Sean C. Capparuccia
Delivered at the Men’s Bible Study, Clinton, NC May 4, 2020
Demon-Possession – A Study of Three N.T. Passages
Demonic possession and demonic activity in general has been, outside of the more Pentecostal and perhaps Charismatic sects of Christendom, more or less relegated to discussions outside of church. It is by and large the stuff of movies. But Scripture tells us that demonic activity is very real and not to be disregarded. Here I will discuss three passages of Scripture that relate to demon-possession and related material.
I.
Let’s start off by reading Mt 15:21-28
21. Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22. A Canaanite woman [Mk 7:26- a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia] from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” 23. Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came to Him and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24. He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25. The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she cried. 26. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27. “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28. Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
vs. 21. Jesus is now in completely Gentile territory. These aren’t Gentiles coming to Him, He is in their space. Another translation says that He “retired to the district of Tyre and Sidon so He wasn’t just passing through. He was going to stay for awhile. In fact, Mark tells us, in his relating of this story, that Jesus went to this vicinity and entered a house trying to keep away from people. But, as He always is, He was found out.
vs. 22. Matthew calls her a Canaanite; Mark a Syro-Phoenician. Which is it? Matthew calling her a Canaanite simply means that she was Semitic, but not Jewish. Syro-Phoenician means she was from Phoenicia, which was Syrian, north of Palestine. Edith Deen, author of All the Women of the Bible, writes, “By culture and language this woman was Greek, by religion a pagan, by position in her community a nobody. Yet with Christ these differences meant nothing.”[1]
We should note that her first words to Jesus are to address Him as Lord. And not only Lord but “Son of David.” A Greek pagan nobody in Gentile land recognizes Jesus as Lord and Messiah! The faith of this woman in this passage is meant as a contrast to the unbelief of the Jews in the preceding passage (vss. 1-20). “Have mercy on me,” she says, “My daughter is demon-possessed.” I don’t think it has any great theological consequence but isn’t it funny that she says, “Have mercy on me”? Of course, she was speaking as the the spokesperson for her daughter, but I had to chuckle because that’s how I feel a lot of the time – have mercy on me, Lord, my kids are crazy!
Demon-possession
So, she says, “My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Now, we hear that today and there are a bunch of thoughts that fly around in our head. We already did a study on demon-possession several weeks ago but this bears repeating. I think that when we hear the term “demon-possession” part of us disbelieves it because we’ve been taught, for the most part, that it isn’t a real thing. Or that these ancient people ascribed sicknesses and maladies to demons when it was really just congenital defects, results of various viruses, etc. And, quite frankly, how many of us have truly seen demon-possession outside of Hollywood?
Yet the New Testament gives a completely different picture of demon-possession than what many today seem to paint.
1. The New Testament writers consistently distinguished between physical illnesses caused by demons and those that were not.[2]
2. In only two cases of demon-possession recorded in the NT does it affect the mind of the individual ⸫ insanity is not synonymous with demonic activity.
3. To be demon-possessed is also not synonymous with being bi-polar or having multiple personalities. Reasons for this are as follows:
a. demons are spiritual, though real, beings which is why they are able to vacate a person and go into a pig (Luke 8:33);
b. demons are always and without fail evil – bi-polar people may seem a bit off at times, but not necessarily evil;
c. demons are not swayed by the skillful pleadings of psychologists and/or psychiatrists – they are only swayed by the Name, Word, and Power of Jesus Christ.
4. A demon-possessed person exhibits a “distinct and evil personality” as the demon has increasing control of a person and can speak through their mouth;
5. Demons work for Satan who was crushed by Christ at the Cross. At the Cross he was ‘bound’ and awaits his ultimate defeat.
