Definition

‘demon’ comes from a Greek word.

This word in Greek is actually used in a positive sense, not negative.

Modern bibles, when they talk about demons, they use the word ‘demon’. King James Bible will use the word devil.

Why?

  1. Devil is an accurate translation from Greek/Hebrew to English.
    Demon is a transliterated word.
  2. So that there’s no misunderstanding during the ancient biblical times.
    Demon is a Greek word used in a positive sense.
    Why? As we read ancient Greek philosophies, these people who believed in different gods also talked about demons. Where they talk about gods in a positive sense, they use the same thing with the word demon. The origin of philosophy, the first group of people they usually talk about is the Greeks. Philosophy means ‘lovers of wisdom’. That’s why demons were used in a positive sense by the ancient Greeks because demons were referring to some kind of spirit that granted wisdom.
    When we have a modern version that says demon, we don’t want something that’s used in a positive sense. God sees it more as a negative sense.

Origin

The word ‘devil’ comes from the devil himself, Satan.

(From here onwards, we may use the word demon/devils interchangeably)

Theories of the origin:

  1. Fallen angels (most popular but we strongly disagree)
    They believe that Satan’s fallen angels are known as demons/devils. The problem with this theory is that this takes place in Rev 12 which is in the future.

    Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

    Possibility to this idea:
    Notice that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. In Mark 5:7 there is a demon here that says ‘torment me not’ and in the other gospels, it mentions ‘don’t torment me before our time’ so it seems like the devil is recognizing that hell was prepared for him so this seems like this devil is synonymous with a fallen angel.

    Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
    Mark 5:7-8 “And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.“

  2. Spirits of the Nephilim or fallen angels
    Nephilim refers to these giants or supernatural beings that were born from the intermingling of fallen angels and humans.
    When God destroyed all these beings at Noah’s flood, the flesh dies and the spirit departs. Mark 5 called it an unclean spirit concerning the devil so it could be referring to these fallen beings.

    Mark 5:7-8 “And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.“
    Genesis 6:1-3 “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

  3. Spirits from the Devil which Pastor Kim is more prone to believe but it’s not doctrine but a theory.
    Why are they called devils in King James Bible, as if they come from the Devil himself?
    ‘spirit’ has to do with ‘air, breath’.
    Notice that the unclean spirits came out from the dragon, Satan himself. It also comes from the offspring or line of Satan as well.

    Revelation 16:13 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”

    Unclean/unholy spirit is the opposite of the Holy Spirit.
    Just as the Holy Spirit comes from the breath of God, the unclean spirits may have come from the breath of Satan himself.

Meaning

  1. Devils are likened to unclean animals

    Revelation 16:13 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”

    It’s interesting in the book of Leviticus why God made a different category of unclean animals. Because Satan assimilates himself with a lot of unclean animals.

  2. Devils have wings

    Revelation 18:2 “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”

    Devils are likened more towards winged creatures. Also in the parable of sowers, these birds came down and eat up the seeds. That is likened to the adversary Satan who comes inside and steals the word of God.

  3. Angels are likened to men and do not have wings
    Abraham saw 3 angels but the Bible calls them men

    Genesis 18:2 “And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,”

    Every verse in the Bible that talks about angels always liken them to man.

Nature

  1. Possess

    Matthew 8:16 “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:”

  2. We are to arm ourselves, the devils are not flesh and blood

    Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

  3. Intelligent beings

    2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
    Luke 4:34 “Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.”
    Genesis 3:4 “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:”
    Mark 5:10 “And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.”

  4. Morally unclean

    Matthew 10:1 “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”
    Mark 1:27 “And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”
    Romans 6:13 “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
    Luke 8:27 “And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.”

  5. Superhuman strength

    Mark 5:4 “Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.”

  6. Jesus healed sicknesses (physical and mental)
    A lot of these sicknesses are not something that can be cured through medicines or experiments, it’s normally devil related.
  7. Suicidal mania

    Mark 5:13 “And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”

    In Psychology, it is said that a huge number of suicide cases are not normal people, but it’s actually people with mental conditions.

Forms Of Demonic Practices

  1. Divination: ability with the aid of familiar spirits to foresee or foretell the future

    Leviticus 20:27 “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”

  2. Necromancy: contacting the dead

    1 Samuel 28:8 “And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.”

  3. Prognostication: it has divination mingled with idols and they’ll inspect the on trails of certain creatures inside to see some kind of spiritual realm

    Ezekial 21:21 “For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.”

  4. Magic: known to be science in Egypt. A mixture of astrology with communication with familiar spirits. It is practiced today in hypnotism, mind cures, and fortune-telling.

    Genesis 41:8 “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.”

  5. Sorcery: involves strange formulas with astronomy, chemistry, and familiar spirits

    Acts 9:18-19 “And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.”
    Isaiah 47:9-13 “But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.”

  6. Witchcraft: conscious complicity with evil spirits.
    It is essentially devil worship and counted as rebellion in God’s eyes

    Galatians 5:20 “Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,”
    1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

There is no verse in the Bible that shows that these demons are omnipresent, omniscient, or omnipotent. So these demonic creatures will allude to us as if they are, when that happens, don’t get fooled by them.