What does the kingdom of the devil do?
In the spiritual world, we distinguish between two Kingdoms. One of these Kingdoms is well-known to us, but what about the other? The Kingdom of the opponent? The Bible proclaims that there are two Kingdoms in total and that all are part of God's Kingdom or the Kingdom of Darkness. This chapter will examine the Kingdom of Darkness and discover how it functions. It is important to know what kind of kingdom we will deal with in the next chapters.
The Spiritual Battle
Because we tend to have a superficial and human perspective, we often see people as our enemies. One country opposes another, and in our private situation, there may be people who drive us mad. Occasionally, there is a battle between people. Yet Paul says we shouldn't fight against people, and we should not see them as our enemies. It is a spiritual battle at the root of this.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Our battle is against the spiritual beings of the Kingdom of Darkness. These include demons, fallen angels, the devil, and other spiritual beings. Spiritual beings can cause damage to areas or countries but can also work through people. In the book of Ephesians, Paul calls us to put on our spiritual armor of God, which enables us to stand firm against these terrifying beings. We do this by faith, the truth of God, bringing the gospel, and having Jesus' righteousness, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. It is essential to properly gear up our defenses to stand firm against the devil and his accomplices.
Simultaneously, the gospel of God doesn't only involve defending. It often creates an image where the devil is continuously firing arrows at us, and we are busy defending all the time. It is presented as a one-way traffic. If we look at Jesus's life, we see He had to defend Himself when He was challenged in the desert. Jesus did this by speaking the Word of God and not responding to the devil's temptations. But we also see that Jesus went on the attack in full force, sending the demons out of oppressed people. In other words, Jesus enlarged God's Kingdom by conquering the territory of the Kingdom of Darkness. Furthermore, Jesus and the disciples proclaimed the gospel of the Kingdom and caused many to be converted and transferred from the Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love. (Colossians 1:13)
Jesus and the apostles weren't just defending; they were attacking. Similarly, we, too, may both defend and attack. In this section, we will study Jesus' mission and learn that we may attack the Kingdom of Darkness and free those currently oppressed by darkness from their evil ruler, in Jesus' name. Jesus has given us power and authority to rule over darkness.
Thr Kingdom of Darkness
To begin, let us explore how the Kingdom of Darkness functions. In Chapter 1, we see that the devil made Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the tree and thereby disobey God. The devil is the leader of the Kingdom of Darkness. But the devil isn't alone. In his fall, he took angels and other spiritual beings who served with him. The Kingdom of Darkness is a realm with a hierarchy. This means that a spiritual being is given a specific purpose or area, and he is under another being and controls other beings.
If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his Kingdom stand? (Luke 11:18)
Looking at the hierarchy in the Kingdom of Darkness, we end up with the following pyramid.
The devil rules the Kingdom of Darkness and controls the fallen angels and demons (Luke 11:15). He has been the opponent and is a defeated rebel. The fallen angels, along with the devil, have betrayed God. They chose the side of the devil and served him. Some fallen angels have become the rulers of empires on earth, as we can read in the book of Daniel. This isn't a human ruler but a spiritual ruler.
Then he said to me: Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. (Daniel 10:12-13)
We read about two princes in the text above. Prince Michael is an archangel of God and assists the people of Israel. The prince of Persia obstructs God's work, and because of this prince, Daniel had to wait twenty-one days for his answer. Today, too, we can face struggles against the princes of heaven, the rulers, and their powers. Our task is to stand firm and overcome them with our armor of God (Ephesians 6:12).
Among them, we find the demons. These are spiritual beings who are out to make people not believe in Jesus, and they want to torment people with terrible diseases and thoughts. Should anyone come to faith, they want to ensure he forms as little impact as possible. Later in this book, we see that our job is to cast out demons from people. In the next section, we will discuss demons and their actions. This will help us know what we need to cast out.
What are Demons?
Demons are spiritual beings without bodies. In the book of Matthew, Jesus explains how a demon lives. In the Bible, they are often referred to as evil or unclean spirits.
