Demons in hiding?

[he_is_risen!!]

I just recently began reading the Bible on a regular basis and I started w/ the Gospels. I noticed as I read the them (i'm in LUke) that there is a lot of talk about demons possesing people and then being driven out. They seemed to be common and around all the time. But then today, I have never met or even heard of anyone being possesed. Are they more secretive now or are people poissesed less?

[twistedsketch]

Depends on where you are and who you ask. In Africa, a Christian will tell you it happens just as often. Over here, we don't look at a lot of people as "possessed." The mainstream culture just calls them crazy or misguided or ignores them all together.

[WesWoodell]

Why would Satan manifest his power in the USA by possessing someone? If he did that a person might believe there is a Satan that otherwise wouldn't have. If people don't believe Satan exists, he has won.

In Africa (especially the uncivilized parts) people still believe strongly in demons. In some cultures over there, men and women actually give their children to demons in marriage in order for the demon to torment the child and leave the parents alone. For the most part, people believe there is a Satan in Africa so he manifests himself to them in order to scare them into serving him or to call on other gods for help rather than the one true God.

If you have never spoken with a missionary to Africa, I would encourage you to if you get the opportunity. Depending on what parts of the continent they have worked in, I'm willing to bet they could tell you some stories.


As far as the USA goes, yes the demons are in hiding for the most part. Not to say they aren't active though - they are extremely active.

[Iron Lion]

ill think you will find most "demon possesion" from the bible, today has been diagnosed as mental illnessin todays world.. Thats not to say jesus didnt heal the people because he sure would have been able to but people inthose days hadnt learnt about the brain and how it works like we have today.

[kingzjewel]

yes so now they diagnose it instead of pray it out! believe me, demon possession and attacks are just as rampant today all over the world as ever (i know from experience)... remember the best trick the devil ever played was to make people believe he doesnt exist.

if you want to get into it...depression is a demon, lesbianism is a demon, poverty is a demon, bipolar disorder is a demon, schizophrenia is a demon, bulimia ,anorexia, .... the list goes on and on. not everyone is possessed by them but there are people who have them inside, others are just plagued by their influence.... then you have the old fashioned devils like the ones that Jesus called out into the pigs named "legion", they're still around. my husband met one such possessed person in the casinos. he has also taken part in prayer meetings where they did an exorcism.

dont be deceived. there's nothing new under the sun and not much has changed either.

[Iron Lion]

yes so now they diagnose it instead of pray it out!

In cases yes. Ive seen some kids with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) totaly off the wall and uncontrolable (witch back then would have be considered a demon) and then with medication a totaly different person..

Imagine what people would have thought of a person who had an epileptic seizure back then, Demon!, Demon!. and then if you layed them down and prayed over them it would stop. very easy to be taken the wrong way.


It is a known fact that many mental conditions can be helped with with medication. I "stress" though to not get me wrong, I agree that there may be cases of people being possesed but the question was how come its not so common these days. i dont think its less common i just think that alot of cases of "Demons" 2000 years ago can be explained with what we know today simply.

[kingzjewel]

i get what you are saying and all im saying is that this country has a problem with over medicating every situation. every time i turn on the tv there is a new drug commercial so you can lose weight, get in the mood, take care of depression, and a lot of them have no doctors involved. you can just call up and buy it yourself. i feel that we need to pray more and medicate less. im sure that if God wants you to take a medication for something He will open the doors to make it available for you. i dunno....just seen so many different situations like what you are saying with the adhd and then those who are over medicated or wrongly diagnosed, or even those who become hypochondriacs because of all the things that could be wrong from the slightest glitch in their system.

[WesWoodell]

ill think you will find most "demon possesion" from the bible, today has been diagnosed as mental illnessin todays world.. Thats not to say jesus didnt heal the people because he sure would have been able to but people inthose days hadnt learnt about the brain and how it works like we have today.

There is a HUGE difference between mental illness and demon posession. They are not the same thing.

[Lumen Gentium]

My parents were on exorcist prayer teams for sevaral years, so yes I know that demonic possession is real and that Christ is the victor!

There were several exorcisms carried out in my Catholic diocese back in the 1980's, and as I said, my parents were involved.