6. We live in a post-Resurrection age and some might say that demons no longer have the power to possess, only to influence. Few people have seen what might be a demon-possession so modern-day possessions are doubtful in light of Christ’s victory. Nevertheless, I know an Anglican priest who studied with a certified Catholic exorcist and he swears that he has seen more than one bona-fide demon-possessed person who had a strength beyond what any normal man could have. He related the story of a little old woman in a wheelchair who hurled a priest against a wall with one arm. He also said that demons love filth and so most of the time demon-possessed people live in nasty places; and that the air is always about 10 degrees cooler around a demon-possessed person. So maybe if you could befriend one in the dead heat of the summertime you’d be doing alright. I do have first-hand experience with a demonic influence that did prevent me from speaking once – which I share on a one-to-one basis. But do any of you have knowledge of demon-possessed people?
Obviously, Satan, even though crushed by Jesus, still has power in this world, that power has just been diminished. The fallen angel and his fellow demons can influence people, even Christians, to sin and being as old as creation he knows a lot about human nature. So he is able to construct specific temptations that suit the individual. Puritan William Jenkyn (1613–1685) said, “He has an apple for Eve, a grape for Noah, a change of raiment for Gehazi, and a bag [of coins] for Judas.”[3] Another Puritan, William Spurstowe (c. 1605-1666), wrote, “Satan tempts a young man with sexual lust, a middle-aged man with ‘an itch for honor and to be great,’ and an old man with ‘covetousness and peevishness.’”[4] And I suppose there is truth in that.
Back to the passage at hand…
vs. 23. This daughter was, in fact, demon-possessed and however it manifested itself caused agony for her mother. And what was Jesus’ response? Silence. He didn’t say a thing. Why did He wait on this? First of all, is it terribly out of the ordinary for Jesus – or God – to make people wait on His answer? Look at Abraham and Sarah who hung on to the promise of a child for a very long time; look at Lazarus – Jesus waiting long enough that Lazarus died before Jesus could get to him (luckily Jesus could bring him back from the dead.) And in every case it is to strengthen and to refine the faith of the subject of the waiting. This woman’s faith was tested and refined by Jesus’ delay and then by His bantering with her.
vs. 23b. The disciples found her to be a complete bother and just wanted Jesus to get rid of her. “Lord, shut this whiner up.” Isn’t it interesting that these “men of God” could so easily dismiss the urgent and serious need of this woman? But is it altogether strange? How many men of God today might do the same thing? And I don’t just mean pastors. Can you just hear yourself saying, “I know that building is on fire and it looks like they’re going to drop a baby out of the second story window but dang, I’ve got to get to church on time or it’s going to be very awkward climbing over people to get in my pew.” Needy people can be a bother and our fast-paced culture really doesn’t allow much time for people like that. Right?
vs. 24. “Only to the lost sheep of Israel was I sent.” Jesus starts talking with the woman but ignores His disciples. Jesus never wavered from his mission to the house of Israel even though He had several points along the way where He was opening the door to the Gentiles; a door that would fling wide open on Pentecost. And He was trying to teach His disciples this here – that the door of salvation would be flung wide soon. And even if the disciples understood it as a fact, it was a foreign concept to them because their prejudice against Gentiles was so ingrained. In Acts 15 we read about the Jerusalem Council where Paul and Barnabas and Peter were before James and the Council discussing this Gentile infusion into the company of the saved.
vs. 25. “The woman fell at Jesus’ feet saying, ‘Help me.’” What a beautiful act of worship. It is also an act of deeply immense intercessory prayer. This mother is completely wrapped up in her daughter; one commentator says, “She and her daughter are inseparable. It is in that sense that we can say she identifies herself with her child.”[5] Effective intercessory prayer has this quality: there is a fervent desire on the part of the pray-er to see the prayer answered for the pray-ee. We lift people up in prayer all the time, which is vastly important, but sometimes we feel such a deep and sincere desire to intercede for someone that it goes beyond simply “lifting up.”
vs. 26. Jesus calls the woman a dog. It might be worth noting that the word Jesus used for “dog” here has a meaning more akin to a little house dog, like a Dachshund, little wiener dog, not a big ferocious Doberman pinscher kind of dog (ironically, both German, by the way.) In essence, the disciples called her a whiner but Jesus called her a wiener. But He was simply, in light of verse 24, making the distinction between the “children” – Israel – and Gentiles. And normal people don’t treat dogs like children – do they? I mean who ever carried a child around in a purse?
