Many cessationist evangelicals with an anti-supernatural, if not a fully deist worldview, will counsel people to ignore what they think is the devil acting on their minds. They’ll even say things like, “We can’t see demons, because that’s from the occult. Dreams and visions are from the realm of the occult. Just read the Bible, ignore the supernatural, and live in the realm of the intellect.” The Bible doesn’t say to IGNORE the devil through anti-supernatural deism and science, which is unbelief. It says to RESIST him after you recognize his presence (James 4:7). Big difference! What does the Word of God say? And what should you do if you have a demonic experience? The answer: JESUS! JESUS! JESUS! Just say it…even in your nightmares, say it. Works every time (Mark 16:17). –J.B.

¹⁹ Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, WHY COULD WE NOT CAST HIM OUT? ²⁰ And Jesus said unto them, Because of YOUR UNBELIEF: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. ²¹ Howbeit THIS KIND GOETH NOT OUT BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.
–Matthew 17:19-21 (KJV)–

I SAW THREE IMPURE SPIRITS THAT LOOKED LIKE FROGS; 
they came out of THE MOUTH of the dragon, 
out of THE MOUTH of the beast 
and out of THE MOUTH of the false prophet.
–Revelation 16:13 (NIV)–

I SAW SATAN FALL LIKE LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN.
–Jesus in Luke 10:18 (NIV)–

The woman said unto Saul,
I SAW GODS ASCENDING OUT OF THE EARTH.
–The Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28:13 (KJV)–

RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.
–James 4:7 (NIV)–

These signs will accompany those who believe:
IN MY NAME THEY WILL DRIVE OUT DEMONS; 
they will speak in new tongues.
–Jesus in Mark 16:17 (NIV)–

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul,
DAVID WOULD TAKE UP HIS LYRE AND PLAY.
Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better,
AND THE EVIL SPIRIT WOULD LEAVE HIM.
–1 Samuel 16:23 (NIV)–

¹⁷ Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’” ¹⁸ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?” ¹⁹ Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I SAW THE LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. ²¹ Finally, A SPIRIT CAME FORWARD, STOOD BEFORE THE LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ²² “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “‘I will go out and be A DECEIVING SPIRIT IN THE MOUTHS of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ ²³ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
–1 Kings 22:17-23 (NIV)–

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ THE TEMPTER came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “AWAY FROM ME, SATAN! FOR IT IS WRITTEN: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” ¹¹ Then THE DEVIL LEFT HIM, and angels came and attended him.
–Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)–

Satan himself may put on
the appearance of an angel of LIGHT.
–2 Corinthians 11:14 (Mace’s NT)–

His appearance was like LIGHTNING,
and his clothes were white as snow.
–Matthew 28:3 (NIV)–

He makes his angels WINDS
and his ministers a flame of FIRE.
–Hebrews 1:7 (ESV)–

 To another discerning of spirits.
–1 Corinthians 12:10 (KJV)–

⁶ One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” ⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” ⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” ¹² The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
–Job 1:6-12 (NIV)–

Certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary called Magdalene, OUT OF whom went SEVEN DEVILS.
–Luke 8:2 (KJV)–

Take heed, brethren,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief,
in departing from the living God.
–Hebrews 3:12 (KJV)–

⁹ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. ¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in WITCHCRAFT, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will DRIVE OUT those nations before you. ¹³ You must be blameless before the Lord your God.
–Deuteronomy 18:9-13 (NIV)–

—

Athanasius, The Life of Antony (Paulist Press, 1979).

Gabriele Amorth, An Exorcist Tells His Story (Ignatius Press, 1999).

—. An Exorcist: More Stories (Ignatius Press, 2002).

Francis MacNutt, Deliverance from Evil Spirits (Chosen Books, 2009).

Herbert Thurston, Ghosts and Poltergeists (Burns Oates, 1953), “The Exorcism of Haunted Houses.”

John Wimber, Power Healing (HarperCollins, 1987), ch. 6: “Healing the Demonized.”

Daniel Jennings, The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley, ch. 2.

Pope Benedict XIV, Heroic Virtue, ch. 9: “Of Discerning of Spirits.”

James Beilby, ed. Understanding Spiritual Warfare: Four Views (Baker Academic, 2012).

Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Occult (Thomas Nelson, 2008).

Bob Larson, Larson’s Book of Spiritual Warfare (Thomas Nelson, 1999).

Graham Twelftree, Jesus the Exorcist (Hendrickson Publishers, 1993).

—. In the Name of Jesus: Exorcism Among Early Christians (Baker, 2007).

Ruth Brown, Destroying the Works of Witchcraft…Fasting and Prayer (Impact, 1994).