One attepted Exorcism occured in my own home! I was in Grade 8 at the time, and didn't really care what was going on, except that there was a priest from another city in the house and about 6 people praying in the family room (its door was closed). This was the only exorcism I had been privy too (had no idea why it was done in my home!!! talk about freaky now that I think of it!)....but this particular one was a failure, but to the fact that the person who was possessed, DID NOT WANT to be set free. One cannot exercise a demon, if the person WANTS the demon, hence it did not work.....needless to say a classic case of "sympathy for the devil".

At any rate, both my parents noticed a supernatural phenomenon the evening before the exocism took place. Neither told me about it until years later, and at different times without knowing that the other had told me already.

It was around Christmas time, so we had a tree. My Mom went into the family room just before bedtime and gasped....as she saw the tree was slowly moving its branches up and down totally beyond natural explanation.....she went upstairs and got my Dad out of bed.

He came down and also witnesses the Christmas tree moving, as if in a breeze, strangly, with its branches moving up and down....up and down.....but no sound coming from it.

They took holy water and said a prayer and sprinkled the tree.....it stopped moving....they eventually went to bed.

My parents witnessed other strange things as well but still won't tell me about them.....they are both educated Catholics and are not gullible fundamentalists and such.

I have witnessed demonic phenomena at certain parties in high school and such, so also know that the spirtual realm of fallen "intelligences", or "angels" are real.

Unfortunately, most modern people think that they are smarter than that.....yes there are natural explanations for weird behaviour, such a disease or mental illness, but the Catholic Church has always had a set of tests to determine if the case is demonic. Safe to say that certain supernatural things have to be present that go beyond clinical diagnoses.

Yes it is out there.....but most people are oppressed by demons not actuallu possessed....that is rare. But many poor souls in our land who have deep depression, suicidal or crazy thoughts and lack of peace are in fact being oppressed by an evil spirit.

Matt

[xenia]

There are still demons around. They are placed where Satan thinks they will do the most good for his cause.

I think during the time Our Lord was on earth, Satan sent out a lot of them. For one thing, Satan wasn't entirely sure who Jesus was and he had demons all over, testing Him.

I have met one, possibly two people who I thought might have been demon-possessed. I stayed far away from them.


.

[he_is_risen!!]

Now that you guys have talked about this it's starting to make sence. But what I was wondering, is it possible for a Christian of my age and if alone, could I drive them away and out of someone? Does it say in the Bible that an individual can do it or does it have to be a group?

[Entertaining_Angels]

Yes, possession still happens. I witnessed somebody who became possessed and another time I saw somebody's eyes change as if they were possessed I don't talk about it but it is something that had a profound impact on my life.

Personally, I think possession is much more common than most folks realize. We really don't recognize it when we see it.

[Lynn73]

I admit it, I don't want to see it. But, yes, I think it's just as prevalent today but it's just not recognized. And, as someone was saying, I've heard that in other countries, missionaries see a lot of this. The demons seem to be more willing to reveal themselves in other areas besides the US.

[kingzjewel]

Now that you guys have talked about this it's starting to make sence. But what I was wondering, is it possible for a Christian of my age and if alone, could I drive them away and out of someone? Does it say in the Bible that an individual can do it or does it have to be a group?the disciples were always sent out in pairs. safety in numbers and you help each other too. i believe even priests have at least one person to assist.

[PastorSherm]

I think it still happens. But we must also recognize that not everybody with a mental illness, is demon possessed. Satan does not really need to possess somebody. All he needed to do was let people think he's not even there..that God is not there.

[Lumen Gentium]

Spiritual warfare is quite hazardous, you need to have a pure heart and be right with God, but I would not attempt an exorcism on my own.....no way!

If I were you I would speak with your Pastor about the situation.

(sorry I know I am not non-denominational....I just had to post on this topic....hope nobody is offended)

[lismore]

I just recently began reading the Bible on a regular basis and I started w/ the Gospels. I noticed as I read the them (i'm in LUke) that there is a lot of talk about demons possesing people and then being driven out. They seemed to be common and around all the time. But then today, I have never met or even heard of anyone being possesed. Are they more secretive now or are people poissesed less?
Ive met a demon possessed person here in Scotland. 12 grown men couldnt hold him down. :sigh:

[RP1000]

Yes they are most certainly around
Our culture doesnt believe in them but where they are there
I have been in many services where they have manifested themselves