For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) . . . Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
1 Kings 18:4, 13
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
1 Kings 19:1-4 (NIV)
And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field." But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all [that] the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house."
1 Kings 21:23
You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab all the males in Israel, both bond and free. So I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel on the plot [of ground] at Jezreel, and [there shall be] none to bury [her].' " And he opened the door and fled...
Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, "[Is it] peace, Jehu?" So he answered, "What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft [are so] many?"...
Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard [of it]; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked through a window. Then, as Jehu entered at the gate, she said, "[Is it] peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?" And he looked up at the window, and said, "Who [is] on my side? Who?" So two [or] three eunuchs looked out at him. Then he said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down, and [some] of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot.
And when he had gone in, he ate and drank. Then he said, "Go now, see to this accursed [woman], and bury her, for she was a king's daughter." So they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of [her] hands. Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, "This [is] the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'On the plot [of ground] at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, "Here [lies] Jezebel." ' "
2 Kings 9:7-10, 22, 30-37
"Praise be to the LORD my ROCK, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. HE is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."
Psalm 144:1-2
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which IS the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on ALL occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, BE ALERT and always keep on praying for all the saints."
Ephesians 6:10-18
"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic and sorely vexed; for ofttimes he falleth into the fire and oft into the water. And I brought him to Thy disciples, and they could not cure him." Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to Me." And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said, "Why could we not cast him out?" And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, `Remove hence to yonder place,' and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible unto you. However this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
Matthew 17:15-21
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him." And the spirit cried, and rent the boy sorely and came out of him; and he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could not we cast him out?" And He said unto them, "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."
Luke 9:26-29
But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
Acts 8:9-11
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Galatians 3:1
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Revelation 2:20-23
What is a demon
Bob Larson | www.boblarson.org
The very mention of the word demon conjures images of gargoylish creatures of the night - complete with fangs, claws, and back hunched by the weight of depravity. Many victims of possessions claim they can see such creatures. Whereas our "normal" eyes cannot behold the spirit world, those who give themselves to the occult can somehow see beyond this veil or else have demon-induced visions.
On some occasions when demons have appeared during an exorcism, the victim has described the spirit as incredibly beautiful. This reminds us of Paul's warning in II Corinthians 11:14:
But this visible manifestation of a demon says nothing about the actual nature of these fallen angels. Both secular and religious histories are filled with references to demons. The ancients, who were untouched by the Jewish scriptures, held demons in superstitious esteem. The Greeks believed demons were the spirits of departed wicked men.
Demons and Diseases
I have dealt with demons of all sorts of illnesses and addictions, from cerebral palsy to schizophrenia and from heroin addiction to compulsive masturbation. This is not to say that such maladies or urges are always the result of a demon. I am not suggesting that anyone afflicted by a physical or emotional weakness is controlled by evil spirits.
My counseling experiences have taught me that demons both exploit physical abnormalities and encourage aberrational behavior. For example, a demon may have known a person was genetically predisposed to alcohol addiction. The demon tempted the person to over indulge in alcohol and then capitalized on the resulting dependency by displaying its functions through the disease's symptoms. Eventually, the distinction between the disease and the demon becomes blurred until both manifest simultaneously.
In the case of physical infirmity, the demon may mimic the ailments of a disease by afflicting psycho motor and neuro-sensory functions, or exacerbate the disorder's symptoms until the demon's influence is barely distinguishable from the primary illness. For example, a demon of anorexia would intensify his victim's abhorrent self-image to the point that food avoidance would be virtually a simultaneous demonic and psychological manifestation.
The discerning counselor who encounters a demon manipulating the realm of mental, emotional, or physiological disorders must carefully discern between the source of natural and supernatural factors afflicting the victim. Sometimes, attempted. The victim of anorexia may first need intravenous demon's ability to use his victim's weakness. The alcoholic physical strength so the demon no longer can enmesh his function with the features of his victim's disease.
Every disease is not a demon, but any disease may be exploited or imitated by a demon. Proper medical advice, spiritual insight, and conscientious care for the victim's conditions will direct the exorcist to the right path for restarting total spiritual and physical well-being.
How Do Demons Steal From Their Victoms?
When Jesus said that Satan steals, you might conclude this refers to individual acts of theft and vandalism. It may, but Satan has other ways of stealing. He steals virginity by sexual temptation, and he steals hope by leaving crushed dreams. Satan purloins the ability to know right from wrong and ravages faith in God and His Word.
The worst damage a demon does is often unseen, as in the case where a demon robs a person of his self-esteem. I have dealt with demonized people who have been encouraged to commit abhorrent acts while under a spirit's control. A Sunday school teacher went on drunken binges. A young single woman engaged in promiscuous sex with anonymous men. A housewife took dangerous doses of street drugs.
I once dealt with a demonized young man who came out of a trance state to discover that his body had been used in perverted sex acts by those in a satanic cult. Even though he wasn't directly responsible for these repugnant deeds, he still felt the shame. This resulted in a severe loss of self-respect.
The devil's destruction is complete when the ability to see the world through God's eyes is gone. Moral conscience evaporates and pleasure is taken in corruption. Satan's theft is fully achieved when relationships with loved ones are stolen and the victim of demon possession is isolated to suffer alone, often to contemplate suicide.
Can Someone Have A Demon Without Knowing?
This may be one of the most fundamental questions asked about deliverance. The answer is YES. In fact, when people calmly ask me if they have a demon, their inquiry is usually an indication that they do not. While demons may feel obligated to challenge me while I am praying with a person, they will not normally advertise their presence if they are not threatened.
Some who are possessed do know that they have demons because they have seen them. These people usually have come out of a background in the occult where specific demons were summoned and appeared upon invocation. Others may know they have demons because they hear voices in their heads. Certain individuals can actually hear conversations between demons. Other persons lose time because of demons having put them in a trance, and they wonder if such oblivion is the result of an evil spirit presence. (Hearing voices and losing time can also be a symptom of dissociative disorder.)
Generally, the person who has a demon knows he has serious spiritual problems that have defied all of his efforts to rectify. He may even have wondered if the root of his difficulties might be demonic. Most have never given serious consideration to the thought they are possessed.