For reasons I do not understand, but a pattern I nevertheless recognize, I have ended up with a lot of books that deal with the same subject [1], the struggle of believers against unwanted demonic influence and oppression. Without any intention of it being so, today I read the third book in less than a week on the same subject, all of which are written from different perspectives. One was written by an American evangelical who lived a wild youth, another is from an African, and today’s book was from a Messianic Jew, all of whom touched on many of the same elements that lead both to demon influence as well as what is required to be delivered. That such a large trove of books on demonology should find themselves into my library, when the subject is little regarded in general, is a coincidence that I take seriously, and view of considerable importance, even if it is a subject I would rather not think about too often.

Given the paucity of biblical references to the inner workings of the spirit world, and the fact that its effects are often seen in the lives of people, I tend to take an indirect approach to understanding it. As a human being, it is easiest to understand what goes on in the physical world, in the realm of other human beings. The rest is a matter of inference. Believing in a spirit realm that has an interest in and influence on the affairs of men, women, and children, and furthermore believing that the strategies and tactics that were developed in working with the spiritual world were also considered suitable in dealing with human beings, the sort of dysfunction that one can see from human beings can be inferred back to its original source, especially given the tragic and repetitive nature of many of these problems, where the sins of the parents are often visited upon their children to the third and fourth generation.

It is said that misery loves company. Whether this is true for my troop of books on spiritual warfare that arrived nearly simultaneously at my apartment, there are ways in which this statement is both deeply true and deeply untrue. When one looks at the behavior of demons and compares them to the known behavior of angels (known from scripture, at least), one sees that demons have a far stronger need to be around other beings, and a special interest in being around human beings in particular. Why would this be the case? It appears that in the absence of the bond with God that angels enjoy in His presence, that there is a need to find the best substitute possible to that bond among those who are created after His own image. If God created mankind out of loneliness [2], and beings created for a relationship with God feel intense loneliness in the absence of that relationship (like demons and human beings), it should not be a surprise that demons are drawn to people to feel less lonely than they would be on their own, just as it is not a surprise that human beings seek the comfort of other human beings as a result of that aching loneliness that we feel as well. Yet in the absence of a relationship with God, the ersatz relationships we seek naturally will suffer and fail to provide the full fulfilling of our longings.

There are implications to the possibility that we may infer the spirit world from the physical world. One of those implications is that we are often too easy on ourselves and too hard on others in light of the vectors of demonic influence through generational patterns, personal sin, and the wounds we receive from others. We often fail to take the effort that we need to wrestle with our own areas of vulnerability to make sure we give no place to the devil or his minions, and we often fail to recognize the full extent of the burden that others are under not of their choosing, and thus act unmercifully and ungraciously to them. Additionally, there are implications we do not always recognize when it comes to the way in which God deals with mankind [3]. God’s extreme patience and longsuffering in dealing with mankind, His eagerness to forgive, the extreme efforts He is willing to undertake in order to show grace to the unworthy, all have meanings that we do not often take into consideration. How are human beings, the recipients of such grace despite our rebelliousness and our obstinate nature, going to act when placed in a position to judge the rebellious angels (see 1 Corinthians 6:1-10)? Will we act any differently than we ought to when we are faced with others who have shared our own struggles and vulnerabilities? Do not those who have received mercy tend to be far more merciful with others themselves?

In order for beings to be motivated to act in productive ways, there must be the hope that action will be rewarded. Otherwise despondency will overtake all but the most fatalistic among us. Yet if we may see the despair that demons bring to mankind, which we can see poignantly from the story of Saul, among others, it stands to reason that such beings are often full of despair themselves. We cannot cultivate in others what we lack ourselves. The question remains, though, the extent to which a being draws hope from the mercy and grace that God extends to others. When we see others blessed, do we see that as a sign that God’s hand is ready, in His timing, to bless us as well, or are we filled with despair over our unfulfilled longings? Do we believe that God has enough mercy for all, should all choose to accept it, or do we believe it is rationed out and that every act of mercy or grace means one less for anyone else. Often we affirm with our mind that which we do not truly feel in our hearts, yet if we are to live happier lives, our hearts must become more wise, and less despairing. Why does it take so much work?

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/06/13/book-review-truly-free/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/book-review-parents-loose-your-children-from-bondage/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2014/11/20/book-review-21-things-the-devil-cannot-do/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/book-review-deliver-us-from-evil/

[2] Book Review: The Lonely God

[3] Are You Unworthy To Judge