Not everything is an indication that a demon needs to be cast out

Not everything is an indication that a demon needs to be cast out


Even though it is possible for demons to enter people and some things may indicate that someone may need a demon to be cast out from them, yet not everything is to be taken as an indication that a demon would need to be cast out from someone. 


Demons can be outside of people

Demons are able to enter people, but they are not necessarily inside people. Indeed, they can also be outside of people. 

For more information:

What are demons?
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It is possible to think that there is a need for a demon to be cast out when it is not the case

It is possible for someone to misdiagnose a subject by thinking that they need a demon to be cast out when it is not the case. 

For example, this happened to Jesus, as it is written that "The Jews responded and said (to) Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are (a) Samaritan and HAVE (a) DEMON?Jesus answered, “I DO NOT HAVE (a) DEMON" (John 8:48-49). Here people claimed that Jesus may "have (a) demon" (John 8:48), which can be another way to say that a demon would have entered Him which could be cast out, but Jesus indicated that it was not the case.

For more information on the expression used in "HAVE (a) demon" (John 8:48):

"Having" demons can mean that demons entered (and can later come out):
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The same happened with John the Baptist, as it is written that "John the Baptist has-come not eating bread nor drinking wine, and you-say ‘HE-HAS (a) DEMON’. The Son (of) Man has-come eating and drinking, and you-say ‘Behold — (a) man (who is a) glutton and drunkard, (a) friend (of) tax-collectors and sinners’. And wisdom was-vindicated by all her children" (Luke 7:33-35). Here people claimed about John the Baptist that "HE-HAS (a) DEMON" (Luke 7:33), but Jesus added that "wisdom was-vindicated by all her children" (Luke 7:35), implying that their sayings were not proceeding from wisdom. 



Jesus as an example

When Jesus was accused of having a demon, "Jesus answered, “I do not have (a) demon" (John 8:49). Knowing that Jesus did not have a demon, we can look at different things that happened to Him, knowing that these things do not necessitate having the need for a demon to be cast out:

Jesus was tempted in all things. This does not necessitate having the need for a demon to be cast out. Jesus was "(One) having-been-tempted in all (things) in-accordance-with (our) likeness" (Hebrews 2:14). In Luke it is written that "Jesus" (Luke 4:1) was "being-tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:2).

Jesus experienced different emotions. This does not necessitate having the need for a demon to be cast out, as it is for example written that Jesus "WAS-DEEPLY-MOVED in (His) spirit, and TROUBLED Himself" (John 11:33), "He-began TO-BE-GRIEVED and DISTRESSED" (Matthew 26:37), or even "having-looked-around (at) them with ANGER" (Mark 3:5).

Jesus spoke words that some people wrongly perceived as incoherent. This does not necessitate that Jesus had the need for a demon to be cast out, as for example after that Jesus spoke some words, people started accusing Him of having a demon, as it is written: "(A) division again took-place among the Jews because-of these words. And many of them were-saying, “He-has (a) demon, and He-is-mad. Why are-you-listening-to Him?” (John 10:19-20).

Jesus did a miracle that other people wrongly assumed was from a demonic source. This would not necessitate that Jesus had the need for a demon to be cast out, as for example after that Jesus did a miracle by casting out a demon from someone, "the scribes having-come-down from Jerusalem were-saying that “He-has Beelzebul”" (Mark 3:22), and so "they-were-saying “He-has (an) unclean spirit”." (Mark 3:30).



John the Baptist

When John the Baptist came, he was accused of having a demon, as Jesus said: "John the Baptist HAS-COME not eating bread nor drinking wine, and you-say ‘HE-HAS (a) DEMON" (Luke 7:33). Jesus would have implied here that John the Baptist did not come having a demon. We can see how John the Baptist came and infer that the way he came do not necessitate having the need for a demon to be cast out.

John the Baptist would have been where demons could go. It is written that "John the Baptist COMES, proclaiming IN THE WILDERNESS (of) Judea" (Matthew 3:1). So here John the Baptist was in the wilderness. The wilderness was believed to be a place where demons could go to, as for example it is written that "when THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT departs from the person, it-goes through WATERLESS PLACES seeking rest" (Matthew 12:43). Waterless places may be akin to the wilderness. Also "Jesus was-led-up INTO THE WILDERNESS by the Spirit to-be-tempted by the DEVIL" (Matthew 4:1). So even though John the Baptist could have been in a place where demons could also be, it did not necessitate that He Himself would have a demon. 

