“Unseen Warfare”
How to understand and deal with demons through Holy Spirit
(following our September Sanctification Series and RRR2010 theme of “Holy Spirit”)
Deliver on 10/15/2010
1) Introduction “ME/WE”
A) Review from weeks past
 Sanctification “a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free
from sin and like Christ in our actual lives”
Three Obstacles to Sanctification
 World, Devil, Flesh (draw VennDiagram)
B) Brainstorming/Interaction
 what are demons? What’re they like? What do they do?
 What’s our culture tell us about demons? Where/who do these messages come from?
 Personal story: watching first part of Exorcist at BU (power going out!)
2) Body – “GOD”
A) What are Demons?
1) Fallen Angels. Origins:
 Sometime between Gen 1:31 and Gen 3:1-5 there must have been angelic
rebellion in heaven (ref 2 Peter 2:4)
 Satan’s rebellion against God and then fall (Isaiah 14:12-15)
B) Satan as Head of Demons
1) read Job 1:1 – 2:10.
 Brainstorm: What’s this show about who Satan is/what he does?
2) Names:
 Satan: “adversary”. OT usage adopted by NT people (ref Luke 10:18)
 Devil: only used in the NT (Matt 4:1)
 “Be-elzebul”: (Luke 11:15)
 “ruler of this world” (John 12:31)
 “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2)
 “the evil one” (1John 2:13)
C) Activity of Satan and Demons
1) Satan started Sin
 in the garden (Gen 3:1-6)
 also read John 8:44
2) Demons fight against to destroy every work of God
 fought personally against 1st humans (Eden) & God’s Son (Jesus’ temptations)
 demons will use temptation, doubt, guilt fear, confusion, sickness, envy pride,
slander, etc to hinder a Christian’s witness and usefulness for the Kingdom
3) Demons are limited by God’s control and their own limitations
 remember Satan’s leash in Job? (Job 1:12, 2:6)
 Satan/demons are not omnipresent (fallen angels = created beings)

Satan/demons are not omniscient. They have to be literally present to take in
info, and cannot read our minds (ref Is 46:9-10)
4) Different stages of demonic activity in History
Old Testament
 Demons = false gods (Deut 32:16-17)
During Jesus’ Ministry
 Jesus had true, tangible understanding and POWER over demons (Mark 1:27)
 Jesus vs. “Strong Man” = Jesus wins! (Matt 12:28-29)
New Covenant Age
 Satan and demons are here on earth now, so be alert and resist him (1 Pet 5:8-9)
Millennium
 Satan and demons bound/absent for a time (Rev 20:1-3)
Final Judgment
 Satan/demons decisively beat, banished to Gehenna (Rev 20:9-10) God wins!
D) Our Relationship to Demons
1) They are actually active in the world today
 Don’t fall into the Western worlds anti-supernatural bias (magical/demon
movies betray our culture is not actually as anti-supernatural as we think we are)
2) not all evil is cause by demons, but some is
 NT epistles rarely talk about demonic troubles (FLESH is greater concern)
 Deal w/em if they show, but don’t look/pick fights (“devil behind every bush”)
 No footholds for demonic work in your life (Eph 4:26)
 Read Eph 6:11-18. brainstorm: how are we resisting the devil here?
3) Christians cannot be “possessed’ but can be attacked
 People “have a demon” or suffer from demonic influence, but “possession” is
never used in the OT or NT
4) How to recognize demonic influences

Demonic manifestations included qualities such as “muteness (Mat 9:32, 12:22, Mk
9:17-22, Lk 11:14), deafness (Mk 9:25), blindness (Mt 12:22, Jn 10:21), convulsions
(Mk 1:23-27, 9:26), superhuman strength (Mk 5:2-5), and self-destructive behavior
(Mt 17:15).”
 Subjectively feel evil presence: spiritual gift of “discerning spirits”(1Cor 12:10)
5) Jesus gave all believers authority to rebuke demons and command them to leave
 Jesus empowering/sending out disciples (the 12 & the 70). Read Lk 9:1,
10:17,10:19.
 Similarly, God chooses to let us participate in His work (resist demons) today!
6) Christians should expect the Kingdom to triumph over Satan and demons
 We should be confident and expectant (1 John 3:8b)
3) Application specific to us – “YOU/WE”
A) Split into groups
 How have you experienced temptation, doubt, guilt fear, confusion, sickness, envy
pride, slander, etc hindering your Christian witness and usefulness for the
Kingdom? Do you think there are demonic influences at work? Have you provided
a “foothold” (Eph 4:26) for their influence in your life?
 Do you personally lean towards an anti-supernatural denial of real demons at work in
the world today, or more towards a fearful belief in demons that scares you?
 Read 1 Peter 5:8-9. What does this mean for us as Christians?
 Read 1John 4:4. What does this mean for us as Christians?
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour. 9) Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of
suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1Peter 5:8-9)
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than
he who is in the world” (1John 4:4)