Are they real?
You bet.
Who are they?
Most believe they’re evil angels, set on tormenting humans any way they can.
There is some controversy, but many believe the evidence indicates they started out in heaven, just like all the other angels. But they were thrown out when they sided with Satan in his attempt to overthrow God. Over the centuries they haven’t done much to improve themselves. In fact, they seem to have grown even more corrupt and evil. If there was ever a spark of goodness in them, it’s long burned itself out.
Demons belong in hell. That’s where they’re going to spend eternity, and their one pleasure in life seems to be to take as many human souls with them as possible. Demons hate God. They hate me. And they hate you. They enjoy seeing us suffer and will do everything they possibly can to hurt us.
Why?
The best way to hurt God is to hurt his kids.
Sometimes demons decide the best way to inflict pain is to come disguised as angels—speaking of love, peace, and brotherhood—trying anything to entice us away from God. Later, when they know they have the upper hand in someone’s life, they come in with fangs bared, snarling and growling like the monsters they are. Other times they’re subtle, content to work through drug abuse, alcohol addiction, pornography, and other vices, never giving a hint that anything supernatural is going on until it’s too late.
NOTHING TO FEAR
Before we get further into the topic, there’s one important thing we need to remember…
If you have given your life to Christ, you have absolutely nothing to fear from demons. In fact, if you’re a Christian, demons are afraid of you! Why? Because they know God has given you authority over them. As usual, Jesus puts it best when he says, “In my name they will drive out demons” (Mark 16:17).
If Christ is the boss of your life, you have the right to act in his authority, and they have to obey you.
Yes, they’re scary. They may make threats, and they may pull off some eerie “special effects.” But if you belong to Jesus Christ, they have no choice but to eventually run when you confront them—like cockroaches in a dark room when you turn on the light.
On the other hand, remember that the name of Jesus in itself is not a magic wand anybody can use to take authority over a demon. If you’re not living for Christ, you have no right to use his name or his authority. It’s only when you’re in a right relationship with him that you can fight demons and win. Otherwise, you might find yourself in the same embarrassing situation as the seven sons of Sceva:
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. (Acts 19:13-16)
The sons of Sceva believed there was power in the name of Jesus, and they were right. The problem was, they thought anybody had the right to use that power.
That’s just one of the lies people believe when it comes to demons. There are even bigger ones…
LIE NUMBER ONE—DEMONS AREN’T REAL
Many “educated” people dismiss belief in demons as something outdated, a relic from a superstitious age.
But Jesus Christ himself believed in them, spoke about them, and kicked their butts. Here are just a few of many examples…
Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1:23-26)
Also in the Gospel of Mark, a man was inhabited by demons. The Bible says this man:
lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. (Mark 5:3-5)
When Jesus threw the demons out of the man, they went into a herd of pigs that was feeding nearby, and “the herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned” (Mark 5:13). After that the people of the area were afraid and begged Jesus to leave when “they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15).
Again and again in the Gospels, we see that Jesus had absolute authority over demons. There was never an instance when they could withstand his power for even a second.
Mark also tells of a worried father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus’ apostles for help, and they were unable to give it. But when Jesus arrived and commanded the demon to leave the child, “the spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand, lifted him to his feet and he stood up” (Mark 9:26-27).
The Bible goes on to say that “after Jesus had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer’” (Mark 9:28-29).
From these passages of Scripture and many others, we see that demons were very real and very active when Jesus walked the earth. And they’re just as real and active today.
LIE NUMBER TWO—DEMONS ARE EVERYWHERE
Earlier I quoted C.S. Lewis, who said there are two very different but equally dangerous beliefs when it comes to demons. The first is to disbelieve in them or ignore them. The second is to give them more credit than they deserve and think about them too much.
A few years back some Christians were putting way too much emphasis on demons. It got to the point that one guy who was having car trouble asked me to cast the demons out of his engine. I passed, figuring a 60,000-mile tune-up would do a lot more for the car than an exorcism.
During that time some people taught we all had been invaded by demons, and there were gatherings where paper bags were handed out so people could vomit up the demons that were tormenting them.
It was all pretty weird. Pretty unhealthy. And very unnecessary.
