Showing posts with label Jude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jude. Show all posts

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Who are Fallen Angels? Why Does This Matter?

A Biblical Case for Demons and Fallen Angels being the Same Thing…and Why it Matters

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

I bow before our Lord and offer this blog in a spirit of tenderness and humility…and gratitude to the Lord Jesus who triumphed over all evil.

Let us begin this study with a clear affirmation of the victory of the Lord Jesus over all evil!! Amen!
Colossians 2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Many godly, sincere, and knowledgeable people are stating that there is a distinction in the bible between demons, unclean spirits, and fallen angels. Indeed, not a few respected folks state that fallen angels are particularly in doubt regarding their identity. However, I humbly offer this analysis in an attempt to show that all three are the same….focusing on the identity of Fallen Angels.

A year ago I posted an extensive blog which shows that unclean spirits and demons are the same thing in the bible.

Here is the link:
http://archive.aweber.com/paraworld/BFyYL          

Please see comments on Revelation below as well). Not a few people were saying demons and unclean spirits were different beings, and I felt the need to address the issue. Please keep in mind that my main goal in this blog is to analyze fallen angels…but, specifically, I want to show that they are the same as unclean spirits and demons. My intent is NOT to focus on the question of when fallen angels fell, but their identity. I personally think that the classical view is correct—Satan and 1/3 of the angels “fell’ sometime before the creation of man, and Genesis 6 is a further rebellion of some of the already fallen angels/demons.

In my theological tradition/denomination (Reformed/Presbyterian) the identity of fallen angels is not in dispute. The classical view is pretty much universally held amongst Reformed theologians. For example, I was reading Jonathan Edwards recently and my views line up with his. But the ultimate guide must be the bible, and not a theological tradition, the book of Enoch, or any other non-canonical book. In addition, we must avoid the temptation to believe the views of someone regarding fallen angels simply because we deeply admire their piety, ministry, etc. Sola scriptura!

Colossians 2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him”. Let us keep this truth center stage!

There are numerous words used in NT just to describe Satan: devil, evil one, Lucifer, Angel of Light, Accuser, etc. In His all-wise sovereignty, God chose to use different words to identify Satan. Surely one reason was to reveal to us the multi-faceted nature of his being and work, so that we might be all the more informed and prepared—and the more we understand the evilness and power of our enemy, then the cosmic victory Jesus won on the cross will shine with all the more luster!

And of course, think of the dozens of names and titles of our Lord Jesus in both the OT and NT, which accent different aspects of the multi-splendored nature of His Person and Work!

So, we have a precedent/s in which the same person (Satan) or Person (Jesus) is called many different names, in God’s all-wise revelation to us. Hence, should we not expect that the devil’s subordinates would have multiple names as well, yet be the same entity? I believe that what holds true of Satan, is also true of his subordinates--evil spirits, demons, unclean spirits, elemental spirits (Col. 2:9, 20), rulers, authorities, cosmic powers (Eph 6), the devil’s angels (Matthew 25, Revelation 12) are different names for the same entity. That is my premise. Each of these is designed to accent a certain aspect of their nature and activity. But once again, the darkness of evil is the backdrop against which the brilliance and refulgence of God’s glory in Christ shines more brightly!

It simplifies the biblical data without endlessly multiplying the entities populating the spirit realm…and we’ve seen the precedents for this practice of multiple names for the same Person or person.
What’s the big deal? Why waste time on this issue? And aren’t you fixating on evil instead of Jesus?

If the spirit realm is populated by more than one kind of evil spirit, then are we to deal with these different spirits in different ways?  Is one stronger than another? I have heard numerous times that fallen angels are the strongest, then demons, and unclean spirits the weakest…or some variation of this. There is no doubt that some demons are stronger than others—as Jesus said that “this kind can only come out by prayer”, as well as the NT words that indicate hierarchy in demonic realm. However, this hierarchy does not imply that these are different “kinds” of entities….just variation in rank and strength. Think of the military—a general and private have different authority, but they are both soldiers.

Once you add even one more spirit, then the slippery slope comes into view. What is to keep us from multiplying these evil spirits phenomenologically--by how they appear and act…which can be endless? But most importantly, we MUST exegete the bible accurately, in honor of God. God’s precious, holy Word is worthy of careful exegesis and analysis of all topics if we are to accurately expound the whole counsel of God, which would include the identity of spirits in the spirit realm. 24/7 we are in warfare with these beings, so it is an immensely practical issue.

Some may say that I am giving the devil too much emphasis, but surely there is a difference between having a clear understanding of our adversaries, and fixating on them. In fact, it is LACK of clarity that can lead to confusion, and thus, fixation. Don’t we naturally obsessively ponder things that are confusing to us? Once it is cleared up (hopefully accurately), then we can enjoy cognitive rest. As always, we must then make a bee-line for the cross.

