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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 4:09:33 AM
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FurGodWurLivin
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quote:
Let's take a look at the passages that stuck out to you as problematic for this question/premise:
"This is indeed difficult to believe, given Jesus' insights on possession: "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils" (Luke 11:21-22).
Clearly, the "strong man" who guards Christians is the sovereign God Who created and sustains the heavens and the earth, Who is unable to be overpowered or plundered (2 Chronicles 20:6)."
I don't see the problem in taking Jesus' immediate words, His insight on possession and knowing that an individual with the Holy Spirit cannot also be an individual with a demonic spirit(s).
I'm afraid I must disagree with your assertion that the "strong man" Jesus is referring to is God. Why? Because if Jesus is referring to God, then by definition Christians should be immune to not just demonization, but heresy and mortal deception as well. Based on your opening comment, you obviously don't believe that is true. My point is that the "strong man" Jesus is referring to is the individual guarding their own soul. Notice that later in the passage Jesus makes a point about how when a spirit is cast out it goes through a dry, arid place and then returns to the house it left and finds it swept clean and put in order, but not being guarded. As I said, I agree with your premise, but your proof is severly lacking because it is dependent on taking several verses regardless of their context (hence, their meaning) to prove it. That is why I felt necessary to mention the whole suicide thing. Call it a pet peeve, if you will, but the only thing that makes for worse argument than proof texting, is making a mere re-statement of an already made premise.
Adam
PS, the "digression" is hardly worth a response.
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I am hyena, Jesus is my Mufasa...
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 8:05:07 AM
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DaveW
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quote:
ORIGINAL: earthless
Something that really stood out to me, immediately, from your post is your statement concerning demons/beings from the demonic realm (and Satan himself) - are you saying that they are not beings in the sense that angels are?
Scripture seems to indicate that demons and fallen angels are actually 2 or 3 different classes of beings. satan and the 1/3 of the angels that fell seem to fit the "principalitities and powers" that Paul wrote of. Demons (2 different greek words), unlike angels do not have their own bodies and seem to crave being housed in or attached to some kind of physical body. (ref the "legion" infecting the herd of pigs) That is unlike any angelic activity listed in scripture.
Of course that brings up the question of their origin. Nothing is said in scripture so any answer is speculation.
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 1:32:28 PM
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DougHorton
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quote:
ORIGINAL: earthless
Doug,
Something that really stood out to me, immediately, from your post is your statement concerning demons/beings from the demonic realm (and Satan himself) - are you saying that they are not beings in the sense that angels are? We're not necessarily talking physical in our concept of space and time..
No, demons are beings, but they are not physical beings. To speak of their presence, though, we must assign them to physical space because our language is built that way.
here are some interesting thoughts:
Although demons and angels seem to be similar beings in scripture, we never see an instance after the garden of a demon manifesting a physical presence the way angels do. Likewise, we never see an instance of a person being 'angelized'.
_____________________________
Doug
You may think it strange, but he never likes any assistance. When he made the world, he did not ask the angel Gabriel so much as to cool the molten matter with his wing, but he did it entirely himself. -- Spurgeon
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 1:36:15 PM
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DougHorton
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DaveW
Scripture seems to indicate that demons and fallen angels are actually 2 or 3 different classes of beings. Satan and the 1/3 of the angels that fell seem to fit the "principalities and powers" that Paul wrote of. Demons (2 different Greek words), unlike angels do not have their own bodies and seem to crave being housed in or attached to some kind of physical body. (ref the "legion" infecting the herd of pigs) That is unlike any angelic activity listed in scripture.
Of course that brings up the question of their origin. Nothing is said in scripture so any answer is speculation.
The key phrase in your answer is "seems to". We have to admit that nearly all of our ideas about demons is conjecture pieced together from obscure scriptures. God did not give us clear teaching on demonology because we do not need to know this.
_____________________________
Doug
You may think it strange, but he never likes any assistance. When he made the world, he did not ask the angel Gabriel so much as to cool the molten matter with his wing, but he did it entirely himself. -- Spurgeon
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 1:41:23 PM
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Dan1138
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Yes Christians may command demons and Christians will not be possessed by demons. Of course false christians are everywhere and they may be possessed. I think of the man I met who saw an angel as a boy and received power to percieve spiritual attributes. He later was visited as an older man and now preaches this false gospel, has built a chapel in his yard and invites many christians (true or false?) there. I point you to livingwaters.com "hell's best kept secret" and then "true and false conversions." by Ray Comfort
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My Christian walk is like a car ride. "How long Lord. OK I'll be patient......How long Lord!"
