In 1973, the movie “The Exorcist” took the world by storm. This movie brought the subject of demonization and possession into the consciousness of millions. For the longest time, there was an outcry about whether people should watch this movie. It was considered to be that horrific. But was it true? Not exactly, although it was based on a true case of possession. Now, 26 years later, many people have all but forgotten about demonic possession. That brings up the question, are there really such things as demons and can they possess someone. The answer to both of those questions is yes, most assuredly.

Many people are under the mistaken notion that demons and their realms are a product of the 16th century. With today’s science and technology and a greater understanding of mental illness, it would appear to many that demonization is nothing more than that. But, is that so? The sad truth is that demons do exist today. They infest homes, they create wars and other atrocities and they do possess people. Another sad fact of our times is that so few teach about the subject of demonology. Unfortunately, of the ones that do, many of them write in a style that almost sound like hysterical ramblings leading you to believe that demons are everywhere and in everything. Although well intentioned, these types of books have the opposite effect; they tend to drive people away from the subject. On the other hand, demons do exist and they are a major threat to mankind. So, what we have here is a very delicate balancing act. We must make people aware of the demonic realm while not sounding hysterical about it. So just what are demons and how do they get into peoples lives?

Demons are inhuman spirits. In other words, they are spirits that have never lived on the physical plane, as we know living to be. They were created by God as Angels. The common belief is that Lucifer, who was one of God’s most beautiful and powerful Angels led a revolt against God and was subsequently defeated by the Archangel Michael. Supposedly, Lucifer and one third of the Angels in Heaven were banished as a result of their uprising and were sent to earth where they now rule. Their one goal is said to be the destruction of God’s favorite creation, man. They work tirelessly in their quest to accomplish this. What does it mean to be an inhuman spirit? Inhuman spirits are not bound by space and time. These concepts are strictly human creations and mean nothing in the spiritual realm. Also, since the laws of physics are also a human creation, inhuman spirits are not bound by those laws either.

Okay, so what does that mean? According to the laws of physics, gravity pulls everything of substance down. Therefore, tables will not rise of their own accord. However, powerful inhuman spirits would have no trouble lifting a table or a safe for that matter. Witnessing levitation is an incredible experience although less so if you are the object being levitated. Then it is a terrifying experience. Yes, inhuman spirits can do that too. They can also make things appear out of nowhere and they can also make them disappear just as easily. If they succeed in getting inside a person, they can make that person do terrible, unspeakable things to themselves and those around them. Few, if any would doubt that Hitler was not a demon. A good case could be made that he was the Anti-Christ. Now, let us take a look at how demons can enter our lives. Before we get into specifics, let me make one thing clear. We do not know all the answers to all of the questions. When it comes to demonization, there is much we do not know. While we do not always know exactly why a demon will intrude in a person’s life, we do know that in many instances, there were paths open to these creatures. However, twenty people could all do some of the things I am about to mention and only two of those twenty will have a problem. We do not know why this is. However, let us focus on what we do know.

There are two universally accepted ways demons can gain entry into a person’s life. These are known as the “Laws of Attraction” and the “Laws of Invitation” Before we look at those two areas, I wish to add a third law. I call this the “Law of Opportunity.” Here is how they work. We have all seen examples of how “like attracts like.” In other words, good attracts good, evil attracts evil. Positive people tend to attract positive things in their lives and negative people tend to attract negative things. Just ask anyone who suffers from depression. Demons, being the epitome of negativity enjoy and look for people who do negative things. The vibrations that are put out by negative people attract demons. It is almost as if they can lock their radar on that type of person and zero in on them. They feed off of that negative energy. If by nature, you are a person who does evil things, demonic forces will be attracted to you. If you intentionally hurt any living creatures, you will be attractive to demonic forces. The same is true if you are a very negative person. I am not saying that you will attract a demon just because you get depressed. Everyone gets depressed at some point. That is part of being human. However, if you live your whole life in a constant state of depression, you become vulnerable. It does not guarantee that you will attract a demon but the chances are greater than if you were are a positive person.

