DEMONIZATION/DELIVERANCE I. The Control - Matthew 15:22 "demon possessed," lit. "demonized" And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." Matthew 15 :22 The demons are commanded to come out of the person. (Mark 1:23-27, 9:25; Acts 8:7, 16:18). And when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, " You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." Mark 9:25 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. Acts 8:7 And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! " And it came out at that very moment. Acts 16:18 A demonized person is like a house to a demon. (Matthew 12:43-45) Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation. Matthew 12:43-45 II. Characteristics A. Severe Sickness -Dumbness (Matthew 9:32-33, 12:22; Mark 9:17-29) And as they were going out, behold, a dumb man, demon-possessed, was brought to Him. And after the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitudes marveled, saying, "Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.” Matthew 9:32-33 -Blindness (Matthew 12:22) -Deformity (Luke 13:11-17) -Epilepsy (Matthew 17:15-18) -Mental -Insanity (Luke 8:27-29, 35) -Suicidal Mania (Mark 9:22) 18 The Bible does not attribute all physical illness to demons, but distinguishes natural ailments from demonic ailments (Matthew 4:24; Mark 12:32, 34; Luke 7:21, 9:1) And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:24 B. Supernatural Knowledge (Mark 1:23-25) And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God! " And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" Mark 1 :23 -25 C. Split Personality (Mark 5:6-8,15) And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" Mark 5:6-8 D. Other Voices from Within (Mark 5:9) And He was asking him, "What is your name? " And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Mark 5:9 E. Unusual Physical Strength (Mark 5:3-4; Acts 19:13-16) And he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Mark 5:3-4 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." And seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:13-16 F. Fits of Rage (Mark 5:4), Convulsions and Foaming at the Mouth (Luke 9:39, 42) ...because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Mark 5 :4 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth, and as it mauls him, it scarcely leaves him. And while he was still approaching, the demon dashed him to the ground, and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Luke 9:39, 42 19 G. Occult Powers (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) and Divination (Acts 16: 16) And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave- girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. Acts 16:16 H. Others -reaction to the name of Jesus -resistance to Bible reading (especially passages about the atonement) -inability to renounce the works of the devil -inability to listen to praise music III. The Causes of Demonization A. Yielding to Sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:16) Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." John 8:34 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:16 B. Participating in the Occult (Deuteronomy 18:10-11; Acts 16:16) “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” Deuteronomy 18:10-11 C. Spiritual Rebellion (1 Samuel 15:23) “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:23 IV. The Cure for Demonization A. Victory Is through the Cross of Christ (Colossians 2: 14-15; Hebrews 2: 14) Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Colossians 2:14-15 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:14 B. Victory Is through the Blood of Christ (Revelation 12:11) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. Revelation 12:11 20 C. Victory is in the Name of Christ (Matthew 10:1; Acts 16:18; Jude 8 & 9) And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Matthew 10:1 And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment. Acts 16:18 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you.” Jude 8 & 9 D. Victory Is By the Power of the Holy Spirit (I John 4:4) 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. I John 4:4 E. Victory Is through Prayer and Fasting (Mark 9:29; Matthew 17:18-21, 18:19-20) And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:29 And Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out? " And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there, ' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.