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 2:03:09 PM
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DougHorton
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If Jesus, Himself, said that it was useless to cast demons out of unbelievers, were the people He cast demons out of believers or unbelievers?
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Doug
You may think it strange, but he never likes any assistance. When he made the world, he did not ask the angel Gabriel so much as to cool the molten matter with his wing, but he did it entirely himself. -- Spurgeon
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 2:23:44 PM
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Stephanos
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It is useless because if someone is not saved, and the demons cast out, there is nothing to stop the demons from entering back into the person again. However, if demons are cast out of someone and they become a believer, it is impossible for that person to become possessed again, because they have the Holy Spirit with in them. The simple truth is that a demon, and the Holy Spirit can not both reside inside someone. It is either one or the other.
Again, the point Christ Jesus was making is it does no good to go about casting out demons on everyone you meet. Unless you reach their soul with the Gospel, the demons will just go back in.
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 2:42:18 PM
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BerianAardvark
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DougHorton
If Jesus, Himself, said that it was useless to cast demons out of unbelievers, were the people He cast demons out of believers or unbelievers?
I don't recall Jesus saying that it was useless to cast demons out of unbelievers, He did so routinely....I cannot recall a single incident where He required anyone to become a believer before He cast out their demon (or the demon of their child, in at least one case the woman was not even a Jew, but her daughter wasn't even present (Mark 7:26-30).)
"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. (Matthew 12:43)
"When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' (Luke 11:24)
Those verses don't say anything about the demon being cast out, but rather infers that the demon has left of its own accord.
I have little doubt that many of the people He healed or cast demons out of did become His followers, but He never made that a requirement..though in many cases the healing came with a warning to stop/change their sinful ways.
Tim
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/9/2008 8:25:38 PM
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prophet
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DougHorton
quote:
ORIGINAL: prophet
Confused....... 
Can someone illustrate what these words mean
a) demon possessed
b) demonised
c) oppressed
d) tempted
Thanks in advance
There is only one word in Greek -- demonized -- which means "under the power of a demon".
demon-possessed = demonized
There is NO scriptural support for demon oppression, but if it exists, it would be the same as demonized.
We are all tempted to sin, and this does not need to come from demons. We are most often tempted by our own desires.
Hi Doug
So under the power means possession or not? Or theres no difference between possession and any other?
Shalom
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/10/2008 10:35:16 AM
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DougHorton
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quote:
ORIGINAL: prophet
Hi Doug
So under the power means possession or not? Or theres no difference between possession and any other?
Shalom
Only God can possess our souls. Ownership of everything belongs to God.
Let's look at another illustration. I am "under the power" of the government of the USA. I can say that I am Americanized. However, the US government does not possess me, nor does it indwell me.
The phrase "demon-possessed" is poor translation at best and heretical theology at worst. I prefer to think the translators simply made a poor choice.
_____________________________
Doug
You may think it strange, but he never likes any assistance. When he made the world, he did not ask the angel Gabriel so much as to cool the molten matter with his wing, but he did it entirely himself. -- Spurgeon
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/10/2008 11:35:32 AM
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solarflare
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quote:
The simple truth is that a demon, and the Holy Spirit can not both reside inside someone. It is either one or the other.
Please, where does it say this in the Bible? I have heard both versions - and read both versions on this thread - that is one person saying both can be in a person and then another saying (like yourself) that the Holy Spirit and a demon cannot be in an individual together.
You do say 'simple truth', so where can I read that?
Thanks
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/10/2008 11:43:16 AM
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GrahamCracker
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BerianAardvark said:quote:
How does the concept of casting out demons ( Matthew 7:22; Matthew 10:8; Matthew 12:27; Matthew 12:28; Mark 16:17;
Luke 11:18; Luke 11:19; Luke 11:20; Luke 13:32.) relate to someone being demonized? After all Jesus cast demons out of people on many occasions as did at least some of the Disciples and Apostles and others.
Doug Horton saidquote:
Maybe they were indwelt by demons, maybe not. It seems some might have been, but we should not assume that all forms of demonization involve a demon dwelling in the person. Certainly a demon is not physically inside a person because demons, being spirits, do not have physical existence. How do you express a physical action or location for a non-physical being?
...The terminology is meant to express ideas, not actual locations, because in truth, we know God is omnipresent.
It could be that this was the simply only way that we can picture demonization. After all, think of the many images used to describe the church -- a building, a temple, a body, a bride, a vine, etc. These are all literary devices to express the concept of the living organism we call the church.
