I am thinking about religious demons this morning.
A demon is a supernatural being who is not God but wants to be God. A demon is a fallen angel. A demon is in rebellion to God and will do all it can to get you to turn away from God. A demon is an evil spirit. A demon seeks to control and influence people by its evil spirit to engage in evil actions. A demon will teach and speak deceitfully. An evil spirit desires evil actions and outcomes. A holy spirit desires holy actions and outcomes. Because we are body, mind, and spirit, we are spiritual beings. We will be influenced by demons or by the Holy Spirit. We choose which spirit to follow. Demon possession, harassment, and influence are all clearly shown in the Gospels as activities of demons. How do we deal with demons as Christians?
We rebuke demons. “Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.” (Matthew 17:18, NIV84) The word ‘rebuke’ means to denounce and to express strong disapproval. Our words are powerful and we must use our words to renounce the acts that go against God’s purpose and character.
We cast out demons. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8, NIV84) The phrase “cast out” means to ‘to make leave,’ ‘to chase away,’ ‘to force to run,’ ‘to destroy,’ ‘to overpower,’ or ‘to kill.’. We show no mercy to demons but use all the power at our disposal to attack and destroy the demons.
We separate ourselves from the influence and activity of demons. “… I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1 Corinthians 10:20–22, NIV84)
Religious demons are demons that are religious. They are demons that have found a welcoming place in the church. They have found a welcoming place in the church because those who should be leaders in the church do not rebuke the demons, cast them out, or separate themselves from the demons. Religious demons may start out saying the right things, but their lives are full of hypocrisy. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1–3, NIV84)
Jesus saw that there were many religious demons. He called them ‘Vipers’, a poisonous snake whose bite leads to death. “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”” (Matthew 12:34–37, NIV84)
These vipers claim to know God but in their hearts they refuse to surrender and submit to God. “”Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Romans 3:13–18, NIV84) The religious demon has a purpose to destroy those who earnestly seek God.
Because religious demons are religious, they are found in the church. They wander in looking for a home and an open door. “”When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”” (Luke 11:24–26, NIV84)
The open door to a religious demon is any place that we become unwilling to obey the word of God and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Let me share some examples from what I have personally seen. Names are fictitious.
“Susan” becomes a Christian and begins attending church. Because she was not affirmed as a child, she has wounds of rejection. She desires affirmation in order to feel secure. God wants to heal the wound of rejection and replace the need for the affirmation of man with the desire to please God. God knows how strong Susan can become when she learns that her identity comes from the cross and not from the praise of man. God gives Susan many opportunities to serve in places that are unnoticed in order to allow Susan to grow intimate with God. Susan did not like the process of God and soon grew bitter and unfilled as a humble servant. Susan knew that this was not how a Christian should act, but she did not want to deal with her issues through the process of humility. Susan began to become manipulative in order to gain the approval she was seeking. She would say the right things to the right people and allow people to think of her as deeply spiritual. She began to see others in the church as the stepping stones to her destiny instead of seeing God as the author and perfector of her faith. Because Susan would not obey the Word of God in one issue of her life, she opened the door for demonic influence. Susan became a source of pain and destruction in the church.
“Joe” was a Christian leader who sincerely wanted to serve God. Joe however was insecure in his identity in Christ. Joe did not understand the God wanted to use him to empower others to greatness and destiny. Joe did not understand that the success of others was the fulfillment of his calling. Joe began to look for those who would affirm his leadership without threatening his identity as a leader. Soon Joe attracted people near him who gave him the right titles but could not excel in building the kingdom of God. Joe did not want to deal with his insecurity as a leader and this opened the door for religious demons. Soon a spirit of jealousy arose when someone’s calling, giftings and desire for excellence allowed a ministry to grow. Joe’s jealousy allowed a spirit of control to begin to destroy the growing ministry and the person ministering because Joe saw them as a threat to his identity as a leader.
As Christians, we are to look at people in the church and build them into their God destiny. We encourage what is good. We cast out demons. We rebuke demons. We build people by becoming living examples and inspirations to others of the power of God to transform our lives. We live holy lives that become powerful. We close the doors of anger, bitterness, pride and jealousy; we open the doors wide of compassion, love, and grace. We seek first that God would change us and then we encourage others by the demonstration of God’s power in our lives.
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