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In  the following verses, and others that may come to you, comment on how you  understand the methods and desires of Satan can be expressed around us.  
 
Acts  19:13-16,    Matthew  17:15-20,        Job 2:7       Mark 4:15,     Luke 10:18,         Acts  5:8 and John 8:44.           I John 4.4,      James 4.7      
 
Mark  9:17  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son,  who has a mute spirit.
 18  "And wherever it seizes him, it throws  him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I  spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could  not."
 19  He answered him and said, "O faithless  generation, how long shall I be with you? How long  shall I bear with you? Bring him to  Me."
 20  Then they brought him to Him. And when  he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and  wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
 21  So He asked his father, "How long has  this been happening to him?" And he said, "From  childhood.
 22  "And often he has thrown him both into  the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have  compassion on us and help us."
 23  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe,  all things are possible to him who  believes."
 24  Immediately the father of the child  cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my  unbelief!"
 25  When Jesus saw that the people came  running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb  spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no  more!"
 26  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him  greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He  is dead."
 27  But Jesus took him by the hand and  lifted him up, and he arose.
 28  And when He had come into the house,  His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it  out?"
 29  So He said to them, "This kind  can come out by nothing but prayer and  fasting."
 
Jesus refers to this demon as  ‘this kind of demon …’  What kind  is it?  Stubborn? I am   not sure why one demon requires fasting and prayer to cast it out while
another would not. ‘This kind’ of demon is destructive and hurtful to the boy and was called a ‘deaf and dumb’ demon by Jesus.  It is as though it takes some  particular pleasure in causing deafness, but as we have read, it caused a lot  more hurt than just affecting his hearing.

  This scripture describes an obvious (at  least to them of Bible times) case of possession.   To us we might call this a ‘standard epileptic seizure’. I would describe
this as ‘overt’ or obvious.

 2Corinthians   11:13 -15,         These verses talk about Satan appearing deceptively as an angel of light.  Then it describes false apostles and ministers as doing the same thing.  It does not come right and say that  false ministers are demon possessed, but it is showing the similarity in  behavior with that of Satan himself. 
I think we should expect that demonic activity may not always be overt or open, but at times might appear as  counterfeit.

 The passage  in Job gives us the most insight to ‘behind the scenes’ Satanic activity of any  other place in scripture.  Here  Satan is seen as one who has access to the throne of God and appears there as an  ‘accuser of the brethren’ (Rev. 12:10).   Apparently he still has access to the throne of God and still is called  ‘the accuser’. 
That will come to an end half-way through the coming seven year  tribulation period.

 Luke 22:31,       Satan desired to ‘sift’ Peter – as though he were wheat. Satan and  his demons are bent on destruction and  will use any and all means at their disposal to be able to do that.   Satan’s antagonism is against God, more than against us.   The reason is easy to understand … it was against God that he originally
rebelled and it was God and his army that put Satan down to the position he now  has.  Satan’s aggression is against  God.  In order to attack God,  realizing he cannot do it directly, he attacks the creation of God.  This includes attacking humans, God’s masterpiece of creation. 
It especially includes attacking believers, God’s new creation. If you think about it, Satan has attacked and is attacking every area of God’s  creation. If God has done something, or said something, Satan and his demons  counter it.

 God has described correct and aberrant sexual  orientation, what marriage is, the roles of husbands and wives, how to encourage and correct children etc. And Satan’s pleasure is to vent his anger against God by distorting and changing God’s  work whenever he can.
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  • Bible Study Notes
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