OceanSide church of Christ
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Ghosts
and Demons
by: Dalton Gilreath
I. Introduction
a. As Christians we battle with spiritual forces not against flesh (Eph 6:12)
i. The word for “high” means “above the sky” or the spirit realm
b. The spirit realm is identified
i. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about spiritual things (John 3:12)
ii. Paul says we are blessed with spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3)
c. The spirit realm is categorized
i. It is described as celestial and the earth is terrestrial (1 Cor 15:39-40)
d. The spirit realm is occupied
i. By the Godhead (Eph 1:20)
ii. By angels (Heb 12:22)
iii. By Satan and His demons (Eph 6:12)
e. The spirit realm is exemplified
i. God used the celestial as a reference for Moses in building the tabernacle (Heb 8:5, cf. 9:23)
II. Ghosts
a. What are they?
i. They are souls
1. When Jesus died He “gave up the ghost” (John 19:30)
2. When Herod died he did the same (Acts 12:23)
b. Where are they?
i. While alive they are in your body (Dan 7:15)
1. Daniel groaned within his spirit in his body
2. Death is when it leaves your body (Jam 2:26)
ii. When we die the angels take our soul to Hades (Luke 16:22-23)
1. Souls cannot leave Hades (Luke 16:26)
2. Souls in torment are in prison with everlasting chains (1 Pet 3:19, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6)
III. Demons
a. What are they?
i. Evil spirits (Luke 8:2)
ii. They are led by Satan (Matt 12:24)
b. What do we know about them?
i. They believe in God (Jam 2:19)
1. What does that say about belief only?
ii. They confess Jesus as the son of God (Luke 4:41)
iii. They cause illnesses
1. A man was made blind and unable to speak (Matt 12:22)
2. Another was given seizures (Mark 9:18)
3. Another roamed naked and lived amongst tombs (Luke 8:27-29)
c. Why did God allow Satan to have this power?
i. To confirm the Word they preached (Mark 16:16-20)
ii. Today that power has been removed through Christ (Col 2:15)
1. He spoiled those powers (cf. Eph 6:12)
2. He destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:8)
d. When did the end?
i. Zechariah prophesied it would be when the fountain of life was given to the house of David (Zech 13:1-2)
ii. That fountain was given through Jesus’ death (Rev 21:6)
1. This related back to Colossians 2:15 as well
iii. After Jesus’ death these possessions ended as well as all other miracles in time (1 Cor 13:8-13)
1. Today we do not have to worry about demons and ghosts
2. God is greater than all and they submit to Him forever