We know from scripture that the devil and demons are real, but compared to many other topics in the Bible we have little information about them. You\u2019ll find much more in scripture about the nature of God, salvation, and Jesus\u2019 life and ministry than you will about the demonic. Here\u2019s what that tells us: our thoughts should be occupied with God and his goodness a thousand times more often than about the devil and his minions.
\nDemons weren\u2019t created as demons, because God created everything good. Peter gives us the origin story about demons:
\n2 Peter 2:4 (NLT) For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.
\nSome angels sinned, and God cast them into hell. That\u2019s about all we know about how they got started on their destructive path, and it leads to our second thing:
\n2 Peter helps us to establish the first point. So does Jude 1:6. But clearly there are other demons who are not yet bound. They\u2019re the ones wreaking havoc on the earth:
\nEphesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
\nWhen we put these passages together, we\u2019re left with one clear option: some demons are already in hell, others are free to influence the world. Jesus interacted with demons (Matthew 17). You and I might encounter them as well. But here\u2019s the good news:
\nDemons don\u2019t have divine qualities. They\u2019re not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent. They can\u2019t be more than one place at one time. They can\u2019t read your mind. They can\u2019t force you to do anything.
\nBut demons can study and observe. They\u2019re constantly looking for ways to get a believer off track. They know what presses your buttons. They know the trappings and sins you struggle with that you may have been able to hide from everyone around you. And they use that information to tempt you, to accuse you, to lie to you and tell you that God couldn\u2019t love someone like you.
\nThis isn\u2019t to say that demons aren\u2019t powerful or shouldn\u2019t be respected. They just have no power when compared to the Spirit of God (1 John 4:4). And that leads to this truth:
\nYou don\u2019t need a pastor or a priest to do spiritual warfare. Any person who has trusted Jesus for salvation has the authority \u2013 in Jesus\u2019 name \u2013 to deal with demons. Jesus\u2019 early followers learned this after they came back from their first mission trip into the world:
\nLuke 10:17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, \u201cLord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!\u201d
\nNotice that this was a larger group of Christ-followers, not just the original 12 disciples. That\u2019s probably why they were so surprised at the demonic response to their commands. These were regular Christians, just like you and me. The authority comes from the name of Jesus, not from the person speaking.
\nThis last point about demons addresses a common question among believers: Can Christians be possessed? Here\u2019s the simple answer: No. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit takes residence in our heart (2 Corinthians 1:22). There isn\u2019t an empty house any longer where a demon can reside.
\nRead the rest of this article at pursuegod.org/warfare.
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