Now the pendulum may have swung too far back in the opposite direction…
Then demons were blamed for all sorts of evil. Today many believe all evil happens only because man is messed up.
It’s true—humans don’t need demons to inspire them to new depths of evil. Or as Jesus said, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19).
It’s way too easy for someone to point his finger and say, “The devil made me do it,” when he’s really just following the instincts of his own evil heart.
On the other hand, demons are real. They will stop at nothing in their attempts to get us to cheat, lie, steal, kill, commit adultery, or do anything contrary to what God wants. They love it when we hurt other people. They love it when we hurt ourselves. But most of all they love it when we grieve God.
HOW DEMONS OPERATE
Most of the time demons aren’t able to exert direct control over us. Instead they use guerrilla warfare, zinging us from the outside. They put various types of temptation in front of us. (Remember the Lord’s Prayer? “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” Matthew 6:13.) They hit us with impure thoughts. They try to get us to doubt God and distrust his Word. They tempt us to exercise the worst of ourselves—anger, selfishness, lust, violence, and cruelty.
But demons aren’t content to direct things from the sidelines. They want to get in the middle of the action. If they can find a way, they’ll get inside a person and try to take over his life. This is called demonic possession.
It’s real, and it happens—not only in the Bible, but today…
MY ENCOUNTER WITH DEMONS
What do you think of when you hear the word demons?
If you’re a fan of scary movies, you might think of Linda Blair, who starred as the demon-possessed, head-spinning teenager in the 1970s movie, The Exorcist.
You may remember her sitting in bed with her head spinning around, or her vomiting pea soup, or any of the other gruesome scenes.
The Exorcist—supposedly based on a real-life case of demon possession investigated by the Roman Catholic Church—was a blockbuster movie that got the whole world talking about demons.
As for me, I’ve never seen it.
Oh, I wanted to. I remember when it first came out; I drove to the theater and was standing across the street when I suddenly sensed that God didn’t want me to go, that he didn’t want me to see any film that glorified satanic power. As a result I was probably one of the few people in the country who missed Linda Blair’s gross-out performance.
But it was God’s grace that prevented me from seeing The Exorcist. Otherwise, I would have run the other way when, a few months later, I started receiving some very strange phone calls…
They came from the man I mentioned in the last chapter who spoke to “angels.” Let’s call him Jerry. As I said, I eventually realized there was something fishy about his angels. One of the clues was Jerry’s continual begging of them not to hurt me.
Hmmm…for heavenly creatures, they didn’t seem all that loving.
Another thing that bothered me was how Jerry told me he always felt sick to his stomach right before one of the “angels” took over and spoke through him. As I mentioned before, Jerry had received public acclaim from the powers these entities gave him, and he was quite proud of that. But whatever was happening to him, it was far from a pleasant experience.
When I finally worked up the courage to ask one of Jerry’s mysterious friends the all-important question, “Is Jesus Christ your Lord?” and he answered, “Not only is he my Lord...he’s my brother,” I knew Jerry was in trouble. I didn’t understand a whole lot about demons at the time, but I knew enough to know that anytime you come into contact with an entity that claims equality with Jesus Christ, you’re not dealing with the good guys.
I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation, never having come face-to-face—or telephone-to-telephone—with a demon before. I told Jerry he wasn’t in contact with angels, but rather demons. He insisted I was wrong and worried that if I pushed the issue, he might lose his powers. I asked him to give me his address so I could come visit him in person and pray for him.
But he was just too frightened.
Soon a tug-of-war began inside Jerry. One minute I was talking to Jerry...the next, one of the entities...and then Jerry again. When the “angels” had control of Jerry, they insulted me and called me some blistering, X-rated names. When Jerry was in control, he kept begging them not to hurt me. Finally, 24 hours later, after he had called dozens of times, he gasped out his address. It sounded like it took every ounce of his strength to do so.
The next day I went to see Jerry, accompanied by a friend from my church. Before we went we bowed our heads in my car and confessed all of our sins to God, asking Jesus to forgive us. We knew we’d better be in a right relationship with God when we walked into Jerry’s house. We didn’t want to give the Devil any ammunition to use against us.
I admit my heart was pounding when we walked up the short sidewalk to Jerry’s neat, suburban house. (It definitely didn’t look like the sort of place demons might be hanging out.) Still, I was worried about the battle waiting for us inside.
