Praise Chapel Of Anaheim
ÒAngels and demonsÓ
Pastor Albert Garcia
Sunday, June 28, 2009

TEXT: James 2:19

INTRODUCTION: Two weeks ago we began a series entitled ÒAngels and demonsÓ

¯ We spoke about angels.

o   The existence of Angels.

o   The creation of angels.

o   The nature of Angels.

o   The organization of Angels.

o   The ministry of Angels.

¯ Today we want to conclude with the topic of demons.

¯ In the 20th century there has been a great surge regarding demons.

o   In the early part of the century the reality of demons was commonly denied.

o   Today the reality of demons is universally affirmed.

o   This is due to several factors.

¤  An increase of the number of witches, astrologers.

¤  An increase of paraphernalia being sold such as trade journals, wigi boards etc.

¤  Hollywood has put out movies concerning demons.

á      The exorcise.

á      Ghostbusters.

á      Hellraiser.

á      Constantine.

á      devils advocate.

á      Hell boy.

á      Etc.

¯  Today we will cover several areas regarding demons.

o   The reality of demons. (Do demons exist?)

o   What demons are like.

o   What demons do.

 

I.              THE REALITY OF demons. (Do demons exist?)

a.    Jesus clearly affirmed the reality of demons.

1.    He cast out demons on several occasions.

 

 

 

a.    He cast out a demon from a man who was blind and mute.

1.    Matthew 12:22 ÒThen they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.

 

b.    He cast out a demon from a boy suffering from seizures.

1.    Matthew 17:18 ÒJesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

 

c.    He gave His disciples authority to cast out demons.

1.    Matthew 10:1 ÒHe called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

 

b.    The New Testament writerÕs affirm the reality of demons.

1.    The N.T. mentions demons over 100 times.

2.    All writers in the N.T. with the exception of Hebrews mention demons.

a.    The apostle Paul mentions them.

1.    1 Corinthians 10:20 Òthe sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to GodÓ

b.    James mentions them.

1.    James 2:19 ÒYou believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

c.    John the revelator mentions them.

1.    Rev. 9:20 ÒThe rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demonsÓ

 

c.    The origin of demons. (4 Different views)

1.    They are the spirits of wicked dead people.

a.    No scriptural support for this view.

2.    They are disembodied spirits of a pre-adamic race.

a.    This view suggests that satan was originally ruling over a perfect earth and a pre-adamic race of people. When satan sinned against God, this race of people were somehow involved in his rebellion and as a result they lost their bodies.

b.    No scriptural support for this view.

 

 

 

3.    They are the offspring of a union between angels and humans.

a.    Genesis 6:4 ÒThe Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

4.    They are fallen angels. (1/3 that rebelled against God with satan)

a.    Revelations 12:4 ÒHis tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.

II.            WHAT demons ARE LIKE.

a.    They are genuine persons.

1.    Have distinct personalities.

2.    Not figments of imagination.

b.    They are intelligent.

1.    They recognized Jesus and understand their impending doom.

a.    Mark 1:24 ÒWhat do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!Ó

c.    They have emotions.

d.    They have wills.

1.    They begged Jesus to cast them into pigs. (Luke 8:32)

e.    They are spirit beings.

1.    Eph. 6:12 ÒFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

f.     They are immortal. (They cannot die)

1.    God created them as the angels.

g.    They are immoral. (Immorality is whatever is inconsistent with the GodÕs will)

1.    The Bible defines them as Òunclean spiritsÓ.

a.    Matthew 10:1 ÒAnd when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spiritsÓ

2.    The Bible describes them as Òevil spiritsÓ

a.    Luke 7:21 ÒAt that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spiritsÓ

h.    They are physically strong.

1.    The demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes was able to break shackles and chains.

a.    Mark 5:3 ÒFor he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

 

 

2.    The sons of Sceva were brutally beaten by a demon-possessed man.

a.    Acts 19:16 ÒThen the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

i.      They are not omnipresent.

1.    They cannot be present everywhere at once.

2.    They could only work through coordinated efforts.

3.    Only GOD is omnipresent!

One man said
ÒThe very large number of demons may make them seem to be everywhere present though that is not so. Yet satan working with them can use their number to attempt to promote his plans everywhere. To sum up: demons are not humans; neither are they God. But they are superhuman with superior intelligence and experience and powers.
To deny the existence of demons is not skepticism; it only displays ignorance. To be unrealistic about their power is foolishnessÓ

III.          WHAT demons DO.

a.    They work in unity with one another under satans authority to thwart the plan of God.

