Disputes long have been battled out determining if demons are real, but according to the Bible they are. Yet, they are not something talked about too frequently among Christian circles. Demons are spooky and scary, so some shy away from the topic. The Bible has a lot, though, to say about the creatures and the powers they can have over people.

Before fully being able to understand the powers of demons, we must learn what they are. Many people believe a demon is Satan himself, but that is not quite true. A demon is a fallen angel like Satan. They are separate spiritual entities created by God, that then became part of Satan’s army of rebellious, turned angels. In Jude 1:6 it says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling - these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great day." In this verse, Judas is referring to the angels that rebelled against God, or the demons. They are charged with leaving their assigned role in Heaven. As many as one third of the angels left with Satan. Satan did this because he wanted greater authority than God.

Demons can enter animals and humans.

There are several important verses that discuss the powers that demons have. Mark 5:8,11, and 13 says, "For He had said to him, 'Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!' Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; So He gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.” In this verse, we can see Jesus is demoing demons away from the human being. They then entered the herd of pigs, and the pigs then ran off into a steep bank where the drowned at sea. In this verse, we learn that they can enter both humans and animals.

More than one demon can enter a person.

In some instances, more than one demon can enter the same victim. Luke 8:2 explains, “and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out.” This verse shows that heaps of demons can go inside the human body, as seven were pushed out of Mary Magdalene.

Demons can inflict mental illness.

Demons can inflict mental disease. One of the Gadarene demoniacs was described in Mark 5:4-5, which says: "For he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he tore apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones." They have the ability to invade someone mind.

The demons can also cause us to act in strange ways we wouldn't normally. Matthew 17:15-18 states, "and said, 'Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.' Jesus answered, 'You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.' And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly".

Demons can alter physical properties.

Demons are capable of imposing many different physical controls over humans. This includes muteness. In Matthew 9:33 it says, “And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, 'Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.'" Demons can also cause blindness. In Matthew 12:22 it says, “Then they brought to Him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and He cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see”.

Jesus told us that a woman suffered a physical deformity caused by an evil spirit. In Luke 13:11 it says, “And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.” Additionally, Luke wrote and emphasized that the woman was suffering because of Satan. He said, “And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this on the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:16).

Demons have the power to deceive nations.

In Revelation 16:14 it says, “These are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty”. Entire nations can be taken down by the work of demons. It is important that we realize that demons can work together to achieve greater goals.

Demons can control non-believers.

Many non-Christians do not stress out over the existence of demons, because they do not believe in the God or the devil. However, scripture gives us an example of unbelievers being harmed by demons. In Acts 19:13-16 a story is told: "Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, 'I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.' Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit said to them in reply, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?' Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded".

Jesus has power over demons.

It is scary to think that demons can have so much power, but as a believer you do not need to worry. It must be understood that the work of demons is limited. They cannot do anything they wish, and the ability to do evil is kept under the control of the Lord. Jesus Christ has power over demons. He can demand demons to veer away from us in an instant. That is why it is important that we follow Jesus Christ and believe and be faithful to Him so that we can easily fight off demons if they come near us.

The influence of demons can be seen by several things which they do. They can enter people and animals, inflict mental and physical infirmities, cause people to behave erratically, and even deceive entire nations. Though their power is far-reaching, it can only be exercised within limits. While the power of demons is very evident in scripture, with God by our side we can fend off their tricks.