Invisible Enemies

by Jim Croft

  Two passages from Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians (2:1–4 and 6:11–12) reveal that we are not battling flesh and blood: Christians are wrestling with principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness in heavenly places. People who are unconverted or disobedient to God are particularly vulnerable to being manipulated and controlled by these spirits.

  Locations under Siege

  Since the Bible talks about the heavenly places, we understand that there is more than one. In 2 Corinthians 12:1–2, Paul spoke of being ushered into the presence of God in the third heaven. As Derek Prince often said in his teachings on the subject, logic would lead us to believe that if there is a third heaven, there is also a first and a second.

  The third heaven, the dwelling place of God, is in the uttermost territories of the universe. The second heaven is in the upper atmosphere of the planet. The first heaven is the oxygen-filled atmosphere surrounding us. Satan’s kingdom is located in those lower two heavens.

  The functional structure over which the devil reigns in the two heavens is principalities. A principality is a territory with defined borders under the rule of a government. In the second heaven, the devil’s headquarters sit, like the tip of a pyramid, over a broader expanse occupied by high-ranking fallen angels. They have the ability to travel into the lowest, first, heaven, commanding the demons that reside on earth.

  Fallen angels and demons can project disruptive thoughts into humankind. The more common type of attack comes from demons. Demons wage war on two fronts. One front is our atmosphere, with its close proximity to humans; they can whisper from perches on shoulders quite effectively. The other front is actually within the physical bodies of some humans. Many demonic spirits crave human bodies as the means to act out their particular type of evil activity.

  War in the Heavenlies

  On a level high above us, God’s angels from the third heaven and Satan’s fallen angels in the second heaven are regularly engaged in battle. One of those engagements is spoken of in Daniel 10. An angelic messenger was sent from God’s presence to Daniel in response to the prophet’s prayer and fasting. The messenger told Daniel that he would have arrived earlier were it not for the opposition of the prince of Persia, a fallen angel. He described how the archangel Michael had helped him break through. The implication is that the skirmish took place somewhere in the principality over Persia.

  The messenger further disclosed (see verses 20–21) that he anticipated another collision in the second heaven with the prince of Persia upon his return to God’s dwelling place. The angel also prophesied that the prince of Persia would be replaced by the prince of Greece in the future. That apparently happened when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire.

  The episode in Daniel suggests to us that events on earth are paralleled by events taking place between the powers of light and darkness in the heavens. The battleground is in the second heaven, intermediate between the throne of God and the earth.

  God’s people participate in the skirmishes in two ways. First, our prayers strengthen the holy angels to wage war successfully. Second, believers can also seriously weaken Satan’s grip by expelling demonic trench soldiers from the souls and bodies of humans throughout the world.

  Where Did Demons Originate?

  As we have noted thus far, it is my understanding from Scripture that Satan’s commanders are, like him, fallen angels. Demons, I believe, are evil spirits of a lower species subservient to Satan and his fallen angels.

  The Bible does not offer a detailed account of the origin of demonic spirits, and the area remains too much of a theological mystery to cling dogmatically to any one stance. While it is helpful to have some idea about what demons are and where they come from, ultimately the issue is not the origin of demons. The more crucial matter in this area is clear understanding that evil spirits exist, along with knowledge of how to deal with them.

  Still, it is good to have acquaintance with the various theories about the origin of demonic spirits. One view is that demons are fallen angels, ousted from access to God for participating in Satan’s rebellion. A second view regards demons as the disembodied spirits of human-like beings that possibly inhabited the earth prior to the six days of Creation. A third view is similar. It is the belief of a few that demons are the disembodied spirits of the offspring of fallen angels and human women that perished in the flood of Noah’s day (see Genesis 6:1–7, 17). A fourth view comes from Jewish folklore. It suggests that demons are the disembodied spirits of dead humans whose sinful souls have not found rest.

  None of the aforementioned explanations fit within my comfort zones. Over the years as I have pondered the possible origin of demons, a view has evolved in my thinking that seems scripturally tenable. It answers the question of why God permits demons to exist. I offer it for your consideration, but I do not regard it as a set-in-stone matter. I believe demons are a category of spirit beings inferior to angels, created by God during the period in which He created Lucifer and the other angels.

  Why Demons Exist

  Let’s begin with the fact that God is the supreme ruler and creator of all things. At some point in eternity past, the divine council of the Godhead in the Trinity decided to extend the family of God. God said, “Let us make man in our image.” In the harmony of the Trinity, man was created to govern the earth. Creation in God’s image included the freedom for mankind to make decisions in accordance with his own desires. Inherent with man’s free will were options for rebellion against God’s will as well as compliance with it.

  In keeping with God’s goodness and mercy, His desire was for good to befall mankind. However, in keeping with God’s justice and severity, there had to be detrimental consequences if man’s free will chose rebellion (see Romans 11:22). The Lord inserted mechanisms into the scaffolding of creation that would trigger innumerable penalties in the event that Adam and Eve chose rebellious paths. Beyond God’s setting the mechanism into place, there was no necessity for God to be the on-site administrator of the punitive consequences that would trouble mankind. With rare exceptions, the consequential punishments functioned like an automatic sowing-and-reaping chain reaction. Of course, we know that God is intimately involved with us as His cherished creation. He is not an “absentee landlord.” But He has clearly designed much about life and creation to progress in a spontaneous way, including the punishments mentioned above.

  Adam and Eve ignored God’s warning that the sin of eating the forbidden fruit would bring death. The couple had no concept about the extensive penalties that the power of sin and death would bring upon them and their descendants. As a result of their disobedience, the consequences were activated.

  Colossians 1:16 speaks of the Lord creating visible and invisible things in the heavens and on the earth. Unbeknownst to Adam and Eve, there was an invisible dimension in immediate proximity to the visible beauty and function of the Garden of Eden. The invisible realm surrounding them contained all of the wickedness under Satan’s domain. It consisted of the powers of sin, death, fallen angels and demons.

  Aside from Satan’s sneak attack in temptation while disguised as a serpent, the powers of sin, death, fallen angels and demons were kept in check by man’s obedience to God. It is possible that prior to the Fall, demons were confined to a prison called the bottomless pit, the abyss.

  During Jesus’ ministry, demons exemplified familiarity with the abyss and begged Him not to send them there before the appointed time. The book of Revelation speaks about how in the end times two new varieties of spirit beings will be loosed from the abyss upon rebellious people. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible defines them as demons. They will be fierce in appearance. One type will be shaped like horses and will have wings; faces like men; teeth like lions; long hair like women; and tails with stingers like scorpions. The second type will be demonic horses ridden by an army of two hundred million. The demon horses will have heads like lions and poisonous serpents for tails rather than hair. They will wipe out one-third of the e
arth’s population through the fire, smoke and brimstone that bellows from their mouths and from the bites of the snake heads at the tips of their tails (see Genesis 2:10–14; Matthew 8:29; Luke 8:31; Revelation 9).

  Adam and Eve’s disobedience in eating of the forbidden fruit was the mechanism that triggered the unleashing of the punitive consequences into life on earth. Man’s invisible enemies of Satan, fallen angels and demons were loosed to intensify the heartaches of sin and death.

  After the Fall of man, Satan, his cohort angels and the spiritual beings called demons afflicted every dynamic of human affairs. Interpersonal relationships were made subject to corruption. Fear and insecurity became commonplace. Immune systems were weakened, opening the door for disease, tumors, viral germs and infectious bacteria. Addictions to derivatives of plants were injected into the equation. Demons can have roles in any of these afflictions. Some taunt and tempt from without. Others succeed in infesting aspects of human personality and physical bodies. The solution for all sufferers is to call upon the name of Jesus for deliverance.

  The Nature of Demons

  Demons seem to exhibit some manner of human attributes. Jesus’ mention of their ability to wander, presumably to walk, implies the possession of some type of appendage allowing mobility. Modern and biblical reports tell us that they are occasionally visible to the naked eye. They are known to move inanimate objects. Such things suggest that evil spirits can exhibit material qualities even though they are spirit beings.

  The encounters Jesus had with demons indicate that they have human-like psychological characteristics—individual personalities. There are six basic components that signify personhood: volition, intellect, emotion, memory, imagination and the ability to communicate. The following two Bible passages demonstrate that demons possess those features:

  [Jesus said,] “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

  Luke 11:24–26

  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

  James 2:19

  For an evil spirit to decide to return to his former habitation requires volition to make the decision and memory to recall its host’s identity and location. The evicted spirit’s reentry with seven more wicked spirits implies that it has communicated with them. The fact that demons tremble about the existence of God points to the possession of emotions, intellect and imagination. Intellect is needed to evaluate decisions to believe or to disbelieve. As it is with humans, so it is with demons: It takes imagination to activate emotional trembling.

  The Dominion Mandate

  The first couple’s decision to disobey God in the Garden signaled that they were relinquishing governorship of the world to Satan’s authority. In a manner of speaking, they renounced membership in the family of God. The born-again experience opens the way for our adoption back into His family. It also empowers those who belong to Jesus to know victory in the war with these unseen enemies. We have the opportunity to rectify the actions of Adam and Eve that opened the gate for evil to come in. As of now, the rectification is not complete. But great inroads will be made before the Lord’s appearing.

