Demons and the believer

[Apostolic1ness]

Originally Posted by Aquila;1544924[B

]Prayer and fasting are also significant practices when contemplating spiritual warfare.[/B] You fast to rid yourself of "self" and to put the flesh into subjection. And you pray to become filled with God's Spirit and power. Less of you... more of Him. This can uproot any stronghold that has proven difficult to remove.

Matthew 17:14-21 King James Version (KJV)
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

All this being said, the Bible is pretty plain about spiritual warfare, demonic possession, oppression, and casting out devils. I'm not sure where Esaias got the notion that...

Aquila, not trying to cross swords but prayer and fasting are staples to a successful relationship with God and its quite upsetting to hear that they seem to be just practices for someone contemplating spiritual warfare. The things you have mentioned on this subject are true in a since but they must be coupled with all other aspects of a christian life. Such as you make a point of speaking things and taking authority over spirits but people cant do this without some much more needed things other than voice and faith that a spirit will leave. What about being filled with the Spirit and a prayer life and submission to God? All these things must be coupled together. No offence but just because a person commands a spirit to flee means nothing without first having a relationship with God also if a spirit is subject to the name of Jesus that really doesn't say much about the person speaking the name other than they know the name of the one with the power.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Apostolic1ness

Aquila, not trying to cross swords but prayer and fasting are staples to a successful relationship with God and its quite upsetting to hear that they seem to be just practices for someone contemplating spiritual warfare. The things you have mentioned on this subject are true in a since but they must be coupled with all other aspects of a christian life. Such as you make a point of speaking things and taking authority over spirits but people cant do this without some much more needed things other than voice and faith that a spirit will leave. What about being filled with the Spirit and a prayer life and submission to God? All these things must be coupled together. No offence but just because a person commands a spirit to flee means nothing without first having a relationship with God also if a spirit is subject to the name of Jesus that really doesn't say much about the person speaking the name other than they know the name of the one with the power.

Oh, I don't think you're crossing swords. You're exactly right! I apologize for any misunderstanding. I'm only speaking within the context of spiritual warfare on this thread, with the assumption that the individual involved has been born of both water and of the Spirit, and is living a life pleasing in God's sight. Prayer and fasting are indeed instrumental in Christian spiritual development in a more broader context.

We're not in any serious disagreement that I can see.