Spiritual Resonance
In John 10, Jesus tells us that our spiritual enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to earth so that humanity may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). In the gospels, a central element of Jesus’ ministry was to set free those who were oppressed by the devil (1 John 3:8). The casting out of demons was a sign that the kingdom of God had come to bring to bring total freedom to humanity (Luke 11:20).
Our systematic theology, although important for a foundational understanding of God, has a tendency to suppress and even deny the experiential and supernatural. Theology teaches us what to believe, not how to believe. Until the kingdom of heaven covers the earth, demonic influence will remain in the world. Demons, angels, and the supernatural, although clearly discussed and mentioned in the Bible, have largely been relegated to the realm of our imagination. The question is do these supernatural entities exist and, if so, do we interact with them?
The natural and spiritual realms have been in constant interaction with each other since the beginning of time (Genesis 1:1). Paul, one of the greatest theologians of all time, was aware that the workings of the spiritual realm find expression and manifestation in the natural realm. In Ephesians 6, he writes:
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Who or what is satan? The Bible makes it clear that those in darkness and sin remain under his power (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:13). Much of our understanding of satan and demons is drawn from church tradition and not the actual Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does it outright say that satan is an angelic prince who was cast down from heaven, dragging with him a third of the heavenly host. This long-standing doctrine is drawn from conjecture and the stringing together of several unrelated passages of Scripture in the prophets, gospels, and Revelation. Modern culture, subjective experience, and religious superstition have shaped most of our understanding of satan and the demonic, unintentionally creating a “big-devil, small-God” complex in the church. We are more aware of the “devil” than we are of our identity in Christ.
Whoever or whatever satan is, we know that he has already been defeated by Jesus. The Cross won the victory over darkness and spiritual enemies in the heavenly realms (Colossians 2:14, 20). If you have received Christ, you have objectively been set free from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13) - the enemy cannot touch you (1 John 5:4,18). All of this would seem to imply that we already have access to the unlimited freedom of Christ. The battle has already been won.
So why does Paul warn us against evil in the heavenly realms? Why do I still experience evil thoughts and impulses? Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all in constant contact with the spiritual realm via our minds. Imagine the human imagination as a complex interface. We can gain awareness of the spiritual realm through our ability to interpret the words and images that play across this interface. This awareness requires a mind that is continually being renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7). This is the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
As we can see from the Bible, demons and angels are real entities that exist in the spiritual realm. Whether they are the spirits of men and women who have left the earth or an entirely different class of creature remains subjective and debatable. As we grow in the Spirit, we become progressively sensitive to the existence of these entities and how our minds interact with them.
In the gospels, Jesus is continually casting out evil spirits. A commonly used Greek word for possession in the Bible is echo. Echo is a word in English we often associate with sound and vibrations. Echo implies a resonance of mind. Imagine a mind that is sending out signals in the spiritual realm that attract demonic energy and influence. These men and women were resonating with demons in the spiritual realm, permitting a flow into the natural. This resonance had become so powerful that these spirits had completely overtaken their minds and bodies, a phenomenon that is still seen today.
Identity in Christ is key for living free from demonic influence. The mind (intellect) is a servant to the heart (will). When deep identity paradigms and beliefs exist that are not in line with my identity as a righteous son of God, I give permission for demonic energy to flow through me into the natural realm. Paul was aware of this, admonishing believers to renew their minds in order to live in greater and greater freedom of the the Spirit (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 6:10-11).
James touches on these truths in his letter to the church in Jerusalem.
James 1:13-15 (NIV) “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
James 3:14-15 (NIV) “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
We do not need to be paranoid about the demonic. We have been given everything we will ever need by Jesus. It is just a matter of simply believing we are who He says we are. Freedom is understanding who we already are in Christ - sons of God who have gained a supernatural inheritance through the broken body of Jesus. We have been given the mind of Christ - a mind characterized by power, love, and the fruits of the Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7; Galatians 5:22-23). If I am experiencing anything other than perfect peace at any given moment, I have not had the fullest revelation of Sonship made available through Christ. My thoughts will be characterized by fear and demonic influence until I say yes to the free gift of His eternal, live-giving love. (1 John 4:18-19).
