What do you all actually think demons are

hootowl · Sep 13, 2013

HI

I have just read through a post from someone who thinks his wife could be influenced by a demon.
Some of the answers he received were fantastic.

I would love to hear what you people think Witch Craft really is?
Demon possessed ?
Satanism?
Karma?
Do you honestly think a demon is going to get inside your body and some priest is going to come along and get rid of it.
Have you ever studied any of this stuff?

Honestly with all due respect you have a person or persons with severe emotional problems or even some sort of mental disorder. These people should be encouraged to see a doctor. They obviously need some sort of anger management therapy.

Instead I read total rubbish of dark figures lurking ready to attack. And to get help from bible etc etc etc.

Everything has a place and at this stage it is not a place for the bible. It is a place for medical help only then can you use spiritual help when the person is capable of listening.

Wow the words the dead cant hurt you, it is the living you have to watch is truly spoken in this case.

Hoot owl

Jordache · Sep 13, 2013

What a breath of fresh air! Honestly I find it obnoxious sometimes when so many people attribute so much to the devil and demons.
1. Witch Craft is alive and well. There are people who read palms, practice black/white magic, worship with drugs, and place curses on people. I have a friend from highschool who was always very odd. She was very sweet, but something was off. She actually calls herself a pagan. So, yes this witchcraft is alive.
2. People can be demon possessed. Christian cannot be possessed but opressed. Demon-possessed people are inhabited by a demon or more than one that has control over them, but the person is still active in there also. I have personally seen demons manifested and its not pretty.
3. Satanism is also around. The intentional worship of satan is usually underground.
4. Karma is an eastern though, not a biblical principle. The issue I see is that using the term karma eliminate an individuals responsibility instead blaming what you reap on simple cause and effect.

People do have mental issues and some could be caused by demonic oppression or possession, but people need to realize the medical side. Any person in this situation needs both spiritual help and medical, but they cannot be separated.

Spiritfilled1 · Sep 13, 2013

I don't know the post you are talking about so it is hard for me to determine the situation you are talking about. Demon possession does exist however I do not believe that it is the horrible portrayal that is most often seen on television. Usually a catholic priest throwing holy water and reading scripture. What I do know is that every spirit must submit to Jesus. I have seen these long drawn out dramatics on television and even video of the pope. I have seen evil spirits in people also and even quietly rebuked them in the name of Jesus and they must submit and leave. I have yet to come across a situation that is any different. Maybe some of you have experienced something different. And as Jordache said there is also most definitely demonic oppression. However there are definitely those who are mentally ill and that mental illness can cause some terrible behaviors.

texascowgirl · Sep 13, 2013

In all honesty I have not done enough study on the word demon, but I do not believe it ever meant what it does today. I apply the word demon possessions more to sickness. there are all kinds of sickness such as personality disorders. I do not believe in demons as is taught today.

RedTent · Sep 13, 2013

I liked M Scott Peck's "The Road Less Traveled" so well I read all he wrote. He is considered a leader in the field of psychiatry and his "People of the Lie" is very interesting. Now I just read the book his pal, Malcolm Martin wrote documenting five cases of possession and exorcism.

They say demon possession is quite rare, but people being influenced by demons is not. It is through accepting sin and things that are contrary to God that demons have influence. All people who accept Christ as their guide are immune from demons. Christ has power over them. A person working as an exorcist must not attempt anything like this through their own power, it is only through Christ that they can work. They warn against assuming possession without a medical and physical examination of the person in question No one should work with possessed people until they go to Christ to be cleansed by His blood, they must have a strong faith in God.

Because the church has become so secularized, and because of the sort of fashion in the churches of tolerance of sinful behavior, demons are becoming more and more powerful in our world. There are few cities or towns where you could not find a group practicing witchcraft, a major opening for demons to work with people.

Because such terrible things were done in the name of demon possession like murders of innocent people accused of being witches, and ill people treated as possessed people, the church wouldn't listen to Christ as He told us there was such things. We need to know, but as God would tell us, not as the movies tell us.

Ugly · Sep 13, 2013

hootowl said:

There is a lot of hyper-spiritualized rabble about mental illness equaling possession. But to completely discredit the concept of possession is just as bad as seeing possession everywhere.

