The previous chapter leads naturally to a consideration of Satan and demons, since they are evil angels who once were like the good angels but who sinned and lost their privilege of serving God. Like angels, they are also created, spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence but without physical bodies. We may define demons as follows: Demons are evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world.

When God created the world, he saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good(Gen. 1:31). This means that even the angelic world that God had created did not have evil angels or demons in it at that time. But by the time of Genesis 3, we find that Satan, in the form of a serpent, was tempting Eve to sin (Gen. 3:15). Therefore, sometime between the events of Genesis 1:31 and Genesis 3:1, there must have been a rebellion in the angelic world with many angels turning against God and becoming evil.

The New Testament speaks of this in two places. Peter tells us, God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment(2 Peter 2:4). 11 1. This does not mean that these sinful angels have no current influence on the world, for in v. 9 Peter says that the Lord also knows how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,here referring to sinful human beings who were obviously still having influence in the world and even troubling Peters readers. 2 Peter 2:4 simply means that the wicked angels have been removed from the presence of God and are kept under some kind of restraining influence until the final judgment, but this does not rule out their continued activity in the world meanwhile.  Jude also says that the angels that did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day(Jude 6). Once again the emphasis is on the fact that they are removed from the glory of Gods presence and their activity is restricted (metaphorically, they are in eternal chains), but the text does not imply either that the influence of demons has been removed from the world or that some demons are kept in a place of punishment apart from the world while others are able to influence it. 22 2. 2 Peter 2:4 does not say, God did not spare some of the angels when they sinned,or, God cast some of the sinning angels into hell,but it speaks generally of the angelswhen they sinned, implying all of them who sinned. Similarly, Jude 6 speaks of the angels that did not keep their own position,implying all who sinned. Therefore, these verses must say something that is true of all demons. Their current home, their dwelling place, is helland pits of nether gloom,although they can range from there to influence people in the world.  Rather, both 2 Peter and Jude tell us that some angels rebelled against God and became hostile opponents to his Word. Their sin seems to have been pride, a refusal to accept their assigned place, for they did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling(Jude 6).

It is also possible that there is a reference to the fall of Satan, the prince of demons, in Isaiah 14. As Isaiah is describing the judgment of God on the king of Babylon (an earthly, human king), he then comes to a section where he begins to use language that seems too strong to refer to any merely human king:

How you are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, 33 3. The KJV translates Day Staras Lucifer,a name meaning bearer of light.The name Lucifer does not appear elsewhere in the KJV and does not appear at all in more modern translations of the Bible.  son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

You said in your heart,

I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high;

I will sit on the mount of assembly

in the far north;

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will make myself like the Most High.

But you are brought down to Sheol,

to the depths of the Pit. (Isa. 14:1215)

This language of ascending to heaven and setting his throne on high and saying, I will make myself like the Most Highstrongly suggests a rebellion by an angelic creature of great power and dignity. It would not be uncommon for Hebrew prophetic speech to pass from descriptions of human events to descriptions of heavenly events that are parallel to them and that the earthly events picture in a limited way. 44 4. See, for example, Ps. 45, which moves from a description of an earthly king to a description of a divine Messiah.  If this is so, then the sin of Satan is described as one of pride and attempting to be equal to God in status and authority.

However, it is unlikely that Genesis 6:24 refers to the fall of demons. In these verses, we are told that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose....The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.Although some have thought that the sons of Godin this passage are angels who sinned by marrying human women, this is not a likely interpretation, for the following reasons: 55 5. For a more detailed argument see W. Grudem, The First Epistle of Peter pp. 21113, which is summarized in the discussion here. Later Jewish interpreters of these verses were about equally divided between those who thought the sons of Godwere angels and those who thought they were human beings. 

Angels are nonmaterial beings and according to Jesus do not marry (Matt. 22:30), facts that cast doubt on the idea that the sons of Godare angels who married human wives. Moreover, nothing in the context of Genesis 6 itself indicates that the sons of Godshould be understood as angels (this makes this passage unlike Job 12, for example, where the context of a heavenly council makes it clear to the reader that angels are being referred to). It is far more likely that the phrase sons of Godhere (as in Deut. 14:1) refers to people belonging to God and, like God, walking in righteousness (note Gen. 4:26 as an introduction to Gen. 5, marking the beginning of Seths line at the same time as men began to call upon the name of the Lord). In fact, there is an emphasis on sonship as including likeness to ones father in Genesis 5:3. Moreover, the text traces the descendants from God through Adam and Seth to many sonsin all of chapter 5. The larger purpose of the narrative seems to be to trace the parallel development of the godly (ultimately messianic) line of Seth and the ungodly descendants of the rest of mankind. Therefore, the sons of Godin Genesis 6:2 are men who are righteous in their imitation of the character of their heavenly Father, and the daughters of menare the ungodly wives whom they marry.

Satanis the personal name of the head of the demons. This name is mentioned in Job 1:6, where the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them(see also Job 1:72:7). Here he appears as the enemy of the Lord who brings severe temptations against Job. Similarly, near the end of Davids life, Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel(1 Chron. 21:1). Moreover, Zechariah saw a vision of Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him(Zech. 3:1). The name Satanis a Hebrew word (, H8477) that means adversary. 66 6. BDB, p. 966.  The New Testament also uses the name Satan,simply taking it over from the Old Testament. So Jesus, in his temptation in the wilderness, speaks to Satan directly saying, Begone, Satan!(Matt. 4:10), or I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven(Luke 10:18).

The Bible uses other names for Satan as well. He is called the devil 77 7. The word devil is an English translation of Greek  (G1333) which means slanderer(BAGD, p. 182). In fact, the English word devil is ultimately derived from this same Greek word, but the sound of the word changed considerably as the word passed from Greek to Latin to Old English to modern English.  (only in the New Testament: Matt. 4:1; 13:39; 25:41; Rev. 12:9; 20:2; et al.), the serpent(Gen. 3:1, 14; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9; 20:2), Be-elzebul(Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Luke 11:15), the ruler of this world(John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), 88 8. John frequently uses the worldor this worldto refer to the present evil world system in opposition to God: John 7:7; 8:23; 12:31; 14:17, 30; 15:18, 19; 16:11; 17:14. Scripture does not teach that Satan rules over the entire world, but that he is ruler over the system of sinful opposition to God. Compare Pauls phrase the god of this world(2 Cor. 4:4).  the prince of the power of the air(Eph. 2:2), or the evil one(Matt. 13:19; 1 John 2:13). When Jesus says to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men(Matt. 16:23), he recognizes that Peters attempt to keep him from suffering and dying on the cross is really an attempt to keep him from obedience to the Fathers plan. Jesus realizes that opposition ultimately comes not from Peter, but from Satan himself.

1. Satan Was the Originator of Sin. Satan sinned before any human beings did so, as is evident from the fact that he (in the form of the serpent) tempted Eve (Gen. 3:16; 2 Cor. 11:3). The New Testament also informs us that Satan was a murderer from the beginningand is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44). It also says that the devil has sinned from the beginning(1 John 3:8). In both of these texts, the phrase from the beginningdoes not imply that Satan was evil from the time God began to create the world (from the beginning of the world) or from the beginning of his existence (from the beginning of his life), but rather from the beginningparts of the history of the world (Genesis 3 and even before). The devils characteristic has been to originate sin and tempt others to sin.

