The Alternative

Dr. Tony Evans: If you are not a compromising Christian and you are dependent upon the power of Christ, Christ lends you his authority over the devil and his demonic hordes. The same power that energized the early church is available for us today. It wasn't just for the apostles. He says you have authority over Satan.

Guest (Male): This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Jesus won't come into our lives unless we invite him. But the enemy will barge right in if you leave the door unlocked. Today, Dr. Evans explains how God's power can help you dislodge the devil and his demons. Let's listen.

Dr. Tony Evans: When we talk about demonization, I want to look at four things. First of all, I want to look at the definition. Then, I want to look at the distinctives. Then, I want to look at the devices, and then I want to look at the deliverance.

First of all, the definition. Demonization is the occupation of a human by one or more evil spirits in order to exercise various levels of control over a person. Their goal is control. Our central passage is Mark chapter five. Jesus Christ is validating his messiahship by means of the demonstration of his authority.

He comes upon a situation in verse two. And when he had come out of the boat, immediately a man met him from the tombs with an unclean spirit. An unclean spirit, that is a demon. The goal of demons in this definition is to consume the personality of a person in order to bring it into subjection to their goals and their agenda.

And so we find this demoniac. This man is indwelt by a demon. Verse two, he has had an unclean spirit in him that meets Jesus. And notice where he's hanging out. Verse two says he's hanging out in the tombs because demon Satan always operates in the realm of death.

Remember the ground was going to be cursed. The snake would crawl on the ground because it was used as the means of deception and man would die and go back to dust. All of that happened because of the deception of Satan in the garden. So we ought not to be surprised that the hangout of this demon-possessed man is in the tombs.

Verse five, and constantly, night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gnashing himself with stones. Here is massive discouragement, massive depression, crying all the time and gnashing himself. Remember, this is not because of life circumstances. This is because he is being controlled by someone else, an unclean spirit.

Not only that, please notice verse six and seven. And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, what do I have to do with you, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I implore you, do not torment me.

On the one hand, he's running to Jesus and bowing. But at the very same time he's bowing to Jesus, he's saying, stop tormenting me. That's a contradiction. You can't run to the person who's tormenting you, bow in homage to them, and at the same time be tormented unless you're dealing with two realities operating out of the same person.

And the reason that you're dealing with that is that there is another being inside that has made itself at home, that is influencing this person. So there is a dual problem. Here's one, a resistance to spiritual things. Verse seven says, and crying out with a loud voice, he said, what have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

I implore you by God, do not torment me. He asked Jesus to leave him alone, which means he knew immediately without any form of contact the true identity of who Jesus was. And that is because the demons know who Jesus is. So when Jesus shows up in an environment, it makes the environment uncomfortable if the environment is inhabited by demons.

So there was enhanced spiritual sensitivity. Verse nine, and he asked him, what is your name? And he said to him, my name is Legion for we are many. Another voice took over. Another voice took over. You say, how can that many beings get in one being? Answer: they're spiritual beings, so they don't have the same space limitations that you and I are familiar with.

So demonization is defined as the occupancy since that is their goal of evil spirits to exercise their agenda through your person. Let's look at the third thing. What are the devices or the vehicles or the means that demons use to get in? What do they do? How do they do it?

One of the main ways that demons get in is idolatry. Because remember when we went over demons, we discovered that behind every idol is a demon. There's no such thing as a non-demonic idol. Whatever it is that is God to you, that you worship, sets up an idol and behind idols are demons.

First Corinthians chapter 10, he says in verse 14, therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry. He says in verse 16, is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Now this introduces the issue of communion.

And as most of you know, I have a very high view of communion because I don't just believe it's something that you're remembering in the past. You are participating in the life of someone. You are sharing in the actual spiritual life of Jesus Christ when you take communion. And it's not just to chew on a cracker and drink some juice. It is participating in a life.

He says in verse 16, what do I mean in verse 19, that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything or that an idol is anything? No, the thing you're worshipping is nothing. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to who? The demons and not to God. And I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

Now here's what's important about this. What's important is that he's writing to Christians. And he's telling Christians when you participate with the non-Christians in their idolatry, it is like taking bread and the cup that you take for communion and instead of participating in the life of Christ, you are participating in the life of demons.

And now you understand James four, friendship with the world is enmity against God. It's not neutral. He says that it is possible for Christians to participate with demons by sharing in idolatry. So when you worship what the world worships, then we become tools in the hands of the devil and open ourselves up for either oppression or possession.

And there's this big debate: can Christians be possessed? All that's irrelevant to me. Possessed is bad enough. Oppressed is bad enough. So whether possessed or oppressed, you want to get him out of your neighborhood so that you don't have to worry about either. And he says participation with demons lets you share in them.

