What does the Bible teach about demons?

What is a demon?

A demon is a fallen angel with the power of intellect, emotion, and will. Demons are incorporeal beings who are invisible to humans. They carry out the work of the devil on this earth.

What is a demon like?

The word for demons in the Greek language is daimon and is found more than seventy-five times in the Greek New Testament. While it is translated devil in the King James Version, it refers to demons, Satan’s evil angels. We know from certain Scriptures that Satan fell from heaven, and that other angelic beings shared in his fall and became evil (Ezek. 28:18; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:4). Demons are those fallen angels. The Bible calls them “unclean” (Matt. 10:1).

How many demons are there?

Some believe that Satan took one-third of the angels of heaven with him when he fell (Rev. 12:4). There are many, but they are not limitless.

What do demons do to Christians?

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare with demons, who carry out the work of the devil against their lives. Demons tempt Christians to sin. They corrupt morals, prompt doubt and unbelief, and blind the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:3–4). They can also “possess” individuals to do the work of the devil.

Why are demons sometimes called “devils?”

The word daimon is usually translated “devils” in the King James Bible but should be better translated demons.

Where do people say demons come from?

There are a number of theories concerning the origin of demons. Among these are the following:
(1) They are spirits of deceased wicked men. This is the underlying assumption of much popular occult literature. However, this cannot be, for the Bible declares the unsaved dead are in Hades, not roaming the earth (Ps.
9:17; Luke 16:23; Rev. 20:13).
(2) They are spirits of a pre-Adamic race. Those who embrace this view believe that before the creation of Adam and Eve, there was a perfect world in which Lucifer lived. For some reason, God destroyed that world, and the spirits of those who lived in that world now inhabit the earth as demons. This is called the Gap Theory, because there was a “gap” of time after Genesis 1:1, before God re-created the world as we know it. There is no scriptural support whatsoever for this view. The Bible declares that Adam was the first man (1 Cor. 15:45).
(3) They are the children of angels from the unnatural union between angels and women. Believers in this theory base their belief on Genesis 6:4: “There were giants 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. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”
(4) They are fallen angels who were created when Lucifer was created and fell when he fell. This is the correct view, as seen in Matthew 25:41: “the devil and his angels.”

What is the nature of demons?

Demons have a spirit nature. “They brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word” (Matt. 8:16). Demons have the same type of nature as angels, only demons are fallen angels, or evil spirits.

How are demons directed?

They are a loyal and organized kingdom under Satan. “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?” (Matt. 12:26).

How strong are demons?

In Scripture angels are called mighty (Rev. 10:1), and demons are described as having tremendous strength (Mark 5:3–4). They are powerful, but they are not omnipotent.

How smart are demons?

They have been observing and retaining knowledge since their creation. They obviously have enough intellectual ability to design and propagate various false doctrines (1 Tim. 4:1–3). They have great knowledge, but they are not omniscient.

Can demons read our thoughts or hear the prayers we pray silently?

Only the Holy Spirit is able to read our thoughts and hearts. Demons are limited in their knowledge and ability to acquire knowledge. The very nature of demons does not allow them to know our thoughts.

What freedom do demons have today?

Apparently some demons have limited freedom to operate within the permissive will of God, but others are confined in some type of restraint until the Tribulation and/or judgment seat of God. These angels God has “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).

Towns, Elmer. 2003. Bible Answers for Almost All Your Questions. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.