2. Demons Oppose and Try to Destroy Every Work of God. Just as Satan tempted Eve to sin against God (Gen. 3:16), so he tried to get Jesus to sin and thus fail in his mission as Messiah (Matt. 4:111). The tactics of Satan and his demons are to use lies (John 8:44), deception (Rev. 12:9), murder (Ps. 106:37; John 8:44), and every other kind of destructive activity to attempt to cause people to turn away from God and destroy themselves. 99 9. Cf. John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  Demons will try every tactic to blind people to the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4) and keep them in bondage to things that hinder them from coming to God (Gal. 4:8). They will also try to use temptation, doubt, guilt, fear, confusion, sickness, envy, pride, slander, or any other means possible to hinder a Christians witness and usefulness.

3. Yet Demons Are Limited by Gods Control and Have Limited Power. The story of Job makes it clear that Satan could only do what God gave him permission to do and nothing more (Job 1:12; 2:6). Demons are kept in eternal chains(Jude 6) and can be successfully resisted by Christians through the authority that Christ gives them (James 4:7).

Moreover, the power of demons is limited. After rebelling against God they do not have the power they had when they were angels, for sin is a weakening and destructive influence. The power of demons, though significant, is therefore probably less than the power of angels.

In the area of knowledge, we should not think that demons can know the future or that they can read our minds or know our thoughts. In many places in the Old Testament, the Lord shows himself to be the true God in distinction from the false (demonic) gods of the nations by the fact that he alone can know the future: I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done(Isa. 46:910). 1010 10. See the discussion of Gods knowledge of the future in chapter 11, pp. 17172, 190. 

Even angels do not know the time of Jesusreturn (Mark 13:32), and there is no indication in Scripture that they or demons know anything else about the future either.

With respect to knowing our thoughts, the Bible tells us that Jesus knew peoples thoughts (Matt. 9:4; 12:25; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; 11:17) and that God knows peoples thoughts (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 139:2, 4, 23; Isa. 66:18), but there is no indication that angels or demons can know our thoughts. In fact, Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that no one speaking by any other power than the God of heaven could tell the king what he had dreamed:

Daniel answered the king, No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery which the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these....(Dan. 2:2728) 1111 11. Paul also says, For what person knows a mans thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him?(1 Cor. 2:11), suggesting that there is no other creature who can know a persons thoughts (although admittedly the inclusion of angelic or demonic creatures in Pauls idea is not made explicit in this context as it is in Dan. 2). See also 1 Cor. 14:2425, where the disclosure of the secretsof a visitors heart is clear evidence that God himself is present, working through the gift of prophecy. This is significant in Corinth, which was filled with demon worship in idol temples (1 Cor. 10:20)it indicates that demons could not know the secret thoughts in a persons heart. 

But if demons cannot read peoples minds, how shall we understand contemporary reports of witch doctors, fortune-tellers, or other people evidently under demonic influence who are able to tell people accurate details of their lives which they thought no one knew, such as (for example) what food they had for breakfast, where they keep some hidden money in their house, etc.? Most of these things can be explained by realizing that demons can observe what goes on in the world and can probably draw some conclusions from those observations. A demon may know what I ate for breakfast simply because it saw me eat breakfast! It may know what I said in a private telephone conversation because it listened to the conversation. Christians should not be led astray if they encounter members of the occult or of other false religions who seem to demonstrate such unusual knowledge from time to time. These results of observation do not prove that demons can read our thoughts, however, and nothing in the Bible would lead us to think they have that power.

4. There Have Been Differing Stages of Demonic Activity in the History of Redemption. 

a. In the Old Testament: Because in the Old Testament the word demon is not often used, it might at first seem that there is little indication of demonic activity. However, the people of Israel often sinned by serving false gods, and when we realize that these false godswere really demonic forces, we see that there is quite a bit of Old Testament material referring to demons. This identification of false gods as demons is made explicit, for example, when Moses says,

They stirred him [God] to jealousy with strange gods;

with abominable practices they provoked him to anger.

They sacrificed to demons which were no gods

to gods they had never known.(Deut. 32:1617)

Moreover, in reflecting on the horrible practice of child sacrifice, which the Israelites imitated from the pagan nations, the psalmist says,

They mingled with the nations

and learned to do as they did.

They served their idols,

which became a snare to them.

They sacrificed their sons

and their daughters to the demons.(Ps. 106:3537)

These references demonstrate that the worship offered to idols in all the nations surrounding Israel was really worship of Satan and his demons. This is why Paul can say of the false religions of the first-century Mediterranean world, What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God(1 Cor. 10:20). It is thus fair to conclude that all the nations around Israel that practiced idol worship were engaging in the worship of demons. The battles the Israelites fought against pagan nations were battles against nations who were controlled by demonic forces and thus in the power of the evil one(cfcf cf.compare. 1 John 5:19). They were as much spiritual battles as physical battles: the people of Israel needed to depend on Gods power to help them in the spiritual realm as much as in the physical.

In light of this, it is significant that there is no clear instance of the casting out of demons in the Old Testament. The nearest analogy is the case of David playing the lyre for King Saul: And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him(1 Sam. 16:23). However, Scripture speaks of this as a recurring event (whenever), indicating that the evil spirit returned after David left Saul. This was not the completely effective triumph over evil spirits that we find in the New Testament.

Consistent with the purpose of Satan to destroy all the good works of God, pagan worship of demonic idols was characterized by destructive practices such as the sacrifice of children (Ps. 106:3537), inflicting bodily harm on oneself (1 Kings 18:28; cf. Deut. 14:1), and cult prostitution as a part of pagan worship (Deut. 23:17; 1 Kings 14:24; Hos. 4:14). 1212 12. Even today, one distinguishing mark of many non-Christian religions is that their most devoted adherents engage in religious rituals that destroy one or several aspects of humanity, such as their physical health, their mental or emotional stability, or their human sexuality as God intended it to function. Such things clearly fulfill the goals of Satan to destroy everything that God has created good (cf. 1 Tim. 4:13). Since Satan is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44), distortion or denial of the truth is always present in false religions as well, particularly when there is strong demonic influence.  Worship of demons will regularly lead to immoral and self-destructive practices.

b. During the Ministry of Jesus: After hundreds of years of inability to have any effective triumph over demonic forces, 1313 13. There were Jewish exorcists in the period between the Old and the New Testaments who attempted to deal with demonic forces, but it is doubtful whether they were very effective: Acts 19:13 mentions some itinerant Jewish exorcistswho attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus as a new magic formula, though they were not Christians and did not have any spiritual authority from Jesus himself. They met with disastrous results (vv. 1516). Also when confronting the Pharisees, Jesus said, If I cast out demons by Be-elzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?(Matt. 12:27). His statement does not mean that their sons were very successful but only that they were casting out demons, or were trying to, with some limited success. In fact, Jesusargument works very well if they generally failed: If my great success in casting out demons is due to Satan, then what is your sonslimited success due to? Presumably a power less than Satan; certainly not God!The suggestion is that the Jewish exorcistslimited power was not from God but was from Satan.  it is understandable that when Jesus came casting out demons with absolute authority, the people were amazed: And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him(Mark 1:27). Such power over demonic forces had never before been seen in the history of the world.