And far too many Christians are being oppressed and it has nothing to do with their circumstances. It is that they have opened themselves up to demonic presence and the demons are oppressing them in their circumstances. Another way that demons come in is in the occult.

In the occult, that can be tied to idolatry, but it's in the occult: astrology, worshipping the heavens, looking up your horoscope, visiting palm readers, or dialing the psychic connection. All of the above, any of the above. You thought it was harmless. It is not harmless because it is the vehicle by which Satan enters in.

In the Bible, magic, the sorcerers in Egypt, remember when Moses went to Egypt and he did his miracles? They did magic. What we would call magic, the sorcerers or the magicians from Egypt came out and imitated and duplicated what Moses had done. Why? Because they had false gods.

And remember, behind every false god is a demon. We're talking about actual power. And what those guys did, they really did. Because Satan has real power. He's a spirit being. So sometimes you look at this stuff and say that's a trick. Maybe not. Maybe that was a satanically empowered person who is doing satanically empowered things in the name of the wrong god because they are real beings and they are potent.

Guest (Male): Dr. Evans will return in just a moment to explain how God will ultimately use believers in his victory over the enemy. Before that, I want to remind you about the powerful follow-up resource we've selected for this series: Tony's book, *Warfare: Winning the Spiritual Battle*.

In it, he explains how many of life's struggles are connected to the unseen spiritual conflict taking place around us and shows how believers can rely on God's power to stand strong against the enemy's attacks. Along with the *Warfare* book, we'll also send you Tony's current two-volume series, *Angels, Good, Bad, and Ugly*.

Across all 12 full-length messages, Dr. Evans explores what the Bible really says about angels, demons, spiritual warfare, and the invisible realm that impacts our lives every day. Together, these resources are designed to help strengthen your faith, sharpen your spiritual awareness, and deepen your confidence in God's authority. This special offer will be ending soon, so don't wait. Visit TonyEvans.org today or call 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our resource team members help you. I'll repeat that information for you after part two of today's lesson and this.

Guest (Male): There's something about the rhythm of the ocean that quiets the noise of everyday life. Step away from the rush and into rest and renewal on a seven-day Caribbean cruise with Dr. Tony Evans. Set sail February 28th to visit beautiful destinations in the Bahamas, all while enjoying powerful Bible teaching, meaningful worship, and time to reconnect with God and others. Experience renewal for your body and your soul. Find out more at TonyEvans.org.

Dr. Tony Evans: Let me tell you another thing that'll open you up to Satan: spiritual immaturity, or what Ephesians 4:17 calls vanity of the mind. First Timothy chapter 4 says there's doctrines of demons that infiltrate the church because immature believers don't know the way of God and so they are duped by the way of the devil using the name of God.

Drugs. In fact, in Galatians chapter 5, verse 20, the word witchcraft is the Greek word *pharmakeia*, which is the word that we get our English word pharmacy from, and it refers to drug use. Drug use, intoxication by alcohol, which is just another form of drugs. All of those dull the personality. When the personality is dulled and the mind is dulled, he can slip in.

So we've looked at the definition, we've looked at the distinctives, we've looked at the devices. You need to understand three things to overcome demonism in your life or to help somebody else overcome demonism in theirs. One, you need to understand, as we've been repeating all series long, the authority of Christ.

Look at what Jesus says in John chapter 12, verse 31. Now judgment is upon the world. Now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself. What does he mean? Verse 33, and he was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which he was to die.

Satan was about to be cast out when Jesus was lifted up. He was lifted up on the cross and that's when Satan got booted out. Let's go a little further in this. John 16, verse 11, and concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14 and 15.

Since then the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil. You getting the message? First Peter chapter 3, verse 22. Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to him.

It is in the authority of Christ that you find the authority to deal with your demons and help others to deal with theirs. But you must view your life by your new position in Christ, not your old position in Adam. So first of all, the authority of Christ.

Now secondly, you've got to understand the authority of the believer. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10, verse one, my authority over demons I give to you. He didn't only give it to them, he gave it to the church because he says, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew chapter 16, verse 18. He goes on in verse 19 and says, I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The keys mean authority. So it wasn't just for the apostles. He says you have as being part of my family authority over Satan.

So that leaves one final thing: personal responsibility. What do I do? What do I do? Number one, no spiritual compromise. Second Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14. Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have the righteous with lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness?

And get this one, or what harmony has Christ with Belial or what has a believer in common with a non-believer? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? Which demons are behind. You get the point? No spiritual compromise. You can't have it both ways. You can't love the world and love God.

Now I don't mean that you don't sin. We all sin. But I'm talking about your direction. It must be clear even when you do sin that that was a sin against God. I confess it. No compromise. If you are a fence-walking, tightrope-walking Christian, then you are a candidate for the demonic realm.

