meh, not working on forums so….
Interesting point and you might be right in saying that. I suppose one could possibly say that there is a difference between having a demonic spirit within us and having a demonic spirit affect us. There does seem to be at the least some influence by demonic forces over sicknesses. As an example, in chapter 2 of Job Satan attacks Job’s health. Verse 7 of that chapter mentions how Satan “stuck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Does this mean he was actually possessed by a demon, not necessarily.
In that particular story, demonic forces certainly attack him but never in such a way that he looses control of his character or consciousness.
I decided to look up this topic I found something of interest. Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology on page 423 states:
“The term demonic possession is an unfortunate term that has found its way into some English translations of the Bible but is not really reflected in the Greek text. The Greek New Testament can speak of people who ‘have a demon’ (Matt. 11:18; Luke 7:33; 8:27; John 7:20; 8:48; 49; 52; 10:20), or it can speak of people who are suffering from demonic influence (Gk. daimonizanai), but it never uses language that suggests that a demon actually ‘possesses’ someone.
The problem with the terms demon possession and demonized is that they give the nuance of such strong demonic influence that they seem to imply that the person who is under demonic attack has no choice but to succumb to it. They suggest that hte person is unable any longer to exercise his or her will and is completely under the dominatio of the evil spirit. While this mayhave been true in extreme cases such as that of the Gerasene demonic (see Mark 5:1-20; note that after Jesus cast the demons out of him, he was then ‘in his right mind,’ v. 15), it is certainly not true with many cases of demonic attack or conflict with demons in many people’s lives.”
Page 425 also states:
“It is interesting to note that in one case when Jesus healed an epileptic he did it by casting out a demon (Matt. 17:14-18), but elsewhere epileptics are distinguished from those who are under demonic influence: ‘They brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.’ (Matt. 4:24). So it is with other cases of physical sickness: in some cases, Jesus simply prayed for the person or spoke a word and the person was healed. In other cases there are hints or implicit statements of demonic influence in the affliction: a woman who had had ‘a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years’ (Luke 13:11) was healed by Jesus, and then he explicitly said that she was ‘a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years’ (Luke 13:16). In healing Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus ‘rebuked the fever, and it left her’ (Luke 4:39), suggesting that there was some personal influence that was capable of receiving a rebuke from Jesus.”
After saying all of that I want to add one more thing. I am not one to believe that absolutely everything bad that happens is the result of demonic forces. Some bad things happen simply because this is a fallen and sinful world. Can demons influence it and make certain situations worse? Sure. Can we blame everything bad that happens to us on Satan? Nope.
After everything said, I still feel I need to state again that this is not an area of theology I have spent much time studying unlike some other areas. Thus, I have some things to work out still.