Jesus explains that his power over demons is a distinguishing mark on his ministry to inaugurate the reign of the kingdom of God among mankind in a new and powerful way:

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong mans house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. (Matt. 12:2829)

The strong manis Satan, and Jesus had bound him, probably at the time of his triumph over him in the temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4:111). During his earthly ministry, Jesus had entered the strong mans house(the world of unbelievers who are under the bondage of Satan), and he was plundering his house, that is, freeing people from satanic bondage and bringing them into the joy of the kingdom of God. It was by the Spirit of Godthat Jesus did this; the new power of the Holy Spirit working to triumph over demons was evidence that in the ministry of Jesus the kingdom of God has come upon you.

c. During the New Covenant Age: This authority over demonic powers was not limited to Jesus himself, for he gave similar authority first to the Twelve (Matt. 10:8; Mark 3:15), and then to seventy disciples. After a period of ministry, the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!(Luke 10:17). Then Jesus responded, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven(Luke 10:18), indicating again a distinctive triumph over Satans power (once again, this was probably at the time of Jesusvictory in the temptation in the wilderness, but Scripture does not explicitly specify that time). 1414 14. Another interpretation says that in the mission of the seventy Jesus saw the fall of Satan.  Authority over unclean spirits later extended beyond the seventy disciples to those in the early church who ministered in Jesusname (Acts 8:7; 16:18; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:89), a fact consistent with the idea that ministry in Jesusname in the new covenant age is characterized by triumph over the powers of the devil (1 John 3:8).

d. During the Millennium: During the millennium, the future thousand-year reign of Christ on earth mentioned in Revelation 20, 1515 15. See chapter 55 for a discussion of the millennium.  the activity of Satan and demons will be further restricted. Using language that suggests a much greater restriction of Satans activity than we see today, John describes his vision of the beginning of the millennium as follows:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while. (Rev. 20:13)

Here Satan is described as completely deprived of any ability to influence the earth. During the millennium, however, there will still be sin in the hearts of the unbelievers, which will grow until the end of the thousand years when there will be a large-scale rebellion against Christ, led by Satan who, having been loosed from his prison(Rev. 20:7), will come to lead that rebellion (Rev. 20:89). The fact that sin and rebelliousness persist in peoples hearts apart from the activity of Satan, even during the thousand-year reign of Christ, shows that we cannot blame all sin in the world on Satan and his demons. Even when Satan is without influence in the world, sin will remain and be a problem in peoples hearts.

e. At the Final Judgment: At the end of the millennium, when Satan is loosed and gathers the nations for battle, he will be decisively defeated and thrown into the lake of fire and sulphurand tormented day and night for ever and ever(Rev. 20:10). Then the judgment of Satan and his demons will be complete.

1. Are Demons Active in the World Today? Some people, influenced by a naturalistic worldview that only admits the reality of what can be seen or touched or heard, deny that demons exist today and maintain that belief in their reality reflects an obsolete worldview taught in the Bible and other ancient cultures. For example, the German New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann emphatically denied the existence of a supernatural world of angels and demons. He argued that these were ancient mythsand that the New Testament message had to be demythologizedby removing such mythological elements so that the gospel could be received by modern, scientific people. Others have thought that the contemporary equivalent to the (unacceptable) demonic activity mentioned in Scripture is the powerful and sometimes evil influence of organizations and structuresin our society todayevil governments and powerful corporations that control thousands of people are sometimes said to be demonic,especially in the writings of more liberal theologians.

However, if Scripture gives us a true account of the world as it really is, then we must take seriously its portrayal of intense demonic involvement in human society. Our failure to perceive that involvement with our five senses simply tells us that we have some deficiencies in our ability to understand the world, not that demons do not exist. In fact, there is no reason to think that there is any less demonic activity in the world today than there was at the time of the New Testament. We are in the same time period in Gods overall plan for history (the church age or the new covenant age), and the millennium has not yet come when Satans influence will be removed from the earth. Much of our western secularized society is unwilling to admit the existence of demonsexcept perhaps in primitivesocietiesand relegates all talk of demonic activity to a category of superstition. But the unwillingness of modern society to recognize the presence of demonic activity today is, from a biblical perspective, simply due to peoples blindness to the true nature of reality.

But what kind of activity do demons engage in today? Are there some distinguishing characteristics that will enable us to recognize demonic activity when it occurs?

2. Not All Evil and Sin Is From Satan and Demons, but Some Is. If we think of the overall emphasis of the New Testament epistles, we realize that very little space is given to discussing demonic activity in the lives of believers or methods to resist and oppose such activity. The emphasis is on telling believers not to sin but to live lives of righteousness. For example, in 1 Corinthians, when there is a problem of dissensions,Paul does not tell the church to rebuke a spirit of dissension, but simply urges them to agreeand be united in the same mind and the same judgment(1 Cor. 1:10). When there is a problem of incest, he does not tell the Corinthians to rebuke a spirit of incest, but tells them that they ought to be outraged and that they should exercise church discipline until the offender repents (1 Cor. 5:15). When there is a problem of Christians going to court to sue other believers, Paul does not command them to cast out a spirit of litigation (or selfishness, or strife), but simply tells them to settle those cases within the church and to be willing to give up their own self-interest (1 Cor. 6:18). When there is disorder at the Lords Supper, he does not command them to cast out a spirit of disorder or gluttony or selfishness, but simply tells them that they should wait for one anotherand that each person should examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup(1 Cor. 11:33, 28). These examples could be duplicated many times in the other New Testament epistles.

With regard to preaching the gospel to unbelievers, the New Testament pattern is the same: although occasionally Jesus or Paul would cast out a demonic spirit that was causing significant hindrance to proclaiming the gospel in a certain area (see Mark 5:120 [Gerasene demoniac]; 16:1618[soothsaying girl at Philippi]), that is not the usual pattern of ministry presented, where the emphasis is simply on preaching the gospel (Matt. 9:35; Rom. 1:1819; 1 Cor. 1:172:5). Even in the examples above, the opposition was encountered in the process of gospel proclamation. In marked contrast to the practice of those who today emphasize strategic level spiritual warfare,in no instance does anyone in the New Testament (1) summon a territorial spiritupon entering an area to preach the gospel (in both examples above the demon was in a person and the demon-influenced person initiated the confrontation), or (2) demand information from demons about a local demonic hierarchy (3) say that we should believe or teach information derived from demons or (4) teach by word or example that certain demonic strongholdsover a city have to be broken before the gospel can be proclaimed with effectiveness. Rather, Christians just preach the gospel, and it comes with power to change lives! (Of course, demonic opposition may arise, or God himself may reveal the nature of certain demonic opposition, which Christians would then pray and battle against, according to 1 Cor. 12:10; 2 Cor. 10:36; Eph. 6:12).