One last word of introduction: I’m not writing this to score debate points, but with a spirit of brokenness and humility, to God’s glory and to edify the saints.

So, who are fallen angels, and are they demons, as the classical view states? Given that some ‘big names’ have stated publicly that the identity of fallen angels is unclear, we must reaffirm that we are bound by the bible, and not by people that we may deeply respect.

1. My first argument (as defined in formal logic) is admittedly not explicitly biblical. Ockham’s razor states that: the simplest answer that explains the phenomena is to be preferred. Affirming that that unclean spirits, demons, and fallen angels (as well as elementals, etc) are the same entity is clearly the simplest explanation, and can easily and adequately explain all the biblical and experiential phenomena. No, it is not a biblical argument (logical argument, not red-faced screaming), but my reasoning is cumulative. God is the Lord of language, and He knows that using different names can accent different aspects of the same entity. If demons and unclean spirits can be (are) the same thing, then why not fallen angels?

2. 1 Timothy 5:21 speaks of “elect angels”, which is an obvious reference to good angels. In the bible there are elect and non-elect humans (Romans 9), so we may properly infer that if there are elect angels, then there must be non-elect or (bad or fallen) angels. It is the same Greek word for ‘elect’. Regardless of your view of election/predestination, there is symmetry of elect and non-elect. If you don’t like inference argumentation, then hang on.
3. Matthew 25…
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.    (to diabolo kai tois angelos autou)
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
44 Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'
45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (emphasis added)
Matthew 25….The context is the Second Coming of Christ and the Final Judgment. Note in v. 31 good angels are mentioned, and in v. 41 ‘the devil and his angels” (elect and non-elect) Nobody claims that “fallen angels” is a phrase actually used in the bible, but the key is whether there are bad angels, who had to fall at some time because God didn’t make them bad. Regardless, this text shows ‘fallen angels’ at the public Last Judgment…which means they must have had a very significant role in the overall rebellion against God from the dawn of time. Neither demons nor unclean spirits are mentioned in this text, yet we read elsewhere in Matthew (and throughout bible) of their constant activity of rebelling against God and attacking humans. Clearly, these devil’s angels or ‘fallen angels’ had been the chief agents of spiritual destruction on earth under Satan’s leadership, or they wouldn’t have been singled out so severely by Jesus. Hence, we see a developing pattern of synonymous usage of demons, unclean spirits, and ‘fallen/bad’ angels.

When you read the gospel of Matthew, both demons and unclean spirits are mentioned numerous times, as the agents of diabolical destruction. But in this awful scene of the Last Judgment, Matthew refers to these same entities as the devils angels. I say this gently and humbly, but this one text should be conclusive.

The devil and his angels—that comes as close to what is meant by fallen angels as one can get. Theologians often use terms not mentioned in the bible (like The Trinity) to summarize biblical teaching. Surely, the devil’s angels (as opposed to God’s holy angels) are innumerable, utterly evil, and Satan’s only army since the dawn of history.

At the Last Judgment, the goats (damned humans), Satan, and his angels are consigned to eternity in hell. Demons are not mentioned. Unclean spirits are not mentioned. But ‘Satan’s angels’ are mentioned. Obviously these ‘fallen angels” have been the army of Satan fighting against God/man since the beginning….what we are warned against in Ephesians 6.

Matthew 25 is a summary of all of human and cosmic history, where the Son of Man damns both unbelieving humans, and their spiritual counterparts who have been His adversaries (and ours) since the dawn of time.  In light of this one text, how can we say that the identity of fallen angels is in doubt? If you prefer the term ‘devil’s angels,’ that is fine, but that is what theologians mean when they speak of fallen angels.

And most importantly for our purpose, “the devil’s angels” are clearly synonymous with demons and unclean spirits. If they aren’t the same, then why does Matthew show demons and unclean spirits as constantly attacking and possessing humans, but turns around and has God pronounce eternal judgment on the devils angels at the Last Judgment?  It makes no sense UNLESS, they are one and the same. There is linguistic and theological symmetry of angels, good and bad, in Matthews’s presentation of The Last Judgment. Other than in Revelation, the phrase ‘the devil/Satan and his angels’ is not used, but these are sufficient. The pronouncement of damnation against the fallen angels has to signify that they have been the same culprits mentioned throughout the NT, but called by different names.

To say that these are the angels mentioned in Genesis 6 is eisogesis because the context precludes that interpretation. Besides, the angels in Genesis 6 are said to be already in hell.

