Most of the following is gleaned from a web site I came across while researching 'demons'. Much of it does make sense in light of Scriptures as we know demons are written of more than once throughout Scriptures. This study is to help us better understand our enemy so as not to be destroyed for lack of knowledge; nor shall we fall for the strong delusion coming our way. I provided Chapter and Verse references taken from my copy of the Tanakh and the Aramaic English New Testament. Please read from your own copy of Scriptures as you further your studies.
We learn from reading Ephesians 2 that before we knew right from wrong we were unaware of our sins and offenses. We behaved according to the the worldliness of this world (religions, customs and materialism...) and lived according to the will of the prince and power of the air, that spirit which is active in those who are rebellious and disobedient (shunning the Creator). We gave into temptations and desires of the flesh and our thoughts... we were just like the rest of the people we hung out with.
Satan is "the prince of the power of the air".
John 12:31 tells us when Judgment Day comes, the ruler of this world will be cast outside. It is reasonable to think that he and his demons have some control over the elements of nature such as wind, rain, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Remember that it was Satan who directed a "great wind" to collapse the home of Job's oldest son, resulting in the deaths of all Job's children:
Job 1:19 ... suddenly a mighty wind came from the wilderness. It struck the four corners of the house so that it collapsed upon the young people and they died..."
Another thing I'd like to point out is the fact that governments of this world use weather as a weapon by means of control through the HAARP program, chemical spraying of the atmosphere, pinging and things we've yet to hear about which are all behaviors connected to demonic influence.
It is not logical to blame every illness on demonic activity nor is it biblical. Many of our illnesses are the result of poor lifestyle choices: too much fast food; lack of physical exercise; addictions to things such as alcohol, nicotine, drugs, TV, social media; hanging onto guilt and not forgiving others; holding onto a grudge and blaming ourselves for things not our fault. Though not all illnesses are caused by Satan and his demons, some of them are. Reading in Mark we see there is a difference between sicknesses that were caused by demons and those that were not.
Mark 1:32 ~ And in the evening at the setting of the sun, they brought to him all those who were severely diseased and possessed ....he healed many who were severely diseased with diverse weaknesses ....he cast out many demons, and he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
It seems Mark is making a difference between people who are sick with some sort of disease and those who are possessed. Folks can become physically ill from a weakened immune system and maybe if one is spiritually weak they can become home to a demon.
Just like physical illness, some mental disorders are caused by other factors while some are demonically influenced. Again I would like to suggest it relates to how spiritually weak a person is. I think it is a mistake to say that all mental illness is directly linked to demons.
Our thoughts and emotions are directly traceable to a series of electrical and chemical impulses in the brain. When the brain does not function properly, drug therapy can help restore the natural balances. However, our thoughts and emotions are more than a series of electrical and chemical impulses. There's an immeasurable, though very real, spiritual component that influences our thoughts and emotions. Positively, this spiritual component can protect us from anxiety and its attendant consequences:
Philippians 4:4 ~ Rejoice in יהוה always, again I say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Master is near. Do not worry at all, but in every matter, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim; and the peace of Elohim, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Messiah יהושע. For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is righteous, whatever is clean, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any uprightness and if there is any praise – think on these.
If a positive spiritual exercise like prayer can influence our thought processes by removing anxiety, then it is reasonable to conclude there are also negative spiritual influences that can seize control of our minds and emotions. While not all mental disorders are caused by external spiritual forces such as demons, some of them are.
Consider the man in Luke 8 who was controlled by numerous demons. A refusal to put on clothes, withdrawal from others, strange voices emanating from his mouth, and deep depression were symptoms that today would immediately land him in a mental hospital. Yet as soon as the demons left him, notice the immediate and radical change in his mental state and behavior: "The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Y'shua, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Y'shua, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well" (Luke 8:35-36).
The restoration of this man's mental health did not require years of psychotherapy or drug treatment, because his root problem was not primarily physical or emotional, but spiritual. Please understand that I'm not condemning psychotherapy or chemical treatment. What I am suggesting is that sometimes there is also a spiritual component to mental disorders we should not ignore.
Demons can use other people to discourage, distract, and deceive us. In extreme instances, demons have the ability to use human agents to persecute and murder other Believers. John attributes the slaughter of Elohim's people during the coming Tribulation to demonic activity (see Revelation 18:2,24). We are aware of similar persecution throughout history and in many areas of the world today.
While no true Set Apart believer can be possessed by a demon, we can be influenced by demons - it is an ever present, although spiritual, war. Any area of our lives that is not controlled by the Ruach haKodesh is vulnerable to being controlled by Satan and his forces. You may remember from physics that nature abhors a vacuum. The same truth applies to the spiritual realm. Some spiritual force is going to fill or control your life. Any area of your existence — finances, marriage, work, and morality — that is not being directed by the His Spirit is vulnerable to being controlled by demonic influences.
The key to resisting demonic influences in our lives is to make sure that every area of our lives is filled or controlled by Yahweh Elohim. Put Him first in all things.
(Adapted from The Divine Defense by Robert Jeffress, Waterbrook Press, 2006)
