Is Demomic OPPRESSION The Same As POSSESSION?

We know that Christians cannot be possessed. But can Christians be oppressed? That is oppressed by the devil or demon. >> Hey smart Christians, I want to clear up something. There's a little bit of confusion and I understand why the confusion comes from. I understand how our modern vernacular works, how we say certain things and words do have meaning. Sometimes the meanings get blurred, especially depending upon what culture you're in or how you're talking, things like that. But what I want to do is I want to help kind of set the record straight and and alleviate any kind of confusion as to when the Bible refers to demonic possession versus demonic oppression. There's a belief that oppression is different than possession. That Christians cannot be possessed. Now, there are some that believe Christians can be possessed. They cannot. And by the way, when we talk about possession, we mean possession that is in control of, exasperate, um, confuse, manipulate, those sort of things. But people say, well, Christians, a lot of people, especially if you know the Bible, you'll say that Christians cannot be possessed. The question though is people will say, but Christians can though be oppressed. And maybe there's this belief and and I understand with our political terminology nowadays that we think that people are oppressed and they're not because oppression necessarily has to do with someone's control and the person who is being oppressed needing help similar to being possessed. Let me just say upfront demonic possession is the same as demonic oppression and Christians cannot have either. Now does that mean that Christians cannot have or suffer demonic attack or demonic influence? No. They can. Obviously, that can happen. As a matter of fact, we're told that. But I want to kind of alleviate the issue by looking at the text to compare and show that oppression is the same as possession. Now, the word oppression can be used different sorts of ways. It can be just a person that's oppressed u by a nation, by a people, or in this case, we're talking about being oppressed by the devil or a demon. And so, we can find this in Acts 10:38. On the screen it says, "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power and how he went about doing good and look what this part I want you to see. And healing all who were oppressed by the devil." This is the this is the phrase I want you to notice. Oppressed by the devil. Jesus was going around healing. By the way, this is important as well. Healing those who were oppressed by the devil. Well, what does it mean to be oppressed by the devil? Well, clearly in this pa passage, he's talking about Jesus healing those who were oppressed by the devil, possessed by the devil, who were afflicted by the devil, who were under the control or the manipulation of the devil, not under an influence, not under an attack. Human beings can influence other human beings. Human beings can attack other human beings. Now, a human being, can a human being oppress another human being? and that human being need help. Yes, that can happen. That can happen with the devil. But oppression is vastly different than attacking or influence or just kind of throwing a monkey wrench into things, right? And so we know going back to this text that he's he has to be speaking of those who have a demonic possession, those who are uh under the control or being manipulated by the devil. So what I want to do is I want to one look at two definitions. I want to look at the definition of oppressed and I want to look at the definition of where we get this term for uh demonpossessed or having a demon. So, let's go to the bag and let's pull up the term right here. This word right here, as a matter of fact, let's go back to the text here. So, I want you to see it over here in the Greek in Acts 10:38 first. And so, in Acts 10:38, we have two words that are used here. And this is a pretty long word, but I want you to look at the first word. The first portion of this word is kata. And this means down alongside according to. But this other word is do es menos which means it's a fancy word. It's it's got the different tenses and moods to it. What it refers to is where we get this word um for dunamide to do to be um power. And so when you put the two words together, it just simply means to be under the power of where we get the term oppressed. So to be under the power of So he was healing those who were under the power of the devil. Does that sound like oppress? Does that sound like possession? So the word that when we go to to uh the BAG, we put up this term and notice the definition to express to exploit to dominate someone. Now there's again there's different ways to go about using it where it's not necessarily referring to demon possession but in this case to oppress to be under the power of and in the text it talks about under the power of who? Under the power of the devil. So let's give some examples of someone who is under the power of the devil. And by the way remember remember this. Let me go back to it real quick. Remember what it how it starts off by saying healing those who are under the power of the devil. So let's go look at some text where someone had a demon clearly and the term or the phrase it's used is that Jesus healed him. Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus and what did Jesus do? He healed him. Then now by the way notice the oppression. Notice the possession. The possession equals oppression or the oppression by the devil equals possession because this person is being controlled by the devil. This person is being exploited by again the two words that we have kata and dunami power and under under the power of the devil. And then once they're healed the the person is no longer under the power of the devil. and he was teaching Luke 13:10 teaching uh in the synagogues and there was a woman who had for 18 years had a sickness caused by a spirit clearly she is demonpossessed right she's demonp possessed by this sick spirit bent over and Jesus saw and called her says woman you are freed from your sickness he laid hands and immediately she was made erect glorifying God but the synagogue officials look what it says were indignant why because Jesus healed so What happened here? Jesus healed. Luke 6:17. Jesus came down with the people and stood on a level place. And there was a large crowd of his disciples and a great throng of people from Judea. Let's drop down uh and the coastal region of Tyra and Siden who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. Those with unclean spirits were being cured. Same as being healed. The Capernician woman. Remember the the woman, the Canaanite woman who comes and begs Jesus to heal her daughter. She has a daughter um crying out said, "Have mercy, Lord, son of David. My daughter is cruy demon-possessed." What did Jesus do after this conversation with her? What does he do after he says grants her her her request? He