4. Jude….2 Peter
6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day--
7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.
9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."
10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.
11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion.
14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,
15 to execute judgment

My point about this text is that it is consistently and symmetrically angelic….both good and bad angels. Leaving aside the nature of their sin in v. 6, evil angels (whether they were evil before this event is not clear), clearly the angels are fallen angels now, and some are probably in hell (depending on how one interprets the sin in v.6)—but most are active on earth and being blasphemed by the false teachers. In v. 10 Jude is especially (like Peter in parallel text) concerned with the false teacher’s lack of respect for angelic beings, especially bad angels. Curiously enough, in v. 10 the remaining fallen angels are referred to as “glorious ones”…(Greek, doxas), probably to offset the false teachers flippant attitude toward demonic spirits/fallen angels. This is supported by the next verse in which the arch-angel Michael refused to speak flippantly against his arch-foe Satan (once a mighty, holy angel himself) regarding the body of Moses. And then in v.14 the Lord will come with countless ‘holy ones’—an obvious reference to holy angels. My point is that, if you don’t get bogged down in interpretive details of the sin in v. 6, then the consistency and symmetry of references to both good and fallen angels is clear—even Michael is an angel, though an archangel. The angels who fell into sin (v.6)…Satan a fallen mighty angel…Michael an (arch)angel….and the countless holy angels coming with the Lord. So, the context is ANGELS, and would suggest that the ‘glorious ones’ are fallen angels….and that fallen angels are the same as demons. It makes much more sense than bouncing back and forth between different kinds of evil spirits. This is a tight argument by Jude, in which angels (both good and bad) play a key role in the everyday affairs of mankind, especially amongst the false teachers.

 Arguments from Revelation—

There are many different interpretations of this book (only one is right), so I’m not going to go in as much detail as some may like. But there is a general consensus that the movement of the book is from the things that were then present to the future…climaxing with the destruction of God’s enemies and the coming of the new heaven and earth. But within this general temporal movement forward, the visions sometimes ‘double back’ to the present, complementary perspectives on the same event or phase of the conflict between Christ and Satan.

In this flow, back and forth, the Greek word for demon is used:9:20; 16:13-14 (where demons and unclean spirits are used interchangeably);18:2.

In 12:7,9 bad or fallen angels are mentioned…Satan and his angels.
My point is simple: in the midst of the wild imagery of apocalyptic prophecy, there is a natural flow and interchangeability between demons, unclean spirits, and the devil’s angels/fallen angels.

Satan Thrown Down to Earth
12:7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels (hoi angelo autou)fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels (hoi angelo autou)fought back,
8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
This chapter, as with most, is hotly debated as far as when these events occur. May be multi-layered.Some see this as referring to the cross, some to original ousting from heaven, and still others to increased demonic activity prior to the very end. Perhaps there is overlap. Regardless, the cross is center stage at whatever point in redemptive history. In our study of fallen angels, let us not lose sight of that vital fact!

Note in v. 7 that Michael and his angels are fighting against the dragon (Satan) and his angels. There is a linguistic symmetry (hoi angelo autou) as well as symmetry of oppositional parties. Satan’s counterpart is not God, but Michael—the archangel and prince guardian of the church--, and they lead their respective angels against each other in the cosmic battle of the ages—long term and at the end. Good angels vs bad/fallen angels have been in a battle royal for eons. .
Not once, but twice, Satan/serpent/devil/dragon and his angels (hoi angelo autou) are explicitly mentioned as being the infernal army thrown to earth to fight against the Messiah and His people. The timing of this ‘casting down’ is disputed, but certainly the context reveals that Satan and the fallen angels are simply following the same MO that they employed from the Garden—where lies and false teaching continue, as well as persecution and temptation. What are elsewhere in Revelation called demons, are here called “Satan’s angels”—just as in Matthew 25. And the fallen angels are THE spiritual agents of destruction (under Satan) throughout history, aimed at God’s Kingdom…again, as in Matthew 25. My purpose is not to exegete the text in Revelation and the details, but to show that the devil’s angels/evil/fallen angels are center stage in Revelation 12…in what is a classic, significant text in Revelation, no matter how one interprets it.
What is clear to me is that the context reveals that this event is not an isolated one, but signifies the battle in general and that we have the victory in Jesus. Satan has been defanged as far as his ability to accuse us. However, the devil has been thrown down in great wrath, because he knows his time is short. (V. 12) In addition, in v. 4 many interpreters see this as the original fall of Satan and 1/3 of the angels with him.

9:20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons (daimonia) and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,
21 nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Again, I’ll not get bogged down in disputed details, but what is clear is that though unbelievers will be tortured by the very demons they worshipped, they don’t take heed from these final warnings. Large numbers of people are subjected to God’s wrath and demonic attack. Whereas in Ch. 12 the oppositional army consists of “Satan and his angels”, in ch.9 the same opposition are called “demons.”.Surely this is instructive.

16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits  (pneumata tria akatharta) like frogs.
14 For they are demonic spirits,(pneumata daimoniown) performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

In ch.16 the end has come…the final, decisive battle. Divine restraints are removed and Satan and his unclean spirits/demons assemble the world for the battle; climaxing millennia of opposition to God and His people. God will utterly squash this rebellion, based on the finished work of Christ on the cross. Please note that the army which was earlier called “Satan and his angels” is now called “the dragon/Satan and his unclean spirits/demons.” In the span of two verses, John naturally switches from unclean spirits to demons.
Is it not clear by now that demons, unclean spirits, and fallen angels are the same evil beings?