vs. 27. Look at her response, though. Her response to Jesus shows her true humility. I wonder if we all agreed to test the humility of our own wives tonight and see what happens if we call them a dog. Next week we can show off our fading shiners maybe. Yet she took it like a trooper and came back with a profound statement of faith. I am reminded of Job’s remark about God. He said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”[6] And the faith of this woman’s answer reveals something that we should definitely take note of. Take a look at Genesis 32:26-28. Jacob is met by an angel in the night with whom he wrestles, though he didn’t know it was an angel.
“Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered. Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.’”
Who is Israel, then? (One who struggles with God.) Now look in Romans 9:6-8.
“It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”
By faith is Israel truly Israel! SOLA FIDE! In this sense, by faith, this woman became an Israelite, a true Israelite. So both she and her daughter were healed – physically and spiritually.
I am definitely one of those people who, after a confrontation, spends hours going over the thing and thinking, ‘Oh I should have said this’ or ‘I coulda said that.’ I can be witty given time to think about it – which doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in real-time. But I think it would be neat to have a pun-filled and witty conversation with someone that ended up bringing them to Christ but, really, at the end of the day, it’s enough to just share the Gospel in whatever way we can.
II.
Next, let us look at a demon-possessed boy in Matthew 17:14-21 (paralleled in Mk 9).
14. When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before Him. 15. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said, “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17. “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20. He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 21. [some mss] “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus and Peter, James, and John have been up on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured. Now they have come down from the mountain where a crowd was gathered, and the rest of the disciples had been waiting and mingling with the people practicing their ministry. Mark tells us that there was an argument between the disciples and the scribes over the fact that the disciples could not heal the boy. You can get the picture: the disciples doing everything they can think of to get a healing and it just isn’t working as the scribes look on mocking. I can hear them working out all the different pronunciations and inflections of “Jesus” to find the right one – “In the name Jee-sus; in the name of Je-sus; in the name of Je-ee-sus; in the name of Jesus….” But nothing seemed to work. What’s going on?
Obviously, the crowd knew who Jesus was as they ran to greet Him and the man with the possessed boy came straight to Him (Mk 9:15, 17.)
vs. 15. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said, “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.” Again, Mark supplies us with a bit more information here by telling us that the “spirit has robbed him of speech,” caused deafness (Mk 9:25), and “He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.” These last manifestations are, of course, all symptoms of epilepsy but, again, as stated earlier, it must be clear that epilepsy is not a sign of demon-possession; instead, demon-possession may present symptoms of epilepsy. My sister is severely epileptic and I can tell you that when she is having a seizure she is not looking for a fire to jump into or for a body of water in which to drown. The key here is that the demon had been attempting to destroy the boy’s life.
vs. 16. But for some reason the disciples could not cast this foul demon out. He probably came to this place looking for Jesus to begin with but when Jesus wasn’t there, he dealt with the disciples. Frustrated with the failure of the ‘help,’ boy was he glad to see the Manager.
vs. 17. “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I put up with you?” Here Jesus is not just talking to His disciples but to all who are present. The crowd who was by and large there out of selfish concerns for themselves; the scribes who did not do anything to help anybody but only stood there to gawk and make fun of the disciples; the Disciples who did not persist in prayer but gave up when the demon held on. We hear Jesus’ exasperation. He is coming to the end of His ministry and has dealt with the same kinds of people and unbelief for a long time. “Bring the boy here to me,” He says, which reminds me of that sabbath day when he blasted the Pharisees and then said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand!” (Mt. 12:13). vs. 18 – and the demon came out screaming and threw the boy into violent convulsions which I guess is a demon’s way of slamming the door on the way out. And then utter peace – calm. So calm they thought the boy was dead (Mk. 9:26.)
vs. 19. So why couldn’t the disciples do it? Was this demon stronger than the other demons they had heretofore cast out? It is certainly possible that this demon was stronger as not all demons are the same, just like people are not all the same. They are created beings just as we are with strengths, weaknesses, and personalities.
