Dealing with The Demonic

Sep 10, 2017 • Steve Marfia

This is a throwback sermon from September of 2017.

FCF: We make a dangerous mistake when we disregard or obsess about the demonic.

C.S. Lewis once observed that people often make one of two errors when it comes to the devil and demons: some disregard and dismiss the demonic entirely, while others drift into fascination and obsession. A healthy understanding of demonology avoids these extremes.

Big Idea: A healthy understanding of the demonic avoids these extremes and equips us to walk in victory.

What are demons?

1. Demons were created (Col. 1:16).

2. Demons were created good but fell from their angelic position. (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6)

3. As created beings, demons are limited in power, influence and knowledge. (John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19).

4. Demons were effectively defeated and disarmed through the cross of Christ (Col. 2:15), though they will continue to attack and oppose the King and His kingdom until the final judgment (Jude 6; Rev. 20:10)

What are the works of demons?

1) Demons oppose the kingdom of God.

2) They prowl about the earth (Job 1:6-7; 1 Pet. 5:8) and even appear as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:14-15) tell stories of B&L in order to corrupt and destroy through

3) lies (John 8:44),

4) accusation (Rev. 12:10),

5) deception (Rev. 12:9),

6) false teaching (1 Tim. 4:1),

7) suffering (Job 2:1-6)

Their Goal = They seek to exalt a dominion of darkness and death and attempt to rob God of the glory that is rightly His, and rob us of the joy that we can have in Christ.

Can Christians be “possessed”?

Understanding the answer to this question comes in understand the words

“possessed” = control; as if person has no responsibility

Scripture uses = “had a demon” or was “oppressed by a demon”

Christians who were demonized:

David is enticed (1 Chron. 21:1)

Job’s entire ordeal

Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7)

*Sin can never be excused - we bear responsibility but we are not left w/o hope.

How is someone delivered from demonic oppression?

<3 models for deliverance explained>

Answer: Proclamation and prayer