1.    They have one primary purpose. (To destroy GodÕs plan!)

2.    They work in a very unified way in order to accomplish this.

NOTE: When Christians divide one from another and rebel against authority they hurt the kingdom of God.

Matthew 12:30 ÒHe who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

b.    They oppose the plan of God.

1.    They oppose the church.

a.    Salvation.

b.    Preaching.

c.    Teaching.

d.    Worship.

e.    Marriage.

2.    They opposed GodÕs answered prayer to Daniel for 21 days.

Daniel 10:12-13 ÒDo not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

3.    They will one day deceive men in order to oppose God one last time at the war of Armageddon.

a.    Rev. 16:13 ÒAnd they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

 

c.    They are at times used by God to carry out His purposes.

1.    There are times in which God will use demons to further His purposes.

a.    God used an evil spirit to punish King Saul. (1 Samuel 16:14)

b.    He used an evil spirit to afflict Paul so that he would not become proud.

1.    2 Corinthians 12:7 ÒTo keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, ÒMy grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Ó

d.    They promote idolatry. (Idolatry is anything you put before God)

1.    They actively try to turn menÕs hearts to the worship of idols.

a.    This is why God had to warn men about idolatry in the 10 commandments.

1.    Exodus 20:4-5 ÒYou shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous GodÓ

Application: There are some who are already deceived.

Ÿ Some worship their jobs. (DonÕt have time to come to church)

Ÿ Some worship money. (Wont pay their tithes)

Matthew 6:24 ÒNo one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

e.    They promote false religion.

1.    False doctrine will dam a soul to hell.

2.    Paul warned Timothy that in the last days demons would run rampant teaching false religion.

a.    1 Timothy 4:1 ÒThe Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

 

f.     They afflict people with physical diseases.

1.    They afflict with dumbness. (Inability to speak!)

a.    Matthew 9:33 ÒAnd when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke.

 

2.    They afflict with blindness.

a.    Matthew 12:22 ÒThen they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed himÓ

 

3.    They afflict with epilepsy.

a.    Matthew 17:15,18 ÒLord, have mercy on my son,Ó he said. ÒHe has seizures and is suffering greatly. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

 

4.    They cause mental disorders.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NOT ALL PHYSICAL DISORDERS RESULT FROM DEMONIC ACTIVITY. (They Bible clearly distinguishes natural illnesses from demonic illnesses)

Mark 1:32 ÒThat evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demonpossessed.

g.    They promote perversion.

1.    The fact that they are called ÒUNCLEAN spiritsÓ shows that they pervert whatever is clean.

a.    They pervert sex. (Turn it into adultery, pornography)

b.    They pervert love. (Turn it into lust)

c.    They pervert the Word of God. (Turn it into blasphemy)

1.    Even satan tried to pervert the Word of God and use it against Jesus while tempted in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:5-7 ÒThen the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6ÒIf you are the Son of God,Ó he said, Òthrow yourself down. For it is written: ÒÔHe will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.Õ 7Jesus answered him, ÒIt is also written: ÔDo not put the Lord your God to the test.Ó

h.    They possess man at times.

1.    This means controlling a man by residing in him.

2.    There is a difference between being possessed by a demon and being influenced by demons.

3.    Many people (believers and non-believers) can be influenced by demons.

a.    We see this in the Life of Peter. (He told the Lord he would never allow Him to die!) (These words were influenced by satan)

b.    Jesus rebuked him.

Mark 8:33 ÒHe rebuked Peter. ÒGet behind me, Satan!Ó he said. ÒYou do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.Ó

c.    This is not possession. (This is influence)

d.    When one is possessed he is not able to severe the control of demons.

 

4.    The term ÒpossessedÓ or ÒdemonizedÓ occurs 13 times in the N.T.

5.    Demon possession can be as varied as the activities of demons.

a.    Mild.

b.    Severe.

c.    Bizarre.

IN CLOSING: demons are real. (They exist!) (They are not a figment of imagination!)