Chronic drug or alcohol abuse is attractive to demonic forces. Abusive relationships are as well. Emotional, verbal or physically abusive people attract negative forces to them. Sexually abusive people, especially those who target children are a prime target. This is not to say that it is necessarily the demons who make these people do these things. There is a danger in blaming the devil for all of our misdeeds in life since that takes away our responsibility for our actions. Demons or not, God gave us free will. My point is that the worse the deed done by a person, the easier it is for demonic forces to get into their lives. They like to play on your weaknesses. If you are an abusive person, they will play that card and push you towards doing that more and more. However, never forget that we have the free will to choose not to do something evil. Before moving on to the “Laws of Invitation,” let me say one more thing. Necrophilia, (having sex with a corpse) is an express lane to the demonic as is defiling, in any way, human remains. The same is true for anyone who would desecrate a Church.

The “Laws of Invitation” basically state that you are, in some way inviting a demonic force into your life. You may ask why would anyone want to do that? Well, as you will see, there are many who do want demonic forces in their lives. Like it or not, there are those who worship Satan. However, in so many cases, people invite demons into their lives unintentionally. There are a number of ways in which to do this. Dabbling in the occult is extremely dangerous. The most common form of this is the seemingly innocent Ouija board. When you use this method or any other to contact spirits, you are opening a door and you have no way of knowing what will come in. Spirits will lie. Never forget that. Let us say that you are attempting to contact a deceased loved one. A spirit may come through claiming to be that loved one. Since spirits have telepathy, they will be able to sift through your mind for something about that loved one that only you know. They will then tell you that bit of information leading you to believe that it is indeed your loved one communicating with you. Consequently, you allow that spirit to dig in, so to speak and you may invite it to come back in at another time. Even if you do not, you have already invited it in. It may not want to leave. This sounds terribly unfair and it is. That is how they play the game. There is nothing fair about them.

Can you get in trouble if you only use the board once? Yes, you can. For that matter, just being in a location where someone is using a board can result in disaster. I knew of someone who was at a party one time where some friends were using a Ouija board. She herself did not play the game. However, when she went home, activity began in her house. It was minor, just a few banging sounds and one door that slammed shut. Fortunately for her, it stopped there and she did not experience any further trouble. However, after that, she would not stay at her friend’s house when they used the board. This is not to say that everyone who uses the board necessarily find themselves in trouble. Millions of people use the board and do not report any problems. This is where the unknown factor comes in. You can use it once and get into trouble or you can use it a hundred times without a problem. We do not know why that is. Maybe there have to be a number of factors occurring at once. Some people are simply more receptive than others. By that, I mean they have more psychic ability and therefore are more easily “reached.”

There are other ways in which you can invite spirits into your life. Dabbling with tarot cards can cause problems. These are a set of 78 cards which are often used to foretell the future. There are 22 cards known as the major arcana and 78 known as the minor arcana. How the cards are laid out and where they fall are interpreted by the reader. This supposedly predicts the future. How do they work? I do not know nor do I know why or how these can cause problems of a diabolical nature. All I can say is that they can. I have seen it too many times not to believe it.

Automatic writing has been known to cause major demonic phenomena. The theory behind automatic writing is that a person holds a pen to paper and allows a spirit to communicate through him. In theory, the spirit gives messages. In some instances, the person channeling will write with the opposite of their dominant hand. Many are able to write with both at the same time. In almost all cases, the automatic handwriting is different from the person’s normal handwriting. However, as with the Ouija board, you have no way of knowing what type of spirit you are in contact with. Also as with the Ouija board, you are allowing the spirit into your life. The problem comes in when you find out that it is a bad one and you cannot get rid of it so easily. I do want to point something out. Many in the scientific field believe that what controls the Ouija board or automatic writing is something known as “automatism.” This basically means that it is the unconscious mind of the person using whatever device controls the movement. I do not deny that this may often be the case. However, too many of the things that can occur cannot be explained by this method alone.

