on the devil and his minions

“Belief in a personal devil has always been a creed of the church. That doesn’t mean every person has his personal devil, but that the devil is an actual personage rather than merely an impersonal force. The tendency in our culture is to depersonalize him… Even many Christians who believe in the devil seem to cringe at the idea of demons being present in the world. Then how do you think Satan carries on his worldwide ministry of evil and deception? He is a created being. He is not omnipresent, omniscient, or omnipotent. He can’t be everywhere in the world tempting and deceiving millions of people at the same moment. He does so through an army of emissaries (demons or fallen angels) who propagate his lies around the world.”  (114)

“Origen wrote, ‘In regard to the devil and his angels and opposing powers, the ecclesiastical teaching maintains that the beings do indeed exist; but what they are or how they exist is not explained with sufficient clarity. This opinion, however, is held by most: that the devil was an angel; and having apostasized, he persuaded as many angels as possible to fall away with himself; and these, even to the present time, are called his angels.’”  (115)

“Irenaeus wrote, ‘The devil… can only go to this length, as he did at the beginning, to deceive and lead astray the mind of man into disobeying the commandments of God, and gradually to darken the hearts.’”  (118)

“Satan is like [a] yappy little dog: deceiving people into fearing him more than God. His power is in the lie. He is the father of lies (John 8:44) who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9), and consequently the whole world is under the influence of the evil one (1 John 5:19). He can do nothing about your position in Christ, but if he can deceive you into believing his lies about you and God, you will spend a lot of the time [fearful of him and not living up to your potential]. You don’t have to outshout him or outmuscle him to be free of his influence. You just have to out-truth him. Believe, declare, and act upon the truth of God’s Word, and you will thwart Satan’s strategy… Power for the believer comes in knowing and choosing the truth. We are to pursue truth, because we already have all the power we need in Christ (see Ephesians 1:18,19).”  (24)

“Demons are like little invisible germs looking for someone to infect. We are never told in Scripture to be afraid of them. You just need to be aware of their reality and commit yourself to know the truth and live a righteous life. Remember: The only thing big about a demon is its mouth. Demons are habitual liars. The only real sanctuary you have is your position in Christ, and in Him you have all the protection you need.”  (93)

“Satan’s emissaries are masters of accusation, especially after they have distracted you through temptation. One minute they’re saying, ‘Try this; there’s nothing wrong with it.’ Then, when you yield, they’re right there taunting, ‘See what you did! How can you call yourself a Christian when you behave like that?’ Accusation is one of Satan’s primary weapons in his attempt to distract you from your goal.”  (119)

What Can We Know About Demons from Luke 11:24-26?

1. “Demons can exist outside or inside humans. Demons seem to be spirits which find a measure of rest in organic beings, preferring even swine over nothingness (Mark 5:12). These spirits may take territorial rights and associate with certain geographical locations which have been used for satanic purposes.  (116)
2. “[Demons] are able to travel at will. Being spiritual entities, demons are not subject to the barriers of the natural world. The walls of your church building do not establish it as a sanctuary from demonic influence; only prayer and spiritual authority can do that.”  (116)
3. “[Demons] are able to communicate. It is obvious from Luke 11 that evil spirits can communicate with each other. They can also speak to humans through a human subject, such as they did through the Gadarene demoniac (Matthew 8:28-34). Such extreme cases reveal control of the central nervous system. A lesser degree of control comes from paying attention to deceiving spirits (1 Timothy 4:1).”  (116)
4. “Each [demon] has a separate identity. Notice the use of personal pronouns in Luke 11… We are dealing with thinking personalities as opposed to interpersonal forces. That’s why secular methods of research are not going to reveal their existence. Revelation alone is our authoritative source on the reality and personality of evil spirits.”  (116-117)
5. “[Demons] are able to remember and make plans. The fact that they can leave a place, come back, remember their former state, and plan reentry with others shows their ability to think and plan.”  (117)
6. “[Demons] are able to evaluate and make decisions. The fact that the evil spirit found its human target ‘swept and put in order’ (verse 25) clearly indicates that it can evaluate its intended victim. Demons gain access to our lives through points of vulnerability. Yet we are not to care what Satan thinks of us; we are to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 5:9).”  (117)
7. “[Demons] are able to combine forces. In Luke 11 the one spirit joined with a group of seven others, making the victim’s last state worse than his first. In the case of the Gadarene demoniac, the number of demons united for evil was ‘legion’ (Mark 5:9). I have heard many people identify a number of different voices in their mind, describing them as a committee.”  (117)
8. “[Demons] vary in degrees of wickedness. The first demon in Luke 11 brought back seven other spirits ‘more evil than itself’ (verse 26). Jesus indicated a difference in the wickedness of spirits when He said of one, ‘This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.’ (Mark 9:29). The concept of variations in power and wickedness fits the hierarchy which Paul lists in Ephesians 6:12.”  (117)