An Idiots Guide to

Demons and Demon

Possession

By Cody Kimmel

A Note From the Author

Before my career as a seminary student and pastor, I had never given much
thought to the idea of demons and demon possession. The little I did know about
them came from movies like The Exorcist and The Omen. Needless to say, as a
Christian and a pastor, I was not very well informed.
What follows is a brief pamphlet trying to answer some questions I have heard
over the years regarding demons and demon possession. The Bible clearly talks
about it, but for the most part, our culture has rejected their existence. Believing
in demons and demon possession is seen as no different than believing in
monsters living in closets. Its great fodder for scary stories and horror movies,
but its just fiction.
As I was confronted with the overwhelming biblical attestation to demons and
possession, I was convicted about my own beliefs. If I hold the bible to be true,
reliable, and authoritative (which I do) then I have to believe that demons are real
and they can possess people. But what is biblical and what truly is fiction? How
do we as Christians believe what the bible says about demons while still
reconciling that with our own experiences in the world?
This is why I wrote An Idiots Guide to Demons and Demon Possession. As 1
Peter 3:15 encourages believers, be prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Although this passage isnt
directly speaking about defending the existence of demons and demon
possession, it does carry with it a simple but important axiom: Christians cant
afford to be idiots when it comes to what we believe. That includes what the Bible
teaches about demons and demon possession.

How to Read this Pamphlet

This pamphlet is arranged by question, so you can either read the

pamphlet in its entirety or skip through to find questions that particularly
interest you.
This pamphlet assumes you accept the biblical account of demons and
demonology as true, reliable, and authoritative. It will not address textual
issues of reliability.
Anyone can read this. You dont need a seminary degree to understand it.
Although this is an idiots guide, the sources influencing it were not written
by idiots. Due to spacing and flow, I have chosen to include all
bibliographic data and comments as endnotes instead of footnotes.

Question 1: Are Demons Real?

The very short answer is: yes.
If one is willing to believe that the biblical God exists, then one has to accept the
existence of demons as a similar reality. If God exists, then angels exist. If angels
exist, then Satan exists. If Satan exists, then demons do as well. The Bible treats
all of these with the same affirmation of existence, so it follows that they are just
as real as God.

The Biblical Evidence:

Both the Old and New Testament talk about demons and there is no reason to
think the biblical authors are speaking metaphorically.
The Old Testament talks about people praying to idols. With a deeper look at the
words used and the way a thing called the Septuagint (the Greek translation of
the Hebrew Old Testament) translate them, it is clear that the Jews regarded
idols as real demons who allowed themselves to be worshiped by men.i
There are five different words used for demons in the Old Testament:ii

Shedhim Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106:37

Seirim Leviticus 17:7
Elilim Psalm 96:5
Gad Isaiah 65:11
Qeter Psalm 91:6iii

The New Testament mentions demons even more than the Old Testament.
Jesus and his disciples are frequently in confrontation with demons and those
who are possessed by them (cf. Matthew 9:33; 15:22; 17:18; Luke 8:27).
There are four different words for demons in the New Testament:

Daimon Matthew 8:31

Daimonion (This is the most frequent word occurring 63 times)
Pneumata Luke 10:17-20 (This word is used 43 times)
Angellos Matthew 25:41iv

Although modern culture often rejects the existence of anything supernatural, the
Bible does not. If we take the Bible seriously, we cannot ignore the pervasive
references to real demons who interact and affect humans.

Question 2: Where Did Demons Come From?

There is some debate about the specific origins of demons since the Bible
doesnt really talk about it explicitly. The Bible does tell us that God is the creator
of all things (Col 1:16), so we know demons havent always existed and must
have come from somewhere. The challenge is whether or not God created
demons as demons or if some created thing became demons sometime after
they were created.
Most theologians reject the idea that God created demons as suchv, so the
question becomes how did good spiritual beings become demons and when.
Below are two possible views taken by theologians on the origin of demons.

Demons are Fallen Angels

The most commonly held view is that demons are angels who followed Satan
when he fell from heaven (cf. Ezekiel 28:1-19; Isaiah 14:12-21). This is the view
taken in 2 Peter 2:4:
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them
into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be
kept until the judgment;
In the great cosmic fall that happened sometime between the creation of the
heavens and the earth, Satan thought himself to be like God. When God cast him
out of heaven for his pride, tradition claims a third of the angelic host went with
him. The Bible refers to these angels as demons.vi

Demons are Children of Fallen Angels and Humans

There are a few theologians throughout history who have taken Genesis 6:1-4 to
be the birthplace of demons. In fact, this was a commonly held view amongst
some of the early church fathers due to the difficulty of the passage.vii The theory
goes like this: Angels in rebellion from God mated with the women of the earth
and their offspring became the demons who terrorized the world.
This view is worth mentioning, since some notable theologians have taken this
view. However, this is the less supported view and is becoming increasingly
difficult to defend.
Regardless of which view is taken, demons are some corruption of angelic
beings and have been around a long time. As L. S. Chafer puts it, Evidently,
demons have always been active in the world from he dawn of human history.viii

Question 3: What Do Demons Look Like?

