Humility

Dealing With Demons (Part 2)

Ken

Demonized: Oppressed or Possessed by Demons

What is the difference between oppressed or possessed by demons? Both demon oppression and demon possession mean to be demonized. To further explain, Jesus was oppressed by the devil, while the demoniac of Gadara was possessed by a demon. Jesus was oppressed or “tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1 KJV), when He heard the distinct voice of the tempter. “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (4:3). By comparison, the demoniac of Gadara was possessed “with an unclean spirit” (Mark 5:2). Both Jesus and the demoniac of Gadara were demonized, but the obvious difference is the demon possessed are “always, night and day” (5:5) possessed, while the oppressed, like Jesus, “the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4:11). If Jesus could be tempted by the devil, then any Spirit filled disciple can be demonized, but only for a season (Luke 4:13). 

If it is possible for even the godly to be demonized, how do we distinguish between being tempted (demonized) by demons and non-demonically tempted? Non-demonic temptation is described by James. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust [Greek, epithumea, strong desire, which can be evil or good, as in the case of lusting the office of a bishop in 1Timothy 3:1], and enticed” (James 1:14). Non-demonic temptation occurs without the direct agency of the devil or demons, simply by the “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1John 2:16), which even Adam and Eve had before they first sinned. Jesus illustrated both non-demonic temptation from His ordinary life, for He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). And, He was demonized, being “forty days tempted of the devil” (Luke 4:2). So, not every temptation endured by the godly is a demonic temptation (being demonized). “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [allow] you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). 

Characteristics to Differentiate Between Demon Oppression and Demon Possession 

  1. Demon possession is always present (Mark 5:5), whereas, demon oppression comes and goes (Luke 4:13). 
  2. Demon oppression causes the entertaining of an unthinkable, evil decision (John 13:2), while demon possession makes that decision (13:27).  
  3. Demon oppression may cause thoughts of self-harm, but demon possession can result in acts of self-harm (Mark 5:5) and ultimate suicide (Matthew 27:5). 
  4. Demon oppression may be overcome by individually trusting divine promises, i.e., “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7), while demon possession requires the intervention of others to cast out the demon (Acts 16:16-18). 
  5. Demon possession may be reversed or halted by disciples, who obey the Great Commission. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17). Demon oppression will be accomplished by disciples over their adversary the devil, i.e., “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1Peter 5:9).  

The Great Commission and Spiritual Warfare Appoint Disciples to Cast Out Demons

  • “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17).
  • “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). 

Preparation for Casting Out Demons

  • Total submission to God (James 4:7). 
  •  Honest understanding of a humble heart, “greater is He [Yahweh] that is in you, than he [the devil] that is in the world” (1John 4:4).
  • Prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29).

Casting Out Demons

  1. Commanding the demon to come out, only by the authority given to us by Christ based on the blood of Jesus. “She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out of her at once” (Acts 16:18 NET).
  2. Physical proximity to the demon possessed one is assumed; however, Jesus gave special commendation to the Roman centurion for believing Jesus would command healing for a servant without being present (Matthew 8:8-9, 13).
  3. Failure to succeed at casting out demons would be further addressed “by [more] prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29). 
  4. Failure to cast out a demon resulting in bodily harm to the exorcists was due to their lack of authority because of their lack of submission to Christ (James 4:7), i.e., “Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:13-16). 
  5. Christ promised, “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father” (John 14:12), reminding us not to glory in our ability to command demons out of the possessed. “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Lazy Man Approach?

Ken

Work smarter not harder. Ever hear that said by a reproachful colleague at work? Wisdom is more economical with choices, unless the cheaper, quicker alternative is unethical. “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way [love]” (1Corinthians 12:31 KJV). Make no mistake, laziness is universally condemned by the LORD. “A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again” (Proverbs 19:24). The world may have no such aversion to sloth and may prefer it to the ‘stupidity’ of honest labor, if it gains the same money. Yet, the godly can be taught by even an ungodly, unethical colleague, when their lazy man approach accomplishes a task more efficiently. Love is “not self-serving… but rejoices in the truth” (1Corinthians 13:5, 6 NET). Just because our goal is the eternal does not mean we should be inefficient, but never sacrifice the eternal on the altar of the immediate. Father, grant us the humility to be taught by the world, when their lazy approach is more efficient than our well meaning but less efficient attempt. However, cause our light to shine before the world at other times, when they notice we do not attempt to take advantage of them, if it is only self-seeking. Give them opportunity to seek the truth, or give Yourself evidence to condemn them in the Judgment. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.

