nd devils also came out of many, crying out and saying, "Thou art Christ,
the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak,
for they knew that He was the Christ.
(Luke 4: 41) KJV
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THE ACTIVITY OF DEMONS From James 2:19 and Matthew 8:29,we learn that demons "tremble" before God and know all too well who the Son of God is. Many theories have been offered to explain the extra-terrestrial, hyper-dimensional activity of disembodied spirits. The ancient Greeks thought they were the spirits of the deceased wicked but Luke 16:23 intimates that these are in Hades awaiting judgment. "Gap theorists" interpret the fall of the "originally created" human race as occurring between the first two verses in Genesis. Hence their evil spirits haunt the earth. Romans 5:12 negates this theory by ascribing sin directly to Adam, the first man. Biblical expositors are split on two Scriptural explanations: 1. The traditional belief that is held by such notable exgetes as Gaebalein, Strong, Hodge, Unger et al. That is, the fallen angels who are "unconfined" are the demons of this world. 2. The Nephilim of Genesis 6:2 - Offspring of these "sons of God" were the mighty men of old, elsewhere called Rephaim (dead ones) in Isaiah 26:14, Emim, Horim, Zamsummim and Anakim (Numbers 13:33), among others. Many were described as "giants" who dwarfed the remnant in Canaan (Goliath, for example). (SEE Nephilim) Many believe that the spirits of the Nephilim (fallen ones) are the demons who desperately seek embodiment in order to carry out a counter plan of deception to thwart the divine plan of salvation. Obviously, the "end time" activities of these demons will increase exponentially. What demons can do We know through God's Holy Word that demons influence and, in many cases, actually "possess" human beings. This has been manifested over the centuries with reported changes of voice, intellect, language, strength and personality in people - something quite evident in the time of Christ. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit disallows demonic possession for a true "justified" Christian but degrees of influence depend on the continuing level of sanctification. Demons can bring illness such as the woman in Luke 13 but, as we read in the Book of Job and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, they can only function as God permits. James 3:15 alludes to the fact that earthly wisdom is sensual and "demonic." When it leads to sin, it is cause for victory among the enemies of God. Deception is the key means by which these enemies defy their God. Their punishment is certain but their attentiveness to perverting the truth of Jesus Christ is unflagging. Read the end of Ephesians 6 (spiritual armor for Christians) for the best information available to combat the foe and preserve your eternal life. |