My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.
-Daniel 6:22
And the great dragon was thrown
down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the
deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his
angels were thrown down with him.
-Revelation 12:9
I know many people who believe in some kind of vauge idea of God, but do not allow themselves to believe in much beyond that. They think Jesus is a cool guy, but would be embarassed to call him "Lord." Heaven has developed as a picture in the collective mind of our culture as something like the golden palace at the end of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves"...Angels are thought of as people who wear white robes and strum on harps. And demons? No one really likes to talk about them, unless it's the YA Fiction writers who don't seem to have a solid knowledge or interest in the "side of good"(And hey, not trying to be a hypocritical here...I've read The Mortal Instruments series-and things like it-and enjoyed it for what it was. Theologically accurate not being one of those things that it was...).
So who believes in angels and demons? Really? Who thinks it's important in everyday life?
Well, I do, and I wanted to say so.
I am not an expert, and I don't even have a lot of time to write about this, but a recent experience has reminded me of the realness of these beings and the role they play in our lives. I wanted to say something about angels and demons, because I think that people are in the middle of a war that they can't even see.
What kind of war? I'll tell you this, it's not a war between winged babies and some kind of prosthetic creature off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
If you do not have the Holy Spirit, beware. Demons can come in. They can influence you not only indirectly, but also directly. Some of you may be offended by this, but it is not meant to be offensive. These are greater beings than you and I, and only a close relationship with God will act as a protection from a direct attack or possession. People don't like to talk about this, but the fact is, it does happen. Personally, I interned at a mental hospital and I have seen things and heard stories that cannot be explained by mental instability alone. Many times these stories involve not only bizarre and demonic behavior but also superhuman strength.
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For
he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart
and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
-Mark 5:1-8
-Mark 5:1-8
In other countries, the phenomenon of demon possession is commonly acknowledge, but in America we like to put other names on it and make scary movies about it so we can believe it is not real. I fear for my friends who are not believers, and I pray for their protection from such occurences.
Many times in the New Testament, Jesus commands the demons to come out, and they always do. A relationship with Jesus, wherein His Holy Spirit lives in you, prevents demons from coming inside of you. But can they still influence you?
Indirectly, yes, I believe the answer is yes.
Have you ever read The Screwtape Letters by my favorite guy, (besides my husband and dad) Mr. C.S. Lewis? I was talking to a friend who has read half of it recently and she said that whenever she's try to read the book, she has experienced spiritual assault. Interestingly enough, the book itself is about spiritual assault. But what is spiritual assault, you might be wondering?
Well, I am not sure what it looks like for everyone, but I have an anecdote of what it looks like for me. For me, it comes in the form of temptation. Temptation towards things which I know are would not quite line up with Biblical advise. Things which tug on the edge of my own discernment as a Christian. Sometimes small things are bigger for one person in this regard than it would be for others. I think of it as opening a door. If Satan can tempt you into opening one small door, than he can get you through another, and another. The end goal for this kind of influence in the believer is not the loss of salvation (that cannot be taken away) but a transformation of a believer's lifestyle into one that is not God-honoring. Basically, if you are a Christian but are not living a life that reflects God's love, then you are not growing or helping others to find life.
The doors can be small, here are some basic examples:
The doors can be small, here are some basic examples:
"Can you believe how trashy that person was at church today?" Tearing down the Body instead of building it up.
"He'll think I look so hot in this bikini" Causing someone else to stumble.
"I want everyone to see me the way I want them to see me" (HELLO SOCIAL MEDIA)- idolatry of self
I was thinking about all of this recently when I experienced spirtual assault recently in the way that it has come at me on and off in my life-through my dreams. I don't think this is super common for most people, but let me tell you about it-
I have always been an avid dreamer. I have some of the most complicated, story-driven dreams of anyone I know. It's wonderful to have adventures in my sleep and experience a whole realm that couldn't exist in the real world. However, I have also always been more susceptable to attack in my dreams. It started when I was little with nightmares. One of my worst fears would play out, and then it would be something more, a feeling of fear which was not equivalent to the experience of the dream. A weight on my chest. A nightmare but worse. Infrequent and discernable from regular nightmares.
I have always been an avid dreamer. I have some of the most complicated, story-driven dreams of anyone I know. It's wonderful to have adventures in my sleep and experience a whole realm that couldn't exist in the real world. However, I have also always been more susceptable to attack in my dreams. It started when I was little with nightmares. One of my worst fears would play out, and then it would be something more, a feeling of fear which was not equivalent to the experience of the dream. A weight on my chest. A nightmare but worse. Infrequent and discernable from regular nightmares.
After I became a Christian, my mom taught me that, if I realized within my dream that it was no ordinary dream, I should call out the demon and cast it out of my dream in the name of Jesus Christ. You wouldn't think that would be super practical in a dream. Well, guess what? It has worked every time I have needed it since then (and this has only happened a handful of times when I have been aware of it.)
It hasn't happened in awhile, but the other night I had fallen susceptable to a temptation that I shouldn't have (I was avoiding that fact). When I went to sleep, there was the dream. Starting out as a nightmare, but then, mid-dream, I realized that it wasn't. The villain in my dream was a big man, inhumanly strong, fighting off three other men to get to me. I jumped in front of him and yelled "Demon!" at him. He froze, shaking. Suddenly I was shaking. His eyes were red and he stared at me, vibrating rage. In the dream, it felt like my lips could hardly move. "Jesus' name" I managed to whisper over and over. "In the name of Jesus Christ begone."
I instantly woke up, still whispering the words and shaking. I grabbed Dane's hand and woke him up, praying aloud. Suddenly, I felt a comfort surrounding me. You guys might not believe me, but I think there were angels in the room. I knew that I had left a door open where Satan could wiggle into my dreams, and, clear as a voice in my head, I knew what I needed to do to remove the temptation which had opened it.
I believe that Angels are still on the earth as God's messengers, and I believe they are protectors and comforters. I do not picture them as Valentine's Day cupids, but as great celestial warriors. I hope you read the two Biblical passages at the beginning of this blog post. One pointed out that it was one of God's angels who protected Daniel in the lion's den. Angels are real, and they are powerful, not silly. Demons are angels who have joined the "Dark side." Fact is though, there are twice as many angels as there are demons, so that's good news.
Even better news, if you have the Holy Spirit living inside you, there is nothing to fear.
As I said, I am not an expert on these two beings, but I felt compelled to share some thoughts with you all.
This is a good resource listing some Biblical references to both angels and demons, please check it out.
Sources:
Wow! Katie. I agree with you.
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