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Mark 1:23-24; The doctrine of demon influence part 4

In our study of Mark we are now in Mark 1:23-24; where we see Jesus teaching with authority in the synagogue and while he was teaching a demon screamed out at him through a demon possessed man so we have taken up a study of demon influence and demon possession.

Last time in 1John 2:15-16; we saw that there is a warning to Church Age believers not to superimpose the life of spiritual death on the Christian way of life.

v15 "Stop loving the cosmic system or anything in the cosmic system. If anyone keeps on loving the cosmic system (cosmic one or two), the love of the Father is not in Him.

v16 Because all that is in the cosmic system, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the arrogant pattern of life, is not from the Father but is from the cosmic system."

Loving the cosmic system means that your thought pattern, your decision making, and your actions are motivated by lawlessness and demon influence. The love of the Father refers to virtue or integrity love that is one of the most powerful problem-solving devices in God's power system.

The lust of the flesh is the old sin nature seeking to control the soul. The lust of the eyes is the motivational evil of cosmic one. The arrogant pattern of life is the functional evil of cosmic one that becomes the gateway into cosmic two.

As the leader of all fallen angels and as the ruler of planet earth, Satan has been able to compile a collection of thoughts, opinions, speculations, systems of false doctrines, panaceas, plans, and systems of all categories for deception.

The cosmic system is made of these ideas, concepts, policies, plans and objectives. Satan uses these ideas, policies, plans, and objectives tin his attempt to control the world that he rules through fear and intimidation.

Although Satan is the ruler of this world, he does not necessarily control the people of this world; because in the end conformance always depends upon individual volition. Volition, the first law of Divine Establishment is how God provides mankind with power and authority over Satan and his evil systems.

Satan attempts to use propaganda, deception and tyranny to manipulate volition through fear so he can control both mankind and the millions of fallen angels called demons. Heb 2:14-15;

The emotional sin of fear is a gateway sin that can only be destroyed by virtue love 1John 4:18; that has been developed from faith (doctrine) through hope (absolute confidence). 1Cor 13:13; 1John 5:4;

In cosmic one, Satan has provided a communion table to complement cosmic and spiritual death. 1Cor 10:21; "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and at the same time the cup of demons." In other words, the believer who is under OSN control of the soul is under demon influence that results in "drinking from the cup of the demons."

"You cannot partake of the table of the Lord (the Eucharist) and the table of demons." The table of demons is psychological living in Satan's cosmic system under OSN control of the soul.

In cosmic two, Satan's false doctrine results in the human viewpoint of life, that hates God, Jesus Christ, Bible doctrine and any truth. 1Tim 4:1-2, "But the Spirit (God the Holy Spirit) explicitly communicates that in latter periods of time, some believers will fall away from doctrine, giving attention to deceitful spirits, even doctrines from demons (demon influence from the cosmic system).

v2 By means of hypocrisy of liars, they are seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron."

This passage teaches us that demons communicate their viewpoint. "Doctrines of demons" refers to a system of teaching that is transferred to anyone who resides in the cosmic system.

Believers believe liars because of their facade of sweet and pleasing words, the warmth of their personality, their emotional sentimentality and their feel good intentions.

In psychological living, believers are so preoccupied with themselves that they assume that any speaker who pleases them, stimulates them, tells them what they want to hear and makes them feel good must be telling the truth.

This is what is wrong in our country today. Self-absorbed preoccupied self- indulged people have voted to give those who lie to them and tell them what they wanted to hear authority and now there is hell to pay.

Demon influence results in a burned-out or seared conscience. Demon influence destroys the norms and standards of "The Truth" of Divine Establishment and Bible Doctrine. Titus 1:15-16; NET

When a person regardless of weather they are a believer or an unbeliever remains in the cosmic system long enough, all of their norms and standards related to "The Truth" are gone, seared, burnt up and corrupted.

Eph 2:2; says, "in the sphere of real spiritual death where you formerly walked according to the lifestyle of the cosmic system (this world)."

All unbelievers reside in Satan's cosmic system in the sphere of real spiritual death from birth and are influenced by it to some degree depending upon their choice to obey the laws of divine establishment.

For the unbeliever knowing and obeying the laws of divine establishment reduces the degree of influence from Satan's cosmic system. But it only limits the extent of the deception from Satan's evil policies. The morality and human good that comes from establishment does not provide salvation.

When unbelievers live in Satan's cosmic system it involves demon influence, psychological living, and possibly demon possession. When believers live in Satan's cosmic system it involves demon influence and psychological living.

During the Church Age, believers cannot be demon possessed because the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. No demon can be in the presence of the Holy Spirit. 1Cor 6:19-20;

Demon influence involves the thinking and demon possession involves the body. When demon possessed, the body of the unbeliever is indwelt by a demon or a group of demons, resulting in "normal" or "abnormal" living.

In the case of the man in our passage it resulted in "normal" living but in many other cases it results in "abnormal" living.

The laws of divine establishment protect the unbeliever from demon possession. That's why demon possession is more prevalent in countries where there is very little or no Divine Establishment and a lot of religion. This includes much of Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean areas and native tribes of North America.

God's word prohibits demon influence. Eph 4:27; James 4:6-8; In every passage where Prov 3:34; is quoted from the Septuagint, it is always a reference to arrogance and demon influence.

Volition is the first line of defense that God has provided for resisting demon influence. This occurs when the individual rejects the temptation from the old sin nature and stays out of the cosmic system or if already in the cosmic system, is quick to acknowledge any known sin. 1John 1:9;

If believers persist in the cosmic system and become demonized they will eventually take the position of being an "an enemy of the cross of Christ" Phil 3:18;

James 4:8; gives the command to have doctrine in the stream of consciousness as the offensive action against demon influence. "Purify your hearts" (stream of consciousness). Believers draw "near to God" through the PMA of Bible Doctrine.

Being "double-minded" means to have some true doctrine and some doctrine of demons in the stream of consciousness. This creates the conflict of being "double minded" and the uncertainty makes one susceptible to being carried away by the "winds of doctrine" Eph 4:14; This is another big problem in our country today.

Purifying the stream consciousness is only possible through consistent, daily perception of God's Word along with persistent self-analysis based on the standard of reference for thinking aka "The Truth" that is contained in Bible Doctrine. Rom 12:3; Eph 5:26-27 ;

The degree of demon influence corresponds to the degrees of reversionism. The longer one resides in the cosmic system without recovery, the greater the degree of demon influence.

Past a certain point it is impossible to distinguish between the believer and unbeliever in the cosmic system. The cosmic system does not distinguish between its students, and is equally effective with both believers and unbelievers.

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 6/5/2013