Encounters
with Demons: From the Bible
To understand the nature of demons and evil, one needs to understand the nature of God, humanity and angels first. To start off, one must understand that God is the only non-created being in the universe. God is eternal, without beginning and without end. God is the only entity in the universe who exists without being created. He is perfect in every way -in mind, emotions, all seeing and all knowing. Before God created man, He first created the angels. The angels were created to be servants of God. Therefore, the angels possess intelligence and free will. Because they were made to be servants, they are also specialists (eg. there are messenger, worship and guardian angels....) Sometime between the creation of the angels and before the creation of man, one of the three archangels in Heaven named Lucifer (A.K.A. Satan or the Devil) rebelled against God and took with him a third of the angels from Heaven. This was the start of the cosmic war between good and evil. Today, these fallen angels are known as demons and have a reputation for extreme evil.
According to The Bible, "God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:27). When God created man, He couldn't have done a better job because he made man like Himself. This is why God loves us greatly - we are His greatest creation ! Remember that the created can never be equal to or better than the Creator. Therefore, when man was created, like God, man possessed a spirit (which is eternal), mind (interaction between a body and spirit) and free will. Unlike God, man was not all knowing and all seeing. Therefore, we were created to follow God's direction, because The Creator alone is all knowing. Once we deviate from this, we became vulnerable to deception.
When Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden, they both could have eaten whatever they wanted to, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2: 17). Adam and Eve could have eaten from any number of fruit trees, like cherry, peach, plum, apricot and berry tree. If they had a liking for apple, they could have eaten from any apple tree in the world, except for one. In other words, God made fellowshipping with Him as easy as can be. The only way to disobey God at that time was to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. At that time, Adam and Eve had reasons why not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil -hence they avoided it.. Then Satan enters into the picture. Satan temps Eve by telling her that she "will not surely die", but instead "your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil", if she eats of the forbidden fruit. Now, Eve has a compelling reason to eat of the tree of good and evil, if she chooses to belive in Satan's lie. Eve consequently eats of the forbidden apple tree and convinces Adam to do the same. In doing so, they have put all of humanity into the cosmic struggle between good and evil.
Today, Satan and his demons continue to deceive humanity by propagating lies. However, when confronted, demons will always admit to the Deity of Jesus Christ and the Bible as the Word of God.
In both the Old and New Testament, there are many encounters
with demons, but we will focus just on Jesus and His encounters with the demonic.
Jesus' encounter with Satan
Jesus' first recorded encounter with evil was with the Devil himself. At the start of
Jesus' public ministry, Christ is tempted by the Devil.
Matthew 4: 1-11
1. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
2. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God,
3. tell these stones to become bread."
4. Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone,
4. but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
5. Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the
5. highest point of the temple.
6. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is
6. written: "`He will command his angels concerning you,
6. and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not
6. strike your foot against a stone.' "
7. Jesus answered him, "It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the
test.' "
8. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms
8. of the world and their splendor.
9. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship
me."
10. Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship
10. the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "
11. Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Jesus' encounter with
demons in the Synagogue
Mark 1: 21-34
21. They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came,
21. Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught
22. them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
23. Just then a man in their synagogue who
23. was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
24. "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come
24. to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"
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.
27. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What
27. is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives
27. orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
28. News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
29. As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James
29. and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
30. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.
31. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.
31. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32. That evening after sunset the people brought
32. to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
33. The whole town gathered at the door,
34. and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out
34. many demons, but he would not let the demons
34. speak because they knew who he was.
Jesus' encounter with demons among the Tombs
Mark 5: 1-17
1. They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
2. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an
2. evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
3. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could
3. bind him any more, not even with a chain.
4. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore
4. the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.
4. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills
5. he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
7. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want
7. with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to
7. God that you won't torture me!"
8. For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
9. Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
9. "My name is Legion," 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
13. and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number,
13. rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside,
14. and the people went out to see what had happened.
15. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed
15. by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed
15. and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
16. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the
16. demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well.
17. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.