In the Creed we acknowledge that “We believe in God the Father, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” There is an invisible realm in which real, though invisible beings, do exist. Scripture tends to show us that when God had created the heavens and the earth “it was very good.” This lends itself to the idea that Lucifer[7] and the other angels had not yet rebelled against God, otherwise how could He have called creation “very good”? Perhaps the creation of Adam and Eve sent proud Lucifer into a tizzy and he was so jealous that he rebelled against God. And Scripture points to the fact that some of the fallen angels were immediately cast into hell and bound with “eternal chains” while others were left to roam. These are the ones that plague the world. We know that Satan is the head of all demons and that he is the originator of sin; not the creator of sin because sin is not a thing in and of itself, it is disobedience to the will of God. Just as darkness is not a thing by itself but is the absence of light. Satan was the first one to sin, to be disobedient to the Triune God. It was the pride of Lucifer that caused him to lose his place in heaven and be cast out. We know that both Satan and demons have a single purpose: to destroy the works of God. They use deception, lies, murder, temptation, fear, guilt, distrust, confusion and many other devices to thwart God’s purposes and to blind people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All demons know Jesus Christ, they know Him better than we do in a sense because they have seen Him, but they do not love Him or obey Him willingly. They are masters of distraction and their greatest strength is causing pride in people – pride that enables people to believe that they are just as good as God in determining good and evil. This is how church leaders can undermine God’s Word by declaring good what God has declared evil- let those with ears to hear, hear. We also know that God’s ultimate and omnipotent control limits the power of demons. No demon, not even Satan, can hinder a person from coming to Christ if God calls them – think about that.
In a fairly recent article in World magazine, the journalist was interviewing David Berkowitz, otherwise known as the “Son of Sam,” a serial killer in NY in the mid-1970’s. He has been in prison since 1977. Berkowitz said that even as a child he “craved the darkness and spending hours under his bed or tunneled into a closet.”[8] He called himself the “Son of Sam” and Beelzebub because he prayed to Samhain as part of a satanic cult to which he belonged. He claims that he was possessed by a demon while he committed the murders. But he has since become a Christian and fully feels the forgiveness of Christ. Who are we to say that it isn’t a true conversion? But, again, not even Satan can hinder a person from coming to Christ if God calls them.
German theologian Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) was instrumental in causing a general disbelief of the supernatural. And due to his influence, many seminaries since the mid-1900’s have rather mocked the idea of supernatural warfare and the like. Institutions may be called “evil,” certain social constructs may be called “evil,” and governments may be labeled “evil” but there is no supernatural influence in the world. Of course, God’s word flatly contradicts this. But, at the same time, not all evil is necessarily caused by Satan and demons. All evil is caused by rebellion against God. Satan was the first to sin against God, but because of the Fall of Adam, all people have a fallen nature which invariably tends towards sinfulness. Humanity does not tend toward satanism, but towards rebellion against God. In other words, the devil can not make me do it; he’ll just make doing it look attractive. Otherwise we would live in a dualistic world where God is anxiously fighting against the devil over the souls of men. Rest assured, He is not. God has total control; Satan and his minions are only living out their existence trying to thwart God’s plan.
Back to Matthew, Jesus tells them that they didn’t have enough faith. Their faith, and the outworking of their faith – the prayer – was insufficient. They didn’t get an immediate result so they thought something was wrong and they gave up. Sufficient faith is persistent faith as demonstrated, ironically, by the Syro-phoenician woman. She didn’t give up. And He tells them that nothing will be impossible for them with faith. Some take this verse a but further than what is meant. What is meant is that whatever God has given us to do will be accomplished because He will supply the strength as we supply the perseverance. He will supply the grace as we supply the muscle. Nowhere does Scripture say that God does it all and we just go along for the ride but rather, we work – because of of our faith in Him – to do the things which He has prepared for us to do. Faith is worked out; the result of faith is works – NEVER the other way around.