says, "Oh woman, your faith is great. It shall be done as for you as for your wish." And her daughter was healed. So we see this happening that the term for these people or how they are delivered, the term that's used for them is they are healed. Healed from what? Their demon possession. They're uh uh being under the power of a devil either physically or or mentally. And so in this case it has to be that oppression must mean in this case demonic oppression means demonic possession mean. Now let's go to the word being demonp possessed. I want you all to see this as well. When we look at the term, let's say Matthew 8:28, two of the men who were demonpossessed. Now this is from the this is from Legion. So now let's go back over here and let's look at this term uh doniximi which means what? Possessed by a hostile spirit cruy tormented by a spirit. The one possessed. And to be possessed means that this person is is under the control of the demon is controlling. The deeming is manipulating. The demon is moving. The demon is exploiting this particular person. So when a person has a demon or is demonpossessed, same thing. It's the same as being oppressed. And guess what? God has already stated that a person who has a demon cannot I mean person that has the Holy Spirit according to 1 John 5:18 cannot be touched. I'll save that for another video. But I want you to see the difference. And this is the point that we need to understand. Uh all this means is a demon can inhabit, control, take possession of not ownership of a person doesn't have the Holy Spirit, but not a person who does have the Holy Spirit. And demonic possession uh is not the same as what we mean to say rather than saying oppression, just say demonic influence or attack. Christians can be under a demonic attack or influence. that can happen but they cannot be under oppression since oppression means uh under the power of Christians cannot be uh possessed people or oppressed people don't have the ability to sever themselves from who's ever oppressing them or possessing them oppressed people possessed people uh there's no one in the Bible who was able to opp to sever themselves or free themselves who was being oppressed or possessed So there's a huge difference between the one who's possessed and oppressed versus the one who's just being under attack or influenced. It's vital that you have this understanding. the people who are um who have the ability to resist, who have the ability to move away or as James says, who has who have the ability to flee, that person is not possessed or oppressed because simply moving away ends that oppression necessarily means because you're under the power of you cannot get away. So not doing so um is them doing what? If you don't move away, if you don't flee, if you don't resist, what are you doing now? you're giving place or an opportunity to the devil. These things are under our power. We have if we have the ability to alleviate it, then it's not oppression or possession. It is by definition an influence or an attack. That's why Paul says be angry and do not sin. Notice Paul is saying what to do, what not to do in these ver in these conversations. Don't let the sun go down on your anger and do not give an opportunity for the devil or place of the devil. James says, "Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee." That's not oppression or possession. That's just an attack or influence. By the way, every Christian is going to have that happen to them. Be sober. Uh be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. But in this case, this is an attack that you can thwart by simply doing what? But resist him. Stand firm in your faith. Right? So these are things that you can do. That's why we're told to put on the whole armor of God and stand firm against him. So oppression is in fact at least demonic oppression is the same as demonic possession. Why? Again because demonic oppression means that you are under the power of in this case the devil. And in Acts 10:38 Jesus heals people of demonic oppression. So I hope this kind of helps to clarify. I know that there are going to probably be someone that's going to say you know what I still disagree. That's fine. That's fine. State the definition of oppression. State the definition of possession. State the definition of someone having a a demon. And you'll find out that demonic oppression equals the other two. Then you state the definition of what it means to be attacked or influenced. You'll realize that those are things that you and I both all of us as believers can control and we can sever oursel from those things. And you'll see the difference between those who are oppressed, possessed, uh, and having a demon don't have the ability to do so on their own. They need someone else to come and help them. So, okay, Corey, fine. You made your point. What's the point? What's the difference? Who cares? How does this even matter? Well, the reason why this matters is because one, if someone tells you that you are under some sort of force that you can't get away with, then what are you going to do? Not get away with it. And so if you know that what you're experiencing is an attack, is someone or something trying to influence you, come against you, you know, like Peter says, like James says, then you already know what to do to move away from it, to to resist, to fight. These are things that Paul brings up. But if you think that this is some sort of oppression, some sort of possession, well then now we require someone on the outside of the person. So what ends up happening is you alleviate or you remove the responsibility of the person who can easily fix the problem themselves rather than someone being hoodwinkedked or someone being lied to and told they have to go to some sort of deliverance ministry or go to some some person to have this cast out. There is the problem. You go to the wrong person and you rely on the wrong source. That's why this is so important. That's why it's a big deal to understand that oppression equals possession. That oppression is the same as having a demon. And it's not the same as an attack. It's not the same as an influence. It's not the same as the devil or the enemy coming at you because you're going to have that every day, every hour, every minute. Hopefully not. Probably not. But at some point in time, you're going to have the enemy come at you in some various forms. even inside your church by someone who calls himself a Christian and it caused you to wonder is there something wrong with me? No. Simply resist the devil and he will flee. Do what you're told to do by the scriptures because you cannot apply the proper remedy if you have a faulty diagnosis. If you go to the doctor and the doctor gives you an incorrect estimation as to what the problem is, well then guess what? his cure or his remedy or his prescription is also going to be off and it's going to cause more frustration. So that's the reason why it's important to understand. Amen.