), the young man should be evaluated by a mental health professional and if necessary, confined and put under surveillance.
More and more we see young men taking up guns and venting their anger on whomever they can kill. I don’t know what his religious, moral or intellectual environment is like, but separating him from it somehow may be prudent. For a number of reasons, teens can experience depression and go through depressive stages. Getting them through these moments of rage and/or self loathing before they commit an awful crime is most important.
Meanwhile, ask his mother to get him mentally evaluated and call together your church family for a day of fasting and special prayer. May the Lord give you wisdom and every grace to deal with this. I would love to hear the young man has a complete turn-around!
I hope this helps!
Larry Wilson
Mr. Wilson,
Thank you so much for this informative and indepth explanation. I was physically attacked today by a woman I do not know and have never see before. It happened on the public transportation bus I was riding. I was bidding a coworker a good weekend when out of nowhere I felt a tap on my forehead.
I was instantly angry and immediately got up to approach her, ready to beat her badly. Standing face to face, I threatened and cursed at her as I grabbed her shoulder and squeezed as hard as I could. I was filled with rage at the audacity she had to touch me.
Something occurred to me in that rage, however, and it felt like a million thoughts were running my mind, i.e., my family, my job, the possibility that I could hurt her more than I wanted, the possibility that I could go to jail, and that she seemed to be possessed by a demon. Her eyes had an emptiness to them.
I told her if she touched me once more I would kill her. Sadly, I meant every one of those words when they came out. However, something else happened right after they were uttered. My anger dissipated and there we were staring each other down. She trying to be defiant hoping I would back down and me feeling a host of emotions while going through all possible outcomes of the situation.
I don’t know what she saw in my eyes, but there was shift in hers before she picked up her bag and walked out the back door.
I understood what I had just encountered and that I passed a grand test, one of which I haven’t faced in over two decades. I truly believe she was demon possessed and was completely controlled by it.
Another lady on the bus who had witnessed the incident confirmed that she was on drugs and usually goes around hitting or tapping people out of the blue.
I prayed for forgiveness for my reaction, words, and squeezing her shoulder because I knew that I should not have reacted that way. Yet, I am human and that was a natural reaction to being attacked unexpectedly. I also prayed for her to be released from the demon that is controlling her.
Your explanation has put things in better perspective for me. I am grateful and happy to have come upon this page.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless you.
-K
Hello lifeveteran111:
Thank you for your comments. And on behalf of the woman (who may be possessed or mentally ill, we don’t know), thank you for pausing and controlling yourself at the very last minute! Because you have prayed for forgiveness, the Lord will continue to give you victories like this in coming days. Walk with the Lord, one day at a time. You have great spiritual ears. You listened to the Holy Spirit in the middle of a rush of intense anger and I am very proud of you. Keep in mind that one of the greatest evidences of a born-again Christian is self-control. With God’s help, your self-control has been rewarded. The event passed without harm. Romans 13:10 “Love does no harm to its neighbor.” Amen!
Best regards
Mr Wilson,
First off your article has helped me very much! I had figured a lot of these things out over the past 3 years.
3 1/2 years ago I started abusing some drugs, partying a lot, and staying up all night. Then probably 3 years ago I started seeing people doing things that they weren’t actually doing, hearing noises like people talking things moving in other rooms, banging noises. So about a year went by and I then started to think something was trying to kill me usually another person, but when I realized that everyone I was coming into contact with this was happening I knew it had to be something more!
So I quit partying and it seemed to go away for a while but now it’s back and I’m completely sober! I try not to sin at all, I won’t even go 1 mile over the speed limit because every time I sin AT ALL it feels like my heart is getting crushed! I can tell when someone is lying or telling the truth like psychic stuff and my strength is that of ten men! I truly feel I am demon possessed and even texting this right now my heart is hurting! God helps me every step of the way but I’m wondering if I’m in too deep and that’s why it won’t go away! It’s almost like they came back with more of them because I’ll see shadows flying into my eyes! I could sit here and explain a ton more but I just try to hide it and act normal because I don’t want people to think I’m crazy god has told me through the Holy Spirit to get an exorcism but my question is why can’t he just take them out of me! If you could explain this to me that would be great
Thank you!
Hello Mento315:
As you well know, when we willfully and willingly dive into the devil’s Abyss, getting free of the consequences of sin is very difficult.
Given your brief report, I think (and I could be wrong) that your situation is a combination of three things.
First, you may be having lingering problems that stem from drug use or abuse. When the brain’s chemistry is altered by drugs, sometimes the effects can last for years after the drug use has ended. You indicated trouble with some paranoia (everyone trying to kill you) and fortunately, you figured out that it was in your mind and not a reality. Of course, when you can’t trust your own mind, other problems occur and this leads to issues.
Second, you feel oppressed by demons and I can’t say 100% whether or not this is the case. Demons may be tormenting you because they want you to return to an Abyss of sex and drugs to avoid your current suffering. They are very good with this temptation, but don’t forget, you are where you are largely because you once gave in to them. On the other hand, many of your feelings may stem from chemical imbalances in your brain which came about from drug use and staying drug free is essential. Of course, either way, the suffering right now is very real and you want to be free of it. Freedom from the past is never an instant gratification.
