Demons are real.

They also occupy a low rank in the spiritual hierarchy.

They are spiritual mutts. Literally.

When Paul mentions the “principalities, ...powers, ...the rulers of the darkness of this world” in Ephesians 6, he is not referring to demons but to high level...

...spiritual beings, direct creations of God, who have betrayed Him.

According to ancient Jewish thought, referenced in apocryphal books like Enoch, demons are the spirits of the Nephilim that perished in the Flood.

The Nephilim were not direct creations of God...

...but rather the hybrid offspring of the illicit sexual union between Angels and human females. You can read about this in Genesis 6.

This was all part of a plot to undermine God’s promise of a kinsman-Redeemer, which has genetic overtones. That’s for another thread.

The Septuagint translated the Hebrew word Nephilim into Greek as “Gigantes” - a double entendre. It means both “giant”, which the Nephilim were, but it also means “earth born”.

They were literal giants - incredibly strong and incredibly intelligent due to their large cranial...

...capacity. And ancient records speak to their voracious appetite for violence and destruction.

If left unchecked, they would destroy humanity through violent genocide in addition to the fallen angels’ continual outbreeding of the human genome.

So, God sent the Flood...

..which destroyed everyone except 8 humans belonging to Noah’s family, a man the Bible says was “perfect in his GENERATIONS”

His family would replenish the earth with genetically pure humans, allowing for God’s redemptive plan to continue.

(The incarnation)

But the Gigantes...

...who perished in the Flood had no place of rest for their hybrid spirits.

They are “earth born”, therefore their spirits are doomed to roam the earth until the end.

They remain powerless unless they can attach themselves to a body of flesh, or even outright control them.

This is called demonic oppression or possession.

If you’ve witnessed demonic possession, you’ll know that possessed people commonly exhibit superhuman strength and “demonic knowledge”

Sometimes - many times - these people are violent.

Other times, it seems...

...as if the demon and the possessed are in a “business relationship”. The human provides the body; the demon provides the knowledge.

These ones are extremely dangerous and LOVE to infiltrate churches. They know Scripture better than anyone, and quickly gain a position...

...of prominence (elders, assistant pastors, etc) in a local church, only to cause much damage later with false doctrines (doctrines of demons) or church splits.

Demonic possession alters people’s physical features and sometimes even give off a foul smell. But not always.

Exorcism is the only way to banish these vile beings. BUT you can only do it with the authority of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Your own authority is worthless, and they will hurt you if you try.

Read up on the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:11-20) to see what happens.

Jesus Christ is the “Name above all names”, and the spirits of darkness shudder at the mention of His Name.

If you are not born twice (John 3), you are not recognized as one with Christ’s authority.

But if you are, the demons have NO CHOICE but to obey the command to leave.

They may fight and test your commitment, but ultimately they must go.

And it can be a physically ugly experience, depending on the demon. Remember, there are ranks.

How does one get demon possessed? Simple: sin.

Habitual, unrepentant sin opens a spiritual gate allowing...

...demons to take hold. Many times, this arises from abuse or trauma the person has experienced in childhood, or later.

The demons don’t care. They want flesh.

So keep your hearts pure and repent of sin as soon as you are aware you’ve committed it. (1 John 2:1)

And mostly we are INSTANTLY aware because the Holy Spirit (parakletos - helper) convicts our conscience.

Don’t be tempted by temporal power that demonic knowledge may afford you. It’s the very definition of a Faustian bargain.

I’m writing this because I believe we are going to witness demonic manifestations on a scale unbeknownst to North American culture. Africa, China and even Europe are more familiar.

The Ba’al lording over America is upset and he will send out his minions to cause fear and chaos.

Denying demonic influence and casting them out really are the basics of spiritual warfare. But we’re completely untrained - however, the first step is becoming aware of the power vested in us by the Name above all names, the blessed Jesus Christ.

Just need to add - attempting to cast a demon out of a person who wants the demon to stay is impossible.

Even if they leave, they’ll just be invited back in.