I was riding the bus when I felt a sudden urge to look behind me. What I saw shook me to my core. I was staring into eyes that radiated pure hate. It was as if all the fires of hell were contained in their gaze. The man’s face was so distorted that he looked like a gargoyle. Terrified, I looked away and shifted to the empty seat next to me, trying to put more distance between him and me. He suddenly spoke in a low, rasping voice, and I understood enough to know he was cursing me. It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
Even all these years later, I can still clearly see that face in my mind. I’ve wondered about the nature of the encounter. The man was human, of course, but the hatred glaring at me was so intense I’ve considered the possibility it had a demonic origin. Why would that guy hate me so much? I was a complete stranger to him. But we know from Scripture that Satan and his demons loathe God and his followers with a passion. I can’t say for sure what happened on that bus, but the encounter has made me seriously consider the reality of the spiritual world we normally can’t see.
Many will dismiss the existence of demons as old wives’ tales, but we must acknowledge their reality if we take the Bible seriously. Jesus continually confronted demons and was opposed by them. He didn’t treat them as imaginary beings but as real opponents. (1)
Even if we set the Bible aside, how can we explain the universal belief in spirit beings? Is it because humanity is that stupid? (Then how could we trust anything anyone says?) Or is it because people have always sensed the presence of the demonic world? Aren’t most superstitions an attempt to manipulate and control the spirits around us?
During a visit to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, I somehow ended up in a room displaying idols from all over the world. I was struck by how similar they all looked, even though they were mostly from a time before worldwide communication. Another thing that grabbed my attention? The eyes. They all glared at you. They reminded me of that man on the bus. It was as if all idol makers had the same source of inspiration. Coincidence?
Where did demons come from? Although the Bible doesn’t give an explicit answer, it nonetheless suggests they were originally created by God as angels who later joined Satan in his rebellion against their Creator. (2) What is clear is that they are evil spirits under the command of Satan. (3) They are connected with the worship of false gods (4) and incite people to do evil. (5)
Since demons exist, how should we act? The answer depends on our relationship with Christ. If we are his followers, then we have nothing to fear. Jesus has authority over the demonic world, but that doesn’t mean we take them lightly. (6) I would compare demons to bacteria or viruses. We know they’re all around us, so we take the necessary precautions, but they don’t keep us from living our lives. Most importantly, we focus on building up our immune system.
In the same way, we must build up our spiritual immune system through practices such as studying God’s Word, praying, and standing firm in faith. (7) The closer we are to God, the less we have to fear any attacks from the spiritual world.
And if someone isn’t a follower of Christ? I would become one as quickly as possible.
(1) Matthew 8:28-34
(2) Revelation 12:7-9, Jude 1:6
(3) Mark 3:22–27, Matthew 12:24–26
(4) 1 Corinthians 10:19-21, 1 Timothy 4:1
(5) Ephesians 6:10-18
(6) 1 Peter 5:8, Colossians 2:15
(7) James 4:7-8, Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 26:41