Angels, Demons, and Satan
March 10, 2008 9 Comments
“The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not. Eric Hoffer
I have asked some very religious people I know if they believe in demons and angels. 100% of them said they believed, but had not experienced sightings. I have been reading about demons and angels off and on for years; and of course there is all the TV series’ and movies that have explored the subject for years. What really is up here? Just what are demons and angels and how do they affect the ‘Real World.’
Demonic supernatural powers are believed to include fabrication, psychokinesis, levitation, divination, possession, seduction, ESP, telepathy, witchcraft, and curses, as well as binding, making contracts, controlling the classical elements, animal control, and provocation. Demons use variants and combinations of these powers to harass, demoralize, confuse, and disorient the victim, or the willing subject of demonic interest.
Wikipedia, retrieved 3.11.08, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_demonology
The New Testament mentions a number of times in which Jesus drove out demons from diseased persons. There seemed to be lots of demons in the time of Jesus.
- Matthew 7:21-23: Many will drive out demons in Jesus’ name (also Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; Acts 5:16; 8:7).
- Matthew 8:14-17: Jesus healed many demon-possessed (also Mark 1:29-39; Luke 4:33-41).
- Matthew 8:28-34: Jesus sent a herd of demons from two men into a herd of about two thousand pigs (also Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39, both referring to only one man).
- Matthew 9:32-34: Jesus made a demon-possessed and mute man speak; the Pharisees said it was by the power of Beelzebub (also Mark 3:20-22).
- Matthew 10:1-8: The Twelve Apostles given the authority to drive out evil spirits (also Mark 3:15; 6:7; 6:13; Luke 9:1; 10:17).
- Matthew 11:16-19: “this generation” said that John the Baptist was possessed by a demon (also Luke 7:31-35).
- Matthew 12:22-32: Jesus healed a demon-possessed blind and dumb man (also Luke 11:14-23; 12:10; Mark 3:20-30).
- Matthew 12:43-45: Jesus told an allegory of nasty spirits coming back home, that is to the human body where they have lived before (also Luke 11:24-26).
- Matthew 15:21-28: Jesus expelled a demon from the body of the daughter of a Canaanite woman (also Mark 7:24-30).
- Matthew 17:14-21: Jesus healed a lunatic by driving out a demon from him (also Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-49).
- Mark 1:21-28: Jesus expelled a nasty spirit from a man (also Luke 4:31-37).
- Mark 9:38-40: A non-Christian is seen driving out demons in Jesus’ name (also Luke 9:49-50).
- Mark 16:9: Jesus had driven seven demons out of Mary Magdalene (also Luke 8:2).
- Luke 7:21: Many people are cleansed from evil spirits by Jesus.
- Luke 13:10-17: Jesus expelled a spirit of disease from the body of a woman on the Sabbath.
- Luke 13:31-32: Jesus continued to cast out demons even though Herod Antipas wanted to kill him.
- Luke 22:3: Satan entered into Judas Iscariot (also John 13:27).
- John 7:20: A “crowd of Jews” that wanted to kill Jesus said he was demon-possessed.
- John 8:48-52: “The Jews” said Jesus was a Samaritan and demon-possessed.
- John 10:20-21: Many Jews said Jesus was raving mad and demon-possessed; others said he was not.
- Acts 5:3: Satan filled the heart of Ananias.
- Acts 5:16: The Apostles healed those tormented by evil spirits.
- Acts 8:6-8: At the teaching of Philip the Evangelist in Samaria, evil spirits came out of many.
- Acts 8:18-19: Simon Magus offered to buy the power of Laying on of hands.
- Acts 10:38: St. Peter said Jesus healed all who were under the power of the devil.
- Acts 16:16-24: Paul and Silas were imprisoned for driving a future-telling spirit out of a slave girl.
- Acts 19:11-12: Handkerchiefs and aprons touched by Paul cured illness and drove out evil spirits.
- Acts 19:13-20: Seven sons of Sceva attempted to drive out evil spirits by saying: “In the name of Jesus, they were unsuccessful and were actually driven from that house by the possessed.
- Revelation 18:2: The Whore of Babylon is a home for demons, evil spirits and unclean birds.”
Wikipedia 3.11.08 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_possessionRegarding Angels: Some secular scholars believe that Judeo-Christianity owes a great debt to Zoroastrianism in regards to the introduction of angelology and demonology, as well as the fallen angel Satan as the ultimate agent of evil, comparing him to the evil spirit Ahriman. As the Iranian Avestan and Vedic traditions and also other branches of Indo-European mythologies show, the notion of demons had existed long before. Wikipedia 3.11.08 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels
Could this be another example of the church integrating pagan beliefs into their theology, like they did with the Trinity??
