Dealing with the Demonic II (Luke 4,31-44) February 18, 2007.doc

The Gospel of Luke: Dealing with the Demonic II

Hillcrest Church, February 18, 2007

Text

" ³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. ³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. ⁴⁰ When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. ⁴² At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. " (Luke 4:31-44, NIV)

Introduction

Last week, we began our discussion of the last half of Luke chapter four by sharing a simple, yet powerful principle for dealing with the prevailing demonic influences in a the region where we live.

The way I overcome any dominant spirit is by voluntarily walking in the opposite spirit.

· The way I overcome a spirit of pride and arrogance is by walking in a spirit of humility.

o When I walk in a spirit of humility, I experience an outpouring of God’s grace!

· The way I overcome a spirit of mammon (money) and materialism is by walking in a spirit of generosity and simplicity.

o When I walk in a spirit of generosity, I tap into heaven’s infinite resources; When I walk in a spirit of simplicity, I experience God’s peace.

· The way I overcome a religious and controlling spirit is by walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

o As I walk in the Holy Spirit, I become a better person (fruit) and I can truly help others (gifts).

If you are interested in more detail concerning this subject, go to my blog and click on,”My sermon notes,” and you will be taken to a web page where I have begun posting my notes and some additional research concerning the topics I deal with in my Sunday messages.

Today, I want to take us through the rest of this passage showing how Jesus deal with the demonic at Capernaum.

In order to deal with the demonic…

Here’s what you need to Know:

1. Demons are given to iniquity.

Evil, foul, unclean, “unholy,” “lying,” “infirmity,” etc..

NEVER GOOD, ALWAYS BAD…! (“spirit guides,” “white magic,” etc.)

2. Demons are limited in their ability.

"⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” ⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” ¹² The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." (Job 1:8-12, NIV)

"¹³ No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)

"⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV)

"⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7, NIV)

Demon threw the man down, but came out WITHOUT INJURING HIM…! (Demon would have wanted to injure him, cf., “throws him in the fire…,” but, confronted with the power of Jesus, only had limited ability! (cf. Lester Sumrall – demon put my bed back where you found it…!)

3. Demons hijack human personality.

Demons can impact a person’s total personality (being) physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually (unclean).

"²⁴ “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”" (Luke 11:24-26, NIV)

4. Demons often disguise their activity.

Man apparently not acting up when the synagogue service started…

"¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NIV)

"⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, NIV)

" Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3, NIV)

"²⁰ If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. ²³ So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time." (Mark 13:20-23, NIV)

"⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NIV)

5. Demons are not afraid of religiosity.

"¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. ¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. ¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." (Acts 19:11-20, NIV)

6. Demons already know Jesus’ identity.

"¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:19, NIV)

They were there when it happened…! When the pigs ran over the brow of the hill, when death had to let Jesus go, etc.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Remember Jesus’ unconditional victory.

"¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:13-15, NIV)

2. Exercise Jesus’ absolute authority.

"¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:19-20, NIV)

No “magic” in the name; but there is great “power” in the person…!

Relationship with the person brings power over demons (“Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you”?”

3. Walk in an attitude of genuine humility.

"¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” ¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:17-20, NIV)

Respecting God’s sovereignty…! (He does not always give us victory, when,, where, and how we want it, but He has promised that in the end, we will prevail…!

"¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." (2 Corinthians 2:14, NIV)