Satan is a created being and therefore not omnipresent. He can only be one place at once. This means he needs helpers to do his bidding. Those helpers are demons.
What We Can Know about the Powers of Darkness
- They seek to inhabit people (Matt. 12:43–45).
- They have different personalities (some beg, some are arrogant, some angry, some weak)
- They are destructive.
- They cause illness. (Matt. 4:24; 8:16; 10:1, 8; 12:22; 17:14–18; Mark 1:34; 6:13; Luke 7:21; 8:2, 36; 9:42; Acts 5:16; 8:7;)
- It seems they exercise authority over geographical regions and governments. (Deut. 32:8–9; Dan 10:13, 20-21; Ps. 82)
- It seems they are attached to curses, damaged emotions, and sin.
- They often come in groups with a hierarchy (Mark 5).
Three Types of Ground-Level Spirits
There are three types of ground-level demons: (1) family spirits, (2) occult spirits, and (3) ordinary spirits. Typically, family spirits are the strongest, followed by occult spirits, then ordinary spirits.
Type 1: Family Spirits
Family spirits are those that are inherited from generation to generation within families. It’s common in cultures for people to dedicate their children to family spirits for well-being (protection, fortune, good health, talents, and abilities, etc.). These spirits can be passed even without a formal dedication. There’s no way of knowing how many generations back the dedication can go for the spirit to be inherited.
Type 2: Occult Spirits
Occult spirits are those that come from membership in religions, cults, or occult organizations. Like family spirits, these can be passed down to succeeding generation, even to children and grandchildren who have not been dedicated. Dealing with occult spirits requires renouncing/canceling the rights the spirit has on a person. These rights are typically given through vows, curses, or dedications. Occult spirits are involved in world religions (Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Folk Religion, etc.).
Type 3: Ordinary Spirits
Ordinary spirits are those that gain a legal right to people because the people hang on to (wallow in) unforgivenness, anger, hatred, fear, shame, feelings of rejection, hurt, lust, etc. These are the spirits we see most when dealing with deep healing.
Six Ways Demonization Happens
Way 1: Through Conscious Invitation
Demons can enter a person by conscious invitation. A conscious invitation happens whenever there is deliberateinvolvement with or worship of gods, spirits, or powers other than the true God. This can happen through participation in non-Christian religions and/or occult organizations. This would include Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, Scientology, Mormonism, Christian Science, Jehovah’s witnesses, occult organizations, leaders of New Age groups, fortune-tellers, psychics, or withes.
Way 2: Through Unconscious Invitation
Unconscious invitation is more subtle than conscious invitation. Demons gain rights when someone wallows in negative attitude, usually in reaction to some difficult experience. This includes, but is not limited to shame, guilt, bitterness, resentment, rage, depression, fear, worry, hatred, rebellion, rejection, abandonment, control, and sexual sins.
Unconscious 1: Through Addictive Behavior
Repeatedly giving into temptations give room to demonic stronghold. Addictions include pornography, alcohol, drugs, gambling, self-rejection, self-hatred, self-condemnation, envy, or even jealousy.
Unconscious 2: Through Inheritance
Demons can be passed through bloodlines. They can live in people whose parents and/or grandparents were in non-Christian religions, witchcraft, or occult organizations.
Unconscious 3: Curses
Curses are hateful words aimed at a person (even the self). Sometimes curses are formalized through ritual including vows, oaths, pact-making, spells, and hexes.
Nine Activities Demons Promote
- Disruption. Demons aggravate existing situations. They push, prod, tempt, and entice people to make poor or unwise decisions. They work to make bad things worse and get people to overdo good things so that once-good things are no longer positive.
- Temptation. Satan tempted Eve (Gen. 3:1–7) and Jesus (Matt. 16:21–23). It seems they can put ideas in people’s minds and tempt in areas of greatest vulnerability.
- Hiddenness. Demons like to stay hidden. They want people to think they don’t exist. Being aware that a problem is demonic is more than half the battle.
- Fear. Demons want us to fear them. It keeps us under their control. Demons can be greatly weakened through repentance and inner healing. They are not to feared.
- Deceit. Deceit is one of the primary strategies of the demonic. They lie about people and God. They also slander. Their lies can be direct contradictions or sometimes indirect questioning of truth.
- Hindrance. Demons want to stop the advance of the gospel and the spreading of the Kingdom of God. They hinder Christians from effectiveness in ministry and non-Christina’s from receptivity to the gospel. They will attack Christians to keep them in church or attending Bible study, small group, or any place where grace is dispensed into their lives. They push to make our minds wander to distract from sermons or edifying messages.
- Accusation. Demons cripple through accusation. They whisper accusations of others and undermine relationships. They especially make accusations about God (Gen. 3).
- Enablement. Demons enable compulsions. They delight in helping people to develop a compulsive approach to both good and bad behavior. They encourage harmful compulsive behavior as well as overdoing “good” things like work, study, doctrinal purity, family, achievement, etc.
- Harassment. Demons want to disrupt our lives using whatever means possible. This includes traffic, weather, health, stress, relationships, sleep, eating habits, and even mechanical objects (cars, computers, etc.).