But the moment Jerry opened the door, all my fear vanished. He stood before me, a short, balding, 50-year-old man who was terrified—a man who desperately wanted to be free. The moment I saw him, I was filled with such love that I instinctively threw my arms around him and hugged him.
It was the right thing to do. Later on he told me that at that moment, he realized he could trust me.
We came into Jerry’s living room, sat down, chitchatted for a while, and finally began to pray with him. As we prayed Jerry started to writhe and scream, but I knew it wasn’t really Jerry who was in agony. We prayed for 45 minutes. Some of the time Jerry sat still, and I began to think we were winning the battle. But the next moment he would go back to writhing and screaming.
When we sang worship songs, things really got nuts.
The more worshipful the song, the louder he screamed and the more his body jerked and contorted.
After a while, when our prayers seemed to be losing steam, I decided to recite the Lord’s Prayer. That really sent Jerry into a frenzy. He howled as if I were pouring acid on him.
At first I didn’t understand what was going on. What was so different about the Lord’s Prayer that it would cause these entities to react this way? Then it dawned on me. I was praying the Word of God. This was the same weapon Jesus himself used to fight Satan when they battled it out on the mountain of temptation.
No wonder the Bible tells us the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword.
I pulled out my Bible, turned to the Psalms, and began to read. The reaction was just the same. Screaming.
Swearing. Howling. Gnashing teeth.
Finally my friend and I got down on our knees in front of Jerry, laid our hands on him, and began to pray that he be free of the creatures. The first two or three demons surfaced; we recognized them through their strange voices and facial expressions, and we easily threw them out in Jesus’ name.
But others were more deeply entrenched in his life and didn’t want to let go. When he was a little boy, a witch had helped him invite them inside so he could have “supernatural powers.” As a result many of these demons had been with him since childhood. We prayed and prayed and prayed some more, but these stronger demons made it clear they weren’t going to leave without a fight.
Now, as I said, my friend and I had never encountered demons before, and we were unsure of what to do. We didn’t want the demons to hurt Jerry by throwing him on the ground, so we held him down tightly while we prayed for him. It was during this time another fellow came walking through the front door—Jerry’s roommate. I’m sure we made quite a scene. For all he knew, we were a couple of burglars who’d been caught in the act. He could have ordered us to leave his friend alone. He could have threatened to call the police.
Instead, all he said was, “Hi, guys.” He acted like it was the most natural thing in the world to see two big men holding little Jerry down like that. He went on into the kitchen, made himself a sandwich, and then left.
Later on Jerry asked him why he didn’t try to stop us or at least ask us what we were doing.
“It was the oddest sensation,” the man replied. “But there was something different about those guys. Were they…angels?”
“Angels…no…why?”
“I’m not sure. I just knew I wasn’t supposed to stop them.”
Our session with Jerry went on for hours, as various demons were brought to the surface and thrown out in Jesus’ name. It was interesting that each had its own particular character trait. For example, one had very strong homosexual tendencies. He called himself “the Persian boy” and claimed to be a departed spirit who once had a homosexual relationship with Napoleon. He spoke in an effeminate male voice. While this demon was in control of Jerry, his body language changed completely. He crossed his legs in a feminine manner, spoke with a lisp, and seemed to be a completely different person. As soon as we had taken authority over the demon and removed him in Christ’s name, Jerry was back to his old self.
Now before I go on, I want to make it clear that I do not believe homosexuality is caused by demons. I do believe that some demons may manifest homosexual behavior or tempt their victims into this particular sin…just as they tempt others into any other sin. Demons show their presence in a variety of ways. The Bible tells us Jesus cast out demons that caused their victim to be deaf and mute. Does this mean all people who are deaf or who can’t speak are inhabited by demons? Of course not. And yet I filmed a man who experienced that very problem in the country of Sri Lanka. Today he is a pastor with his speech and hearing completely restored.
The same mistake can be made about people who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder). This is a legitimate psychological problem often brought about by severe trauma during childhood. People who suffer from it develop numerous and distinct personalities in order to cope. Unfortunately, many well-meaning Christians have done more damage than good by mistaking this disorder for demonic activity and trying to “cast the demons out.” This is why prayer for discernment is so vital in these situations.
Because of Jerry’s psychic powers (which he had received by inviting the entities to come inside him), I knew we weren’t dealing with some type of psychological disorder but rather with demonic creatures who had invaded his life.
It was late in the evening by the time we finished praying with Jerry. It had been a long day, and we were exhausted. By our best count, we had successfully encountered and removed 12 of the creatures, and as far as I could tell, our time with Jerry had been a complete success. He seemed happy and relaxed, and he told us he couldn’t remember when he had felt so peaceful.
But it didn’t last...
The next night my wife and I were getting ready to go out for dinner when the phone rang.
“Bill?” Jerry sounded frightened. “There are still some here.”
He was agitated and wanted me to come right away. But I had promised my wife a dinner out, and I wasn’t about to break that promise. I told him I’d come the following afternoon.
Immediately a haughty, sarcastic voice took over.
“We won’t be here,” it growled at me. “We’re taking him to New York, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”
“No way,” I said. “You’re not going to do that. By the power and authority of Jesus Christ, you cannot take Jerry off that property until three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.”
Then I hung up, and we went on to dinner.
The next day my friend and I went back to Jerry’s, and when we pulled up in front of his house, we were greeted by a strange sight. He was pacing back and forth in his yard, looking very much like a caged animal. Every once in a while, he tried to step onto the sidewalk, but he couldn’t do it. He’d lift his leg in the air and lean forward, but it seemed as if an invisible barrier was stopping him.
“Bill!” he yelled. “I don’t know what’s going on here... but I can’t leave my yard!”
He didn’t know what was going on, but I did. It wasn’t three o’clock yet. By my command in Christ’s name, he couldn’t leave his property until then. It was at that moment, more than ever, that I was struck by the absolute authority that belongs to those who believe in Jesus Christ.
We took Jerry to our church office, where some reinforcements joined us. There were several more demons lurking down deep in Jerry’s soul, including one that tried to get him to jump from our upstairs window.
As evening approached, I was completely drained. I just wanted to go home and sleep. Two days of intense battle with demons had taken a toll on me. I was more than a little relieved when it appeared that we were down to the last demon. But that last one was holding on with both claws. It wasn’t going to leave without a fight.
Suddenly, one of our pastors—a man who was reluctant to believe in much of the supernatural—had a mental picture of Jesus, standing off to the side, watching the proceedings. He told us later that Jesus slowly turned and glanced in Jerry’s direction. At that exact moment Jerry opened his mouth and let out a shrill, bloodcurdling scream. By the time the scream had finished echoing up and down the halls of the church, the final demon was gone, and Jerry was free at last.
When our friend told us about his vision of Jesus, I shook my head in awe. Our Lord didn’t even have to speak a word to beat the demon. All it took was a single glance.
I’ve heard some people say that God and Satan are adversaries—equal but opposite forces. No way. If I hadn’t known it before, I learned that day that Satan is no adversary for God. He’s nothing more than plaque on God’s teeth.
If the subject of demons is new to you, you may be startled by the event I’ve just told about. And you may have some questions…
WHAT EXACTLY IS DEMONIC POSSESSION?
Possession is what happens when a demon or demons actually take up residence inside a human body. As I mentioned before, demons aren’t content to merely harass us from the sidelines. If a demon sees a chance to enter into a man or woman’s soul and take control, he’ll do it.
Why do they want to do this? It appears there are at least three reasons.
First, it enables them to destroy a human being, and there’s nothing they enjoy more.
Second, demons like to have a human body because it gives them a vehicle to carry out their creepy plans.
Third, demons attempt to possess us because they enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. They have insatiable appetites for things like sex, alcohol, narcotics, and gambling. As a result they often steer their victims into addictions in these areas.
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
As with Jerry, some people actually invite demons into their lives—a few because they believe they’re opening themselves up to angels or spirit guides. Also, those who are deeply involved in occult practices are putting themselves into greater danger of demonic possession. The same goes for those involved in drug use. In Deuteronomy 18:10 the Bible warns that God’s anger will fall upon those who “practice sorcery.” The root word for sorcery is pharmakeia, which means drugs. It’s the root from which we get our modern words pharmacy and pharmaceuticals. It’s not a coincidence that the Bible equates the use of illegal narcotics with sorcery. There are documented cases of excessive use of addictive drugs leading to demonic enslavement.
Michael Fishback is the former executive director of the Bakersfield, California Rescue Mission. He worked with the poor and homeless for more than two decades. He’ll tell you that when he started out, he didn’t think very much about demons. Like many Christians, he knew demons existed because the Bible talks about them, but he didn’t think they were a real problem in today’s world. Now he knows differently.
“I’ve seen so many things that can’t be explained any other way,” he says. “I’ve seen people who we couldn’t help—at all—until we took authority in Jesus’ name over the demonic influences in their lives.”
Michael Fishback doesn’t think all alcoholics or drug addicts are afflicted by demons. But he believes that some are, and these people can’t be rehabilitated until they’ve been set free from demonic bondage. And again, discernment—asking God for wisdom, as well as talking to more experienced Christians—is the key. It’s important that we not look at every evil habit or practice as a case of demonic oppression or possession. Some of it is just good old-fashioned sin. So how can we tell?
HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE POSSESSION?
It’s not always easy to tell whether a person is demon-possessed or suffering from some psychological ill. Is that guy controlled by demons, or is he suffering from schizophrenia? Is this woman a demoniac, or does she suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder?
If we’re confronted with a situation in which we suspect demonic involvement but aren’t sure, the best thing we can do is ask God to reveal the truth to us. And he will, because if there’s one person more concerned than we are about seeing demons’ victims set free, it’s our loving Father in heaven.
There is, however, one other surefire way I believe we can tell when we’re dealing with demons: As my experience with Jerry showed, a person who is demon-possessed can’t stand to listen to the Word of God, nor be in the presence of those who are worshiping the Lord.
WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CAST OUT DEMONS?
Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and who is living in a good relationship with him has the power and authority to cast out demons in Jesus’ name.
Having said that, I need to caution that going up against demons isn’t always easy, and it must not be taken lightly. If you’re not sure you’re in a right relationship with God or if you have unconfessed sin in your life…don’t do it. Demons know what scares us, and they’ll use it. They know where our weak spots are, and they’ll hammer away at them. They’ll taunt us and laugh at us and ask us who we are to think we can defeat them…even though they know Christ has given us the power to do just that. I wouldn’t recommend getting involved in a ministry of deliverance to anyone who’s the least bit timid or squeamish.
A STRONG WARNING TO STUDENTS
If you’re a young person or a new Christian, never attempt to confront a demon unless you’re accompanied by a pastor or someone who’s mature and experienced in this area. And be sure to listen to them. Avoid anyone who’s looking for the “thrill” of a supernatural encounter. Instead, find that man or woman who is thoughtful, wise, and godly.
HOW CAN I PREVENT POSSESSION?
The very best way to keep demons out of our lives is not to open the door in the first place—and to stay close to God. Or, as the Bible says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7-8).
Demons can’t stand to be in the presence of God. It follows, then, that if you’re walking closely with God through reading your Bible, going to church, praying, and worshiping, demons won’t be all that thrilled to hang around you. They may try to bug you for a while, but not for long.
DELIVERANCE ISN’T ENOUGH
Before we leave the topic of demons behind, I want to make one more thing clear. When a person is inhabited by demons, it’s not enough to cast them out in Jesus’ name. Unless that person begins living for God by sincerely asking Jesus to become their Lord and Savior, the demons will return at their first opportunity.
Jesus put it this way:
“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26)
Despite the dramatic conclusion of a successful deliverance, it’s important we understand that doesn’t mean the battle is over. In her excellent book Enticed by the Light, Sharon Beekmann explains how demons will usually return to tempt and torment their ex-hosts over the next several months to years. We must stand beside a newly delivered believer, encouraging him not to give in to old patterns and to continually take authority over the voices until gradually they quit returning and trying to re-enter.
Let me repeat: A successful deliverance is only the beginning of setting the new believer free.
There’s a lot more we could say about demons. We could give example after example of their evil nature and determination to destroy anyone who comes in contact with them.
But the most important thing to know is that they’re absolutely powerless when facing the love and power of Jesus Christ. As long as we’re in a right relationship with him, we have nothing at all to fear from hell.