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Deuteronomy 32:17
“They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.”
Satan, the great adversary of God and His people, is a master deceiver, able to disguise himself as an angel of light to lead us astray (2 Cor. 11:14). Thus, we must be on guard against his craftiness. We should also be aware that Satan is not the only spiritual enemy we face, for he commands a horde of demons.
Assuming that Satan is a fallen angel, we can infer that demons are other fallen angels. Scripture even refers to certain angels that are “his” (Rev. 12:9). Beyond that, as with Satan, we cannot say much more about their origin or how they came to fall into sin. Like Satan, demons must have been created during the week of creation and were originally “very good” but somehow fell from the state in which they were created (see Gen. 1).
We read about demons in both the Old and New Testaments, but most references to them occur in the New Testament. There was a flurry of demonic activity during the ministry of Jesus, because the devil was attempting to bring the Savior down. From the Gospels in particular we see what demons are capable of. They can oppress people and cause such things as seizures and paralysis (Matt. 4:24). Of course, Scripture does not say that all infirmities are caused by demons, but apparently some can be. We also know that they can possess people, taking them over and controlling them or drive them to harmful behaviors (Mark 5:1–20). In light of this truth, many Christians have wondered whether it is possible for believers to be demon-possessed. The answer has to be no. We should know that Satan and demons are stronger than we are, but we should also recognize that their power is nothing compared to the power of the Lord. Dr. R.C. Sproul writes that Satan and his demonic minions are “stronger than we are, but far weaker than God Himself, which is why anyone indwelt by the Holy Spirit does not have to fear being possessed by a demon. ‘He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.’ ”
Demons are also ultimately behind many, if not all, of the false religions in the world. As we see in Deuteronomy 32:17, the Israelites who committed idolatry in the wilderness actually worshiped demons when they thought they were serving other gods. Paul writes about the pagan gods as actually being demons in 1 Corinthians 10:20–21. The devil and his servants love to lead people astray by deceiving them through false religion.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Satan and his demons are strong, indeed much stronger than we are. If we are in Christ, however, we need not fear them. God will never allow any of His children to be taken over by a demon. Nevertheless, demons are real and can cause much havoc, so let us pray that the Lord will protect us from their wiles.
For further study
- Psalm 106:34–39
- Matthew 9:32–34
- Mark 1:32–34
- 1 Timothy 4:1–5
The bible in a year
- 2 Chronicles 17–19
- John 15