Do demons possess children?
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Well salvation can be lost, lets not forget Adam and Eve, or lucifer himself he is a perfect example.
You are correct in that the spirit is referred to as being deaf and mute. However, may I ask, are you implying that this somehow meant that it was not an evil spirit? It is very clearly an evil spirit (vs. 22 and 25), and in fact (and you are free to list the Scriptures that show otherwise), any time a spirit other than the Spirit of the Lord Himself was mentioned in the Bible, it was always an "unclean", or evil spirit. There are no "good" or even "neutral" spirits mentioned in the Bible that I know of (but you are free to prove otherwise by listing the passages, please. I'd be very interested in knowing what passages to look for if I'm not remembering or understanding correctly.)
This demon was also said to throw the boy into fire and water as it tried to kill him (vs. 22), so there is no question that this spirit was indeed evil.
If you read the context of this entire story, Jesus says nothing of how the father raised his son, but rather, admonishes him for not believing that Jesus can do something about the boy's current condition. Nothing is said as to how the boy obtained this spirit or why it chose to torment him.
Additionally, as a footnote for the original poster of this thread (who might find this interesting): the father tells Jesus that his son has been has been like this (apparently affected by this demon) "since childhood" (vs. 21.) From the descriptions (foaming at the mouth, convulsions), you can also see why I mentioned in my first post that some in the modern medical community might, at first glance, diagnose this as epilepsy.
I was also thinking about the other example of the "slave girl" who had a spirit by which she could tell the future. Although the Bible does not mention her age, it does clearly state that her owners knew that her clairvoyant abilities came from an evil spirit. This is just a guess, but I'm thinking it was probably with her for some time, perhaps several years (therefore, quite possibly beginning with childhood), because I would assume (and anyone out there, please correct me if I'm wrong) that it would have a considerable amount of time to have built up a track record of her predictions that was reliable enough to convince people to pay large sums of money for them.
Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit
[SUP]14 [/SUP]When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. [SUP]15 [/SUP]As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. [SUP]18 [/SUP]Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
[SUP]19 [/SUP]“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
[SUP]20 [/SUP]So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
[SUP]21 [/SUP]Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. [SUP]22 [/SUP]“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
[SUP]23 [/SUP]“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
[SUP]24 [/SUP]Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
[SUP]25 [/SUP]When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
[SUP]26 [/SUP]The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” [SUP]27 [/SUP]But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
[SUP]28 [/SUP]After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
[SUP]29 [/SUP]He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[SUP][a][/SUP]” (Some versions are written as saying, "This kind can only come out by prayer and fasting.")
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Some believe this impure spirit was a form of the spirit of infirmity of what now is modern day Epilepsy. Just thought I would throw this one out there. I do not think this right personally.
Yes, many people today would write it off as epilepsy, and I had mentioned this previously both in my original and in my second post in this thread.
Salvation cannot be lost. If you truly repented and believe(d), your name was written down in the book. You are a child of God.
Because I don't want to get into arguments I posted a link for you for further research. There are plenty more out there. And of course mainly, study your Bible.
This explanation below is from this site: https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-lose-salvation.html
A Christian cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says happens to us when we receive Christ would be invalidated if salvation could be lost. Salvation is the gift of God, and God’s gifts are “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). A Christian cannot be un-newly created. The redeemed cannot be unpurchased. Eternal life cannot be temporary. God cannot renege on His Word. Scripture says that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Two common objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation concern these experiential issues: 1) What about Christians who live in a sinful, unrepentant lifestyle? 2) What about Christians who reject the faith and deny Christ? The problem with these objections is the assumption that everyone who calls himself a “Christian” has actually been born again. The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a state of continual, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:6). The Bible also says that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he was never truly a Christian (1 John 2:19). He may have been religious, he may have put on a good show, but he was never born again by the power of God. “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). The redeemed of God belong “to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).
Nothing can separate a child of God from the Father’s love (Romans 8:38–39). Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John 10:28–29). God guarantees eternal life and maintains the salvation He has given us. The Good Shepherd searches for the lost sheep, and, “when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home” (Luke 15:5–6). The lamb is found, and the Shepherd gladly bears the burden; our Lord takes full responsibility for bringing the lost one safely home.
