If angels and demons can’t die, what is the point of their engaging in battle?
Popular fiction, such as the novel This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, often features lurid descriptions of spiritual battles in which demons are dispatched by sword-wielding angels with a slash, a flash, and a puff of smoke. The implication is that the demons “die” somehow when sliced in half by angelic blades. It should go…
What are elemental spirits?
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, ESV). Other translations render the phrase elemental spirits of the world as “the elemental spiritual forces of this world” (NIV), “the rudiments…
Are the demons the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim?
As a background, please read our articles on “Who were the sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4?”, and “Who were the Nephilim?” With the understanding that the sons of God were the fallen angels, and that the Nephilim were the hybrid offspring of the union between the fallen angels and human women, the question then…
What are spiritual beings?
A spiritual being is a supernatural, incorporeal being. The Bible begins with the assertion that God, a spiritual being, created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Other spiritual beings mentioned in Scripture include angels, demons, and Satan. The supernatural worldview is found throughout the Bible—from creation to Revelation and everywhere in between. While we…
Is there an angel named Raguel in the Bible?
There is no angel named Raguel in the Bible. The idea of an angel named Raguel comes from the Book of Enoch and not from sacred Scripture. Much of the content of the Book of Enoch deals with angelology and demonology. According to the mythology contained in the Book of Enoch, there are seven “angels…
Is there an angel named Raphael in the Bible?
No, the Bible nowhere mentions an angel named Raphael. Only two holy angels are named in Scripture—Gabriel (Luke 1:26) and Michael (Daniel 12:1), the latter designated as an “archangel” in Jude 9. The angel Raphael does appear in the apocryphal book of Tobit (or Tobias), which is considered inspired by the Catholic Church. In that…
What is a kundalini spirit?
Kundalini spirit, or the spirit of kundalini, is a term linked to some versions of the Charismatic faith and associated with beliefs related to demonic oppression. In these highly speculative spiritual approaches, demons are considered the cause of almost every malady, particularly spiritual ones. This feeds the stream of so-called deliverance ministries, which seek to…
Who were the Zamzummim?
As the Israelites, free from Egyptian bondage, journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land, the Lord God gave clear instructions to His people as to their actions, behavior, and conduct. On their journey, the Lord warns His people not to demonstrate aggressiveness toward the people of Ammon, who were descendants of Lot: The Lord…
What does the Bible say about hereditary spirits?
Some “deliverance ministries” and Charismatic groups teach the existence of hereditary spirits, also called generational spirits or familial spirits. These entities are thought to be evil spirits that attach themselves to a particular family and harass them through multiple generations. They are demons inherited from one’s ancestors. Those who teach the existence of hereditary spirits…
What is an Ahab spirit?
An “Ahab spirit,” or the “spirit of Ahab,” is a specific type of demonic presence suggested by those who think demons are the primary cause of all sin and struggle. The belief in specifically named “designer demons” is especially common in some versions of the Charismatic faith and among those who promote so-called deliverance ministries.…