Therefore, though the New Testament clearly recognizes the influence of demonic activity in the world, and even, as we shall see, upon the lives of believers, its primary focus regarding evangelism and Christian growth is on the choices and actions taken by people themselves (see also Gal. 5:1626; Eph. 4:16:9; Col. 3:14:6; et al.). Similarly, this should be the primary focus of our efforts today when we strive to grow in holiness and faith and to overcome the sinful desires and actions that remain in our lives (cf. Rom. 6:123) and to overcome the temptations that come against us from an unbelieving world (1 Cor. 10:13). 1616 16. A common way of summarizing the three sources of evil in our lives today is the world, the flesh, and the devil(where fleshrefers to our own sinful desires).  We need to accept our own responsibility to obey the Lord and not to shift blame for our own misdeeds onto some demonic force.

Nevertheless, a number of passages show that the New Testament authors were definitely aware of the presence of demonic influence in the world and in the lives of Christians themselves. Writing to the church at Corinth, which was filled with temples devoted to worship of idols, Paul said that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God(1 Cor. 10:20), a situation true not only of Corinth but also of most other cities in the ancient Mediterranean world. Paul also warned that in the latter days some would depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons(1 Tim. 4:1), and that this would lead to claims for avoiding marriage and avoiding certain foods (v. 3), both of which God had created as good(v. 4). Thus he saw some false doctrine as being demonic in origin. In 2 Timothy, Paul implies that those who oppose sound doctrine have been captured by the devil to do his will: And the Lords servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will(2 Tim. 2:2426).

Jesus had similarly asserted that the Jews who obstinately opposed him were following their father the devil: You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your fathers desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies(John 8:44).

Emphasis on the hostile deeds of unbelievers as having demonic influence or sometimes demonic origin is made more explicit in Johns first epistle. He makes a general statement that he who commits sin is of the devil(1 John 3:8), and goes on to say, By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother(1 John 3:10). Here John characterizes all those who are not born of God as children of the devil and subject to his influence and desires. So Cain, when he murdered Abel, was of the evil one and murdered his brother(1 John 3:12), even though there is no mention of influence by Satan in the text of Genesis (Gen. 4:116). John also says, We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one(1 John 5:19). Then in Revelation Satan is called the deceiver of the whole world(Rev. 12:9). As we noted above, Satan is also called the ruler of this world(John 14:30), the god of this world(2 Cor. 4:4), and the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience(Eph. 2:2).

When we combine all of these statements and see that Satan is thought of as the originator of lies, murder, deception, false teaching, and sin generally, then it seems reasonable to conclude that the New Testament wants us to understand that there is some degree of demonic influence in nearly all wrongdoing and sin that occurs today. Not all sin is caused by Satan or demons, nor is the major influence or cause of sin demonic activity, but demonic activity is probably a factor in almost all sin and almost all destructive activity that opposes the work of God in the world today.

In the lives of Christians, as we noted above, the emphasis of the New Testament is not on the influence of demons but on the sin that remains in the believers life. Nevertheless, we should recognize that sinning (even by Christians) does give a foothold for some kind of demonic influence in our lives. Thus Paul could say, Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil(Eph. 4:26). Wrongful anger apparently can give opportunity for the devil (or demons) to exert some kind of negative influence in our livesperhaps by attacking us through our emotions and perhaps by increasing the wrongful anger that we already feel against others. Similarly, Paul mentions the breastplate of righteousness(Eph. 6:14) as part of the armor that we are to use standing against the wiles of the deviland in contending against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places(Eph. 6:1112). If we have areas of continuing sin in our lives, then there are weaknesses and holes in our breastplate of righteousness,and these are areas in which we are vulnerable to demonic attack. By contrast, Jesus, who was perfectly free from sin, could say of Satan, He has no power over me(John 14:30). We may also note the connection between not sinning and not being touched by the evil one in 1 John 5:18: We know that any one born of God does not sin, 1717 17. The present tense of the Greek verb here gives the sense does not continue to sin.  but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

The preceding passages suggest, then, that where there is a pattern of persistent sin in the life of a Christian in one area or another, the primary responsibility for that sin rests with the individual Christian and his or her choices to continue that wrongful pattern (see Rom. 6, esp. vv. 1216; also Gal. 5:1626). Nevertheless, there could possibly be some demonic influence contributing to and intensifying that sinful tendency. For a Christian who has prayed and struggled for years to overcome a bad temper, for example, there might be a spirit of anger that is one factor in that continued pattern of sin. A Christian who has struggled for some time to overcome a sense of depression may have been under attack by a spirit of depression or discouragement, and this could be one factor contributing to the overall situation. 1818 18. Not all depression is demonic in origin. Some may be caused by chemical factors that will respond to medical treatment. Other depression may be due to a variety of behavioral patterns or interpersonal relationships that are not being conducted according to biblical standards. But we should not rule out demonic influence as a possible factor.  A believer who has struggled in other areas, such as unwillingness to submit to rightful authority, or lack of self-control in eating, or laziness, or bitterness, or envy, etc., may consider whether a demonic attack or influence could be contributing to this situation and hindering his or her effectiveness for the Lord.

3. Can a Christian Be Demon Possessed? The term demon possession is an unfortunate term that has found its way into some English translations of the Bible but is not really reflected in the Greek text. The Greek New Testament can speak of people who have a demon(Matt. 11:18; Luke 7:33; 8:27; John 7:20; 8:48, 49, 52; 10:20), or it can speak of people who are suffering from demonic influence (Gk. , G1227), 1919 19. This word , G1227, which may be translated under demonic influenceor to be demonizedoccurs thirteen times in the New Testament, all in the Gospels: Matt. 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22 (badly demonized); Mark 1:32; 5:15, 16, 18; Luke 8:36; and John 10:21. All of these instances indicate quite severe demonic influence. In light of this, it is perhaps better to reserve the English word demonized for more extreme or severe cases such as those represented by the instances that are used in the Gospels. The word demonized in English seems to me to suggest very strong demonic influence or control. (Cf. other similar -izedwords: pasteurized, homogenized, tyrannized, materialized, nationalized, etc. These words all speak of a total transformation of the object being spoken about, not simply of mild or moderate influence.) But it has become common in some Christian literature today to speak of people under any kind of demonic attack as being demonized.It would be wiser to reserve the term for more severe cases of demonic influence.  but it never uses language that suggests that a demon actually possessessomeone.

The problem with the terms demon possession and demonized is that they give the nuance of such strong demonic influence that they seem to imply that the person who is under demonic attack has no choice but to succumb to it. They suggest that the person is unable any longer to exercise his or her will and is completely under the domination of the evil spirit. While this may have been true in extreme cases such as that of the Gerasene demoniac (see Mark 5:120; note that after Jesus cast the demons out of him, he was then in his right mind,v. 15), it is certainly not true with many cases of demonic attack or conflict with demons in many peoples lives.

So what should we say to the question, Can a Christian be demon possessed?The answer depends on what someone means by possessed.Since the term does not reflect any word found in the Greek New Testament, people can define it to mean various things without having clear warrant to anchor it to any verse of Scripture, and it becomes difficult to say that one persons definition is right and another ones wrong. My own preference, for reasons explained above, is not to use the phrase demon possessed at all, for any kinds of cases.

