Demon Possession
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Originally preached Dec. 4, 1960
Scripture
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against …
Sermon Description
In a culture that does not readily address the spiritual, especially topics such as demon possession, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the fact that demon possession is a topic that demands to be talked about. God’s holy word addresses the topic on numerous occasions, it is explicitly mentioned in the Gospels themselves, and it is both a historical and missional issue. Focusing primarily on involuntary demon possession, Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines this occurrence as anything from the individual receiving power above their own capacity to potentially causing a sudden change of mood. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Demon Possession,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes on to speak about how devil possession cannot be localized to certain areas of the world, but recognized as occurring anywhere in the world, specifically where the kingdom of darkness is explicitly at work and sometimes under the guise of hypnotism and mesmerism. Yet despite the presence of darkness, Dr. Lloyd-Jones recognizes that Christ has always been able to overwhelm the kingdom of darkness and will continue to do so. Though the world denies the gospel and entertains evil, Christ has come to undo the powers of evil and the possession that the devil has had over His creation.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul warns the Ephesians about evil powers and forces in Ephesians 6:10-13.
- These evil powers manifest themselves in various ways, including magic, ghosts, haunted houses, spiritualism, and devil possession.
- Devil possession means a person is controlled or possessed by an evil spirit. Their personality changes, and they act in strange or violent ways.
- There are several reasons why we should study devil possession:
- It's discussed in the Bible, especially the Gospels. We can't fully understand the Bible without understanding this.
- Devil possession still happens today, especially in some mission fields and pagan areas. We need to understand it to help others.
- Some types of Christianity that emphasize abandoning self-control can make people vulnerable to devil possession.
- Our view of Jesus is at stake. If we don't believe He actually cast out devils, we don't fully accept the Bible or understand who Jesus is.
- There are arguments against the existence of devil possession, but the Bible clearly teaches that it is real. The Bible distinguishes between diseases and devil possession. Cases of devil possession don't match any known diseases. They involve violence, strange knowledge, changes in personality, uncleanness, and are cured by prayer and faith, not medicine.
- While devil possession seems to come and go, it often recurs during times of revival or moral decline. When God is powerfully at work, the devil stirs in response. When faith and morals decline, the devil gains more influence.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.