The Word on Demonic Beings
1. WHAT ARE DEMONS?
Demons are spirit beings. They are beings called spirits, that is, ones without fleshly bodies ( Matt. 8:16 ; Luke 10:17 , 20 ). Demons are localized but not omnipresent. They can be in only one place at one time. The demons indwelt the two men of the Gadarenes, and when they were expelled they indwelt the swine. In each case they were localized ( Matt. 8:28–34 ; cf. Acts 16:16 ).
2. WHAT ARE THEIR LIMITS?
Demons are intelligent but not omniscient. Demons were aware of the identity of Jesus ( Mark 1:24 ); they were also aware of their ultimate destiny ( Matt. 8:29 ). Paul refers to “doctrines of demons” ( 1 Tim. 4:1 ), indicating that they propagate their false teaching through their emissaries. They are not, however, omniscient or they would be like God; only God is omniscient.
Demons are powerful but not omnipotent. Because of the indwelling demons the man of the Gerasenes could break shackles and chains; no one was able to bind him because of his unusual strength ( Mark 5:3–4 ). The demon in the boy sought to have the boy commit suicide by throwing him into fire and water ( Mark 9:22 ). Demon possession impaired a man’s speech ( Matt. 9:32 ) and kept a girl in cruel slavery ( Matt. 15:22 ), yet demons are limited in their power; they cannot do the work of God ( John 10:21 ).
3. WHAT DO THEY “DO”
Demons inflict disease. Luke 13:11 testifies a woman had a crippling sickness “caused by a spirit” ; Luke 13:16 further declares that “Satan has bound for eighteen long years” this woman in her suffering. Sometimes there is a correlation between mental illness, sickness, and demonic activity; however, it is not always possible to identify the distinction and anyone attempting such a diagnosis should be cautious. Affliction by Satan or demons can come only as God permits ( Job 1:12 ; 2:6 ; cf. 2 Cor. 12:7–10 ).
Demons influence the mind. Satan initially deceived Eve into sinning by perverting the truth and changing Eve’s thinking about God ( Gen. 3:1–5 ). Satan and his demons continue to influence the thinking of people through blinding their minds ( 2 Cor. 4:4 ). This passage indicates Satan inhibits the ability to think or reason. 21 Even though this passage refers to unbelievers, Satan can also influence the thinking of believers ( 2 Cor. 11:3 ); he can lead believers away from “the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” Satan can thus lead the believer away from a singleminded devotion to Christ. James 3:15 indicates earthly wisdom is demonic and leads to jealousy and strife.
The solution to demonic influence of the mind is to bring the thought process into subjection to Christ ( 2 Cor. 10:5 ). A similar exhortation is given in Philippians 4:6–8 . The mind will be guarded when the believer entrusts every matter to God in prayer and meditates on the things that are true, honorable, right, and pure.
Demons deceive people. Paul was fearful of the fledgling Thessalonian church, that Satan may have enticed them to sin amid their suffering and persecution ( 1 Thess. 3:5 ). Although the Thessalonians had received the gospel with joy, their hope could be sidetracked through the onslaught of Satan.
Through his emissaries Satan also works in unbelievers; Paul refers to the prince of the power of the air “working in the sons of disobedience” ( Eph. 2:2 ). The context indicates Satan deceives the unbelievers into living according to the lusts of the flesh and desires of the flesh and mind. Matthew 13:19 further indicates Satan’s deception in that he snatches the Word away when unbelievers hear it, thwarting their understanding.
Demons deceive nations. Demons will eventually gather the nations of the world together in rebellion against Christ. Demons deceive the nations through performing signs in order to incite them in warfare against the returning Messiah ( Rev. 16:14 ).
4. WHAT ABOUT…DEMON POSSESSION
Definition. Charles Ryrie defines demon possession as
A demon residing in a person, exerting direct control and influence over that person, with certain derangement of mind and/or body. Demon possession is to be distinguished from demon influence or demon activity in relation to a person. The work of the demon in the latter is from the outside; in demon possession it is from within. By this definition a Christian cannot be possessed by a demon since he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. However, a believer can be the target of demonic activity to such an extent that he may give the appearance of demon possession. 22
Fact of demon possession. There was a great outbreak of demon activity and demon possession during Christ’s sojourn on earth, no doubt in opposition to His Messiahship. The gospels abound with accounts of demon possessed people ( Matt. 4:24 ; 8:16 , 28 , 33 ; 12:22 ; 15:22 ; Mark 1:32 ; 5:15 , 16 , 18 ; Luke 8:36 ; John 10:21 ). Leaders in the early church such as Justin Martyr and Tertullian make reference to demon possession as does the Shepherd of Hermas.
