C. Fred Dickason [2]
Haunted houses, ghosts, demons—our Western culture can’t seem to get enough of the spirit world. The latest Gallup poll indicates that 42% of Americans believe in demon possession, 37% believe in haunted houses, and 32% believe in ghosts. (Not just Americans are enthralled—40% of the British believe in haunted houses, too.)
Though interest in the paranormal is widespread, the majority of people are skeptical. They discount all spirit activity, going so far as to deny the existence of Satan and demons. Atheists stated this view succinctly in a sign they planted next to a manger scene last Christmas at the capitol building in Olympia, Washington:
“There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world.”
What is the Christian position?
First and foremost, we must remember that the non-Christian position is, indeed, just that, non-Christian! It is the position of non-Christians with all that this implies. From the inability to know and understand God, to the inability to know and understand their own heart, to outright animosity to God and spiritual things. It is their nature to to do that which is antagonistic to God and seek to rebel against Him. It is not surprising, then, that there is a “holiday” that celebrates all that is the diametric opposite of holiness, making light of the things of darkness and seeking make them seem inoffensive and harmless. Nor is it unusual, in light of this, that this holiday should come on the eve of the remembrance of the Reformation in this country when we remembrance the resurgence of the doctrine of Justification be Grace through Faith.
Clearly, outright denial of Satan and demons is not the answer. That view rejects the revelation in the Bible and the phenomena witnessed clearly and broadly in many lands and societies. The first- and second-world countries, not just third-world countries, experience demonic powers, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Of course Dr. Dickason is 100% on the money here. The tendency in the church, along with the rest of the rationalistic 20th Century, has been to discount all such activity in times past, and that has been a tragic error. There clearly are demonic power, Dickason observes and the Bible asserts, and they are active in the world.
As the former chairman of the theology department at Moody Bible Institute and author of “Demon Possession & the Christian”, I have carefully studied such topics. Demons are real and need to be taken seriously, even if many claims about evil spirits are fabricated or exaggerated. Sadly, in many conservative, fundamental churches, these ideas are dismissed as marginal, hysterical or as Charismatic. This is a terrible mistake. There is no reason to think that Satan and His forces are any less active today than they were in the time of Christ.
Unless we have a biblical view of God, mankind, and the spirit world, we will not have the perspective to understand the evil that plagues our world. I can say no less than a hearty “Amen!” to Dr. Dickasen’s statement here. At the same time, I know that this thinking is radical and foreign and may open one to attack from those around us as primitive and superstitious. And that is precisely what Satan would wish them to think!
Biblical Perspective on Satan’s Role
How does the Bible throw light on this problem? The biblical answer is connected to the fall of Satan and his angels and his role in the fall of the head of all mankind, Adam.
How could a good and powerful God allow evil spirits to trouble us since the very beginning?
First, let’s recall several truths about the nature of God, the limitations on fallen angels, and God’s final judgment. As always, an excellent place to start! The sovereignty of God – His control of His world and limitations His nature and power place on His world is the best to begin our understanding of any subject. To begin in the middle of any subject will only frustrate our search for truth – and to begin, as the unredeemed begin, without a starting place, is fruitless!
The God Factor. The same Bible that presents the inception and continuation of sin and evil also presents God as One who is holy, righteous, and perfect in all His ways and who hates evil (Deuteronomy 32:3–4). He is sovereign, omnipotent, and in control. He has no potential successful rival (Isaiah 41:4, 43:13; Revelation 4:11). Evil did not rise up apart from His control; otherwise, He would not be God.
It seems best to say that God, for good reasons, allowed evil to come into being. Believers confess that God is the Author of a plan, a perfect plan, that included allowing His creatures to choose to sin (Isaiah 45:7; Acts 14:16). His ultimate good purpose must be best served by such a plan.
Perhaps He allowed angels to sin so that He might give a concrete example of the wretchedness and degradation of sin. Perhaps He used the test to gain a group of angels to serve Him from choice and love while others fell. By this means He could show in specific form His hatred and judgment of sin, as in Pharaoh’s case (Romans 9:17–18). We would never know the magnitude of God’s grace in preserving most of the angels and in the costly redemption of unworthy, sinful man. The price of our redemption is the death of the eternal Son of God, who became our God-man Redeemer.
The Angel Factor. Satan was the lead angel, but in pride he deliberately chose to sin against his Creator. The responsibility falls on him, not on God in any way. The angels who joined Satan planned their rebellion despite all they knew of the greatness and goodness of God.
Moreover, Scripture reveals that God is sovereign over these evil spirits and has always limited the expression of their sin and its devastating effects. He allows it for only a finite time between Satan’s fall and His coming judgment. Further, He controls the magnitude of Satan’s evil even within that time frame (Psalm 11:4–7, 96:1–13; Romans 2:1–16).
The Judgment Factor. God in His righteousness has condemned sin in the fullest sense. He has judged it throughout human history. He also judged it in awesome dimensions in the sacrifice of His eternal Son, a sacrificial punishment more than all creatures combined could ever suffer. Ultimately, God will forever punish Satan, his demonic hordes, and all other evildoers in the lake of fire, and He will banish sin forever from the universe when He makes all things new in the new heavens and earth (Revelation 20:10–15, 21:4–5).
So scripture guarantees that God is in full control of His creation; He did not cause evil, and He will judge all evil. I would only add that all that has transpired is clearly within the plan of God that was within His mind from eternity past. Nothing has caught Him by surprise. There have been no alterations and no amendments to the plan, no last minute changes. Though it is certainly true that God did not “cause” evil, He did allow it to take place. He could have prevented it; He chose not to do so for reasons of His own that He has, in turn, chosen not to reveal to us in any detail. While that may not seem fail to us, as the Creator, it is His privilege so to do.
Demons Through the Ages
Demons have always opposed God, His purposes, and His people. In the Old Testament days, demons brought attacks against God’s nation, Israel. Demons also oppose the Church, Christ’s body.
They promote false doctrine and divisions, they produce false teachers and followers, and they incite persecution. No other religion of the world receives such opposition and deadly persecution. Satan and demons hate the Messiah—the Creator who became the Savior—and anyone who follows Him. It is important to remember this. They are not merely neutral. Neutrality may be a thing that is true on a personal level, but it is not so spiritually. Spiritually they are antagonistic to all that God desires and thus to all that His people stand for. There is no middle ground here. There is no place for any compromise. Either one is for what God has declared, or one is against it. It quite literally that simple. It is not subjective, it not up to the machinations of our spirit or the development of opinion. God has given us an objective standard by which to measure, that being His Word. That standard is nowhere near as difficult to understand and interpret as many would have us think. It speaks plainly and clearly. In these areas it is clear and frank.
Satan and demons have not faded from the scene. They continue their evil activity. Their activity is more blatant in some places than others, but their presence is still experienced worldwide. The Bible warns that their activity will reach new heights in the future. The pinnacle of satanic activity will be embodied in Antichrist and his program (2 Thessalonians 2:9). However, Satan and his fallen angels will ultimately be defeated, and God will throw Satan and his angels into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7–10; Matthew 25:41).
God will create new heavens and a new earth in which believers will enjoy His presence and provisions forever. Throughout eternal ages, righteousness will permanently rule on earth (2 Peter 3:13); and Satan, demons, and human evildoers will be forever punished. By God’s goodness and grace, those who place their trust in Christ will enjoy a wonderful world where there are no more fears, tears, pains, or deaths. There will be no recycling of evil. Evil will be forever banished (Revelation 21–22).
Demonic Activity in the World
Demons are alive and active today, but we can rest in the reality of our Father’s gracious and powerful control. According to the Bible, demons are real spiritual and personal beings, not just forces or phenomena in the physical and psychological realm. Various Bible passages reveal that they have intellect, emotions, and will. They think, hate, and choose plans of action against God, Christ, and mankind. They especially hate believers in Christ because believers belong to Christ and are foes of Satan.
The Scriptures provide many details about demons. They are spirit beings created by God and responsible to God (Colossians 1:16). They are creatures limited in space, time, and powers. They have become morally perverted and are called “unclean spirits” (Matthew 10:1) or “evil spirits” (Luke 7:21). They promote immoral and sensuous lifestyles (2 Peter 2:1–18). They cause false teachers of depraved minds to oppose the truth and appeal to carnal and selfish impulses (2 Timothy 3:6). They sow false followers of Christ in the world (Matthew 13:37–42). They blind the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing God’s salvation through faith in His Son (2 Corinthians 4:3–4).
