Should We Still Believe in Demons?

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12In this age of reason where most things are measured through the eyes of science, it is very easy for skeptics to discount claims of the supernatural as silly folklore or outdated superstition. From the measurement of the cells that make up life, to the behaviors of humans, science plays a role in the formulation of thought that dictates the pervasive worldview in our culture.In contrast, the scriptures teach that the supernatural - that God and other unseen forces are operating in an unseen realm - is a distinct reality. So when thinking through the question if Christians should believe in Demons, here are a few things to consider:Satan and Demons Exist But Have No Authority over the BelieverThe scriptures reference or describe Satan and his demons (Fallen Angels) multiple times.  This fallen class of angels appears in the Old Testament (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18) and the New Testament alike. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus described Satan’s fall from Heaven to Earth:“And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” – Luke 10:18-20Demons Do Have the Power to InfluenceEven though Jesus proclaimed that Satan has no power over the believer, the Bible plainly warns us that Satan will still seek to destroy (1 Peter 5:8), and that Satan and his demons scheme against Christians (Ephesians 6:11). As Satan attempted with Jesus (Luke 4:2), demonic forces also tempt the Christian toward sin and oppose our effort to obey God.Demons Will Eventually Be JudgedAccording to the scriptures, the time that demons have on earth is limited.  There are multiple suggestions in the New Testament that they will incur a final judgment:

• “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” – Matthew 25:41

•  ^“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;” 2 Peter 2:4

• “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” – Jude 6

It seems clear in the Scriptures that when faced with the question, “Should Christians believe in demons?” that the obvious answer is yes. Demons do exist and they continue to play a role in this broken world.