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Chapter Thirty One
Agency of Evil Spirits
The connection of the visible with the invisible world,
the ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil
spirits, are plainly revealed in the Scriptures, and inseparably
interwoven with human history. There is a growing
tendency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the
holy angels that “minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation” (Hebrews 1:14) are regarded by many as spirits
of the dead. But the Scriptures not only teach the existence
of angels, both good and evil, but present unquestionable
proof that these are not disembodied spirits of dead men.
Before the creation of man, angels were in existence; for
when the foundations of the earth were laid, “the morning
stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.”
Job 38:7. After the fall of man, angels were sent to guard the
tree of life, and this before a human being had died. Angels
are in nature superior to men, for the psalmist says that man
was made “a little lower than the angels.”
Psalm 8:5.
We are informed in Scripture as to the number, and the
power and glory, of the heavenly beings, of their connection
with the government of God, and also of their relation to the
work of redemption. “The Lord hath prepared His throne
in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.” And, says
the prophet, “I heard the voice of many angels round about
the throne.” In the presence chamber of the King of kings
they wait—"angels, that excel in strength,” “ministers of His,
that do His pleasure,” “hearkening unto the voice of His
word.”
Psalm 103:19-21;
Revelation 5:11. Ten thousand
times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, were the
heavenly messengers beheld by the prophet Daniel. The
apostle Paul declared them “an innumerable company.”
Daniel 7:10;
Hebrews 12:22. As God’s messengers they go
forth, like “the appearance of a flash of lightning,” (Ezekiel
1:14), so dazzling their glory, and so swift their flight. The
angel that appeared at the Saviour’s tomb, his countenance
"like lightning, and his raiment white as snow,” caused the
keepers for fear of him to quake, and they “became as dead
men.”
Matthew 28:3, 4. When Sennacherib, the haughty
Assyrian, reproached and blasphemed God, and threatened
Israel with destruction, “it came to pass that night, that the
angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the
Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand.” There
were “cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and
captains,” from the army of Sennacherib. “So he returned
with shame of face to his own land.”
2 Kings 19:35;
2 Chronicles 32:21.
Angels are sent on missions of mercy to the children of
God. To Abraham, with promises of blessing; to the gates
of Sodom, to rescue righteous Lot from its fiery doom; to
Elijah, as he was about to perish from weariness and hunger
in the desert; to Elisha, with chariots and horses of fire
surrounding the little town where he was shut in by his foes;
to Daniel, while seeking divine wisdom in the court of a
heathen king, or abandoned to become the lions’ prey; to
Peter, doomed to death in Herod’s dungeon; to the prisoners
at Philippi; to Paul and his companions in the night of
tempest on the sea; to open the mind of Cornelius to receive
the gospel; to dispatch Peter with the message of salvation
to the Gentile stranger—thus holy angels have, in all ages,
ministered to God’s people.
A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ.
These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power
of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when he
said: “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made
an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that
he hath on every side?”
Job 1:9, 10. The agency by which
God protects His people is presented in the words of the
psalmist: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about
them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
Psalm 34:7. Said
the Saviour, speaking of those that believe in Him: “Take
heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face
of My Father.”
Matthew 18:10. The angels appointed to
minister to the children of God have at all times access to His
presence.
Thus God’s people, exposed to the deceptive power and
unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict
with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing
guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance
given without need. If God has granted to His children
promise of grace and protection, it is because there are
mighty agencies of evil to be met—agencies numerous,
determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power none
can safely be ignorant or unheeding.
Evil spirits, in the beginning created sinless, were equal in
nature, power, and glory with the holy beings that are now
God’s messengers. But fallen through sin, they are leagued
together for the dishonor of God and the destruction of
men. United with Satan in his rebellion, and with him
cast out from heaven, they have, through all succeeding
ages, co-operated with him in his warfare against the divine
authority. We are told in Scripture of their confederacy and
government, of their various orders, of their intelligence and
subtlety, and of their malicious designs against the peace and
happiness of men.
Old Testament history presents occasional mention of
their existence and agency; but it was during the time when
Christ was upon the earth that evil spirits manifested their
power in the most striking manner. Christ had come to enter
upon the plan devised for man’s redemption, and Satan
determined to assert his right to control the world. He had
succeeded in establishing idolatry in every part of the earth
except the land of Palestine. To the only land that had
not fully yielded to the tempter’s sway, Christ came to shed
upon the people the light of heaven. Here two rival powers
claimed supremacy. Jesus was stretching out His arms of
love, inviting all who would to find pardon and peace in
Him. The hosts of darkness saw that they did not possess
unlimited control, and they understood that if Christ’s mission
should be successful, their rule was soon to end. Satan raged
like a chained lion and defiantly exhibited his power over
the bodies as well as the souls of men.
The fact that men have been possessed with demons, is
clearly stated in the New Testament. The persons thus
afflicted were not merely suffering with disease from natural
causes. Christ had perfect understanding of that with which
He was dealing, and He recognized the direct presence and
agency of evil spirits.