Demons promote primitive religions, magic, superstition, and worship of evil spirits. They are the dynamic behind idolatry and their devotees, whether worshipers of the gods Marduk, Asher, Zeus, Jupiter, Apollo, Ra, Diana, Aphrodite, or a host of lesser manmade deities. Witchcraft and astrology are among the earliest false religions that they have inspired in the minds of men. Satanism stands out among their more recent promotions.
The Bible reveals that demons may invade and seek to control humans (Luke 22:3–4). The Greek word for “demon possession” denotes “demon-caused passivity.” It is used of an internal control manifest in either physical or psychological problems. Once again, we must make clear that this is not a popular notion and will open the believer to both ridicule and the charge of being extreme and old fashioned. In the modern world, such things are looked down upon and dismissed as a part of the old world, the uneducated world, superstition and the like. To embrace and cheerfully put such ideas forth as fact is much akin to upholding the idea of a young earth or opposing global warming – you are view as an idiot and dismissed as lacking in intelligence and overwhelmed by religious zeal. But, in reality, it is the holders of the other viewpoint that are the ones overwhelmed by the “religious” zeal, the zeal of the unredeemed!
Demonic Opposition to Believers
I’ve long chuckled at those who espouse the detailed and hysterical conspiracy theories that surround our government and the things that occur from time to time. It is amazing the things that fly sometimes. There are huge conspiracy theories, for instance, about what happened on 9/11. Many would swear that George Bush, the Republican Congress and the others in Corporate America engineered the attack and made it look like Islam to draw us into an attack on the Middle East for the sake of oil; a ridiculous theory. I’ve chuckled, not because there are no conspiracies, but because those conspiracies are not human, they are Satanic! Satan and his angels have long targeted God and His people, and any people or nation that remotely honors Him for destruction. Anything they can do to detract attention from the Gospel they’ll do. Anything they can do to subvert and detract money away from missions and from the support of the work of Gospel they will do.
Demons—those rebellious angels who followed Satan—especially target true believers who are a threat to them. At least sixteen passages in the New Testament address demonic opposition to Christians. Perhaps their greatest deceptive device is that of counterfeiting (2 Corinthians 11:13–15). Satan sought to be like God, and so he imitates some of God’s powers (as did the magicians in Pharaoh’s court) and distorts God’s message.
Perhaps demons’ greatest deceptive device is that of counterfeiting. They promote legalism as well as license. Christians must beware of any changes to the gospel of God’s saving grace in Christ. Satan promotes legalism, as well as license (Galatians 5:1–4, 13–14). So Christians must guard their lives by following God’s truth and depending upon the Holy Spirit, lest they let their sinful desires overrule God’s will.
Demons tempt and seek to lead true believers astray from following Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13–15). They promote rebellion and posit slander against God and men (Genesis 3:1–6; Revelation 12:9). They abhor the grace of God and attack the character of God by causing people to think of Him as dominating, restricting, and vengeful. They attack a Christian’s confidence and commitment to Christ, and in their place they insert accusing thoughts.1 They tempt people to lie, to commit sexual sins, to be preoccupied with this world’s values, to rely on human wisdom, to be proud in spiritual matters. They bring discouragement and division, both doctrinal and relational. They incite persecution, prevent service, and infiltrate the church. In each case, we have a choice to make—to give in or stand firm in Christ.
The Time of Satan’s Fall [3]
Job 38:7 says all of God’s angels rejoiced in seeing God’s creation of the world. Satan and his angels must have witnessed the creation of man, in particular, because one of Satan’s desires was to rule over man (Isaiah 14:13). So we have some idea about when Satan was created—prior to the creation of Adam. But when did he fall?
Obviously, Satan must have fallen before he tempted Eve and Adam (Genesis 3). Since God pronounced all His creation “very good” at the end of Creation Week (Genesis 1:31), the implication is that Satan had not yet rebelled against God. So it appears that Satan fell after Day Six of creation but before Adam’s sin.
After Satan rebelled, his character was corrupted as “the evil one” (1 John 3:12), his power became perverted, and God cast him and his followers out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12).
[1] This is a Reprint of an article received by forward in email. It is attributed as best I was able. Comments by Pastor Farrow are in Red
[2] C. Fred Dickason is the former chairman of the theology department at Moody Bible Institute and is the author of numerous books on angels and demons. He holds a ThM in theology and a ThD in New Testament literature and Exegesis from Dallas Theological Seminary.
[3] C. F. Dickason, Angels: Elect and Evil (Moody Publishers, 1995), pp. 155–159.
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