John the Baptist was dressed in unusual ways and ate unusual things. It is written that "John the Baptist COMES" (Matthew 3:1), and a few verses later the following description was added: "John himself was-having his CLOTHING (MADE) OF CAMEL'S HAIR, and (a) belt made-of-leather around his waist. AND HIS FOOD WAS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY" (Matthew 3:4). Even though John the Baptist may have had unusual clothing or unusual food choices, it did not necessitate that He Himself would have a demon. 

John the Baptist was in desolate places. It is written that until John the Baptist came in his public appearance, he had been in desolate places, as it is written about "John" (Luke 1:63) that he as a "child was-growing and becoming-strong (in) spirit. And HE-WAS IN THE DESOLATE (PLACES) until (the) day (of) his public-appearance to Israel" (Luke 1:80). Even though John the Baptist was in desolate places before coming did not necessitate that He Himself would have a demon. 


Sicknesses

Not every sickness would seem to necessitate having the need for a demon to be cast out, as in several accounts the sickness and the demons cast out can be separated by the conjunction "AND":

"they-brought to Him all the (ones) being ill, being-gripped (with) various diseases and torments, AND being-demonized, AND having-seizures, AND paralytics" (Matthew 4:24).

"He-gave them power and authority over all the demons, AND to-cure diseases" (Luke 9:1).

"I-am-casting-out demons AND completing healings today and tomorrow" (Luke 13:32).

"bringing sick (ones) AND (ones) being-mobbed by unclean spirits" (Acts 5:16).

Furthermore, many accounts of healings do not record any demon being cast out or coming out of the person.



Words describing actions from demons do not necessitate them coming from the inside of a person

Not every action that demons can do to human are necessarily described with words indicating that they would have to be done from the inside of a person. 

Wrestling:

For example, it is written that "the WRESTLING (for) us is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-powers (of) this darkness, against the spiritual (forces of) evilness in the heavenly(-places). For this reason, take-up the full-armor (of) God in-order-that you-may-be-able to-resist" (Ephesians 6:12-13).

Here a WRESTLING is described, which usually would involve two subjects fighting without the need for one to be inside the other.

Upon:

Another example: an evil spirit can come upon someone, as it is written: "Let now your servants speak before you, and let them seek for our lord a man having known to be playing on a lyre; and it will be when AN EVIL SPIRIT comes UPON [epi 1909 in Greek] you, then he shall play on his lyre, and you will be well, and he will refresh you" (1 Samuel 16:16 (LXX)).

Here an evil spirit is described to specifically be "UPON" a person. The Greek word for "UPON" [epi 1909 in Greek] used in 1 Samuel 16:16 (LXX) is used for example in the following sentence: "let the (one) UPON [epi 1909 in Greek] the housetop not go-down nor GO-IN to-take anything out-of his house" (Mark 13:15). 

Here someone "UPON the housetop" (Mark 13:15) is distinct from someone who may "GO-IN" (Mark 13:15) the house. 

Oppressed:

Another example: the devil can oppress people, as it is written about Jesus "healing all the (ones) being-OPPRESSED [katadunasteuo 2616 in Greek] by the devil" (Acts 10:38).

The same Greek word for "OPPRESSED" [katadunasteuo 2616 in Greek] used in Acts 10:38 is also for example used in the following verse: "you dishonored the poor (man). Do not the rich OPPRESS [katadunasteuo 2616 in Greek] you and themselves drag you into courts?" (James 2:6). 

Here the rich do not have to be inside other subjects in order to oppress them, they can do it from the outside of their subjects, thus the Greek word for "OPPRESSED" [katadunasteuo 2616 in Greek] does not necessitate that a subject has to be inside another one. 

Touch:

Another example: the evil one may be able to touch people, as may be implied in the following conditional sentence: "everyone having-been-born of God is not sinning. [...] And the evil (one) is not TOUCHING [haptomai 680 in Greek] him" (1 John 5:18).

Here it may be implied that evil one may be able to be TOUCHING some people who may not meet certain conditions set.

For more information:

1 John 5:18 - The evil one is not touching him?:
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In that case, the Greek word for "TOUCHING" [haptomai 680 in Greek] used in 1 John 5:18 does not have to carry the necessity for someone to be inside of outside a subject, as for example it is written that Jesus asked "Who TOUCHED [haptomai 680 in Greek] My garments?" (Mark 5:30) after crowds of people were surrounding him. Somebody in that crowd did not have to enter inside the garments of Jesus in order to be merely be able to touch His garments, here the garments were simply touched from the outside as the crowds were surrounding Jesus.

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