I guess from your quote.
Since each account in Matthew, Mark and Luke all seem to assert that the swine where choked in the the water then are saying that they didn't drown?
NT:4155 pnigo (pnee'-go);
strengthened from NT:4154; to wheeze, i.e. (cause. by implication) to throttle or strangle (drown):
- and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
- and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand: and were choked in the sea.
- and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
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I honestly like where this thread is going! I love deep thought and conraversity!!! I do not believe children can be demon possessed but I do believe familiar spirits can attach even to a person at a young age. There is a difference. The more a family is carnell and new aged of course the easier it is would be to have familiar spirits "running around" the house. I work with two different people whose children under the age of 15 believe they are transgender. One parent is embracing it the other is trying to deal with calling his daugher, son. Neither parent is saved. I want to physically slap them both and SCREAM WAKE UP!!!! But life does not work that way, so I pray not just for the children but the blinders will be taken off their eyes too. I do not know what they fill their home with but I know it is not G-d. And what I know is both households are in a hot mess. We live in a society that is desensitized to right and wrong. It is a heyday for the demonic. The Word of G-d is not gray. It is BLACK AND WHITE!!!! It does matter what we allow into our home for entertainment and who we associate with and how we are as Christians.
Most children are raised in an atmosphere of perversion, filth, profanity, anger, racism, and hatred - all a perfect environment for the operation of demons spirit.
Fathers are instructed to bring up their children in “the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). A father is also to provide for his family. If he does not, he “denies the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). So, a man who makes no effort to provide for his family cannot rightly call himself a Christian. This does not mean that the wife cannot assist in supporting the family—Proverbs 31 demonstrates that a godly wife may surely do so—but providing for the family is not primarily her responsibility; it is her husband’s.
Children are given two primary responsibilities in the Christian family: to obey their parents and to honor them (Ephesians 6:1–3). Obeying parents is the duty of children until they reach adulthood, but honoring parents is their responsibility for a lifetime. God promises His blessings on those who honor their parents.
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy (1 Cor. 7:14 NASB).
The answer is yes! Demons do possess some children if they aren't in a Christian home.
JSM & gotquestions
Fathers are instructed to bring up their children in “the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). A father is also to provide for his family. If he does not, he “denies the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). So, a man who makes no effort to provide for his family cannot rightly call himself a Christian. This does not mean that the wife cannot assist in supporting the family—Proverbs 31 demonstrates that a godly wife may surely do so—but providing for the family is not primarily her responsibility; it is her husband’s.
Children are given two primary responsibilities in the Christian family: to obey their parents and to honor them (Ephesians 6:1–3). Obeying parents is the duty of children until they reach adulthood, but honoring parents is their responsibility for a lifetime. God promises His blessings on those who honor their parents.
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy (1 Cor. 7:14 NASB).
The answer is yes! Demons do possess some children if they aren't in a Christian home.
JSM & gotquestions
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How the pigs died is irrelevant to my point. That they died at all is irrelevant. I was questioning the idea that "fleshly desires" came out of the Gerasene and went into the pigs, causing them to go into the lake.
Generally, this discussion suffers from the introduction of the term "possess". It always causes strife, because some will claim that Christians can't be "possessed" by an evil spirit. Frankly, that's a separate issue. It's helpful to assume that when someone uses the term "possess" (or a derivative) that they mean "significant influence" unless specified otherwise. This way the contentious issue is sidestepped.
- "And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? Numbers 16:22
- "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in;" Numbers 27:16-17
- And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; Genesis 2:7
- And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. Genesis 6:17
There are no good words in the scriptures?
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: Matthew 15:18-19
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:6-7
clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; Jude 12-13
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Luke 6:43-45
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26
"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." [See Duet 6:7]
"... and much study is a weariness of the flesh." Eccl 12:12
Yes! People believe they can allow the world into their home with no repercussions. Be careful what you are feeding into your brain.
Are you implying that the 'otherwise your children are unclean' passage refers to children being susceptible to possession?