The Reality of Christ and Satan

The Reality of Christ and Satan

As many of you know, I am a Christian. I fully believe in the reality of Christ, in his ministry as recorded in the New Testament, and of the miracles that he performed. I gained this revelation in the same way many of the apostles did that we read about in the scriptures. When Christ called his apostles he told them to follow him and gave them authority to enact certain miracles. In Matthew chapter 10 he told them to... 

"... go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.".

With this charge, the apostles did just that. We can read account after account of them healing the sick, raising the dead, and giving freely of the word of God to his children. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe that this is the same church that Christ established, brought back to the earth by Christ himself, a then resurrected being. My church sends its young men and woman on 2-year missions (or a year and a half for ladies). I was sent to Arkansas for my two years and given the same charge as the apostles were. To go and teach and heal.

I know the reality of Christ because I have seen the reality of him, through the people I met whose lives were forever changed by his gospel, from the people I met who had been healed, and by my own experience of healing others through the power of a God.

Sadly, to know the reality of Christ, one much except the reality of Satan as well.

This week, while studying in Acts chapter 19, I was once again hit with how real Satan is.
In these verses we read about men who are attempting to cast out demons, and fail because they do not have the proper authority to do so. Verses 15-16 read...

"And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

We don't hear of demons being real very often in our day, but we see many cases in the Bible. The world is hardly very different today compared to then. Satan is just as real. At the end of this blogpost I will share a number of examples from the New Testament when  demons are mentioned.

I am addressing this issue because I myself have participated in calling an unclean spirit out of someone. It was a hollowed experience that still effects me to this day. I know that Satan is real and can have real influence over people when they let him in. I end by sharing this video of Christ casting out a demon. Remember that the Lord has the power to cast out Satan and those who follow him. His priesthood is alive and well within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have seen it with my own eyes and would not want to be without it if I ever have to face a situation like the one you will watch in this video.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-heals-a-possessed-man?lang=eng


List of Scriptures 

 cast out the spirits with his word, Matt. 8:16.
there met him two possessed with devils, Matt. 8:28.
gave them power against unclean spirits, Matt. 10:1.
seven other spirits more wicked than himself, Matt. 12:45.
man with an unclean spirit, Mark 1:23.
cast out many devils, Mark 1:34.
unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down, Mark 3:11.
Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit, Mark 5:8.
he rebuked the foul spirit, Mark 9:25.
In my name shall they cast out devils, Mark 16:17.
vexed with unclean spirits, Luke 6:18.
know not what manner of spirit ye are of, Luke 9:55.
unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out, Acts 8:7.
Paul … said to the spirit, I command thee … to come out, Acts 16:18.
evil spirit … said, Jesus I know, Acts 19:15.
giving heed to seducing spirits, 1 Tim. 4:1.
God spared not the angels that sinned, 2 Pet. 2:4.
try the spirits whether they are of God, 1 Jn. 4:1.
angels which kept not their first estate, Jude 1:6.

Remember that there are more scriptures of Christ's miracles. His power is just as real.

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