Thread: Demons

this is my first post, so, hello everybody!
I was wondering what the reformed teaching on demons was? theres no doupt that casting out demons played a significant part in jesus' ministry and i think I'm right in assuming demons are still causing problems today, I did a search of the puritanboard and out of all the things I've read on www.apuritansmind.com and other reformed protestant literature there doesn't seem to be great deal said on the subject.
what was the puritans views on the subject?
do demons simply get cast out when we're converted and therefore not a problem afterwards, hence the apparent silence?
I know that the time of the reformation and puritan era was also a time notorious for witch burnings and king james 1st of england even wrote a book called demonologie is this the reason for silence and what was the puritans involvement in this?
how can demons affect believers? can they get inside your head and cause dieseases etc
I dont mean to go on and on but having recently come out of pentacostalism having had some funny experiances(where everything from fear to a sore thoat is the result of a demon spirit) i just wanted to know where the line is drawn and what orthodox teaching on the subject is.
Thanks in advance to all the replys.

Welcome Jonathan!
You're from Newcastle - just seeing the name makes me a bit thirsty for the brown beverage associated with your town - and it's only 6 in the am here.

Changing from Newkie to newbie, there is nothing more frustrating than getting on the board and starting a thread that not many want to talk about or getting a message back, "We've already discussed that, do a search".

Fact is, we did discuss this recently and again about a year ago in great detail. The thing is, you may have something new and fresh to bring to the debate so here is my advice. Do a search of the board and read through our previous threads then, if you are left with a question or comment, don't hesitate to start a new thread to get your comment posted or even resurrect the old thread.

I look forward to your addition to the board.

Thanks for your reply, can you direct me to the right threads?

Jon,
Here's one:

http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/vi...4037#pid157084

Hi Jonathan. I think we have a nice "coincidence" here. My name is Jonathan and I was born in a town close to Newcastle called Bishop Auckland. Toon army Toon army.

I've discussed this issue on the puritan board as well. Here's a link http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/vi...d.php?tid=5195

VanVos

Jonathan! We're empathetic to you in these struggles....

Now about the idea of pesky-demons being the cause of everthing....here are some reasons they cannot be:

1. Christ gained victory over Satan @ the cross and when He rose triumphantly--He now rules in the hearts of His people.
2. We still love sin so much (even as Christians) and tend to hate God (flesh) that we toil in this life against: the world; the flesh and the devil (gasp) - until we die or the Lord returns.
3. The "devil" part means that Satan can only exploit our own sinfulness to snare us and the most important point of all:
4. Satan's main job is to lie about the Gospel - to change, distort, deny it. Mostly he likes to turn the Gospel into the Law. Trust me....Satan has much more important things to do than cause our cars to breakdown....he knows his time is short...and he's like a rabid dog on a chain.....yes, he's dangerous if you get close....but he's still on God's leash.

What is the first/best thing to do about our worries in life? Look outside our selves....Look to Christ, and the knowledge of what He has said and done (the Gospel) which is only in the Word of God.



Robin

PS. I'll be happy to supply Scriptures if you wish....Btw, read what Paul says about the subject - whole books/chapters; no verses taken out of context. That will be enlightening...

[Edited on 5-25-2005 by Robin]

Here is something interesting...


http://cbs5.com/video/?id=6789@kpix.dayport.com

A note when linking use the hyperlnk button for some reason links tend to break up when posted.

blade

Originally posted by Robin
1. Christ gained victory over Satan @ the cross and when He rose triumphantly--He now rules in the hearts of His people.

The following passage is related to point number 1, but I like CHS' text about the thought, "that thy faith fail not" so I included it as well...

"And the Lord said . . . Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:31, 32).

Our faith is the center of the target at which God doth shoot when He tries us; and if any other grace shall escape untried, certainly faith shall not. There is no way of piercing faith to its very marrow like the sticking of the arrow of desertion into it; this finds it out whether it be of the immortals or no. Strip it of its armor of conscious enjoyment, and suffer the terrors of the Lord to set themselves in array against it; and that is faith indeed which can escape unhurt from the midst of the attack. Faith must be tried, and seeming desertion is the furnace, heated seven times, into which it might be thrust. Blest the man who can endure the ordeal!--C. H. Spurgeon.