Triumphant Life Church

By Apostle Isidore Agoha

Demons are supernatural because they are spirits. However, they certainly have nothing divine about their nature. The Holy Spirit is supernatural; but more than that, He is divine, sovereign and pure. The supernatural nature and power of demons is of a corrupt and impure source: Satan.

During with the man possessed by an unclean demonic spirit, one supernatural attribute clearly demonstrated by demons was knowledge. They expressed some form of knowledge of Jesus that can only be appreciated by supernatural perception, identifying Jesus as a Nazarene and as the "Holy One of God." They also recognized His power to judge them. These are spiritual truths that can only be received or perceived by supernatural revelation. Yet at a time when Jesus had not yet announced those details about Himself, and while the religious audience had not yet appreciated those truths, these demons had already grasped them.

This expression of supernatural knowledge does not make demons honest and reliable. They are not the authors of much spiritual truths; they only confess them in moments of stress. This pattern is repeated in the ministry of Jesus in the Gadarenes- Mark 5:1-10; Luke 8:26-43 and in the ministry of Paul in Philippi - Acts 16; 16-21. Both Jesus and Paul exercised great discernment in each case and processed to do God’s will by casting the demon’s out. Neither the Lord nor Paul was excited, impressed or distracted by such deep revelations about their persons and ministry. Their examples emphasize the need for Christians to exercise discernment on a regular basis. God in His wisdom empowered the church with His gift of discerning of spirits. We need to understand that the church in this age is being confronted with a degree of deception capable of swaying the elect if God doesn’t intervene. Revelation of truth is never to be used to lead people away from the true God; it is to be used in bringing people to God.

The demons’ expression of supernatural knowledge could not change them or save them from being expelled or from final judgment. Their knowledge could not lead them to willing submission and, therefore, was devoid of worship. All claims to the true knowledge of God must culminate in the submission in the submission to and worship of God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. Any purported knowledge or revelation from God that does not lead to submission to and worship of Jesus as Lord does not attract God’s blessing, but invariably leads to judgment. Satan, fallen angels and demons are incapable of such willing worship.

The knowledge of the reality of God for Satan and his forces is tormenting. They "tremble" or shudder at such a blessed reality; and any feeling or emotion expressed as a shudder is certainly not a blessing but a repulsive emotional response to a terrible past, present or future experience. In this case, demons shudder because the reality of the person of God reminds them of the judgment awaiting them at the second coming of Jesus.

The same reality of God’s existence is capable of bringing about a transformation to even the most human offender, since humans are still capable of repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ - Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1-3. This p[potential attitude in us can release God’s grace of forgiveness and the fullness of His inheritance. In this way, God still accepts us. The ultimate lesson is that although the door of salvation has been shut against Satan and his spirit cohorts, God’s salvation is still open to fallen humanity. This salvation is by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

Apostle Isidore Agoha is the Senior Pastor at Triumphant Life Church in the Bronx, N.Y.

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