INVISIBLE AND WICKED SPIRITS.

A person can be captive, controlled, influenced, and mistreated by these invisible bullies, wicked spirits.
Men, women, and children were their victims. Sometimes the agony is compounded when many demons gain possession of a person at the same time. When the demon is expelled, the person returns to a normal, sane state of mind.
In Bible times demonized persons were afflicted in various ways by these spirits. Some were dumb, some blind, some acted like lunatics, and some possessed superhuman strength.
There is a difference between demon possession and ordinary physical sickness and disease, for Jesus cured both types of disorders.
In Mark 2, the Scripture describes both situations: (32-34)"That Evening, at Sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him."
The Gospel of Mark makes an explanation at the beginning of it of what it is written in Isaiah the prophet, saying, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare The Way; the Voice of one crying in the Wilderness: 'Prepare The Way of the Lord, make His Paths straight."
Then the Scripture mentions that "God's Spirit immediately drove Him out into the Wilderness (He was baptized and the heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon Him), and He was in the Wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him."
After John the Baptist's arrest, He came into Galilee, preaching with authority the Gospel of God, and saying, "The Time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel." Then when He was passing along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen in their souls. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. They left their nets and followed Him. Going a little farther, He saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them. They left their father's boat with his father in the boat and the hired servants, and followed Him. Then they went into Caper' Na-Um; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the Synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His Teaching, for He Taught them as One Who Has Authority, and not as the scribes.
And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, "What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You Are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him." And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
Immediately He left the synagogue, and entered the House of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told Him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the Fever Left Her; and she served them.
In the morning, a great while before day, He rose and went out to a Lonely Place, and there He prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued Him, and they found Him and said to Him, "Every one is searching for You." He said to them, "Let us go on the Next Towns, that I may Preach There also; for that is Why I Came Out. " And He went throughout all Galilee, Preaching in their Synagogues and Casting Out Demons.
Then, as a teaching about what happens in the spiritual realm when we disobey the Word of the Lord, a leper came to him beseeching Him, and kneeling said to Him, "If You will, You can make me clean." Moved with Pity, He stretched out His Hand and Touched him, and said to him, "I will," "Be clean."
And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Since God's spiritual children share in flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through Death He might destroy him who has the power of Death, that is, the Devil, and deliver all those who through Fear of Death were subject to lifelong bondage. Jesus is concerned with the descendants of Abraham, the Father of Faith, therefore He had to be like His brethren in every respect, so that He might become a Merciful and Faithful High Priest in the Service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because He himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrew 2).
Jesus' greatest miracles were in the setting of possessed persons being freed from captivity to the demons. They were powerless against Him. But not everyone felt His demon-expelling work as a freedom since they wanted to be bound by it. That is the case of the Pharisees. They accused Him of being in league with he ruler of the demons, Bel-Zebub, whereas in reality, Jesus pointed out they themselves were the offspring of the Devil. (Matt. 9; 12; Mark 3; Luke 11; John 7; 8).
Jesus knew from where His Mastery of the demons originated, and He openly confessed that it was by God's Power and Holy Spirit. (Matt. 12; Luke 8; 11).
Jesus also gave authority over the demons to His Twelve apostles, and later to the Seventy that He sent out, so that in the name of Jesus they too were able to cure the demon-possessed. (Matt. 10; Mark 3; Luke 9). After the death of Jesus, the apostles continued to have this power. Paul dispossessed a demon of divination from a slave girl much to the anger of her money-loving owners. (Acts 16). But when certain impostors, the Seven Sons of priest Sceba, attempted to do this in the name of "Jesus whom Paul preaches," the demon-possessed man seized and severely mauled and stripped the Seven of them naked. (Acts 19).
"Be watchful," then, and "put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil" and his demons. (1 Peter 5; Eph. 6).