Supernatural Truth Series

The US Library of Congress has a list of about 27 categories of Supernatural beings (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/tgm010399/) and the list included Centaurs Fairies, Ghosts, Ghouls, Mermaids, Monsters, Vampires, Werewolves, and so on. And on that page (where they list all these creatures) they noted that the word Supernatural was “Used For: Imaginary beings; Mythical creatures”. In other words, the creatures that are supernatural DO NOT EXIST! The problem (of course) is that - in their list – they also include: angels; demons; and (of course) Satan.

But why? Of all those creatures mentioned by the Library of Congress, why would angels, demons and Satan be listed as being imaginary OR mythical?

Well (according to the Oxford Dictionary) “Supernatural” means: a manifestation or event attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. In other words, the people who created this list for the Library of Congress believed that anything that could not be understood “scientifically or easily observed in nature must be imaginary. Of course, that makes sense because the term “SUPER-NATURAL means “That which is SUPER (or beyond) that which is NATURAL (what we’d expect).”

But by that standard, the entire Bible is filled with supernatural stuff. Every miracle recorded in Scripture is supernatural. Everything about Jesus – including His death, burial and resurrection - is supernatural. And we believe that our God is beyond our understanding (He’s Supernatural), and, because we believe in God, we also believe what He tells us about angels and demons – and even Satan – is true.

And we make no apologies for that!

ILLUS: Years ago, I had a conversation with a member of my family who thought that she could trip me up by asking me to defend the idea demonic activity. To her, anyone who believed in demons was - putting it kindly – naïve. The very idea of accepting that demons existed, conjured up visions of exorcisms and religious mumbo jumbo such as casting out demons from those who were “possessed.” And she may have even wanted to get me sidetracked by steering me into a conversation about the Salem Witch trials and the demonic possession that was the basis of that travesty. And I didn’t want to do that! I didn’t want to get into an argument I probably couldn’t win. So, when she asked me “Do you believe in demons?” I thought about that for a couple of moments and then said: “Well, I believe in angels, and the Bible tells me that demons are fallen angels. And while I’ve never seen a demon - I believe they exist because the Bible says they exist.”

And the Bible teaches us that demons were angels that work with Satan. Here in Matthew 25:41 we’re told that “the eternal fire (was) prepared for the devil and his angels.” Demons are Satan’s angels. In fact, Revelation 12 seems to say that shortly after Jesus rose from the grave, there was a war in heaven where Satan fought against God, and was defeated and thrown out of heaven. After he was defeated, the devil took a 1/3 of the angels with him. “Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon (Satan). And the dragon and his angels fought back” Revelation 12:7

Now, why should I care? What difference should that make to me whether or not demons are real? Well mostly, because the Bible says they are real, and they are our enemies. Ephesians 6:12-13 We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

There’s a spiritual battle taking place whether we want to admit it or not. And that spiritual battle involves spiritual forces of evil. That would be the demons. And God says “BE READY for that battle. Put on your full armor… and stand firm, because this is not a game. This is reality.

Throughout the Bible we read stories of demons troubling or possessing people. In the Old Testament there’s the story of King Saul who was troubled by an evil Spirit that led him to fits of rage and severe depression.

Then, in the New Testament, we see that Jesus confronted and CAST OUT demons from numerous people. One of the most dramatic was when Jesus was met by a demon-possessed man …. “For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission." (Luke 8:27-32) "Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid." Luke 8:35