OK. I take it back. Some of the biblical language DOES imply a locational existence. But the term "possession" does not necessarily suggest If the HS is omnipresent, what's the problem with two spiritual entities inhabiting the same space? The only answer is that spiritual beings do not follow physical laws forbidding two material objects occupying the same space at the same time. Therefore, the idea of the HS and a demon in a saved person is not at issue.
It can only be as Doug Horton said. It must be an issue of language. If you think the HS would not allow it, then that's your view. I don't know if the HS would allow it or not. Scripture doesn't say the HS wouldn't.
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Sure we're under the law, everybody knows that!
When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (Heb 10:13)
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/10/2008 1:12:43 PM
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BerianAardvark
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quote:
GrahamCracker: It can only be as Doug Horton said. It must be an issue of language. If you think the HS would not allow it, then that's your view. I don't know if the HS would allow it or not. Scripture doesn't say the HS wouldn't.
It would, indeed, be convenient to have a black and white/ yes or no/ could or couldn't/ answer.
Every time I try to get super dogmatic about whether or not a believer can be demonized (or to what extent) the Spirit calls to mind occasions when believers are abandoned to the "gentle ministrations" of Satan for their own "good and admonition."
It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
And I must consider that either Paul was acting contrary to the Holy Spirit, or there are times when God removes or lowers our protection from demonic influence (possession) as a lesson to us.
Personally, I don't think a believer can be "possessed" in the same manner as a non-believer. But I must concede that there may be times and circumstances when our "hedge of protection" is greatly impaired.
Tim
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The Law is for the proud and the Gospel for the brokenhearted - Martin Luther
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/10/2008 1:22:59 PM
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GrahamCracker
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Berian
I am inclined to think that we simply don't know as well. I was always taught that we could not but there are difficulties with the dogmatism on the issue. Since I have never personally met any who I can say was demonized, I hesitate to speak authoritatively on the matter.
_____________________________
Larry
Sure we're under the law, everybody knows that!
When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (Heb 10:13)
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/10/2008 5:15:57 PM
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Him4all
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Tim,
quote:
And I must consider that either Paul was acting contrary to the Holy Spirit, or there are times when God removes or lowers our protection from demonic influence (possession) as a lesson to us.
I heartily agree and would like to add a few more scriptures for people to consider.
So if the Holy Spirit supposedly lives in the heart, did the Satan displace Him or did the Holy Spirit just refuse to co-exist...and kill Annanias?
ACT 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
2CO 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
EPH 4:27 Neither give place/topos to the devil.
5117 topos: a spot (gen. in space, but limited occupancy), i.e. location, opportunity; spec. a scabbard
Cross referencing the same word topos in John:...and considering whether or not we are going to live IN that topos/place...like a demon living us a human???
JOH 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place/topos for you.
REV 13:7 And it was given unto him (the beast) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
I think the old testament confirms that the devil and his deeds are merely tools in the hand of our approving God.
ISA 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
JER 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God,...
1TI 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed/prosecho to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
4337 prosecho: (fig.)to hold the mind towards, i.e.pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to
Does it really matter if a demon is in you, on you, or just around you if he can get you to totally depart from the faith?
DR
_____________________________
When you violate LOVE you violate GOD.
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/11/2008 9:01:32 AM
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Dan1138
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Him4all
I think the old testament confirms that the devil and his deeds are merely tools in the hand of our approving God.
ISA 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
...
Does it really matter if a demon is in you, on you, or just around you if he can get you to totally depart from the faith?
DR
quote:
ISA 54:16
DR
The Destroyer shows up a few times in the Scripture. It was the Destroyer who killed all the firstborn of Egypt. This was to break the hardness of Pharoahs heart and to be an example to Israel. In Rev 9 he appears again to chastise with the locust army the unsaved.
Revelation 9
The Fifth Trumpet--the Bottomless Pit
1Then the (A)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a (B)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the (C)key of the (D)bottomless pit was given to him.
2He opened the bottomless pit, and (E)smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and (F)the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
3Then out of the smoke came (G)locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the (H)scorpions of the earth have power.
4They were told not to (I)hurt the (J)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the (K)seal of God on their foreheads.
5And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for (L)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a (M)scorpion when it stings a man.
6And in those days (N)men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7The (O)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.
8They had hair like the hair of women, and their (P)teeth were like the teeth of lions.
9They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the (Q)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.
10They have tails like (R)scorpions, and stings; and in their (S)tails is their power to hurt men for (T)five months.
11They have as king over them, the angel of the (U)abyss; his name in (V)Hebrew is [a](W)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.
12(X)The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
Where does it say that he is a demon and not an angel. If demons just do everything God says, why did Gabriel(angel) need assistance from Michael the arch angel to remove the prince of persia(demon) from his path towards Daniel the prophet of God?
