KEYWORDS: god, devil, jesus, them

Casting Out Demons

David Berg

—MOJuly 15‚ 1970NO. K

MODERN PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTIONS AND UNJUST LAWS

[No paragraph 1 in the original.]

2. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DEVIL TO WIN OVER YOU UNLESS you give in to him. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (lJn.4:4; Ja.4:7). It's up to God. The Devil is a liar and is usually bluffing.

3. According to the standards of modern Psychiatry, we are all totally insane. Psychiatrists have set the standard by the average modern behaviour pattern. THE WORD "ECCENTRIC" MEANS OFF-CENTRE: MAN WITHOUT GOD IS OFF-CENTRE, INSANE. We have a greater unselfishness, and loving concern and feeling of responsibility for others. Most people who are totally, truly insane don't care much about others; they are almost totally indifferent and selfish.

4. DOCTORS HAVE A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE LAW‚ especially the AMA [American Medical Association] lobby. The law (Psa.94:20; Isa.29:21) says that you can be committed by a relative on order from a judge—for at least three days of psychiatric observation. Once there, you are under lock and key. Even your lawyer has a hard time getting in. Not even relatives can get in. After three days, the psychiatrist just has to recommend 90 more days of observation. At the end of 90 days, they can commit you permanently if they want (Job 9:24). Just as the schools and jails‚ these institutions have to have so many in their buildings before they can get government support. They are paid on the per diem basis, the same as the schools (Mic.3:10; Jer.22:13). They figure per head for the money given them. That's why they are so concerned about attendance records in school (Joel 3:3). They lose money every time you are absent. Law enforcement officers are under the same thing: they have quotas to fill in their ticket books. The public and county hospitals get paid the same way: according to how many people they have. It's not in their interest to get you well again (Mk.5:26).

DEMON CASTING OUT—EXORCISM

5. To some Christians' way of thinking‚ staying out of trouble is doing nothing. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous," but God will deliver us (Psa.34:19). God is the way out of trouble.

6. DEMON CASTING OUT: PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS AND BELIEVE IT WILL BE DONE; and if you are of Jesus‚ it will be done. Begin by building your own faith by telling about God's miracles (Psa.77:10-12), and recalling incidents that apply to this particular case. Also through prayer and fasting. IF YOU CAN, GET THEIR WILL ON YOUR SIDE, OR EVEN GET THEM TO PRAY AND ASK GOD TO DELIVER THEM IN JESUS' NAME. This is a prayer Grandmother Berg used: "JESUS, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT'S NOT OF YOU, I RESIST ANYTHING THAT'S NOT OF YOU, JESUS. NOW IN JESUS' NAME (Jn.14:14)‚ I COMMAND YOU TO LEAVE, SATAN!"

7. GRANDMOTHER HAD GOOD SUCCESS WITH EPILEPTICS, WHICH IS A FORM OF DEMON OPPRESSION. OPPRESSION IS WHERE THE DEVIL ATTACKS FROM THE OUTSIDE. You are not your own, since you are bought with a price (lCor.6:19,20; Acts 20:28)—no one else can own you but God. THE DEVIL CAN BOTH OPPRESS AND DEPRESS YOU BY SPEAKING TO YOUR MIND AND TEMPTING YOU. BUT YOU HAVE A WILL (Lk.22:42), AND CAN IGNORE HIM—UNLESS YOU SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO HIM.

SUICIDE

8. SUICIDE: Certainly, saved people commit suicide; Saul did so (1Sam.31:4). He still knew the Lord, so he was saved but he didn't want his enemies to have the honour of killing him. GOD WILL REWARD ACCORDING TO OUR WORK (lCor.3:8–15). BUT YOUR SALVATION DIDN'T DEPEND ON YOUR WORKS, SO IF YOU COMMIT SUICIDE, YOU WILL STILL BE SAVED (lCor.5:5). You are still a coward and a quitter, but you don't lose your salvation. It doesn't depend on whether you are a success or not. If you are lost, then God failed, because salvation is a work of God (Jn.10:28).

GOD'S PROMISES IN PRAYER—SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY FOR HEALING, DEMON CASTING OUT AND OVERCOMING FEAR

9. GOD'S PROMISES IN PRAYER: GOD HAS MADE PROMISES IN HIS WORD. WHEN YOU PRAY, BRING THOSE PROMISES WITH YOU TO REMIND HIM. Example: The Bible says, "Lay hands on the sick" (Mk.16:18; 6:5). Well, we are doing that, God, we are obedient to what You told us to do: now God, You do Your part. WHEN YOU REMIND GOD OF HIS WORD (Exo.32:13; Num.14:17), IT SHOWS YOU HAVE FAITH IN IT. It's a positive declaration of your faith and your knowledge of the Word which pleases God (Col.1:10; Heb.11:6; lJn.3:22). It's like a lawyer in a courtroom reminding the judge of the law of the land. WHEN YOU ARE PRAYING FOR SOMEONE, QUOTE SCRIPTURE AND RECALL SIMILAR SITUATIONS FROM THE BIBLE.

10. That's where your faith will come from: FAITH COMES FROM THE WORD (Rom.10:17). When you remind God of His promises, you are challenging Him.

11. THE FIRST THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT YOU CAN'T DO MUCH FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO BE DELIVERED. Sometimes God will give you the power to command a demon, even as it is causing the person to resist you (Mk.1:23-26; Mt.8:29).

