Demons are evil spiritual beings
who serve Satan
and oppose God and His purposes.
They are fallen angels
who joined in rebellion against God
and now work to
deceive, oppress, and destroy people.
While Satan is their leader,
demons carry out much of the
day-to-day work of the kingdom of darkness.
The Bible uses several terms to describe demons:
In the Old Testament, they are sometimes referred to as “gods” of the nations or “demons” that Israel was warned not to worship (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37).
The Bible does not give an exhaustive account of the origin of demons, but the most widely held biblical view is that demons are angels who rebelled against God along with Satan.
Key passages that support this include:
These fallen angels now serve as agents of Satan’s kingdom and carry out his will on earth.
Demons are:
Demons work in several ways:
Their ultimate goal is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) and to keep people from knowing and following Jesus.
One of the clearest proofs of Jesus’ authority and identity is His power over demons. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus:
Jesus’ ministry demonstrated that the kingdom of God had come and that the power of the enemy was being broken.
The New Testament teaches that believers have authority over demons through Jesus Christ:
While demons are real and active, they are defeated enemies. Believers are called to walk in the victory Christ has already won.
Demons are real spiritual enemies, but they are not all-powerful. They operate under the authority of Satan and are ultimately under the sovereign control of God. Jesus has already defeated them through His death and resurrection, and believers are called to stand in that victory through faith, obedience, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. While we should be aware of demonic activity, our focus should remain on Christ and His finished work.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.