Daniel 10
13"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, (Z)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
...
20Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the (AN)prince of Greece is about to come.
21"However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of (AO)truth Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except (AP)Michael your prince.
This is a very unique look into the relationship between God's servants the angels and demons. God chastises his own, because all things are in his sovreignty. Many of the passages you refer to are about the unsaved. Once saved always saved. Many heretics and unbelieving wolves enter churches and look Christian and they seem to lose their faith but it was never true saving faith just a form of godliness.
living waters: Hell's Best kept Secret
_____________________________
My Christian walk is like a car ride. "How long Lord. OK I'll be patient......How long Lord!"
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/11/2008 12:51:11 PM
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Him4all
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Dan,
quote:
The Destroyer shows up a few times in the Scripture. It was the Destroyer who killed all the firstborn of Egypt.
And if the 'chosen' people wouldn't have obeyed the requirement of God, to put blood on their doorpost, The Destroyer would have killed their kids too. The same thing holds true for us today IMO. If you get out from the umbrella of God's protection and the Destroyer kills you just like he did Annanias for lying to the Holy Spirit. And just like the believer at Corinth who was turned over to Satan...until he repented.
quote:
Where does it say that he is a demon and not an angel. If demons just do everything God says, why did Gabriel(angel) need assistance from Michael the arch angel to remove the prince of persia(demon) from his path towards Daniel the prophet of God?
It isn't about him being a demon it's about authority and who gives Satan the limits of what he tells his demons to do? The answer to that question is, God does. Just like God set the limits as to what could be done to his servant Job. Twice God told Satan how far he could go and where he had to stop.
quote:
Many of the passages you refer to are about the unsaved. Once saved always saved.
"Many of the passages????", I disagree. John 14 was Jesus talking about a "living place/topos" for Him and the Father...or demons. Acts was written about two believers who shocked Peter into saying "WHY did you lie to the Holy Spirit"? If they were unbelievers you wouldn't even consider such a question IMO. Corinthians was written "to the church and those sanctified in Christ", Ephesians was written "to the saints who are also faithful in Christ", The last NT verse is specifically talking about people 'loosing their faith' and I'm sure the bible knew whether they had 'faith' to begin with. For the record I believe in 'once saved always saved' for a born again spirit, but that has nothing to do with this threads subject IMO. So for you to say "many passages" merely causes me to believe you are defending your position with a little bias.
DR
< Message edited by Him4all -- 7/11/2008 1:07:28 PM >
_____________________________
When you violate LOVE you violate GOD.
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/15/2008 9:29:15 AM
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Dan1138
Posts: 147
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Him4all
Dan,
quote:
The Destroyer shows up a few times in the Scripture. It was the Destroyer who killed all the firstborn of Egypt.
And if the 'chosen' people wouldn't have obeyed the requirement of God, to put blood on their doorpost, The Destroyer would have killed their kids too. The same thing holds true for us today IMO. If you get out from the umbrella of God's protection and the Destroyer kills you just like he did Annanias for lying to the Holy Spirit. And just like the believer at Corinth who was turned over to Satan...until he repented.
The Destroyer is not a demon
quote:
Where does it say that he is a demon and not an angel. If demons just do everything God says, why did Gabriel(angel) need assistance from Michael the arch angel to remove the prince of persia(demon) from his path towards Daniel the prophet of God?
It isn't about him being a demon it's about authority and who gives Satan the limits of what he tells his demons to do? The answer to that question is, God does. Just like God set the limits as to what could be done to his servant Job. Twice God told Satan how far he could go and where he had to stop.
The question is whether God simply commands demons or sends his angels to war with them. Of course God is sovreign but he chooses to act here or there. It is in His will because it occurred. It is clear demons are not the lap dogs of God. It is also out of character for God
_____________________________
My Christian walk is like a car ride. "How long Lord. OK I'll be patient......How long Lord!"
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/15/2008 9:31:01 AM
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Dan1138
Posts: 147
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From: The Land of Graham
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Him4all
"Many of the passages????", I disagree. John 14 was Jesus talking about a "living place/topos" for Him and the Father...or demons. Acts was written about two believers who shocked Peter into saying "WHY did you lie to the Holy Spirit"? If they were unbelievers you wouldn't even consider such a question IMO. Corinthians was written "to the church and those sanctified in Christ", Ephesians was written "to the saints who are also faithful in Christ", The last NT verse is specifically talking about people 'loosing their faith' and I'm sure the bible knew whether they had 'faith' to begin with. For the record I believe in 'once saved always saved' for a born again spirit, but that has nothing to do with this threads subject IMO. So for you to say "many passages" merely causes me to believe you are defending your position with a little bias.
