14 Symptoms Of Demonic Operation

14 Symptoms of Demonic Operation

A Satan uses deception.

1 The word “deceive” paints a picture of a person who believes a lie to be the truth.

a The key area Satan uses to deceive people is the Word of God.

b If Satan can convince a person that God is a liar...he can get that person to violate God’s principles for living.

2 The devil/demons use perversion to distort the plan of God; God-given physical appetites.

a Food-gluttony; sex is God’s gift to man & woman in the bond of marriage-perverted into wickedness beyond imagination.

b Also accuse, work to defeat & destroy your faith.

aa Sin that God has forgiven.

bb Questions our motives

c Get us to blame God for our troubles.

aa Sin is to blame

bb If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (KJV)

d How do we know what we’re up against?

B Mental illness is very controversial in Christian circles.

1 Not all mental illness is the result of demonic attack.

a Good psychological cure/Christian professional are huge helps when a person is struggling.

b Also, medication may be necessary when a chemical imbalance has occurred.

c When counseling & medication don’t help, it’s possible that these symptoms could point to demonic operation.

2 I’m going to teach on the 14 symptoms of demonic operation.

a The first 6 symptoms are extreme, drawn from Mark 5.

b In the list, some of the symptoms can be caused by something other than demonic operation.

c We’ve needed a good push for a while.

aa Demonic operation isn’t on the radar.

bb Demons are everywhere!

cc This overdue focus is escalated because of new teaching.

B 14 Symptoms And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Mark 5:1-15 (KJV)

1 Symptom 1: Incapacity for normal living (v. 1-5)

a The demons made this man’s actions unsuitable for normal social interaction with family & friends.

b Graveyard: solitude, & loneliness sets in.

c The person will often become passive with no desire to change.

2 Symptom 2: Extreme behavior (v. 4)

a Explosive temper, extreme, uncontrollable anger.

b The people who love him/her are scared to death, walk on eggshells.

3 Symptom 3: Personality changes (v. 9 & 12)

a Not every dissociative disorder/multiple personalities is caused by demonic operations, but many are evidence of demonic activity.

b This man had a “legion” of spirits.

c Changes in personality (major or minor) may be a sign.

4 Symptom 4: Restlessness & insomnia (v. 5)

a “Up day & night”: could be a physical problem or a spiritual problem.

b It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Psalms 127:2 (KJV)