The question of what demons look like is made increasingly difficult by popular
cultures portrayal of demons in movies, books, and artwork. In some places
demons are portrayed as little devils where in other places they are gigantic, fiery
monsters.
Furthermore, the Bible doesnt spend any time talking about what demons look
like,ix so much of our understanding of their actual appearance comes from how
the Bible describes angels. With that in mind, here are three helpful descriptions
on what demons look like:
1. Demons are invisible and bodiless. When Jesus describes the unclean
spirit that has been cast of a man, he describes an alternative spirit world
the spirit inhabits (Matthew 12:43-45). Since angels dwell in the bodiless
spirit world, it makes sense to assume demons do as well. This shows that
any attempt in popular culture to portray demons with their own unique
and visible bodies is unbiblical.x
2. Demons become visible only when possessing or influencing living
creatures. The instances where demons do speak in the Bible (1 Samuel
28; Mark 5; Acts 8:6-7), they speak through humans. There is even the
story where demons ask to be cast into a herd of pigs (Mark 5). This
shows that demons can possess and therefore be seen in animals as well.
Although there are still a lot of problems with how demon possession is
portrayed in culture, it is still the only biblical way a demon is physically
seen.
3. Demons are nasty, depraved, and constantly opposed to God. Just
because demons are invisible, they are still strong, intelligent creatures
who can and will overpower people to oppose God. The description of the
possessed man from Gergesenes, with the unnatural strength, hatred, and
self-mutilation, is evidence of the character of demons (Matthew 8). As
Chafer describes them, every action is driven by a desire to hinder the
purpose of God for humanity, and to extend the authority of Satan.xi And
as Unger writes, Invisible, extremely intelligient, strong, and totally
depraved personalities can do a great deal of harm to the unregenerate
person, leading him unto evil.xii
As frightening as the answer may be, demons could look like anybody.

Question 4: What Can Demons Do?

Demons are powerful creatures that can do a lot of damage to people. But what
is their limitation? Can they read peoples minds? Do they really cause people to
levitate above their bed and speak in ancient languages? Are they completely
uninhibited or does God still control them?

3 Things Demons Can Do to Humansxiii

1. Demons Can Oppress Peoples Minds Demonic influence varies, and
is typically understood in two or three stages:
Demonic Influence A demon can influence a persons mind through
temptation, deception, and distraction without having full control of a
person. (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Galatians 3:1-3; and 1 John 3:8)
Demonic Subjectionxiv - If a demon gains a foothold in someones life,
they can begin to exert a greater amount of control over the person in
order to oppose the actions of God in the world (cf. Exodus 20:13-17).
Demonic Possession The final and most devastating level of
demonic influence on the mind is demonic possession. This can
manifest itself in hallucinations, being haunted by noisy voices, objects
being moved around you, or even being molested by demons. This will
be discussed further in the next question.
2. Demons Can Hurt People Physically In both the Old and New
Testament, demons are responsible for causing debilitating diseases and
afflictions, such as blindness (Matthew 12:22), dumbness (Matthew 9:3233), and deformities (Luke 13:11-17). Not only can demons cause
sickness, but demons have also been shown to cause screaming, foaming
at the mouth, violent episodes of convulsing, and in some cases, the
speaking of languages completely foreign to the person the demon
inhabits.xv
3. Demons Can Cause Natural Disasters and Phenomena The Book of
Job shows that Satan, along with his minions (demons), caused physical
calamity through natural disasters to try and tempt Job away from
faithfulness to God (Job 1-2).

1 Thing Demons Cant Do

Demons cannot operate outside of Gods sovereignty. Despite the frightening
power demons can have over individuals, Gods plan is not hindered by their
work!

Question 5: What is Demon Possession?

Demonization, also known as demonization, is something that happens often in
the Bible, especially in the New Testament. C. Fred Dickason in Demon
Possession and the Christian defines it this way:
[Demonization is] a demon caused passivity. This indicates a
control other than that of the person who is demonized; he is
regarded as the recipient of the demons action. In other words,
demonization pictures a demon controlling a somewhat passive
human.xvi

Demon Possession in the New Testament

Mark 1:21-28 (Luke 4:31-37)

Luke 8:2
Matthew 12:22-29
Matthew 8:28-34 (Mark 5:1-17; Luke 8:26-37)
Matthew 9:32-34
Mark 7:25-30
Matthew 17:14-20 (Mark 9:14-28; Luke 9:37-42)
Luke 11:14
Luke 13:10-12

Demon Possession in the World

There have been numerous accounts of demon possession throughout history
and in the world today. Some of the largest documentation of demon possession
in the world today comes from missionaries. For example, the Yanomamo tribe of
Ecuador would frequently interact with spirits through opiates and tribal rituals
and were often times overcome by spirits to do evil to other people.xvii
Although demon possession can look extreme, it doesnt have to. Since there are
various degrees of demonic influence, demonic possession can exist unnoticed
in peoples lives for years before being confronted.xviii
It is debatable what exactly leads to demon possession and whether or not
Christians can become possessed. In theory, complete demon possession
seems contrary to the indwelling of the Spirit in believers, but there have been
numerous accounts that prove otherwise.xix
One thing is for sure: Demons work by influencing and possessing people, and
their number one enemies are Christians. This means we must be wary!