But if people explain clearly what they mean by demon possessed,then an answer can be given depending on the definition they give. If by demon possessedthey mean that a persons will is completely dominated by a demon, so that a person has no power left to choose to do right and obey God, then the answer to whether a Christian could be demon possessed would certainly be no, for Scripture guarantees that sin shall have no dominion over us since we have been raised with Christ (Rom. 6:14, see also vv. 4, 11).

On the other hand, most Christians would agree that there can be differing degrees of demonic attack or influence in the lives of believers (see Luke 4:2; 2 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 6:12; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8). A believer may come under demonic attack from time to time in a mild or more strong sense. 2020 20. It does not seem very helpful to attempt to define categories or degrees of demonic influence, as has sometimes been done, with words such as depressed,oppressed,obsessed,etc., for Scripture does not define a list of categories like this for us to use, and such categories only tend to make complicated what is a simple truth: that there can be varying degrees of demonic attack or influence in a persons life.  (Note the daughter of Abrahamwhom Satan bound for eighteen yearsso that she had a spirit of infirmityand was bent over and could not fully straighten herself [Luke 13:16, 11].) Though Christians after Pentecost have a fuller power of the Holy Spirit working within them to enable them to triumph over demonic attacks, 2121 21. See chapter 30, p. 640, and chapter 39, pp. 77072, for a discussion of the greater power of the Holy Spirit at work in believerslives after Pentecost.  they do not always call upon or even know about the power that is rightfully theirs. So how severe can demonic influence become in the life of a Christian after Pentecost who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit?

Before answering this question, we should note that it is similar to a question about sin: How much can a genuine Christian let his or her life be dominated by sin, and still be a born-again Christian?It is difficult to answer that question in the abstract, because we realize that when Christians are not living as they ought to live, and when they are not benefiting from regular fellowship with other Christians and from regular Bible study and teaching, they can stray into significant degrees of sin and still can be said to be born-again Christians. But the situation is abnormal; it is not what the Christian life should be and can be. Similarly, if we ask how much demonic influence can come into the life of a genuine Christian, it is hard to give an answer in the abstract. We are simply asking how abnormal a Christians life can become, especially if that person does not know about or make use of the weapons of spiritual warfare that are available to Christians, persists in some kinds of sin that give entrance to demonic activity, and is outside the reach of any ministry that is accustomed to giving spiritual help against demonic attack. It would seem that in such cases the degree of demonic attack or influence in a Christians life could be quite strong. It would not be correct to say there can be no such influence because the person is a Christian.  Therefore when someone asks, Can a Christian be demon possessed?but really means, Can a Christian come under quite strong influence or attack by demons?then the answer would have to be a positive one but with the caution that the word possessed is here being used in a confusing way. Since the term demon possessed is a misleading one to use in all cases, especially when referring to Christians, I would prefer to avoid it altogether. It seems better simply to recognize that there can be varying degrees of demonic attack or influence on people, even on Christians, and to leave it at that. In all cases the remedy will be the same anyway: rebuke the demon in the name of Jesus and command it to leave (see discussion below).

4. How Can Demonic Influences Be Recognized? In severe cases of demonic influence, as reported in the Gospels, the affected person would exhibit bizarre and often violent actions, especially opposition to the preaching of the gospel. When Jesus came into the synagogue in Capernaum, immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God(Mark 1:2324). The man stood up and interrupted the service by shouting these things (or, more precisely, the demon within the man shouted them).

After Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, a man brought his son to Jesus saying, He has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.Then they brought the boy to Jesus, and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.The father said, It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him(Mark 9:1718, 20, 22). Such violent actions, especially those tending toward destruction of the affected person, were clear indications of demonic activity. Similar actions are seen in the case of the Gerasene demoniac,

a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. (Mark 5:25)

When Jesus cast out the demons so that they could not destroy the man in whom they had lived, they destroyed the herd of swine into which they immediately entered (Mark 5:13). Satanic or demonic activity always tends toward the ultimate destruction of parts of Gods creation and especially of human beings who are made in the image of God (cf. Ps. 106:37, on child sacrifice).

In this regard, it is interesting to note that in one case when Jesus healed an epileptic he did it by casting out a demon (Matt. 17:1418), but elsewhere epileptics are distinguished from those who are under demonic influence: They brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics, and he healed them(Matt. 4:24). So it is with other cases of physical sickness: in some cases, Jesus simply prayed for the person or spoke a word and the person was healed. In other cases there are hints or implicit statements of demonic influence in the affliction: a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years(Luke 13:11) was healed by Jesus, and then he explicitly said that she was a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years(Luke 13:16). In healing Peters mother-in-law, Jesus rebuked the fever, and it left her(Luke 4:39), suggesting that there was some personal influence (probably therefore demonic) that was capable of receiving a rebuke from Jesus.

In other cases, the Epistles indicate that demonic influence will lead to blatantly false doctrinal statements, such as exclaiming, Jesus be cursed(1 Cor. 12:3), or a refusal to confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(1 John 4:23). In both instances, the context deals with the testing of people who may be false prophetsand who want to use spiritual gifts to speak in the assembly of the church (1 Cor. 12) or specifically to prophesy (1 John 4:16). These passages do not indicate that all false doctrine should be thought to be demonically inspired, but blatantly false doctrinal statements made by those who profess to be speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit would certainly fall into this category. When at Corinth there was active, entrenched opposition to Pauls apostolic authority by those who claimed to be apostles but were not, Paul saw them as servants of Satan disguised as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:1315).

In addition to these outwardly evident indications, demonic activity was sometimes recognized by a subjective sense of the presence of an evil spiritual influence. In 1 Corinthians 12:10, Paul mentions the ability to distinguish between spirits(discerning of spirits,KJVKJV kjvKing James Version (Authorized Version)) as one kind of spiritual gift. This gift would seem to be an ability to sense or discern the difference in the working of the Holy Spirit and the working of evil spirits in a persons life. 2222 22. For an extensive analysis of the meaning of the Greek phrase   distinguishing between spirits,in 1 Cor. 12:10, see W. Grudem, A Response to Gerhard Dautzenberg on 1 Corinthians 12:10,in Biblische Zeitschrift NF, 22:2 (1978), pp. 25370.  The gift would apparently include an awareness of demonic influence that would be registered both in terms of objective, observable facts, and also in terms of emotional and/or spiritual uneasiness or perception of the presence of evil.

But does this ability to perceive demonic influence have to be limited to those with this special gift? As with all spiritual gifts, it would seem that there are degrees of intensity or strength in the development of this gift as well. 2323 23. See chapter 52, pp. 102225, on the fact that spiritual gifts may vary in strength.  So some may have this gift developed to a very high degree and others may find it functioning only occasionally. Moreover, in the lives of all believers, there may be something analogous to this gift, some kind of ability to sense in their spirits the presence of the Holy Spirit or to sense demonic influence from time to time in other people. In fact, Paul speaks of a positive kind of spiritual perception that believers have when they encounter him and his co-workers: For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life(2 Cor. 2:1516). In the ordinary course of life today, sometimes Christians will have a subjective sense that someone else is a Christian before they have opportunity to find out that that is in fact the case. And it seems likely that an opposite spiritual perception could also occur from time to time, whereby the believer would sense the presence of demonic influence in a persons life before there were other, more objective indications of that fact.

