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Doctrine of
Demons
ORIGIN OF DEMONS
Fallen but unconfined angels.
This view, which is preferable, is
held by Hodge, Strong, Morgan, Gaebelein, Unger, and others. It
teaches that when Lucifer rebelled against God he fell from his
place of prominence and led with him a host of lower-ranking
angels. Lucifer, now called Satan, is the “ruler of demons” (
Matt. 12:24 ).
Matthew 25:41 also refers to “the
devil and his angels,” which would refer to demons; similarly,
Revelation 12:7 mentions “the dragon
and his angels.”
Scripture indicates there are two groups of
fallen angels. One group is the demons who are free and active
in the world. Other fallen angels are bound in confinement. Some
are mentioned as being confined to
tartarus , (translated “hell” in 2
Pet. 2:4 ); they are confined because
of some enormous sin (some relate this to Genesis 6
in suggesting the “sons of God” were angels).
Jude 6 may refer to the same
confinement. Another group of fallen angels are kept confined in
the pit ( Luke 8:31
; Rev. 9:2 ). They
were “apparently too depraved and harmful to be allowed to roam
upon the earth.”
19
Revelation 9
indicates these demons will be released from confinement during
the Tribulation to afflict people who do not have the seal of
God on their foreheads ( Rev. 9:3–11
).
CHARACTERISTICS OF
DEMONS
Demons are spirit beings.
They are beings called spirits, that is, ones
without fleshly bodies ( Matt. 8:16
; Luke 10:17 , 20
).
Demons are localized but not
omnipresent. They can be in
only one place at one time. The demons indwelt the two men of
the Gadarenes, and when they were expelled they indwelt the
swine. In each case they were localized (
Matt. 8:28–34 ; cf.
Acts 16:16 ).
Demons are intelligent but not
omniscient. Demons were aware
of the identity of Jesus ( Mark 1:24
); they were also aware of their ultimate
destiny ( Matt. 8:29
). Paul refers to “doctrines of demons” (
1 Tim. 4:1 ),
indicating that they propagate their false teaching through
their emissaries. They are not, however, omniscient or they
would be like God; only God is omniscient.
Demons are powerful but not omnipotent.
Because of the indwelling demons the man of
the Gerasenes could break shackles and chains; no one was able
to bind him because of his unusual strength (
Mark 5:3–4 ). The
demon in the boy sought to have the boy commit suicide by
throwing him into fire and water (
Mark 9:22 ). Demon possession impaired
a man’s speech ( Matt. 9:32
) and kept a girl in cruel slavery (
Matt. 15:22 ), yet
demons are limited in their power; they cannot do the work of
God ( John 10:21
).
ACTIVITY OF DEMONS
Demons inflict disease.
Luke 13:11
testifies a woman had a crippling sickness “caused by a spirit”
; Luke 13:16 further declares that
“Satan has bound for eighteen long years” this woman in her
suffering. Sometimes there is a correlation between mental
illness, sickness, and demonic activity; however, it is not
always possible to identify the distinction and anyone
attempting such a diagnosis should be cautious. Affliction by
Satan or demons can come only as God permits (
Job 1:12 ; 2:6
; cf. 2 Cor. 12:7–10
).
Demons influence the mind.
Satan initially deceived Eve into sinning by
perverting the truth and changing Eve’s thinking about God (
Gen. 3:1–5 ). Satan
and his demons continue to influence the thinking of people
through blinding their minds ( 2 Cor.
4:4 ). This passage indicates Satan
inhibits the ability to think or reason.
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Even though this passage refers to
unbelievers, Satan can also influence the thinking of believers
( 2 Cor. 11:3
); he can lead believers away from “the
simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” Satan can thus
lead the believer away from a singleminded devotion to Christ.
James 3:15 indicates earthly wisdom is
demonic and leads to jealousy and strife.
The solution to demonic influence of the mind
is to bring the thought process into subjection to Christ (
2 Cor. 10:5 ). A
similar exhortation is given in Philippians 4:6–8
. The mind will be guarded when the believer
entrusts every matter to God in prayer and meditates on the
things that are true, honorable, right, and pure.
Demons deceive people.
Paul was fearful of the fledgling
Thessalonian church, that Satan may have enticed them to sin
amid their suffering and persecution (
1 Thess. 3:5 ). Although the
Thessalonians had received the gospel with joy, their hope could
be sidetracked through the onslaught of Satan.
Through his emissaries Satan also works in
unbelievers; Paul refers to the prince of the power of the air
“working in the sons of disobedience” (
Eph. 2:2 ). The
context indicates Satan deceives the unbelievers into living
according to the lusts of the flesh and desires of the flesh and
mind. Matthew 13:19 further indicates
Satan’s deception in that he snatches the Word away when
unbelievers hear it, thwarting their understanding.
Demons deceive nations.
Demons will eventually gather the nations of
the world together in rebellion against Christ. Demons deceive
the nations through performing signs in order to incite them in
warfare against the returning Messiah (
Rev. 16:14 ).
JUDGMENT OF DEMONS
Through the cross the power of demons
has been conquered. Christ
conquered Satan and his demons at the cross and made a public
display of them—as a victor displaying the spoils of war (
Col. 2:15 ).
At the return of Christ the demons will
be cast into the lake of fire.
Demons are associated with judgment against Satan (
Matt. 25:41 ; Rev.
12:9 ), and therefore will be cast
into the lake of fire with Satan (
Rev. 19:19–21 ).
4
14. The present participle
planon
indicates the habitual action of something that is
characteristic of the person.
15
15. There is considerable discussion
concerning the interpretation of this passage; however,
the text must pass beyond the king of Tyre since
expressions such as “perfect in beauty,” “you were in
Eden,” “anointed cherub,” “you were on the holy mountain
of God,” and “you were blameless” are hardly descriptive
of that heathen king. These statements must be understood
as referring to Satan as a high ranking angel prior to his
fall.
16
16. This view also depends on a gap of
time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2
which is not supported by the Hebrew
grammar, cf. Weston W. Fields,
Unformed and Unfilled
(Nutley, N.J.: Presbyterian & Reformed,
1976).
17
17. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch,
Biblical Commentary on the Old
Testament , 25 vols.
(Reprint. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968), 1:131.
18
18. Milton C. Fisher, “
Nƒpîlîm ,”
in Theological Wordbook of
the Old Testament , 2 vols.
(Chicago: Moody, 1980), 2:587.
19
19. Merrill F. Unger,
Demons in the World Today
(Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1971), p. 16.
20
20. This chart is adapted from Charles
C. Ryrie, A Survey of Bible
Doctrine (Chicago: Moody,
1972), p. 97.
21
21. Fritz Rienecker,
A Linguistic Key to the Greek New
Testament , edited by Cleon
Rogers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980), p. 463.
22
22. Charles C. Ryrie,
Study-Graph: Bible Doctrine II
(Chicago: Moody, 1965).
23
23. See Merrill F. Unger,
Demons in the World Today
, pp. 102–8.
Enns, P. P. 1989; Published
in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1997. The
Moody Handbook of Theology. Includes indexes.
(electronic ed.). Moody: Chicago
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