Unclean Spirits

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the only NT writers to speak of "unclean (akathartos, 169) spirits (pneuma, 4151)". The designation, in Greek word order, is always "spirits unclean" or "spirit unclean": The two words appear together, for example in Matt. 10:1; Mark 1:23; 3:30; 5:2; 7:25; Luke 6:18; 8:29; Acts 5:16; 8:7; Rev. 18:2. For our purposes, demons, unclean spirits, and fallen angels all refer to the same beings. Notice that in Luke 8, the man who was possessed by demons (Luke 8:27, 29-30, 33, 35-36, 38) was also said to have been inhabited by an "unclean spirit" (Luke 8:29). Demons and unclean spirits were originally good angels who were deceived by Satan and revolted against God, following Satan instead.

       
1. It is possible to be a part of a religious gathering -- a synagogue or even, presumably, a church service and still be possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21-23).

2. Certain people are said to "have an 'unclean' spirit."  That is, they are being personally defiled and dirtied by the presence of this spirit (Mark 1:23).

3. Elsewhere, the term used (in 13 different verses) is literally, "demonized" (daimonidzomai, 1139).

4. There is a merging of the unclean spirit and the human.  That is to say, there are apparently situations in which the unclean spirit takes control of the person and his body.  It is difficult to separate what the man is saying on his own and what he is saying because the unclean spirit is controlling him.  The two speak as one voice (Mark 1:23-24).

5. The man is said to have only one spirit -- an unclean spirit.  Yet when the man spoke, he spoke in the plural.  Evidently the voice speaking represented both the man and the unclean spirit (Mark 1:23-24).

6. Possession by an unclean spirit here meant that the unclean spirit spoke entirely for the man, whether the man wanted him to or not.  The man had no control or say in what the unclean spirit said.  The man's wishes in relation to Christ were entirely subordinated to what the demon wanted or did not want.  This is a fearful position to be in -- having lost control over one's faculties and will (Mark 1:23-26)!

7. In this case, what seemed to cause the demon to verbalize was the presence of Jesus, the Son of God, who had begun teaching in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-24).

8. This unclean spirit  / man was terrified of Jesus - he cried out (anakradzo, 349), apparently with a loud voice (Mark 1:23).

9. The unclean spirit indicated clearly he and his host wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  He said, "What is there to do with us and you?" (Mark 1:23-24).

10. This unclean spirit / man had rather precise knowledge of Jesus.  He knew that humanly, Jesus  was from Nazareth; he also knew that Jesus was "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24).

11.The unclean spirit suspected Jesus was out to destroy him and the man (Mark 1:24).

12. Since the unclean spirit's main actions to this point had been to speak, Jesus' commands were two-fold:  "Be muzzled."  and "Exit from him!" (Mark 1:25).

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(Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.)

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Updated February 7, 2012

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