Healed People, Heal People

Understand How Demons Operate In Your Life - The Basics PDF Print E-mail


What is a demon?

Demons have distinct and unique personalities just like human beings. Remember that neither satan nor his demon spirits are things. Neither should they be taken lightly. Demons are beings who have all the normally accepted marks of personality: they possess will, intelligence, emotion, self-awareness, and the ability to speak.

Satan is the leader of all demons. Because satan is prideful, his demons follow his lead, which means all demons have a degree of pride like their leader. Demons even compete against one another while operating in your life. The name of the demon reveals its characteristics or manifestations. See the following examples.

Lucifer - Isaiah 14:12

Prince of the power of the air - Ephesians 2:2

Ruler of the demons - Matthew 12:24

Destroyer - I Corinthians 10:10

Angel of light - II Corinthians 11:14

Serpent of old - Revelation 20:2

Great dragon - Revelation 12:9

Devil - Revelation 12:9

Wicked one - Matthew 13:19

Father of lies - John 8:44

Murderer - John 8:44

The following are examples of the characteristics of demons in the Bible.

Here the demon exercises his will, a 1st characteristic
In Matthew 12:44, the demon who has gone out of a man says, "I will return to my house from which I came." The demon here exercises its will to make a decision, and then follows it up with the corresponding action.

Here the demon shows emotion, a 2nd characteristic
In James 2:19 it reads “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!" Trembling is an outward mark of strong emotion. Derek Prince writes that at times he has seen a demonized person, who when confronted with the authority of Christ, began to tremble violently. This may be an outward manifestation of fear of the demon inside.

Here the demon shows intellect, a 3rd characteristic
Demons have knowledge not derived from natural sources, rather evil sources. The first time Jesus confronted a demonized man in the synagogue in Capernaum, the demon spoke out of the man and said in Mark 1:24, "I know who You are - the Holy One of God!" It was more than a year before Jesus' own disciples began to realize what this demon had discerned immediately.

Here the demon shows self awareness, a 4th characteristic
When Jesus asked the demonized man in the country of the Gadarenes in Mark 5:9, "What is your name?" a demon answered on behalf of itself and the other demons, "My name is Legion; for we are many." The demon was aware of both its own identity and that of the other demons occupying this man.

Here the demon shows their ability to speak vocally, a 5th characteristic
In the first three gospels and also in Acts, we see several examples of demons able to speak through the vocal organs of the people they are occupying. The demons could and still do answer questions and carry on a conversation. Normally we regard the ability to speak as a distinctive mark of personality.

Demons display a wide range of character traits. Some are vicious, violent, supernaturally strong. Others are weak, cowering, even ridiculous - characteristics one would not expect to find in a demon, which is a fallen angel.

Where did demons come from?

If mankind, Adam and Eve, had never sinned, we would never have been vulnerable to demons. From the beginning, ever since man, Adam and Eve, turned from God in rebellion, all males and females born have been subjected to two main spiritual evils: sin and demons.

Where do demons live?

Each demon desires to express himself through a human body, preferably yours. A demon is not happy unless he has a human body, again, preferably yours. Because demons do not possess physical bodies of their own, demons seek to inhabit or use the bodies of humans or animals.

How do demons work?

God can be everywhere at the same time. Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time. Since satan was booted out of heaven, there has been a fight for dominion. Satan tries to accomplish his goal of dominion of your life through demons since he cannot be everywhere at the same time.

He, satan, dispenses or assigns his demons or demonic spirits to babies in the womb, people, you, your family, your church, cities, denominations, governments, countries, hospitals, institutions, leaders, through music, through television, through drugs, through immoral sex, through perverted sex, through alcohol, etc. In very simple terms, God represents the light or the good and satan represent the dark or the bad. Just as God and His Holy Spirit is active daily, so is satan and his demons or demonic forces and principalities.

What can I do about demons?

There is an urgent need for Christians to learn all we can about the nature and activity of demons. This knowledge is important for all believers, since none of us can claim immunity from the attacks of demons.

It is especially important for pastors and other Christians certified in integrated healing & deliverance to be trained and available for each Christian who desires help. Only with trained, revelatory knowledge are those called to healing and deliverance able to make a correct diagnosis and apply the appropriate remedy so Christians can experience freedom ministered by the Holy Spirit.

Are demons associated with illnesses or health challenges?

Many sicknesses are actually caused by demons, and they should be treated as such. Let's look at a scriptural example where this actually happened.

In Luke 4: 38 – 39, it reads "And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them."

