Devils or Demons in Old Testament Times

The word “devils” occurs four times in the Old Testament in the Authorised

Version (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37). In most modern translations the word “demons” replaces the word “devils”. These references relate to the pagan worship of the heathen nations around Israel. The first three quotations below are taken from the American Standard Version which uses the word “demons” instead of “devils”.

“They served their idols, which became a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons” (Psalm 106:36–37). The pagans, who worshipped idols, believed in these “demon” gods. Israel provoked God by imitating these vile practices.

“They sacrificed unto demons, which were no God, to gods that they knew not, to new gods that came up of late, which your fathers dreaded not” (Deuteronomy 32:17). Moses describes how that Israel went astray from the true worship of God and sacrificed to the idol gods of the pagans, here called “demons”, which were merely pieces of metal, wood or stone. See how they are described in Psalm 115:3–5 and Isaiah 44:9–20.

Paul takes up this point, showing that such “demons” or “devils” spoken of in the Old Testament were the gods of paganism: “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God” (1Corinthians 10: 20). Here Paul uses the Greek word daimonion which is translated “devils” or “demons”. Obviously Paul is speaking of the pagan gods that were part of Greek mythology.

So Paul says: “Concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, [Paul is speaking of the demon gods of paganism] whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father” (1Corinthians 8:4–6). Paul is emphatic—these demon or devil gods of the Gentiles do not exist at all. Paul says there is but one God—the Father. To believe there is some other supernatural power apart from God is contrary to what the Bible teaches.

It must be noted that the Greek word daimonion rendered “devils” or “demons” is a completely different word from the Greek word diabolos, which is rendered “devil” or “false accuser” in the New Testament. A person reading the Greek language would see no connection between the words at all. It is the English translators who have connected the two words together in some English translations.

In the Old Testament nowhere when a person was cured of sickness is it said that a devil was cast out. This means that for the period of the Old Testament people who read the Bible and believed in God did not believe in such things.

Plato, the well known pagan Greek philosopher who lived some 400 years before Jesus Christ, explained what pagan religion taught regarding demons or devils. He wrote: “Every demon is a middle being between God and mortal men”. Plato further explained: “All those who die valiantly in war…are made demons, and that we ought for ever after to serve and adore their sepulchres as the sepulchres of demons”. These then were “good demons”. However there were also “evil demons” in pagan worship. They were those who, according to another writer Plutarch, had lived evil lives and after death became “wicked and malignant demons who envy good men, and endeavour to disturb and hinder them in the pursuit of virtue, lest remaining firm in goodness, and uncorrupt, they should after death, obtain a better lot than they themselves enjoy”.

This pagan teaching regarding demons is seen to be fundamentally flawed when we turn to the Bible. We have clearly seen that man is mortal and at death passes into the grave—the only hope of life after death is the resurrection from the dead at the coming of Jesus Christ. The idea of people living on after death, as the pagans believed, (and as is now taught by many Christian religions), is a denial of the word of God. Sin brings death (Romans 6:23). Deliverance from sin and death is only available through baptism into Jesus Christ. Greek mythology is certainly not Bible teaching.

Devils and Demons in the New Testament

The idea that there were such beings as these “demons” or “gods” was widely believed in the first century by the pagans to whom Paul took the Gospel. An example of this is seen when Paul visited Athens. There he was asked to address the people near the Parthenon—the very large temple to the gods on Mars Hill or Areopagus (Acts 17:19). Paul had spoken about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To them the idea of resurrection challenged their teaching that men became “demons” or “gods” at death. They were perplexed saying, “He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods [or demons, Greek daimonion]: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection” (v18).

This Greek idea of good and bad demons or gods had been introduced to the Jews before the time of Christ in the period when the Greeks ruled over the land of Israel, BC333–167. The Jews adopted this thinking by attributing diseases or disorders such as mental sickness, epilepsy, and deafness or dumbness to these devils/demons or evil spirits. They did not have the scientific medical knowledge that we have today whereby the root of many of these problems can be identified.

However we must understand that the fundamental root of all illness and degeneration of our bodies lies in the fact that we are descendants of Adam who, because of sin, was sentenced to return to the dust of the ground—to die. We have all inherited mortality that came by sin. Medical science may be able to identify problems—even relieve them—but it has no cure for death itself. That alone is available from God.

Let us look at some references to “devils” or “demons” in the life of Jesus.

