Are Demons Real? Do They Exist Today?

Theology
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Are Demons Real? Do They Exist Today?

Demons and spiritual warfare remain a significant topic within Christianity, with various interpretations ranging from literal beings to metaphorical struggles. The Bible presents demons as real, as seen in Mark 1:34, where Jesus cast them out, and Ephesians 6:12, which speaks of spiritual battles. While early Church Fathers like St. Augustine acknowledged their presence, modern perspectives differ—some see them as active forces, while others interpret them metaphorically. Do demons still influence people today, or has our understanding of spiritual warfare changed?

#SpiritualWarfare #BiblicalTruth #DemonicInfluence #FaithCommunity #CrosswalkForums #ChristianForums

DALL·E 2025-02-11 10.32.44 - A symbolic and dramatic image depicting a spiritual battle between light and darkness. In the foreground, a lone figure stands in prayer, bathed in a
DALL·E 2025-02-11 10.32.44 - A symbolic and dramatic image depicting a spiritual battle between light and darkness. In the foreground, a lone figure stands in prayer, bathed in a1792×1024 303 KB

Hi everyone,

I’ve been diving into the topic of demons and their presence in our world today and would love to hear your thoughts. As a Christian, I often turn to the Bible for guidance, and I’ve found numerous references to demons and spiritual warfare. For instance, the New Testament is full of accounts where Jesus cast out demons (Mark 1:34) and spoke about spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:12). These passages suggest that demons are real, spiritual beings with the ability to influence people.

Historically, many Christian traditions have affirmed the existence of demons. For example, in the early Church, demons were often understood as active forces opposing God’s work. The writings of Church Fathers like St. Augustine discussed demons as entities that could cause physical and spiritual harm. More recently, evangelical Christians often speak about demonic activity in terms of spiritual warfare and deliverance ministries, emphasizing the need for prayer and faith to combat these forces but rarely do they mention demons specifically having power.

There are a lot of different perspectives within the Christian community today. Some Christians today interpret biblical references to demons metaphorically, viewing them as symbols of internal struggles or moral failures rather than literal beings. Others believe that while demons and demonic activity might be less visible or overt in contemporary society, tjhey still exists and affects people’s lives in subtle or profound ways.

I’m curious about how these different views fit into our current understanding. Do you believe demons are real and actively present in today’s world? Have you encountered any personal experiences or stories related to demonic influence or activity? How do you reconcile biblical teachings about demons with the realities of modern life?

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Check out the Exorcist Files produced by a real life exorcist.

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hi Kristie. I have been having some issues in my building. there are 8 condominiums. the 2 above me are pretty much vacant due to illness and someone living with boyfriend.
I have heard furniture moving above me. when it 1st began I rebuked it in Jesus name and would pray and it would stop. so that has been happening for about 2 years.
last night was the strangest. I woke up to the sound of very heavy walking at 345am. I did as I always did but it continued. some running very fast but if a person would have really run that fast they would have been on the highway behind us. I prayed and had worship songs playing on TV for 35 mins and then Scripture being read. it did stop eventually.

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WOW. What a testimony. Thank you for sharing!

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No, But mental illness is very real, something authors of scripture were unaware of over two thousand years ago. Today there are people who believe they are obeying God by trying to cast demons out of children having tantrums, elderly folks with dementia, and those with mental conditions.

Much like understanding that the sun does not move to and fro in the sky, but rather Earth spins on it’s axis and rotates around the sun , science has given modern humans knowledge unknown in the ancient world.

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You raise a serious concern…I believe most Christians would agree that mental illness is real and should be treated with proper medical care. It is absolutely harmful and irresponsible to ignore a person’s need for professional help under the guise of spiritual warfare.

At the same time, I do not believe we must treat this as an either/or matter. Scripture teaches that we are both physical and spiritual beings, so it should not surprise us that some struggles may involve more than one dimension. We ought to be careful here…

I would say we need enough humility to take medical knowledge seriously and enough faith to take Scripture seriously. The two should not be set against each other. The real question is how to think biblically and carefully, without denying what is true in either realm.

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We have only to look at the Bible to know that spiritual wickedness exits. Ephesians 6 gives us an outline of the hierarchy in the demonic spiritual world. Before becoming a Christian, I was involved with the New Age. That’s what I called it, but the new age is the occult. You can think of the term new age as an umbrella term over the many different occult practices. I won’t get into it, but I can assure you that the demonic spirit world is real just as Jesus said. No true Christian who believes the Bible is God’s word would doubt or question that. They may not have any experience of it (as far as they know) but that doesn’t change the reality of it.

There is also mental illness and sometimes both are involved. Those who teach Christians how to recognize the work of Satan and how to stand in Christ, know that not all things can be pinned on the devil. It takes the gift of discernment and God’s calling to work at helping those with this problem.

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What about demons? What about all those successful Ghost Hunting Shows? What about Mediums and such? Are they real? Is that loving and kind dead Grandma trying to contact you from beyond the grave? What does The Word say about all this?

The Word warns us of this.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” 1 John 4:1-3

Why are we warned of this?

“This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them” 1 John 4:4-5

If you receive a visit from a “ghost” or a “spirit” of a “dead relative,” I would probably just ignore them and leave the area, but if you truly want to know, ask them about God. If what they tell you is against the Bible? They are not of God. They are also not your “dead relative.”

I can hear some of you saying. But how do you know?

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27

This is why making the right choices today, while you are here, is so important. Do so while it is called today. No one knows what tomorrow brings.

“Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit, ’ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

Absent the Body, Present with the Lord

This phrase comes from 2 Corinthians 5:8:

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

This phrase suggests that at death, a believer’s soul or spirit immediately leaves the body and enters God’s presence. It emphasizes the immediate transition from earthly life to being with God in heaven.

You can see how this would be one of the reasons God warns us against dealing with those who claim to contact the dead. They are not contacting your dead loved one. I know, I know, some of you do not even believe in Mediums and such. However, look at this warning.

“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.” Leviticus 20:6

Now, first, God would never waste time warning us against something that does not exist. I’m not going to warn my children about the big purple bunny in the backyard because there is none. If demons and evil spirits were not real, then Jesus Himself would have never given us this parable.

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” Matthew 12:43-45

Not to mention casting out demons. Luke 11:14, Matthew 8:16, and Mark 1:39, just to name a few places. Yes, ghosts are real. Yes, evil spirits are real. Yes, demons can and do possess humans. It is not all Hollywood.
Peter