18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.
2 And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast

Notice again, how in v.2 demons and unclean spirits are used interchangeably. Destruction has come on God’s enemies. Not focusing on interpretive details, we see that the oppositional army consists of demons or unclean spirits, which were earlier called “Satan and his angels.”

Does not the verbiage in Matthew 25 now make more sense? Putting aside all the apocalyptic imagery in the book of Revelation, we have a clear portrait of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25, which dispels any fog surrounding the sadistic spiritual culprits.

I trust by now that the cumulative effect of these “arguments” has had its desired effect. demons, unclean spirits, and fallen angels are different names for the same entity. I am not interested in winning an argument, but I want to honor God by trying to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

The more clearly we understand our enemy, the more lovely Jesus’’ triumph over this evil becomes. Yes, it is important to know our enemy, but it’s infinitely more important that we relish in the cosmic victory our blessed Savior accomplished.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Why Do Demons Inhabit Isolated Places?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Why do demons inhabit unpopulated places? Is that not inconsistent with their unholy passion to destroy human beings? Indeed, this very question was raised recently as an argument against the biblical teaching that all alleged ghosts are demonic deceptions--they saw this widespread phenomenon as proof that these "desolation dwellers" must be trapped human spirits!  However, it is also a question that many of us who embrace a biblical view of ghosts, have puzzled about as well. I will do my best to answer this legitimate question, though I do think that there is an element of mystery here....more so than usual. And I desire feedback and questions, because we all can learn from each other.

A clarification point up front is in order: I have never said--and infinitely more importantly, the bible never says--that attacking humans directly is the ONLY activity Satan/demons are interested in. Warfare is more complicated than that.....more in a moment on that thought.

Graveyards, deserts (think of mid-eastern Djinn), abandoned dwellings of all shapes and sizes, mines (as in the TV show Haunted  Mines), battlefields, and so on are examples of what I am referring to. Deserted places are legion. In the bible, the desert/wilderness is the location most associated with the unclean spirits/demons. Why?

Let us begin with what we can be certain of....occupation of abandoned buildings or land by unclean spirits must have some strategic military value. Evidently, no demon is just hanging out where it wants to, but is placed there for a specific reason by a diabolical superior. Some things just simply have to be, if we are to make any sense of the reality of spiritual warfare. So, to answer this question/objection, I think it would be helpful to place it in the context of kingdom expansion--just as their is a kingdom of God/heaven (used as synonyms throughout the New Testament), there is the kingdom of darkness. That is, how does the inhabiting of desolate places advance Satan's kingdom expansion agenda?

BTW, if this seems to be circular reasoning to you---assuming ghosts are demons and finding a way to explain this desolation phenomena within that assumption--then I  make no apologies. I am not going to suspend my biblical convictions every time I deal with an alleged objection or question...nor do I think most of you would want me to. As a general rule, that (momentary suspension of belief) is being unfaithful to the authoritative Word. After writing a book and 137 blogs, all of which show the unbiblical and harmful nature of the notion of ghosts, I have seen that some folks simply WANT to believe in ghosts...nothing will persuade them otherwise.But others have been persuaded by the winsome and persistent witness of folks who are valiant for truth.

Let me say this--personally speaking, positing human soul/s as occupying these desolated places is more problematic than the biblical alternative. Why? Gregariousness is a salient aspect of humaness, which must continue after death. Adam needed Eve even though he was perfect. We have heard of how solitary confinement in prison has caused many to go insane. We need human interaction. Demons are intelligent, emotive, and volitional beings...but they seem to be too evil to care about companionship. Thus, they would make suitable desolation dwellers.

Do you think demons enjoy being around us? If they hate us, then of course not! The only "pleasure" would come from hurting those they hate. Otherwise, I can see demons  being quite content dwelling AWAY from us. Only once in my life have I seriously struggled with hate towards a particular man... (he was partially responsible for destroying my marriage/family). Suffice it to say (even after much prayer), I could NOT be around this guy....not if I wanted to stay out of prison (obviously, I am leaving out personal details).

Perhaps some demons have shown that they are better suited for "alone patrol" simply because of how they have dealt with their hatred in the past? (remember some demons were so evil they were sent early to hell..Jude, 2 Peter) In The Demonologist,  Ed Warren states that "ghosts are self-absorbed loners..."  I respect this man,and I think that he has unwittingly given us--based on enormous amount of experience--a definition of demons that fits within the biblical parameters.

In a similar way, unless given specific attack orders on us, my guess is that demons would gravitate away from us...we remind them of everything they have lost. So, demons dwelling in desolate places makes a bit more sense to me with that notion in mind....although I admit this is conjecture.