If this fever was only a physical problem, then how foolish to rebuke it! It makes no sense whatsoever to rebuke an inanimate thing. One can only rebuke something having intelligence, and Jesus knew that a spirit caused this fever. The fever left Peter's mother-in-law because it had to obey Jesus' authoritative command.

How many demons are there?

The Bible specifically names many, many demons and there are also categories of demons based on their function. For example, if a person [illegitimately] controls things and people, the specific demon in the Bible that's operating in this person is the Jezebel demon [you understand that Jezebel is really a super stronghold because four demons make up the Jezebel head.]

When you are engaged in spiritual warfare, it is important to know your enemy. Part of spiritual warfare is getting rid of your demons on a lasting, permanent basis. Demons manifest themselves through you, your family and your church members under many different names. The following evil spirits, demons, or devils are mentioned in the scriptures, but this list is not exhaustive. Each one is a personality, and the word used expresses their nature:

The nature of specific demons shown in the Old Testament that remain active today.

Jealousy/feelings of jealousy - Numbers 5:14, 30

Ill will/evil - Judges 9:23

Distressing/evil - I Samuel 16:14-23; 18:10; 19:9

Lying/deceiving - I Kings 22:22; II Chronicles 18:20-22

Perverse/distortion/dizziness - Isaiah 19:14

Deep sleep - Isaiah 29:10

Heaviness/fainting/despair - Isaiah 61:3

Harlotry/prostitution - Hosea 4:12; 5:4

Unclean/unclean/impurity - Zechariah 13:2

Familiar - Deuteronomy 18:11

Sorrowful - I Samuel 1:15

The nature of specific demons shown in the New Testament that are still active today.

Mute/robbed of speech/Deaf and dumb/ deaf and mute - Mark 9:17; 9:25

Infirmity/causing sickness/ crippling - Luke 13:11

Divination/predicting the future - Acts 16:16

Deceiving/deceitful - I Timothy 4:1

Fear/timidity - II Timothy 1:7

Error/falsehood - I John 4:6

Unclean - Matthew 10:1

Divination - Acts 16:16

Bondage - I John 4:6

Deceiving - I Timothy 4:1

Error - I John 4:6

Death - Hebrews 2:14-15

Are there new demons?

No, there are not new demons. The demons established in the Bible are it, but that's a whole lot of them! Demons can take on many, many, many manifestations in each person's life.

How do you identify demons?

The easiest way to identify a demon is by how it manifest in your life. There are many lists of demons, strongholds and generational curses. Again, the easiest way to identify each demon in your life is by how it manifests in your life. For example, one lady was severely overweight and she struggled with her weight for years. When she came for healing and deliverance, the demon was simply identified as the sugar demon. See how simple that is.

Why are so many Christians scared of demons?

Christians are scared of demons because:

a) you may not understand your authority based on scripture - An excerpt of Luke 10:18-19 reads, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Christians are scared of demons because:

b) you may have a fear of using your authority once you know your authority; fear is a stronghold that is controlled by the demonic.

Christians are scared of demons because:

c) you may believe the authority the scripture states is for all other believers except you; this unbelief is a stronghold that is controlled by the demonic.

Christians are scared of demons because:

d) you may be deceived into thinking the demons active in your life will not obey your command when you use your authority; this is a lie. Satan is the father of lies. Demons are under the leadership of satan. So, this lie you believe is from what, the demonic.

Christians are scared of demons because:

e) you may not understand your position based on scripture - An excerpt of Romans 8: 16-18 reads that you are the child of God and a joint-heir with Christ.

Christians are scared of demons because:

f) you may choose not to exercise your authority daily; angelic and demonic activity take place 24-hours a day. As a Christian, you are automatically enrolled in a battle known as spiritual warfare. There are only two positions in this Christian battle, offense and defense. Most Christians choose, by default, to live their lives operating on the defense and in response mode. Most Christians choose to be passive in the battle. Why are you passive? Because your church does not regularly teach and train the church body and regularly teach and train those called to healing & deliverance how to engage in spiritual warfare daily.

Christians are scared of demons because:

g) you may have been deceived into thinking that demons have more power than you do -- as a child of the King who inherited all spiritual blessings. Smile -- I'll let you find this scripture reference : )

Christians are scared of demons because:

h) you may choose not to read and study your Bible regularly to be reminded of and operate daily in your God-given authority. Meanwhile, you, your family, your church and your country suffer needlessly. It really ain't that deep yall -- sorry about the incorrect language here.

Why do so many churches not teach on the demonic?

God is not interested in our church membership or denominational labels – we all use the same Holy Bible where all of these scriptures in this article can be found. No believer wants to be exposed and many of our sins, including our private, secret sins, create shame. Confidential, healing and deliverance ministry does not expose you, the person, rather it exposes the demonic strategy that’s been operating in your life and keeping you in your private bondage.

