Where do our evil, sadistic, and only plain wrong thoughts come from? Are we prone to allow evil in our hearts and minds? Is it safe to say demons or agents of the devil influence us? It is easy to blame demons simply because we have been told about demons our whole lives; we have heard that they encompass all human fears, cause and create moral struggles, and seem to know just how to get into our heads. Humans are intrigued by the unknown, mythologies, weird religions, and stuff we do not understand. According to the Bible, demons live in a spiritual world somewhere between heaven and hell that overlaps Earth. Visualizations of demons coming and going from hell appear in human-created literature by authors like Dante and Milton. Dante is known for the Nine Levels of Hell and Milton for Paradise Lost.
Matthew 25:41 appears with Jesus’ teaching about the final judgment, often called the Sheep and Goats judgment. One of the more popular phrases is “be apart from me.” Revelation 20:10 describes where Satan and demons are held captive. Demons are spiritual beings in a non-physical location and are not visible, not currently in Hell, but waiting for their future destination in Hell. Ephesians talks about demons operating in “the heavenly places,” or the unseen spiritual realm, but not in the presence of God. This overlap allows the demons to sway human behavior. Satan and his demons are described in Job as traveling back and forth from Earth and Heaven, and then First Peter reminds us that the devil and the demons roam the Earth. In Revelation, the war in Heaven is described, and Satan and his angels are “cast down to Earth “
The Bible makes many references to demons. The word demon appears 73 times, the word demons appears 54 times, and evil spirits and unclean spirits appear 81 times. For something that does not exist in the physical world, the Bible looks at these entities seriously. Fortunately for the human race, the Gospels are full of information on how to avoid demons. In a survey of the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus directs people to cast out demons twelve times. Then James 2:19 reminds us that even demons believe in Jesus/God; later, James tells us to resist the devil, and he will flee. Believers in God and Jesus know that demons and spirits exist and can control this phenomenon through faith and prayer. What happens to nonbelievers and folks who have not settled into a belief system? Psychology and science will tell you things get cloudy once faith, belief systems, and pseudo-science get involved.
“The concept of demons has been a part of human mythology and religious beliefs for millennia. Major world religions like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism have references to demons in their sacred texts and teachings. Demonic possession is a belief found in various cultures and religious traditions where it is thought that malevolent supernatural entities, known as demons or evil spirits, can take control of a person’s body and mind. In this state, the individual is said to be “possessed” by the demon, and the entity may influence or control their actions and behavior.’ (Rogers, 2025)
As early as the earliest Sumerian writings, and before the Jews verbally passed down stories of Lilith. Lilith actually appears in writing and incantations in 400 BC in Egypt and the Middle East. Lilith was a female demon who worked at night. There are many demons and evil spirits in Christian literature and Jewish history. Abaddon is the destroyer in Revelation; Astaroth is the Duke of Hell in the Ara Goitia (stories credited to King Solomon); Bael is the King of Hell; Lucifer is the original fallen Angel. Asmodeus is the demon of lust; Agrat at Mahlat is a female demon, and Azazel is the demon associated with the scapegoat ritual. “Long before psychiatric wards and diagnostic manuals, the human mind’s misfires were explained through a much older lens: possession, punishment, curse. The link between mental illness and demons runs through nearly every ancient civilization, and it did not fade quietly. It shaped centuries of treatment, informed the witch hunts, and still surfaces today whenever a religious community encounters a psychotic episode instead of a diagnosis.” (team, 2025)
Mental illness, confusion, and just plain meanness are rampant in our world. There are many things we do not or cannot understand. The Christian believer has an advantage over the nonbeliever but still must be cautious. The world we live in does not have a “Good Witch” like Glenda but seems to have many demons from the West. When things are out of control and looking bad, try to remember Psalm 34:17-20: “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” And the verse that covers many unsure moments should also come to mind. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Rogers. (2025, 3 29). Paranormal Science. Retrieved from Do Demons Really Exist?: https://paranormalscience.co.uk/do-demons-really-exist/
team, N. e. (2025, 2 16). Mental Illness and Demons: Exploring Historical Beliefs and Modern Perspectives. Retrieved from Neurolaunch: https://neurolaunch.com/mental-illness-and-demons/