EVIL SPIRITS – Online Church

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1. Earth

And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9 AMP
The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” Job 2:2 NASB

Read: SATAN

2. Regions

May be localised to an area

the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Daniel 10:13 AMP
Now I shall return to fight against the [hostile] prince of Persia; and when I have gone, behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. Daniel 10:20 AMP
“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region. Mark 5:9-10 BSB

3. Living Beings

May inhabit humans

“Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. Matthew 12:43-45 AMP
For Jesus had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Mark 5:8 AMP
And the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. Mark 5:12-13 NASB

Evil spirits prefer to dwell in humans (or other living beings) as they do not find rest elsewhere.

Read: LEGION

Effects

1. Torment

Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and terrified him. 1 Samuel 16:14 AMP
And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. Luke 6:17-19 NKJV

2. Illness

When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering [around them], He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!” Mark 9:25 AMP
And there was a woman there who for eighteen years had had an infirmity caused by a spirit (a demon of sickness). She was bent completely forward and utterly unable to straighten herself up or to look upward… And this woman, a daughter (descendant) of Abraham whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:11 AMPC & Luke 13:16 AMP

3. Division

God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech Judges 9:23 NKJV

Other versions

Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem; and the leaders of Shechem acted treacherously against Abimelech Judges 9:23 AMP

4. Lies

And he said, I will go forth and be a lying spirit … 1 Kings 22:19-23 AMPC

5. Perversion, Error & Confusion

The Lord has mingled a spirit of perverseness, error, and confusion within her; [her leaders] have caused Egypt to stagger in all her doings, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. Isaiah 19:14 AMPC

How to drive out evil spirits

1. Prayer & Fasting

And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:28-29 NKJV

One who has been living a lifestyle of Prayer and Fasting, can just command and make evil spirits leave. See:

When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering [around them], He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!” Mark 9:25 AMP

2. Praise & Worship

May our lord now command your servants who are before you. Have them search for a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall come about whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will become well.” 1 Samuel 16:16 NASB
So it came about that whenever the [evil] spirit from God was on Saul, David took a harp and played it with his hand; so Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would leave him. 1 Samuel 16:23 AMP
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Psalm 149:5-9 NKJV

3. Word of GOD

Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Psalm 149:5-9 NKJV
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17 AMP

4. Commanding evil spirits

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out¹ demons Mark 16:17 NKJV

Other versions

And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons Mark 16:17 AMPC

See examples

And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Matthew 17:18 AMPC
When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again!” Mark 9:25 NASB
Now she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and he turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment. Acts 16:18 NASB

Initially the power to cast out demons was given to the 12 disciples. Now the invitation is open to all who believe (See below).

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease… Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Matthew 10:1&8 NKJV
And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages Mark 16:17 AMPC

Read: COMMAND

5. Anointing

Jesus: How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 AMPC
And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” Mark 3:11 NASB
Peter: As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed. Acts 5:15-16 BSB
Paul: So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Acts 19:12 AMPC

Read: ANOINTING

6. Proclamations in faith

And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. Luke 13:11-13 NKJV

Read: FAITH

Insights

1. Names

And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” Mark 5:9 NASB
Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he answered, Legion; for many demons had entered him. Luke 8:30 AMPC
Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute. When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.” Mark 9:17&25 BSB

Evil spirits are named by the disease they cause eg. “deaf and mute spirit” and commanded by name to leave.

2. Hierarchy

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. Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

Other versions

For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Ephesians 6:12 AMPC

Examples

So He said to them, “This kind²a can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29 NKJV
But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21 AMPC
the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Daniel 10:13 AMP
Now I shall return to fight against the [hostile] prince of Persia; and when I have gone, behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. Daniel 10:20 AMP

Note, the disciples had been able to cast out evil spirits previously. See below

And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many who were sick, and healing them. Mark 6:13 AMP

Kind = stock

aImplying different kinds of evil spirits.

3. Void

But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation. Matthew 12:43-45 AMPC
But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:14 AMPC

It’s almost as if a spiritual void cannot exist.

4. Warfare

There is warfare between evil spirits & believers

Fight the good fight of the faith. 1 Timothy 6:12 ESV
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. Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

Other versions

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 BSB

Read: WARFARE

5. Drive out completely

I will drive them out before you little by little, until you have increased and are strong enough to take possession of the land. Exodus 23:30 AMP
‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess… But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’ ” Numbers 33:51-53, 55-56 NKJV

Need to drive out evil spirits completely to get full possession.

6. Authority over Evil Spirits

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to³ us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority⁴ to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power⁵ of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20 NKJV

Other versions

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like [a flash of] lightning. Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you. Nevertheless do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20 AMP

7. Evil spirits tormentable

And they screamed out, “What business do we have [in common] with each other, Son of God? Have You come to torment us before the appointed time [of judgment]?” Matthew 8:29 AMP
Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out [terribly from the depths of his throat],saying, “What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet (muzzled, silenced), and come out of him!” Mark 1:23-25 AMP
And crying out with a loud voice, he said, What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? [What is there in common between us?] I solemnly implore you by God, do not begin to torment me! Mark 5:7 AMPC
“Let us alone! What business do we have [in common] with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent (muzzled, gagged) and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown the man down among them, he came out of him without injuring him in any way. Luke 4:34-35 AMP

8. Stubborn evil spirits

But they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, and they became slaves required to do forced labor. Joshua 16:10 AMPC
Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out. Joshua 17:12-13 NKJV
For He had been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Luke 8:29 NASB 1977

“Had been commanding” implying likely to have had to command several times.

9. Effect of Anointing on Evil Spirits

And whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” Mark 3:11 NASB

Footnotes

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1544 ἐκβάλλω [E)KBA/LLW] {ekbállō} \ek-bal'-lo\ from 1537 and 906; to eject (literally or figuratively):--bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out).
1085 γένος [GE/NOS] {génos} \ghen'-os\ from 1096; "kin" (abstract or concrete, literal or figurative, individual or collective):--born, country(-man), diversity, generation, kind(-red), nation, offspring, stock.
5293 ὑποτάσσω [U(POTA/SSW] {hypotássō} \hoop-ot-as'-so\ from 5259 and 5021; to subordinate; reflexively, to obey:--be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.
1849 ἐξουσία [E)COUSI/A] {exousía} \ex-oo-see'-ah\ from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence:--authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.
1411 δύναμις [DU/NAMIS] {dýnamis} \doo'-nam-is\ from 1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):--ability, abundance, meaning, might(-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.