Bible Dictionary
Demon
A demon is a spiritual being hostile to God and associated with evil, uncleanness, and affliction. Scripture portrays demons as recognizing God’s power while awaiting judgment.
Definition
A demon is a spiritual being opposed to God and actively wicked. Demons are associated with uncleanness, spiritual pollution, affliction, and opposition to the work of God. They possess knowledge and power akin to the angelic but exercise them wickedly.
Biblical Usage
Demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, believe in God’s power and tremble, acknowledge the authority of His name, and look forward in terror to judgment. Scripture presents them as able to afflict people with disease and spiritual pollution.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
See DAEMON.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
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 the judgment to come. (Matthew 8:29) The description is precisely that of a nature akin to the angelic in knowledge and powers, but with the emphatic addition of the idea of positive and active wickedness.