DAEMON (DEMON) the Greek form, rendered "devil" in the Authorized Version of the New Testament. Daemons are spoken of as spiritual beings
A. ATTRIBUTES AND LIMITATIONS OF DEMONS
Matthew 8:16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he [JESUS] drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
(1) IT APPEARS DEMONS MUST POSSESS A BODY TO REMAIN ON PLANET EARTH. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THAT DEMONS (fallen angels) WERE INCARCERATED IN BONDS, UNDER DARKNESS, HELD FOR THE JUDGEMENT. (JUDE 1:6). APPARENTLY SOME WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE, BUT WERE STILL SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS, AS WE SHALL SEE. JESUS DROVE THEM OUT WITH A _________.Matthew 12:43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
Matthew 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
(1) NOT ONLY WERE THE DEMONS SUBJECT TO JESUS, BUT HE COULD GIVE THAT ______________ TO HIS DISCIPLES.
1. According to Mark 5, demons are at enmity with God,
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
(1) DO DEMONS STILL UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY OF GOD? ___________.
Mark 5:2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
Mark 5:8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
(1) WHAT KIND OF SPIRIT WAS THIS? AN __________ SPIRIT
2. Many demons may posses one person:
Matthew 12:43-45 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. [44] Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. [45] Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." And as having a certain power over man
(1) IN THIS CASE HOW MANY DEMONS WERE IN THE MAN? _______
3. Demons are able to perform miracles and signs through those that they possess.
Rev 16:14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
(1) IS IT SAFE TO ASSUME THAT ANY SIGN OR MIRACLE IS FROM GOD ABOVE? _________________.
4. They recognize our Lord as the Son of God James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder Luke 4:41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
(1) MANY RELIGIONS AND "ISMS'" RECOGNIZE JESUS AS ONLY A GREAT PERSON OR PROPHET. THE DEMONS REALIZE THE JESUS IS THE _______.
5. Demons belong to the number of those angels that "kept not their first estate," "unclean spirits," "fallen angels," the
angels of the devil Matthew 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
(1) REMEMBER THAT THE GREEK WORD FOR DEVIL IS DAEMON. WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE MEAN WHEN IT DECLARES THE ANGLES DID NOT KEEP THEIR FIRST ESTATE? _________________
Rev 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. [8] But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. [9] The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
6. They are the "principalities and powers" against which we must "wrestle"
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(1) FOR THE CHRISTIAN, ARE DEMONIC FORCES SOMETHING WITH WHICH WE MUST RECKON?_____________________________
B. WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DEMONS
1. Men have worshiped demons, believing that they were god.
Deut 32:17 They sacrificed to demons, which are not God--gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear.
(1) FROM YOU OWN KNOWLEDGE, WHAT KIND OF GODS, (ACTUALLY DEMONS) CAN YOU THINK OF, THAT MEN HAVE WORSHIPED IN THE PAST? ________________________________________________
(2) DO PEOPLE STILL WORSHIP DEMONS TODAY? ________________.
Psalm 106:37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
(1) ACCORDING TO JOHN 10:10a The thief [devil] comes only to steal and kill and destroy . . . DOES IT SURPRISE YOU THAT HUMAN SACRIFICE WOULD BE A PART OF DEMON WORSHIP? _______
Matthew 4:9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Luke 4:7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
(1) DOES THE DEVIL DESIRE WORSHIP? _______<
1 Cor 10:20-21 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. [21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.
(1) PAUL LIKENS ANY WORSHIP OF PAGANS AS, WORSHIP OF DEMONS. CAN A CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATE IN BOTH, SUCH AS EASTERN MEDITATION AND CHRISTIANITY? ___________________________________
1 Tim 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
(1) MANY MOVEMENTS WITHIN THE "CHURCH" ARE ATTRIBUTED TO A NEW MOVE OF THE SPIRIT. WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD(THROUGH PAUL) WARN US ABOUT?
_____________________________________________________
Rev 13:4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
(1) IN THE LAST DAYS, WHO WILL MEN WORSHIP? _________________
2. The Worship of demons is forbidden.
Leviticus 17:7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.'
(1) WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT ANY WORSHIP NOT DIRECTED AT GOD IS THE WORSHIP OF DEMONS. SACRIFICES TO THE GOAT IDOL IS _________
WORSHIP.
Rev 9:20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
(1) IS GOD TOLERANT (A FAVORITE WORD IN AMERICA TODAY) OF DEMON WORSHIP? _______________
C: Possession by, instances of.
1. KING SAUL
1 Samuel 16:14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Saul is made a terror to himself. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. If God and his grace do not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us. The devil, by the Divine permission, troubled and terrified Saul, by the corrupt humors of his body, and passions of his mind. He grew fretful, peevish, and discontented, and at times a madman.
(1) WHAT HAD TO HAPPEN TO SAUL THAT ALLOWED THE EVIL SPIRIT TO TAKE POSSESSION? _________________
1 Samuel 18:10-11 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand [11] and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
(1) REMEMBER THE MISSION OF THE DEVIL AND HIS MINIONS, ACCORDING TO JOHN 10:10A (THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY;).WHEN THE EVIL SPIRIT CAME UPON SAUL, WHAT DID HE TRY TO DO TO DAVID? ____
Two men of the Gergesens. Matthew 8:28-34 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. [29] "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"
(1) KEEPING IN MIND THE MINISTRY OF DEMONS, (STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY)
WHAT CHARACTERIZED THESE MEN? THEY WERE SO ___________.
(2) ACCORDING TO THIS PASSAGE, ARE THE DEMONS AWARE OF THEIR SENTENCE OF THE ETERNAL FIRE OF JUDGEMENT? ____________.
[30] Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. [31] The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." [32] He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
'LEST YOU THINK JESUS UNCOMPASSIONATE TO THE GADARENES WHO OWNED THE PIGS THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE PIG BUSINESS. THEY WERE STILL A PEOPLE UNDER LAW AND PORK WAS STILL A FORBIDDEN FOOD.
(1) FROM PREVIOUS PASSAGES, WHY DID THE DEMONS BEG TO BE RELEASED INTO THE HERD OF HOGS? _____________
(2) WHY DID THEY NEED PERMISSION FROM JESUS? _______________
Mark 5:1-8 And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5And constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones. 6And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" 8For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"
[9] Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," (a Roman legion was 6,000 men) he replied, "for we are many." [10] And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
[11] A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. [12] The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
[13] He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
(1) TO THE PIGS CREDIT, WHAT DID THEY PREFER TO DEMON POSSESSION? _________________
[14] Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. [15] When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. [16] Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. [17] Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
(1) WHAT DID THE PEOPLE WANT JESUS TO DO? _________________
[18] As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. [19] Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." [20] So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Note: Contrast is often made between this passage and Matthew 28: where there are two demon possessed men, is this an error? I believe the explanation can be found in Mark 5:6 and Mark 5:18, this man bowed (the word used means in worship) to Jesus and following his exorcism, begged to follow Jesus. Mark choose to center on him. The important thought is that the men of Gadara asked Jesus to leave verse 17. They preferred the pigs to Jesus.
One more side note: If the one demoniac, in Matthew 28 didn't choose to follow Jesus, perhaps he is an example of Matthew 12:43-45 "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44"Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45"Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
The dumb man. Matthew 9:32-33 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. [33] And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
Luke 11:14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.
(1) WHAT DID THIS DEMON DO TO THIS MAN? __________________.
The blind and dumb man.
Matthew 12:22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
(1) WHAT HAPPENED WHEN JESUS DROVE OUT THIS DEMON? ____________
The daughter of the Syrophenician.
Matthew 15:22,28 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
[28] Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Mark 7:25-26,29-30 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. [26] The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.[29] Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." [30] She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
(1) IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS BELIEVING IN DEMONS AS I DID, ANSWER THIS QUESTION; DID JESUS BELIEVE IN DEMONS? _______________.
(2) DID JESUS HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THE DEMON? _______________.
The lunatic child.
Matthew 17:14-18 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. [15] "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. [16] I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
(1) WHAT DID THE DEMON ATTEMPT TO DO TO THIS CHILD? ___________
[17] "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." [18] Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Mark 9:17-27 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. [18] Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." [19] "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."[20] So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.[21] Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. [22] "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."[23] "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."[24] Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"[25] When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."[26] The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
(1) WHY DO YOU THINK THE SPIRIT SHRIEKED? _____________________________.
Luke 9:37-42 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. [38] A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. [39] A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. [40] I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not."
[41] "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."
[42] Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
The man in the synagogue.
Mark 1:23-26 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, [24] "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"
(1) DO THE DEMONS KNOW WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT AUTHORITY HE HAS? __________________.
[25] "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" [26] The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
Luke 4:33-35 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, [34] "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"[35] "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
(1) CAN YOU SENSE THE CONTEMPT THAT DEMONS HAVE FOR HUMANS? ____
Luke 8:2-3 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
(1) SINCE DEMONS ARE SPIRIT BEINGS, THEY EXIST OUTSIDE OF SPACE. DOES THERE SEEM TO BE A LIMIT AS TO HOW MANY DEMONS CAN INDWELL A SPATIAL BODY? _________________________
Cast out by Jesus.
Matthew 4:24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Matthew 8:16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.." Luke 4:41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
John 20:30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
(1) WHY ARE ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL CASES NOT RECORDED? ________
Power over demons is given the disciples by the authority of Jesus.
Matthew 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Mark 6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
Mark 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
(1) DO BORN AGAIN MEN HAVE AUTHORITY OVER DEMONS?_______________
Cast out by the disciples.
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
(1) DID THE DEMON SUBMIT TO THE DISCIPLES? ____
Cast out by Peter.
Acts 5:16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
(1) PETER WAS ABLE TO ________ THOSE TORMENTED BY EVIL SPIRITS.
Cast out by Paul.
Acts 16:16-18 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. [17] This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." [18] She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
(1) PAUL WAS ABLE TO CAST OUT THIS DEMON BY THE AUTHORITY OF HIS __________.
Acts 19:12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
(1) SO STRONG WAS THE AUTHORITY GIVEN PAUL THAT DEMONS WERE REPELLED EVEN BY THINGS THAT PAUL __________.
Cast out by Philip.
Acts 8:7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.
(1) PHILIP EXORCIZED DEMONS AND MANY ________ AND _______ WERE HEALED.
Sceva's sons exorcize.
Acts 19:13-16 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." [14] Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. [15] One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" [16] Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
(1) THESE MEN HAD NO AUTHORITY OVER THE DEMONS. WHY? ______________________________________.
Should our focus be more on Jesus and less on demons. The demon said "Paul I know and Jesus I know, but who are you?" What would happen if we were truly, in out inner most being, able to say with Paul: "[Philip. 3:10] that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
Wouldn't it be fair to assume that If we knew Jesus like that, He would know us. Then Jesus could say: " well done good and faithful servant", instead of [ Matthew 7:23b] "... I never knew you; depart from Me, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS."
For more information on knowing Jesus go to the studies on Discipleship
or return to the introduction page. of this section
For a real short study on Satan click on Satan
If you have questions, comments or suggestions please Email me at deans@interpath.com