VI.  DEMON POSSESSION 

There are many cases of demon possession in the Bible but the best-known ones are: 

[Mark 5:1/14]…The Gaderene…healed in verses 8and 9

[Mark 16:9]…Mary Magdalene

[Luke 8:1/3]…Certain women…Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna

[Matt. 17:14/21] [Mark 9:17/29]……The Lunatic

[Luke 13:10/16]……..Infirm or Crippled

[Acts 16:16/18]…….The fortune teller

[Matt. 12:22]…….Blind mute 

Other than the fortune teller, all of these people praised and worshipped the Lord
after their deliverance. 

Anytime a demon is cast out of a person, that person must fill his heart with the Holy
Spirit and his life with serving the Lord.  The Word gives us a very clear picture of
what happens if we go back to living and thinking as we did before the possession and
during the possession and especially AFTER we were delivered from the demon spirits.

    [Matt. 12:43/45]  [John 5:8/14]  [2^nd Peter 2:19/22][Prov.26:11]

Can a Christian become possessed?  If we don’t follow the scripture….Eph. 4:26/32….
yes we can!  The whole Fourth chapter of Ephesians tells us how not to become possessed. 

In my opinion a Born-Again, Truly living it, Bible Reading Believer, Praying Christian
can not be possessed by an evil spirit.  We can be oppressed but we can overcome the
oppression. Jesus says He will not put any more on us than we are able to bear, but
with the persecution, He will make a way to escape. 

We find some scripture where PROFESSING people were possessed but if we look at
what their lives were before, we find that they gave a place for the evil spirit, a
location for it to rest and settle down and therefore became possessed! 

[John 6:70,71]  [John 12:3/6]  Luke 22:3/6]

Judas Iscariot….The betrayer of Jesus.  He was the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples
and we see that greed got the better of him. (He sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver)

[1^st Timothy 6:10]….God will supply your NEED but not your GREED. 

Ananias and Sapphira…Acts 5…lied to the Holy Ghost 
Both dropped dead…..you really need to read this. 

When a Christian stays in the Word and understands and lives it, I do not believe
he can become possessed… (There is no excuse for not understanding it as there are
too many translations that make it simple and there are also teachers. [Just make
sure you check the teachers out with the scriptures...prove them]

However there are some rules we must live by to stay clean of demon possession;

[2^nd Corinthians 2:9/11]

This tells us we must forgive and be obedient lest satan should get the advantage
over us for we are not ignorant of his devices.

[Ephesians 4:26,27]

If we get angry we must not sin or stay angry ‘till sundown.
This gives satan a foothold in your life.

[Philippians 4:6/9]

These scriptures tell us how to train our mind to think of all the good things and
therefore to gain peace.

[James 1:22/25]

This tell us not only to hear the Word but to be doers of the Word. (don’t just hear
or read the Word but do what it tells you to do) Also you might seem to be religious or
maybe look and act religious but if you can’t bridle (or control) your tongue your
religion is nothing. 

>>If we can’t LIE and we can’t GOSSIP and we are HEARERS and not DOERS,
it kind of closes the book on our “Religion”.>> 

[Luke 6:45]

A good man out of the good treasures of his heart bringeth forth that which is good;
and an evil man out of the evil treasures of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:
FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKETH!!

 Another few things we must do:

[John 10:1/5]….Learn to know who is speaking

[1^st John 4:1]….Try the spirits…see if they be of God

[Matt. 5:22/25]…Get rid of your anger

[John 8:42/47]…Stop lying! There is no such thing as a white lie or a fib. A lie is a lie!

[John 12:45/48]…Do not Compromise!   (Luke 12:37/40) 

[Eph. 6:10/18]...PUT ON THE WHOLE AMOUR OF GOD

Helmet of Salvation…
A protective covering for the head  [Proverbs 23:7]  [Proverbs 2:1/7]

(A)    Your thought process

(1)     What you think is what you say

(2)     What you say is what you get

Breastplate of Righteousness…In right standing with God  [Matthew 12:34/37]

Covers the upper torso of your body…”your heart”

Loins girded (bound) with the Truth

     [1^st Peter 1:13]   [Psalms 18:32/39]

(A)    Loins are the base of strength and power

(1)   God is our strength and power
 

Feet shod with the Gospel of Peace

(A)   A part that is in contact with it’s foundation

       [1^st Corinthians 3:10,11]  [2^nd Timothy 2:19]

ABOVE ALL THE SHIELD OF FAITH

(A)   Shield…A moveable protection in battle to Quench (put out) all the fiery
darts of the wicked.  Don’t become a sparring partner for satan

Above All …means… None of the rest of the armor will work without the
SHIELD OF FAITH.

The Sword of the Spirit….The Word of God… [Heb. 4:12]

(A)   Sword…A weapon of power and authority for combat.

 [John 4:39/42]  [James 4:7]  [John 14:16,17]

In the Christians life, the Whole Armor of God is  THE APPLIED WORD OF GOD.
(the Word put into use) This Applied Word of God is the Holy Spirit working in you.