Discerning Devil Spirits

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A Primer on the Devil, his minions and their ways, and how to defeat them at every turn.

I Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual matters, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

I Corinthians 12:10   For another (profit) the working of miracles; for another discerning of spirits; for another kinds of tongues; for another the interpretation of tongues;

I Corinthians 2:14, 15   But the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned of no man.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ.

Our ability to see, understand and discern spirits and spiritual matters is based on the ability of Christ within.  (“ability” is dunamis – see study on  What is the POWER of God?).  Without that ability, we are spiritually helpless and open to spiritual deception.

Ephesians 4:14, 15   That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight (fixed games) of men, and cunning craftiness which has as its purpose the systematizing of error.  But living out the truth in love, we may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, Christ.

The more we grow up into Christ, into his being, into his thinking, into his spirit, the more we will experience life exactly as he would.   The more we recognize life as a Christlike being, more and more seeing the truth of God in everyday life, the more readily we will then discern that which is not the truth of God in everyday life.

See previous study    Truth vs. Reality

John 10:10a   The thief comes not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (utterly ruin, render totally ineffective)….

When a man acts under the influence of the thief, that behavior is called sin.  Today, all sin has been forgiven by God, through the work of His son Jesus Christ.   That forgiveness is a very practical thing.  God has freed us from the debt of sin, and also freed us from the power of sin.  (See  Freedom from Sin’s Domination)  Today, those who accept that work of Jesus Christ and take its benefit as their own are found by God to be without blame for sin.  In Christ, the devil is found to be the guilty party regarding sin.

 John 16:8, 11   And when he (the holy spirit) is come, he will reprove (expose the reality of a thing in the light of truth) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment;  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Since the prince of this world has been judged by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he has been exposed, and in that exposure, has been and is being defeated.

Colossians 2:14, 15   Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (in that exposure).

This exposure, judgment and triumph over the prince of this world, who had been the hidden foe of mankind, was the main reason that Jesus Christ came into this world, did what he did, died like he died, and lives like he lives (in and through us)! (see the study  The Mystery of Christ).

I John 3:8   He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

What destroys darkness is light.  What destroys lies is truth.  What destroys hate is love.  What destroys accusation is justification.  What destroys the devil is Christ.

Colossians 1:13   Who (God) has delivered us from the power (exousia – authority) of darkness, and has transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

We are free from the kingdom of darkness, having our citizenship and inheritance in a kingdom of light.  In that light, the dark one is exposed and in that exposure, is defeated.    (See study  The Nature and Source of Light).

Ephesians 5:8-13   For you were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord; walk as children of light;  (For the fruit of the light (KJV reads “Spirit”, which is erroneous) is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose in the light of truth) them.  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light; for whatsoever does make manifest is light.

The Greek word for devil spirit, or demon, is daimon.   Daimonizomai is translated “possessed by a demon.”   Bad translation!  It literally means to be “demonized,” which is “to have or take on the quality or influence of a devil spirit.”

We have all seen the workings, through people, of devil spirits.  Those influences which, when acted upon, steal, kill and destroy.  They don’t make sense.  They’re not reasonable.  They are destructive, self-destructive and pointless, except to steal, kill and destroy as a thief!  They always leave the person, the people, the situation, the relationship poorer (steal), gone completely (kill), or rendered completely ineffective (destroy).

When you clearly see (and I don’t mean with the physical eyes) the power, the thing that is doing the influencing… now you have discerned a devil spirit.  And once you have seen that influence as something separate from the person (even if that person is yourself),  then the only thing left is to speak, see, acknowledge the truth of Christ into that situation.  That’s it!  And the power of darkness will leave.  It might not be immediately; but it is only a matter of time, after the lie has been exposed and the truth made known, for that lie to become a faded memory.

Having discerned them, I have said “Get out of here,” to devil spirits and had them laugh at me, but be completely gone within minutes.  On the other hand, I have told spirits to leave and had them vanish instantly!  I have simply recognized the presence of a devil spirit, at the same time knowing it would now have to leave… and it has happened without me saying a word.  I’ve only loved another in Christ’s love, or clearly preached the gospel, and subsequently seen the devil spirit(s) clear out.  Sometimes,  they take the person with them!

You do not need to rage, rant, speak angrily, even forcefully to that spirit (though that is a possibility) because the power that causes darkness to flee is light, not anger, not being adamant.   Truth dispels lies.  Light dispels darkness.  The presence of Christ causes devil spirits to flee.  The revealing of the presence of Satan is Satan’s demise, because Satan can only succeed in spiritual darkness.  Wherever and whenever the presence of the spirit of Christ is manifested, Satan is defeated every time!

Following is a partial list of devil spirits and their workings.  Their names aren’t as important as the fact of what they do!

Bondage – No way out, surround on all sides, insist that you owe something
Lust – Your fulfillment is just around the next corner, just out of reach, you need more!
Strife (Arguing) – Insists on own rightness, needs to make its point, doesn’t listen
Inordinate affection – infatuation, can’t get mind off it, need to think about it
Railing – how dare they!  How stupid!   Look at how wrong they are!
Revelry – P – A – R – T – Y !!!!!!!       3 or more drunks together!
Envy – their success is your failure
Fear – grips, shakes, clouds, weakens… beyond all reason, granddaddy of bondage
Suicide – it’s the only way.  It will solve the unsolvable.
Murder –  the desire needs no reason whatsoever.
Terror – fear with panic
Pride – Self entitlement.  The heart of vanity.  Self-centered.  I am god.
Depression – self-loathing, self-hate, self-flagellation
Witchcraft – commune with or operate spiritual powers by means of drugs, spells
Fornication – need to titillate and/or be titillated (Greek word is pornos)
Wrath – self-righteous anger, indignation,  I’m offended !!!
Indignation –  similar to wrath… “How dare you!”
Resentment –  blames others for their sad lot in life
Hate – withholding any and every caring or empathetic thought.  Allows no feeling!
Confusion – No dots connect.  Hears words, sounds, but nothing connects.
Oppression – push, force, wrap tightly around, don’t let up, keeps driving, pushing.
Deception – makes a turd look like steak, a terrible relationship look good and needful
Slumber – unable to grasp truths, or anything of importance.  Asleep at the wheel of life.
 

A lot of the above may seem a lot like normal life.  In the world, it is normal life.  It is only in the light of Christ, as we see, claim and experience a life of light and love in the presence of God that the darkness becomes readily apparent.  The hand of the thief becomes apparent in the light of the secure peace and prosperity found only in the spirit of Christ.

Romans 13:12-14  The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for the benefit of its lusts.

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Related studies:
MMFN – The Man No One Knew
The Devil, Our Enemy
Satan Exposed
The God of Death – Part 1
The Spirit of Envy
Walk in a Circle