Question 6: What Does Demon Possession Look Like?

If we believe that demons are real and working to influence this world, then we
must rethink what demon possession might look like in the modern world. This is
not to discount the more traditional (if you can even call it that) ways of
possession that seem more obvious. However, if demons are truly intelligent and
cunning, it makes sense for them to mask their oppression and possession in a
way that seems acceptable to modern standards.xx

Possession and Mental Disorder

There is a growing interest in the correlation between mental disease and demon
possession. Even though most psychiatrists and theologians would disagree that
all mental disease and disorder is caused by demonic influence, a growing
number are entertaining the possibility that some is.xxi
Although many accuse the Bible of wrongfully calling mental disorders demon
possession, Christians must at least entertain the possibility that, at times, we are
wrongfully calling mental disorders natural and material.xxii

Possession and Moralistic Religion

Another possible form of demon possession that is prevalent today is through
moralistic, but gospel-less religious piety. Galatians 3:1-4, Paul is asking the
Galatians who has deceived them into thinking that God is pleased through
works of the Law. The word he uses is a reference to demonization and
witchcraft.
If a demons goal is to accomplish the purposes of Satan and thwart those of
God, promoting a religion that is close, but wrong seems to be one of the most
effective ways of possessing individuals toward that end.xxiii

Bibliography

Betty, Stafford. "The Growing Evidence for "Demonic Possession": What Should
Psychiatry's Response Be?" Journal of Religion and Health 44, no. 1
(Spring 2005): 13-30.
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Vol. 2. 8 vols. Grand Rapids, MI:
Kregel Publications, 1976.
Dickason, C. Fred. Angels: Elect and Evil. Chicago: Moody Press, 1995.
. Demon Possession & the Christian. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1987.
Montgomery, John Warwick. Demon Possession: A Medical, Historical,
Anthropological and Theological Symposium. Minneapolis, Minnesota:
Bethany House Publishers, 1975.
Page, Sydney H. T. Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan & Demons. Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1995.
Ritchie, Mark Andrew. Spirit of the Rainforest. Chicago, Illinois: Island Lake
Press, 2000.
Unger, Merrill F. Demons in the World Today. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, 1971.
. What Demons Can Do to Saints. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1977.
Worley, Win. Battling the Hosts of Hell: Diary of an Exorcist. Lansing, Illinois:
New Leaf Press, Inc., 1977.

Dickason, C. Fred. Angels: Elect and Evil. Chicago: Moody Press, 1995. 162.
In Sydney Pages book Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons, Page mentions
other possible names, including Azazel, the name given to the scape goat sent into the
wilderness on the Day of Atonement, which some traditions believe to be a demon, maybe even
Satan himself. However, since there is significant debate surrounding the inclusion of the other
words, I have chosen to stick with the basic list found in Dickason. (Page, 65-86)
iii
Ibid. 163-64.
iv
Ibid. 164-65.
v
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Vol. 2. 8 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel
Publications, 1976. 41-42
vi
Unger, Merrill F. Demons in the World Today. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971. 8.
vii
Page, 43-54. Chafer, 115-117.
viii
Chafer, 117.
ixUnger, Demons in the World Today, 13.
xIbid., 21-23; Chafer, 119-120. This is true for points 2 and 3 as well.
xiChafer, 121.
xiiUnger, Demons in the World Today, 28.
xiii
Dickason, C. Fred. Demon Possession & the Christian. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1987,
27-31; Chafer, 121; Unger, 34. These are consulted for this whole section.
xivUnger, 30. Unger includes demon subjection as a bridge between demonic influence and
demon possession.
xvWorley, Win. Battling the Hosts of Hell: Diary of an Exorcist. Lansing, Illinois: New Leaf Press,
Inc., 1977, 20-23; Unger, Demons in the World Today, 33.
xviDickason, C. Fred. Demon Possession & the Christian, 37.
ii


xviiRitchie, Mark Andrew. Spirit of the Rainforest. Chicago, Illinois: Island Lake Press, 2000.
xviiiChafer, 121.
xixUnger, Merrill F. What Demons Can Do to Saints. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1977. 49-51.
xxChafer, 121.
xxiBetty, Stafford. "The Growing Evidence for "Demonic Possession": What Should Psychiatry's
Response Be?" Journal of Religion and Health 44, no. 1 (Spring 2005): 13-30.
xxii Collins, Gary R. Demon Possession: A Medical, Historical, Anthropological and Theological
Symposium. Edited by Montgomery, John Warwick. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House
Publishers, 1975, 247.
xxiiiChafer, 121.

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