In 1972, my older brother Mickey graduated from High School and joined the Navy, with the intent of becoming a Navy SEAL. However, after a briefing which included the fact that there was a 90% mortality rate at that time, he decided against it. I need to interject that another older brother had died a few months before in a tragic fraternity accident. Mickey did not want our mom and dad to be crushed again....good for Mick..

SEAL...sea, air, and land...expert warriors in all three environments (well, HALO-HAHO jumps!) Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force, and Army/Marine ground operations--three foci of human warfare.It would seem to me that, just as a general principle, Satan would be interested in this triad as well in spiritual warfare. I mention this just as a principle for further thought.

To  say that attacking God's image bearers is priority number one.on the Satanic agenda, does not imply that other warfare goals are not important. Take the  arch-demon who was Air Force, and the role it played in overseeing the operations in Persia...and another as Prince of Greece. Evidently, there was no direct contact with humans but its power and influence were such that Michael was dispatched to fight against it. (see Daniel 10) Evidently, this arch-demon was responsible for the territory of Persia. This introduces the element of territorialsim. More importantly, it is a rare glimpse "behind the veil" of demonic war strategy, and of personal fighting between high leadership on both sides.

Every where in scripture the earth is entirely the Lord's and under His absolute sovereign control. (Gen.1:1;  Ps. 24:1; Isaiah 40-49 and so on). However, Satan, like an intelligent general, knows the value of geographic land occupation. Plus, they are ALL (Satan/demons) prideful and fancy themselves as GODS....Whatever land they can lay claim to simply plays into this moronic egomaniac tendencies they have. Any land or buildings they do lay claim to may be do to some "legal rights",but in the final analysis, it is really God's creation. He has temporarily given Satan some derivative authority over what he lays claim to--"the world" (which we discussed in recent issue)

Demonic  attachment to some desolate building or land is not problematic, given the larger warfare agenda of Satan. Having occupation forces in countries has its own advantages, as we have seen in countless human arenas of war. Why not in spiritual warfare as well? Just because it is spiritual warfare does not negate the fact that the enemy enters from their dimension and takes "ownership" of what he can in our dimension.

This seems to be a sound biblical principle, buttressed by countless experiences--namely, that wherever humans were horribly mistreated or killed, then that opened a foothold for demonic infestation.

All of these abandoned hospitals, prisons, hotels etc. we see on TV, almost always had some tragedies connected with them. For example, the Haunted Mine on TV...I kept waiting for someone to discover a human horror. Sure enough, this mine which apparently has a demonic presence (if you give  any credence to the story...and not total cynic, which I think is wrong) is some how connected with the brutal slaying of dozens of Chinese miners 100 years or more ago. That demons would sit "on their thrones" deep within this abandoned mine for many years without human contact/attack is not problematic.. As spirits, they need no food, water, or communication.

Places that are haunted, like the Crescent Mine, also become wonderful PR advertisements for the notion of ghosts. Satan knows that humans are suspicion prone, and he can kill several birds with the same stone...take control over larger areas of God's earth, let his army "reign" there, and over time it will gain reputation for being haunted--advancing Satan's most effective deception (spiritism). Is that not what has occurred in this mine, as the investigators ASSUME it is deceased Chinese and not demons? (and other places highlighted on TV/books)?

We do not know how many demons there are, but there a whole lot!  So, Satan can afford to place demonic soldiers wherever it will serve his agenda. As in any war, there will be many fronts and battles. Wherever we give them legal rights to attach and dwell, they usually will. Regardless of human contact, they "OWN" this mine, and their pride is swollen to bursting. Same as an abandoned farm house a friend was telling me about recently. Apparently no human traffic for a long time, but when he stepped in the old house, this demon let him know he was not wanted there. Similar scenarios have played out millions of times all over. Unless specifically directed to attack us, many demons BECAUSE OF THEIR HATRED OF US, don't want anything to do with us. You can relate to that, can't you?! I can...

Lastly, only God knows how much land has been spiritually polluted in our country due to hatred or curses, or both. And if you build a new home on cursed land, chances are your house will soon become infested. The Old Testament speaks often of the land being spiritually defiled or polluted, and vomiting its' occupants out. On the other hand, we could say much more regarding land based curses, but it boils down to their being real and giving Satan a territorial foothold which can extend for many, many miles.

I bring us back to this organizing principle--whatever will advance the infernal agenda of the spread of the kingdom of darkness, is where we will see demonic presence and activity. Much of that is hidden from our view on purpose,and so we should EXPECT an element of mystery from our hated enemy.

Conclusion...Satan is prideful of all his assets, and as the ultimate miserly miser, not willing to give an inch without a fight.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Demonic Oppression Is Still A Major Problem

Hello my friends. I hope everybody had a wonderful and safe Halloween and didn't eat too much candy. Lol. That's the best part! Candy!

What Is Demonic Oppression?