You think what you’re going through is not transparent to other believers, but it is. The Holy Spirit is still waiting on you to surrender -- at any minute of any hour of any day. You know what the beauty of confidential, integrated healing and deliverance is? It will be the last time you deal with the pain, the shame, the secrets, the coping mechanisms. You may remember, but the pain historically associated with the memories, the experience, is over!

There are three parts to the God-head: 1) God the Father; 2) God the Son; and, 3) God the Holy Spirit. In the church, we are comfortable with the first two parts of the God-head, but many churches are not comfortable with teaching and training about the third part of the God-head, the Holy Spirit.

Any church that does not teach, train and operate in the supernatural realm of the Holy Spirit and regularly teach and train those called in to healing and deliverance is a crippled church. Why is the church crippled? Because the leadership and the membership will not have an available arm of ministry where hurt people can be healed. And you know that every breathing human in the church has something the need healing and deliverance from, right? After all, the church is a hospital for the spiritually sick.

What is the purpose or goal of demons?

As stated in John 10:10, the thief [satan and his demons] come to steal from you, and to kill you, and to destroy you. This is true for every human born, which includes you and every person in your family lineage. Satan and his little demons are so pleased the more you choose to remain unlearned about him and his demons. Why does this please satan? Because he can continue to have dominion in your life or parts of your life. All the while, you continue to blame things in your life on coincidence, bad luck, you being different or you just can't stop doing something.

Why is it critical for you to understand demons as a Christian?

Picture a green plant in a flower pot. Most Christians when dealing with life’s issues deal with the symptoms. The symptoms are the green leafs on the plant. Integrated healing and deliverance deals with the roots of the plant in the flower pot that you cannot see. The green plant represents your life. The demons represent the roots of your life challenges and problems. Unless the roots of your life issues are identified and dismantled, you continue to see manifestations in your life.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say there’s a person who has a drug stronghold. Typically, you’ll hear people talk about the drugs, the lack of responsibility the person shows, how the person steals, how the person will not keep a job, etc. While all of those things are a reality, none of those symptoms are the root(s) of the person’s problem. Integrated healing & deliverance targets, identifies and dismantles the root system of your life’s problems.

What do demons hate?

Demons hate many things, but I’ll share four things. One, demons hate God. Two, demons hate believers using a heavenly prayer language because they cannot understand what’s being prayed; demons can understand you praying in English or your native language. Three, demons hate scripture, which is why scriptures must be used when actively dealing with the demonic. And four, demons hate humans, which includes you.

Demons do not play fair in your life. Demons show you, your family and your church no mercy. May I ask the next logical question? Why do you choose, by default, to exercise grace toward the very demons that are still stealing, killing and strategizing to destroy you, your family and your church? Have no mercy on demons in your life; be brutal with them in exercising your authority!

How do demons manifest or show themselves in daily life?

Click here to listen to the audio titled Some Ways Demons Enter Your Life.

How do demons relate to generational curses and strongholds?

Exodus 20:5-6

Exodus 34:7

Numbers 14:18
… visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fouth generation.

Deuteronomy 5:9

Now, why did I share these four scriptures with you? One, because they are true because they are in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Two, because these scriptures clearly establish generational curses.

Each of you reading this article have parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so forth. Because none of us came from perfect families, that means that both sins and iniquity were present in their lives. More than likely, most of us didn’t even know the people extending back to the 4th generations on our mom and dad’s side of the family.

One thing you must understand about God is God sees me and you as part of a family unit. We are born into a family unit and remain in a family unit until we die. You can’t get into the world bypassing a family structure. Most of us think of ourselves as an individual. I’m sorry, but that’s not how God views us. We are all connected, and initially that’s through the family structure, which links you into the generations referenced in the four scriptures above.

So, what’s the bottom line here? Did every person in your family on both sides of your family repent and confess of all their sins and iniquities. Probably not. Because each of us is born into our families, the iniquities of our parents and the other people unto the fourth generation weigh against us from our inception in the womb. What does this word iniquity mean? Iniquity is inner heart tendency from your fore fathers sins pressing, weighing, leaning against you to do the same thing [sins] they did.

Do you and I have to give in to the pressure? No, but many times we do. Why does this pressure exist? Well, satan’s job is to kill, steal and destroy your life. We know that satan doesn’t play fair, that’s a given. Well, how early should satan start working on you? As early as possible. Well, how early is that? He, satan, starts when you’re in the womb, the moment of conception plotting and strategizing on how to take you out.

