Old Testament
We see in the Old Testament that demons enticed Israel to worship idols. This is one of their main goals. Worshiping idols is the same thing as demon worship. Demons want to be worshiped. We saw this in Satan’s rebellion against God to be worshiped as God and also in Satan’s temptation of Christ to try to get our Lord to worship him. Since demons rejected God’s authority and have been cast out of heaven forever, they want as many people as possible to reject God and worship idols. Demons know their ultimate end is eternal punishment and suffering in the lake of fire. If they have to endure that pain and agony, they want to take as many people there as possible for them to also have to endure that same end. Anything they can do to get people not to worship the God of heaven they will do. God warned His people Israel not to worship idols. Worshiping idols is an abomination to God.
7 They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”’ (Lev. 17:7)
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new rivals that your fathers did not fear. 18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. (Deut. 32:16-18)
15 Then he (Jeroboam) appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. (2 Chron. 11:15)
They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, (Psalm 106:36-37)
One thing these people did was truly an abomination to the Lord. They would sacrifice their own children to idols or demons. How terrible!
Today many people worship idols without bowing down to a statue. There are idols of money, fame, gambling, pride, sex, etc., that are just as much an idol as a statue. Anything that a person desires more than God is an idol and part of demon worship. Christians must put the Lord Jesus Christ in first place in their lives. If they do, then these other things will not be used by demons to destroy our testimony for the Lord.
New Testament
We see in the New Testament that much of the activity of demons mentioned has to do with demon possession of individuals. One or more demons could possess a person. They possessed great strength.
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. (Luke 8:26-31)
We see from this passage how demons gave the one possessed great strength to break his chains and shackles. Notice that there were many demons that had entered this man. The demons trembled in fear when they came near Jesus, begging Him not to cast them into hell. They know that suffering in the lake of fire is their eternal destiny. They also know that Jesus is all-powerful and is the Judge who will one day cast them into everlasting fire.
Can a Demon Possess a Person By Its Own Authority?
This is an interesting question. We see many cases where demons possessed another person. Did these demons enter these persons by their own will or authority? The answer is no. Demons must get permission by God to enter one of His created beings. God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and is in charge and control of all things. Here are some examples showing that demons have to have God’s permission to inhabit or cause harm to another created being.
Job
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” (Job 1:8-12)
In this encounter between God and Satan, God commends the faithfulness of His servant Job. Satan challenges God by saying the only reason Job had been so faithful to Him was because God gave him so much. Satan told God that if He would take away everything that Job had, Job would certainly curse God to His face. God accepts the challenge and gives Satan permission to take everything away from Job. Satan took away all his possessions, his children were killed, and later Job was inflicted with boils over his entire body. Yet God permitted Satan to go only so far. He could not take Job’s life. Everything Satan did against Job had to be approved by God before Satan could do anything against Job. In a very real sense, it was God who did this to Job. God had planned these events before the foundation of the world. Satan was proven wrong as Job never cursed God for what happened to him. What a man of great faith. This is a good lesson for Christians never to charge God with wrongdoing when bad things happen to them. God has a predetermined plan for us and will use the bad things that He brings our way for our eventual good.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)
Peter
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:31-34)
It is clear from this passage that Satan went to God to get permission to “sift” Peter to influence him to deny Christ. The Lord did give that permission to Satan to do it. However, Jesus warned Peter in advance what would happen. He also promised to pray for Peter so that Peter’s faith would not fail because of his denial of Christ.
Judas
When Jesus was eating His last supper with His disciples, He mentioned that one of them would betray Him. They asked Him who it was that would do this.
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” (John 13:26-27)
From what we have already seen, Satan could not enter Judas without the Lord’s direct permission. Jesus had the power to prevent Satan from entering Judas but instead He permitted it. Jesus also then commanded Judas to do quickly the betrayal that Judas had arranged with the Jewish religious leaders. This shows that it was God’s will for this betrayal to happen as it was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. (Zech.11:12, 13)
We know that Judas agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver but then after his betrayal he became despondent over what he had done and he threw the money back to the religious leaders and they bought the potter’s field to be used as a burial ground. Judas then hanged himself.
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the LORD directed me.” (Matt. 27:3-10)
Animal Possession
We have been discussing the demon possession of men. Demons can also possess animals as we see in this account when a demon possessed man came to Jesus.
8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”
And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.
11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. (Mark 5:8-13)
Notice that the demons could not enter the swine by their own authority. They needed to get permission from Jesus to go into the swine. Jesus gave them permission.
Another example of a demon entering an animal was when Satan entered the serpent to cause the fall of Adam and Eve as we saw at the beginning of chapter 6.
Who Has The Authority To Cast Out Demons?
Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and earth. (Matt. 28:18)
He cast out many demons in people during His earthly ministry. They knew who He was, were terrified of Him, and always obeyed His command to come out of people.
32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. (Mark 1:32-34)
Jesus conferred the ability to cast out demons to His disciples.
14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: (Mark 3:14-15)
There was one occasion when the disciples were not able to cast out a demon.
14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matt. 17:14-21)
Performing some miracles, such as casting out this demon, takes an extra measure of faith. Prayer and fasting are evidences of this greater faith.
Who Else Can Cast Out Demons?
Other people can cast out demons if they have sufficient faith and cast the demons out in the name of Jesus.
38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side. (Mark 9:38-40)
What are Some of the Signs of Demon Possession?
People who are demon possessed often foam at the mouth, throw themselves down, gnash their teeth, cut themselves, become rigid, act very offensively (e.g. running around naked), act and speak irrationally, and can be physically threatening. Epilepsy and being blind, deaf, or mute could be the result of demon possession.
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. (Mark 9:17-18)
14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water…… And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. (Matt. 17:15,18)
Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. (Mark 5:1-5)
Warning to Those Who Might Try to Cast Out a Demon
Be careful if you try to do an exorcism which is casting out a demon. Someone tried this in Paul’s day and suffered the consequences.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (Acts 19:13-16)
Can a Christian Become Demon Possessed?
No. The reason is that all the saved have the Holy Spirit residing in them. Satan or a demon cannot reside inside the temple of God. The Lord would never allow that to happen.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Cor. 6:19, 20)
I heard a preacher say that a Christian cannot become demon possessed but he can become demon oppressed. Be assured that if you are a Christian the demonic league will certainly try to get you to sin. Thank God that we have His Spirit in us to help us fight these demons.
Why Would God Permit Demons to Possess Someone in the First Place?
The Bible does not give us the answer to this question. There are some things that God has decided not to address in the Bible for our good. God has a plan, His plan is always good, and all things that happen to us as Christians will be worked out by God for our good. (Rom. 8:28)
This matter is one of the secret things of God that we are not allowed to know. God reveals to us in Scripture only those things that are important for us to be able to live our lives properly. We who trust in Jesus Christ can have the confidence to know that God has a detailed and specific plan and purpose for everything that happens. Whatever He permits is all according to His divine plan and we should praise His glory in it all even though our finite minds are not able to understand His actions.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33-36)