Lesson:
The devil and his evil spirits today cause most of the bad things in the world. If someone is being a jerk to you, chances are an evil spirit is motivating them. Demon spirits often causes illness, disease, and mental disorders, too. Sometimes these spirits live inside the people, sometimes they have attached themselves to them, and sometimes they are just attacking. Not every illness, disease, mental disorder, or person acting like a jerk is a demon spirit. That is where having the ability to discern spirits helps.
The gift, another of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, allows you to tell if there is a demon spirit present, or if it is something else causing the problem. If you determine that it is a demon spirit, then you can cast it out or rebuke it in the Name of Jesus.
When Jesus walked the earth, He cast out demons all the time. A man at the edge of town that was chained up and left in a cemetery was thought to be crazy. But, Jesus knew he was demon-possessed. That means that demons lived inside him. Jesus cast out the demons and the man was just fine. He went home to his family who was astonished. 1 Jesus cast the demons out of a blind man who couldn t talk. Suddenly, the man s sight came back and he was able to speak again. 2 Even after Jesus went on to heaven, His disciples continued to cast out spirits. 3 Jesus told us that His followers would cast out demons in His name. 4 That means you, too. If you are a follower and believer of Jesus, then you have the authority, in Christ, to cast out demons.
But, if you are not, don t try it. Some men who weren t followers of Christ tried it. They announced to the demons, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." But, the demon answered him, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man who was demon-possessed jumped on them, beat them up and sent them running off naked. 5
Although, you can cast out demons (as long as you are truly one of God s) without the ability to discern spirits, it is much easier with it. When you tell a spirit, "Come out in the name of Jesus!" it is also helpful to say the spirit s name. Their name is usually the same as what it is they do to a person. In other words, if you have a friend that is very afraid of something, she is probably being attacked by the spirit of fear. You can rebuke it (tell it to go away) by saying, "I rebuke the spirit of fear in the name of Jesus!" If you feel it is living inside her add, "Spirit of fear, come out of her in the name of Jesus!" If you are the one who is afraid, just tell it to "Go away, in the name of Jesus!" The Name of Jesus alone... just His Name... is more powerful than any demon or devil.
The gift of discerning spirits is not just the ability to pick out the evil ones. You will also be able to tell when someone has a sweet spirit, too. You will be able to tell God s own. 6 But, if they are true followers of Jesus, walking in His ways, you won t need a gift of the Spirit to do that. You will be able to tell; just by the way they act.
1) Can a person be demon possessed and Spirit-filled (having the Holy Spirit living inside them) at the same time?
(No. Evil cannot exist in the presence of God. And the Holy Spirit is the presence of God in you. But, demon spirits do try to attack Spirit-filled people by trying to tempt them to sin.)
2) Are demon-possessed people like what you see in the scary movies?
(Not usually. What happens is that normal people sometimes unknowingly invite an evil spirit to live in them. That evil spirit often controls a person s free will and clouds their judgment. The demon is in control)
3) What are some ways a person invites a spirit to live in them?
(Sin opens the door for demons to move right in. Sin is anything that is against God. They are especially attracted to ...people experimenting with the occult (Ouiji boards, tarot cards, palm readers, etc.), demonic and cursed objects, (especially things that represent worship to a false God, like a buddha statue or Egyptian Ahnks)
4) Can you have more than one evil spirit living in you at once?
(Yes. When Jesus met the man in the cemetery, the demons in him called themselves "Legion" because there were so many of them.)
5) How can you protect yourself from demons and keep them from trying to attach or move in with you?
(Don t sin, would be the obvious answer. But, also make sure that you don t have occult or demonic items in your home. One of the devil s latest tricks is to get people to buy demonic toys. These are usually action figures in the shape of hideous monsters and creatures. Jewelry, comic books, posters, books, and even music have been known to attract demonic spirits. A discerning spirit will help pick out what shouldn t be in your home. But, if you start looking at things as if you are looking through the eyes of Jesus that will help you get rid of the evil stuff.)