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Demon Casting in Modern Christian Practice and Scripture

The practice of demon casting, or exorcism, in Christianity is rooted in biblical accounts of Jesus and his followers confronting spiritual entities. The New Testament frequently refers to "demons" as spiritual beings hostile to God, capable of afflicting humans with disease and spiritual pollution [2]. These entities recognized Jesus as the Son of God and acknowledged the power of his name [2, 7].

Jesus conferred upon his disciples the authority to cast out demons [5, 6]. This power was not unique to Jesus or his immediate followers, as Jewish exorcists were also known to practice it, sometimes invoking the divine name [6]. However, early Christian writers like Tertullian emphasized that Christians prevailed over evil spirits not by incantations, but "by the name of Jesus" [8].

The nature of demons and their influence has been a consistent topic in Christian thought. They are described as "unclean spirits," "fallen angels," and the "angels of the devil" who "kept not their first estate" [7]. They are considered the "principalities and powers" against which believers must contend [7]. Augustine, in City of God, discusses the binding and loosing of the devil, noting that while the Church, "predestined and elected before the foundation of the world," cannot be seduced, the devil's loosening implies a recovery of his ability to tempt [11]. Augustine also refuted the idea that demons act as messengers between gods and humans, as proposed by philosophers like Apuleius [12].

The early Church understood demons to be wicked spirits, a view shared by many who acknowledged their existence [13]. Lactantius highlighted the efficacy of the sign of the cross in terrifying demons, noting that when adjured by Christ, they flee from possessed bodies [16]. Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, affirmed that exorcism has a real effect, stating that the Church uses "words of command to cast out the devil's power" [14]. He also addressed and condemned the error, attributed to Origen, that demons would eventually be delivered from their punishment through God's mercy, citing scriptural authority against it [9, 10].

Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, refuted the notion that devils are merely "bad affections" or "nugatory philosophy" concerning angels [15]. He asserted that just as believers are sons of God by bearing His image, the wicked are children of Satan by degenerating into his image [15].

The Bible also mentions various forms of divination, which are distinct from demon casting but often associated with spiritual forces opposed to God. Divination involves foretelling future events or discovering secrets through means other than human, often with the aid of superior beings [3]. Practices included divination by rods, arrows, cups, and consulting teraphim [3]. The Old Testament explicitly condemns such practices, listing them among the abominations of nations that caused their sons and daughters to "pass over through fire" and "use enchantments" [4, 1]. These practices were prevalent in ancient Egypt, Canaan, and among the Philistines [1].

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Divination — Of false prophets (Deut. 18:10, 14; Micah 3:6, 7, 11), of necromancers (1 Sam. 28:8), of the Philistine priests and diviners (1 Sam. 6:2), of Balaam (Josh. 13:22). Three kinds of divination are mentioned in Ezek. 21:21, by arrows, consulting with images (the teraphim), and by examining the entrails of animals sacrificed. The practice of this art seems to have been encouraged in ancient Egypt. Diviners also abounded among the aborigines of Canaan and the Philistines (Isa. 2:6; 1 Sam. 28). At a later period multitudes of magicians poured from Chaldea and A”
  2. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Demon — In the Gospels generally, in (James 2:19) and in Reve 16:14 The demons are spoken of as spiritual beings, at enmity with God, and having power to afflict man not only with disease, but, as is marked by the frequent epithet "un-clean," with spiritual pollution also. They "believe" the power of God "and tremble," (James 2:19) they recognized the Lord as the Son of God, (Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:41) and acknowledged the power of his name, used in exorcism. In the place of the name of Jehovah, by his appointed messengers, (Acts 19:15) and looked forward in terror to t”
  3. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Divination — is a "foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means." It is used in Scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will. It has been universal in all ages, and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by rods, (Hosea 4:12) divination by arrows, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by cups, (Genesis 44:5) consultation of teraphim, (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2) [[442]Teraphim]; divination by the liver, (Ezekiel 21:2”
  4. II Kings “II Kings 17:17 (YLT) — and cause their sons and their daughters to pass over through fire, and divine divinations, and use enchantments, and sell themselves to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him;”
  5. Mark “Mark 3:15 (ASV) — and to have authority to cast out demons:”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Exorcist — (Acts 19:13). "In that sceptical and therefore superstitious age professional exorcist abounded. Many of these professional exorcists were disreputable Jews, like Simon in Samaria and Elymas in Cyprus (8:9; 13:6)." Other references to exorcism as practised by the Jews are found in Matt. 12:27; Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49, 50. It would seem that it was an opinion among the Jews that miracles might be wrought by invoking the divine name. Thus also these "vagabond Jews" pretended that they could expel daemons. The power of casting out devils was conferred by Christ ”
  7. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Daemon — The Greek form, rendered "devil" in the Authorized Version of the New Testament. Daemons are spoken of as spiritual beings (Matt. 8:16; 10:1; 12:43-45) at enmity with God, and as having a certain power over man (James 2:19; Rev. 16:14). They recognize our Lord as the Son of God (Matt. 8:20; Luke 4:41). They belong to the number of those angels that "kept not their first estate," "unclean spirits," "fallen angels," the angels of the devil (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7-9). They are the "principalities and powers" against which we must "wrestle" (Eph. 6:12).”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. VI.: After this, through the influence of some motive which is unknown to me, Celsus asserts that it is by the names of certain demons, and by the use of incantations, that the Christians appear to be possessed of (miraculous) power; hinting, I suppose, at the practices of those who expel evil spirits by incantations. And here he manifestly appears to malign the Gospel. For it is not by incantations that Christians seem to prevail (over evil spirits), but by the name of Jesus, accompanied by the announcement of the narratives ”
  9. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of God's Mercy and Justice towards the Damned, Art. 2: Article: Whether by God's mercy all punishment of the damned, both men and demons, comes to an end? I answer that, As Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xxi) Origen [*Cf. FP, Question [64], Article [2]] "erred in maintaining that the demons will at length, through God's mercy, be delivered from their punishment." But this error has been condemned by the Church for two reasons. First because it is clearly contrary to the authority of Holy Writ (Apoc. 20:9,10): "The devil who seduced them was ca”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 23.--AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE OF OPINION THAT THE PUNISHMENT NEITHER OF THE DEVIL NOR OF WICKED MEN SHALL BE ETERNAL. (part 1): First of all, it behoves us to inquire and to recognize why the Church has not been able to tolerate the idea that promises cleansing or indulgence to the devil even after the most severe and protracted punishment. For so many holy men, imbued with the spirit of the Old and New Testament, did not grudge to angels of any rank or character that they should enjoy the blessedness of the heavenly kingdom after b”
  11. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 8.--OF THE BINDING AND LOOSING OF THE DEVIL. (part 1): "After that," says John, "he must be loosed a little season." If the binding and shutting up of the devil means his being made unable to seduce the Church, must his loosing be the recovery of this ability? By no means. For the Church predestined and elected before the foundation of the world, the Church of which it is said, "The Lord knoweth them that are His," shall never be seduced by him. And yet there shall be a Church in this world even when the devil shall be loosed, as”
  12. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 22.--THAT WE MUST, NOTWITHSTANDING THE OPINION OF APULEIUS, REJECT THE WORSHIP OF DEMONS.: None of these four alternatives, then, is to be chosen; for we dare not suppose such unbecoming things concerning the gods as the adoption of any one of them would lead us to think. It remains, therefore, that no credence whatever is to be given to the opinion of Apuleius and the other philosophers of the same school, namely, that the demons act as messengers and interpreters between the gods and men to carry our petitions from us to the go”
  13. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. LXIX.: And it is not we alone who speak of wicked demons, but almost all who acknowledge the existence of demons. Thus, then, it is not true that all observe the law of the Most High; for all who fall away from the divine law, whether through heedlessness, or through depravity and vice, or through ignorance of what is right, all such do not keep the law of God, but, to use a new phrase which we find in Scripture, "the law of sin. I say, then, that in the opinion of most of those who believe in the existence of demons, some of ”
  14. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Preparations That Accompany Baptism, Art. 3: Article: Whether what is done in the exorcism effects anything, or is a mere sign? I answer that, Some say that the things done in the exorcism have no effect, but are mere signs. But this is clearly false; since in exorcizing, the Church uses words of command to cast out the devil's power, for instance, when she says: "Therefore, accursed devil, go out from him," etc. Therefore we must say that they have some effect, but, other than that of Baptism. For Baptism gives man grace unto the fu”
  15. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 30: the devil. 117 117 2 Cor. 4:4 ; Eph. 2:2 ; Rom. 9:22 ; John 8:44 ; 1 John 3:8 . For as believers are recognised to be the sons of God by bearing his image, so the wicked are properly regarded as the children of Satan, from having degenerated into his image. 19. Having above refuted that nugatory philosophy concerning the holy angels, which teaches that they are nothing but good motions or inspirations which God excites in the minds of men, we must here likewise refute those who foolishly allege that devils are nothing but bad affec”
  16. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — CHAP. XXVII.--OF THE WONDERS EFFECTED BY THE POWER OF THE CROSS, AND OF DEMONS. (part 1): At present it is sufficient to show what great efficacy the power of this sign has. How great a terror this sign is to the demons, he will know who shall see how, when adjured by Christ, they flee from the bodies which they have besieged. For as He Himself, when He was living among men, limit to flight all the demons by His word, and restored to their former senses the minds of men which had been excited and maddened by their dreadful att”
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