Usually when people think of demons they think of the concept of “demon possession”. The term “possession” comes from the KJV translation of the word “ daimonizomai”. This word is a verb that means, “to be under the power of a demon” (Thayer’s Lexicon). This word does not necessarily mean “to have a demon inside of your body”. Most literally this verb means “to be demoned” or “to be demoning”. Probably the best English translation would be, “to be demonized”. The concept of the person being “possessed” does not come from the Greek word “ daimonizomai” which would better be translated as “demonized”. Rather, the concept of “possession” comes from the context of the stories recorded about demons.
Jesus repeatedly told demons to “come out” of people, and the Bible records that Jesus “cast out” demons, and these terms are accurate.
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. Matt 8:16
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy
peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had convulsed
him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Matt 1:25-26When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Mark 9:25
There are several stories about demonized people who seemed to be completely controlled by demons, which is the traditional view of “possession”. But on the other hand, there are stories in which the demonized person seemed to be functioning to some normal extent, at least some of the time. As such it seems that there are different levels of demonization that are possible. There are also stories in which many people were healed by having demons cast out, but it is not specified how much each of those people were controlled by demons. Overall the Bible seems to record some of the worst cases of demonization in the most detail.
Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Mark 5:1-15
And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Luke 8:27-39
In this story the demonized man seems to be under full control of the many demons in him. The demons are described to have caused symptoms of insanity, unusual or supernatural strength, self-mutilation or self-harm, self-isolation, inability to be reached by other people who tried to help him, and a seeming total loss of being capable of being “in his right mind”. The demons caused him to not wear any clothes, also making him do some things that would be considered shameful, or degrading, and abnormal. The demons caused him to live among the tombs, something which was considered abnormal, but also unclean. The demons knew who Jesus was, that He was the Son of God, and they seemed afraid of Him.
The number of demons that were in this one man are specified to have been able to fill a herd of about 2000 pigs. When the demons entered the pigs, they caused the pigs to all die by drowning themselves. If demons are the disembodied spirit of the dead Nephilim, then it is possible or likely that some of them died by drowning in the Flood. If nothing else, they were witnesses to the Flood. Taking that into consideration, it seems like there might have been more than a surface-level meaning to them causing all of these pigs to drown… like perhaps they were making a statement, in some bitter reference to their past.
In another story, a demon had repeatedly tried to drown a boy, and throw him into a fire, in order to kill him. Demons many times seem to have a suicidal bent.
Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”
Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:17-29
In this case a single demon was causing seizures, convulsions, foaming at the mouth, gnashing of teeth, rigidity, and throwing the boy into the water, or into fire, to try to kill him. The spirit also made the boy to be deaf and mute. In this case the demon is of a kind that only comes out by prayer and fasting. In both of these cases of heavy demonization, Jesus commanded the demons to come out and they obeyed.
In another case of demonization, in the Old Testament, it becomes clear that demons can enter and leave people repeatedly. This has the effect of the person temporarily acting demonized, and at other times acting normal.
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. 1 Sam 16:14-23
In this case of Saul, God allowed an evil spirit to go ahead and trouble Saul. Sometimes the demon would trouble Saul, and other times it would depart from him. This shows that demons can come and leave repeatedly, in some situations. Saul was still able to speak, and function even though he was demonized. Though demonized, Saul was able to speak with his servants, send out messengers to bring David, and was not mute, deaf, or completely overcome to the point the demon spoke through him, like in some cases of demonization in the New Testament.
And so this shows that a person can have a problem with demonization that is of a lighter level, in which the demon does not have full control, or the demon is only present and active some of the time. When the demon is not present the demonized person may act normally, or even have partial-control while the demon is present and active. This kind of case is what is more commonly referred to today as the concept of “demonic oppression”. Though just as spiritually serious, this is a lighter level of demonic control than in the concept of “demonic possession”.
There are many cases mentioned in the Bible in which details are not supplied as to the level of demonization the person was experiencing.
And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were demonized, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. Matt 4:24
When the evening was come, they brought unto him many that were demonized: and he cast out the spirits with [his] word, and healed all that were sick. Matt 8:16
And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were demonized. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of diverse diseases, and cast out many demons; and suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him. Mark 1:32-34
It is possible to understand from these verses that many people were demonized, and it was common. It can also be gathered from Mark 1 that in many cases the demons were in enough control to be able to speak through the demonized person. It was also obvious that the people of that village had an idea of who in the village was demonized, as they brought those particular people to Jesus for healing. Same as in the case of the Legion of demons, it seems that many of the demons also did identify Jesus as the Son of God publicly, which is why Jesus did not permit the demons to speak. This is likely because it was more damaging than helpful, and even confusing to the Gospel message, for a known demonized person to be declaring Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. It might have thrown some doubt into people’s minds about Jesus as to which side He was on, that the demons knew Him.
Also, demons also seemed to be able to identify Christians who were servants of God, and those people who were not.
