Demonology
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
For several weeks Theology 101 has been thinking about the Bible’s teaching concerning demons. Theology can quite easily become theoretical at the cost of losing practicality. The practicality of good theology has been termed “theology in shoe leather.” The idea of holding fast to solidly based biblical theology has the very practical dimension of helping us know “how we ought to walk and to please God” (1 Thess. 4:1). So this week we conclude these sessions on the doctrine of demonology by letting the Bible speak to us about practical ways to confront satanic strategies.
Last week we were thinking about the reality of spiritual warfare. This week we seek to give thought to ways we can confront approaches of the devil and his angels. We may put at the top of our list the need for vigilance. The Bible is quite clear on this point, admonishing us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). We must not be lured into sleep or complacency when it comes to demonic activity. Satan’s chosen way to oppose God is sometimes to get at God through God’s people. We need to be able to say what 2 Corinthians 2:11 voices: “We are not ignorant of his devices.” The Bible reminds us that we are not children of the night, the time when people sleep, but children of the day, the time when people are wide awake (1 Thess. 5:5).
‘Submit to God’
Vigilance or alertness must be coupled with resistance. Not only must we be alert to the adversary, but 1 Peter 5:8–9 adds to vigilance a command that we resist the “roaring lion” while remaining steadfast in our faith. In another place the Bible admonishes us as His people to “submit to God” and “resist the devil” (James 4:7). The order of these two commands is important. We submit to God in order to have strength to resist. We cannot resist successfully if we omit submission to God.
To vigilance and resistance we do well to add avoidance — avoidance of any and all occult practices. Involvement in such activities as fortune telling, séances, witchcraft and other black magic indulgences are invitations to the demonic to invade our lives.
Armor of God
While what we avoid is important, so is what we take up. The Bible wisely instructs us to take up the whole armor of God in order to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11–18). To wear God’s armor requires that we become intimately involved with His truth and righteousness (v. 14). We must walk in the surefootedness of the gospel while presenting as a shield the faith that dulls and deadens temptations (vv. 15–16). We must always walk with awareness of possessing divine salvation and the inspired Word of God (v. 17). The needful companion to spiritual armor is the practice of regular prayer and supplication that is inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit (v. 18).
We not only have impenetrable spiritual armor but Christians also have the indwelling of God’s Spirit. In the face of evil spirits that are at work as enemies of God and His people, as Christians we can overcome the opposition “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). In the face of evil influences we can choose to wear the armor and walk in the Spirit.
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Jerry Batson is a retired Alabama Baptist pastor who also has served as associate dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and professor of several schools of religion during his career.
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