Is There Demon Possession Today Like There Was In The First Century?

Spiritual Questions with Scriptural Answers.

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When one picks up and reads his or her New Testament, he or she will discover that demon possession was very real and prevalent. For example, we read the word “demon” nearly twenty times in the Book of Matthew alone.

The reason why demon possession was so widespread is because Jesus walked the earth. He was good to the highest degree; therefore, in an effort to counteract the “good,” the presence of evil was amped up. Ultimately, demon possession opened the door for God to be glorified because it showed the Lord’s power over the demonic world and Satan himself!

The demons believed in the power of Jesus and trembled (Jas. 2:19). They knew He was the Son of God and had authority over them (Matt. 15:22). In fact, the demons obeyed Him (Mark 1:27)!

The apostles too had the power to cast out demons (Mark 3:15). The first century gift of casting out demons was specifically designed to confirm the reliability of the message being proclaimed by the person possessing the gift (Mark 16:17, 20).

With these facts in mind, no Bible student would deny that demon possession was very real, so the purpose of this article is to ask and answer the question, “Does demon possession happen today like it did then?”

The Influence of Satan.

Satan’s influence is alive and well in our world today.

He is described as the “ruler of the world” (John 12:41; 14:30; 16:11), “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), one “disguised as the angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14), “a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8), to name a few. These descriptions teach us that he is a real threat not to be taken lightly.

While Satan influenced people directly at times (Eve, Job, Jesus), he does not operate directly on anyone today for if he did, that would give him more power than God (which he does not have)! He works through his influence, i.e, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17).

The presence of evil is certainly in our world today, but what about individuals literally being taken captive by demonic spirits against their will?

Bible Times vs. Today.

Demonic activity in the first century is completely different than so-called “demonic possession” today. Hollywood has had a lot to do with the phenomenon and has caused many people stress and anxiety over the possibility.

Notice some differences between demonic activity in the first century and what some claim happens today.

Public vs. Private.

First, most alleged “exorcisms” today are private and secluded that are made public after. When Jesus cast out demons, He did so publicly, which astonished the audience (Luke 4:36).

Number of Attempts.

Second, those who claim to perform exorcisms today say it takes several attempts and a long time to practice and prepare. In fact, a Catholic Priest in San Francisco claimed that he was able to cast out a demon after only fourteen attempts!

When Jesus and the apostles cast out demons, they did so with a word and saw immediate results (Mt. 17:18; Acts 19:11-12).

Horror Scenes?

Third, there were no dramatic horror scenes in the first century like they are proclaimed to be today in movies.

Those in the New Testament era were afflicted either bodily or mentally (sometimes both), but there were no details like we see in movies today.

Language?

Fourth, there were no “cursing or blasphemies” uttered by the demons in the first century like they supposedly do today. We see this especially in movies such as in the “Exorcist” of inappropriate behavior and blasphemous language by the one “possessed.”

In the first century, those possessed by demons were actually very respectful of Deity. They understood and believed in the deity and authority of Jesus Christ (Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24; 3:11; Jas. 2:19).

A Miracle.

Finally, we must understand that the casting out of demons was a miraculous event. The miraculous age has ceased (1 Cor. 13:10) which includes demon possession and the casting out of demons.

Miraculous gifts served an important purpose in the first century, namely to confirm the Word (Mark 16:20) and to build up the infant church (Eph. 4:7-16).

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As we close, please carefully consider the following two quotes which help to sum up what we have discussed in this article:

“With the termination of the supernatural era of the early church (cf. I Cor. 13:8ff), demon possession, and the corresponding gift of expulsion, ceased. Does it seem reasonable to assume that since there is no gift of demon expulsion available today, God would allow demons to continue entering and afflicting his human creatures? That would certainly suggest an imbalance of power and would put man at a great disadvantage. A careful study of the New Testament data reveals a gradual cessation of demonic activity as the apostolic age drew toward its conclusion” (Jackson).

“Are people today afficted by demon possession? Obviously, not. Even a casual examination of the instances chronicled in the New Testament will show that the circumstances attending demon possession then are not characteristic of our day” (Woods).

References.

Jackson, Wayne. Christian Courier: “What Do You Know About Demons?” Accessed February, 10th, 2025.

Woods, Guy N. Questions and Answers. Vol. I: Freed-Hardeman College. Henderson, TN. 1976. Pg. 234

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Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.

Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.