Moreover, sometimes a person who is under spiritual attack from a demonic power will know it or sense it. A mature pastor or a Christian friend, in counseling someone about a difficult problem, may find it wise to ask, Do you think that an attack by any evil spiritual force could be a factor in this situation?The person may simply say, No,but in many instances the person being counseled will have thought of that possibility or even have been quite clearly aware of it, but afraid to say anything for fear of being thought strange. Such a person will be encouraged that another Christian would consider this as a possible factor.

In all of these attempts to recognize demonic influence, we must remember that no spiritual gift functions perfectly in this age, nor do we have a full knowledge of peoples hearts. We all make many mistakes,as James recognizes (James 3:2). There are many cases where we are somewhat unsure whether a person is a genuine Christian or not, or where we are somewhat unsure whether a persons motives are sincere. There are also times when we are unclear as to the direction God is leading us in our lives, or we may be uncertain about whether it is appropriate to speak or remain silent about a certain matter. So it should not surprise us that there may be some degree of uncertainty in our perception of the presence of demonic influence as well. This does not mean that we should ignore the possibility of demonic influence, however, and as we grow in spiritual maturity and sensitivity, and as we gain experience in ministering to the needs of others, our ability to recognize demonic influence in various situations will no doubt increase.

5. Jesus Gives All Believers Authority to Rebuke Demons and Command Them to Leave. When Jesus sent the twelve disciples ahead of him to preach the kingdom of God, he gave them power and authority over all demons(Luke 9:1). After the seventy had preached the kingdom of God in towns and villages, they returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!(Luke 10:17), and Jesus told them, I have given you authority...over all the power of the enemy(Luke 10:19). When Philip, the evangelist, went down to Samaria to preach the gospel of Christ, unclean spirits came out of many who had them(Acts 8:7, authors translation), and Paul used spiritual authority over demons to say to a spirit of divination in a soothsaying girl, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her(Acts 16:18).

Paul was aware of the spiritual authority he had, both in face-to-face encounters such as he had in Acts 16, and in his prayer life as well. He said, For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds(2 Cor. 10:34). Moreover, he spoke at some length of the struggle Christians have against the wiles of the devilin his description of conflict against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places(see Eph. 6:1018). James tells all his readers (in many churches) to resist the devil and he will flee from you(James 4:7). Similarly, Peter tells his readers in many churches in Asia Minor, Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him firm in your faith(1 Peter 5:89). 2424 24. Of course, our greatest example of dealing with demonic powers by speaking to them directly and commanding them to leave is the example of Jesus himself, who frequently did this in the Gospels, and by example and word he taught the disciples to imitate him. 

Some may object that Jude 9 teaches that Christians should not command or rebuke evil spirits. It says: But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, The Lord rebuke you.

However, in context Jude is not talking about Christians in their encounters with demonic forces, but is pointing out the error of immoral and rebellious false teachers who reject authorityin general and slander celestial beings(v. 8 NIVNIV nivNew International Version): on their own authority they foolishly speak blasphemous words against heavenly beings, whether angelic or demonic. The reference to Michael is simply to show that the greatest angelic creature, no matter how powerful, did not presume to go beyond the limits of the authority that God had given him. The false teachers, however, have far overstepped their bounds, and they show their foolishness when they revile whatever they do not understand(v. 10). The lesson of the verse is simply, Dont try to go beyond the authority God has given you!When Jude 9 is viewed in this way, the only question that arises for a Christian from this verse is, What authority has God given us over demonic forces?And the rest of the New Testament speaks clearly to that in several places. Not only Jesus, and not only his twelve disciples, but also the seventy disciples, and Paul, and Philip (who was not an apostle) are given authority over demons by the Lord Jesus (see verses above). Jude 9 therefore simply cannot mean that it is wrong for human beings to rebuke or command demons, or that it is wrong for any but the apostles to do so. In fact, both Peter and James encourage all Christians to resistthe devil, and Paul encourages believers in general to put on spiritual armor and prepare for spiritual warfare.

Before we examine in more detail how that authority works out in practice, it is important, first, that we recognize that the work of Christ on the cross is the ultimate basis for our authority over demons. 2525 25. In this paragraph and the following one on adoption I am indebted to the fine work of Timothy M. Warner, Spiritual Warfare (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1991), pp. 5563.  Though Christ won a victory over Satan in the wilderness, the New Testament epistles point to the cross as the moment when Satan was decisively defeated. Jesus took on flesh and blood, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil(Heb. 2:14 NASBNASB nasbNew American Standard Bible). At the cross God disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him(Col. 2:15). Therefore Satan hates the cross of Christ, because there he was decisively defeated forever. Because the blood of Christ speaks clearly of his death, we read in Revelation of those who overcame Satan by Christs blood during conflict in this world: And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony(Rev. 12:11). Because of Christs death on the cross, our sins are completely forgiven, and Satan has no rightful authority over us.

Second, our membership as children in Gods family is the firm spiritual position from which we engage in spiritual warfare. Paul says to every Christian, For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith(Gal. 3:26). When Satan comes to attack us, he is attacking one of Gods own children, a member of Gods own family: this truth gives us authority to successfully wage war against him and defeat him. 2626 26. See chapter 37, pp. 73645, on adoption. 

If we as believers find it appropriate to speak a word of rebuke to a demon, it is important to remember that we need not fear demons. Although Satan and demons have much less power than the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, one of Satans tactics is to attempt to cause us to be afraid. Instead of giving in to such fear, Christians should remind themselves of the truths of Scripture, which tell us, You are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world(1 John 4:4), and God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control(2 Tim. 1:7). What Paul says about the Philippians in their relationship to human opponents can also be applied when facing demonic opposition to the gospelPaul tells them to stand firm and to be not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God(Phil. 1:28). He also tells the Ephesians that in their spiritual warfare they are to use the shield of faithwith which they can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one(Eph. 6:16). This is very important, since the opposite of fear is faith in God. He also tells them to be bold in their spiritual conflict, so that, having taken the whole armor of God, they may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand(Eph. 6:13). In their conflict with hostile spiritual forces, Pauls readers should not run away in retreat or cower in fear, but should stand their ground boldly, knowing that their weapons and their armor have divine power to destroy strongholds(2 Cor. 10:4; cf. 1 John 5:18).