Fantasy games can cause problems too. They often have occult overtones. Music which praises Satan is dangerous. Tell Satan you want him to come enough times through a songs lyrics and he just may answer you. Obviously, performing Satanic rituals or spell conjuring speak for themselves. Demons do not do our bidding for us. It is that simple.

The last law is what I call the “Law of Opportunity.” This one is simple. You may move into a house that has a demon present. It just happens to be there when you move in. You may be going through a very difficult time in your life and there just happens to be a demon hanging around. Because of your vulnerability, it decides to attach itself to you. It is an opportunistic spirit. This may explain why some people who use Ouija boards and the like get into trouble. You may happen to be using it just when there is a demon on the prowl. It jumps at the opportunity to swoop down on you. Now, let us take a look at how demons attack people and what you need to look for.

One popular and dangerous misconception is that all cases of demonization are like the movie “The Exorcist.” Yes, there are horrific cases of possession. However, those cases are very rare and even more rare are the Hollywood special effects. In truth, most cases of demonization are very subtle, especially in the beginning. Demons like to attach themselves to our weaknesses if they possibly can as you are about to see. By doing this, they are able to work behind the scenes as it were and often remain totally undetected. This is a big part of their strategy. You also have to realize that not all instances of demonization result in the total possession of a person. In the majority of cases, this does not happen. The demon can and will influence a person without necessarily taking control of that person. However, I have said before and it bears repeating. Not everything bad that happens in our lives is the result of demonic interference. We alone are responsible for our actions. Still, the fact remains that even though something bad or difficult is happening in your life is not being caused by a demonic force, it is quite possible that one may attach itself to the problem making it worse. For example, let us say that you are a heavy drinker. This may have resulted from any number of reasons, none of which have to do with the demonic. However, since they are attracted to the negativity that this situation puts out, they may latch on to it. The drinking problem becomes the point of entry for the spirit. Then, what happens is this force will push you to drink more than you might otherwise. You may decide that you need to cut back on your drinking but the demonic force that is working on you will do its best to convince you that there is no need for you to do so. Now you have a multiple problem on your hand, your own drinking problem and a demon who has attached itself to you as a result of the problem.

Let us look at another example. Suppose you are terribly depressed and reached the point where you attempted suicide. This depression may have been caused by many different factors such as a chemical imbalance in the brain, the loss of a loved one or everyday factors like money worries or a job or the host of pressures we all face. These things may have all combined to make you feel that life is not worth living. However, an opportunistic spirit, finding that way of thinking to its liking may have attached itself to the depression problem. As with the above example, you now have two problems. I can go on and on with examples but I think you can get the idea.

Demons love to play head games. They can infiltrate your life without your knowing about it. They will always attack your weakest point. If you are prone to depression, they will exert subtle but strong pressure to make you more depressed. If you are prone to fits of anger, expect them to do things to keep you angry. If your self-esteem is poor, they will play on that too. They are also notorious for planting images in your mind. You may suddenly get an image in your mind of either yourself or someone you love being involved in a serious accident. Are you insecure about your job? They will plant an image of you getting fired that will haunt you. They will put images of your spouse cheating on you in your head; they will convince you that people do not like you. Whatever your area of vulnerability is, they will pounce on it. If you feel guilty about something, they will replay that event in your mind over and over again. They can cloud your thinking on just about any subject they choose. They can also plant voices in your head. In some cases, they are overt about this. You may actually hear a voice coming from outside of you. Because this is done telepathically, these voices will not record. Still, you will actually “hear” these voices. In less overt cases, these voices will sound like they are coming from within, much the way normal thoughts do. The only difference is these thoughts will seem very alien to you; they will be out of character for you. If you are normally easy going, they may plant words in your mind that make you uptight or pressured. You may suddenly find “yourself” thinking mean or cruel thoughts about others. This can result, if it goes on long enough, in a total personality change.

