Are Demons Real? How Do They Operate?
What are demons and are they real? The least group of people who are likely to have a disbelief in demons are most probably atheists and agnostics. So this group of people is in the minority.
However, if you ask a Satanist or a Christian if demons exist – both will obviously agree that they do.
In fact, most people from different cultures, religions and sects believe in the existence of demons.
People involved in the occult; in witchcraft; in secret societies and even in the entertainment industry believe in demons and understand that there is a spiritual realm that exists.
Demons are fallen angels who together with Satan, rebelled against God and attempted to unseat God from His throne.
Demons are spirit beings that exercise freewill. They have an intellect just like humans. According to Isaiah 14:12-25 and Revelation 12:4, Satan took with him at least one-third of the angels during their failed rebellion against God in Heaven.
Demons wage war against humanity in 8 ways:
1. By creating false doctrines, wicked cultures and false philosophies
2. By creating false teachers, false religions and demonic groups & sects
3. By creating spiritual warfare methods such as witchcraft, occultism, wicca
4. By fighting God’s angels
5. By demon possession
6. By disguising as an angel of light
7. By causing physical illness
8. By causing hypnosis and mind control of individuals or groups
1 Timothy 4:1 says: Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
The Bible says that there are people who will abandon the truth and willfully follow and obey the doctrines of demons.
Therefore, demons are able to introduce enticing doctrines that can lead people astray and put them into spiritual bondage. Demons fight against God by influencing individuals, groups, cities and even nations with the intention of leading the human race to hell so that people can be eternally separated from God.
Ephesians 6:12 says that our fight as humans is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
The Bible therefore warns that there are spiritual entities and forces that work against humans and they work together with a common goal to control and lead people astray from God.
Demons are led by Satan and they not only fight humans – but they also battle against God’s angels as reflected in Daniel 10:13.
In the Bible demons would usually manifest by totally possessing and controlling the physical body of an individual. Demon possession is when a person’s body is under the complete control of a demon.
Demon possession mostly occurs with people who are not genuine born again Christians. A child of God cannot be possessed by a demon because he/she is a new creation in Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of the Christian.
1 John 4:4 says: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Demons also manifest in false teachers because of their false doctrines. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 speaks of false teachers who are agents of Satan and they “disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” just as the devil “disguises himself as an angel of light”.
1 John 4:1 also says that we should not believe every spirit because of the rise and influence of false prophets.
This reflects that demonic spirits are linked to the teachings and activities of many false teachers.
Even Jesus had to deal with demons during His ministry on earth. On many occasions Christ would cast out all types of demons (Matthew 8:28-33; Luke 4:41; Luke 11:14).
Matthew 8:16 says: When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
Jesus Christ demonstrated as the Son of God that He had power over demons and also that Satan did not have any kind of authority over Christ.
In Luke 10:19-20, Jesus said: Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Therefore, through Christ, the Christian has authority over the power of the enemy. It is only through Christ that the enemy can be defeated in our lives. Jesus Christ gives us the victory over the demonic forces.
Colossians 2:14-15 says: Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
The devil was defeated by Jesus Christ on the Cross. Christ shed His blood in payment for the sins of the world. Therefore anyone who repents and believes in Christ as Lord and Saviour will live in the authority and protection of Christ. This is why demons cannot possess a Christian.
The only way to avoid the deceptive influences of the demonic is to have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
