What Do Demons Do to Christians?
What Do Demons Do to Christians?
There are over one hundred references to demons in the Bible, and most of them are in the New Testament. One of the most vivid is the story of Legion. A man living among the tombs on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Limestone caves. Cliffs. Darkness. It reads like a scene from your worst nightmare. There are three key demonic attacks the enemy brings on Christians.
And here’s the thing. A believer can end up feeling like they’re living in that same graveyard. Not possessed but harassed. Defeated. Depressed. Wondering where the light went.
Pastor Mark Bubeck wrote, “All believers are under attack from Satan’s forces. From outside our person, these powers can draw very near to inject their temptations into our minds, to tamper with our emotions, and to assault our bodies.”
So how does the enemy come after us? Three ways.
They Deceive Us. The enemy’s oldest trick is making you believe he doesn’t exist. But his favorite trick? Making you believe God doesn’t care. He slides thoughts into your mind like poison under a door: Does God really love me? Am I ever good enough? I always fail.
Paul warned Timothy about this in 2 Timothy 2:25–26. That even believers can be “taken captive” by the devil’s snare. That’s not a warning for the lost. That’s a warning for the church.
They Distract Us. The enemy doesn’t need to destroy you if he can just get you off course. He persuades us to go it alone. To launch out on decisions without God. And when we stumble, the world is right there whispering: Look at you. And you call yourself a Christian?
J.B. Phillips translated Romans 12:2 this way: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold.” When we become worldly, the cross gets lowered in our lives. Not in its power. In our attention to it.
They Discourage Us. After Moses died, God told Joshua to “be strong and very courageous.” Why? Because God knew the enemy would try to strip that courage away. A discouraged Christian is a sidelined Christian. No confidence, no power, no freedom.
Dr. Neil Anderson put it plainly: “Satan will try to convince you that you are an unworthy, unacceptable, sin-sick person who will never amount to anything in God’s eyes.”
Sound familiar?
Maybe you’re in a dark and stormy night right now. The enemy has deceived you, distracted you, and left you discouraged. Friend, hear me — don’t give up. Jesus didn’t die for you so the enemy could have the last word. God has so much more planned for your life than what the darkness is telling you.
Keep looking up.
Heaven is closer than you think.
May God bless your day.
Related devotionals: What is spiritual warfare? · Our position in Christ · James 4:7 submit and resist
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