You may think demons are rare—something found only in horror movies or extreme cases of possession. But what if their influence is far more common than you realize?
When you hear the word “demon,” what comes to mind?
Maybe a horror movie. A possessed person. Something terrifying—but also something extremely rare.
What if the reality is very different?
What if demons are far more common than you think—and you have felt their influence without ever realizing it?
Demons Are Usually Subtle
By the time you are a teenager, you have probably seen a movie with demons, and most likely they were portrayed as horrifying.
That’s one thing the movies got right. Demons are real and they are horrifying. They are foul, disgusting, revolting and, when seen for what they are, ugly.
Where the movies may mislead us is in making demonic activity look obvious.
A person levitating over a bed would certainly get your attention. But what if most demonic influence looks nothing like that?
What if it is so subtle that you mistake it for your own thoughts, emotions or impulses?
Unfortunately, I have had far more visible experiences with demons than angels (see post, Are Angels Real?).
I don’t necessarily believe that moving more deeply into the spiritual realm causes you to encounter more demons. I think you simply become more aware of what was already there.
And once you begin recognizing their influence, some very ordinary experiences can start to look different.
Demons Are Influencers
Have you ever become angry over something, but instead of calming down, you seem to become even angrier?
Maybe you said things you normally wouldn’t say. Maybe the intensity of your reaction didn’t even seem to match what happened.
Then, once you calmed down, you wondered: Why did I get so out of control?
You see, emotions like anger attract spirits of anger. When you start getting angry, you attract the attention of these spirits, and they encourage you to feed that anger rather than let it go.
They don’t have to create the emotion. They simply need to influence what you do with it.
Not all demons have the same tactics. Their influence can involve anger, fear, anxiety, lust, greed, laziness, depression, and the list goes on. If you have a disposition toward one of these areas, it may also be an area where you are easier to influence.
Think about how effective that could be.
If a demon can convince you that every thought entering your mind is your own, you may never question where that thought is leading you.
Demons also have a role in causing illness, which I discuss in Can Demons Cause Sickness and Disease?
Some people who say they can see into the spirit realm describe watching this type of influence taking place around people who are completely unaware of it.
And that brings us to what I believe is one of their greatest weapons.
Demons Are Deceivers
Demons are not stupid. And they do not need you to believe in them in order to influence you.
They have been around a lot longer than you and I and have observed human behavior for thousands of years. They understand human weaknesses. They know what has worked before. And deception is far more useful to them if you never recognize it as deception.
They don’t necessarily need to convince you to do something terrible overnight. Sometimes all they need to do is move you a little bit at a time. Demons will reinforce harmful behaviors and whisper that those behaviors are okay—even good for you.
One compromise becomes easier than the last. What once bothered your conscience begins to feel normal. Eventually, you can find yourself somewhere you never intended to go.
At that point, you may feel trapped in anxiety, depression and hopelessness.
They encourage isolation. They may convince you that no one understands you, that things will never get better, or even that life is no longer worth living.
And the entire time, you may believe every thought came from you. That is what makes deception so dangerous.
Here is a warning: If you try to operate in the supernatural outside of what God has made available to you, you WILL be deceived and manipulated by demons.
I learned that lesson the hard way, and I’ll talk much more about it in other posts.
Why Would Demons Want to Harm Me?
But why would a demon care about you at all?
Why would something in the spiritual realm have any interest in whether you become angry, afraid, addicted, isolated or hopeless?
Because unlike them, you still have choices to make, including choices about the direction of your life and, ultimately, your eternal destination.
They have already chosen their side.
You have not.
They are evil by their very nature, and evil hates that which is good.
But there is something else you need to understand about them to overcome them.
They may have power—but that does not mean they have the final authority.
Demons Have Power but Lack Ultimate Authority
Demons have power. They have destroyed millions of lives. But their power has limits, and they do not have ultimate authority.
I didn’t always understand that distinction.
I’ll give you an example.
As a new believer, I didn’t understand much about demons or spiritual authority. It was Halloween evening, and I was watching one of those paranormal investigation shows where people enter known haunted locations looking for evidence of spirits.
I was sitting in a comfy recliner and dozed off. I found myself in the area between awake and asleep, where I was fully aware of what was around me but unable to move. I was eye with horrifying demonic faces looking at me. They looked disgusting and horrifying like death and decay.
I couldn’t breathe. My throat felt restricted like hands were wrapped around my neck.
I woke up but the attack continued. I gasped for breath and noticed that my recliner was physically shaking.
Eventually the horror subsided. I began to breathe normally again, and the shaking slowly stopped.
That event really opened my eyes. I knew immediately that I had been attacked.
It also gave me a very different perspective on paranormal entertainment.
Another attack followed, only this time while I was sleeping in bed, further confirming to me what was happening. But I still didn’t know how to stop it.
Then something important occurred.
I learned that as a believer in Jesus, I was not powerless.
The next time an attack happened, I called out in my head:
“In the name of Jesus, leave!”
The attack stopped. The shaking of my bed subsided… Immediately.
Soon I realized I needed to be proactive. I began praying over my room, binding demonic spirits and declaring God’s protection over the space where I slept.
The attacks stopped.
At least at home.
Hotels turned out to be another story—but I’ll save that for another post.
Lessons Learned
Those experiences completely changed the way I viewed demons.
I stopped seeing them as terrifying beings that could attack whenever they wanted. I began to understand that, as a believer in Jesus, I had access to an authority greater than their power.
I have used that authority often and in many different circumstances.
There is only one way to have access to His authority. Any other attempt to engage in the spirit realm leaves you vulnerable to deception and manipulation. You have two choices in a world with demons – being a victor or being a victim.
The real danger may not be the demon you can see. It may be the one influencing you while you remain completely unaware that it is there.
And learning to recognize that influence is only the beginning.
Subscribe to my blot to receive updates on new posts!
Supporting Scripture:
Colossians 2:15 – And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
1 Peter 3:22 – who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Ephesians 1:20-22 – which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet,…
Ephesians 2:6 – And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
Luke 10:19-20 – “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks