Scriptural Definition Of Demons And Evil Spirits

‘Demons’ are false gods: Leviticus 17:6, Deuteronomy 32:16-17, 2 Chronicles 11:15, Psalm 106:6-7, Acts 17:18, 1 Corinthians 10:19-20.

‘Evil spirits’ sent by God: Judges 9:23, 1 Samuel 16:14-23, 1 Kings 22:22-23, 1 Chronicles 18:21-22, Psalm 78:46 (destroying angels).

Scriptural method of dealing with demons and evil spirits

An ‘evil spirit’ driven out with music: 1 Samuel 16:14-23.

‘Demons’ driven out with the power of God: Matthew 12:28, Mark 3:15; 16:17, Luke 11:20.

God is the only source of disaster and evil

Judges 9:23, 1 Samuel 16:14-23, 2 Samuel 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 21:1, 1 Kings 22:22-23, 1 Chronicles 18:21-22, Job 1:12, 16, 21; 2:6, 9, 20; 5:17; 6:4; 9:4; 10:2; 11:5-6; 19:21; 27:2; 42:21, Psalm 78:46, Isaiah 45:7, Amos 3:6, Micah 1:12, 2 Corinthians 12:7, Romans 1:25-32, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12.

Other gods Idols Demons

Made by men:

2 Kings 19:18Isaiah 37:18-19; 44:9-10Jeremiah 16:20

Made by men:

Isaiah 37:18-19; 44:9-10Revelation 9:20

Made by men:

2 Chronicles 11:15Revelation 9:20

Worshipped:

Exodus 2-:23Deuteronomy 4:28; 32:16- 7Isaiah 37:18-19Jeremiah 16:20

Worshipped as gods:

Exodus 20:23Deuteronomy 4:28; 32:16Psalm 96:5, 106:36Isaiah 37:18-19; 44:9-10Jeremiah 16:20Revelation 9:20

Are gods:

Leviticus 17:7Deuteronomy 32:17 2 Chronicles 11:15Psalm 96:6 (LXX); 106:37Acts 17:181 Corinthians 10:19-20Revelation 9:20

There is only one God – other gods do not exist:

2 Kings 19:18, 2 Chronicles 13:9, Isaiah 37:19; 44:9-10; 45:5-7, 20-22, Jeremiah 2:11; 5:7; 16:20, John 17:3, Acts 19:26, 1 Corinthians 8:7-8;

10:19-20, Galatians 4:8, Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Timothy 2:5

DEMONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Demons are the gods worshipped by the heathen

• The Old Testament describes demons as being the gods worshipped by the pagans, and denies that they exist

• A belief in demons would contradict the Bible teaching that there is one God

• The gospel records were written to those who believed in these gods, so it uses the word they are familiar with

• The gospels sometimes speak of the people as if they were the demons themselves

• People who had ‘demons’ were treated by Christ as sick people

BIBLE LANGUAGE

The Bible sometimes uses language which describes how things appear, rather than how they literally are:

• Descriptions of the rising and falling of the sun: The sun does not literally rise or fall, but it appears to (Numbers 2:3, Psalm 50:1; 113:3, Isaiah 45:6, Mark 16:2 are just a few examples)

• References to the 'four corners of the earth': The earth does not literally have four corners, but it appears to (Isaiah 11:12, Ezekiel 7:2, Revelation 7:1)

• The 'miracles' performed by Egypt's magicians: The magicians did not perform genuine miracles, but they appeared to (Exodus 7:22; 8:7)

• The 'standing still' of the sun and moon on Joshua's 'long day': The sun did not literally stand still, but it appeared to (Joshua 10:12-13)

BIBLE LANGUAGE

The Bible sometimes speaks of things which do not exist, as if they did:

• Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel:

Elijah’s challenge to the prophets of Baal sounded as if he believed that Baal literally existed (1 Kings 18:27), he did not simply tell them that Baal was a false god who was not real

• God's challenge to King Ahaziah regarding Baalzebub:

When King Ahaziah sought advice from Baalzebub as to whether or not he would die, the message God sent through the mouth of His prophet was not ‘Baalzebub does not exist, why are you seeking to a false God?’, but Is there no God in Israel, that you seek advice from the gods of the heathens?’, as if the gods of the heathens actually existed, when we know that God elsewhere says they don’t exist (2 Kings 1:2-4)

BIBLE LANGUAGE

• References to idols trembling, and false gods bowing down:

Frequently God speaks of the false gods of the heathens as if they exist, when in fact He has said they do not, and describes idols as having life when they are obviously dead:

• He describes Himself as coming to visit judgment on the gods of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:12, Numbers 33:4)

• He challenges the false gods of the heathen to worship Him (Psalm 97:7)

• He describes the idols of Egypt as trembling at His approach (Isaiah 19:1)

• He describes the gods of the Babylonians as bowing down and kneeling in submission to Him (Isaiah 46:1)

• He says He will punish the gods of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:25)

• He says He will starve (or ‘weaken’), the gods of the heathen (Zephaniah 2:11)

BIBLE LANGUAGE

Jesus sometimes used language which sounded like one thing, even though he didn’t mean it literally:

John 6:53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “his teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.

Jesus did this even when he knew some people would misunderstand him.

DEMONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The gospels sometimes speak of the people as if they were the demons themselves:

Mark 3:11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!”

Luke 11:14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed.

DEMONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The gospels sometimes speak of the people as if they were the demons themselves:

Luke 8:30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion” for many demons had entered him.

Mark 5:9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

DEMONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the next verse of Luke's record, it appears that the demons speak for themselves:

Luke 8:31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

But Mark has the man himself making a request regarding the demons:

Mark 5:10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

The gospels are talking about the man as if he were the demons, because the man is sick. He believes that he has demons inside him, and he thinks he is one of them.