Demons in the Ministry of Jesus, Chapter 1 contents

The New Testament has quite a bit to say about demons. In the KJV the Greek word daimonion is usually translated ‘devils,’ but that is misleading. There is only one Devil, Satan, who has control over many demons. So it is more accurate to speak of the spirits that assist Satan in his kingdom as demons, or (as they are also called) ‘unclean spirits,’ ‘evil spirits,’ and the like.

DEMONIZED, NOT DEMON POSSESSED

The Greek verb daimonizesthai means to be under the power or influence of a demon; it does not specify the degree of influence the demon exercises. Yet nearly all of the English versions translate daimonizesthai as to be “demon possessed.” This also is misleading; it would be better to render it ‘demonized.’ I say this because the phrase ‘demon possessed’ in English connotes a severe or complete degree of control, whereas demonized is general, and can refer to various degrees of demonic influence, all the way from a minor affliction to entire possession, as the Greek word does.

For example, the Gadarene demoniac could be said to be demon possessed. He was wild, uncontrollable, completely insane; he was like some raving inmate escaped from an asylum. The Bible uses the daimonizesthai to describe him.

Mark. 5:1-5: “They went across the lake to the region of the Gadarenes 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil [Greek: unclean] spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.”

Notice that this man is completely out of control: had he lived today he would surely have been kept in an institution for the insane. Further in the chapter, verses 15 and 16, read as follows:

Mark. 5:15-16: “When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons [the Greek actually says that he had a legion of demons, not that the demons had him] 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 [demonized] man — and told about the pigs as well.” Here it is quite reasonable to say that the man had been demon possessed, for he had been entirely under the power of evil spirits.

However, in other places the word is used of far less severe degrees of influence, such as deafness, inability to speak, epilepsy, paralysis, and a whole range of unspecified physical illnesses; their minds and spirits were not affected at all. In such cases demon-possession would not describe their condition: in fact, it would be entirely inappropriate to so describe them. Such people are demonized, that is, under the influence of demons, or afflicted by demons, made ill by demons, or they ‘have a demon’ (Mark 9); they are certainly not “possessed,” in the usual sense of the word.

Matt. 4:23-24: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 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 [demonized], those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.” Little or no distinction is made between driving out demons and healing, for the good reason that the demons were the root cause of many diseases, as (I believe) they are today.

Mt. 9:32: “While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed [demonized] 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.’”

All that was wrong with this man was that he had a demon that caused muteness. He was not completely controlled by the demon, as the word possessed implies; he was merely unable to speak. When the spirit was cast out, the man could speak. Yet most translations say that the man was “demon-possessed.”

Matt. 12:22: “Then they brought to Him a demon-possessed [demonized] man who was blind and mute, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”

This man was not demon-possessed; he had demonic spirits that caused blindness and inability to speak. These were physical conditions, which Jesus ‘healed’ by driving out the demons.

Luke 6:17-19: “He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.”

One can be vexed or troubled more or less severely and yet not be possessed. Again we see that those with demons had diseases that needed to be “cured.”

Acts 10:38: “[You know] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

They were sick and needed healing because they were under the influence and power of the Devil, through the agency of his demons. In many cases, as we saw above, Jesus “healed them” by driving out the unclean spirits that caused the illness. (Luke 7:21-23)

SATAN NOT OMNIPRESENT

As a created being Satan is not omnipresent; that is, he cannot be everywhere at once as God can. In Job chapter 1, Satan appears before God with the other angels (‘sons of God’—see also Job 38:7). He has been “roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it” (1:7). In Rev. 2:8 he “lost his place in heaven.” Again, Satan “goes about seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8). He is not omnipresent.

So when New Testament writers speak of Satan or the Devil as though he were directly involved in tormenting people, it's merely a figure of speech. The actual work of the Devil is carried out by demons, unclean spirits. We say Wellington fought brilliantly at Waterloo; yet it was not the Duke, but his troops, who were actually engaged in combat. So when James says, “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7), he is not suggesting that we will encounter Satan himself; that's highly unlikely. He is saying that we are to deal with Satan’s demons as Jesus Himself did—resist them and cast them out. Satan has a whole hierarchy of fallen angels and demons serving him (Eph. 6:12).

Luke 13:10-12, 16: “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity...’ 16 ‘[S]hould not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’”

Observe that Jesus said that Satan had bound her, but a spirit of infirmity was the actual agent.

A large part of Jesus’ ministry was occupied with casting out demons and healing the diseases that the demons caused. He also commissioned His disciples, first the twelve (Luke 9:1-2), then the seventy, to do the same. When the seventy returned, the were especially excited about their power over demons:

Luke. 10:17-20: “The seventy [some mss read seventy-two] returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ 18 He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”

Observe that Jesus says that He gave the disciples authority (exousia) over all the power (dunamis) of the enemy. Jesus has “all authority (exousia) in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). But clearly He is not exercising all power (dunamis). Though the Devil has no real authority on earth, he still has much power. (Eph. 6:12; I John 5:19; John 12:31).

Jesus spoke of two kingdoms—the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. Satan’s kingdom is still very active on earth, and the Devil exercises very much power. Jesus came to earth to destroy Satan’s power and work (I John 3:8). Whenever Jesus has any victory over Satan, as in salvation, healing, deliverance from demons, that is a victory for God and a "coming" of His Kingdom into the earthly situation.

Matt. 12:24-28 “But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

We learn much from this scripture. We learn (1) that Satan has a kingdom; (2) that his kingdom consists of demons under the rule of higher ‘princes’; (3) that, whenever Jesus or one of His disciples casts out a demon, that is a victory for Christ’s Kingdom: in fact, it is said to be a coming of the Kingdom—“then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” In the model prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). In that prayer we are asking God to “destroy the works of the Devil” in our lives, and for His rule to replace the rule of Satan through his demons.

Chapter 2, Origin and Nature of Demons