12. It's called "seizures" by the medical profession. Strange they call it that and won't recognise who is "seizing" the person. They still don't know what causes epilepsy, and they can't cure it. Some doctors have begun to believe in the spiritual causes of diseases. This is a subject I don't like to dwell on too much (Lk.10:20). JESUS DIDN'T TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DEVIL, but some Christians have become fascinated by the works of the Devil so that they become fascinated by his power and begin to see him in everything.

13. MAT.10:1: "AND WHEN HE HAD CALLED UNTO HIM HIS TWELVE DISCIPLES, HE GAVE THEM POWER AGAINST UNCLEAN SPIRITS, TO CAST THEM OUT, AND TO HEAL ALL MANNER OF SICKNESS AND ALL MANNER OF DISEASE."—You will run into this more and more. IT'S NOT A PROBLEM OF DISEASE, OR SIN, BUT MORE AND MORE IT WILL BE DEMON POSSESSION. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A DEMON OF FEAR.—(Heb.2:15). I remember a girl, Helen Jones, who was sick for eight years through a fear of death‚ literally in bondage. Spent all that time in bed; her feet were like hands. A few minutes after we prayed with her, she got up and walked. THE BEST THING TO DO IS REMIND THEM OF THE WORD; THE DEVIL CAN'T STAND THE WORD, NOR THE NAME OF JESUS (Mat.8:29). YOU SHOULD TRY TO GET THEM TO SAY THE NAME OF JESUS. Remember Jonah got out of the belly of the whale when he said‚ "Salvation is of the Lord!" (Jon.2:9).

14. THE MAIN THING IS TO KNOW THE WORD. FAITH IS BUILT ON THE WORD; that's the contract and the law. That's why you can claim it and command the Lord to fulfill His promises. SECONDLY, REMEMBER TO GET THEIR WILL ON YOUR SIDE AND GET THEM TO ASK FOR THEMSELVES IN JESUS' NAME; AND GET THEM FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, IF POSSIBLE. If there's some area in their life that they are resisting God, it will give the Devil a chance to get in—pride‚ disobedience, selfishness. (Eph.4:27). DON'T HAVE ANY AREA IN YOUR LIFE THAT THE DEVIL CAN GET HOLD OF.

15. Story of Huddersfield: A rich landlord tried to buy all of a particular village‚ but one poor farmer refused to sell his little plot of land. The landlord offered him all kinds of money, but the farmer refused, out of pride‚ to sell. His last remark to the landlord was, "Remember, you and I own Huddersfield." Don't let the Devil be able to say that of you (1Sam.15:23) to God. Don't let him claim any area of your life, some area of rebelliousness, or of self–indulgence, etc.

16. THE FIRST PURPOSE OF THE DEVIL IS TO CONDEMN (Rev.2:10; Zec.3:1). HE WILL CONDEMN YOU IN YOUR OWN HEART AND TELL YOU THAT GOD WILL NOT HEAR YOU BECAUSE OF ONE SIN OR ANOTHER. BUT HOLD FAST TO 1Jn.3:21. He will also accuse you to God and tell Him not to listen to you. He tries to make God stick to the letter of the law. He's the prosecuting attorney who is constantly reminding the Judge of the law. But the Judge will look at the grace and the sacrifice of your Defense Attorney.

17. WATCH OUT WHEN YOU REFUSE TO YIELD TO THE TRUTH OF GOD: (Mat.23:37) "HOW OFTEN I WOULD HAVE GATHERED YOU, BUT YE WOULD NOT." GOD DOES NOT FORCE HIMSELF ON ANYONE; HE DOESN'T PUSH HIMSELF. YOU STILL HAVE THE MAJESTY OF FREE CHOICE (Rev.3:20).

18. Pro.29:1; Eph.4:15: They used to seal wounds with a hot iron. The wound would stop bleeding, but the scar tissue would be so tough and thick, that is was completely without feeling—they became as Eph.4:17,18. They don't feel anything anymore. EVEN PSYCHIATRISTS WILL TELL YOU THAT CONTINUED RESISTANCE TO THE TRUTH WILL CAUSE THE TRUTH TO LOSE ITS POWER (Heb.3:13). This is the Pavlovian technique in effect. They have become hardened to any truth and are beyond feeling. Examples: The Pharaoh in Egypt; Paul kicking against the pricks. IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING AND SURRENDER TO GOD AND ARE WITHHOLDING, YOU WILL BE LIKE ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA. (Acts 5) GOD BROUGHT THESE PEOPLE TO A CRISIS DECISION AND THEY HAD TO CHOOSE FOR GOD. THEY KEEP GOING BACK AND BACK AND BACK, until finally GOD HAS TO TAKE THEM AWAY SO THAT THEY WILL NOT BE A STUMBLING BLOCK (1Cor.5:5; Pro.29:1).

19. YOUR HAPPINESS AND YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR BLESSINGS IN THIS LIFE DEPEND ON YOUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD. IF YOU AREN'T OBEDIENT TO GOD, THE RESULT WILL BE SICKNESS LIKE THE PRESENT-DAY CHURCH SYSTEM (Psa.18:26; Pro.26:2; Isa.1:19-20; 24:5-6; Jn.5:14).