Daily in Christ 9/23

September 23

THE REALITY OF DEMONS

When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, "I will return to my house from which I came." Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself

The Bible does not attempt to prove the existence of demons any more than it attempts to prove the existence of God. It simply reports on their activities as if its first readers accepted their existence. Nor did the early church fathers have a problem with the reality and personality of demons. Origen wrote: "In regard to the devil and his angels and opposing powers, the ecclesiastical teaching maintains that the beings do indeed exist; but what they are or how they exist is not explained with sufficient clarity. This opinion, however, is held by most: that the devil was an angel; and having apostatized, he persuaded as many angels as possible to fall away with himself; and these, even to the present time, are called his angels."

Luke 11:24-26 gives us a helpful view into the personality and individuality of evil spirits. We can glean several points of information about evil spirits from this passage. Demons can exist outside or inside humans. They are able to travel. They are able to communicate. Each one has a separate identity. They are able to remember and make plans. They are able to evaluate and make decisions. They are able to combine forces. They vary in degrees of wickedness.

But you need not fear Satan and his demons as long as you cling to God's truth. Their only weapon is deception. Irenaeus wrote, "The devil . . . can only go to this length, as he did at the beginning, to deceive and lead astray the mind of man into disobeying the commandments of God, and gradually to darken the hearts." If you continue to walk in the light, you don't need to be afraid of the darkness.

Prayer: Lord, I accept the reality of the spiritual world and Your rule over it. I will walk in the light and not fear the darkness.

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