Demon Influence

[Lamb]

Have you ever thought about how demons influence your life?

 

[Romanos]

I believe that they are indeed at work trying to derail us and disrupt anyway they can.

 

[BruceLeiter]

The demons try to attack me and other Christians. I claim Jesus' victory over them through his death and resurrection. He triumphs over them. As a result, I have testimonies that I share with the people around me.

 

[Frankj]

There are ways we invite demons into our lives without knowing that is what we are doing, To deal with them requires more than casting them out, we need to discover within ourselves the original why and how of our invitation and fix that or any demon cast out (and most of them are very subtle to the point we don't even recognize what they are) will simply come back in or be replaced by another taking the same route.

Think of them as unwanted visitors, squatters, in your home. It does little good to evict them then leave your doors and windows open so they can just come back in when they want to, you have to shut the door behind them as they leave.

This is actually a subject Christians should concentrate on, but almost none do,

 

[Lamb]

There are ways we invite demons into our lives without knowing that is what we are doing, To deal with them requires more than casting them out, we need to discover within ourselves the original why and how of our invitation and fix that or any demon cast out (and most of them are very subtle to the point we don't even recognize what they are) will simply come back in or be replaced by another taking the same route.

Think of them as unwanted visitors, squatters, in your home. It does little good to evict them then leave your doors and windows open so they can just come back in when they want to, you have to shut the door behind them as they leave.

This is actually a subject Christians should concentrate on, but almost none do,

You're right that Christians don't want to concentrate on this topic too much. I tried talking to a group of people during a bible study and kind of wished they would have wanted to talk more, but was mostly met with silence.

 

[Truth7t7]

There are ways we invite demons into our lives without knowing that is what we are doing, To deal with them requires more than casting them out, we need to discover within ourselves the original why and how of our invitation and fix that or any demon cast out (and most of them are very subtle to the point we don't even recognize what they are) will simply come back in or be replaced by another taking the same route.

Think of them as unwanted visitors, squatters, in your home. It does little good to evict them then leave your doors and windows open so they can just come back in when they want to, you have to shut the door behind them as they leave.

This is actually a subject Christians should concentrate on, but almost none do,

A Christian is inhabited by God the Holy Spirit, he is sealed by God the Holy Spirit until the final day of redemption

A Christian can't be inhabited by demons as many falsely believe, he can be tempted/enticed by external evil sources, God won't allow the Christian believer to be tempted above what one can bear

1 Corinthians 3:16KJV
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Ephesians 4:30KJV
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

James 1:13-16KJV
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

1 Corinthians 10:13KJV
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 

[Frankj]

A Christian is inhabited by God the Holy Spirit, he is sealed by God the Holy Spirit until the final day of redemption

A question, why do we see so many 3-400+ pound Christians with their gluttony directing every aspect of their life, so many with multiple divorces and remarriages, so many that do evil to their children cheat in financial affairs, suffering all kinds of mental illnesses, leading self centered lives that ignore anything outside of themselves, constantly seeking fulfillment in the things of the world which, when found, lose meaning and have to be sought with even greater dedication in a desperate attempt to find fulfillment in life, husbands and wives that lead secret lives outside of their marriage and keep them hidden from their spouse, alcoholics and drug addicts, etc., etc., etc.?

Demonic spirits do their best work when people deny they can be driven by them, or that they even exist.

There is more to be discussed on this. But it is not productive for anyone not recognizing they have this problem and sincerely wanting to do something about it, most will simply pursue worldly solutions while ignoring the true causes.

 

[Truth7t7]

A question, why do we see so many 3-400+ pound Christians with their gluttony directing every aspect of their life, so many with multiple divorces and remarriages, so many that do evil to their children cheat in financial affairs, suffering all kinds of mental illnesses, leading self centered lives that ignore anything outside of themselves, constantly seeking fulfillment in the things of the world which, when found, lose meaning and have to be sought with even greater dedication in a desperate attempt to find fulfillment in life, husbands and wives that lead secret lives outside of their marriage and keep them hidden from their spouse, alcoholics and drug addicts, etc., etc., etc.?

Demonic spirits do their best work when people deny they can be driven by them, or that they even exist.

There is more to be discussed on this. But it is not productive for anyone not recognizing they have this problem and sincerely wanting to do something about it, most will simply pursue worldly solutions while ignoring the true causes.