I'm not Catholic so a priest means nothing to me. And nothing in the bible supports the idea that only a certain religious caste is allowed to participate in casting out demons. I have been apart of this myself once. And i have seen people who were truly possessed.

Karma? It's a load of crap. It's unbiblical and any Christian who uses the term should learn the true meaning of it. It is NOT the same as 'you reap what you sow'.

What's so hard to believe about satanism? Its a legitimate religion. Not a wise one, but it exists, and has for a long time. So i don't see what your issue is with this.

A place in your life where the bible doesn't belong? Are you a Christian?

Witchcraft is the work of demons. It is mentioned biblically (or is this a place where the bible doesn't belong too?).

And yes, as a Christian teen i did have an interest in the spirit realm, possession, occult, etc.. Not to participate, but the concepts fascinated me from a Christian standpoint. I saw may things at that time.

hootowl · Sep 14, 2013

Hello Ugly

Ok lets go.....

Witchcraft: In the old days people who used herbs etc and hermits were classified as witches. People animals were dying killed by witches. In fact it was poison weeds that were growing in the grasses. But you only had to point and cry witch and innocent people were burned by Christians.
Christianity drove the Druids underground too.
Yes witches still exist the problem I have is the white witches who profess to be Christian. Why were Adam and Eve cast out? Because they ate from the tree of knowledge in the old testament it was an apple (correct me if wrong) God did not want them to know the future. White witches tell fortunes they say they can tell the future. That is going against the bible I think. That is called sitting on the fence.
Apart from that I do not have a problem with witches.

Priests: Priest Are Catholic there are also priests in Satanism, a few priests around so my mistake I should have said gentlemen of the cloth.

Karma: The bible says as you sow so you shall reap. Karma says reincarnation. Did not Jesus say he was coming back "There will be a second coming" When I learned English that was the same as coming back again same as Reincarnation they mean the same thing.

If reincarnation does not exist how could have Jesus died for me why should I be be grateful, I was not there unless I have come back.

Karma says if we hurt others we will walk that path ourselves. Much more believable then killing and raping and repenting on your death and you walk free. Maybe people are scared of the fact they will be held accountable no matter what God they believe in.

Voodoo: Is very good magic performed. The raising of the dead were people who were injected with a poison from a certain fish that made them Comatose for a few days then their families were told by Shamans for a price they would be brought back from the dead. I think that is what have happened to Jesus, in those days people knew no better.
I myself have seen in market places animals throats slashed and they get up and run around again nothing wrong.
To me Voodoo is clever but not really damaging.

Now let us talk Black Magic (Satanism) this my friends does exist. I was lucky enough to have visited and stayed for two weeks in the Museum of Black Magic and Witchcraft in Douglas Isle of Man. It has since been bought by Ripleys.
Dr Gardner owned that. Aliestar Crawley was the top Black Magician of the twentieth century and I think the seventeenth most famous man. Those two worked together. I was close to the people who ran the place.

I had a lot of respect for both Crawley and Gardner and what they did. On saying that I could not be one of them their rites go over the guidelines of my beliefs.

Their stuff actually did work I can attest to that from what I have seen of it.

Demons: There is good and bad in all of us.
I was talking to my doctor once I am a smoker. I asked him "why tell me not to smoke when you chain smoke"
He explained we all have Cancer but in some the smoke will make it grow.

This is the same as good and evil we all have it. In some of us the evil does not grow but in others depending on their life style their needs and wants. No teachings of right and wrong is going to stop them ( a little like a naughty child)
Once they get caught their families say "oh must have a demon inside them none of us are like that" So the poor old demon gets the blame. Nothing can make people bad unless they wish to be. Unless a sickness of some sort is making them out of control that is why I said there is no room for the bible at this point a doctor is needed. They are not going to listen. Try the bible with a drunk or even trying to reason with one till they have dried out you would find yourself wearing it. That is not a demon.

Have you heard people say when they have killed somebody "God told me to" same difference. But because it is God people are then diagnosed as ill. But if not God then Demon laughable.

So how about we all give the poor old Demon a chance, if you meet one and are nice it may even become friendly.

Christian: No I am not a Christian.

Hoot owl

hootowl · Sep 14, 2013

Hi JOrdache

Where witches are concerned they are harmless as I said in my post just wish they would decide which side they are on lol

The Druids loved nature they worshiped the oak tree. They should have been left alone anyone who loves animals and nature in my book is ok. They also had their priests.

You say people can be demon possessed I have met evil in my life time but would not have attributed it to demon possession
You could say that Gardner and Crawley were demon possessed because of the things they liked to do. But the people they did these things with were willing. In my post to Ugly you will see that I have witnessed and believe that those two did have some kind of powers. But if we look at the brain the human brain is not opened up fully we only use a little part. Some have opened up more than others. What could we do if our whole brain could be used.

I honestly cannot see why a Christian cannot be evil or do evil. Possessed as you put it. A Christian is human and open to all the same temptations as we are. The only difference is they say God told them to. They were doing Gods will the person was evil and deserved to die. All done in Gods name.

Karma actually does mean you have to except responsibility for what you do. The thing with Karma is we do know the punishment too. Have you read the guidelines of Karma? they are tough and no excuses. Actually a lot of Christians now are starting to refer to it as they live their lives. In my post to Ugly you will see the reference to it.

The cause is not always our fault but the effect can be softened by referring to Karma's teaching. " What someone does to us is their Karma, What we do in return is our Karma"

It is a fact that people do have different personalities and they are guide by the effects of this and again this is an illness possibly partitioning somewhere in the mind I do not have the ability to diagnose that. But certainly not demons.

Satanism is alive and kicking but I get on well with them they do not try to harm me and their beliefs are up to them.
What I would not tolerate is the hurting of a living thing in their rites and also I have the problem of a few other things that are not in my guidelines Satanism would not be an option for me.
Having said that would not bother me if they lived next door in the slightest.
Here they are not so much underground and you would be surprised how many people in high place practice although pretending to be Christian on the outside.

Good to read your post

Hootowl

Lucy68 · Sep 14, 2013

Reading the Bible with an open mind will clear up a lot of things

.

Jordache · Sep 14, 2013

I don't have time to address everything but one thing stuck out the most. A lot of what you said is concerning because it reads of unhealthy "tolerance". I'm not talking about see the good in people, be loving tolerance. I'm talking "anything goes tolerance" - the kind where you really don't hold up a standard for anyone because saying someone is doing something bad would be judgement- God forbid! But we are called to determine right from wrong... Anyway that isn't my point. What I noted most is that you seem to think that evil practices equates with being Satanically influenced. First, there are a number of things which are "evil" which many people may not deem evil. Worshipping an oak tree instead of God seems like its hurting no one, but its evil. It hurts God and it leaves his people astray. A person does not have to be demonically oppressed or possessed to do something bad. Let's talk about something that the general public would deem evil... Murder... A person possessed could commit murder but he is still at fault because human will is still involved though it may be clouded by satanic influence. They also made the choices that allowed them to be influenced in that first place... But here's where I see the biggest error. Satan is not the cause of every evil in the world. We wrestle with 3 enemies... Yes 3! Too many people fail to find victory because they fight the wrong battle. There is a devil and demons that we wrestle with, but we also fight against the power and influence of the world... A world that says swinging around a stripper pole is a great way to work through college... A world where you are given a choice to forsake your responsibility and drop your unwanted child off at a hospital when you don't want them anymore...a world where ignorance, violence, crudeness, and immorality has become entertainment.
We also fight our own flesh. Our flesh desires things that are contrary to God. When we want to devour a bag of Hershey's kisses all by ourselves because we just got fired, wrecked our car, or got hurt... It's not the devil telling us to do it. Without the devil or evil in the world, in our own flesh, we can make some pretty stupid choices on our own.

seekingg · Sep 15, 2013

Demons are the angels that fell with satan. 1/3 of gods angels fell with satan. First they took the daughters of man and those babies became giants like Goliath and king org. Now they are in the air or bound up some were. Now I PRAY FOR WISDOM AND I REALLY CAN'T RELIY ON MY OWNE UNDERSTANDING.

