Reversing Demonic Curses

If you are audio. Way to hell, and now you are on your way to heaven.

Somebody ought to know about it. Dr. Tony Evans talks about how we should respond when God reverses the demonic curses in our lives. When there's a Come back. You got to talk about it.

You can't keep it to yourself. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.

Sometimes your problems at work or at home don't really have anything to do with what's going on at work or at home. Dr. Evans says they can be the result of something going on in the spiritual realm. Today, he explains how we can know if that's the case and what we can do about it. Let's join him.

This series kind of got started By two or three folks who I've run across over the last couple of months. who made the statement to me, I feel like I'm cursed. It meant what they were saying was Every time it looks like it's going to get better, something else goes wrong. Anyone ever felt like that?

Well, it just looked like it getting ready to turn around. And then there's a fumble or an interception or something. It kind of knocks you down again. If you need a comeback, you'll discover how to get one in the various areas of life. or perhaps you'll be able to help somebody else.

Who needs the reverse? the way life is going for them. I want to start off with a story. in Mark chapter 5. Because I want to talk about today a comeback, a reverse.

From the demonic Controlled. That you or somebody you know is under. We find out that Jesus has crossed over the sea, and according to Mark 5, verse 2. He gets out of the boat and immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. First of all, the man is living in a graveyard.

He's living in the tombs. The man was uncontrollable because it says, No one verse 3 could bind him anymore, even with a chain, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken into pieces.

So the man is uncontrollable. Chains can't hold him. People can't hold him. Have you ever seen anybody, or maybe you've been out of control?

So let's accumulate this. Out of control. He's hanging out with dead people. He is self-mutilating according to verse number five. He kept.

gnashing himself with stones. And what's bad about this man is this has become a way of life. It says constantly, day and night, or night and day, verse five. This was this man's lifestyle. This wasn't a bad day or a bad week or a bad month.

This was night and day. It was continuous. It was ongoing. I mean, if you saw this man on the street, You're going to see in a moment the man is naked. He doesn't have any clothes on.

Uncontrollable, folk don't want to be around him.

Something wrong with this man. And it's serious. We're told way back In verse two, that this man has an unclean spirit. In other words, He's acting externally. because of what's wrong internally.

And what was wrong internally was demon possession. and demon control. He was under demonic influence. Caused by spiritual intrusion into the life where that negative spiritual intrusion feels at home. But if nobody ever tells you that, then all you see is aberrant behavior and never spiritual.

Invasion. Because of demons.

Well Jesus shows up and something very interesting happens in verse 6. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him, verse 7. And shouting with a loud voice, he said, What business do we have with each other, Jesus, son of the most high God? I implore you by God, do not torment me. And I got to read those two because I hope you're getting what you just heard.

He says, Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him.

Okay, let's start right there. Last time I checked, that's worship. He bows down, so we call that a good thing. But a good thing was having a bad result because he says, I'm tormented by this trip. I took a trip, I came into your presence, and guess what?

Stuff got worse. Why torment me? Because things got worse when he ran to Jesus. He ran to the solution of his problem. And he says, I'm tormented.

Why? We had told in verse 8, for he had been saying, Jesus had been saying to the man, come out of him, you unclean spirit. He's in torment because The spiritual met the spiritual. The tormentor. was tied to the confrontation of the root.

Because he's now dealing with the root. The demons, the unclean spirits, are now face to face with Jesus Christ. How did the unclean spirits get face to face with Jesus Christ? The man came to Jesus Christ and paid homage to Jesus Christ, which put Jesus and the spirit in the same vicinity at war with each other.

So now the man is literally worse off because he's now fighting a fight. He didn't have to fight until Jesus showed up. As long as Jesus didn't show up, it was just him and the demons, and they were living up. with each other, okay. But the moment Jesus shows up, he is in conflict.

And so this man has been totally controlled. Verse 9. And he, Jesus, was asking him, What is your name? Our name is Legion. And he, we back to the individual man now, began to implore him, Jesus, earnestly not to send them out of the country.

Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored him saying, send us into the swine so that we may enter them. Jesus gave them permission and coming out the unclean spirits into the swine and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about 2,000 of them and they were drowned in the sea.

Now you know where I got 2,000. There were 2,000 pigs on the hill. There were enough demons for each pig, so there's at least 2,000 demons in the legion inside this man. He's got 2,000 demons. telling him what to do.

Telling him you can't make it, telling him you're out of control, telling him to live in the graveyard, telling him to walk around with no clothes on, it's because he's had a demonic invasion. This man had a spiritual issue of uncleanness that had to be addressed. Oh, by the way, just a little side note. Let me give you a little sidebar from verse 10. He began to implore him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

That tells you a lot right there about the limitations of demons and the devil. One They had to ask Jesus' permission. Which means that The devil never has the final say-so in your life. Two. They didn't know what he was going to do.

They had to ask him. Because they didn't know what he was going to do.

So that means the devil doesn't know everything. He only knows what you tell him. He can't read your mind. Because he didn't know or the the demons didn't know.

So they entreat them.

Now, why do they want to go into the pigs? Two reasons. One, Demons are spirits.

So, anything they're going to do in the physical realm, they need, like the alien movies that you watch, a host. Because they're invisible beings.

So they have to have a host. They have to have a something to work with.

So if they want to do something in the human realm, guess what they need? They need a human being. There must be a vehicle through which the spiritual realm, the negative, satanic, demon-possessed spiritual realm, must express itself through. That's why the Bible says in Genesis 6. It talks about the angels of God, the fallen angels, infiltrating men who cohabitated with women, producing a demonized race of people.

In Genesis 6.

So you got these demons. Who want to reproduce, but demons can't reproduce because they're angels.

So they infiltrate men, the Bible talks about evil men, uncleanness. They infiltrate evil men who cohabitated with women, giving birth to the Nephilem, that is, an evil race of people.

So that's why, in Genesis chapter 6, the whole world has got to be destroyed. With the flood, because the demons have taken over using the vehicle of sex to do it. Through inhabiting males. Who simply, you know, went around doing their thing, having babies that were under demonic influence. or multiplied the omen.

The manifestation of evil through childbirth. Which goes back to Genesis 1: Be fruitful and multiply and manifest the image of God through childbirth. That's a whole nother subject that we don't have time to get into. But suffice it to say, they've got to have a host. But there's another reason they picked the pigs.

The reason they picked the pigs, the pigs are unclean animals in the Bible.

So they had to find an unclean place.

So they said, let us go into the pigs. Why? Because we'll be at home in pigs. Because pigs in the Bible are unclean animals.

Well, they go into the pigs. God lets them go. Why does he let them go into the pigs? Because God wants them in unclean places since they're unclean beings. And so they go into the pigs.

Now all these pigs are doing are grazing up on the side of the mountain. But when they go inside and into the swine, verse 13, the herd rushes down the steep bank into the sea and we're drowned in the sea. Two things. The demons, once the exorcism takes place, go into the pigs and the pigs, it says go downhill. Because wherever demons take over, you're going down.

When you see the perpetual decline of a life. You have to raise the question, is there demonic infiltration? Because it keeps going down. See, Paul says as Christians, life's not supposed to be that way. He says, while my outward man is decaying day by day, my inward man is being renewed.

I'm getting older, but I'm going up. But wherever demons take over, there is the decent. Dr. Evans will return with more of today's message in a moment. But first, I want to talk about some important resources that can help head your life in that upward direction.

It starts with Tony's current teaching collection, Overcoming Emotional Strongholds. It's an in-depth look at being released from the grip of depression, anger, anxiety, addictions, and more. Right now, we'd like to send you the complete five-message audio series as our thank you gift. when you make a contribution to help support the Ministry of the Alternative. And as a part of this special resource package, we'll also include doctor Evans' companion booklets, 30 Days to Overcoming Emotional Strongholds, and 30 Days to Overcoming Addictive Behaviors.

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No. How did this man get delivered? He got delivered because of one thing, it comes up early in the passage. He got delivered because he drug his demons to Jesus. Embowed.

He drug his problem. to Jesus. He didn't drag his problem to church. He drug his problem to Jesus. And he bowed.

See, that is the bowing Mr. Key, because to bow means to surrender authority. The bow means to yield. He placed his life under the control of Jesus. Jesus started saying, Come out of him.

Things got worse for a while. Why are you tormenting me? But since Jesus was allowed to have his way, The demons couldn't call the final shot. You ever feel like the devil got you and won't let you go? Or has someone who you know and won't let them go?

See, we have to raise the question, have they bowed yet? Not have they gone to church, not have they been religious. The question on the floor is: have they bowed? The man bowed. And all of a sudden the demons had to look for a new place to live.

Because Jesus and the demons Can't be at home with one another. And this gets interesting. The herdsmen ran away and reported in the city, verse 14, and in the country, and the people came to see what had happened.

Well, I guess word would get out like that, you know. And Jesus came and what happened, verse 15. They came in Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed in his right mind, the very man who had the legion, and they became frightened. The word without How do you know it's demon and not just an emotional trauma a person's responding to? Because when Jesus takes over, it don't take long.

This turned on a dime. Because it was a spiritual issue, and there was a spiritual bowing and yielding to the supernatural Son of God overnight. The addiction disappeared. Overnight, the lifestyle changes. Overnight, the transformation occurs.

When Jesus grabs it, if the cause is spiritual, it doesn't take that long. Those who had seen it, verse 16, watch this now as we wind this down, described to them how it happened that the demon possessed with the demon possessed man and all about the swine. Told them, this is what we saw, and it came out and it went to the swine. The swine went and committed suicide. And they began to implore him to lead their region.

That's unbelievable. That's unbelievable. They get a testimony. By eyewitnesses. The man was living in the tomb.

He is now seated in his right mind. There were demon-possessed. The demons went and the swine. The swine went and committed suicide. The man sitting in his right mind.

They say, get Jesus out of here.

