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From the beginning of Christianity, adherents have held that possession derives from the Devil (i.e. Satan) and demons. In the battle between Satan and Heaven, Satan is believed to engage in "spiritual attacks", including demonic possession, against human beings by the use of supernatural powers to harm them physically or psychologically. [1]
Christ continues to expound on the subject of demoniacal possession, having just healed a possessed man. Lapide writes that the Scribes were spiritually possessed, and that their unclean spirit was driven out by the law of God, from the Jews, who were the people of God, among whom God dwelt, and manifested Himself by prophecies and miracles.
The devil who possessed one of the men was of a higher order and superior to the other; and he wished to cast out the other devil, as an inferior, from the man whom he possessed. But the inferior devil resisted, and greatly abused his superior; and among other things, he said to him, “Thou art an infernal devil, and by the just judgment of ...
Most early Christians firmly believed that Satan and his demons had the power to possess humans, [134] and exorcisms were widely practiced by Jews, Christians, and pagans alike. [134] Belief in demonic possession continued through the Middle Ages into the early modern period. [135] [136] Exorcisms were seen as a display of God's power over ...
Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. [As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the ...
If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." —Matthew 12:25–28
Although the Book of Genesis never mentions Satan, [30] Christians have traditionally interpreted the serpent in the Garden of Eden as the devil due to Revelation 12:9, [31] which describes the devil as "that ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world; was thrown down to the earth with all his angels."
As hinted in the previous verse and confirmed at Luke 4:6 and John 12:31, this verse seems to show that the devil controlled the world before the coming of Jesus.It also is said to show how unimportant the physical world is; Satan is willing to abandon it to Jesus in exchange for Jesus not threatening him in the spiritual world.