Sometimes difficult topics come up…
Do we shy away from them, or do we explore them?
I say we explore them, but only if we use scripture as our basis for truth.
The concept of demons, and even more so, the concept of casting out demons came up on Shabbat this week.
Some were comfortable discussing this idea, and others were not.
If something shows up in scripture, then it is not something we should avoid. The mainstream church doctrine has set up boundaries between men, religion, and the spiritual realm.
Mainstream doctrine has especially set up a boundary between men and the evil side of the spiritual realm.
It is taboo…
It is superstitious…
It is evil…
We don’t go there.
Well, if it is in scripture, then we do go there.
We need to go there.
We need to understand.
We need to know what we are doing, and we should know what we should not be doing.
I will be studying this idea in the next few days.
Step 1 of study for me is to refer to every occurrence of a topic in scripture. I did a word search for ‘demon’ and this is where I’ll begin my study.
Here is what I came up with, for anyone who wants to join in and study with me [keep in mind, these are just references – be sure to read these scriptures with full context]:
Leviticus 17:7
They are no longer to offer their sacrifices to the goat-demons after which they play the prostitute. This will be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.
Deuteronomy 32:17
They sacrificed to demons, a non-god, gods they had not known— to new ones who came in lately, ones your fathers had not dreaded.
Isaiah 13:21
But desert creatures will lie there. Their houses will be full of owls. Ostriches will dwell there, and goat-demons will dance there.
Isaiah 34:14
Wildcats will meet with wolves, the goat-demon will cry to its kind— yes, the night monster will settle there and find itself a resting place.
Psalm 106:37
They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
Matthew 4:24
News about Him spread throughout all Syria. And they brought to Him all the sick—those tormented by various diseases and afflictions, those plagued by demons, the epileptics, the paralyzed—and He healed them.
Matthew 8:16
When evening came, the people brought to Him many who were afflicted by demons. He forced out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
Matthew 8:28
[Freedom from Demons] When He came to the other side, into the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-plagued men coming from the graveyard met Him. They were so violent that no one could pass by that way.
Matthew 8:31
The demons kept begging Him, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
Matthew 8:33
The herdsmen ran away, went into the town, and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-plagued men.
Matthew 9:32
As they were going out, a mute man plagued by a demon was brought to Him.
Matthew 9:33
After the demon was driven out, the mute man started speaking. The crowds were astounded, saying, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel!”
Matthew 9:34
But the Pharisees were saying, “By the prince of demons He drives out demons.”
Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with tzara’at, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
Matthew 11:18
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
Matthew 12:22
[Whose Power Will Rule?] Then a demon-plagued man, who was blind and mute, was brought to Yeshua; and He healed him, so that he spoke and saw.
Matthew 12:24
But hearing this, the Pharisees said, “This fellow drives out demons only by beelzebul, the ruler of demons.”
Matthew 12:27
And if I drive out demons by beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges.
Matthew 12:28
But if I drive out demons by the Ruach Elohim, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 15:22
And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, O Master, Ben-David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.”
Matthew 15:22
Yeshua rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that very hour.
Mark 1:21
[Demons Flee at His Command ] And they went into Capernaum. Right away, on Shabbat, He entered the synagogue and began to teach.
Mark 1:32
When evening came, at sunset, the people brought to Him all the sick and those who were afflicted by demons.
Mark 1:34
He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Mark 1:39
And He went throughout all the Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 3:15
and to have power to drive out demons.
Mark 3:22
The Torah scholars who came down from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by beelzebul,” and, “By the ruler of demons He drives out demons.”
Mark 5:1
[Power Over Demons] They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.
Mark 5:16
Those who had seen it described in detail what had happened to the man plagued by a demon, and they also told about the pigs.
Mark 5:18
As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been infested with demons kept begging to remain with Him.
Mark 6:13
and they were driving out many demons and anointing with oil many who were sick and healing them.