Click here to listen to the audio titled Demons Entering Through The Womb. Be encouraged to listen to this; it is a good, sound, biblical teaching.

Well, how does satan know what to try on you? One thing we know about satan is he looks at what’s worked well historically, generationally in taking out your family. Since your parents, grand parents and those back to the fourth generation probably didn’t do anything about their generational curses, he automatically starts with those sins and iniquities to see if you’ll give in to the pressure and follow suit – yet adding on another generation continuing the bondage.

Well, reader, most of the time, this works so flawlessly, that satan and his demons have very little work to do in our lives. So the question for you reading this article is, what are you going to do about the operation of generational curses in your life? You can try to deny them, but that is not effective.

How do demons relate to generational curses? One way generational curses have power is they are held in place to operate through the demonic realm.

In many cases demons transmit from one family generation to the next family generation, and so forth, through a) genes; b) the environment children grow up in [we all were children at one point]; c) the universal, biblical law of sowing and reaping [that is active in every single family]; and d) demonic oppression.

Can the transference of demons occur?

Yes. In some cases, the transference occurs during a formal, ritualistic ceremonies.

How do I get demons out of my life?

Temporarily, you can bind demons and temporarily stop their mission, which is to block you from receiving God has for you. Why do I purposely use the word temporary with demons. After you bind any demon, you should complete the process by commanding each demon from your life.

If you don’t do this, then the binding process is temporary, which means each time you see the demon manifest, you’ll need to rebind. This can become laborious, so it’s just makes sense to complete the process by commanding the demon the leave. Commanding each demon active in your life will not take place until you take care of the root reason(s) that gave each of the demons entrance into your life.

Matthew 16:19 reads, And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

What are demonic voices?

As a Christian, you should know the different ways the Holy Spirit can speak. A few examples of how the Holy Spirit speaks to us are following:

a) in a still small voice, Acts 9: 3 – 7;
b) by external or outward visions, Joshua 5: 13 – 15;
c) with dreams, Daniel 2;
d) through and inward vision, John 8:38;
e) via personal prophecy [that should be tested and prophecy can be conditional], I Corinthians 12: 7 - 11;
f) illumination of scripture;
g) hearing His voice audibly, I Samuel 3:10; or
h) in any way He chooses.

Remember these are only a few ways you can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Many times many, many, many Christians are challenged in hearing the Holy Spirit in their daily lives. Why?

a) Unrepented or unconfessed sin hinders you from hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit

b) You feeling unworthy to hear the voice of the Lord;

c) You being afraid [fear] to hear the voice of the Lord;

d) You don’t even believe you, as a Christian, are able to hear the voice of the Lord, so this is boldface unbelief.

e) Not spending regular, daily, intimate time with the Holy Spirit makes His voice foreign to you. As in every relationship, we learn to recognize someone’s voice by hearing it over and over again. This is even true for the Lord’s voice.

John 10: 4 – 5, 16 – When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice … They too will listen to my voice …

f) Your unexpressed disappointment or anger towards the Lord can hinder you from hearing His voice.

g) The presence of demons operating in your life block your spiritual eyes and ears. There are certain demons that specialize in trying to prevent our receiving anything from God.

h) Read I Samuel 3:2-10 where Samuel did not recognize the voice of the Lord

How do demons strategize?

One strategy demons use is to see what has worked successfully on those in your family lineage – particularly your parents, grand parents, and so forth. If no one in your family line has broken the generational curses held in place by the demonic, the curses continue.

A biochemist once explained to Derek Prince, "A human body is attacked regularly by cancerous cells. When that body is healthy, its immune system identifies and attacks the cancerous cells, and they are unable to harm the body. But when the body has been weakened by illness or some kind of emotional shock, the immune system is unable to do its job effectively, and some form of cancer can develop somewhere in the body."

Immediately Derek Prince said to himself, that's just how it is with demons!

A second strategy demons use | Demons continually seek to invade you, but when you are spiritually healthy, the spiritual immune system within you identifies and attacks the demons, and they are not able to move in and take control of you. Any kind of unhealthiness or emotional weakness on the other hand, makes you vulnerable to demonic attack.

Thank you for taking your time to read this article on Healed People, Heal People. If you are not a member of this online community, we invite you to join for free here. If you know a Christian who could benefit from the information in this article, please end them the link.


Restoring The Foundations: An Integrated Approach To Healing Ministry, 2nd Edition, by Chester and Betsy Kylstra
Demons and Deliverance, by H.A. Maxwell Whyte, Copyright 1989, Whitaker House
Life In Jesus Ministries’ Web site
Demons And You by Mike Green at the following email address