” It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.” Acts 16:16-19
In this case the demon did not cause deafness, or muteness, or self-harm to the girl who was demonized, but rather worked magical practices through her of telling fortunes. (Note that t here is nothing here that verifies that this demon could predict the future, or that the fortune-telling of this girl was any different in vagueness and accuracy than fortune-tellers today.) As in other cases in which the demons knew who Jesus was, in this case the demon knew the truth, that the Christians were working for God to lead people to salvation. But in this case, the girl is the only one who is specified to have been speaking, not the demon. The demon seems to have communicated this information to the girl, and was influencing her to advertise the information. Nothing indicates that the girl was afflicted to the extent of the cases of those who were heavily demonized. She does not seem to have been under total control of the demon, but was influenced by the demon, so this seems more a case of “demonic oppression”. In this type of “demonic oppression” she seemed to have a symbiotic relationship with the demon by choice, in order to receive information from the demon. This is a clear case of what the Old Testament refers to in magical practices:
“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.” Lev 20:27
“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” Deut 18:9-12
According to the Strong’s Concordance, the word for “familiar spirit” means “ghost, spirit of a dead
There is another case in which a demonized man, who seemed to be at the “possession” level, had a demon which knew who Jesus Christ was, and who Paul was. The demon seemed to know who was a Christian and actually had the authority to cast him out of the man, and who was not a Christian and did not have the authority that Jesus Christ gives to all believers in Him.
Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of [one] Sceva, a Jew, [and] chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:13-16
Another thing that demons seem to cause is symptoms of paranoia.
Jesus said, “Did not Moses give you the law, and [yet] none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” “The people answered and said, Thou hast a demon: who goeth about to kill thee?” John 7:20-21
In this case Jesus said openly that people were trying to kill him, and the people around him responded by saying he “had a demon”. If a man walked around today saying people were trying to kill him, were out to get him, a normal response would be for people to say he was “paranoid” or “crazy”. What few people would think to say to him is “you have a demon”. Yet in the days of Jesus, it seems that paranoia was synonymous with having a demon. Other than seeming paranoid to some people, Jesus was also obviously functioning normally in other ways. This shows that people back then understood that a person who was demonized did not necessarily have to be under the full control of a demon, but just could be partially under the influence of one. That is how, even though Jesus seemed generally fine, a single paranoid-seeming comment led them to say he had a demon. People back then were aware that demonization was not always a case of a demon having full-blown control over a person. So the Bible teaches there are various levels of demonization possible, and also that paranoia can be caused by demons.
This is along the same lines as demons causing insanity, and Jesus was also accused of being insane and having a demon. “Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” (John 10:20) As some people thought Jesus was insane, they thought he had a demon. This is like the man demonized by “Legion”, whose behavior while demonized was insane. But again there is a varying degree of levels here. Jesus was obviously functioning like a normal sane person, yet because of some things he said or did he was thought to be insane and therefore have a demon. But in the case of Legion, the man was obviously totally completely insane to a maximum degree. So the Bible teaches that a demon can cause a little insanity or a lot of insanity, and it can vary with the level of demonization.
In either case, the way to solve the problem is to cast the demon out, as the man with the “Legion” of demons greatly changed after Jesus cast the demons out of him.
“Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind : and they were afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demonized man had been healed.” After the demons had left the man, he was healed to again be in his “right mind”. And the same solution is found in cases of physical affects of a demon, “Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.” Luke 11:14-15
The Bible describes many variations that are possible with Demonization:
1. A person can be under total control of a demon (“possession”), or only influenced by a demon (“oppression”)
2. A demon can come in or leave a demonized person at will (like Saul).
3. Those influenced by a demon (“oppressed”) can find this to be more involuntary and tormenting (like Saul, or the case of Legion) or this can be a more voluntary symbiotic relationship (like the slave-girl in Acts, or in other cases of familiar spirits, necromancy, wizardry, any relationship with these “dead” spirits.)
4. A demon can cause a demonized person to physically experience: muteness, deafness, seizures, various ailments, and cause great strength.
5. A demon can cause a demonized person to mentally experience: insanity, being out of their right
6. A demon can somehow tell if the Holy Spirit is present, knowing those who are Christian believers with the authority to cast them out, and knowing who Jesus Christ is. A demon can share this information with the demonized person.
7. A demon can also share other information with a demonized person, someone who is choosing to have a magical relationship with the demon, to tell fortunes and the like.
How does Demonization work?
A human being is composed of several parts: a body, a spirit which gives life to their body, and their soul which is thought to be made of the heart, the will, and the mind. Jesus spoke of some of these parts in Mark 12:30,
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
These are the parts of person which can actively love God, with which a person has a choice to love God with, or not. The soul is usually thought to be composed of the “mind, will, and emotions”, which correspond in this verse to the “mind, strength, and heart”, respectively.
When people think of “demon possession” they often assume that it is the body of the person that the demon enters, and is cast out of. However, this really doesn’t make much sense. A demon is an immortal disembodied spirit. If a demon could directly enter a body, then why don’t they enter dead bodies and bring them back to life, possessing them? As much evil as they do, it seems the reason that demons don’t possess dead bodies is because they can’t. And in this it is obvious that it is not the body of a person that is being possessed by the demon in the first place, as the demon cannot enter unless the person is alive.
As we covered in a previous chapter, God made Adam’s body, then breathed the spirit (breath of life) into Adam, and only once Adam had both a body and a spirit did he become a “living soul”. (Gen 2:7) A person already has a spirit, and a demon is a spirit. In the spiritual realm it seems like a demon spirit could no more enter a human’s spirit than one solid object could enter another solid object. Like two balls on a pool table, it seems 2 spirits would collide and bounce off each other, each having their defined solidity and separateness. And so if spirits remain separately defined in the spiritual realm, then a demon cannot enter a person’s spirit. And a demon spirit does not enter the body directly, as demons cannot enter into dead bodies. Therefore one possibility remains, which is that the demon must actually enter in and go out of the “living soul” of a person. Far more than just a body, God considers people to primarily be living souls, as “man became a living soul”. And so it is the living soul of a person that the demon comes in or goes out of, which is the person’s mind, will (or strength) and emotions (or heart).
And fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul : but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28
According to the Bible, a person is not primarily a body which happens to have a living soul, but rather a person is primarily a living soul which happens to have a body. Understanding that God considers a man to primarily be a living soul, it makes sense, and there is no contradiction when the Bible speaks of demons being in a man or coming out of a man. This is because Biblically a man (male or female) is primarily a “living soul”, and this “living soul” is the person who the demon is going in or out of.
A demon enters into the mind, heart, or will of a person (a living soul) and through the mind,
Here is an excerpt from “How Can Adrenaline Help You Lift a 3,500 Pound Car?” by Josh Clark of HowStuffWorks.com
In 1982, in Lawrenceville, Ga., Angela Cavallo lifted a 1964 Chevrolet Impala from her son, Tony, after it fell off the jacks that had held it up while he worked underneath the car. Mrs. Cavallo lifted the car high enough and long enough for two neighbors to replace the jacks and pull Tony from beneath the car.
Marie “Bootsy” Payton was cutting her lawn in High Island, Texas, when her riding mower got away from her. Payton’s young granddaughter, Evie, tried to stop the mower, but was knocked underneath the still-running machine. Payton reached the mower and easily tossed it off her granddaughter, limiting Evie’s injuries to four severed toes. Curious, Payton later tried to lift the mower again and found she couldn’t move it.
What accounts for feats of superhuman strength like these? Are they glimpses into the lives of superheroes’ alter egos? Or are all of us imbued with amazing strength?
Although well-documented when they do occur, feats of hysterical strength — unnatural and amazing strength tapped during high-stress situations — are not recognized by medical science. This is largely due to the problem of gathering evidence: Instances like these come about without warning, and to reproduce these situations in a clinical setting would be unethical and dangerous. But we are aware of the effects of adrenaline, a hormone shown to increase strength to amazing degrees for short periods of time.”
Through manipulating the mind, emotions, and will of a person so that they have a large adrenaline rush, a demon might be able to cause the demonized person to break chains, or be able to fight against 7 men and prevail.
It also might be difficult to understand how a demon could cause deafness, using the mind, will, or emotions of a person. But something which fits this description still exists, and might be what is referred to today as “psychogenic deafness”.
“ Hearing loss or impairment caused by a mental or emotional disorder or trauma and having no evidence of an organic cause.” – American Heritage Medical Dictionary
Altogether it is conceivable that demons work through the mind, will, and emotions of a demonized person to be able to produce bodily ailments, as well as the mental or psychological ailments like insanity, paranoia, and associated insane behavior.
Then there is a demonized person who has the sort of relationship that may fit the description of having a familiar spirit, wizardry, fortune-telling, necromancy and other magical practices. How does a demon cause a demonized person to seem to have magical, or psychic, powers?
“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”
Luke 11:24-26
Also Jesus says in, “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” Matt 12:43-45
One thing we can learn from these verses is that demons can communicate with each other while outside of a person. This is seen in that 1 demon can communicate with 7 more demons while outside of any person, and convince them to come back with him to the person it left.
We also have covered that a demon can choose to leave and return to a demonized person when it wants to. If a person seems to be revealing psychic knowledge that they could not have known about another person, in fortune telling, this may be part of how it works. The demon may leave the demonized person and talk to other demons, or even go into the person asking for a psychic reading, in order to gather information. Then the demon goes back into the demonized psychic, and relays the information. Presto, it’s “magic”. But actually, it’s just demons, and this sort of magic is simply demons doing things demons can do.
Along these lines, it is important to note that demons are immortal spirits, who have been around since the flood. It is therefore easy for a demon to potentially talk to other demons who might have known or demonized relatives of a person, even dead relatives. It’s also possible that the same demon who is demonizing a person might have also demonized their grandparent, etc. In this way demons can know private or personal information about people who are dead. And a demon can relay that information to a demonized person who “talks to the dead”, that in turn may amaze an audience by relaying information that only a dead relative would know. But in fact, not only the dead relative, but also a demon who knew the dead relative, could know this information. In fact a demonized psychic of this sort is not speaking to the ghost of a dead relative for information, but rather is speaking to a demon who has gathered information about the dead relative.
Besides impersonating dead relatives, demons also will claim to be famous people from history, gods, aliens, etc. It may be this is how idol worship came about: demons claimed to be gods, and influenced people to depict how they claimed to look in the form of an idol.
“What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” 1 Cor 10:19-21
In any case, the Bible specifies that people actually worshipped demons when they worshipped idols. But it may be that demons communicated to demonized people with familiar spirits, claimed to be gods, and influenced people to start making idols and worshipping them. It would make some sense that demons, lacking and missing a body, might have seen this as a way to have a bodily representation, by the contrived body of an idol.
Can demons do all the things that fallen angels can do?
Fallen angels have something along the lines of a spirit body, but demons are bodiless spirits. Demons used to have mortal physical bodies, and those mortal bodies died before the Flood.
This seems to be a key difference between what fallen angels can do and what demons can do. The spirit bodies and potential physical presence of fallen angels seems to allow for them to do many things which are described in the Bible, like causing false dreams and Visions, and even appearing physically as men. But the Bible never describes demons being able to do these things, but rather only describes demons working through people or animals. The Bible does not describe demons causing dreams or Visions. Though it seems as dreams are a matter of the mind, that demons may be able to cause dreams. But demons cannot physically manifest, and only work through a living soul.
How does a person become demonized?
It is difficult to say with certainty, as some cases are more voluntary than others. But in cases in which the demonization seems more involuntary, the Bible does seem to describe what happens.
Luke 11:20-26, “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters. When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”
One interesting thing to note in this passage is that the demon considers the house to be his, in saying “my house”. There are a couple different ways to interpret this passage, but let’s define the strong man as a person who is guarded against demonization. And let’s say the demon is the attacker, and once a demon has prevailed, he considers the house to be his. The person has armor that they depend on to keep them safe, and have to keep a guard up. But if a demon is stronger than their armor, the demon might come in and overpower the person, and they become demonized. Then the demon will try to take away the armor of the demonized man, and divide up the possessions of the demonized man. Also, the demon may divide up the task of demonizing the man, by going and getting 7 more demons to join him in inhabiting that man.
So how does the demon overpower the man who is guarded with armor, and get into his house? The Bible does give some indication of how demonization begins.
“ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.” Eph 4:26-27
The word here for “give” means to “give or grant” as a voluntary gift. The word for “place” here means a room (like in a house) or a habited space. The word here for “neither” has the distinct implication of “those which are of the same kind or which are part of one whole”.
What this means is that if you are angry and sin because of it, or let a new day begin while still angry, then in this you are also choosing to give space, a room, to the devil, or his demons. People may not realize it when they do this, but these actions are all parts of one whole. And in this people give a room to the devil, and a room could be in a person’s house, and it could be a demon that works for Satan who goes into that room, and stays there. This is a description of how demonization can begin. And this describes that in being angry and sinning, staying angry, a person actually in this is choosing to open up the door of their house, forsake their guard and armor, and give a demon room for entry. And once a demon gets inside, overpowering the person who has let their guard down, then that demon will try to take away all their armor, take their possessions, and will come to consider the house to be their own, as Jesus described.
Anger is just one example used here of how this happens, but is it the only thing that could allow a demon entry? Anger (or wrath) is mentioned as a “work of the flesh”, and it seems likely that any work of the flesh, in which sin takes place, or is held on to over time, may also give room to a demon.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Col 3:5
And Eph 4 from above continues, Eph 4:28-32
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
So it seems like there are many sinful things, works of the flesh, which are listed along with anger, and these also may give demons room. This may be another meaning of the verse, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Gal 6:8
If a person is sinning, whether by committing a sin in anger, or adultery or idolatry etc, or holding onto sinful things inside like anger, bitterness, hatred, etc. this is what opens a door up for demons to gain entry, get a room, and oppress someone. This seems to be true whether the person is not a Christian, or is a Christian.
It is important to note that Eph 4 “ neither give place to the devil ” was not directed at the unsaved, but directed at Christians. Though if this is how demons gain entry, the process would seem to be the same for everyone, Christian or not. When Jesus spoke of a strong man guarding his house with armor, this also seems to be directed at everyone, including Christians. The armor here may refer to choosing to not sin, though everyone does at times to some extent.
However, Jesus also said, “ He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters”. The best protection and armor against demons getting into your house, is to be with Jesus Christ and to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Next, have on the full armor of God (Eph 6), and be guarding your house against invasion, and be walking in the Spirit and sowing to the Spirit, not the flesh.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Gal 5:22-23
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel
Eph 6:11-19
A Christian can be oppressed by demons, though the demonization reaching the level of possession seems unlikely because a Christian has the armor of God to at least some extent. And a Christian also has the authority to cast a demon out, should any break through their guard. Another guard against demonization in a Christian is to pray daily, confessing their sins, and asking for forgiveness of sins and cleansing from all unrighteousness.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 Jn 1:5-10
Additionally, the Holy Spirit is inside the heart of a born-again Christian (Gal 4:6), and there is a circumcision of the person’s heart by the Holy Spirit (Rom 2:29). God writes his laws upon the Christian’s heart, and their mind. (Heb 10:16-17). In this, the heart, and the mind to some extent, of a born-again Christian are different and changed from those of an unsaved person. And the peace of God, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, guards the heart and mind of a Christian.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phl 4:7
In all this, it seems all the more difficult for a Christian to reach a “possession” level of demonization, even though Eph 4 indicates that “oppression” is possible.
A Christian under demonic oppression has all the authority they need, in the power of Jesus Christ, and the power of God through the Holy Spirit of Jesus, to command a demon to get out and stay out, and refuse to let the demon influence them any longer. But the Christian person must choose this by his or her own free will. God does not violate our free will, and the Christian must choose of their free will to kick the demon out of their self, and to repent of whatever sinful work of the flesh opened the door to let the demon get in their house in the first place.
It is arguable that most of the demons in a person do automatically flee a person when or after they become a Christian, without being cast out, as part of the process of repentance and healing. “Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
Yet I think stragglers are possible. There may be generational curses, the result of sins of ancestors going back to the immediate 3rd or 4th generations (Ex 20:5). These curses can be broken by Jesus Christ, and demons associated with them may flee or be cast out. There also may be demons that specialize in harassing or tempting a person in areas of sin they have strong problems with, like certain addictions. In this a demon may have taken over a room in the house, fortifying it, and the battle to regain the space could be more difficult. This concept of a fortified area is seen the Biblical term “strong hold”. But there is hope,
For though we walk in flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor 10:3-5
The weapons of our warfare are mighty to pull down strongholds, and our most prominent weapon is the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, the Scriptures, the Bible. This is very fitting with the second meaning of a “strong hold”, which is, “of the arguments and reasonings by which a disputant endeavours to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent”. Often the battle with demonic oppression is in the mind, and the best weapon to use against excuses and false reasoning which hold onto sin, is with the Word of God. And also we have the authority Jesus Christ gave believers in Him to cast out demons. Praise Jesus!
So this cleaning house can be a gradual process for the new Christian, but also as the Christian repents of more sin, and asks for forgiveness, and draws near to God, demons may flee, without having to be cast out.
Does this mean that any sinful thought, feeling, or action a person has is caused by a demon?
No, the sinful nature and the flesh, and a person’s own heart and mind, are all potential sources of sinful thoughts, feelings, desires, and actions. These are plenty enough to put a person into internal conflict, without any demonization being involved.
I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Gal 5:16-17
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Rom 7:14-25, 8:1-14
Demonization is more likely to be present where there seems to be symptoms of demonization, for instance: a loss of a person being in their “right mind”, symptoms of insanity (to a lesser or greater degree), habitual or repetitive sin like sinful addictions, or self-perception of a loss of self-control.
And temptations also can come from the flesh and sinful nature, even in Christians, without a demon being the cause.
Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus. Gal 4:13-14
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:1-10
If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:21-24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified… No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 9:24-27, 10:13
Jesus Christ gives Christians the ability to learn to walk in and according to the Spirit, in a process of sanctification, and through His power to overcome our flesh, sinful nature, and temptations, having been given a new nature in Him.
Ultimately, we Christians and our bodies belong to God. A demon cannot “own” or “possess” us, as truly we are owned or possessed by God, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in 1 Cor 6:19-20, ” What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Christians are owned by God, and demons will be evicted by the true owner, Jesus Christ.
The people to be truly concerned about when it comes to demonization are those who are not Christians, who do not have the armor of God, nor the Holy Spirit, and do not have the authority to cast out demons in Jesus Christ’s name. People today may fair no better than the demonized people in the New Testament, who Jesus helped and healed by casting demons out of them. If sin leads to oppression, once they have reached an “oppressed” level of demonization, they are more at risk for reaching the “possessed” level. Jesus and His disciples cast out demons many times in the New Testament. Jesus and His disciples were the Deliverance ministers and exorcists at that time, helping people who were demonized by casting out the demons. Jesus said those who believed in Him would also cast out demons.
“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:16-18
There is no doubt that driving out demons is just as valid a Christian ministry today as it ever was. It is a needed ministry, needed by the hurting people who are demonized today. Jesus wants the church today, the body of Christ, to practice deliverance ministry, as He did, and help these people.
Question: "What does the Bible say about the possibility of Bigfoot/Sasquatch?"
Answer: Camping late at night in the woods and telling stories around a fire is a rite of passage for many youth. Invariably, the nocturnal setting evokes tales of terror, and the sylvan surroundings almost guarantee that some of those tales will feature the legend of Bigfoot. The better the storyteller, the bigger, more bloodthirsty the beast becomes. After hearing such tales, many a young camper has lain awake in his tent wondering if the strange noises he hears signal the approach of a large, hairy monster—and wishing that tents were made of stronger material.
Bigfoot, sometimes called “Sasquatch,” its Native American name, is a creature of North American legend. Some consider it to be a very large, hirsute bipedal hominid—that is, a big, hairy, human-like creature walking on two legs. The bipedal characteristic is what would separate the Sasquatch from apes, which are quadrupeds. The common appellation “Bigfoot” comes from the fact that the creature reportedly leaves very large footprints. Other cultures also have folklore concerning tall ape-men: the Almas of Mongolia, the Yeti of Nepal, and the Nuk-luk of the Northwest Territories, for example.
Some people believe that Bigfoot is a Neanderthal-type human species, a “missing link” between
Some people look into the Bible and claim to find “proof” that Bigfoot exists. Usually, the theories involve Esau, Cain, or the Nephilim. Esau was born covered with hair (Genesis 25:25), and his descendants, the Edomites, were enemies of Israel. These facts lead some to speculate that the creatures we call “Bigfoot” are actually modern-day Edomites, who have inherited Esau’s trait of being “a man of the field” (Genesis 25:27).
Another theory involves Adam and Eve’s son Cain. Cain was, of course, the first murderer, and he was cursed by God and condemned to be “a restless wanderer on the earth” (Genesis 4:12). Some theorize that Bigfoot is a descendant of Cain. Like his forbear, Bigfoot is cursed to live apart from the rest of humanity and has become monstrous in his appearance. This would make Bigfoot similar to the fictional monster Grendel in Beowulf.
A third theory traces the Sasquatch back to the Nephilim, an antediluvian race of giants produced by the union of fallen angels and human women (Genesis 6:4). Some see the Sasquatch as a remnant of the Nephilim, or perhaps a new breed of creature produced the same way.
Still other Bigfoot enthusiasts use complex “Bible codes” based on numeric sequences to find the Sasquatch in the Scriptures. These numerologists claim to have discovered mentions of “Bigfoot,” “beast of the earth,” “hairy” and “wild man” in the Bible, all in the same context.
Watchers
From the Ashes of Angels, Andrew Collins names a few others, and other reference works corroborate some of the names given in these sources, sometimes with alternate spellings. Through these various sources, I have collected information on what some of these named Watchers taught to mankind. Where there was a variation in wording, I have included both wordings.
