The Doctrine of Demons [Part 1] - Tim Millen

Last year Tim taught a message on what the Bible teaches about Angels, following on from that he taught on Sunday night past on Demons. He has kindly permitted me to post his notes on my blog, (the notes are pretty much just scripture references so you'd need to ask him to fill the bones with the flesh of his message).


Demon (daemon)
the Greek form, translated "devil" in the King James Version of the New Testament
Demons are spoken of as spiritual beings (Matt. 8:16; 10:1; 12:43-45) at enmity with God (James 2:19), and as having a certain power over man (Rev. 16:14).

They are called by various different titles in the Bible such as those angels that "kept not their first estate," "unclean spirits," "fallen angels," the angels of the devil (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7-9).
They are the "principalities and powers" against which we must "wrestle" (Eph. 6:12).
The word demon(s) does not appear in the King James Bible, which uses the word "devils" instead.
The New King James Bible uses the word "demon(s)" in 72 verses.
The only exorcist mentioned in the Old Testament is David (1 Samuel 16:23). In the New Testament, both Jesus and his Apostles cast out demons through the power of the Holy Spirit.


WHO ARE THE DEMONS?

Demons are angels who fell with Satan who is called the ruler of the demons (Mt 12:24)

However, it is quite clear in the Bible that there are two groups of fallen angels - one group that have a certain freedom to oppose God and His people and another group who are confined (2 Pe 2:4; and Jude 6

Though there is considerable (and often needlessly heated) disagreement over why this second group is in prison, it seems that it is because they are the ones who committed the unnatural sin recorded in

Genesis 6:2-4

WHAT ARE DEMONS LIKE?

Since demons belong to the same order of being as angels, they possess similar characteristics.

They are spirit beings, though this does not mean they are omnipresent. Exactly the opposite is true - they are localized at any given moment.

Demons, like angels and Satan, display a great deal of intelligence.

The Bible gives indications that they knew Jesus (Mk 1:24 “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!"”),

they knew their own eventual doom (Mt 8:29 “And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"”),

and they have and promote a well-developed system of their own doctrine (1 Ti 4:1-3 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”).
Apparently their doctrinal deception will become increasingly active at the close of the church age.