I believe many automatically consider a person a "Christian" if they're sitting in a church pew, putting money in a offering plate, hold a church position, having religious bumper stickers, clothing, or self confession, this doesn't make a "Christian"

A "Christian" is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, they're sealed unto their day of redemption, this makes a "Christian", and there's no room in God's temple within man to share this temple with devils/demons

Matthew 7:22-23KJV
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Romans 8:13-14KJV
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 

[Frankj]

I believe many automatically consider a person a "Christian" if they're sitting in a church pew, putting money in a offering plate, hold a church position, or self confession, this doesn't make a "Christian"

A "Christian" is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, they're sealed unto their day of redemption, this makes a "Christian", and there's no room in God's temple within man to share this temple with devils/demons

Matthew 7:22-23KJV
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Well, that's why I frequently refer to those who call themselves Christian instead of just Christian, I don't have the authority to judge that and won't try to usurp it from the one that does.

A question to consider: How often do you hear people that refer to someone calling himself Christian make a statement after someone they considered evil or having led an evil life dies to the effect of "He's in hell now" and what would you speak to those who do?

 

[Truth7t7]

someone calling himself Christian make a statement after someone they considered evil or having led an evil life dies to the effect of "He's in hell now" and what would you speak to those who do?

John 12:48KJV
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

 

[Truth7t7]

I believe that they are indeed at work trying to derail us and disrupt anyway they can.

1 Peter 5:8-9KJV
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 

[BruceLeiter]

In my experience at the age of 82, demons attack me but do not have the ability to influence me, because I, through prayer, resist them in the name of Jesus' victory. They lose the pitched battles because God is infinitely more powerful than they are.

 

[Truth7t7]

In my experience at the age of 82, demons attack me but do not have the ability to influence me, because I, through prayer, resist them in the name of Jesus' victory. They lose the pitched battles because God is infinitely more powerful than they are.

James 4:7KJV
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

[Manonfire63]

Have you ever thought about how demons influence your life?

Given someone is really a Christian, there would be zero influence of demons in their life.

Did someone do something wrong, in sin, where they need to be 100% repentant, and confess their sins?

 

[BruceLeiter]

James 4:7KJV
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

That's exactly right, @Truth7t7.

 

[BruceLeiter]

Given someone is really a Christian, there would be zero influence of demons in their life.

Did someone do something wrong, in sin, where they need to be 100% repentant, and confess their sins?

Sin isn't just actions; it is attitudes and desires like pride, impatience, impulsiveness, lust, and others. The demons at Satan's urging attack Christians at their weakest points. We need to ask for God's cleansing power through Jesus' resurrection every day and to pray for godly qualities like the fruit of the Spirit to replace the selfish ones. It's a lifelong battle.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

[Manonfire63]

Sin isn't just actions; it is attitudes and desires like pride, impatience, impulsiveness, lust, and others. The demons at Satan's urging attack Christians at their weakest points. We need to ask for God's cleansing power through Jesus' resurrection every day and to pray for godly qualities like the fruit of the Spirit to replace the selfish ones. It's a lifelong battle.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

You quoted a lot of things at me. What does it mean?

What does it look like for someone to be that?

 

[Manonfire63]

Spirits effect motivations. How is someone motivated and towards what ends?

Discovering The Soul​

When someone is talking about The Soul, which Soul are they referencing? Plato and The Soul? Abstract Philosophy God and the Soul? The Bible, and how The Bible references The Soul? Working to explain The Soul and The Bible, I have worked to do so in a way that your average person may be able to understand, and find or feel their soul. He are starting with a perception, we postulate that the Soul is a person, and has to do with decision making and identity, and given scripture, and various media or cultural references of The Soul, we may be able to see if we are right, and a bigger picture.
Given you understand what The Soul is in the Bible, someone may begin to understand exorcism. They may understand Identity Politics, and what it actually is in spiritual warfare. They may come out with greater understanding of creation and God.
The Basis of Christianity

• 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
• He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Luke 10:27)

