On the other side of the Sea of Galilee, along the Eastern shores, is a small mountain that brings back memories of a great miracle that took place 2000 years ago. It is called Kursi and it’s in the Land of Gadarenes. At the foot of the hill archaeologists discovered the largest known Byzantine monastery in Israel. It includes a beautiful 5th century church with streets and fortifications around it. From the church there is a path leading to a cave with an ancient chapel. During Byzantine times, this was a place of Christian pilgrimage where, according to tradition, the man who was possessed with a legion of demons lived. It was likely in this vicinity that Jesus delivered the man from many demons and cast them into a herd of swine nearby (Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 8:23-34). The swine then ran over the hill and drowned in the Sea of Galilee.
One of the largest parts of Jesus’s ministry was deliverance. Everywhere He went, He set the captives free and He gave His disciples the authority to do the same. Yet, in today’s society many people are denying that demons exist or are afraid to go into deliverance ministry. One of the biggest deceptions of the enemy is that he doesn’t exist. Meanwhile, we see so much witchcraft and darkness around us, in movies, books, films, etc. As long as we don’t believe in it, the devil can keep deceiving us.
Before I became a believer in Jesus, I did not believe in the invisible realm, until one day everything changed. The devil came knocking at my door and the first thing he said was: “Evil doesn’t exist only negativity,” (see my book Awestruck by Glory). By lying about his existence, the enemy erases our resistance, and gains access to our lives. For if we do not believe in demons, than we unknowingly give permissions to the darkness. Today, many people are living in denial or hoping that the darkness will go away by itself. It’s like putting your head in the sand in the middle of a warzone. Not believing in them doesn’t make them go away… instead, it makes us vulnerable.
The Bible shows that Jesus did not tolerate demons.
He did the opposite.
He set people free and wasn’t afraid of the confrontation.
Jesus is still doing that today
And He set me free too.
The church and monastery at Kursi
Here are 10 reasons why people don’t believe in demons or deal with them (but there are probably more).
- 1. Science teaches people not to believe in the invisible. The unseen realm is allusive and accepting its existence means we have to admit there is a greater power.
- 2. Fear of the supernatural is one of the main reasons we deny its existence. It’s scary and makes us feel like we don’t have control over our lives, especially for those that don’t have Jesus.
- 3. Some believe that demons only existed in the past, and don’t exist anymore. However, in the book of Revelation, there are countless mentions of demons and Jesus defeating them in the end times.
- 4. Many Christians don’t want to deal with demons because they are afraid to give them too much attention and thus stop using their authority. It is true, we should not see a demon under every tree, and have discernment between what is and isn’t demonic. However, Jesus called us to cast them out, not to ignore them.
- 5. Denial is perhaps the greatest reason people don’t deal with demons. Denial is common among non-believers and Christians alike. People bring demonic things in their house or they allow children to watch dark shows like Harry Potter and Stranger Things. They tell their families and friends: “Don’t worry, it’s not real.” Meanwhile, they are actually allowing the darkness access.
- 6. Among Christians, many people caution about not going into deliverance ministry because it’s dangerous and could go wrong. People have experienced scary manifestations in the past and don’t want to go there again. Yes, we must be cautious and careful because deliverance ministry is dealing with people’ souls. But Jesus commanded us to set people free.
- 7. Some people believe deliverance is only for a chosen few, who have the “gift” of deliverance. However, Jesus said: “These signs will accompany those who believe; In my name they will cast out demons” Mark 16:17. That was for all the disciples!
- 8. Grace is another reason people actually allow demons to stay. Some say “We have been set free by his grace, already, and don’t need to do anything.” Sadly, this turns a good thing into evil, which the Bible cautions about.
- 9. Some believe that demons only go away in the presence of God and therefore we don’t need to do anything. It is true that demons do not like the presence of God but Jesus called us to speak and use our authority, and not to be silent!
- 10. Lastly, a common excuse is to say it’s just psychological, negative thoughts or a physical ailment. Most psychology research denies the existence of demons and instead thinks that it’s just a physical ailment or emotional trauma and then they end up not dealing with the root cause. NOT everything is a demon, but demons can affect our lives much more than we realize and without deliverance the deception keeps going.
We know that demons do exist because the Bible says they do. In both the Old and New Testament the existence of the supernatural and angels and demons are recognized. WWe, also, know because it was one of Jesus’ main ministries. He did many miracles of deliverance and so did His disciples “and they cast out many demons” Mark 6:13, Luke 9:37-43, Mark 3;15. Here in Israel, we have discovered many of the places where those miracles took place. In addition, there are millions of testimonies of people all over the world who have experienced demons. These are not crazy people, but normal people who have encountered them, felt them, seen them, fought them, and have been delivered from them. Historically, we find stories of demons throughout history and culturally in every society throughout the world. On every continent, and in every culture, all demons flee when we use the name of Jesus.
Jesus said: “Do not let anyone deceive you” (see Matthew 24:4). By this, He was indicating that one of the most basic signs of the end of the age would be deception. Deception is a threat that fogs human minds, and closes their vision away from the invisible world towards reliance upon the physical and material world.
As a scholar, who experienced the spirit realm first hand, I’m praying we will stop fooling ourselves by pretending they don’t exist. Ignoring them gives the demons permission so they don’t have to leave and they can remain hidden. We do not need to be afraid because Jesus already defeated the darkness and by His blood we can be set free.
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b, ESV).
Have faith, and know Jesus is real and rose from the dead.
He came to demolish the darkness and He is alive.
He is still setting people free, yesterday today and forever.
Jesus also called His disciples to follow Him, and do as He did.
“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction” Matthew 10:1 ESV.
That is still relevant today. Can we trust in Him enough to know our authority and start doing as He told us to do? Instead of tolerating the darkness, and denying its existence, we need to use our authority and cast it out.
In this age of deception, I’m praying that Christians will know who they are in Christ. There are many people out there who are still bound by the darkness. They need our help! Go set the captives free.
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:7-8.
Jennifer Guetta is a writer, speaker and biblical archaeologist who had a supernatural encounter with Jesus. In her book “Awestruck by Glory” she tells her incredible testimony. She lives in the Galilee and founded Plant Hope Israel and speaks throughout the world to glorify her savior. www.awestruckbyglory.com, www.planthopeisrael.com
For more information about the subject “Are Demons real” watch this episode:
