By Joel

I have read some commentaries about the Exorcism of Emily Rose from skeptics who have claimed that exorcism is a dangerous thing. Claiming that scientifically, people who are undergoing exorcism are really just mentally unbalanced people.

Yes, some pretty stupid things have been done to people in the past undergoing exorcism, but to condemn the act entirely is even more dangerous.

The truth is that spirits cannot be scientifically studied. They don't conform to natural laws, so it's not possible to quantify them, as if they were a mathimatical equasion. So, in that regard, science is by it's very nature an "Ignorant" institution, when it comes to things of this nature. So, I don't blame skeptics one single bit for being unable to accept exorcisms as a very "Needed" act.

But, I do think that the exorcism philosophy should be seriously overhauled. Shaking bibles at people and screaming verses at them will not make the devil go away. Jesus didn't need to work Himself into a lather to cast out devils. When He so much as "Looked" at a possessed person, the demons would beg Him not to send them into the pit.

Exorcisms should not be approached from the standpoint of weakness,... as if one has no authority to cast them out. Jesus (Gave) us that authority. So, when a devil is being resistant to an exorcist, it is not because the devil has any power, but it's because the exorcist comes from a standpoint of (Feeling Incapable) of casting the demon out. Or, they come from the standpoint of thinking that they have to (Convince God) to do it. So, the whole exorcism session winds up being defeated from the start, because the priest, pastor, etc... winds up trying to (convince themself) that God is more powerful than the demon. And all the time the demon is laughing at them.

I am not saying that people should get haughty and assume too much about themselves. No, the Power comes from Christ alone,... not from us. But, Jesus has told us that the "Power" to cast out devils has been given to us. So, when an exorcism goes wrong, it is (Not) because the demon is too powerful... but it is precisely because we fail to trust in the (Power) that has been given to us. (Luke 19;10) (Mark 16;17) (Luke 10;17)

It's like a man who has no weapon, intimidating a police officer who is armed to the teeth. The police officer has MORE than enough power to put that man in the grave if he refuses to obey... yet he backs away, feeling that he is powerless to stand against his unarmed enemy.

That is what most exorcisms turn out to be. The exorcist feeling powerless in the face of a demonic entity. Thereby he/she abdicates victory to a devil who is simply incapable of taking it by force. The devil wins... not because it's powerful,... but because it knows how to manipulate our ignorance to it's own advantage.

So, exorcisms more often than not fail, simply because we start doubting the Awesome Power that is given to us, and begin having more faith in the "Supposed" power of the demon rather than the REAL Power of God.

Jesus didn't have that problem. He knew the Power that was given to Him, and He was not about to let the devil have any victories through intimidation. When demons showed their faces, He blew them away. They were absolutely (Powerless) to resist Him. And, that is what Jesus wants us to be. To be so "Confident" in the Power that is given to us, that demons (Know Our Name)... "Jesus I know, and Paul I know... but who are you?..." said the demonized man to the seven sons of Schiva. (Acts 19;15)

The demons in that man was not only fearful of Christ,... but of the Apostle Paul as well. They (Knew Paul's Name). Why was Paul such an intimidator of devils? Because... he did not doubt the Power that was given to him. He had done what every Christian should do,... he (Believed) in the Power of God over devils. And that alone made demons tremble to hear his name. His (Faith) in God's Victory over satan sealed every demon's fate that crossed Paul's path. He was a slayer of evil spirits.

So, when an exorcism looks like a struggle, it is because of doubt. The exorcist is not wrestling with a powerful enemy, but with their own un-belief. The devil's only power is our "Ignorance". He has no other strength. Jesus Christ bound the strong man, and plundered his home. The evil one has nothing left to use against us,... except our own insecurities..

One time a spirit woke me up whispering loudly in my ear. Most of the time when I had demonic encounters it was when I was asleep.

I also remember one night waking up and feeling a presence in my room with me that was horrible. It was as if the atmosphere of my room changed from a peaceful environment to one where the walls were literally festering and crawling with a coldness that was "Spiritual" for lack of a better term,... and a sense of thickness and deep dread.

Eventually I got angry and harshly chastised the evil spirit with the Word of God. When it fled from my room it was as if the festering permeation that was in the walls was literally pulled out with the exit of the demon. Speaking God's Word literally (Clensed) the atmosphere of my room till there was absolutely no sign that a demon had been in there.

God is ALL Powerful.

One way of seeing the unwitting connection that Christians can have with demons is by knowing what they struggled with (Before) they were saved by Christ.

Nothing will take a Christian down faster than a personal weakness. Even the Apostle Paul himself admitted that a "Messenger of satan" came to him and tormented him with a weakness in his flesh. 2nd Corinthians 12;7

That does not mean that Paul was possessed by a demon spirit. The spirit of a Believer is not given into the hands of the evil one, but, a person's mind, or "Soul" can most certainly come under attack. There is a vast difference between "Possession" and "Oppression".

Look at it like this... when a person is "Possessed" it literally means that they "Belong" to the possessor. But, a person can belong to God, yet still come under an oppression of the enemy. What then is oppression? Oppression means to be attacked, persecuted or besieged. Or in Paul's words in 2nd Cor 12.7, to be "Buffeted". Paul was not possessed by the devil that came against him, but he came under it's assault. Even Jesus Himself was attacked by satan. Where? In His (Mind). The devil could not take Jesus by force, so he tried to afflict His Mind in order to derail Christ from His true Purpose.

Likewise, the devil could not take Paul by force, so he assaulted him in a personal weakness.

Christians need never to fear being "Possessed" by a demon, because they do not (Belong) to the evil one anymore. The Bible says we are "Purchased" by God's own Blood. That means that we belong (Solely) to Him. So, He is the One who possesses us.

That however does not mean that we will not share in the sufferings of Christ. The devil will come against us and try to derail our Purpose in Christ Jesus. He did it with Paul, Peter and the rest of the twelve. He even tried it on Jesus Himself.

The sufferings of Christ is not sickness and disease. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Jesus ever got sick. So, His sufferings are not about bearing with sickness and disease. His sufferings come from His own personal trials in the body of a man. Hebrews 4 says that He was tempted in all ways that human beings are tempted, yet He did not give in and commit sin.

Christ suffered attack by temptation just like any of us. That is why Hebrews 4 goes on to say that He is (Touched) by the feeling of our weaknesses. He "Understands."

One word of advice... if you have asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Saviour then you can (Never) be "Possessed" by a demon. Possession means "Ownership". And, if God Owns you, no devil in the universe can stake it's claim over you. So if you are a Believer in Christ, don't ever let the evil one convince you that you are possessed by a demon. It will never happen. He may attack you in a personal weakness, but that is the extent of his ability to harm you. Don't give in. Don't open the door to anymore attacks by choosing to do the wrong thing in response to his assault. Christ was victorious over His own temptations. You can be too through Him.

Stormlust

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