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Devils, lit. demons.

To the reality and personality of demons in the New Testament Scriptures bear abundant testimony. As to their origin nothing is clearly revealed, but they are not to be confounded with the angles mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6. Summary:

• Demons are spirits (Matt. 13:43, 45)
• Demons are Satan's Emissaries (Matt. 12:26, 27; Matt 25:41)
• They are so numerous as to make Satan's power practically ubiquitous (Mark 5:9)
  
  

• Demons are capable of entering and controlling both men and beasts (Mark 5:8, 11-13)
• They earnestly seek embodiment, without which apparently they are powerless for evil (Matt. 12:43-44; Mark 5:10-12)
• Demon influence and demon possession are discriminated in the New Testament.
  Instances of the latter are Matt. 4:24; Matt. 8:16, 28, 33; Matt. 9:32; Matt 12:22; Mark 1:32; Mark 5:15, 16, 18; Luke 8:36; Acts 8:7; Acts 16:16.

Demons are unclean, sullen, violent, and malicious (Matt. 8:28; 9:33; 10:1; 12:43; Mark 1:23; 5:3-5; 9:17, 20; Luke 6:18; 9:39).

Demons know Jesus Crist as Most High God, and recognize His supreme authority (Matt. 8:31-32; Mark 1:24; Acts 19:15; James 2:19).

Demons know their eternal fate to be one of torment (Matt. 8:29; Luke 8:31).

Demons inflict physical maladies (Matt. 12:22; 17:15-18; Luke 13:16), but mental disease is to be distinguished from the disorder of mind due to demonical control.

Demon influence may manifest itself in religious asceticism and formalism (1 Tim. 4:1-3), degenerating into uncleanness (2 Peter 2:10-12).

The sign of demon influence in religion is departing from the faith, i.e., the body of revealed truth in the Scriptures (1 Tim. 4:1).


The demons maintain especially a conflict with believers who would be spiritual (Eph. 6:12; 1 Tim. 4:1-3).


All believers are open to demon possession (Eph. 2:2).


The believers resources are, prayer and bodily control (Matt. 17:21), "the whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:13-18).


Exorcism in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:18) was practiced for demon possession. One of the awful features of the apocalyptic judgments in which this age will end is an irruption of demons out of the abyss (Rev. 9:1-11).

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