• On several occasions the leaders of the Jews claimed that Jesus had a devil or demon and therefore was mad: “Many of them said, He hath a devil [demon], and is mad; why hear ye him?” (John 10:20). Again: “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil [demon]? Jesus answered, I have not a devil [demon]; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me” (John 8:48–49). Because they did not understand Jesus, the leaders said he was mentally deranged, believing that some demon god had entered his mind.

• Again we see that the Jews were affected by this idea of pagan gods or demons causing sickness. We read: “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil [demon], blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw” (Matthew 12:22). The person was blind and dumb and Jesus healed him by God’s power. “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils [demons], but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils [demons]” (v24). The Pharisees would not acknowledge that Jesus was given this power to heal by God, for to do so would prove he was sent by God. This they could not accept so they attributed the healing to Beelzebub, a pagan god of the Philistines.

It is interesting to note that there is the account of a king in Israel who rejected God and sent his servant to Beelzebub to see if he would be healed of his illness: “Ahaziah…was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die” (2 Kings 1:2–4). Here the king, who had rejected the God of Israel, turned to Baalzebub to seek help. God sent the prophet Elijah to tell him he would die. There is no mention of demons or evil spirits here. How ignorant the Pharisees were to claim that these demons actually existed and that Beelzebub was the ruler of them—for Beelzebub was a lifeless pagan idol.

That the casting out of devils or demons is synonymous with healing sick people is evident from the following quotation where Jesus sent the disciples out to the towns of Galilee saying, “Heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils [demons] are subject unto us through thy name” (Luke 10:9,17), meaning that they had healed the sick.

The healing of the man who was mentally deranged concludes with these words: “Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils [demons] were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils [demons] was healed” (Luke 8:35–36). The man who had been out of his mind, was now in his right mind—he was healed. In the speech of the day, the demons or devils were departed from him—whatever had caused his sickness was now cured by the power of God.

We see then that certain sickness, particularly mental sickness, was attributed to a strange power that had entered the person, which Greek mythology said was caused by evil demons or gods. However those who understand the Bible know that this is not true.

In Matthew we read about the wonderful healing that Jesus performed: “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils [demons]: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:16– 17). Jesus healed that infirmity and sickness that people suffered because of their weak mortal nature, thus proving that he was the one sent by God who would finally heal man’s mortality and bring life eternal.

Jesus taught this principle when he healed the man with palsy. He said to him, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee”. However when he was questioned about forgiving the man’s sins Jesus said, “Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house” (Matthew 9:2, 5–7).

Here is the wonder of the healing power that God gave to Jesus. It taught those who were thoughtful that God had sent him to heal the greatest disease of all, that which brings permanent death—sin. Through Jesus Christ we can obtain forgiveness of sins and look for that great day when “this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Demons and Patron Saints

The belief that there are ‘saints’ alive in heaven to whom people can pray for help is yet another pagan superstition that was adopted by early Christians who were ignorant of Bible teaching. You will recall the quotation from Plato, which we quoted earlier: “Every demon is a middle being between God and mortal man”. Plato’s theory was accepted with modification by the Church when it deviated from Bible Truth. Instead of maintaining Bible teaching that man is mortal and at death returns to dust, the early Church taught that man has an ‘immortal soul’ that lives on after death. The supposed faithful went to heaven where some were elevated to ‘sainthood’—these had access to petition God on behalf of mortals on earth. Many churches and schools have been named after these so-called ‘saints’ (such as ‘Saint Mary’s’, ‘Saint Anthony’s’, ‘Saint Ursula’s’).

Such teaching is not Bible teaching.

• Man is mortal—he dies and in that day his thoughts perish (Psalm 146:3–4)

• The dead do not know anything (Ecclesiastes 9:5–6)

• In death there is no remembrance of God nor thanksgiving to Him (Psalm 6:5)

• The dead do not praise God (Psalm 115:17)

The Bible teaches that the only hope for man is a resurrection from the dead at the return of Jesus Christ (Daniel 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17). To believe that there are saints to whom we can pray, or that relatives who have died are now living in heaven and can affect our life and keep us safe is not Bible teaching. Jesus Christ is our mediator in heaven through whom we approach God in prayer: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5–6).

Thus the fallacy taught by the Church that one can pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, as Roman Catholics do in the ‘Hail Mary’, or to other patron saints is based upon this wrong teaching. Mary and all the faithful are dead—asleep in Christ—awaiting the resurrection at his return to the earth. There is not one place in the New Testament where a prayer is offered to Mary or to any supposed ‘saint’.

Adapted from “The Exploring the Bible Course” by David Evans