Mark 7:26
The woman was a Greek, from Syrophoenicia. And she kept begging Yeshua to drive the demon out of her daughter.
Mark 7:29
Then He said to her, “Because of this word, go your way! The demon has left your daughter.”
Mark 7:30
She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Mark 9:38
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”
Mark 16:9
[He Is Risen] After He had risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Miriam of Magdala, from whom He had driven out seven demons.
Mark 16:17
These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak new languages;
Luke 4:33
In the synagogue was a man who had an unclean demonic spirit, and he cried out with a loud voice,
Luke 4:35
Yeshua rebuked him, saying, “Quiet! Come out of him!” And when the demon threw him down in their midst, it came out without hurting him.
Luke 4:41
Even demons were coming out from many, shouting out and saying, “You are Ben-Elohim!” But He was rebuking them and not permitting them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Messiah.
Luke 7:33
“For John the Immerser has come not eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
Luke 8:2
And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Miriam, the one called Magdalene, out of whom seven demons had gone;
Luke 8:27
A demon-plagued man from the town met Yeshua as He was coming out onto the land. The man hadn’t worn any clothing for a long time and was living not in a house but in the tombs.
Luke 8:29
For Yeshua commanded the defiling spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had seized him so that, even though he was restrained and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demons into the desert.
Luke 8:30
Yeshua questioned him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he said, for many demons had entered him.
Luke 8:32
Now a large herd of pigs was feeding on the mountain. The demons urged Yeshua to let them enter these pigs, and He gave them permission.
Luke 8:35
People went out to see what had happened. They came to Yeshua and found the man from whom the demons had gone—clothed and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Yeshua. And they were frightened.
Luke 8:36
Now those who had seen it reported how the demon-plagued man had been restored.
Luke 8:38
The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with Yeshua. But Yeshua sent him away, saying,
Luke 9:1
[Sending Out the Twelve] Now when Yeshua called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.
Luke 9:42
And while the boy was still approaching Yeshua, the demon knocked him down to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Yeshua rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and restored him to his father.
Luke 9:49
John replied, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he doesn’t follow along with us.”
Luke 10:17
[Returning with a Good Report] Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Master, even the demons submit to us in Your name!”
Luke 11:14
[Crowds Demand a Sign from Heaven] Now Yeshuawas driving out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute one spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Luke 11:15
But some among them said, “By beelzebul, the ruler of demons, He drives out demons.”
Luke 11:18
Now if satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say by beelzebul I drive out the demons.
Luke 11:19
But if by beelzebul I drive out demons, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges.
Luke 11:20
But if by the finger of God I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
Luke 13:32
But Yeshua said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Indeed, I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’
John 7:20
The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who’s trying to kill you?”
John 8:48
The Judean leaders responded, “Aren’t we right to say you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
John 8:49
Yeshua answered, “I do not have a demon! I honor My Father, yet you dishonor Me.
John 8:52
“Now we know You have a demon!” the Judean leaders said to Him. “Abraham and the prophets died. Yet You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death.’
John 10:20
Many of them were saying, “He has a demon. He’s insane! Why listen to Him?”
John 10:21
Others said, “These are not the sayings of someone who is plagued by a demon. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can it?”
1 Corinthians 10:20
No, I’m saying that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God, and I don’t want you to become partners with demons.
1 Corinthians 10:21
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
1 Timothy 4:1
[ Advice to a Young Leader ] Now the Ruach clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, following deceitful spirits and teachings of demons
James 2:19
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder!
James 3:15
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Revelation 9:20
But the rest of mankind, those not killed by these plagues, did not repent and turn away from the works of their hands—they would not stop worshiping demons and the idols of gold and silver and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
Revelation 16:14
For they are demonic spirits performing miraculous signs, who go out to the kings of the whole world—to gather them for battle on the great Day of Elohei Tzva’ot.
Revelation 18:2
He cried out with a mighty voice, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a den for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit and for every unclean bird and for every unclean and detestable beast.