DEMONS, FEAR and BLOOD

Once again October 31st is upon us and the celebration of Halloween.

Some LOVE Halloween and embrace all that it offers, a once a year moment to celebrate darkness, death, and everything gory and scary.

Blood, demons, terror, witches, goblins and the lot...

Some take this innocently as just for fun and thrills, or traditional practices like trick or treat, carving pumpkins and the like.

Others take it literally looking upon it as the of the year with heightened senses to the evil side, new age, and satanic worship and ritual. Yes, there are literal witches and satanic practitioners that equate Halloween with Easter or Christmas and I wouldn’t want to be in their backyard.

There are those who DESPISE Halloween and dislike all that it stands for as a contrast to light and truth of the Gospel. They want nothing to do with the decorations or celebrations and avoid it as best as possible - some even holding prayer vigils to hold back the darkness.

Many churches will engage in alternatives and/or events to take back the day with the light of spreading tracts and truth.

Others just don’t care! LOL

This year, I want to not focus on Halloween, but take the opportunity to focus on the fact that there is a very real world of spiritual darkness.

Paul writes in

Ephesians 6:12 NLT

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

We also know that Jesus frequently set free the demon possessed and oppressed.

Matthew 4:24 NLT

24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all.

There is an evil one that fights for your soul and seeks to hold the world in bondage, but through Jesus we overcome!

1 John 2:13–14 NLT

13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one. 14 I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.

1. DEMONS

I have some questions...

If we see a history in the Bible of demoniac activity, a real Satan, people being set free from demonic spirits, historical accounts of spiritual warfare --

WHY ARE THERE NO REAL DEMONS TODAY IN ACTIVITY?

Why do we think that spiritual warfare is no longer a part of our lives - just because we are in America?

Why are people in third world countries more keen to the demonic and spirit world and understand why there is a need for the power of the Holy Spirit to combat such forces?

Why are evil spirits relegated to Halloween only?

Satan is mentioned 55 times in Scripture, 16 by Jesus

Evil One 5 times, 4 by Jesus

Lucifer is mentioned once

Devil 35 times, 7 times by Jesus

So that is almost 100 times that Scripture makes reference to SATAN himself...

Demon or demons are mentioned 82 times and over half of those are in relation to Jesus speech or actions...

Evil Spirits - 6 times

At lease a half dozen spirits “demonic strongholds” mentioned by name. and /or principle...

spirit of bondage - addiction and sin

wounded spirit - hurt and unforgivness, bitterness

spirit of infirmity - sickness physical and mental

spirit of jealousy - coveting and longing, desire

spirit of lust - sexual temptation and sin outside of marriage between a man and a woman

spirit of anger - unforgiveness, temper, hatred

spirit of pride - positioning, self elevation, refusal to submit to authority

spirit of division - keeps division in families, marriages, churches, nations

spirit of rebellion - rebels against authority and God’s Word, refusal to obey the will of God

spirit of witchcraft - the practicing of divination, fortune telling, magic, horoscope

spirit of fear -

The devil is not some fairy tale creature nor his demons with a pitch fork, tail, and horns… but a spiritual force, fallen angels that still operate in the spirit world of our day...

1 Peter 5:8 NLT

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

As we read earlier - Paul warns us that our warfare is against these principalities and strongholds

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit, if we will allow and ask for it - gives us discernment...

1 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today to assist us like tools in a tool box.

It is up to us to ask for and engage them as the Spirit will help us when needed.

There are three kinds of spirit - man’s, demonic (evil), and the Holy Spirit.

Through intimacy and connection with God we have authority over that which is evil.

2. FEAR

Another symbol of this season is FEAR.

Fear 1.an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat:

FDR may have said we have nothing to fear but fear itself - however

FEAR IS REAL generally has a principality working behind it.

There is fear that comes over us and grips us...

This season likes to play on that , and how often is that with demonic and evil things - crazy possessed people with axes and chainsaws, or crazy clowns???

Things that stir up fear --- DEATH is something that people are most afraid of as it represents end and total un-restorable loss

Fear goes beyond the evil also to the insecure

Death is the final loss of something, and fear is the insecurity of loss

a person, job, position, possession

Fear is what makes us insure stuff to protect it.

Have you ever noticed that twinge of fear when you make an expensive purchase and they ask if you want the warranty.

Your frugality says no, your fear says you want the peace of mind...

There is only one healthy fear and that is the fear of God! Reverencing the truth of HIs Word and walking it out in wisdom through obedience.

Funny, we fear everything but GOD!

The word fear appears 470 times in Scripture! WOW - that is a lot!

Romans 8:15 NLT

15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

The enemy desires to hold us in bondage to things, people, places and positions through FEAR.

He threatens all of our securities with insecurity and allows fearfulness to bring control over us often keeping us from the will and plans of God in our lives.

We can laugh at movies that invoke fear, or the haunted corn mazes where fear stalks us...

Jude 23 NLT

23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

KJV - save with fear --- reminding people of eternal loss...

The Lord wants to restore fear with confidence in Him!

Reminded of His LOVE, POWER, and the SOUNDNESS OF MIND - peace that Jesus offers in place of fear.

3. BLOOD

Well, copious amounts of fake blood will adorn costumes and decorations as Halloween persists.

The old vampire movies - I want to drink your blood - statements come to mind...

The reality is BLOOD is a source of life for living things with breath!

Blood flow or the end of is what keeps us alive.

For all of time - blood shed was a means of appeasing gods for sins or to attain desires - innocence taken for the guilt of another...

BLOOD has been misused in sacrifice as a replacment for what it was intended -

Garden of Eden is a picture of blood being shed for the guilt of man’s sin...

Hebrews 9:22 NLT

22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

This reminds us that forgiveness of true sin cannot be forgiven unless blood is shed...

Jesus fulfilled the price.

1 John 1:7–9 NLT

7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 Peter 1:2 NLT

2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

Revelation 1:5 NLT

5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.

Our society has an aversion to blood and yet a fascination with it...

We see it in horror films and gore in movies, but the thought of sacrifice for sin is unbelievable and unacceptable

Possibly because we are so removed from animal sacrifice after the all fulfilling sacrifice of Jesus, but how quickly we have lost sight of what His blood really means!

You see, those demons we spoke about, and the fear we spoke about our all rendered powerless when the blood of Jesus is applied!

When by faith we plead His blood over these things.

Faith in Jesus atoning work has power over all darkness and all things that result from that darkness -

Jesus blood reverses the curse of sin and evil!

Like the blood over the doorpost of the house when the angel of death passed by in Egypt, the blood of Jesus applied to our hearts has POWER over the works of death and darkness.

CONCLUSION

This time of year as many will toy around with devils, fear and blood -

Remember that its all real!

The good news is that Jesus BLOOD paid the price and gives us authority over demons and over fear.