DR
Here is my bias. Most Christians you know aren't saved. Say so is not enough.
_____________________________
My Christian walk is like a car ride. "How long Lord. OK I'll be patient......How long Lord!"
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RE: :: Demon-Possessed Christian? - 7/15/2008 4:44:31 PM
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2Preacher
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The discussion here is bordering on the ludicrous. When we consider that the HOLY SPIRIT of God is 100% God and therefore 100% HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, and PURE it is easy to understand that HE would NOT under any circumstance share his abode i.e. the body, mind, or soul of a BELIEVER with one who is the ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE of all that HE IS i.e. A demonic spirit. (I John 1:5; I Cor. 6:19; I Cor. 3:17; John 14:17;I Cor. 3:16;II Tim 1:14; James 4:5)
For me this thought satisfies the question can a true believer be demon possessed? The answer is an unequivocal NO. It is an absolute impossibility because of the personal Nature of the HOLY SPIRIT who indwells believers.
Secondly, can a true believer then be oppressed by a demon? I personally believe that this is possible but rare. I am not one who goes "looking for demons" behind every tree and under every rock like some folks. I do believe that they are real entities bent on doing their masters bidding. I believe that they make every attempt possible to destroy or at the least impede the work of God whether it be in an individual or other place. There are numerous examples of this in Scripture but I shall not list any here. (read the book of Acts).
By the word "rare" above, I mean that it is infrequent today for one who is a true child of God to be demon oppressed. Does it happen? Yes, but in our crazy mixed up world it is very easy to come up with all kinds of excuses for the way people behave. What is there to stop some one from blaming their problems on a demon? I am not giving the "Demon" credit by any means, but many times I think that people blame things on demon activity with which the demons themselves had nothing to do. I personally have never met a "Christian" who was truly demon oppressed. Most problems that I have seen in 20+ years of ministry, are things of the persons own making and are not attributable to demons.
Have I ever met anyone who was "possessed"? Yes. I believe I have. The woman was a psychic palm reader and fortune teller. Before you L.O. L. listen to what I say. This woman was the real deal I believe. I am very skeptical about these types of people believing that 99.9% of them are as phony as a three dollar bill. I avoid them if at all possible. But some of them, like this lady are the real thing. Like the witch of Endor in II Samuel, she had a "familiar spirit" i.e. a demon who fed her information and she was accurate in her predictions. (I did not go to her for advice. I was hired to cut her lawn and that is all.)
The thing that sealed the deal for me was when I mentioned the name of Jesus to her one day and spoke about his blood. No sooner had the words drifted from my lips than she began to shriek uncontrollably at me, as though I had cut her with a knife. She screamed at me to leave immediately and never mention that name to her again. Is this not unlike the Gadarene Demoniac who cried out "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". (Mark 5:7)
As in Mark 5, it was the womans voice shrieking at me, but the demon inside her was controlling it. I was young then and inexperienced. I had been a Christian for several years, but I had never experienced anything like that . It quite literally scared the dickens out of me.
I have often wondered why I did not stay and try to help this lady to freedom, but I have no doubt that my experience was real. She was definitely possessed. In all my years of ministry, this is the one and only time I have ever had this experience.
Why does the Bible say so little about Demons and their influence? Theology books have massive sections on other doctrines but most are scant by comparison when it comes to discussing demons.
I agree with one of the comments posted here that stated that God does not want us to be concerned with them that much. I have no doubt that God wants us to be AWARE of the presence of Demons, to be able to recognize their work, and to exercise authority over them, but I believe that there are more important things to concentrate our efforts for God on.
The most powerful tool the Devil has in his arsenal is UNBELIEF. If he can get Christians to deny the existence of himself or his minions, then he can have free reign in the world. As long as we believe in him and are familiar with his tactics of deception, he knows we will resist him through the power of the blood.
The Devils second most powerful weapon is COMPLACENCY concerning his existence. When Christians who know the truth DON"T CARE the Devil has free reign as well. The "Don't care" attitude makes Satan's existence and that of his demonic hordes seem like a MYTH.
Christians should not "read up" on demonic things. We should not make them a course of study in our Christian colleges and universities or churches. We should not watch films, movies, or television which deal with demonic subjects. WHY? Because it opens the door to a Pandora's box. It desensitizes us to the reality of what the Bible says by making Satan and his minions appear to be a "joke" rather than a "reality". This is extremely dangerous.
We are to "RESIST the DEVIL" by "DRAWING NIGH TO GOD."(James 4:7-8) We are not delve into the "unfruitful works of darkness" 
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