Nature of demon possession. 23 Demon possession evidences itself by a change in moral character and spiritual disposition. Frequently a different voice, a different educational level, or even a foreign language will reflect a difference in the affected person’s personality. The demons speaking through the man immediately recognized who Christ was ( Mark 1:23–24 ), which meant he had supernatural knowledge and intellectual power. Another symptom of demon possession was exhibited by the man in the country of the Gerasenes with his supernatural physical strength and ability to break shackles and chains ( Mark 5:3–4 ).
The possibility of demon possession demands serious consideration because not only has it been and is it being accepted as a fact in many places, but apparently the Lord recognized it as a real thing. Furthermore, He and His disciples distinguished between normal physical illnesses which were cured by laying on of hands or anointing with oil, and cases of demon possession which were cured by commanding the demon to come out ( Mt 10:8 ; Mk 6:13 ).
The only way to try to define demon possession is by the characteristics of the clearly diagnosed cases in the Bible, and this is not easy because sometimes demon possession showed the symptoms of ordinary diseases ( Mt 9:32–33 ). Nevertheless, demon possession seems to mean that a demon or demons reside within a person, exerting direct control on that person’s mind and/or body.
It is probably a good idea to make a distinction between demon possession and demon activity or influence, though it may be little more than an academic distinction. If there is a distinction, then in demon possession the base of the demon’s operations is within the person possessed, while demon influence is from outside the person’s being. However, the symptoms or characteristics may very well be the same whether the demon is operating from within or without. Yet if you ask whether a Christian can be demon possessed, seemingly the answer should be no, simply because the indwelling of the Holy Spirit would seem to forbid a rival power like a demon from also possessing him at the same time. But if you ask whether a Christian can be affected seriously by a demon, the answer is certainly yes; the effect of such demon activity may be the same as characterizes demon possession. As stated, sometimes physical disease is the result of demon possession or activity ( Mt 9:32–33 ), and sometimes mental derangement is due to demons ( Mt 17:15 ), but not always (see Dan 4 ).
When a person appears with an emotional or mental problem, the cause may be single or multiple, usually the latter, and that is why it is often difficult to unravel the problem. Medical help may be all that is necessary, or it may be required in order to bring the person to the place where a spiritual or demonic problem may then be dealt with.
5. WHERE DID DEMONS COME FROM?
The origin of demons has been a matter of speculation for centuries, not only among Christian thinkers but also among the heathen. The Greeks said that they were the souls of departed evil people. Some Christian writers have suggested that demons are the disembodied spirits of a pre-Adamic race. Though there is nothing antiscriptural about this view, there is nothing scriptural about it either, for the Bible nowhere speaks of the existence of such a race. More likely, demons are angels who fell with Satan who is called the prince of the demons ( Mt 12:24). However, it is quite clear in the Bible that there are two groups of fallen angels—one that have a certain freedom to oppose God and His people and another who are confined ( 2 Pe 2:4 ; Jude 6 ). Though there is considerable (and often needlessly heated) disagreement over why this second group is in prison, it seems that it is because they are the ones who committed the unnatural sin recorded in Genesis 6:2–4 . Even among those demons who are relatively free, the activities of some seem to be restricted to certain periods of history (see Rev 9:14 ; 16:14 ).
6. THE END OF DEMONIC BEINGS…
Through the cross the power of demons has been conquered. Christ conquered Satan and his demons at the cross and made a public display of them—as a victor displaying the spoils of war ( Col. 2:15 ).
At the return of Christ the demons will be cast into the lake of fire. Demons are associated with judgment against Satan ( Matt. 25:41 ; Rev. 12:9 ), and therefore will be cast into the lake of fire with Satan ( Rev. 19:19–21 ).
These articles are from:
-Enns, P. P. (1997, c1989). The Moody handbook of theology. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press.
-Ryrie, C. C. (1995, c1972). A survey of Bible doctrine. Chicago: Moody Press.
FOR FURTHER DEEPER STUDY
** C. Fred Dickason. Angels: Elect and Evil. Chicago: Moody, 1975, pp. 9–111.