What makes this so difficult is the fact they can go undetected for so long. In many cases, they are never detected. They are also very smart when it comes to choosing their targets. One of their favorite ones are the mentally ill. They will often attach themselves to these people for two reasons. The first is that these people are very vulnerable to begin with. The second reason is their chances of being detected are slim and none. If a psychiatrist is treating you for schizophrenia, do you think he will believe you when you tell him your sofa regularly slides across the room or that you hears voices telling you what to do? His most likely reaction will be to adjust your medication. Now, I do not mean this as an indictment against the medical profession. Schizophrenia is a medical condition. That is cut and dried. However, doctors are not trained in spotting possible demonic influence. For that matter, you would probably be hard pressed to even find one who believes in demons. That is just the way it is today. Therefore, they do not realize that there is the possibility of a demon attaching itself to that person.

Okay, so what are the signs of demonic influence? In many cases, there will be very noticeable signs. These are what are called “outward manifestations.” Furniture may move of its own accord. This can be heavy items or light items. Beds may shake or vibrate. You may suddenly feel cold or horrible smells will come out of nowhere. All the searching in the world will not turn up the source of the odor. A common manifestation is pounding in the walls. Objects will sometimes fly across a room. Things may disappear right in front of your eyes. You may hear scratching sounds coming from the walls. These things are hard to deny. However, not all of the signs are so easy to detect. As you have seen, the way in which demons work can be so subtle as to go unnoticed. This is also true of the warning signs. In many cases, you have signs similar to the outward manifestations listed above. However, they will be much quieter, less noticeable. You may find things in a place where you know you did not leave them. You might hear scratching sounds but you may have to strain to hear them.

You may notice personality changes or you may find that you no longer want to do those things you always found enjoyable. Sometimes, people will find themselves obsessed about one thing or another. They may suddenly find themselves wanting to do things that they ordinarily regard as repulsive. Responses to problems may be disproportionate to the circumstances. Bad habits may get worse. Tempers may get short for no obvious reason. Moods may darken. Now I am going to confuse things some. All of the aforementioned symptoms can result from normal everyday stressors. You cannot panic when someone who is usually cheerful suddenly becomes moody. There can be natural causes for this. However, if the unusual moods persist and there is no obvious reason for it you may become concerned. Again though, do not jump to conclusions. Look for obvious causes first. An exception would be if you are engaged in any form of occult activity. If you are dabbling in the occult, you are in serious danger to begin with. Be alert to any of the symptoms I have mentioned. Whether you are or not, pay close attention to any of the noticeable signs or outward manifestations. There is no normal cause for furniture to go flying around a room.

Is it possible for a good, honest person to suffer demonic attacks. The sad answer is it most certainly is. There used to be a belief that Christians could not be attacked by demons. That is not true. Anyone can suffer a demonic attack. However, the good news is that demonic forces can be beaten. Prayer is the strongest weapon anyone has. Belief in God can and will defeat dark forces. There are religious rituals which are designed to combat these forces. Blessings by a priest or minister can repel minor demons. Masses said in the home will often do the trick unless it is a strong demon. For those cases, deliverance or exorcism will be necessary. A common misconception is that only a priest or extremely pious person can do deliverance. That is not true. Any Christian who believes in God and is trained in the process can do this. There are extremely rare cases where a solemn exorcism must be done. That does require a priest. However, as I said, those are extremely rare cases.

So what should you do if you suspect demonic interference is in your life? The first thing to do is pray. This is always a good thing to do. Remain alert for any of the signs mentioned in this article. Look for a pattern to activity. Do not jump the first time your spouse is in a bad mood but if that mood coincides with outward manifestations, you should seek help.