When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says: I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, 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. So shall it also be with this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43-45)
A demon or unclean spirit lives its life on earth. It can be found at first in barren places to seek rest. This could include desolate areas such as swamps or deserts (Isaiah 13:21, 34:14). However, a demon cannot find rest there because he wants to dwell in a person and provoke the person to do terrible things. A demon is looking for an empty dwelling. This is an indication of the absence of the Holy Spirit. The demon will leave if the Holy Spirit dwells in the house and no door is open. If the Holy Spirit is absent, the demon enters and takes its friends with it. The reason why we need to send demons out of people is because demons like to live in people.
Besides, a demon has a personality. It isn't a power or a name to indicate evil. Every demon, like humans, has a personality and has feelings, a mind, and a will. In Matthew, we read that a demon wants to dwell in a human being. It acts by its own will. Let us look at the texts that say a demon has a mind (can speak), feelings, and self-awareness.
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying: Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are the Holy One of God. (Mark 1:23-24)
The demon had a mind. He knew who Jesus was and could speak through the man. The demon even knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God before people did.
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. (James 2:19)
The demons tremble before God. Tremble means 'to shiver with fear', which is a strong emotion. Demons have feelings and can transmit feelings to people—for example, fear or anger.
Then He asked him: What is your name? And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many. (Mark 5:9)
The demon knew he existed. After all, he gave himself a name. Besides, he knew he wasn't alone. For he said, there were many living in the man. He was aware of himself but also aware of other spiritual beings.
The Work of Demons
Knowing now what demons are, we look at what demons do. Demons are terrible creatures who want to torment people and divert them from the truth of Jesus. For the rest of the book, we must know who we are against and what our enemies do. Demons work in the following ways, among others:
Demons lie
Demons tell lies, keeping people from the truth. We observed this with Adam and Eve when the devil lied about the consequences of taking the fruit. Besides, the devil is the patriarch of lies. When the devil lies, we may assume his accomplices do the same.
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)
Every Christian must keep watch for the lies of the enemy. Sometimes, a thought can arise saying, "You can't trust God this time" or "Now God won't forgive you." These are lies of demons.
Demons Deceive or Seduce
Besides lying, demons can deceive and seduce us. This occurs not only in the world but, unfortunately, also in the church. Terrible deceits of demons sneaked into certain churches. A well-known example is the buying off of sins that the Catholic Church introduced in the Middle Ages. Paul calls these teachings of demons and misleading spirits.
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons (…). (1 Timothy 4:1)
Demons Torment Mentally
Demons can torment mentally. Let’s consider thoughts of depression or anxiety. Demons attempt to put people in isolation. It can be mental isolation by keeping secrets and doing sneaky things that shouldn't be done. It can also be a physical isolation by which people withdraw from the civilized world, as we see in the book of Mark. The Lord Jesus encountered a possessed man, and the possessed man had the following lifestyle:
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. (Mark 5:5)
Beating yourself with stones and living in the tombs isn't an everyday human occurrence. The demons tormented this man so much that they caused him to go into isolation.
Demons can Force
Demons can force people to do something. In this respect, we can think of Judas and murderers. Some explain that things turned black before their eyes, and they no longer knew what they were doing. This can be a spiritual power that temporarily takes over someone's life.
Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. (Luke 22:3-4)
Demons can Make Addicts
In 1 Corinthians, Paul summons us to avoid bringing ourselves under a power. For example, if we use alcohol or drugs to feel good, we are dependent on them. This can put us under a demonic power, and it is challenging to break free from it.
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Demons can make People Sick
I believe demons make people sick; however, I don't think every illness comes from a demon. Sometimes, it comes from our choices, like going outside without a coat when it is minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). Yet illness and demonism often go hand in hand in the Bible, and frequently, a demon has to be sent away before healing takes place. I do believe that God wants to heal all diseases; whether it is because of demons, our own choices, or some other problem, it does not matter in this regard. Let us look at one Bible text where a demon caused the disease.
As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying: It was never seen like this in Israel! (Matthew 9:32-33)
Demons Can Tell Fortunes
Some demons are called fortune-telling spirits. They are eager to prophesy about people. A demon's prophecy may only sometimes be correct. Demons like to scare us and want us to believe things. A well-known speaker who often sent demons out of people heard a demon say during a deliverance service: 'Within two weeks, you will drive into a tree.' This is a prophecy from hell. We can do two things when a demon prophesies: believe it, allowing it to happen, or not believe it, preventing it from happening. The speaker decided not to believe in this prophecy and didn't drive into a tree. We see a fortune-telling spirit in the Book of Acts, for example.
Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. (Acts 16:16)
Demons Can Make Humans Super-strong
Demons can give supernatural strength. A well-known example is the Book of Mark, where Jesus encounters a possessed man and sets him free.
And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. (Mark 5:2-4)
We have no reason to fear demons if we stand in Jesus' authority. We have received the authority to cast them out.
Demons Can Make You Anxious
Demons like to scare people into not daring to do everyday things. Especially in God's Kingdom, it is essential to avoid fear and instead preach God's gospel to all people. We haven't been given a spirit of fear but the Holy Spirit of God.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Demons Can Connect with People
Demons often connect with people through an intermediate form. Examples include fortune-tellers, crystal balls, tarot cards, music, films, or summoning spirits. We see this in the case of King Saul, who went to a fortune-teller to contact a dead person. Obviously, this is strictly forbidden, and we shouldn't engage in demonism or enter the spiritual world without the Lord Jesus.
So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said: Please conduct a seance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you. (1 Samuel 28:8)
These are a few examples of what demons are capable of doing. It is important to realize who our enemies are and what they do. With this information in mind, we will know better how to fight the enemy and his allies.
Who has the power?
We addressed two Kingdoms. God's Kingdom with its blessings and the Kingdom of darkness with terrible creatures that wish to torment our lives. But which Kingdom is more powerful? In the section 'The power of the King,' we notice that Jesus has all the power.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)
Knowing this is vitally important. Because when confronted with darkness, we may know that Jesus has all power. The Lord Jesus doesn't keep this power to Himself but shares it with His disciples. We may operate on earth in the name of Jesus and fight against the Kingdom of darkness. Jesus says we must do so. After saying He has all power, Jesus said:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)
We may teach all people and remember that Jesus is always with us. This means that the One with all power always dwells in us. We are in Christ, and therefore, we have received authority to proclaim to the world that Jesus lives. This happens not only with words and love but also with miracles and signs. In the book of Mark, we read:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. (...) And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. (Mark 16:17-20)
This applies to all believers. In the name of Jesus, demons are cast out, and the sick are healed. In verse 20, we read that the disciples preached the gospel of the Kingdom, and Jesus confirmed the Word by the accompanying signs. When we preach God's Word, signs should take place that confirm the Word. In other words, the Kingdom of God is expected to gain ground and the Kingdom of Darkness to lose ground. As the sick are healed, demons are cast out, and people become disciples; therefore, the Kingdom of God wins. We dwelt on this in the chapter on: in Christ: a life with authority. Yet we cannot stress the following often enough:
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:12-13)
Christians are neither losers nor people without power; Christians have been given power and authority! With such power and authority, we can accomplish the same as Jesus and even greater things. If Jesus could heal people on earth, we can heal people in the name of Jesus today. If Jesus could cast out demons on earth, we can cast out demons in the name of Jesus today. God has given believers power. Paul prayed for good reason that we would realize the power at work in us. It must become a revelation, causing us to stand in authority and spread God's Kingdom worldwide. I pray that people today will say, “Do you want to recognize a believer? These are the signs by which you can recognize them: they always walk in love, they cast out demons, they speak in foreign languages, nothing will harm them, and the sick are healed.” With God, this is not impossible but one hundred percent possible. Indeed, God wants this to happen because Jesus did this, and He is the perfect image of the invisible God.
God's Kingdom and its inhabitants have been given all power, and the Devil's Kingdom has already been disarmed and put to shame.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)
Summary
In the spiritual world, we distinguish two kingdoms: God's Kingdom and the Kingdom of Darkness. God's Kingdom is full of blessings, which we discussed in parts 1 and 2 of this book. The Kingdom of Darkness is one of misery, with the devil as its ruler. Under the devil, we find different kinds of spiritual beings, such as fallen angels and demons. We have to battle the fallen angels, and we can stand firm through our armor of God. The demons in the Kingdom of Darkness are spiritual beings without bodies who seek a body to live in. Demons do terrible things and want to torment people and cause them to avoid knowing Jesus. If we look at the question of power, God's Kingdom and its inhabitants have all the power. The Kingdom of Darkness has already been shamed and disarmed. This means that in Jesus' name, believers can heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom to all people.