Demonic oppression is the work of evil spiritual forces that try very hard to encourage us to sin. It mimics depression down to a T! Discernment, which is a gift of the spirit, is needed to determine which one is actually present. There's a lot of mental illnesses that are not caused by the devil and his demons. We have to be very careful and not blame everything on demons. They have the ability to make us feel spiritually dead, and to be in bondage to sinful activities and thoughts.  This oppressive work is performed by demons, which are fallen angels who resist God, and who sinned in their first estate. This information can be found in the book of Jude chapter 6).  They wage war against God, against God's people, and against unbelievers as well.  Their goal is to bring as many people as possible into rebellion against God and condemnation in hell. They want to drag as many souls to hell as possible.

A demon is believed to be a force that can be conjured and controlled. They are also believed to have the ability to possess or inhabit the body of humans and the only way to rid the person of them is to conduct deliverance and/or Exorcism. Demons are portrayed differently in different cultures. Some believe demons to be actual physical beings that can take the form of anything, including animals. Others consider the real demons as more of a spiritual force of evil battling for one's soul. They  have been feared and written about in almost every culture in one form or another

A Few Examples Of The Type Of Attacks

  • Emotions. Exaggerated emotional states: fear, anxiety, anger, panic, shame, rejection, grief that is over-extended or out of proportion, hopelessness, helplessness.                     
  • The Mind. Tormenting thoughts of suicide, self-mutilation thoughts, confusion, forgetfulness, blocked memory, self hate, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of being unloved and thoughts that God won't ever forgive you and He doesn't love you. 


How Do People End Up A Target Of Demonic Oppression

Sometimes people involved in occult activity will curse you or your family. It is not that you can actually be cursed as a Christian. Rather, those who are against Christ and his people can focus demonic activity on you. Anger, bitterness and strife. These things feed off that. When we are vulnerable already or depressed better or what have you that's when they zoom in like flies on honey. When we're in that state of mind it's only by the blood of Jesus that we can defeat these vile entities.

I noticed Occult traditions have some ideas about the topic. Tradition suggests a maleficent spirit (or thought) can try an invasion.  Normally we put it out of our mind, and it is gone.  However, if we are passive in the face of a negative influence, eventually our connection with our own Higher Self may be severed.  Our higher self is that part of our being that coexists with the realm of eternal Spirit.  We are normally unaware of our higher self, but it steadily guides us invisibly.  Call it our intuition. A negative entity (or thought) might try to replace our higher self (or intuition) with itself, like a parasite. If we allow it, the entity/thought will become our new, lower self.  Then we’d be stuck, unable to access our higher self’s assistance. Once our own spiritual abilities are extinguished we require help from others.

Second Corinthians chapter 11 verse 14 states: For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." Demons themselves can trick us and come to us as Angels of light as well. Like I mentioned already, Familiar Spirits are spirits that give an appearance of a person that is familiar to us. Here is a good example: Demons know the history of the property and the person, so they can take on their appearance of any person so you feel more at ease with communicating with them. Satan may have great power, but even the Archangel Michael depends on only GOD'S power when dealing with satan. That speaks volumes doesn't it?

There are many demons assigned to torment us by satan just as Jesus assigns angels to look after us . We have demons of fear running amok trying to destroy any and all humans before the appointed time. Yes they know very well the second coming of Jesus Christ will in fact take place. They already know they are defeated but they will still try to drag as many souls to hell with them or make our life hell in hopes we may take our own life or just live so miserable and depressed we end up making ourselves sick. It is their job to torment us day in and day out. They messed with our heads in major ways. They HATE humans. They hate our guts and want nothing but death for us. But remember, Christ is in control. The battle has already been won. Jesus got his victory and his grave was literally denied because he appeared before a certain amount of people so they could see him and touch him and told them to go spread the word and they said Jesus what shall we do the devil roams about like a lion and he says......and I quote "I leave you with the power of the Holy Spirit so you may cast out demons in my name."

Where oppression is can always be found an original door or access point as some say. The oppressed individual is not necessarily the one responsibility for opening it. Still, something allowed the devil the legal right of entry. What might some of those open doors be? One of the biggest widest doors with a huge welcome sign on it is occult activity. Introduction of occult practices into families can cause oppression for many generations.

Other common entryways are sexual sin, multiple sexual partners, drugs, music with heavy demonic themes or by musicians dedicated to Satan, perversion, generational sins which are manifest by conditions that “run in families” such as addictions, incest, brutality etc.

Demonic Obsession may be quite common.  We don’t need to be devil worshippers, wearing robes and sacrificing animals. People metaphorically sell their souls to the devil everyday. This is a process where people gradually abandon their humanity for some goal they think is more important. For example, some are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, even if that includes harming others. A good example is a gang member involved in a drive-by shooting, or a big businessman who feels no guilt about downsizing, firing employees and harming families.  After awhile it gets easier and easier until neither cares anymore. Hey, it's just business I'm not personally making up the rules. Every day people sell their souls, if they realize it or not.

