DRAGONS AND DEMONS

  Dragons and demons are silliness to most, but are they really silly? Satan is THE “Dragon.” The only place that, that is clear is from the following vision, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven” (Rev 12:7-8). “The Dragon and his angels therein,” coincides with Job’s encounter with the supernatural: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.” The “sons of God” are angels, but in this case, they came with Satan. Rebellious “angels” are demons and the message that they bear is deception.
  Jesus had just encountered Satan in the wilderness for forty days, and Satan was defeated. With that done, the demons, although afraid, confronted Jesus on another battleground.
  Jesus met the demon(s) in the synagogue. They came to the house of God for battle. I would suppose that they thought Satan would win out, so they did not flee as the Devil did. Synagogues were the “church” building for the Jews. It remained uninhabited by God until Jesus entered in on this occasion, obviously to do battle with the demons. The invisible universal “Church” (capital C) was not built until the Holy Ghost came after Jesus arose. However, demons battle God’s children on God’s threshing floor.  Don’t be surprised if the one near you in church has an unclean spirit.
  Jesus cleans His House. Here, he cleaned out the church building, but Jesus, by his death, consecrated all his numerous “temples,” and after His death, Jesus’s Holy Ghost occupied Christians. They were first named that after the reception of the Holy Ghost. It is implied that disciples were not “Christians” until the Holy Ghost entered into them.
  On the other side, Satan has only entered three beings of which I am aware: the Serpent (Dragon), Judas Iscariot, and the Antichrist, or the “Beast.” Demons, however, are Satan’s assistants - part of his legions. They can enter sinful or apathetic people with impunity. In effect, Catholic baptism is an exorcism of demons. They are alleged to be washed away with Holy Water when infants are eight days old. “Confirmation” is a soul-searching and comfirmation that the demons are gone. People are saved from Satan and his demons. If there are no “things” to be saved from, there is no salvation. Belief in Satan is imperative, and the same goes for demons. For true Christians, demons and dragons are far from being a mythology!
  Jesus, weak from fasting and boxing down the Evil Dragon, encountered a demon; where else? In “church.” Mark wrote of that occasion as did Luke:

There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

Saying, “Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.”

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” (1 Mark 23-27) 

  Jesus’s Words were strong. He did what Christians are to do: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7). Satan seems to honor only as God allows. God had a purpose for the Serpent, Judas, and the Antichrist. They were all to betray Christ, but they were no ordinary demon-possessed but extraordinary. Satan himself entered at least those three beings.
  The demons knew who Jesus was. They had met him many times. They, or some like them, were with Job at his temptations. Mere men are too humble for Satan to devalue his time. Demons assist him. Satan is limited to one place at a time, and I would hope that he is cunning enough to spend time with the Pope than with me! With ultimate humility, even the demons avoid steadfast Christians. The blood and water of Jesus keeps them away, and the true Christians in safety.
  Demons visit churches. Why would they do that? Because they already have pagans but need to go where Christians should be. Demons profile easy prey. The prey may look clean on the outside, but demons know how they live. It makes sense that hypocrites fit the demon profile, and they go where hypocrites go, and if that doesn’t work, to those who devalue their rebirth. It is my firm belief that the third commandment means just that: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord (Jesus) thy God in vain (with apathy, frivolously, or even flippantly).”
  The “man” with the unclean spirit cried out. I believe the man was crying out. The demons need not speak, as Jesus knew that they knew and feared Him: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (Jas 2:19). When Jesus entered the “church,” the demon “devils” trembled because they knew that Jesus IS God – the same Existence Who created them. They knew Jesus’s creating power and knew that he could destroy what He had created! Demons sometimes speak honestly, and always so with Jesus. They know that to lie is meaningless because God is all-knowing: “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.”
  They knew that, at least this demon did, but did the other people in the synagogue. Perhaps not yet. Jesus merely spoke His Words and the demon came out. There were also other demons in God’s House, surely residing in other people. I write that because one demon said, “Let us alone!”
  One demon came out. Apparently, none of the others did. That leads me to believe that people must cooperate with Jesus to be cleansed from demons. Demon-possessed people must be willing to give up their demons. That is a hard task. People can have more than one demon, and perhaps this man did. Jesus Himself said that about legions of demons (Mark 5:9). That indicates that demons move together. The demon in Mark 5:9 (in the man of Gaderenes) indicated that he was multiple demons with one name – Legion. Jesus’s disciples could not cast out demons because some are so many (legions), Jesus said, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).

  This ten-day period, I am praying and fasting. I have spiritual needs for a loved-ones which I am willing to pray out, but keeping with scripture, I also am fasting. My fast is the same fast that Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego ate when they prayed for deliverance, and for the same duration. Apparently, there were many demons in the fiery furnace, and Jesus cast them all out. With prayer and fasting, that shows a willingness of individuals to be cleansed of demons. One man in the synagogue was willing to give up his demons, and my prayer is that my loved ones remove themselves from the temptations of the demons.

After the demon screamed in defeat, the other people were astonished. They asked, “What new doctrine is this?” It was not a new doctrine, it was just practicing the old doctrine, but this time, the demon-possessed people cooperated in the exorcism. The key word is “willingness.” God will never provide grace against one’s will. The doctrine of “irresistible grace” is flawed. Others in the synagogue resisted God’s grace. They didn’t cry out for Jesus to cleanse their soul. All the others resisted, and so do most believers to this day. God’s grace is more often, than not, resisted. Did Jesus know which demon would come out of which man? He knew but waited for the man to cry out. Just like that, Jesus came to him. Like the demon-possessed man, Jesus awaits men to cry out to him. If there is no cry, there is no grace.
  People need to humble themselves and cry out! “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (Jas 4:9-10). I have cried out and was cleansed. Babies cry out but are too young to be willing. Men must cry out to be delivered from demons.
  Are young people demon-possessed? Not until, they are willing to be. A life of sin signals demons of a sinner’s willingness. That’s why, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mat 26:41). The man could do nothing but cry out. Jesus touched him and did the rest. Jesus lost his virtue, but the man gave up his pride!

Raging Demon (Credit: Dungeons and Dragons)