In the context of the Bible, the term "fits" is often associated with sudden and uncontrollable physical or emotional episodes, which can be linked to spiritual, physical, or psychological conditions. The Bible provides several accounts that describe behaviors resembling what might be understood today as fits or seizures, often attributing them to spiritual causes.

Demonic Influence and Possession

One of the most direct associations with fits in the Bible is demonic possession. In the New Testament, Jesus frequently encounters individuals who exhibit symptoms that could be described as fits, often attributed to the presence of unclean spirits or demons. For instance, in the Gospel of Mark, a boy is brought to Jesus who suffers from severe convulsions. The father of the boy describes the condition: "Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid" (Mark 9:18). Jesus identifies the cause as a mute and deaf spirit and commands it to leave the boy, resulting in his healing.

Healing and Deliverance

The ministry of Jesus is marked by numerous instances of healing and deliverance from such conditions. In Matthew 17:14-18, a similar account is given where a boy suffers from what is described as "lunacy" or epilepsy, and Jesus rebukes the demon, leading to the boy's immediate recovery. These narratives highlight the authority of Jesus over spiritual forces and His compassion for those afflicted by such conditions.

Spiritual Warfare

The Bible also emphasizes the reality of spiritual warfare, suggesting that fits and similar afflictions can be manifestations of spiritual battles. Ephesians 6:12 states, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This passage underscores the belief that spiritual forces can impact the physical and mental well-being of individuals.

Faith and Prayer

The response to fits and similar afflictions in the biblical narrative often involves faith and prayer. In the account of the boy with seizures, Jesus emphasizes the importance of faith, saying, "Everything is possible for one who believes" (Mark 9:23). The disciples' inability to heal the boy is attributed to a lack of faith and prayer, as Jesus later explains, "This kind can come out only by prayer" (Mark 9:29).

Medical and Natural Explanations

While the Bible primarily attributes fits to spiritual causes, it does not dismiss the role of natural and medical explanations. The ancient understanding of health and disease often intertwined spiritual and physical aspects. Today, many conditions that might have been described as fits in biblical times are understood in medical terms, such as epilepsy or other neurological disorders. However, the biblical accounts focus on the spiritual dimension, emphasizing the power of God to heal and deliver.

Conclusion

The biblical perspective on fits encompasses both spiritual and physical dimensions, with a strong emphasis on the power of Jesus to heal and deliver from afflictions attributed to demonic influence. The narratives encourage faith, prayer, and reliance on God's authority over all forms of spiritual and physical maladies.1649. elegxis -- reproof
... See 2 Pet 2:16 (the only occurrence of 1649 ) where the rebuke fits, being upbraided
by a (where the ass had more sense than Balaam)! See 1651 (). rebuke. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1649.htm - 6k

2851. kolasis -- correction
... Cognate: 2851 (from , "a buffeting, a blow") -- properly, punishment that "fits"
(matches) the one punished (R. Trench); from living in the from one's (cf. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2851.htm - 7k

3922. pareiserchomai -- to come in beside
... side. 3922 (from 3844 , " close-beside" and 1525, "enter into") -- properly,
come in a way that is "organic" (naturally fits). 3922 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3922.htm - 7k

4998. sophron -- of sound mind, self-controlled
... road"). 4998 ("acting in God's definition of") makes someone , ie from . is
not "one-size-fits-all" nor is it blandly static. Biblical ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4998.htm - 8k

4995. sophronismos -- self-control
... Cognate: 4995 (a masculine noun derived from 4998 , "truly moderate") -- properly,
safe-minded, issuing in prudent ("sensible") behavior that "fits" a situation ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4995.htm - 7k

But Now, Since My Pleading Has Steered Its Course Out of These ...
... And why is he so unwise as to shew, by the irritation of his answer to my attack,
his consciousness that it is he alone whom the cap fits? 30. ...
/.../30 but now since my.htm

The Faith of Little Children.
... The little girl's fits were severe and distressing, and there were but short intervals
between, just time to come out of one and with a gasp, pass into another ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/the faith of little children.htm

Answer to Mr. W's Sixth Objection.
... impossible, but the passionate screams of the feminine by-standers might fright
her into fits, that bore the appearance of death; otherwise, why did Jesus turn ...
/.../section vi answer to mr.htm

The Demoniac
... He had become liable to convulsions and fits of epilepsy, which all men mistook,
and which the wretched youth himself mistook, for demoniac possession. ...
/.../chapter vi the demoniac.htm

The Journey to Jerusalem - Chronological Arrangement of the Last ...
... Happily, the period embraced is a short one, while at the same time the narrative
of St. Luke remarkably fits into that of St. John. St. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the journey to.htm

The Faculty of Faith.
... The one excludes the other. That which suits and fits the consciousness
of the natural man is the persistent denial of Christ. This ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxviii the faculty of faith.htm

Whether Grace is the Same as virtue
... But faith that works by love is a virtue. Therefore grace is a virtue. 2.
Again, whatever a definition fits, fits the thing defined. ...
/.../aquinas/nature and grace/article three whether grace is.htm

Wesley at Scoon and Holyrood
... After sermon, the provost desired to see me and said, "Sir, my son had epileptic
fits from his infancy; Dr. Ogylvie prescribed for him many times and at length ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley at scoon and holyrood.htm

True Temperance. November 24.
... is inward rest; rest of heart and brain; the calm, strong, self-contained,
self-denying character, which needs no stimulants, for it has no fits of depression ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/daily thoughts /true temperance november 24.htm

Whether Grace is the Same as virtue?
... is a virtue. Therefore grace is a virtue. Objection 2: Further, what fits
the definition, fits the defined. But the definitions ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether grace is the same.htm

Fits (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Fits (2 Occurrences). Galatians 5:20 idolatry, sorcery,
hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries ...
/f/fits.htm - 6k

Fit (47 Occurrences)
... 9. (vt) To be suitable to; to answer the requirements of; to be correctly shaped
and adjusted to; as, if the coat fits you, put it on. 10. ...
/f/fit.htm - 23k

Malachi (2 Occurrences)
... seems reasonably certain that he prophesied shortly before that date, ie between
445 and 432 BC As Dr. JMP Smith says, The Book of Malachi fits the situation ...
/m/malachi.htm - 21k

Fitly (4 Occurrences)

/f/fitly.htm - 9k

Fitted (13 Occurrences)

/f/fitted.htm - 9k

Gath (44 Occurrences)
... Judah or Dan. Tell es Safi fits into these conditions fairly well, but
without other proof this is not decisive. It is described ...
/g/gath.htm - 26k

Ward (27 Occurrences)
... for passing it. 12. (n.) A notch or slit in a key corresponding to a ridge
in the lock which it fits; a ward notch. 13. (n.) To ...
/w/ward.htm - 19k

Ishmaelites (6 Occurrences)
... of the Jordan generally, for the character there assigned to Ishmael, "His hand
shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him," fits the habits ...
/i/ishmaelites.htm - 9k

Into (18988 Occurrences)
... into belief of truth, and are often enticed into the commission of crimes; she burst
into tears; children are sometimes frightened into fits; all persons are ...
/i/into.htm - 8k

Fever (13 Occurrences)
... secretion of bile. These fevers begin with severe shivering fits, hence, the
name rhigos which is used by Hippocrates. This is followed ...
/f/fever.htm - 17k

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