We may ask, however, why does God want Christians to speak directly to the demon who is troubling someone rather than just praying and asking God to drive away the demon for them? In a way, this is similar to asking why Christians should share the gospel with another person rather than simply praying and asking God to reveal the gospel to that person directly. Or why should we speak words of encouragement to a Christian who is discouraged rather than just praying and asking God himself to encourage that person directly? Why should we speak a word of rebuke or gentle admonition to a Christian whom we see involved in some kind of sin, rather than just praying and asking God to take care of the sin in that persons life? The answer to all these questions is that in the world that God has created, he has given us a very active role in carrying out his plans, especially his plans for the advancement of the kingdom and the building up of the church. In all of these cases, our direct involvement and activity is important in addition to our prayers. And so it seems to be in our dealing with demonic forces as well. Like a wise father who does not settle all of his childrens disputes for them, but sometimes sends them back out to the playground to settle a dispute themselves, so our heavenly Father encourages us to enter directly into conflict with demonic forces in the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thereby he enables us to gain the joy of participating in eternally significant ministry and the joy of triumphing over the destructive power of Satan and his demons in peoples lives. It is not that God could not deal with demonic attacks every time we prayed and asked him to do so, for he certainly could and he no doubt sometimes does. But the New Testament pattern seems to be that God ordinarily expects Christians themselves to speak directly to the unclean spirits.

In actual practice, this authority to rebuke demons may result in briefly speaking a command to an evil spirit to leave when we suspect the presence of demonic influence in our personal lives or the lives of those around us. 2727 27. Because Scripture gives no indication that demons can know our thoughts (see above, pp. 41516), it would seem that the command should be spoken audibly.  We are to resist the devil(James 4:7), and he will flee from us. 2828 28. For example, if we or one of our children wakes up with a frightening dream, in addition to praying to Jesus for comfort and protection, we might also say, In the name of Jesus, I command any evil spirit causing this frightening dream, begone!Children from a very young age can be taught to say, In Jesusname, go away!to any images of witches, goblins, etc. that may appear in their dreams or in mental images that trouble them at night, and then to pray to Jesus for protection and happy thoughts of him. Such action by those little ones who trust in Christ will often be remarkably effective, for their faith in Jesus is very simple and genuine (see Matt. 18:14).  Sometimes a very brief command in the name of Jesus will be enough. At other times it will be helpful to quote Scripture in the process of commanding an evil spirit to leave a situation. Paul speaks of the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God(Eph. 6:17). 2929 29. The Greek word here translated wordis  (G4839) which usually refers to spoken words (whether by God or by others). It is sometimes used to speak of the words of Scripture when they are spoken by God or by people quoting Scripture (Matt. 4:4; John 15:7; 17:8; Rom. 10:17; Heb. 6:5; 1 Peter 1:25 [twice]), and that is the sense in which Paul seems to use it in Eph. 6:17: as we speak the words of Scripture they are accompanied by the work of the Holy Spirit and have the power of a spiritual sword.  And Jesus, when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, repeatedly quoted Scripture in response to Satans temptations (Matt. 4:111). Appropriate Scriptures may include general statements of the triumph of Jesus over Satan (Matt. 12:2829; Luke 10:1719; 2 Cor. 10:34; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:89; 1 John 3:8; 4:4; 5:18), 3030 30. It would be good for Christians to memorize the verses in the list just mentioned so as to be able to speak them from memory when involved in any spiritual warfare.  but also verses that speak directly to the particular temptation or difficulty at hand.

In our own personal lives, if we find sinful emotions that are unusually strong welling up in our minds or hearts (whether they be emotions of irrational fear, anger, hatred, bitterness, lust, greed, etc.), in addition to praying and asking Jesus for help in overcoming them, it would also be appropriate for us to say something like, Spirit of fear, in Jesusname, I command you, go away from here and dont return!Even though we may be unsure whether there is a demonic factor in that particular situation, and even though a demons presence may be only one factor contributing to the situation, nonetheless, such words of rebuke will sometimes be very effective. Though we do not have in the New Testament a complete record of the personal prayer life of the apostle Paul, he talks openly about wrestling not...against flesh and blood, but...against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places(Eph. 6:12) and about not carrying on a worldly war(2 Cor. 10:3). It is reasonable to think that his own extensive prayer life included this kind of verbal rebuke of demonic forces as one aspect of his spiritual warfare.

Moreover, such wrestling against the spiritual hosts of wickednessmay mean that in our private times of intercessory prayer for others we will include an element of verbal rebuke to demonic forces that may be a component in situations for which we are praying. (This kind of spiritual warfare would not be in the presence of the person for whom we are concerned, who in many cases would be confused or frightened unnecessarily.) For example, parents may appropriately include a brief word of rebuke to a spirit of rebelliousness in one child, of laziness in another, or of anger in yet another, in addition to praying that the Lord would give victory in those areas, and in addition to teaching and disciplining their children. 3131 31. Since Scripture gives no indication that demons can read our minds, such rebukes against demons would probably have to be spoken audibly, even if softly. By contrast, God of course knows our thoughts, and prayer to him can be in our minds only, without being spoken aloud. 

6. Appropriate Use of the Christians Spiritual Authority in Ministry to Other People. When we pass from the discussion of private spiritual warfare in our own personal lives and perhaps the lives of close family members, we move to the question of direct personal ministry to others who have come under spiritual attack. For example, we may at times be involved in counseling or prayer with another person when we suspect that demonic activity is a factor in their situation. In these cases, some additional considerations must be kept in mind.

First, it is important not to frighten people by talking very glibly about an area that may be familiar to us but quite unfamiliar and somewhat frightening to others. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of gentleness and peace (see 1 Cor. 14:33). Because of this, it is often considerate simply to ask questions of the person we are helping. We might ask, Do you think an evil spirit may be attacking you in this situation?or Would you mind if I spoke a word of rebuke to any evil spirit that may be a factor in this?It would also be important to assure the person that if there is a demonic factor involved, it should not be thought of as a negative reflection on the persons spiritual condition but may simply indicate that Satan is trying to attack the person to keep him or her from more effective ministry for the Lord. Each Christian is a soldier in the Lords spiritual army and therefore subject to attacks from the forces of the enemy.

If the other person gives permission to do so, a brief command should be spoken aloud, telling the evil spirit to leave. 3232 32. The verb exorcise in English means to drive out (an evil spirit) by a magic formula or a spoken command.An exorcismis defined as the action of driving out an evil spirit in this way. These words do not occur in the Bible (although Acts 19:13 mentions Jewish exorcists). Because these terms are used in pagan as well as Christian contexts throughout history, there is room for Christians to differ over whether it is wise to use them to refer to Christian practices today.  Since the person under attack will often have had a sense of a demonic presence, it would be appropriate, after commanding the evil spirit to leave, to ask the person if he or she felt or sensed anything different when those words were spoken. If there really was a demonic influence in the situation, the person may express an immediate feeling of relief or freedom, often with a sense of joy and peace as well.

All of this does not have to be a highly dramatic or emotionally charged procedure. Some contemporary stories tell of long, drawn-out battles in which the Christian counselor argues with the demon and shouts at it repeatedly over a period of several hours. But there is no indication in the New Testament that demons are hard of hearing, nor are there examples of such long periods of conflict in order to get a demon to leave. Jesus simply cast out the spirits with a word(Matt. 8:16), even though in one case (with the Gerasene demoniac) the evil spirit showed some initial resistance (see Mark 5:8; Luke 8:29). Jesus then asked its name and then cast out many demons at once (Mark 5:913; Luke 8:3033). The power to cast out demons comes not from our own strength or the power of our own voice, but from the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20). Thus, a quiet, confident, authoritative tone of voice should be sufficient.

