Mike,

What influence do evil spirits have in our lives? Paul says we wrestle not against flesh and blood. What can demons do to us? They are spirits. I know they can’t do anything except if God allows it, but what do they do?

J____

Hi J____,

Thank you for your question. You ask:

What influence do evil spirits have in our lives?

As you point out, all evil spirits are sent by God to do what they do.

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

People who are afflicted with demons, are afflicted by an “evil spirit from the Lord.” That evil spirit can throw a person into the water, into the fire, or it can attempt to destroy God’s elect.

Mat 17:15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

1Sa 18:10  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.
1Sa 18:11  And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

It is given to the beast to perform miracles in the presence of those who dwell on the earth. You and I “dwell on the earth”, and we will see and hear of actual miracles which are given for the very purpose of deceiving us.

Rev 13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Christ warns us all that if we do cast out demons, then we had better be ready to offer Christ and His Word to that person to fill that void.

Mat 12:43  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Like Joseph going from the pit in which his brothers held him to the dungeons of Egypt, we go from bad to worse in believing false demonic doctrines. My own journey was from the home of a sincere Pentecostal father, to a the very legalistic World Wide Church of God, to the very liberal Concordant Publishing Concern which taught the exact opposite of the WCG. It was in the lawless atmosphere of the Concordant Publishing Concern’s doctrines that the Lord crushed me to powder and eventually put another and better spirit in His house.
Nevertheless “every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God,” was being lived by me, including the entering in of “seven spirits more wicked than himself.”

So while the demon possession that causes some to become violent to themselves and others around them is real, it is still the work of the Lord. In His time, He will send His Word and heal them.

Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

The far more common and far more deadly evil spirits that afflict mankind as a whole are the false doctrines that are the religions of this world. We try those spirits against the Word of God, and if we do not know that word, then we do not know Christ and are in no position to carry on spiritual warfare such as Paul mentions in the verses you reference.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

The word ‘places’ is in brackets because it is added by the translators. Spiritual wickedness is in our heavens, and ‘heaven’ is the hearts and minds of God’s people, where God dwells.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

So it is “in you” that the spiritual wickedness of the spiritual warfare takes place.

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

“The knowledge of God is found in His Word. We are never to so much as “think above what is written.”

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and [to] Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think [of men] above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

Without God’s written Word, which has endured the attacks of the best scholars of all time, it would be impossible to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God.” But with those words, we can know the mind of God and the mind of His Son, and we can try the spirits to see whether they are of God, and we can cast out the spirits and doctrines that are defiling the house of God within us.

The demon possessions that provoke violent physical behavior are minuscule in terms of the damage they do and the deception they accomplish. It is the spirits of false prophets, bringing false doctrines with which most of us are afflicted. Those are the spirits with which these verses are concerned.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the [ church] world.

There have been mountains of misery throughout the generations of mankind, simply because mankind has been believing lies. Billions of people have lived their lives in fear of a nonexistent eternal hell. They have lived entire lifetimes under incredible feelings of guilt over actions which were beyond their control. Billions of people have sent billions of dollars to corrupt men and ministries because they falsely believe they are commanded to give one tenth of their earnings to the Lord, when in fact the Lord does not want your money at all. He wants your whole heart and mind, and He will lead and inspire each of us to give cheerfully when and where he leads us to give to those in need around us.

It was very hard for me to understand how Christ could really be the head of His church, but my lack of understanding does not change this very simple Biblical fact, regardless of the number of Popes and other false prophets who may claim headship to the church of Christ.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

When we become familiar with God and His Son, we come to know and think as they think. When that happens, we are able to try the spirits and cast out many of the evil spirits that have been sent to try us and to show us just how deceived we have been.

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

We cannot know Christ without knowing His Word, and when we know Him and His Word, we will automatically try the spirits to see whether they are of God.

I hope that helps you to see what is the influence that most evil spirits have upon our lives.

Your brother in Christ.
Mike