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100 articles found for “Evil spirits”

• Territorial Spirits

  [Doctrine & Theology]

  Territorial spirits are evil spiritual beings believed to rule over particular nations, cities, or regions. The term was widely used in the spiritual warfare movement of the 1980s and 1990s, and assessments of it vary sharply among denominations and theologians.

• Exorcism

  [Worship & Rites]

  Exorcism is the prayer and rite performed to drive demons out of a person believed to be possessed by evil spirits. In Korean usage the term guma refers mainly to the official rite of the Catholic Church, while Protestants commonly speak of chuksa ("driving out evil," or deliverance).

• Sceva

  [People]

  Sceva was a Jewish priest (or high priest) mentioned in Acts 19. He is known for an incident in Ephesus in which his seven sons tried, and failed, to cast out evil spirits by invoking the name of Jesus whom Paul preached.

• Spiritual Mapping

  [Doctrine & Theology]

  Spiritual mapping is a method of investigating the spiritual forces believed to dominate a particular area, along with the grounds for their influence, organizing the findings like a map, and using them in prayer and mission strategy. Together with the concept of territorial spirits, it remains the subject of ongoing debate.

• Susanna

  [People]

  Susanna is a woman named once in Scripture, in Luke 8:3. She was one of the women who accompanied Jesus and the Twelve and ministered to them out of their own means.

• Luke 7:22

  [Bible Verses]

  In this verse, when the imprisoned John the Baptist asks whether Jesus is "he that should come," Jesus answers by pointing to acts of healing and to the preaching of the gospel, which recall the prophecies of Isaiah. The verse is frequently cited in discussions of Jesus' messiahship, divine healing, and the gospel for the poor.

• Joanna

  [People]

  Joanna is a woman mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward. She ministered to Jesus and his disciples out of her own means and was one of the women who brought news of the empty tomb to the apostles on the morning of the resurrection.

• Discernment of Spirits

  [Christian Life]

  Discernment of spirits is the act of determining whether a given utterance, phenomenon, or spiritual experience comes from the Holy Spirit. It is one of the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:10.

• 1 Peter 3:18

  [Bible Verses]

  A verse stating that Christ, the just, died once for the unjust in order to bring people to God. It is frequently cited in support of the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. Discussion centers on the meaning of "quickened by the Spirit" and on the verse's relationship to the following passage about the "spirits in prison."

• 1 Samuel 16:13–14

  [Bible Verses]

  In this passage, after Samuel anoints David, the Spirit of the LORD comes upon David and departs from Saul. It marks the turning point in the transfer of kingship and is frequently discussed with regard to the departure of the Spirit and the meaning of "an evil spirit from the LORD."

• Demon

  [Bible]

  In the Bible, demons are evil spiritual beings that oppose God, torment people, and work behind idolatry and false teaching. They appear especially often in the New Testament Gospels.

• Satan

  [Bible]

  Satan is the name the Bible gives to an evil spiritual being who opposes and accuses God and His people. The Hebrew word means "adversary," and the New Testament uses it interchangeably with "the devil."

• Ephesians 6:10-18

  [Bible Verses]

  A passage near the end of Ephesians that describes the believer's struggle as a fight not against human beings but against evil spiritual forces. It likens truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the word of God to the whole armor of God and concludes with a call to prayer. It is frequently cited in sermons and discussions on "spiritual warfare."

• Gaal

  [People]

  Gaal, the son of Ebed, appears in Judges 9. He incited the men of Shechem to rise against Abimelech but was defeated in battle and driven out of Shechem.

• Romans 8:1–2

  [Bible Verses]

  The declaration that there is "no condemnation" for those who are in Christ Jesus. Cherished as a classic text on the assurance of justification, it raises the question of whether freedom from condemnation is purely a forensic declaration or also includes the transformation of life.

• Philippians 3:3

  [Bible Verses]

  In this verse Paul warns against those who insist on circumcision and declares that believers who worship by the Spirit, glory in Christ, and put no confidence in the flesh are the true circumcision. It is frequently cited in discussions of the law and justification and of the relationship between the church and Israel.

• Romans 8:28

  [Bible Verses]

  A verse declaring that "all things work together for good to them that love God." It is among the passages most widely quoted for comfort in suffering, and discussion centers on what "good" means and whether "all things" includes evil and pain.

• 1 Peter 4:6

  [Bible Verses]

  This verse states that the gospel was preached also to the dead so that, though judged in the flesh, they might live according to God in the spirit. Interpretations differ because the verse is bound up with questions about Christ's descent into hell and the possibility of salvation after death.

• Evil-merodach

  [People]

  Evil-merodach was the king of Babylon who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar. The closing portions of 2 Kings and Jeremiah record that in the year he came to the throne he released Jehoiachin, the captive king of Judah, from prison and treated him generously.

• Problem of Evil

  [Doctrine & Theology]

  The problem of evil is the theological and philosophical question of why evil and suffering exist in the world if God is omnipotent and perfectly good.