Graybeard · Sep 15, 2013

The fact that you state that you are not a Christian it is then difficult to explain things that are unseen, I do not know what your belief is in The Word of God so because most of us are Christian, that is we believe that Jesus Christ is THE Son of God, was crucified for our sins, raided up from the dead and now intercedes on our behalf with The Father in Heaven. We believe that His Word is given to us by inspiration and that we can now read what we are to do to be followers of Him and what to stay away from, having said this, this is why we believe that there are things that are unseen by us but are very real and they influence people with their main priority being to distract people from God, so when we read:

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

we now know that there are principalities and powers that we must be aware of so what can we do about them? Scripture tells us how to equip ourselves to protect us from them:

Eph 6:13 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.

and this is the Armour of God:

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Eph 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

SarahM777 · Sep 15, 2013

hootowl said:

But if Jesus was just comatose then this can not make any sense. Jesus was beaten so badly His flesh was turned to hamburger,He had spikes pounded into both hands and feet yet just a few days later He is doing this

[video=youtube;rLG5rDyDDPw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLG5rDyDDPw[/video]

How does a man walk seven miles (BOTH WAYS) after having spikes pounded into his feet?

Brother_Don · Sep 15, 2013

Demons are lustful and adulterous spirits that seduce and deceive people, getting them into sin. These are powerful spirits, and i believe they have a tight grip on most of america, Galatians 5:19-21. They oppose Christians, trying to keep them from knowing God and His love, Romans 8:38-39.

RedTent · Sep 15, 2013

Brother_Don said:

I think this is a very good summary of demons.

Because they are spirit and do not have a body does not mean that they are not real, or that Jesus did not speak truth when He said that some people were possessed by them. There are people living today who have heard demons speak using the voice box of people who they possess.

No one can be possessed by demons except through their consent, although many are influenced by demons. Just as God has definite characteristics, so do demons. They promote sin and death, just as God promotes life and righteousness. They are more numerous and powerful today than they have been in other times in our history, because our secular world is so full of promotions for sin, and because our churches are not standing firm about sin but saying it is only in what we think, and only in what we do as it follows our thoughts.

We are living in a polluted world, and even our churches say we need not separate ourselves from the onslaught of media promoting pollution.

There are many ways people open themselves to demons. The occult, being judgmental, resentments, unscriptual meditation involving clearing our minds so we accept all, making our material world more important than God. Often being abused and rejected in childhood means we must give our thoughts about this over to God so we protect ourselves from demons. When we give ourselves to God, demons cannot touch us.

posthuman · Sep 15, 2013

witchcraft & demon possession are very much real.

just like Christians sometimes attribute to themselves accomplishments that are in no way there own (did you "lead someone to Christ?" No! but the Spirit in you may have) -- the world in darkness attributes to itself thoughts & actions that are not entirely their own. humankind in general thinks much more highly of itself than it ought, IMO, and remains by design largely unaware of the spiritual battle constantly roiling about us and in us.

how can a devil dwell in a house where the Spirit of the Living God lives? it may cling to your back and whisper into your ear, but it has no authority over you that you don't invite.

jb · Sep 16, 2013

You can find a bit of a study on demons Here

Yahweh Shalom...

danschance · Sep 16, 2013

hootowl said:

Witchcraft can be many different things. Basically it is manipulation of of people and nature thru the use of demons.

Demon possession is real and far more common than most believe. Never get your understanding of demons from Hollywood. Basically they enter in a person via sin and attempt to persuade a person into more sin to get more demons into that person so the host person will end up in Hell. Demons can never completely over ride a persons free will.

Deliverance is the protestant term for the process of helping a person get free of the demonic. Exocism is the catholic term for casting a demon out. Any Christian can cast a demon out of another person provided that they learn the basics. I have cast demons out of others and myself (self deliverance). Hollywood often portrays a Catholic priest as casting a demon out, but any Christian can.

I have seen people become spontaneously healed as a demon was cast out.

1) John is a friend of mine and he is now a pastor on the east coast. He had the most severe case of asthma I have ever seen. He never went anywhere without an inhalator. He kept an inhaler in his pocket, in his glove box, at his work and more at home. Any yard work would cause an immediate asthma attack. He had been to the emergency room several times for treatment for his attacks. A demon has cast out of him and he later realized he had been exposed to some dust but did not have an asthma attack. He then went home and did 6 hours of yard work without a particle mask on and did not have an asthma issue. That was six years ago and he is still asthma free. He longer carries or owns any inhalers.

