What Should Christians Believe about the Causes of Demon Possession?

[sojourner4Christ]

You have removed words that I had in what I wrote that falsify your statement.

Your comment was parsed for the benefit of those with short attention spans. The gist of your comment, however, was not.

Notice that I specified that God has not revealed specific information...

I do not know of a single passage that you can point to in Scripture that explicitly connects [sin] to a specific person or people becoming demon possessed.

Scripture itself does not seem to directly and explicitly connect these specific sinful things to demon possession for specific people mentioned in Scripture.

...and I told you directly and explicitly why that is so:

The Holy Bible doesn't provide a step-by-step manual on how someone becomes demon-possessed. And that's a good thing, because plenty of wannabee's would be referencing it in their attempts to gain power. Rather, if one wants to know the truth, one must read the truth - i.e. the Holy Bible in its totality.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (Mat. 11).

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

my point is that Christians have no basis to hold that such-and-such occult practices that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible cannot cause demon possession because the Bible does not say that those things can cause demon possession.

In the Holy Bible, there are descriptions of "occult practices" that lead people away from God. How far away? Far enough to become lost and given over to Satan.

Also, the flippant and flagrant use of the phrase "demon possession," as explained earlier, displays a certain naivete that compromises the ostensible gist of the OP.

The OP:

The NT indisputably and emphatically reveals the reality of demon possession. Concerning those people who were demon possessed, one of two things had to have been true: (1) They were born demon possessed or (2) they became demon possessed at some later point in their lives.

The NT does not seem to provide any definitive information to establish that any people were born demon possessed. Taking that they were possessed at some later point in their lives, what caused them to become possessed?

The question has been answered. But because you insist on being right, rather than on possibly learning something, you have trashed your own OP.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

In the Holy Bible, there are descriptions of "occult practices" that lead people away from God. How far away? Far enough to become lost and given over to Satan.

Also, the flippant and flagrant use of the phrase "demon possession," as explained earlier, displays a certain naivete that compromises the ostensible gist of the OP.

The OP:

The question has been answered. But because you insist on being right, rather than on possibly learning something, you have trashed your own OP.

In actuality, the Bible presents almost no specifics or details about how the occultists engaged in the actual occult practices that the Bible directly talks about. Many Christians wrongly take such lack of specific information and argue that other things that are not talked about in the Bible at all cannot and do not lead to demonic influence or possession.

Yes, I continue to use the term "possession" because I do not agree with your understanding of what the Bible reveals about that information. Challenging your treatment of that concept requires careful study that takes time. When I have completed my own in-depth study of that subject, I will respond further to your claims.

You claim to be a "deliverance minister." I do not see that term anywhere in the Bible. Apparently, you think that it is legitimate for you to use terminology that the Bible doesn't use for a "ministry" that the Bible does not talk about.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

In the Holy Bible, there are descriptions of "occult practices" that lead people away from God. How far away? Far enough to become lost and given over to Satan.

You say that people "become lost" through engaging in "'occult practices' that lead people away from God." If your statements mean that you think that people who are truly born again and saved by God can "become lost and [be] given over to Satan," you are teaching what is wrong.

No one who is truly saved can become lost ever again.

 

[Van]

[quoter=Van]
If we read Mark 5:1 to Mark 5:20 we find the story of a "demon possessed man." He was confronted by Jesus and the demon possession was ended. Thus the cause was in part to demonstrate Jesus was who He said He was, by performing sign and wonder miracles. [/quote]

Well, the man was not actually "confronted by Jesus." Rather, the man ran to Jesus! IOW, the man was cognizant enough, apart from the influence of the devils within him, to realize that Jesus had the authority necessary to free him; all was not lost!

v. 6 - But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him

I will tell you with certainty, and from experience with deliverance, that devils do not run to Jesus and worship him! The man first ran to Jesus, then the devils within the man freaked out (aka manifested) at the appearance of Jesus.

1) Jesus commanded the demon(s) to come out of the man.

2) Scripture does not say why the man ran to Jesus,

3) The demon(s) might have compelled the man as a ploy, conjecture is simply conjecture.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

[quoter=Van]
If we read Mark 5:1 to Mark 5:20 we find the story of a "demon possessed man." He was confronted by Jesus and the demon possession was ended. Thus the cause was in part to demonstrate Jesus was who He said He was, by performing sign and wonder miracles.

1) Jesus commanded the demon(s) to come out of the man.

2) Scripture does not say why the man ran to Jesus,

3) The demon(s) might have compelled the man as a ploy, conjecture is simply conjecture.
[/QUOTE]

You are mistaken. I did not reply with these remarks. Someone else did: sojourner4Christ

 

[Van]

1) Jesus commanded the demon(s) to come out of the man.

2) Scripture does not say why the man ran to Jesus,

3) The demon(s) might have compelled the man as a ploy, conjecture is simply conjecture.

You are mistaken. I did not reply with these remarks. Someone else did: sojourner4Christ
[/QUOTE]
I seem to be making more and more errors, I am so sorry I misrepresented you with my blatantly false post.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

You are mistaken. I did not reply with these remarks. Someone else did: sojourner4Christ

I seem to be making more and more errors, I am so sorry I misrepresented you with my blatantly false post.
[/QUOTE]
It's ok. Mistakes happen.

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

Here is some of Jesus' own teaching about demon possession:

Luke 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

In this teaching, Jesus in effect declares that what He as the ultimate strong Man (who was also fully God) was doing was overcoming Satan and taking his (Satan's) "goods" from him.

Speaking of the deliverance of people from demon possession as delivering them from captivity by Satan supports the view that they were Satan's possessions in the sense that they were his captives. When people are captives of other people or of demons, they are in effect the possessions of those people or demons who have taken them captive and hold them captive.

Demon possession with reference to unbelievers is legitimate biblical terminology, and it is more than just demonic control.