Song to Preface this: Heuy Lewis "Heart and Soul."
What is a Soul? A soul is a person. Given a The King of Salem had 50 Souls, he had fifty persons or servants. How did they identify themselves? Possibly as a servant of The King of Salem in some way. Loving The Lord with all your SOUL, may have to do with identity. Who was someone serving? Was someone a Servant of "Something Else" or a Servant of God? A child of God? A son of God? These may be good things to be as a Christian looking to love God with your Soul or identity.
A couple years ago I lived in walking distance from Duke University. Given someone was a Duke fan, or Duke Alumni, or had a lot of Duke Paraphernalia, they may have loved Duke University. How did they love Duke University? They loved Duke with their Soul or Identity. Someone with a Duke T-Shirt may be saying something about who he is, or was, or would like to be. When Duke wins or has done well in basketball, someone who loved Duke with their Soul or identity, they may have rejoiced? They felt good? In their soul, they rejoice, and feel a sense of happiness. That is where the soul is. Given anyone has been a sports fan at some point, and has identified as a fan of ___________ their soul rejoices when their team does well. Given I was to look up Soul in a Bible concordance, there are many of these feeling or sensing type verses where the soul is a place inside someone where there is passion. Someone loving God with Their Soul in a world of materialism and commercialism may have given up their Nike and Adidas, to be more as "Plain as John the Baptist?"
Given a musician signed a record contract, and said record contract was very strict, did said musician "Sell their Soul?" Given a musician has to sing all the songs said record company tells them to, and be at A or B place at a certain time, as said record company tells them to, and said musician has very little free will, would that be "Selling The Soul?" Given the record company was a servant of "The Purple Gang," or Kabbalists, or some other group not serving God, that may have been someone selling their soul to the devil? When we get the basics of what the Bible describes the Soul to be, there are a lot of interesting topics that come up. The Truth hurts. Knowledge brings sorrow. Ignorance is bliss? Their is freedom in The Lord.
The Soul and Identity.
True Statements:

• The Song of Songs is in the Bible as a representation of God's Love for Israel or The Church.
• In the New Testament, The Church is a Bride for Christ.
• Christ is to man as a man is to woman or Christ is the head of man as man is the head of woman. (1 Corinthians 11:3)

Marriage has been an important part of The Bible and Faith and growing in understanding.

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, (1 Peter 3:1)

Woman is meek before her husband. Man is meek before God. A woman loving her husband with her heart and soul may have taken his name. She is forging a new identity as Mrs. _____________. A married woman with a hyphenated last name is one foot in, one foot out? Who or what does she love more? Her husband or Feminism? Maybe she didn't quite want to leave her family and her old identity behind as a single female or "Daughter of?" Feminists tend towards socialism. Is a woman really married to her husband or more married to The State? Woman is meek before her husband. A man is meek before God.
Looking at the Soul like this, someone may be able to see God. (And Satan.) The Truth hurts. Knowledge brings sorrow. Ignorance is bliss?

 

[Manonfire63]

Given we are coming into an understanding of The Soul, what are Spirits? Spirits effect motivations. Here is a short list of some spirits mentioned.

• Deaf and dumb spirit (Mark 9:17-29)
• Lying spirit (II Chronicles 18:20-22)
• Perverse spirit (Isaiah 19:14; Romans 1:17-32)
• Seducing spirit (I Timothy 4:1)
• More at: Evil Spirits - Bible Study and Christian Teaching on Evil Spirits - Biblical Teachings

What are these Spirits doing? They are influencing. They are effecting motivations. Someone with a seducing spirit or spirit of prostitution may have been on tinder in the wrong way? Someone with a lying tongue may have been a habitual liar? Someone with one of these spirits, their character may have been molded a certain way. Their soul, who they are, may have been molded to something. Part of their identity, even if it was subconscious, may have been molded to something. Some Spirits are generational. They may have been passed down from Generation to Generation. There may have been generational curses on some families. (Deuteronomy 5:9) Some spirits someone may have picked up by being in sin, and being unrepentant. Someone's Soul or character may have been molded around something.
Given someone has God's Holy Spirit, they say "Jesus is Lord." They may tend to think about God, and talk about God a lot, and be prone to God-centric activities. Their Soul, and God's Holy Spirit, overtime, may have entwined. They are "One with God" leading towards an understanding of Theosis.

 

[Truth7t7]

Looking at the Soul like this, someone may be able to see God. (And Satan.) The Truth hurts. Knowledge brings sorrow. Ignorance is bliss?

I Disagree

See (God and Carnal Man) That's Spoken Of Clearly In God's Words, Living After The Flesh or Spirit In The Christians Perspective, Carnal Man Isn't Satan IMHO

Romans 8:1-14KJV
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.