Do You See What I See?

Ken

Probably not, but as it should be, I probably don’t see what you see. Why? Truth is unified only in Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6 KJV). No one but God knows all. We each only have a small puzzle piece of the grand picture. What I don’t know could fit into innumerable volumes. And, I marvel at the understanding God has given to others to explain what I do not see. Only the Spirit of God integrates everything together in the Body of Christ. “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” (1Corinthians 12:17). Rather than complain of the darkness, should we not pray for faith to increase our understanding? “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). LORD, give us eyes to see and ears to hear that we may better appreciate You and be Your faithful servant. Lord Jesus, come quickly and deliver us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Avoiding Back Injury

Ken

Lifting heavy objects by squatting, head up, tailbone down, and keeping the object close to your chest as you stand up, is the best way to avoid lower back injury, according to safety experts. Some call it, Lift with your legs.  Better yet, if it’s that heavy, team lift, where possible. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14 KJV). Kudos to all the safety guys I encountered, who contributed to my lack of lower back injury during my work career! You generally don’t realize you’re lifting wrong, until you injure yourself. Better to act like everything is heavy. Attempting to reach over a heavy object, arching your back, and using your body like a crane, leaves you open to lower back injury. Flexibility of bending at the hip first, then at your knees, when you squat to lift is key. Keeping your spine somewhat straight helps, as you lift. Muscle memory ingrains the idea. Back braces, in my opinion, are not as important as understanding how to protect your back. It is as if it takes more humility to squat and lift than to bend over and potentially injure yourself lifting too heavy an object. As with any human endeavor, “Safety is of the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31). May the LORD bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you, give you peace, and protect your lower back. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

 

Christian Modesty

Ken

Christian modesty is a humble estimate of one’s self before God, not seeking to draw undue attention to self, and not seeking to show off in an unseemly way. “Walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8 KJV). Our conduct should reflect that modesty. “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). Our manner of dress and clothing should also reflect a modesty, which takes the emphasis off us and points to Christ. “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest [Greek, kosmios, respectable, seemly] apparel, with shamefacedness [Greek, aidōs, modesty] and sobriety [Greek, sōphrosunē, self-control]; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array” (1Timothy 2:9). As sisters should protect their brothers’ purity by modest apparel, brothers need to protect their sisters from being unduly attracted to them by dressing in “costly attire” (2:9 ESV). LORD, may our manner of life between brothers and sisters be chaste, humble, and may You be the One to whom the attention is drawn. Amen. 

Convicting Power of the Holy Spirit

Ken

How can you tell if the Holy Spirit is present? God the Holy Spirit is everywhere, but the convicting power of the Holy Spirit upon anyone who hears the Truth is a special evidence of His presence. “He will reprove [Greek, elegchō, to convict, to prove one in the wrong and thus to shame them] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7-8 KJV). When we sense ourselves or someone else becoming uncomfortable about the Truth presented, then the Holy Spirit is reproving exactly as Jesus promised. When we hear someone presenting the Truth, and we hope they don’t mean it applies to us, or we need to do something, then the Holy Spirit is effectively working. In the Courts of Heaven, some may call it An Uncomfortable Truth. Father, instead of embarrassment about the effect of truth upon the world, give us the courage and humility to work with Your Spirit to guide and harvest the results of Your convicting presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Who Doesn’t Root for the Underdog?

