Originally Posted by
preachtheWORD
Not meaning to start a theological debate here, but I thought it would be worthwhile to share the Biblical perspective on demons / evil spirits.
According to the Bible, they are very much real, and are totally evil. No such thing as a "good" demon. Demons are "fallen angels." They were the angels that joined Satan in his rebellion against God and were cast out of Heaven into the earth. They are incorporeal (i.e., they don't have a body) but are able to possess people and animals. In such cases of possession, they are able to induce numerous sicknesses and disabilities on thier host, such as blindness, deafness, insanity, etc. In at least one case in the Bible (Mark 4, I think) a man possessed with many demons had supernatural strength - BUT he was also insane and running around naked living in a graveyard! The purpose of possession seems to be the destruction of the host. The Bible speaks of demon-induced suicidal tendencies. (Mark 9:22) Of course, not all cases of attempted or successful suicide has to do with demons.
Most of what people think are encounters with "ghosts" are probably demons. It is most unwise to get mixed up in messing with demons. It will cost you big time in the end - maybe even your life.
Scary stuff, but it does not have to be. Much of the power that such evil spirits have over you is the power you give them. The more credit you give them, the more power you give over them over your life, as demonstrated in the lives of the people the member from Thailand mentioned.
A person who has been redeemed by Jesus Christ need not be afraid of demons at all. When Jesus defeated Satan through His Sacrificial Death on the Cross and His Resurrection, He also defeated all the minions of Satan, which are the demons. A true believer can stand confident in Jesus and is able to resist and overcome Satan and the Demons.
James 4:7 says "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
The Bible has a lot more to say about evil spirits / demons, but that is a basic primer on the subject.