Lying is Satan's main weapon against God’s children. He uses the tactic of deceit to separate people from their heavenly Father. The most common lie is "there is no God,” “God doesn’t care about you,” “the Bible cannot be trusted,” But we must remember the apostle Paul tells us that Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” so that what he says and does sounds good and seems reasonable. Another example would be "familiar spirits" demons masquerading as your past love one in order to get a foothold into your life. Of course they would know exactly what to say that only your grandmother would know and they could appear to look like you're lost and dearly departed. The Bible warns us to "be aware of the familiar spirit"


Written By Jennifer L Auld

Sunday, December 14, 2014

What Kind Of Things Can Open One Up For Demonic Oppression?

Hello my para-beauties. I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. The weather here in Florida has been very cold. We're not use to 37 to 42 degrees. At least I'm not. Lol. I'm a pretty big wimp and admit freely. But I must admit I love to wear those cute trench coats that seem to be back in style. There are just so many cute jackets shorter ones that stop at the waist but that's a whole other blog. Lol. I'm a fashion junkie so I'll keep things focused on the proper subject at hand. As I've said many times my calling is sadly the most disturbing diabolical things in the world that I have to research and deal with... so being a little lighthearted having some humor helps me. Almost like therapy.

Let's see where do I start? This was a requested topic from Allison K. I understand that many are curious about this and I have "closet curious readers" for lack of better words who  prefer not to make it known that they believe this topic. They would unfortunately endure a lot of harassment and possibly trouble in the work place and among circle of friends. There's just so many things that can open you up to oppression so I am guessing I'll start with the basic. You can always research this yourself on the Internet I'm sure there would be a plethora of information. Christian book stores and Barnes & Noble have many good books on subject in many subjects related to it. You can go to Amazon.com. Over the years since at least 2000 I have purchased many of good reads that assisted in my research. I prefer to stay away from the ones written by para-celebs. 98% claim all this experience in all these things they've done but yet they can't provide any references any certificates that were given to them for any courses that they took etc...it kills me to know there are about 8 people that are so knowledgeable in this particular area of the field. And I do mean extremely knowledgeable having 40 something years experience but you never ever hear of them invited to speak or to come on the radio to be interviewed. They would be a very big blessing and we could all learn a lot from them but because they're not well known or don't have well known friends in the field all these stupid ass people are just seeking fame and popularity and only have these wanna be celebrities on or speaking at conferences.

What Is Demonic Oppression?

Demonic oppression is the work of evil spiritual forces that try very hard to encourage us to sinus to sin. It mimics depression down to a T! Discernment which is a gift of the spirit to determine which one is actually present. There's a lot of mental illnesses that are not caused by the devil and his demons. We have to be very careful and not blame everything on demons. They have the ability to make us feel spiritually dead, and to be in bondage to sinful activities and thoughts.  This oppressive work is performed by demons, which are fallen angels who resist God, and who sinned in their first estate. This information can be found in the book of Jude chapter 6).  They wage war against God, against God's people, and against unbelievers as well.  Their goal is to bring as many people as possible into rebellion against God and condemnation in hell. They want to drag as many souls to hell as possible.

A Few Examples Of The Type Of Attacks

Emotions. Exaggerated emotional states: fear, anxiety, anger, panic, shame, rejection, grief that is over-extended or out of proportion, hopelessness, helplessness.  
              
The Mind. Tormenting thoughts of suicide, self-mutilation thoughts, confusion, forgetfulness, blocked memory, self hate, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of being unloved and thoughts that God won't ever forgive you and he doesn't love you.

How Do People End Up A Target Of Demonic Oppression?

Sometimes people involved in occult activity will curse you or your family.  It is not that you can actually be cursed as a Christian.  Rather, those who are against Christ and his people can focus demonic activity on you. Anger, bitterness and strife. These things feed of that. When we are Boner a bowl already or depressed better or what have you that's when they zoom in like flies on honey. When were in the states of mind it's only by the flood the Jesus upon mind body soul and spirit and make sure that we say out loud in our prayer plus he has me over mind body soul or spirit in anyway shape or form in Jesus name. It is,so very important. Those are the exact words that I personally use. Rebuke the enemy and praise Jesus and his holy name.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Thursday, June 12, 2014

How to Treat Supernatural Creatures

By Lisa Grace

With the proliferation of ghost and demon hunters, and professional psychics who conjure (attract or communicate) with supernatural beings (and yes, many mediums are fakes) one of the issues seldom addressed is how we should be treating these angels/demons, etc.

The Holy Scriptures say:

We are not to pray to angels or demons. (Col 2:18)

It is best not to call on them as this can fall into the category of making them your god. Also, you run the risk of having one attach to you, in which case they may torment you or make your life more difficult. If you are having feelings of despair or depression, suicidal thoughts, after trying to communicate with spirits or going to a place known to be inhabited by them, you may want to find a Bible believing exorcist, who follows the rules of the Bible to drive them out. If you are not a believer, the solution will not be permanent though.