Ken

Later today, Brock Purdy #13 quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers will take the field in Super Bowl LVIII against defending Super Bowl champ, Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15, who has won two Super Bowls. Most everyone knows about Kansas City Chief’s tight end Travis Kelce #87’s dating relationship with Taylor Swift, the world renowned pop singer. But, 49ers Brock Purdy is an underdog, who has flown under the radar as a player overlooked in high school, given a chance at Iowa State University, the last player drafted by the 49ers, one of the 49ers’ lowest paid players this season at $934,252, and still drives a Toyota Sequoia. As one of the pass completion leaders in the NFL (2023), Purdy took the place of injured starting quarterbacks, demonstrated calmness under stress on the field, has been praised for humility by fellow players, and is a professing Christian. David was an underdog, a young man, who as a shepherd killed a bear and a lion protecting his father’s sheep (1Samuel 17:36). When the giant, Goliath of Gath (a Nephilim) defied Israel, David volunteered to kill him. “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee” (17:37 KJV). David won. We, too, may be underdogs. But, may our desire for God to be magnified in the earth cause us to dream, work, and pray for His Kingdom to come, and His Will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen. 

God Is Able to Make Him Stand

Ken

What do you do when two brothers seem to honestly take opposite positions on the same subject? Since the Lord wants us to firmly stand our ground — “Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay” (James 5:12 KJV) — how do we reconcile? The nature of God’s Truth demands a development of our understanding, where we grow to see things differently. The Jerusalem Council illustrates this with the conclusions of James, to which Paul happily agreed (Acts 15). “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1Corinthians 13:11 KJV). We all honestly understand and explain the world differently, not just from one another, but from the way we used to think. With the guiding attitude of love, we need to humbly ask God to grow our understanding without destroying our brother. “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:1-4 KJV). May God graciously grant us all a childlike humility, so we may grow!

James 1 Commentary

Ken

Practical Christian Wisdom from the New Testament Book of James

A Letter of Practical Christian Wisdom

Introduction (1:1)

Verse 1: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings” (James 1:1 NIV). 

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1 NIV) tells us that the writer of this letter was James, a younger half-brother of Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 13:55). Once a bonafide skeptic (Mark 3:21) of the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14) of his Older Brother, James had now been transformed to become His ardent supporter, humbling himself not only as a “servant [Greek, doulos, slave] of God” (1:1 NIV), but equally, a bond servant by choice of Jesus, who he now admits to be the Jewish Messiah and his master. James’ choice of calling himself a “servant of God” (1:1 NIV) is consistent with the teachings of Christ. “Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me” (John 12:26 NIV). We are servants of the Lord with the benefit of God directing our choices in life. Remember, we are not here to figure out how to use God, but how He can use us. This epistle or letter was addressed to the “twelve tribes scattered among the nations”  (1:1 NIV), since the Early Church was originally Jewish converts returning to their homes from the Acts 2 Pentecost, as well as, to the converted Jewish brothers and sisters “scattered among the nations” (1:1 NIV) by the persecutions of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 8:1). NT scholars date this epistle as sometime before 62 AD, when James was martyred by King Herod (Acts 12:2). The Romans did not destroy Jerusalem and the Temple until 70 AD. “Greetings” (1:1 NIV) is the expected salutation, since this is a letter. 

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James 4 Commentary

Ken

Practical Christian Wisdom from the New Testament Book of James

Warning Against Worldliness (James 4:1-12) 

Verse 1: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1 NIV). 

The Epistle of James was simply a letter from a first century apostle, yet it is a profound statement of divine truth concerning the very nature of ALL human conflict. James reasonably addresses “fights and quarrels” (James 4:1 NIV) within the church. James asks the question, “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” (4:1 NIV), then he gives the answer, “Don’t they come from your desires [Greek, hēdonē, pleasures] that battle within you?” (4:1 NIV). Notice that James places the blame for war on “desires that battle within you” (4:1 NIV). The same Greek word for “desires” (4:1 NIV), Jesus used to explain why some respond to the Word of God and others don’t. “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures [Greek, hēdonē], and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14 NIV). Again, neither James nor Jesus claimed sin to be the reason for war, conflict, or not receiving the truth of the Word of God. Instead, the simple “desires that battle within you” (James 4:1 NIV) are sufficient to cause us to go to war or neglect God’s truth. In other words, we do not sin because we are sinners, but we commit sin because we allow the desires that battle within us to master and control us. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24 NIV). Observation: The solution to not sinning is not merely possessing the Holy Spirit, but allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us, i.e., walking in the Spirit (Romans 8). 

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