I have been walking verse by verse through the book of Revelation with my church, and we have come to a topic that leaves many people feeling uncertain and maybe even uncomfortable - demons. Demonic activity is an area where we can go to extremes if we aren’t well-informed. Some people want to live in complete denial of their existence, others live in constant fear, and some become so infatuated with spiritually dark forces that they begin to open doors to the enemy by dabbling in things better left alone. That’s why I want you to be more informed about demonic activity and what to do about it.
Let’s start with some foundational information. In the early chapters of Revelation, Jesus allows John to see a picture of the throne room where the sovereign plan of God for the end of the world is contained. As the will of God begins to unfold, seven seals are broken, and with the breaking of the seventh, the sounding of seven trumpets begins. These seven trumpets release the sound of the judgment of God against wickedness. With the blowing of the fifth trumpet in Revelation 9:1-11, we begin to see the judgment of God on those whom He made in His image - specifically on all who have rejected the gospel. And the method He employs? Demonic activity. Of course, while the book of Revelation reveals the release of demonic activity at a greater rate and power than the world has ever seen during the Tribulation, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist today.
Here are five things we need to remember when it comes to demonic activity in the world around us now:
1 - Do not dismiss it.
Demonic activity is real. We see evidence of this in the familiar passages like 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world,” and James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
We will see activity from the domain of darkness ramping up as the tribulation unfolds. But even now, we need to live awake and alert.
2 - Do not fear it.
First, do not fear because God is in control. One of the most powerful truths in Revelation 9:1-11 is that of divine permission. This passage reveals that God, in His sovereignty, is in complete control, even over the demons. While there is absolutely no wickedness in Him, because the demonic world falls under His control, God can ordain and orchestrate the use of demonic powers to bring forth his judgment on the wicked and to accomplish His righteous purposes. Consider Satan having to be permitted by God to touch Job’s life (Job 2:1-6) and to sift Peter (Luke 22:31-32). Also, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). No activity of Satan and the demons are out from under the permissive will of God. Satan can’t surprise God or catch Him off guard. He is a defeated foe, and God is moving everything to his redemptive purpose and his plan.
Secondly, do not fear if you belong to the Lord. If you have responded to faith in Jesus Christ, you have already taken the greatest step in winning spiritual warfare. Even if the tribulation begins in our lifetime and we see this type of demonic activity, my friend, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world, and you are sealed by the Holy Spirit and protected. A Christian can certainly be affected and influenced by demonic activity, but you cannot be possessed by a demon because you have already been bought by the Savior. He paid it all, and you never have to operate in the spirit of fear.
3 - Do not dabble in it.
The enemy would love for people to open their lives up to spiritually dark forces, but the Bible is very clear that we are not to dive into anything related to Satan and his demons - things like tarot cards, mediums, Ouija boards, or anything of the like.
Certainly, Christians cannot be possessed by demons because of being sealed by the Holy Spirit, but if you open your life up to their dark activities, the enemy will try to take a foothold, and he has one desire. He hates mankind, and he wants to steal, kill, and destroy.
4 - Do not be unprepared for it.
Paul tells us this in Ephesians 6:12-13, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” If you want to be prepared for spiritual warfare against Satan and his demonic underlings, put your spiritual armor on each and every day.
Again, like the reminders from 1 Peter 5 and James 5 earlier, refuse to walk through this life half asleep and distracted. Be sober-minded. Be watchful. We have a real enemy, and we must resist him. Thankfully, God has not left us in the dark when it comes to the enemy’s tactics. He also has not left us ill-equipped for battle. We cannot fight demonic activity alone, but we have the Spirit of the living God inside of us, the Word of God in our minds, and the fellowship of the people of God in our lives.
5 - Do not forget the lost.
Because the Spirit of the living God lives in you, you never have to fear a demon taking up residence in you. But you must also remember that this divine protection comes with a responsibility. If you have a spirit of courage and fearlessness, you are called to give it to those who don't by sharing the gospel with them. Anyone you know who doesn't know Christ as their Lord can be tormented, possessed, heavily influenced, confused, and left to feel utterly hopeless by the enemy. Lost people don't need you to fix them. They need you to pray for them and share the gospel.
The devil is real. He is our enemy, but he's already lost. Because of the book of Revelation and the hope we have in our Resurrected and Returning King, we know how the story ends. We know that there will be a day when all demonic activity comes to an end. So, go into this day ready to fight for your personal holiness. Fight for the lost. Fight to stay focused on the Lord and His Word. Fight to redeem the mundane. This world is not our home, and how we live our lives here matters.