Derek Prince - Characteristic Activity of Demons, 9 Things They'll Do
This is an excerpt from: Basics of Deliverance: How to Identify The Enemy
Now, what I want to do in the next part of this session is give you some characteristic activities of demons. I'm going to list about nine verbs which describe characteristic activities of demons. If these are present in your life more than one, or if they're very intense you should begin to check. You probably need deliverance.
And bear in mind, all these are activities of persons because we're dealing with persons without bodies. The first verb, entice. Demons entice. They tempt people to do evil. And if you analyze your experience you'll find that enticement often comes in a verbal form. A beautiful gold pencil has been dropped on the floor and something says to you: Take it. Nobody will know. Other people would do the same. If it was your pencil, they'd take it. You know what that is? Anything that has a voice is a person. Behind that voice is a demon enticing you. None of you have ever experienced that, just me! Demons harass or hárass, depends on what part of the world you come from. They study you, they follow your movements they know your weak moments, your weak places they know just how and when they can get in.
The businessman who's had a terrible day in the office. His secretary was inefficient. The air conditioning failed. On the way home there was a traffic jam. He was an hour on the freeway. When he gets back home his wife is late with the supper and the kids are running around screaming. And as he gets in through the door he does what we say he blows his stack, okay? You know what happens? That demon of anger that's been on his tail all day jumps in. And after that his wife notices a certain change in him. He's still a loving father and husband but there are certain times when something else takes over. She notices a kind of different look in his eyes. He loves his wife and his children. But he makes life miserable for them when that comes upon him. And then he's so ashamed and remorseful afterwards, he says: I don't know what made me do it. Well, we do know. It's the demon of anger.
Number three, they torment. Now the Bible speaks about the tormentors in Matthew 18. I believe that demons are the tormentors. In Matthew 18 in the parable of the unforgiving servant the servant who wouldn't forgive his fellow servant of petty debt was delivered by God to the tormentors. I have met hundreds of Christians in the hands of the tormentors. You know why? Unforgiveness. If you have any unforgiveness in your heart against anybody you are a legitimate target for the tormentors. And Satan is a legal expert; he knows when he's entitled to move in. There are various forms of torment. There's physical torment. There's the example I would choose, arthritis. When you look at arthritis, you've seen the devil in action. Twisting, torturing, crippling, binding.
Mental torment. One that's unusually common is the fear of going insane. You'd be surprised how many christians are inwardly fighting this battle. It goes like this: Your aunt died in a mental institution. Your grandfather went the same way. Then you are going to be the next. And you can hardly imagine the torment that there is in such a mind. Then there is spiritual torment. The example I would give is the accusation that you have committed the unforgivable sin. If you are concerned about having committed it you haven't committed it. Because the people who have committed it are not the least bit concerned. So that's not your problem. Your problem is a lying, accusing spirit which is taking away your peace and the assurance of your salvation.
All right, number four. They compel. I think there is no more distinctive word than the word compulsive. Almost anything compulsive is liable to be demonic. Compulsive smoking, compulsive consumption of alcohol but let's not stop there. Compulsive eating is just as demonic. Gluttony is just as much of a problem as alcohol. But it's a respectable one, you see. You can't be an alcoholic in church, but you can be a glutton. There are other forms of compulsion. Compulsive talking. Garrulity. People who can't stop talking have got a problem. And they are a problem too!
Number five, demons enslave. Very close. You see, let's say you've committed a sin in the area of sex. You repent, you go to Jesus. You receive forgiveness and cleansing, you're justified. Just as if you'd never sinned. That's all finished with. But if after all that you still have this intense drive to commit the same sin again, even though you hate it, you're enslaved. One very common example is masturbation. Some psychologists and people say masturbating is healthy. I just don't even argue about that. But I know there are thousands of people who do it and hate themselves for doing it. And every time they say ‘Never again,’ but it never works. They are enslaved. And there is a demon of masturbation. It's very common.
Let me tell you right away: It has certain specific manifestations. What will happen is the person's fingers will begin to tingle. So many people say: What's the matter with me? My fingers are tingling. And sometimes they go stiff and they bend right backwards. And I just whisper in their ear: Your problem is masturbation. Renounce it, claim the cleansing blood of Jesus and get rid of it. But it's very stubborn. Many times people have to actually shake it out of their fingers in the Name of Jesus, to get rid of it. Now you put four and five together. Four plus five equals addictions. Okay, compulsive, enslaving, you put them together, they're addictions. We're all familiar with many forms of addiction. Some are very unusual.
My first wife and I dealt with a young woman a Pentecostal church member, who was addicted to nail varnish. She just wanted to smell nail varnish. She told us: When I walk into the cosmetics department of a store I've got two options. I can either buy nail varnish or run out of the store. When she was delivered if that thing it came out screaming and it tore her. There are other addictions, you know. The commonest and latest is TV. TV is just as much an addiction as alcohol with many people. They walk into the room and switch it on. They don't know what they're going to see but they just have to reach for it just like an alcoholic reaches for the drink. And I think probably it does more harm in the long run than alcohol.
Number six, they defile. They make you feel dirty and unclean. Especially when you're worshipping God. You're about to get into God's presence and this dirty image or this filthy word is projected into your mind. Anything that rises up when you're about to worship God and opposes you is almost certainly demonic. Or when you want to read your Bible. One common example is the demon of sleep. You know, the Bible speaks about a spirit of slumber. If they want to read their Bible at 10 p.m. they're asleep by 10:15. If they want to watch television they can stay awake until after midnight. Now that's not natural. There's a supernatural force there that enjoys them watching television hates them reading their Bibles. You understand? All right.
Number seven, they deceive. They are the deceivers. I believe basically all forms of spiritual deception are demonic. And you know what opens the door to deception? Pride. I doubt whether there's ever any deception that doesn't come in through the doorway of pride. Pride inevitably leads to deception.
Number eight, they weaken make sick or tired. There's a demon of tiredness. A woman once said: I can't stand this session any longer; I'm too tired. I was about to get sorry for her when I realized it was a demon. I challenged it and it said: That's right. She's always tired. She's tired when she gets up and goes to bed. She's too tired to pray, she's too tired to read her Bible. That's one of the ones that the others hide behind. Or they kill. Remember Satan is a murderer. He kills people physically. And there's a spirit of death that he sends out to kill people.
All right. Now if we're going to take one word to sum up it would be the word restless. Demonized people are usually restless in some area. The person who can truly relax and be at peace probably doesn't need deliverance. I'd appreciate the ministry from some active person who would clean off the board, so that I don't have to spend time doing that. Do we have a volunteer some where near the front? Thank you very much.