A striking example of their number, power, and
malignity, and also of the power and mercy of Christ, is given
in the Scripture account of the healing of the demoniacs at
Gadara. Those wretched maniacs, spurning all restraint,
writhing, foaming, raging, were filling the air with their
cries, doing violence to themselves, and endangering all who
should approach them. Their bleeding and disfigured bodies
and distracted minds presented a spectacle well pleasing to
the prince of darkness. One of the demons controlling the
sufferers declared: “My name is Legion: for we are many.”
Mark 5:9. In the Roman army a legion consisted of from
three to five thousand men. Satan’s hosts also are marshaled
in companies, and the single company to which these demons
belonged numbered no less than a legion.
At the command of Jesus the evil spirits departed from
their victims, leaving them calmly sitting at the Saviour’s
feet, subdued, intelligent, and gentle. But the demons were
permitted to sweep a herd of swine into the sea; and to the
dwellers of Gadara the loss of these outweighed the blessings
which Christ had bestowed, and the divine Healer was
entreated to depart. This was the result which Satan designed
to secure. By casting the blame of their loss upon Jesus, he
aroused the selfish fears of the people and prevented them
from listening to His words. Satan is constantly accusing
Christians as the cause of loss, misfortune, and suffering,
instead of allowing the reproach to fall where it belongs—
upon himself and his agents.
But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted. He allowed
the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to
those Jews who were raising these unclean beasts for the sake
of gain. Had not Christ restrained the demons, they would
have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but also their
keepers and owners. The preservation of both the keepers
and the owners was due alone to His power, mercifully
exercised for their deliverance. Furthermore, this event was
permitted to take place that the disciples might witness the
cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast. The Saviour
desired His followers to have a knowledge of the foe whom
they were to meet, that they might not be deceived and overcome
by his devices. It was also His will that the people of
that region should behold His power to break the bondage
of Satan and release his captives. And though Jesus Himself
departed, the men so marvelously delivered, remained to
declare the mercy of their Benefactor.
Other instances of a similar nature are recorded in the
Scriptures. The daughter of the Syrophoenician woman was
grievously vexed with a devil, whom Jesus cast out by His
word. (Mark 7:26-30). “One possessed with a devil, blind, and
dumb” (Matthew 12:22; a youth who had a dumb spirit,
that ofttimes “cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to
destroy him” (Mark 9:17-27); the maniac who, tormented by
"a spirit of an unclean devil” (Luke 4:33-36), disturbed the
Sabbath quiet of the synagogue at Capernaum—all were
healed by the compassionate Saviour. In nearly every
instance, Christ addressed the demon as an intelligent entity,
commanding him to come out of his victim and to torment
him no more. The worshipers at Capernaum, beholding His
mighty power, “were all amazed, and spake among
themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and
power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come
out.”
Luke 4:36.
Those possessed with devils are usually represented as
being in a condition of great suffering; yet there were
exceptions to this rule. For the sake of obtaining supernatural
power, some welcomed the satanic influence. These of course
had no conflict with the demons. Of this class were those who
possessed the spirit of divination, —Simon Magus, Elymas the
sorcerer, and the damsel who followed Paul and Silas at
Philippi.
None are in greater danger from the influence of evil
spirits than those who, notwithstanding the direct and ample
testimony of the Scriptures, deny the existence and agency of
the devil and his angels. So long as we are ignorant of their
wiles, they have almost inconceivable advantage; many give
heed to their suggestions while they suppose themselves to be
following the dictates of their own wisdom. This is why, as
we approach the close of time, when Satan is to work with
greatest power to deceive and destroy, he spreads everywhere
the belief that he does not exist. It is his policy to conceal
himself and his manner of working.
There is nothing that the great deceiver fears so much as
that we shall become acquainted with his devices. The better
to disguise his real character and purposes, he has caused
himself to be so represented as to excite no stronger emotion
than ridicule or contempt. He is well pleased to be painted
as a ludicrous or loathsome object, misshapen, half animal
and half human. He is pleased to hear his name used in sport
and mockery by those who think themselves intelligent and
well informed.
It is because he has masked himself with consummate skill
that the question is so widely asked: “Does such a being
really exist?” It is an evidence of his success that theories
giving the lie to the plainest testimony of the Scriptures are
so generally received in the religious world. And it is
because Satan can most readily control the minds of those who
are unconscious of his influence, that the word of God gives
us so many examples of his malignant work, unveiling before
us his secret forces, and thus placing us on our guard against
his assaults.
The power and malice of Satan and his host might justly
alarm us were it not that we may find shelter and deliverance
in the superior power of our Redeemer. We carefully secure
our houses with bolts and locks to protect our property and
our lives from evil men; but we seldom think of the evil
angels who are constantly seeking access to us, and against
whose attacks we have, in our own strength, no method of
defense. If permitted, they can distract our minds, disorder
and torment our bodies, destroy our possessions and our
lives. Their only delight is in misery and destruction. Fearful
is the condition of those who resist the divine claims and
yield to Satan’s temptations, until God gives them up to the
control of evil spirits. But those who follow Christ are ever
safe under His watchcare. Angels that excel in strength are
sent from heaven to protect them. The wicked one cannot
break through the guard which God has stationed about His
people.
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