According to Collins, there is no complete record of the names of all 200 Watchers. Most of the names included in Enoch are not included in other books, apocryphal or otherwise; in fact, very few of the others appear inother mythological texts; these include Azazel and Kokabel (Shemyaza is a central character in Storm Constantine's Grigori triology). Azazel is a curious example; although the Watchers, in the beginning of Enoch, swear to Shemyaza, the clear leader, that they will not change their minds about descending. But later, Azazel takes the brunt of the blame for what happens (to his credit, he taught more forbidden items to humankind than the others). He was thrown into the canyon of Duadel, and pinned with sharp rocks, with his face covered. In the Biblical book Leviticus, he is recreated as a desert creature to whom the ancient Israelites dedicated their scapegoats:
"Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord, and offer it as a sin offering; but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the lord to make atonement for it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel."In still later times, Azazel is considered a demon, and is occasionally identified as the devil -- or as one of his chieftains.
Kokabel, or Kakabel, also appears in Jewish folklore as a powerful angel who is in charge of the stars and constellations. He is considered by some to be a holy angel; by others, a fallen one. It is said that he commands 365,000 lesser spirits and teaches astrology to his fellow angels.
Sariel is known under many names, but this one translates to "God's command." Some say he is the angel of death; he is named as the one who retrieved the soul of Moses from Mount Sinai. He is also called by some a "prince of the presence" and an angel of healing. His name appears in Gnostic amulets and it is said that when he's invoked he manifests in the form of an ox; according to the Cabala, he is one of the seven angels that rule the earth. He is also associated with the skies and is in charge of the zodiac sign of Aries and instructs others on the course of the Moon. In occult circles he is one of the nine angels of the summer equinox and can protect against the evil eye.
What follows is as complete a list of the Watchers' names as I can find; I will add names as I discover more of them.
1. Semyaza, Shemyaza, Semjaza, Semiaza, Samyaza, Shemhazai
"Taught enchantments and root-cuttings."
2. Azazel, Azazyel, Azaziel
"Taught men to make swords, knives, shields, breastplates, the fabrication of mirrors and the workmanship of bracelets and ornaments, the use of paint, the beautifying of the eyebrows, the use of stones of every valuable and select kind, and of all sorts of dyes, so that the world became altered."
"Taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures."
3. Amazarak
"Taught all the sorcerers, and dividers of roots."
4. Armers, Armeros, Armaros
"Taught the solution of sorcery."
"Taught the resolving of enchantments."
5. Barkayal, Baraqijal, Baraqel
"Taught the observers of the stars."
"Taught astrology."
6. Kokabel, Kawkabel, Kakabel
"Taught the science of the constellations."
7. Ezeqeel, Ezekeel
"Taught the knowledge of the clouds."
8. Araqiel, Arakiel
"Taught the signs of the earth."
9. Shamsiel, Shamshiel
"Taught the signs of the sun."
10. Sariel,, Suriel, Zerachiel, Saraquel, Asardel
"Taught the motion of the moon."
"Taught the course of the moon."
11. Akibeel
"Taught signs."
12. Tamiel
"Taught astronomy."
13. Penemue
"Taught the bitter and the sweet, the use of ink and paper."
14. Kasdeja, Kisdeja
"Taught the children of men all the wicked smitings of spirits and demons, and the smitings of the embryo in the womb, that it may pass away."
15. Gadreel
"Introduced weapons of war."
16. Ramuell
17. Danel
18. Azkeel
19. Saraknyal
20. Asael
21. Batraal
22. Anane
23. Zavebe
24. Samsaveel
25. Ertael
26. Turel
27. Yomvael
28. Urakabarameel
Fallen Angel
I define a fallen angel as a spiritual being created by God which fell out of Heaven into a sinful/corrupted state. Revelation 12 records the first batch of fallen angels who fell from Heaven.
(3) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” (Revelation 12:3-4)Fallen angels In the Bible are often referred to as the “sons of God” and as Satan’s ministers. The following is a short list of the capabilities of fallen angels:
Physical Visibility: Although fallen angels are spiritual beings, they appear to have the ability to physically appear to people (like their un-fallen counterparts in Genesis 19:1). Genesis 6 records the activities of the first batch of fallen angels that fell from Heaven. The sons of God (fallen angels) were able to marry human women (which strongly suggests the women were able to see them) and produced children (which further suggests that fallen angels were able to appear physically to women).
(1) And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, (2) That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose…(4) There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:1-2, 4)Extraterrestrial Travel: Fallen Angels apparently can travel out of this world. For instance, Satan and his fallen angels one day came to present themselves in front of God in Heaven.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6)Physical Transformation and the Ability to Deceive: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 informs us that Satan’s ministers/fallen angels have the ability to transform themselves so that they can pose as ministers of righteousness.
(13) For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. (14) And did not Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? (15) It is not a great thing, then, if also his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)As I’ve stated before, the Greek word for “transform” is metaschēmatizō, which means to “transform the figure of”. Therefore, fallen angels have the ability to deceive people by transforming themselves to resemble religious figures that many people believe in if they choose to do that (which they sometimes actually do).
Demon/Devil
I define a demon as an unclean spirit that seeks to possess, manipulate, and to deceive people. In the King James Version of the Bible demons are referred to as “devils”. Here are the abilities of demons…
(28) And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. (29) And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (30) And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. (31) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. (32) And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.” (Matthew 8:28-32)
(11) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (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. (Mark 5:11-13)Ability to Inflict Harm on their Victim(s): Matthew 4:23-25 and Luke 4:40-41 suggest that demons have the power to inflict mental illness and physical diseases on their victims.
(23) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (24) And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. (25) And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan. (Matthew 4:23-25)
(40) Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. (41) And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. (Luk 4:40-41)Unusual Physical Strength: The episode when Christ casted out demons into swine also suggests that demons can give an individual they possess unusual strength:
(1) And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. (2) And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: (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. (5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. (Mark 5:1-5)Limited Physical Movement: The Book of Revelation gives us a clue about the limitations that demons have. Revelation 9:20 tells us that people “of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk” even after being punished by plagues.
