He Has A Demon
“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say He has a demon” (Lu. 7:33). The same was said of Jesus. When Jesus revealed their plans to kill Him, He asked, “Why do you seek to kill me. The crowd answered, You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill You” (Jn. 7:19,29). They were seeking to kill Him and lied about it, but how did Jesus know that? God is omniscient. He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Heb. 4:12), but humanity has no such ability. That kind of knowledge is supernatural, and when secret things are revealed the people of that day assumed the information came from demons. What was true then is still true today, and demonic infestation is evident in three categories.
First, there is an assault on the Church. Satan blinds the mind of the unbelieving (2 Cor. 4:4) so they don’t come to Christ, and then He tempts, accuses, and deceives those who do. Satan is not omnipresent, so he carries on his work through a hierarchy of demons. The Church is instructed to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7), and individually we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. If it is not true, don’t believe it. You are saved and sanctified by faith.
Second, Satan has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9), and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 Jn. 5:19). Spiritism is the most prominent religious orientation of the world. In other words, there are more practicing spiritists than there are practicing Christians, or Muslims. Where do psychics and mediums get their information from? New Age proponents have spirit guides and seek to channel their esoteric knowledge. Such “knowledge” is not acquired through the natural means of disciplined study. Just change the names from demon and medium to spirit guide and channeler and a gullible public accepts it. Metaphysics and parapsychology are listed courses in almost every college and university, but historical Christianity is prohibited in most secular institutions.
Third, “There was a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to Him? Others said, These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind” (Jn. 10:19-21). Such divisions exist in the Church today, and this passage raises a critical question. Are such people mentally ill, or is there a spiritual battle for their minds? Only the Church has the potential to shed light on schemes of the devil that is paralyzing the Church, deceiving the whole world, and confusing the mental health industry.
Dr. Neil
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