The New Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Student Workbook, SW13

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T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

Demonic Oppression, Possession, or Both?

The fact that the Kingdom of God has come in the person of Jesus completely redefines the believer’s and the Church’s relationship to the devil. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, the believer is no longer subject to the domination and power of the devil; the victory of God is available to every believer who claims the work of Christ as his or her own (1 John 3.8; Heb. 2.13ff; James 4.7; 1 John 5.4; Eph. 6.10-18; 2 Cor. 10.3-5). What is the possibility of believers to be oppressed by demons, to be possessed by demons, or both, or neither? What must a believer do to experience continuously the victory won for him or her through the blood sacrifice of Jesus (Rev. 12.9ff.)? According to Paul, it has been granted to believers not only to hold him in confidence, but also to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus (Phil. 1.29ff.). Some teach the Gospel as if the victory won by our Lord over sin and the devil means practically that we are no longer subject to suffering and persecution. This teaching would suggest that when a believer finds himself or herself sick, depressed, struggling, doubtful, or hurting, that the problemmust be self-caused , due to a lack of faith . How would you describe the necessity or lack thereof of suffering in the life of the godly disciple of Jesus? Must every blood-washed believer also expect a baptism of fire of persecution from the enemy and God’s enemies, or can they be avoided altogether by the proper walk with God? A common teaching in many evangelical circles is that our Lord died expressly to eliminate the possibility for certain negative realities to be encountered and endured. By his stripes we are healed, they declare, and this means that we are to confess continuous, unbroken health and prosperity on the very basis of Jesus’ suffering on the cross . The fact that Christ suffered for these things means that the believer ought not to attempt to shame Christ by either ignoring his victory or undercutting it by a weak or unbiblical faith. To what extent does the work of Jesus on the cross guarantee that certain effects of sin and the curse are to no longer be experienced by believers in Jesus ? Suffering: An Absolute Necessity? A Shame to Christ?

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