Spiritual Realms (8/11)

INDEX

The Heavenly Realm in Rebellion to God

CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMONS (continued)

THEY ARE LIVING, HEAR AND RESPOND

(Mark 3:11 NIV) Whenever the evil spirits saw him (Jesus), they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."(Mark 3:12 NIV) But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
(Luke 4:34 NIV) "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"
(Luke 4:35 NIV) "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

THEY ARE INTELLIGENT AND KNOWLEDGABLE

(Mark 1:23 NIV) Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
(Mark 1:24 NIV) "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"
(Mark 1:25 NIV) "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"

THEY HAVE EMOTIONS

(Matthew 8:29 NIV) "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
(Matthew 8:30 NIV) Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.
(Matthew 8:31 NIV) The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."

THEY ARE OF SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE AND SEEK A BODY TO WORK THROUGH

(Luke 8:33 NIV) When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
(Luke 10:19 NIV) I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
(Revelation 16:13 NIV) Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

THEY HAVE A WILL

(Matthew 12:43 NIV) Jesus said "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
(Matthew 12:44 NIV) Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

THEY DRIVE AND TORMENT PEOPLE

(Mark 5:5 NIV) Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

THEY GIVE SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH

(Luke 8:29 NIV) For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

THEY CAN WORK IN GROUPS AND WITH AN AUTHORITY STRUCTURE

(Luke 8:2 NIV) and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
(Ephesians 6:12 NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

THEY DO NOT DIE WHEN HUMANS DIE

(Numbers 19:11 NIV) "Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days.

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