Second, to avoid being drawn into a long conversation or battle with the demon itself the Christian counselor should focus not on the demon but on the person being ministered to and the truths of the Bible that need to be affirmed and believed. The belt of truth(Eph. 6:14 NIV) is part of the armor that protects us against Satan, as is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God(Eph. 6:17). If the person who is receiving ministry will focus on and believe the truth of Scripture and will renounce sin and thereby put on the breastplate of righteousness(Eph. 6:14), then the evil spirit will have no foothold in that persons life. If the demon refuses to leave in spite of the command given in the name of Jesus, then it may be best to wait until another time after more prayer and personal spiritual preparation on the part of the person being ministered to and the persons who are engaging in this ministry (Matt. 17:1920; Mark 9:29; see discussions below). 3333 33. It would often be wise, in difficult cases, to have help from someone with more maturity and experience in this area. 

Third, it is important for Christians not to become overly curious in this area of demonic conflict. Though it is a ministry that the Lord gives all Christians authority to engage in, Scripture nonetheless tells us that we are to be babes in evil(1 Cor. 14:20). That is, we are not to become overly fascinated with matters of evil and attempt to become expertsin some kinds of evil just to satisfy our curiosity. 3434 34. Christians should therefore not be preoccupied with matters concerning the occult or the New Age movement. We should think about things that are honorableand pureand worthy of praise(Phil. 4:8). 

Fourth, if the person being ministered to is not a Christian, it is important that he or she be urged to come to Christ as Savior immediately after the demon is cast out so that the Holy Spirit will reside in the person and protect him or her from future attacks. Otherwise there may be a worse result later.

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came.And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation. (Matt. 12:4345)

Fifth, effectiveness in difficult cases of demonic influence may be related to our own spiritual condition. When Jesus had cast a demon out of an epileptic boy, and the boy was cured instantly,the disciples privately came to Jesus and asked, Why could we not cast it out?(Matt. 17:1819). Jesus said to them, Because of your little faith(Matt. 17:20). Marks gospel reports that Jesus also said in response to the disciples, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer(Mark 9:29). The disciples apparently were at that time weak in faith; they had not spent enough time in prayer recently and they were not walking fully in the power of the Holy Spirit. 3535 35. When Jesus said, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer(Mark 9:29), he cannot have meant that it was necessary to pray for a long time about that specific situation before the demon would be cast out, for he did not pray at all but simply spoke a word and cast out the demon at once. He must have meant, rather, that a continual life of prayer and abiding in God will result in a spiritual preparedness and a possession of a spiritual power through the anointing of the Holy Spirit that will be effective in conflict even over very severe demonic attack or influence. 

Jesus issues a clear warning that we should not rejoice too much or become proud in our power over demons, but that we should rejoice rather in our great salvation. We must keep this in mind lest we become proud and the Holy Spirit withdraw his power from us. When the seventy returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!(Luke 10:17) Jesus told them, Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven(Luke 10:20). 3636 36. Jesus cannot mean that it is wrong to rejoice when the enemy is vanquished and people are set free from bondage, for that is certainly a good reason for rejoicing. He must rather be putting a relative contrast in absolute terms in telling the disciples that the greatness of their salvation is the primary thing that they should be rejoicing in. 

7. We Should Expect the Gospel to Come in Power to Triumph Over the Works of the Devil. When Jesus came preaching the gospel in Galilee, demons also came out of many(Luke 4:41). When Philip went to Samaria to preach the gospel, unclean spirits came out of many...crying with a loud voice(Acts 8:7). Jesus commissioned Paul to preach among the Gentiles that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me(Acts 26:18). Pauls proclamation of the gospel, he said, was not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God(1 Cor. 2:45; cf. 2 Cor. 10:34). If we really believe the scriptural testimony to the existence and activity of demons, and if we really believe that the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil(1 John 3:8), then it would seem appropriate to expect that even today when the gospel is proclaimed to unbelievers, and when prayer is made for believers who have perhaps been unaware of this dimension of spiritual conflict, there will be a genuine and often immediately recognizable triumph over the power of the enemy. We should expect that this would happen, think of it as a normal part of the work of Christ in building up his kingdom, and rejoice in Christs victory in it.

1.        Before reading this chapter, did you think that most demonic activity was confined to the time of the New Testament or to other cultures than your own? After reading this chapter, are there areas in your own society where you think there might be some demonic influence today? Do you feel some fear at the prospect of encountering demonic activity in your own life or the lives of others around you? What does the Bible say that will specifically address that feeling of fear? Do you think that the Lord wants you to feel that fear, if you do?

2.        Are there any areas of sin in your own life now that might give a foothold to some demonic activity? If so, what would the Lord have you do with respect to that sin?

3.        Are there cases where you have had victory over some demonic force by speaking to it in the name of Jesus? How can the material in this chapter help you be more effective in this kind of spiritual conflict? What are the dangers of becoming too interested in or too deeply involved in this kind of ministry? How can you safeguard against that excessive emphasis? What do you think Pauls procedure was when he came to preach the gospel in city after city where it had never been heard before and where there was demon worship? How could the church today profit from Pauls example?

demon possession

demonized

demons

distinguishing between spirits

exorcism

Satan

(For an explanation of this bibliography see the note on the bibliography to chapter 1, p. 38. Complete bibliographical data may be found on pp. 122329.)

1. Anglican (Episcopalian)

188292 Litton, 12936

2. Arminian (Wesleyan or Methodist)

189294 Miley, 1:53940; 2:497504

1940 Wiley, 1:47677

1983 Carter, 2:106997

3. Baptist

1767 Gill, 1:435440

1887 Boyce, 18189

1907 Strong, 45064

1917 Mullins, 27980

197683 Henry, 6:22950

198385 Erickson, 44551

198794 Lewis/Demarest, 2:25763

4. Dispensational

1947 Chafer, 2:33124

1949 Thiessen, 13350

1986 Ryrie, 13568

5. Lutheran

191724 Pieper, 1:50414

1934 Mueller, 2024

6. Reformed (or Presbyterian)

1559 Calvin, 1:17279 (1.14.1319)

172458 Edwards, 2:60712

1861 Heppe, 20119

187173 Hodge, 1:64348

193766 Murray, CW 2:6770

1938 Berkhof, 14849

7. Renewal (or charismatic/Pentecostal)

198892 Williams, 1:173, 22436

1. Roman Catholic: Traditional

1955 Ott, 11924

2. Roman Catholic: Post-Vatican II

1980 McBrien, 1:329; 2:1105, 115354

Anderson, Neil. The Bondage Breaker. Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House, 1990.

_______. Victory Over the Darkness. Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1990.

Dickason, C. Fred. Angels, Elect and Evil. Chicago: Moody, 1975.

_______. Demon Possession and the Christian: A New Perspective. Westchester, Ill.: Crossway, 1991.

Green, Michael. I Believe in Satans Downfall. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981.

Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters. New York: Macmillan, 1961.