Third, you’re not crazy at all. Your mind seems to work well and I think in due time, you will feel much better if you stay on track. If you will seek to know God and His ways, if you will the fellowship of genuine Christians, if you will honor the Lord and live up to all that you know to be right and true, He will bless you in more ways than you can count! If you will trust God and ask HIm for help each day, you will steadily improve.
Basically, you are reaping the consequences of seeds sown years ago and if you just hang on, asking God to give you victory over negative thoughts, if you will focus on helping others and bringing joy to others, the Lord will see your determination to do right and He will bless you for it!
Finally, if I understand your question properly, you want to know why God can’t just remove demons Himself, why does He need an exorcist? Actually, God does remove the demons Himself most of the time!
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. . .
However, when a person becomes demon possessed and the demons will not allow that person to exercise self-control, free-will or the power of choice, God uses an exorcist (someone to whom God has given power to cast out demons) to set that person free. (Most of the exorcists I read about are fakes.) You have a good mind, you have some self-control, some free-will and the power of choice. If you will use these gifts from God to do well, praying every day (many times if necessary) to live a life that is pleasing to God and be free of sin’s curse, the devil will eventually back out of your life — not entirely, but he won’ t be able to torment you nearly as much.
You sowed some bad seed. You are dealing with the harvest. Good news! We have a Savior who loves sinners and He will strengthen you and give you grace to deal with this awful harvest and once you have overcome your current situation through a daily connection to God’s power, you will have a testimony that will encourage a thousand people!
God loves to make lemonade out of lemons. So be patient, stay humble, spiritually sober, walk with God each day, study His Word and pray that you will have the courage to allow God’s will for your life come about. If you do these things, you will grow into a much better situation, even better than you once were before you jumped into the Abyss with the devil.
I hope this helps!
Hello Mr. Wilson,
Reading this article has raised a question about my mom. I’m a Christian and my father has recently started a relationship with God. Shortly after my dad began learning about God we found out my mom was having an affair. After much confusion and hurt we have seen that my mom is very hurt and seems like a prisoner within herself. She is currently leaving with the other person but comes to our home everyday and we can tell she’s tired and not happy. As a family we have offered her help and my dad is willing to make their marriage work since he’s able to see his faults. Part of my mom wants to be back home but the other part her wants to stay away as she feel anger and also feels like she’s too far gone to be able to change. She has recently shared with my dad that one night she was speaking out loud and asked to not feel pain. For her to be able to fight her pain with anger. She said that, that night she felt her body very hot and that something had entered her body, she says she felt very afraid but after that night it became easy for her not to care about anything and had gone against her own morals and gave into the affair. She says she’s willing to come back home and make it work with my dad if that’s what God puts in her heart but I’m honestly worried for her. She seems to have a double personality. One moment she’ll speak from her heart and say what she feels and the next moment she’s defensive and talks in an almighty way saying that she will be ok and that can handle everything. This leaves us very confused and concerned for her. I guess my question is does this sound like she could be possessed and if so what can we do to help? Fasting, more prayer? Or reach out to a pastor? Thank you!
Hello gladys_silva:
My assessment from your report is that your mom may be very angry with your dad because he has begun to have a relationship with the Lord. When Jesus becomes a third member in a marriage that has not known God, spouses can feel threatened and get very angry. Demons prey on this. I can’t say for sure, but her infidelity may be in retaliation, an effort to hurt your dad. If so, he can be patient to see what will be the outcome or he can physically separate himself from her and get a divorce later on.
Because she has violated her vow to remain faithful to your dad, she is in a state of emotional upheaval. The devil knows she is on his ground. She may justify her actions, but there is no justification for what she has done and demons are permitted to torment a person when he lives in willful sin.
If it were my mom, I would tell her that her choices and actions have required you to make some painful decisions. First, for as long as she lives with another man, while married to your dad, she is not welcome in your home. You do not want the demonic influence brought into your house that comes from sexual immorality. See 1 Corinthians 5 and 6.
Second, if she wants help, you will help her in every possible way, but to show she really wants help, she has to stop the affair, move back to her home and live with your dad. There is nothing to be gained if she doesn’t want to do right.
Last, I remind my mom that no marriage is perfect and no human being is perfect, there are boundaries for conduct. She has broken her marriage vow and for the moment, your dad is willing to try to work things out. If being married to dad has been painful all along, then let’s address the historic problems. At this point, the marriage hangs by a thread, his willingness to make things work. Will their relationship succeed? Only if both are willing to start over, otherwise it can’t. I would tell my mom that if she is willing to stop sinning and turn to the Lord, she can be happy. The Lord can fill her life with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) and she your dad can be happily married. The Lord can heal broken hearts. He can restore a right spirit in their marriage. The Lord can create a clean heart and give them joy, but only if we confess our sins and stop doing them. She must choose to walk away from evil before the Lord can do for her the good things He has in store for her!
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
If she shows interest in doing right, see if you can find a godly friend or counselor who will help her as your dad is being helped!
Prayers and best wishes!
There has been significant discussion on this topic over the past year, but to avoid repetition, it is time to close this thread. Thank you for your interest and we encourage you to keep studying