Demon Possession & Activity
Why would Satan want to possess somebody? What good is it to him?
It’s really weird how the demons acknowledge God and yet they’re damned. (Mk 5:7, Phil 2:10-11) Why do the demons obey God? This is strange. They do evil, don’t they? And yet it’s clear that not only can they do nothing without his permission, they also must obey him. This is not so with humans. But what compels a demon to always obey? Some horrible, irresistible threat (as of torment)? Then why did they forsake God to begin with? (Jas 2:19, Mk 5:12-13, Jb 1:12, 2:6)
First, why would demons want to help the cause of their archenemy and second, why wouldn't Paul welcome this assistance? (Acts 16:17-18) (see also the question on Lord! Lord!)
Was Jesus implying that those whom he saved from demons could potentially be repossessed and be worse off than before? (Lk 11:24-26, also Mt 12:43-45)
What becomes of a person who is demon-possessed and is never exorcised? Can a person die demon-possessed? How long can a person be demon-possessed?
Can a Christian be possessed by the devil?
Why would an unclean spirit go looking for rest? Why would it decide to go to the desert? (Mt 12:43, Is 13:21-22) Does the desert make demons happy? Or can they not stand the goodness they see elsewhere in the world? And if they're in the desert, what harm can they do? (Rv 18:2)
If the demons were so scared of Jesus, why didn’t they just voluntarily come out and go somewhere else? (Mt 8:28-31)
What does it mean that Saul was tormented by an evil spirit? (I Sm 16:14-15)
How would playing a lyre control an evil spirit? Do evil spirits not like beautiful music? (I Sm 16:14-16)
Why after the “10,000 song” did the evil spirit that haunted Saul come as David was playing the lyre, when previously it had run away? (I Sm 16:23, 18:10)
Are demons limited to certain areas or countries? (Mk 5:10)
Why did Jesus give Legion permission to go into the pigs? Once the pigs died, what happened to the demons? (Mk 5:10-13)
About how common are demon possessions?
Why would a demoniac be at the synagogue? Do demoniacs and demons ever seek out religious places or situations? (Lk 4:33)
On one hand Peter says the rebellious angels were locked up, not to be released until the judgment (II Pt 2:4) but on the other you see in the gospels plenty of demonic activity, and in fact, 2 demons cry out to Jesus in Mt 8:29, "Have you come here to torment us before the time"? (And I take this time to mean a punishment involving being bound and tormented, for how can they be tormented unless they are gathered together and held against their will?)I always understood the devil as going about his work with the help of demons, and yet here it says that they're chained up. We also have the image in Rv 9:14-15 of the 4 demons being tied up at the Euphrates River "for that day and that hour". So where are the demons, and is Satan acting single-handedly or not?
What's so bad about being sent out of the country? (Mk 5:10) And why would they kill the pigs after entering them (I mean, what's the point of that?) (vv 12-13)
It appears that angels can take on physical form, but that demons cannot, except through possession. Am I right?
Why would Judas Iscariot be given this authority (to heal and cast out demons), and what does this mean? (Mk 6:13) (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 -- And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.)
Why were the sons of Sceva not able to cast the demons out, even in Jesus’ name? (Acts 19:13-16)
What are the elementary principles or spirits? (Gal 4:3 & ESV note)
It’s really weird how the demons acknowledge God and yet they’re damned. (Mk 5:7, Phil 2:10-11) Why do the demons obey God? This is strange. They do evil, don’t they? And yet it’s clear that not only can they do nothing without his permission, they also must obey him. This is not so with humans. But what compels a demon to always obey? Some horrible, irresistible threat (as of torment)? Then why did they forsake God to begin with? (Jas 2:19, Mk 5:12-13, Jb 1:12, 2:6)
First, why would demons want to help the cause of their archenemy and second, why wouldn't Paul welcome this assistance? (Acts 16:17-18) (see also the question on Lord! Lord!)
Was Jesus implying that those whom he saved from demons could potentially be repossessed and be worse off than before? (Lk 11:24-26, also Mt 12:43-45)
What becomes of a person who is demon-possessed and is never exorcised? Can a person die demon-possessed? How long can a person be demon-possessed?
Can a Christian be possessed by the devil?
Why would an unclean spirit go looking for rest? Why would it decide to go to the desert? (Mt 12:43, Is 13:21-22) Does the desert make demons happy? Or can they not stand the goodness they see elsewhere in the world? And if they're in the desert, what harm can they do? (Rv 18:2)
If the demons were so scared of Jesus, why didn’t they just voluntarily come out and go somewhere else? (Mt 8:28-31)
What does it mean that Saul was tormented by an evil spirit? (I Sm 16:14-15)
How would playing a lyre control an evil spirit? Do evil spirits not like beautiful music? (I Sm 16:14-16)
Why after the “10,000 song” did the evil spirit that haunted Saul come as David was playing the lyre, when previously it had run away? (I Sm 16:23, 18:10)
Are demons limited to certain areas or countries? (Mk 5:10)
Why did Jesus give Legion permission to go into the pigs? Once the pigs died, what happened to the demons? (Mk 5:10-13)
About how common are demon possessions?
Why would a demoniac be at the synagogue? Do demoniacs and demons ever seek out religious places or situations? (Lk 4:33)
On one hand Peter says the rebellious angels were locked up, not to be released until the judgment (II Pt 2:4) but on the other you see in the gospels plenty of demonic activity, and in fact, 2 demons cry out to Jesus in Mt 8:29, "Have you come here to torment us before the time"? (And I take this time to mean a punishment involving being bound and tormented, for how can they be tormented unless they are gathered together and held against their will?)I always understood the devil as going about his work with the help of demons, and yet here it says that they're chained up. We also have the image in Rv 9:14-15 of the 4 demons being tied up at the Euphrates River "for that day and that hour". So where are the demons, and is Satan acting single-handedly or not?
What's so bad about being sent out of the country? (Mk 5:10) And why would they kill the pigs after entering them (I mean, what's the point of that?) (vv 12-13)
It appears that angels can take on physical form, but that demons cannot, except through possession. Am I right?
Why would Judas Iscariot be given this authority (to heal and cast out demons), and what does this mean? (Mk 6:13) (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 -- And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.)
Why were the sons of Sceva not able to cast the demons out, even in Jesus’ name? (Acts 19:13-16)
What are the elementary principles or spirits? (Gal 4:3 & ESV note)