A Gallup poll, conducted in 2004 says that belief in angels and demons is on the rise in the United States. In 1994, 72% of Americans said they believed in angels; in 2004 78% indicated belief in angels.
Belief in the devil is rising even faster; increasing from 55% in 1990 to 70% in 2004.
Gallup Poll News Service, May 25, 2004.
Canada and the UK are more skeptical however. A Gallup poll in November of 2004 showed that 56% of Canadians and 36% of Britons believe in angels and 37% of Canadians and 29% of Britons believe in the devil. Gallup Poll News Service, November 16, 2004.
The difference in believing in Angels and Satan is kind of weird. Do people think of them as coming from different realms? It seems to me the logical way to think of this is; if you believe in Angels, you ought to believe in Satan. After all, they supposedly come from the same source. Probably comes from that unique ability humans have of holding two contradictory beliefs and being able to rationalize it.
“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.” – Gene Roddenberry
Do we have any official, recognized sightings of either Angels or demons on record anywhere? Does anyone out there have film or tape of the Devil torturing someone? Does some secret government agency go around investigating sightings of Angels and demons, like Project Bluebook did for UFOs ? Think about it; at one time our government actually considered that flying saucers might be real. They have never even considered Angels or demons. They realized the stupidity of such an endeavor.
About the word of me
The Word of Me... 
I am a Christian and have seen and heard demons and the Holy Spirit; many have and testify to it regularly.
Watch this from 5-8 PST, it will blow your mind
http://www.ignitedchurch.com/
Feel free to read this and then question
Click to access visions%20beyond%20the%20veil.pdf
Well, I have recently (like tonight) heard from a friend that many years ago he saw his younger sister talking to a bust type statue of a classical composer…and the bust was talking back.
The friend is a very logical and intelligent person…and he swears it’s true. He feels it was a demon.
first let me say that if you are more than likely not going to believe there are angels and demons if you wont be open to other testimonies. I have a friend who is from brasil and he says that in so called ‘civilized” societies the greatest trick the devil employs is convincing people he doesnt exist. I mean we dont see him right? But we do have religious arguments. We are cynics. is there even a God and why does he allow this or that, or for example gay or not gay etc.. we have money issues, social issues, devisivness within the family, mental illness..politics is a huge tactic the devil uses to confuse us…In Brasil and Africa for example the devil works differently. he plays on fears and uses witchcraft and witchdoctors, evil spells. Seeing a Demon possessed person in Africa is not so uncommon. My mom was at a conference here in american listenting to an african missionary. she saw a woman in the front row who looked unhappy. She immedietely recognized her has possessed and actually called out the demons right in front of some women. This was in america.
There is no devil, no witchcraft, no angels, no demons, no magic, no real evil spells, and no supernatural in this world. No one in the history of the world has been proven to be any of these things…it’s all superstition.
I hear stories…never any proofs.
There is recorded historical proof of supernatural in this world, his name is Jesus Christ.
God Bless you.
Here is a option which is quite simple and is common math and basicly weighing out the figures or percent.
Take for instance how many Documented accts. we have of people saying they have seen or had some sort of vision of either a Angel or a demon.
I am sure the number is quite high ( and please dont bring reliogion into acct. it doesnt matter even a atheist could see a demon or angel) So keep in mind this is just the documented accts not the ones we dont even know about and just simply weigh it all out.
The chances of each and every one of them to be lying or for the whole thing to be a hoax or even delusional or ill is very slim. So this basic math and simple way of looking at this helps to get a more solid point of view.
The same principal can be applied to alien sightings as well.
So the wordofme No we cannot straightly show you anything in the supernatural realm and of course many humans like you have to see to believe but what I have just wrote is simple just weigh it out man.
There is no way that all those sightings and documented cases of such things supernatural are all a lie or hoax of some sort. People we are not dumb and how many times does a person have to cry out that they have seen a demon, angel, God, Jesus or anything like wise for us to believe.
(HOW MANY SIGNS DOES GOD HAVE TO GIVE)
Hi Traith, thanks for writing.
Go to the post named “Are Angels and UFO’s Real? Click on Home at the top of this page, and scroll down to second entry.
excellent
Weird but true