(18) By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. (20) And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: (21) Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:18-21)The question that some people wonder is: “Why would men be worshiping devils if they are supposed to worship Antichrist, his image, and his idols?” The theory which I think best addresses this issue is that the demons/devils actually will inhabit the images and idols of Antichrist. After all, Revelation 13:15 suggest that there is some form of “life” in the image of the beast.
the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. (19) For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails
(14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:14-15)By worshiping an image or idol of the Antichrist, people will also be worshiping the demon inhabiting the object.
The demon inside the image (or idol of the beast) will be greatly limited by the entity they will inhabit. They will only be able to communicate. They will be unable to see, hear, or walk. Nevertheless, the images will have the ability to kill those do not worship the image of the beast.
- I suspect the demon in each image or idol will help the forces of evil track the whereabouts of people with the Mark of the Beast and people without the Mark of the Beast. A demon will not have the physical capacity to kill a non-Mark wearer themselves since they will be confined to the item they inhabit. However, the demon entrapped in an idol or image can facilitate a person’s death with their ability to alert someone who does have that capacity. Perhaps the demon will have the ability to sense who and who does not have the Mark…
(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. (14) For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)(it’s unclear how the demons will resemble frogs so it’s unclear if they will actually appear in physical form as frogs to the kings of the earth).
(it is possible that the teachings of devils could be provided to people by religious/spiritual teachers who were possessed by devils)(1) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (3) Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (4) For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: (1 Timothy 4:1-4)
An Alternative Explanation
Some people cite the unbiblical Book of Enoch to understand who demons are. The idea suggested in Enoch is that demons are the disembodied spirit of the Nephilim (giants) that perished in the great flood of Genesis.
(8) And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon (9) the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; (10) they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. [As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] (11) And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless (12) hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. (Enoch 15:8-12)It’s possible that demons could be the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim, but without biblical evidence it’s impossible and unwise to treat this idea as a fact.
My Overall View on Fallen Angels vs. Demons
Overall, fallen angels and demons have some similarities. Both are evil entities that work to deceive people. I acknowledge that it’s quite possible that fallen angels and demons have even more similarities than what I recognize here. The main difference I see is that fallen angels appear to have more freedom of movement than demons do. Fallen angels do not seem reliant on having to possess something to get a task done. A fallen angel can physically transform and make themselves visible if they want to deceive a person. Meanwhile, a demon seems to have the need to possess a physical body in order to achieve a task.
Relating All of this to Aliens/UFOs
Since demons have some limitations in their movement and fallen angels appear to not have such limitations it’s far more likely that aliens are low-level fallen angels than demons. However, this may be semantics more than anything because both fallen angels and demons are formidable foes for the ordinary person. Nevertheless, if you encounter a demon or an alien/fallen angel, you can scare them away by using Christ’s name. - Prophecy Proof Insights
The Watchers. They first appear on the scene in Sumer. “Shumer”, it seems, literally means the “Land of the
Carl
Sagan once remarked that we still have no clear perspective about the
origins of the Sumerian culture. “Their language is foreign; it
shows no resemblance to Indo-European, Semitic or any other language.
We can only map them by the actions of their successors, the Akkadians,
who created a voluminous Sumerian-Akkadian dictionary.”
The Chaldeans referred to the Watchers as “Ir”. The Egyptians “neter” means Watcher. And the Watchers are also in the Bible, where, in Genesis 6:1-4, they are listed as the sons of Gods who “fell” for the Earthly women, descended from heaven, chose women, and had children. They were described as “giants”, though the height of their fathers is never stated. Still, the giants did not sleep or spoke.
The Bible refers to the Watchers or Grigori as “evil”. They were the ones who “fell from heaven” and who were “weak” for the flesh of women. In this respect, they sit within the tradition of Lucifer, the leader of the Fallen Angels, who came to Earth. Could the leader of the Watchers and the biblical Lucifer be one and the same?
The
Koran has a similar story, though the strict good vs. evil of the Bible
has been toned down. Two angels, Harut and Marut, watch the actions
of Mankind and note that Mankind seems to be unable to escape temptation
and sin. The angels’ negative comments are heard by God, who states
that the two angels should not speak of Mankind in such manner. If the
angels were placed in an identical situation, their behaviour would
be similar. Harut and Marut consider this to be an invitation from God
and are sent to Earth. God asks – demands – that they do
not fall for the gravest of sins: murder, worship of the wrong deities,
alcohol and unlawful sexual relationships. But the angels have just
arrived and immediately fall in love with Earth’s beauty. When
a passer-by seems their sexual adventure, they kill him, so that no-one
will be able to report their sin. But God’s Eye is everywhere
and God makes sure that their colleagues in heaven – the other
Watchers – also get to see their crimes.
As the two angels were unsuccessful in their task, they are hung upside down in a water hole in Babylon, a punishment they prefer over Hell. At the same time, the other Watchers have to agree with God about his point of view on the difficulties of being a human.
It seems that this story is twofold: to repeat what is right and wrong, but also to teach those in Heaven some respect towards Mankind and its challenges.
The
Nephilim, the giants, continued to live on Earth. It seems that their
biggest contribution on Earth was the creation of chaos. Most ancient
civilisations had a major fascination with order vs. chaos, good vs.
evil. Evil would create chaos and thus the Nephilim, the sons of the
Fallen Angels, obviously displayed their fathers’ faults. This
eventually leads God to decide to send a Deluge, to wash away the sins
of these beings. Here, we find another parallel with the story of Harut
and Marut: they are also “washed of their sins” in the water
hole in Babylon. Water as the cleanser of sin is therefore chose in
both – as opposed to a “baptism by fire”.
