Can you spot counterfeit money? For example, a bank teller can spot counterfeit money because they handle real money all day. Have you heard a speaker and known in your spirit that they were not speaking the truth? The only way you can know for certain between the teachings of God and the teachings of demons is to know God’s Word inside and out. To know if you are being deceived by demons, you must read a good translation of the Bible (i.e., English Standard, New King James, New American Standard are good translations.) 1Timothy 4:1-2 states, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.” 

First—Know the Truth. 

Remember, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2Cor. 11:14), and he is the father of lies (John 8:44). 2Corinthians 11:15 states, “So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” A great many preachers, teachers, and writers do not speak the truth but lies to appeal to those who do not believe the truth of God. John 8:47 states, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” You need to know God and the truth of God to know the teachings of demons. The Apostle Paul wrote in Acts 13:10, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 

Many preachers, teachers, and prophets are captured by the deceit of Satan and are held captive to do his will. The Apostle Paul wrote the following instructions to Timothy. 2Timothy 2:23-26, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24) And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”  

Second—Test the Spirits. 

The following Scripture from 1 John 1 explains how you can know the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Colossians 2:8 states, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” 

1John 4:1-6 explains, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2) By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.  

4) Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5) They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6) We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Also, be careful of the books you read because many are written by false teachers. They take a verse and create a false doctrine out of it without considering the whole truth. This is how Satan deceived Eve. 

Colossians 2:20-22 explains, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?” 

Third—Check the Fruit. 

2Peter 2:1-3 explains, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2) And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3a) And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words.” 

Many false teachers have infiltrated the church, deceiving many into believing lies or half-truths. They teach just enough truth to sound credible, and they live sinful lives. 3J0hn 1:11 states, “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” The Apostle Peter said to look at how the religious leaders live. Do they follow their sensuality and fleshly pleasures? Are they greedy and use the money they receive for their own use, like buying private jets and maintaining several mansions, etc.? Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-16, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16) You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” 

Do they speak in their own authority? John 7:18 states, “The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” 

Conclusion 

Jesus warned His followers that many false teachers and prophets are in the world, but to be aware of them. I list three ways to tell a false prophet/teacher who teaches the message of demons. 

1. Know the truth of God by reading His Word every day. Make sure you read an accurate translation and not a paraphrase, which is man’s interpretation and is full of error. 

2. Test the Spirits to see if they confess Jesus as the Son of God. Many books are written that do not teach the truth.  

3. Check the fruit they produce. Compromise shows the Christian leader is a false teacher and cannot be trusted. 

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website. 

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.  

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts. 

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and the truths behind them. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.  

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request. 

Do you sometimes feel burdened by life’s hardships or feel heavy in your spirit? Is there anyone you know who is constantly struggling? I know many people who struggle their whole life with one setback after another. What is going on? This is a good time to remind you that we are spirit beings in physical bodies, living in a spirit world within the physical world. Our spirits are influenced by the spirit world, which affects our physical and mental health. Even Christians are afflicted by oppressive spirits when their minds are focused on the physical world and not the heavenly realm.  

Oppression is feeling overwhelmed as if carrying a heavy burden. It can be a mental, physical, or spiritual burden. Last year, I addressed mental oppression, such as depression, anxiety, resentment, fear, stress, sadness, loneliness, and so on. You can read those posts here. This post will show how demons cause physical oppression related to illness and physical impairments. The following scriptures show how oppressive spirits, which are also demons, cause illnesses. 

Matthew 8:16 states, “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.” Also, Acts 5:16 states, “The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” 

Can Demons Cause Illnesses? 

Many Scriptures combine casting out spirits and healing. Here is a good example. Mark 9:20-26 tells us, “And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21) And Jesus asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. 22) And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ 23) And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24) Immediately, the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ 25) And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ 26) And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’” 

Observation: There is so much to unpack in this passage. 

• The boy had an oppressive spirit since childhood.  

• When the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy down and convulsed him.  

• The spirit tries to kill the child. 

• The father begged Jesus to have compassion and help the child. 

• All things are possible for those who believe. 

• The father asked Jesus to help his unbelief. 

• Jesus calls the spirits by name and commanded the deaf and mute spirit to leave and never return 

• The spirit cried out but obeyed, and left the boy unconscious, but he wasn’t dead. 

Interpretation: 

• How did the boy get the oppressive spirit? 

• When we believe, it releases the power of God to heal. 

• Remember, nothing is impossible for God. 

• If we lack belief, we can ask God to help us with our unbelief and to have compassion. 

• We serve a compassionate God.  

• When a spirit leaves a person, it usually cries out and throws the person to the ground. 

Application: 

• I have known children who have epilepsy with the same symptoms as the boy in this Scripture passage. Modern medicine cannot help them. But in Jesus’ day, they were healed by rebuking the spirit causing the seizures. 

• Every illness is not the result of a demon, but many are. If you have a condition that the doctors cannot help, it may be because of a curse or an oppressive demon.  

• I get painful leg cramps at times. When I rebuke the oppressive demon causing the leg cramps, they go away. I know many people who suffer from leg cramps. 

• There are times I get a migraine, and I realize it is from a demonic attack. When I rebuke the spirit, it leaves, and so does the migraine. 

• Before going to the doctor, try rebuking the spirit causing the condition and ask God to have compassion on you and heal you. You will be amazed by what happens. 

Disabling Spirit Affliction. 

Luke 13:11-13 tells us, “And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12) When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your disability.’ 13) And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”  13:16 also explains, “And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 

Observation:  

• A woman suffered for 18 years with a disabling spirit. 

• Jesus said that she was bound by Satan. 

• Jesus had compassion on her and called her over. 

• He spoke and set her free from the spirit of disability and laid His hands on her. 

• She was healed. 

Interpretation: 

• Jesus sees you and the spirits afflicting you.  

• He wants to heal you. You can be free from the disabling spirit and from being bound by Satan. 

• The woman had to obey Jesus and go to Him when He called. 

Application: 

• Since Jesus is in heaven, He has given those who believe the authority and power over all evil and disabling spirits. 

• We need to obey His calling to us and draw near to Him so He can heal us when we believe. 

Conclusion 

When you or someone you know is afflicted with an illness that medicine can’t help, consider a disabling or oppressive spirit. You have the authority and power through the spirit of God in you to command it to leave and never return in Jesus’ name. See my post titled, Can anyone cast out a demon? Acts 10:38 explains that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” When you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and receive forgiveness for your sins and receive Him into your heart, you receive divine power through the Holy Spirit. 

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website. 

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.  

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts. 

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and the truths behind them. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.  

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.