Demonology
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
October is the month for Halloween. Halloween traditionally draws attention to witches, goblins, ghosts, curses, haunted houses, the world of the dead and unseen things like spooks or spirits that go bump in the night. Such features of Halloween affords a good time to give serious thought to the biblical witness to unseen, evil spirits. What about evil unseen spirits? Do demons exist and, if so, are they active today? The common category for thinking about evil spirits is termed “demonology.” During this month Theology 101 will explore the biblical witness about demonic activity.
Even a casual reader of the Bible notices that frequent reference is made to demons or evil spirits. One must ask if passages that reference demons are simply an accommodation to ancient times when superstition caused people to imagine the dark activities of demons and thus were part of the trappings of an ancient and outdated worldview. Or does the Bible faithfully and truthfully bear witness to a real, active and unseen realm of reality in which evil spirits operate? Are passages in the Bible that involve reports of demonic activity fact or fiction? If we hold to the conviction that the Bible is totally true and trustworthy, then we must take seriously the many times it references demonic activity. Given such a conviction, Theology 101 will proceed to take seriously the biblical witness about the doctrine of demons.
What we know
At the outset Theology 101 recognizes that there are questions about which we would like simple answers but concerning which God has been pleased to reveal only what we need to know, not necessarily what we might like to know. For example, we might like to know when demons came into being. Assuming God created all things and that all He created was good, how did good spirits become evil spirits? In addition, we might wish to know if demonic spirits are organized in some hierarchical arrangement. God has chosen not to speak to our curiosity by giving detailed information concerning demons. We might say that in His pursuit of a redemptive plan that centers in Christ, God has along the way given hints concerning our questions.
Origin of demons
As for the origin of demons, the biblical evidence suggests they were originally good angels that joined a heavenly rebellion under the leadership of a chief angel. The chief angel became diametrically opposed to God and was followed by a host of other angels. These fallen angels simply show up in the Bible as demonic spirits. They appear in opposition to all that is holy. Based on the fact that Satan was around when God created Adam and Eve, we can surmise that the creation and rebellion of angelic spirits occurred prior to the creation of humankind. Was it not Mark Twain who in applying for a passport was asked for a birth certificate, which he did not possess? His reported reply was quite practical, “I may not be able to prove that I was born, but you cannot deny that I am here.” We may not be able to outline the details of when and where demons came to be, but if we take the Bible seriously and evaluate our experiences honestly, we cannot deny that they are here.
So working from the premise that demons exist and are active, Theology 101 seeks in coming weeks to explore the topic of demonology not for the purpose of elevating evil spirits but in order to help us live and minister victoriously in spite of spiritual opposition.
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Editor’s note — 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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