Still, Jewish history suggests that not all Nephilim perished. The Jews stated that they lived in Israel and the Anakim and Rephaim were both tribes considered to have been descended from the Nephilim. There remained a few Nephilim who fought in some of the battles, but they slowly seemed to have disappeared from the scene. Perhaps they married and their specific characteristics – apparently six toes and six fingers – disappeared within the larger genetic pool.
Still, Jewish history suggests that not all Nephilim perished. The Jews stated that they lived in Israel and the Anakim and Rephaim were both tribes considered to have been descended from the Nephilim. There remained a few Nephilim who fought in some of the battles, but they slowly seemed to have disappeared from the scene. Perhaps they married and their specific characteristics – apparently six toes and six fingers – disappeared within the larger genetic pool.
The
story of the Watchers fell in disrespect within the Catholic Church,
who wanted to portray Heaven as good and perfect – whereas the
Watchers were all too human, it seemed, to neatly fit within this depiction.
The Book of Enoch, which provides great detail about the Watchers, was
not included in the Bible. Its substitute was the Apocalypse of John,
where there are no references to Watchers mating with human women. Still,
some references remained. In Daniel (4:13, 17 and 23) they appear, even
making an appearance in front of the king.
In
1990, the Watchers were back with a vengeance. Sitchin had prepared
the way, and others were now jumping on the wagon – in which
UFO researcher Raymond Fowler made a major contribution. Since 1979, Fowler has been researching the case of an alleged UFO abductee, Betty Andreasson-Luca, a deeply religious American woman who claims she has been abducted by alien beings. Fowler concluded that Andreasson’s story was legitimate – she had not confabulated this account to create attention or controversy. A series of books was the result, the third of which was titled “The Watchers”. The title is derived from information given by the abductors to Andreasson. They identified themselves as “The Watchers”, guardians of the Earth. They stated they had been present since earliest human history and that they had always lived next to us. Andreasson was given this revelation as they wanted Mankind to know that Man was more than just a body. Andreasson was tasked with giving this knowledge to Mankind; it was the main reason why she had been contacted by them.
Fowler’s
book created some interest. Gregory Little was most impressed and made
a study of the Book of Enoch, in light of Andreasson’s revelation.
He identified that the Book of Enoch noted that there were angels both
at the gates of Heaven and Hell – mimicking the Egyptian neters,
who also guard the gates of Heaven and Hell in the Egyptian Afterlife.
Little noted that the guardians of Sheol – hell – were described
as angels “grey of colour, small as children, with a shape that
is somewhat similar to the human form.” Little observed that this
description was not present in the Slavic edition of the Book (the most
commonly used), but was present in the Hebrew version.
Little realised that Fowler himself was unaware of this passage, but was it not obvious that the “little grey aliens” seemed to be “witnessed” in ancient times, where they had been described as guardians of Hell – and not as extraterrestrial beings.
Further
research brought Little across a Jewish encyclopaedia. It stated that
the Fallen Angels that shown Mankind how to “call upon”
other angels from heaven. It involved a technique which allowed Mankind
to make angels materialise. The technique was a ritual chanting, which
had to occur at certain times and places to be effective. However, the
key message was the “materialisation” of the “angels”
in physical form – was this not another key ingredient of the
UFO phenomenon?
The Alien Agenda
The very first scripture I would like to bring your attention to is Genesis 3:15 as follows:
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Thy seed...thy is speaking of Satan's seed, please look it up. Satan has seed and it is contrasted with her seed which is speaking of the Messiah. This alludes to physical progeny. How can a fallen angel have progeny? Angels cannot reproduce themselves but apparently they can mix with us.
The next scripture I would like to submit is also in Genesis and is as follows:
Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Gen 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were ; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Gen 6:3 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.
Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This verse mentions “the sons of God”, these were fallen angels. The demons or fallen angels had children with human women and they brought forth children. The text also mentions that the offspring were giants and that they continued (and also after that). The text further alludes that these beings were exceedingly wicked and their existence was one of the reasons for the flood.
Ok, so now many of you might be saying “ok that was then, that happened, if it did happen at all, before the flood. So now I would like to have you look at another passage in the Bible in the book of Daniel.
Dan 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
This passage is speaking of a future event during the 10 nation period of time in the Last Days. Ask yourself...who are THEY in this passage? THEY cannot be human.
Next I would like to bring your attention to what Jesus said of the end times.
Mat 24:37 But as the of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Jesus said that as the days of Noah were so shall it be before He comes. The days of Noah were marked by the rampant proliferation of these beings. Will the End Time be less wicked than the days of Noah? Jesus said it will be the worse time in the history of man.
The fact is that the Bible also says in 2 Thessalonians that a great deception is coming.
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
The master deception....could this be the alien agenda? Could Bigfoot be the Watchers, Fallen Angels, Giants - the Nephilim?
“The Watchers”, biblical angelic figures are once again carving out a reputation. Their popularity is so much on the rise that some UFO researchers have actually argued that they might be the people abducting people. Whether or not the return of the Sumerian gods is factual or merely mythical – their popularity continues to rise."
Philip Coppens
We don't support any theories, religions or other stereotypes or propaganda, and are here only to present theories, thoughts, beliefs and some facts for your own interpretation. Just a little food for thought.....we hope you enjoyed the read & found it at the very least, thought provoking.
