EDIT: Spiritual Warfare

Just a word of caution... I dont think there is anything wrong with studying the Bible to find out about demons and such, so long as it is kept in balance.

However, in Charismatic circles I know from personal experience that it is rarely in balance. Sometimes it can become an obsession. I found out after I left the Charismatic WOF movement that most of what I had been taught about demonology was wrong and unscriptural. Hardly any of it could be found in the Bible.

So please be very careful when approaching this topic. Lets not give the devil more credit than he deserves. If you're a believer, and you walking with God and filled with the Spirit... Satan is a toothless lion. Jesus won the victory. Thats all we need to know, right there.

Krispy

IRONMAN... You and I know each other well enough, my caution wasnt really aimed at you. It was more of a "blanket" caution for those who have an unbalanced interest in the topic. Thats all. :-)

Krispy

Hia brother IRONMAN,

Ha, you once called me the Iron-maiden of sorts.
I thought that was funny/cute. Thanks.

Hey, I don't see - casting demons out of cities or as you said "deliverance of a city" in the Word. If that were the case, we'd have at least ONE account of it in at least one of the 4 Gospels being done by Jesus Himself or in Acts by the first Church or somewhere in the Epistles.

Also, those Sceva brothers Weren't Saved. Ha !
Think that may have had something to do with them being Whooped.

The main thing in "dealing with devils" is to only give them as much attention as the Bible does. Do a word search and see.

The thing is not to focus on them, but to be so filled with The HOLY Spirit - that His Gifts are operating in you, [u]because that's the only way that Jesus and Paul operated[/u] ... dealing with each person or situation individually, with knowledge from The Holy Spirit at that moment, just what exactly type "thing" they were dealing with ... again, individually.

Only The Lord can tell you what's going on with each individual or situations... but that's never by human effort to "discern", but only by child-like dependence on The Father.
I don't think we should focus on the enemy ... but just pray for His Spirit to so fill us with all of the gifts. Yes, all of them - because the Holy Spirit is The Spirit of God and Christ and so what HE had on earth, we have and also - after we make Love and humility the top priority always.

The strongest man on earth is he who has the most Divinely given Agape.

Hope you and your family over seas are well.
I've listened intently to the News over this last year away from here and have prayed quite intensely for your family over seas, and you.

Please be well.
Love in Him.
Annie

IRONMAN... everytime I see your name on here all I can hear is Black Sabbath... w/ a distorted "I AM IRONMAAAAANNN...."

...lol

Krispy

Hey IRONMAN and Krispy,

I have to break-in here with a News Flash.
I didn't know where else to stick it and because I know that Krispy knows what station I listen to, I figured I stick it where he and you are posting presently.

I just now heard on 106.9 that in Raleigh they just past a new law that no one can fly more than 3 flags on their property.

One gas station has like 7 and some Auto-Sales place has maybe 9 or something and they're refusing to take the Extras down, so they'll be fined $500.00 A DAY for every flag over 3.

And as I type this, the song "I just don't understand" is on.

One verse of this song is, "I just don't know what to say".

Amen ta dat. :-?

TTYL - I gotta go to the Nursing Home in about an hour. Ha, no - they're not admitting just yet. rotfl
I just visit the folks.

from "Stunned in NC"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edit: The host just came back and clarified the ruling ... it's "just" to business owners.
I'm sure it makes a lot more sense now ... huh ?
Air Space ?

Can you imagine studying about demons, rather depressing don't you think?

Hi again Ironman

The best book on spiritual warfare (it may not be exactly what you're looking for, but what you need as starters!) that I've come across is "Born for Battle" by R. Arthur Matthews. He was a missionary in China at the time of the Communist takeover, and he and his family suffered terribly - yet proved the goodness of God in supplying all their needs, physical, emotional and spiritual, and bringing them out safely after 4 long years.

So he learnt about demons and demon-driven men the hard way.

Blessings

Jeannette

Jesus cast lots of demons out of individuals but did He deal with the ruling evil Power over Jerusalem, or that which drove the religious leaders, or the evil spirits behind Rome - which together conspired to crucify Him?

One day He will, but not just yet. One day we will see all things under His feet and "The kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ",(Revelation 11:15)
Heb 2:
[i][color=000066] 5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:
“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 lYou have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. [i][b]But now we do not yet see all things put under him[/b][/i]. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.[/color][/i]

[The New King James Version]

That doesn't mean we can't be used by the Lord in dealing with lesser evils, or with Enemy strongholds that He is giving temporary respite from. For example, I've heard that, in the Beatles era, when they began to go into drugs and Eastern religion etc, their pet Guru (forget his name) was going to visit them in Britain. When he arrived he had to turn around and go straight back, all his power was gone, I think, before he even stepped off the boat!

It seemed Christians were praying against his coming.

Yet, not many years later, he was able to come and the powers he brought with him had a huge, evil and lasting influence on our culture.

Was it because Christians had let their guard down, or did [i]God[/i] actually allow it? If He did, [i]why[/i] did He?

Kings and Chronicles both have the account of when David decided to number the people. One account says that Satan influenced David to do this wrong thing. The other says that [i]God[/i] caused it to heppen because He was angry with the people!

Which is true? Both of course!!!

So we need to know the mind of the Lord in each time of warfare. The OT battles give good illustrations of how to fight on the spiritual level. When people didn't obey the Lord or slipped into idolatry, they were defeated. When they obeyed they were victorious. When God said, "You don't need to fight this battle" they prayed instead, or praised because they believed Him, and the victory was given. God even said, occasionally "Don't fight. When they came to the Promised Land the first time, they rebelled and were afraid to go in, so God wouldn't allow them afterwards to go and try to fight, it was too late.

Jesus used different "methods" when healing and casting out demons. When there was a storm on Galilee, (as someone suggested, probably a demonic storm) Jesus didn't even bother to fight - He just went to sleep. He only took authority against the storm (apparently the words "be still!" literally mean "be muzzled!") in response to the terrified disciples' plea (and when fishermen panic at a storm at sea it has to be a bad one!)

Some examples off the top of my head, there must be many more.

Each time the ways of victory are different. But always from the basis of HIS Victory on the Cross. We fight FROM that Victory, not in order to gain it.

As it says in James 4:7, "Submit... to God. Resist the devil..."

....''Sigh'' I wish I knew more of the [i]practice[/i] of this, as well as the theory! :-(

Yours in Him

Jeannette