D E M O N S
Demons have been exacting their influence upon the human family since the fall of Adam and Eve. However, I have a bothersome problem with the view that they are the departed spirits of evil men. I find it rather strange that there is not a shred of heavenly attestation to confirm this view.
If demons are the spirits of evil men, Satan, a cosmic, extraterrestrial creature, mighty in his crafty ways, a prince among demons, must also be the spirit of some deceased, evil person. The problem with this idea, however, is that no evil person on Earth existed prior to the Fall. And Satan existed before the Fall. How, then, could Satan be the spirit of some evil person? If Satan is not some evil man’s spirit, where is his origin? I firmly believe the scriptures teach, or at least strongly indicate, that all demons have the same root as their father, Satan.
Let me tell you about the evil man in Luke 16 who died and, in his disembodied state, begged Abraham for mercy. I find that strange, because if the spirits of evil men become demons at death and spend the remainder of their existence deceiving and leading us astray, why would this evil spirit beg for mercy? Yes, demonic spirits cry out for mercy. Many whom Jesus cast out cried out for mercy, and some even uttered, “We know who you are!”
On one occasion, Jesus confronted an unclean—evil—spirit who had taken possession of a man. The man lived among the tombs and could not be bound, even with shackles and chains. No one had the strength to subdue him. But when he saw Jesus approaching, he ran and fell down before Him and, crying out with a loud voice, said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me” [Mark 5:1-20].
The demon’s name was Legion, “for we are many,” he said. Numerous demons had taken control of this poor man and had made shipwreck of his life. The demons begged Jesus not to send them “out of the country,” which probably means, “Do not send us back to the place of perdition from whence we came.” A great herd of pigs was feeding nearby, on the mountainside, so the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, let us enter them.” Jesus did, and the herd of pigs, about two thousand, went wild “and rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned.” Three questions here:
1] If evil spirits are the spirits of deceased evil men whose mission is to deceive and lead astray, why do they beg for mercy?
2] Why would God permit a person’s evil spirit to continue his ungodly ways in the spirit world? It seems to me that his days of practicing evil ended forever at death.
3] How did these demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God?
My answer to the last question is, because they knew Him in heaven! If I understand the scriptures correctly, demons are fallen angels—celestial beings who, at some time in past history, rebelled against God and His holy angels and were cast out of their heavenly abode. “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to tartarus [place of containment or place for future punishment], putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment...” [2 Peter 2:4]. They are restrained, their powers are limited, but they still constitute the forces of evil—loose, but restricted. Jude says these angels did not keep their positions of authority [v. 6].— Perhaps more on this subject later.