Now, you would have thought they would have said, Jesus can help all these people like this. Let's keep Jesus here. I hear what they said. They said, get him out of here. Why?

Well, it kind of tells you it says they told him what happened to the demon-possessed man. and all about the swine.

Okay, when they lost their pigs. They lost their money. See 2,000 pigs grazing ain't just for 2,000 pigs to graze. Ask your pork chops, hog maws, chitlin, ham hots, pig feed. Hi.

That's your soul food restaurants. I mean, this is, he is messing with the economy of the country. Get Jesus out of here. I'd rather have living pigs that make money. than people.

Who are delivered? Let me let me say something. Yeah. A lot of folk don't want some problem solved. Jesus asked the man at the water in John 5, he says, do you really want to be made whole?

Cause see you can get so comfortable being defeated You assume defeat is what's supposed to be. Get him out of here. Because we had our 2,000 pigs, and each one of those pigs could bring in this much money, and so he's messing with our lifestyle. Get him out of here. Now, we've had a comeback here.

The comeback is that this man who had been written off by the world in which he lived. has been transformed. This man is brand new.

Now watch this now. I love the ending of this story. And as he was getting in the boat, verse 18, as Jesus was getting in the boat, why? Why is Jesus getting in the boat? To leave.

Because remember, get him out of here. Oh, by the way, sidebar, Jesus will never stay where he's not wanted.

So you have to understand that. Jesus will not force it. Behold, I stand at the door and knock if any man opens. I'm not going to force myself in where I am not welcome.

So a lot of times people don't see Jesus because Jesus knows he's not welcome. Yeah. He was getting into the boat. The man who had been demon possessed was imploring him that he might accompany him. He said, Jesus?

They may not want you, but I want you. I'm going with you. I'm going with you. You know, I know where I come from. I'm going with you.

But watch this. And he did not let him. Jesus stopped the man from coming with him and said to him, Behome to your people. and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.

Now this tells me that the man had a sin problem too because he says The Lord have mercy on you. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. He deserved to be an outcast, but God had mercy on him and didn't give him what he deserved. He said, you go home and you tell your people what the Lord has done for you. Wait a minute, man, you want me to go home before I go to seminary?

You want me to go home before I go to Bible college? You want me to go home before I've learned all the books of the Bible and how to exegete the scripture? And you want, well, you may not know a lot of theology, but you know that you once was lost and now you're found, blind, but now you see. You know enough to talk about the fact God's been good to you. You know that much.

So no, I need you to stay behind to be a witness.

Now watch this now. I love this one. It's so sweet. Verse 20. And he went away.

to proclaim in Decapolis The great things Jesus had done for him. And everybody was amazed. Jesus said, watch this now, watch this. Jesus said, Don't come with me. I know you want to come with me.

I know why you want to come with me. But I got a ministry for you. I'm here to call you into the ministry. I know your life was messed up. I want you go home.

The hardest place to go. I want you to go home and I want you to tell the folk. What the Lord has done for you. That's called a testimony. I don't want you to talk about what he did for somebody else.

You go and tell the folks at home what the Lord has done for you. But now, watch this now. The verse 20 says, he went to Decapolis and proclaimed the. what Jesus had done for him and he was all amazed. Jesus said, go home.

But we're told he went to Decapolis. All right, let's break that down. Polis means city. The cap means 10.

Okay. He didn't just go home. He went to a 10 city region. Shh. And he told the whole Metroplex.

What Jesus had done to him. He went to the whole region because when you've been that bad off. And God's been that good? You can't keep it to yourself. When there's a comeback, you got to talk about it.

I was lost and now I'm found, blind, but now I see. If God has done something for you, somebody ought to know about it. If you are on your way to hell and you are on your way to heaven, somebody ought to know about it. If you didn't have a job, God gave you a job, somebody ought to know about it. If you didn't know how you were going to pay your bills and he provided a way out of nowhere, somebody ought to know about it.

If you thought you were going to lose your mind. And now you in your right mind, somebody ought to know about it. You ought not be ashamed. To say it was Jesus. Paul says, I am not ashamed.

To tell who's been good to me. Uh Dr. Tony Evans.

talking about giving credit where credit is due, when God delivers us.

Now, if you'd like to hear this lesson again or pass it along to someone else, full-length copies are available. Check with us about the title, Reversing Demonic Curses. but it's also part of the special resource package I mentioned earlier. the complete Overcoming Emotional Strongholds audio series, along with Tony's companion booklets, 30 Days to Overcoming Emotional Strongholds and 30 Days to Overcoming Addictive Behaviors. These resources are available together through tomorrow only, as our thank-you-gift when you support Tony's ministry with your caring contribution.

Contact us before time runs out at tonyevans.org. Or give us a call day or night at 1-800-800-3222. and let one of our friendly team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222. Even though we know worry doesn't accomplish anything, Sometimes we just can't seem to let it go.

That's when it turns from a problem into a stronghold. Tomorrow Dr. Evans will tell us how to break its power. I hope he'll join us for that.