Mark Driscoll on Spiritual Warfare Pt. 3

In part 3 of this teaching series, Mark Driscoll expounds even further on demons and spiritual encounters. This is an intensely practical (as well as extremely disturbing, not to mention controversial) message where he walks through how he deals with demonic "trials" in Christian counseling, including verbal communication with demons, their militaristic organizational structure, and many examples from his experience. I am sort of stunned after listening to this and not sure what to make out of it. While I am tempted to dismiss it all as craziness, I cannot help but believe this man who has had such a profound impact on my life through his preaching and teaching (just through the internet). I have listened to and read 95% of what he has produced and what he has written, as well as what has been written about him (though I can't account for the immense amount of blog activity on him, positive and negative alike), and I can say with certainty that he is sincere and this is not a facade. I see the total biblical credibility of this teaching, but I still cannot mentally grasp the reality of the spirit realm. It's shocking and unbelievable to me, yet so painfully real that perhaps it is simply overlooked out of fear. I just picked up reading Night by Eli Wiesel last night, and the atrocities committed during the Holocaust in concentration camps I can only begin to explain by utterly evil forces at work in the world. I cannot conceive of a human soul concocting these acts alone. There have to be spiritual influences, pure evil from out there and from within. I don't believe humans are capable of behaving in such ways apart from demonic guidance and temptation, but rather originally created in the image of God and imbued with dignity and goodness at heart. Sadly, I think the fall is so far-reaching and man's rebellion so increasingly incumbent in the world, that the line between the two has been horribly blurred and spiritual discernment is rarely practiced well. I've never heard this topic so much as mentioned with much sincerity (perhaps only Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis), and certainly never heard anyone teach about it. I'm grateful for this teaching series which has been a small revolution in my thinking on the subject. There is still part 4 to come, which I think will be a Q&A session.

As well, Driscoll has added his notes from this teaching here.