What Power Do Demons Have?

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This spooky question always comes to mind when Christians talk about this in Bible studies and groups, and for these reasons, it is not talked about that often. What does the Bible tell us about demons and what power do they have on human beings? Let us study this very deeply as we analyze the capability of demons and how we can rebuke them.

Capacity of Demons

There are several verses that demonstrate the power of demons that is written in the Bible. The first one would be Mark 5:8,11,13 as it is written, 

For He had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; So He gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

In this verse, we can see Jesus demanding the demons away from the human being, and then they entered the herd of animals and swine. The herd and the swine then rushed to the steep bank and then were drowned int the sea.

Another verse in the Bible that shows the capacity of demons is Luke 8:2, as it is written, “and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.”

This verse is an example of many demons manifesting in one victim. In this verse, we can see that seven demons came out from Mary Magdalene. The verse shows that there can be heaps of demons going inside a human body.

This verse is evidence that demons can control both humans and animals. However, the most important thing reflected in this verse is that Jesus Christ can control demons and demand from them because he is the son of God, after all. He has power over all beings including demons. Another Bible verse demonstrating the capacity of demons is found in Matthew 17:15-18,

“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.”

In this verse, we can see Jesus rebuking the demon out from the body of a child who was shivering. The demon has influenced the child, causing strange behavior. In Acts 19:13-16, as it is written,

“I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.” 

We can see here that demons harm unbelievers, too. In this verse, the demon did not recognize them but rather recognize Paul and of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this verse, we can see the power of the Lord Jesus Christ over demons because the demons are even afraid of His name alone. We can see this further in Acts 19:13-16,

“Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”

Physical and Mental Afflictions by Demons

The Bible also tells us about the different physical and mental illnesses and afflictions that demons may inflict on us. In Matthew 9:33, the verse shows the influence of demons on the ability of a man to talk. It is written, “And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

In Luke 13:11, the verse shows the influence of demons on the ability of a woman to walk, “and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.”

And in Luke 13:16, “Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

In Matthew 12:22, the verse shows the influence of demons on the ability of a man to see. “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.”

And lastly, in Mark 5:4,5, the verse shows the influence of demons on the ability of a man to think well, “For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.”

In this verse, we can see that the demons inflicted the disease of mental illness on the human being and thus, he was chained in hand and foot. He also becomes very strong.

A Word of Caution

Although demons can influence our minds and physical beings, there are diseases that are not influenced by demons. Most of the time, diseases are influenced by bacteria and viruses, genetics, and simply by the human condition.

The power of demons is very evident in Scripture. They can influence the physical and mental capacity of a human being. They can also influence animals. Demons are plenty and walk everywhere on the earth, and they can both harm believers and unbelievers.

Nevertheless, Jesus Christ has power over demons. He can demand demons to veer away from us in an instant. That is why it is important that we follow Jesus Christ and believe and be faithful to Him so that we can easily rebuke demons if they come near us.

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Glory Dy has been a content creator for more than 10 years. She lives in a quiet suburb with her family and four cats.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.