III.
And now for the final passage, Luke 8:1-3, and a woman with multiple demon disorder.
1. After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,
2. and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
3. Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
vs. 1. Time and Place: some time after the dinner with Simon the Pharisee. They now traveled around the towns of Galilee proclaiming the Good news of the kingdom of God.
What is this kingdom of God? Hendriksen defines it as “God’s kingship, rule or sovereignty, recognized in the hearts and operative in the lives of His people, and effecting their complete salvation, their constitution as a church, and finally a redeemed universe.”[9] I think that is a great summation of the kingdom of God. In fact, I like it so much I am going to rewrite it in a different format to make it more clear:
God’s kingship, rule or sovereignty,
recognized in the hearts and
operative in the lives
of His people, and
effecting their complete salvation,
their constitution as a church, and finally
a redeemed universe.
Notice is says, “God’s kingship, rule or sovereignty, recognized in the hearts of His people. He is sovereign over the entire universe, whether one recognizes it or not, but His kingdom in the present age is about retrieving His people from the sin of unbelief. So, the Kingdom of God is seen in the lives of His redeemed, in His church, and ultimately, in a universe that will be redeemed.
vs. 2. Jesus and the Twelve were accompanied by some women-folk here who “had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.” Note that Luke distinguishes between the demonic activity and the diseases. They are two separate issues, not one resulting from the other. Textually, it looks as though one of the ladies had evil spirits, a couple others had diseases, and then some more. Also note that these women went around with the disciples. Friends, Jesus did not castigate women as He has sometimes been accused. In fact, the whole of the Bible does not relegate women to a supposed inferiority but rather the sinful nature of humanity does that. We see much more sexism in the cultures outside of OT Judaism and Christianity.
A Note on Sexism – There was a man who declared that he was a feminist because he was so against the idea of sexism. Asked what a feminist was he answered that a feminist was one who believed that women were equal to men. So, he was asked that since he felt that women were equal to men, did he also believe that men were equal to women? Hesitantly answering “yes” he was then asked if that made him a masculinist.[10] People, it’s not a question of equality, it’s a question of role and function BUT that’s another topic.
Jesus certainly held these women in high esteem. Who were these women?
First of all we have Mary of Magdala, which was a place on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee just south of Capernaum. We see her name throughout the Gospels and she was an important figure at Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection. Luke tells us that she had seven demons cast out of her. Centuries of legend and myth has led many to believe that she was a prostitute because I guess it would take a lot of demons to make a prostitute. Let’s see, one demon makes an epileptic; seven demons make a prostitute; a legion (2000+?) of demons makes a guy take off all his clothes and cut himself with rocks. Yet there is absolutely no Scriptural evidence that demonic-possession causes immorality. In every case of demonic activity in people it causes mental or physical abnormalities, but not immorality. This causes us to believe that demons cannot overtake a person’s will or conscience; and we cannot blame our immorality on demons, not even on Satan. So poor Mary Magdala got a reputation that she probably – at least Scripturally – did not deserve, which I hope we can actively try to reverse in the coming centuries.
Secondly is Joanna the wife of Cuza. Cuza was the head of Herod the Tetrarch’s house and he would have also been in charge of Herod’s personal estate. He was a powerful figure. Some believe that he is the centurion whose servant needed healing in Mt. 8 and this is how Joanna came to know Jesus.[11] She, too, was at the tomb on Easter mornin
In the case of the third woman, Susanna, we know nothing. This is the only place she is mentioned but we can agree that as the meaning of her name – “lily” – suggests, “Her deeds of kindness towards her Lord and His disciples were pure and fragrant.”[12]
“And many others,” presumably women, did their part in furthering Jesus’ mission. Apparently, they had the means to fund the mission, too.
Perhaps a final thought on the matter of possession is whether a Christian can be possessed? I John 5:18 says, “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin: the one who was born of God keeps Him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” Who is the one who was born of God? Jesus Christ. Yet at the same time we never underestimate the power of Satan in this world. We don’t fear it, but we don’t ignore it, either, as Rudolf Bultmann and others like him would suggest. I’ve got 2 acres of wooded land but I don’t walk around in fear of being bitten by a snake but I am well aware of their presence and I take precautions when walking around my property, especially at night. And in the midst of this Covid19 thing, we are aware of its presence; we know its effects but we shouldn’t hide in fear of it; we take precautions. And of course, we hesitate to judge anyone’s reactions to the pandemic, but maybe there is something to be said for overreaction. I’ll stop before I get in trouble.
So far as demonic possession goes, Christ who lives in us is infinitely more powerful than he who is in the world (I John 4:4). But “disobedience and persistent waywardness provide the enemy grounds from which he can attack and influence the Christian. We are admonished, ‘Do not give the devil a foothold’ (Eph. 4:27).”[13]
Dr. Wayne Grudem, an author of many theological books which I particularly like, says, “The term demon-possession is an unfortunate term that has found its way into some English translations of the Bible but is not really reflected in the Greek text.”[14] Grudem makes the case the Greek word daimonizomai, translated as “demon-possessed,” more literally means demonically influenced; that demons do not have the power to overtake someone’s will outright. A person may succumb to the influence to the point where a demon ends up having more and more control but there’s no instance where a demon can just jump into a person and start wreaking havoc, making their head spin around and projectile vomit pea soup.
So as to the question whether a born-again believer can be possessed the answer is “No.” Can he be influenced? “Yes.” Dr. Grudem asks further, “How much can a genuine Christian let his or her life be dominated by sin, and still be a born-again Christian?” It is an abstract question that has no definite answer because we slide into sin, which is where we get the term “backslider.” A related issue here is whether a backslider can lose his salvation? I won’t answer that question since it is so doctrinally loaded and beyond the scope of this discussion. Obviously, the sin of unbelief in Jesus as Lord is a damnable offense. But “do we sin so that God’s grace can abound?” Paul asks. Of course not. Do we sin knowing that God will forgive us? I’ll leave that to you to answer for yourselves. But we know that sinful behavior is abnormal in the life of a believer and we should strive to overcome these things. Satan and his horde of demons will always be present to influence God’s people and push them towards sin in the hopes that they will reject Christ altogether. We need to always be aware of that.
Perhaps, in a way, this pandemic can teach us that like the Corona virus, demonic influence is both invisible and lurking who-knows-where. So, we should keep our hands clean and protect ourselves from what comes near and into our bodies. Not out of fear, but out of awareness and precaution, and rest in the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign over all things, Satan and demons included, and with Him nothing is impossible. He is our Mighty Fortress.
[1] Edith Deen. All the Women of the Bible (NY: Harper & Bros. Publishers, 1955), 189.
[2] For a list of these passages and in the points that follow see Hendriksen, NTC Matthew pp. 436-437.
[3] Cited in I. D. E. Thomas, comp., The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations (Chicago: Moody, 1975), 76; found here in Joel R. Beeke and Mark Jones, A Puritan Theology (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012), 194.
[4] Spurstowe, The Wiles of Satan, 61; quoted in Ibid.
[5] Hendriksen, NTC Matthew, 623.
[6] Job 13:15.
[7] Lucifer “Light-giver” or “brilliant one,” aka Satan “Adversary.” The name Lucifer, though popularly attributed to the former prince of angels, who fell, and now known as Satan, was also used for the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:12.
[8] Emily Belz, “Finding Life in a Life Sentence” World, Vol. 35, No. 3, Feb. 15, 2020, 59.
[9] Hendriksen, NTC Luke (4:43), p. 273.
[10] Peter Kreeft, The Best Things in Life (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1984), 127.
[11] Deen, 274
[12] Hendriksen, NTC Luke, 419.
[13] Guy P. Duffield and N. M. Van Cleave, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology (LA: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983), 495.
[14] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 423.
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