We are to treat even fallen angels and demons with respect, and rebuke them only in the LORD's name. (Jude 1:8 - 10)

Why?

Jesus is above the angels. (Hebrews 1:4, Hebrews 2:7 - 10)

Jesus (Yeshua) has authority above the angels. We can only drive them out in His name. Not all are strong enough in belief or faith or His authority to drive them out. Some can only be gotten ridden of through prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:14 - 21; Mark:17 - 29; Acts 19:11 - 17)

Do not call the devils' names, but treat them with respect, find someone to drive them out in Jesus' authority. Do not call on angels or demons, you're playing with fire.

I hope shows and/or pastors that taunt or treat these creatures with dis-respect, will stop. It is to their detriment and not Biblical.

Lisa Grace is the author of the Angel Series which has been optioned for a major motion picture. You can download the first book Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 FREE here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052AI5W8 or here in any format:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/236544

Friday, May 25, 2012

Spiritual Warfare with Satan & His Demonic Hoard

By Rev. Mark Hunnemann

If we are in spiritual warfare with Satan and his demonic hoard, then what should our attitude be toward them? The books of Jude and 2 Peter make it clear that disrespect is unacceptable (would someone please inform Zak of this).So, does it then follow that we must treat demons the same way we are to treat our human enemies—that is, to love them? Hardly not But if we can’t love or disrespect them, WHAT is the proper biblical attitude?

What is the purpose of war? Someone has defined war as capital punishment on an international scale. Biblically, it is all about the extension of God’s kingdom, and the minimization of the kingdom of darkness; they are two sides to the same coin. Common sense dictates that if one kingdom is extended, then it does so at the expense of the other. “Your kingdom come…” places kingdom expansion right at the heart of Christian living, and certainly of paramount importance in spiritual warfare. What is the objective of our spiritual warfare? Kingdom expansion! It is simply impossible to exaggerate the importance the New Testament places on the spread of the Kingdom of God/heaven (the terms are theological equivalents).

Holy hatred….that is what I’m convinced is the proper biblical attitude we are to have to the demonic and Satan. “That is pretty strong language there…not sure I buy it.” Okay, I understand your reticence to say you hate anything. Love is such a driving force in the message of Jesus. However, the bible does say, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Rom. 12:9) That is not what we refer to as a hapax legomena either…only place where words are found. Get your bible concordance and look up the word “hate”, and you will see what I am talking about. It is not only okay to hate evil; we are commanded to! So, what about the Evil One? He is the epitome of all the evil we are to hate. The fact that they (Satan and demons) are personal beings does not diminish our call to hate them. It is clear that God does….but His hatred is holy. I may lose some readers over this, but I have personal reasons for wrestling with this issue (see below)

Like jealousy and anger, which God displays both, hate is not intrinsically sinful. If you were to visit a prison, many inmates are there because they committed crimes of passion; hate, anger, or jealousy got out of control—which they so easily do in sinful humans. Hence, we automatically assume these emotions are always wrong. But the bible says otherwise. I ask you: did not the Son become the focal point of the Father’s unmitigated fury and holy hatred of sin?. Touching His human nature, God the Son was hated by His Father…how else can you explain the horrible cry of dereliction, “My God, My God  why have you forsaken Me?” (the divine nature could not be separated)..trying hard to avoid heresy at this point

Back to the warfare we mentioned earlier. Demons cannot be killed or annihilated as is sometimes implied, if not outright stated, by some folks. They are spiritual creatures who will live forever in hell. Any demonologist who speaks of vanquishing or destroying demons is biblically ignorant. There is biblical and anecdotal evidence that they can suffer though….sometimes horribly. Prayer and the reading of the bible causes pain to these unholy beings. Let me ask: do you REALLY believe you are in mortal combat with the demonic?  We must be careful to keep first things first—loving God is to be our driving passion. Flowing from that love, comes our hate for Satan and all demons.. It must never become an end in itself

As I was preparing for the cleansing, all of these thoughts were running through my head. I knew that this pure evil hated me and had tried to kill my daughter a few days earlier. I am a broken man whom the Lord has called and anointed to help those suffering from demonic oppression.. My prayer team does the bulk of the work, and I am unworthy ….The zeal of the Lord infuses me as I peek into the attic…”Get out! In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get out..NOW!. I hate you with a holy hatred, and if you linger I will ask the Father to sling you into the abyss…You have no legal right…the blood Jesus trumps all claims you…” I will stop there. What I do is attack our enemy in the name of Jesus. They hate my dear Jesus…our dear Jesus. That is why we hate Satan and his demons. Do you? Or are you a spiritual pacifist? May the Love of God consume us. Amen