  On the sixth day of Creation, God’s earthly family was commissioned to export the order and tranquil beauty of the Garden of Eden to the untamed corners of the world (see Genesis 1:26–28). That commission is often referred to as the “dominion mandate,” and the Lord has never withdrawn it. His command to the Body of Christ, those adopted back into His family, is to rectify the wrongs perpetrated by our first ancestors. Our redemption through the atoning death and resurrection of Christ empowers us to expel evil spirits from working their torment in our own lives and from the lives of those coming to us for help.

  This concept, of course, assumes that Christians are truly in a battle with demons, and that they sometimes find themselves wounded by these invisible enemies. This brings us to the often misguided topic of “possession” by the enemy and his hordes. How far can the enemy go in molesting the lives of believers? What about unbelievers? Let’s study Scripture for a clear understanding of the lines of battle that the enemy can—and cannot—cross.

  Deliverance is not an uncomplicated topic. It is no surprise, therefore, that Christians ponder it with some confusion and conflict. First, many born-again individuals seem to come to the Lord relatively demon-free. Second, some people who were troubled by evil spirits seem to have been freed from them the moment they confessed Jesus as Lord. For some reason in their lives (yet not in others), the powers of darkness could not endure the light of Christ and fled the scene.

  Those two camps have difficulty identifying with the plight of a third category of Christians. This category consists of those who came to the Lord with demonic issues and remain in that state. It is also possible, as we will see in a moment, for Christians to make unwise decisions following their conversions and open the door for these invisible enemies.

  Believers who have never experienced demonic problems are often at odds with Christians who complain about demonic attacks. They mistakenly interpret the harassment described by their “less fortunate brethren” as simply evidence of mankind’s fallen and undisciplined nature. With best intentions, they tell them to get a grip and get right with God.

  The “afflicted” believers on the other side, however, find it impossible to make lasting changes on their own. Consequently, committed Christians who are dealing with evil spirits are left to flounder.

  That was my exact situation. In dealing with this perplexing issue, let me relate my testimony of what I have experienced as a circumspect servant of the Lord.

  Early Background

  I was raised in a devout, conservative evangelical home. My birth was two months premature. Christian friends throughout the United States were praying for my survival. I was put into an incubator and kept there for three months. In those days physical contact beyond feeding, diaper changes and medications for babies in incubators was not encouraged.

  To add to this situation, my father was a military officer. During the turmoil surrounding my birth, he was assigned to a battalion in another state. Since my mother could not give me the physical contact she hoped to provide, nor could she care for me directly as she longed to do, she moved out-of-state with my father. At this time, gas was being rationed, and their visits to me were few and far between prior to my discharge. As a sickly infant, I was left alone, my father and mother far from the hospital where I was receiving care. Opportunities to experience familial affections were practically nonexistent.

  At the age of five, I turned into quite a preacher. I would admonish anyone who would listen about the waiting dangers of hell’s fire and would entreat them to repent and to get saved. The novelty of a dynamo tike-preacher was a family trophy. I was often called upon to entertain my parents’ guests.

  When I was eight, my eager-to-please disposition turned in the opposite direction. I grew stubborn and began to resist just about anything my mother or father asked me to do. The older I got, the stronger the resistance became. Even though I was usually sorry afterward, my rebellious episodes looked like harbingers of parent hatred.

  When I was nine, Mom and Dad encouraged me to “walk the aisle” in our Baptist church to confess Christ publicly and to be immersed in the waters of baptism. Even though I was already born again, I think my parents had two hopes for the aisle trip: that it would fulfill an expected rite of passage for Christian youngsters (my younger sister would take her turn a few years later), and that it would rectify my behavioral problems, or so they prayed.

  An Ominous Forecast

  Despite my public profession of Christ and baptism, little changed. Hardly a week would pass when I di
d not have a flare-up catapulting the entire household into confusion and frustration. Afterward, I was always sorrowful and would pray and read my Bible in contrition. It did not help. My mysterious behavior was about to take a dreadful twist.

  When we were living in Newport, Rhode Island, I was twelve and in the sixth grade. I hurt my elbow in a bike crash. While wincing with pain, I heard these words coming from my lips as I shook my fist heavenward: “God, I hate You. Get out of my life, and leave me alone forever.” I note with thanks and to the glory of His name that He ignored that prayer and never abandoned me.

  When I was 24 I had a supernatural encounter with the Spirit of God in a motel room. I became an intensely spiritual-minded Christian and a soul winner. But to my shock, my agitation against my mother and father did not diminish. All of us—my parents, my wife and I—sensed there was something very wrong with me. Our observations were correct, but we simply did not have a broad enough biblical perspective to make an accurate diagnosis. Like the majority of Christians, for us the concept that a believer could have demonic issues was completely off the screen of our spiritual radar. How quickly we were to find out one simple fact: We were wrong.

  Within less than two years of the Lord touching me in the motel room, I was introduced to the ministry of Derek Prince. I was liberated from numerous spirits. I assumed I had also been set free from my problem of hating my parents, although nothing specific took place to effect that freedom.