So you must make a decision: no compromise. Secondly, you must be committed to prayer. We saw a moment ago in Acts chapter 16, Paul says, in the name of Jesus, come out of there. He used prayer, but he didn't use his own power. He borrowed power from Jesus.

If you are not a compromising Christian and you are dependent upon the power of Christ, Christ lends you his authority over the devil and his demonic hordes. Removal of all remnants of the occult. Acts 19, get rid of them.

In the very same way that kids can pick up the looks of the parent, the genetic personality uniqueness of the parent, they can pick up their angels as well. That is why you will have many kids who will do the exact same things that their parents did spiritually. We'll repeat those spiritual things just like they repeat genetic things in other areas because it was passed on and never dealt with.

So this is serious business, isn't it? This stuff will make you think twice. So Acts chapter 19, verse 17. And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks who lived in Ephesus. Fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ was being magnified.

Many also of those who believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all. And they counted up the pieces of them and found it 50,000 pieces of silver. Them people were into this stuff.

So some of you need to go home and start a fire tonight and get rid of all them trinkets and everything else that links you to any facet of the occult. Because even if you aren't demon-possessed, you may have a whole host of them circling your home because they feel comfortable in your environment.

Second Chronicles 14, 2 to 5 and 23, verse 17, the first thing that the righteous kings of Israel did was tear down the high places. They tear down the high places because that meant that demons hung out in the middle of the nation. Let me close. Last scripture, Matthew 12, where we just looked at it. Jesus will summarize it for us.

Matthew chapter 12, here's how it works. Verse 43, that when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, that is empty, barren places, seeking rest and does not find it. Why? Because spirits cannot fulfill themselves unless they're occupying something. So it's barren. Nothing is happening when they're not in somebody through which they can express themselves.

Then it says, the spirit says, I will return to my house, that is the person from which I came. And when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself and then go in and live there and the last state of the man becomes worse than the first. This is the way it will also be in this evil generation. And that's deep.

He says the spirit is in the house. For some reason, the spirit leaves the house and is in waterless places, that is no place to refresh itself, no place to do anything. So it can't exist like that. Just like we can't exist in the desert for long, a spirit can't exist without being into somebody.

So then it decides to go back home. When it gets back to this guy, it discovers something. That this guy has swept and cleaned. Through some mechanism, this guy has bettered his situation. It is like you clean up house and for a few weeks you're doing fine. But there's also one other problem with this person.

Please notice the phrase: his house was unoccupied. In other words, even though the demon left, nobody else went in to live there. So you have an unoccupied house. I'm gonna tell you now, if you leave your house unoccupied, no matter how much you sweep it and clean it, if you let that thing just sit there unoccupied, somebody is going to lay claim to it.

And if somebody doesn't lay claim to it, it's still going to deteriorate because it must be occupied to be kept up. This house, this man's life is unoccupied. The demon sees that nobody is taking the place, so he says, well, since I can't find anywhere else, let me go back there.

But does he go alone? No, he brings his cousins, his nieces, his nephews, his relatives. He brings the whole house. And the ones he brings are worse than he was when he was there. So if Jesus Christ doesn't occupy you, you still in trouble. Cause the last state, it says, was worse than the first.

So you get rid of them and you want to keep them out, you better put a for rent sign outside of your life and say, Jesus, you can live here and not even going to charge you rent. You paid for the life anyway. So demonism is real. And when the more I study it, the more traumatic it becomes cause this thing is real.

Now you can dismiss this lesson or you can believe this book is the word of God and then you can begin to fight spiritual warfare for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans talking about how we can resist the devil's agenda and win the spiritual battles taking place around us. Now, if you'd like to hear the complete full-length version of today's lesson, check with us for details on the title "The Domination of Demons." Or better yet, request it as a part of Tony's current two-volume series, *Angels, Good, Bad, and Ugly*.

This 12-message collection contains practical biblical insight into the spiritual battle taking place behind the scenes of our everyday lives. And as I mentioned earlier, when you support Tony's ministry, we'll also send you the powerful companion book, *Warfare: Winning the Spiritual Battle*.

Together, these resources will help equip you to recognize the enemy's tactics and stand firm in the victory God has already provided. Visit TonyEvans.org today to make the arrangements or call 1-800-800-3222 any time of the day or night and let one of our resource team members assist you. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222.

Now, if you find these messages from Dr. Evans helpful, you'll also want to listen to *The Unbound Podcast*, a place where Tony engages in thoughtful discussions on a variety of topics with other followers of Christ. You can find these conversations on his YouTube channel or wherever you stream your favorite podcast.

Even though we're blessed with abundance, it seems we're never satisfied with what we've got and that makes us vulnerable to the enemy. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans explores the advantages of a grateful heart and its power to help you defeat the doctrine of demons. I hope you'll join us.