2) Another time the was a young lady, "Amanda" (not her real name) got help thru a word of knowledge. She had to forgive a girl in her high school who tormented her daily. After she forgave her, she later wrote an email a week later that her symptoms of bipolar disorder had vanished. She stopped taking her meds. She claims she was spontaneously healed the moment the demon left.

danschance · Sep 16, 2013

hootowl said:

Hello Ugly

Ok lets go.....

Witchcraft: In the old days people who used herbs etc and hermits were classified as witches. People animals were dying killed by witches. In fact it was poison weeds that were growing in the grasses. But you only had to point and cry witch and innocent people were burned by Christians.
Christianity drove the Druids underground too.
Yes witches still exist the problem I have is the white witches who profess to be Christian. Why were Adam and Eve cast out? Because they ate from the tree of knowledge in the old testament it was an apple (correct me if wrong) God did not want them to know the future. White witches tell fortunes they say they can tell the future. That is going against the bible I think. That is called sitting on the fence.
Apart from that I do not have a problem with witches.

Priests: Priest Are Catholic there are also priests in Satanism, a few priests around so my mistake I should have said gentlemen of the cloth.

Karma: The bible says as you sow so you shall reap. Karma says reincarnation. Did not Jesus say he was coming back "There will be a second coming" When I learned English that was the same as coming back again same as Reincarnation they mean the same thing.

If reincarnation does not exist how could have Jesus died for me why should I be be grateful, I was not there unless I have come back.

Karma says if we hurt others we will walk that path ourselves. Much more believable then killing and raping and repenting on your death and you walk free. Maybe people are scared of the fact they will be held accountable no matter what God they believe in.

Voodoo: Is very good magic performed. The raising of the dead were people who were injected with a poison from a certain fish that made them Comatose for a few days then their families were told by Shamans for a price they would be brought back from the dead. I think that is what have happened to Jesus, in those days people knew no better.
I myself have seen in market places animals throats slashed and they get up and run around again nothing wrong.
To me Voodoo is clever but not really damaging.

Now let us talk Black Magic (Satanism) this my friends does exist. I was lucky enough to have visited and stayed for two weeks in the Museum of Black Magic and Witchcraft in Douglas Isle of Man. It has since been bought by Ripleys.
Dr Gardner owned that. Aliestar Crawley was the top Black Magician of the twentieth century and I think the seventeenth most famous man. Those two worked together. I was close to the people who ran the place.

I had a lot of respect for both Crawley and Gardner and what they did. On saying that I could not be one of them their rites go over the guidelines of my beliefs.

Their stuff actually did work I can attest to that from what I have seen of it.

Demons: There is good and bad in all of us.
I was talking to my doctor once I am a smoker. I asked him "why tell me not to smoke when you chain smoke"
He explained we all have Cancer but in some the smoke will make it grow.

This is the same as good and evil we all have it. In some of us the evil does not grow but in others depending on their life style their needs and wants. No teachings of right and wrong is going to stop them ( a little like a naughty child)
Once they get caught their families say "oh must have a demon inside them none of us are like that" So the poor old demon gets the blame. Nothing can make people bad unless they wish to be. Unless a sickness of some sort is making them out of control that is why I said there is no room for the bible at this point a doctor is needed. They are not going to listen. Try the bible with a drunk or even trying to reason with one till they have dried out you would find yourself wearing it. That is not a demon.

Have you heard people say when they have killed somebody "God told me to" same difference. But because it is God people are then diagnosed as ill. But if not God then Demon laughable.

So how about we all give the poor old Demon a chance, if you meet one and are nice it may even become friendly.

Christian: No I am not a Christian.

Hoot owl

Voodoo can mean many different things. I know of a woman who practiced a form of voodoo that she refered to as rootwork. She became angry with her boyfriend as he broke up with her. She cursed him. At the time he was in his mid 20's and had a stroke. The stroke left him in a vegetative state. She claimed this was her doing. So she would disagree with you that voodoo is good and not evil.

If you want to know about real power that is God, get to know Jesus. Jesus is kind, loving, tender, amazing and more powerful than all the occult forces.

posthuman · Sep 16, 2013

danschance said:

my grandmother was a missionary in Haiti for a number of years.
she never considered voodoo to be merely "clever" tricks of chemistry.

not even the people who practice it consider it "good"

What do you all actually think demons are

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