Spiritual Warfare 6

We continue to examine satan's influence in our lives, viewing today his ultimate weapon of destruction: he overpowers.
Acts 10:38 --how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

This refers to a specific bondage. Some would say “a demonic attachment.” Others: “demonization.” It is an affliction of the soul or body that is empowered by evil spirits. This is often a result of a “sin foothold” of pre or post conversion ungodly behavior or attitude. Sexual sin, hatred, rebellion, and drug abuse seem to be the most prevalent way satan establishes attachment along with astrology and board games that utilize demonic power. Other people who work in this arena include other strongholds like homosexuality, alcoholism, sexual abuse as children, dedication to satan as children, curses leveled by witches covens and through trauma.

A dear friend of ours relates this story regarding trauma as an entry point for demonic attachment. “Our daughter had a spirit of fear attach to her when she watched a horror movie at a friend’s house. I knew nothing of this until one day she told me that every time she saw a knife she would get so scared that she would start to cry and break out in a sweat. After investigating, I discovered the entry point was this movie that had so frightened her. We simply prayed to remove it and it was gone.”

Some also believe that a major arena for demonic attachment can be generational - passed from a demonized parent to offspring. Probably the most subtle demonic attachment comes to the “super spiritual” Christian. This kind of Christian is described by C.S. Lewis as,
“Whenever we find that our spiritual life is making us
feel better than someone else -
we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil.”

Some would say that there is pride and then there is a “spirit of pride” - a demonic pride attachment. This would come from the Bible student who thinks they know it all or the super star charismatic living a double life or even the legalist who is led by dogmatic principles rather than by God. Pride - a silent killer! The question that, in my opinion, is unanswerable, “When does the sin of pride cross the line and become a demonic attachment? Or of lust? Or of rage?”

Some unbalanced “demon chasers” see any aberration as demonic and set about casting out the demon of anger, lust, homosexuality or whatever. This tends to take personal responsibility away from the angry, or... person and the problem remains acute. Often this leads to a transient journey of going from one “deliverer” to another, hoping to be delivered from a spirit of ..., instead of assuming personal responsibility to follow Biblical guidelines for diminishing the problem.

Can a Christian be demon possessed?
Remember, we’re addressing the topic of satan harassing Christians. Can a Christian be so overpowered by satan that he/she could be labeled “demon possessed?” The general consensus of those ministering in this arena appears to be this: Christians can be demonized (have a spirit attached) but not possessed.
“Possession connotes a totality of ownership incompatible with the eternal ownership of a soul by God. Demonization comes in various degrees and controls or influences with various effects, limited to influence a Christian’s life only where that aspect of life is unyielded.” (Tom White).

Our scheme of attack on satan’s overpowering:
Deliverance. Deliverance seems to have a double barrel shot gun approach. Let me explain. As a teenager growing up in North Dakota, pheasant hunting was an exciting activity - both for the sport and the meat. I had an old double barrel 12 gauge shotgun. Each barrel had a trigger and if I missed on the first shot, I’d just pull the second trigger and the other barrel would fire. I wasn’t so accurate that I could “shoot the eye out of a bird in flight”, but the Burwick household had its share of pheasant meat - and very tasty it was.
In our attack on satan’s overpowering schemes, we fire one barrel by having a person experienced in demonization prayer, pray against the evil spirit(s). The other barrel is triggered by the victimized person him/herself. The person firing this barrel can shoot accurately and with confidence because of a threefold strategy: realizing that victory over the evil one is secure, repenting and putting on the soldier’s armor. Let me elaborate.

Realize a Christian's victory over the evil one is secured. Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he (Christ) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
A Christian’s victory over the evil one is guaranteed. Romans 8:38-39 tells us For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Consequently, a believer in Jesus knows that
1. The supremacy of Jesus name binds the evil one. Matthew 18:18-20
I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
2. He/she has confidence in His atoning blood. Revelation 12:11
They overcame him (satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
3. Christ’s empowering is greater than satan’s power. Luke 10:19
I have given you authority... to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

The Christian’s victory over the evil one is secured. By faith, not by feeling, claim it. Acton it.