What do demons do?

CW: spiritual warfare, demon possession, self-harm

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." —1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

Demons are fallen angels—evil spirits. As angels, they once worshiped their Creator but chose to follow Satan when he rebelled against God. Demons now do Satan's bidding, vainly fighting against God, attempting to thwart His plans, and trying to sabotage and destroy humans.

While demons are not all powerful, they do have some measure of influence that God allows (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19), and there are a few ways that they can affect humans. We need to be vigilant about spiritual oppression so we can continue to live our lives in peace, control our own thoughts, and stay effective as ambassadors for Christ (Ephesians 6:12).

Demon Possession

Demon possession is when a demon enters a human and is able to damage and/or control the human to some degree. We can find examples of this in the Bible, such as when the slave girl in Philippi knew things she shouldn't have (Acts 16:16-18), and the man who was possessed by a "legion" of demons was forced to mutilate himself (Mark 5:2-5).

It's important to note that the Bible doesn't mention demons being able to possess or attach to specific objects. It's possible that demons may be present where there are occultic objects, like tarot cards or Ouija boards, but they cannot "live" inside an inanimate object. Thus, "cursed" objects aren't actually a thing. Demons DO seem to come to people who seek out spiritual power or knowledge that isn't from God. This is one of the reasons why the Bible warns against idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14).

Thankfully, demon possession cannot happen to a child of God because the Holy Spirit resides in their heart (1 John 4:4; James 4:7). That doesn't mean a Christian's mind cannot be manipulated though, which is why it's important to remain alert and aware of potential spiritual oppression and influence.

Demon Oppression

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." —1 Peter 5:8

Demon oppression, also called demonization, is more common than possession. This is when a demon harasses or influences a person from the outside. This can happen to both believers and non-believers (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11).

In a scary exchange between Peter and Jesus, we find out that a demon was whispering lies to Peter that Jesus would not die, and Jesus called the demon out (Matthew 16:22-23). In fact, much of Jesus' ministry was spent saving people from demon oppression and possession.

Strategic Destruction

Demons can also influence human affairs on a larger scale. The "spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia" in the Bible seems to have been a demon who controlled or highly influenced the government of Persia in the time of Daniel (Daniel 10:13, NLT). Considering the things going on in the world today, that can seem like hopeless news for us. But remember that "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

Personal Destruction

Demons will always rebel against God. But because God is infinitely more powerful than they are, demons will try to do the next best thing: seduce and attack people made in the image of God. Their ultimate goal is to tempt humans to sin and get them to either reject God or allow their faith to become inert and useless (1 Peter 5:8; Hebrews 5:11-14).

Demons are evil and destructive. They have no goodness in them and wish nothing good to come to humans. There's no reason to either fear them OR seek them out (Ephesians 5:11). If you have accepted Christ, then the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit is always available to help you overcome demonic oppression.

"You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)" —Romans 8:8

What if I know someone affected by demons?

It's very difficult to determine how often and when demons possess or oppress people today. Some are quick to blame demonic influence when a person suffers from things like mental illness or tragedy. But that just isn't always going to be the case.

We should be very reluctant to claim someone is possessed or oppressed by demons. When we see a person suffering, we ought to focus instead on how we can help with their needs, first and foremost, and pray for healing and protection from God (James 5:14-16).

Defenses Against Demonic Attack

"Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." —Ephesians 6:11

Yes, all of this can sound very intimidating and daunting, but it IS possible to defend ourselves against demonic attack. If we have received salvation through Jesus, a demon's weapons are limited. The apostle Paul talks about how we have access to the full armor of God, an arsenal which consists of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, our salvation, the Word of God, and prayer (Ephesians 6:14-18).

Reading Scripture, meeting with other believers regularly, obeying God, and praying are all effective protective measures for spiritual oppression. Just as a soldier could not reasonably enter battle with a partial suit of armor, or with only some of their weapons, a believer will not be as successful in spiritual battle unless every part of God's armor is included.

"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." —Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

ALSO SEE:

• Are demons real?
• The Truth About Demons
• What's wrong with stories about demons?
• What does the Bible say about divination?
• Is there evidence of demonic activity in the world today?
• How much power does Satan have?
• What does the Bible say about witchcraft?
• Should Christians read horoscopes?
• Are intrusive thoughts sin?
• How can I overcome temptation?
• What is the full armor of God?
• A Study on "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis