1If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.
5Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7You also once walked in those, when you lived in them, 8but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. 9Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, 10and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, 11where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free person; but Christ is all, and in all.
12Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
14Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
17Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.
20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.
21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.
22Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. 23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.
Malevolent spirits are spoken of several times in the Bible. They are called "demons" in most Bible translations, and likely represent those beings mentioned in the New Testament who fell with Satan (Matt 25:41; Rev 12:7-9). The writings of the apostle Paul speak of such creatures, who live in the upper spiritual regions of the earth (Col 3:10), and who are our true enemies (Eph 6:12), over whom the Messiah Jesus triumphed in the cross (Col 2:15). Matthew 12:24 designates Satan as their head.
In the Old Testament, these spirits are called evil spirits, and their deeds are often used by God to accomplish His own purposes (I Kings 22:20-23), even their leader Satan (Job 1:6-12). Two instances are when God used an evil spirit to judge Abimelech for the murder of the sons of Gideon, and an evil spirit punished King Saul for his disobedience to God (1 Sam 16:14-15).
Another example of the activity of fallen angels is seen in the life and work of the prophet Daniel, as they opposed his prophetic work regarding the end time and his prophesying of it, which relates to the same time of activity at the end of the age before Messiah (Dan 10:12-14).
Rather than the term "evil spirit" the New Testament often used the term "demon," which was already used in the Greek word for a spirit who had interaction with humans. Socrates (469-399 B.C.) uses this Greek term, daimon (δαιμον) in his defense against the charge of atheism by the city fathers of Athens because he rejected the Olympian gods, claiming a personal (daimon) spirit that provided direction. This may be seen in the Apology (93, 101) and in his interaction with Euthyphro1
This Greek term for a "personal spirit" with Socrates is identified with the evil spirits in the writing of the New Testament and later literature. In the biblical texts, they control some humans to do their will, while at the same time inflict physical harm and sickness on others, as in Matthew 8:16.
During the earthly ministry of Jesus, demons were especially active. Jesus cast demons out of those who were possessed (Matt 8:16, 32; Mark 5:1-13). At times, as in Matthew 8:29-31, they acknowledged the identity of Jesus and were anticipating their future judgment. Those possessed were under the complete control of the demons, but they were subservient to the Son of God.
No evidence exists that demons were in control of the persons who were regenerated during the time of Jesus on earth or after the beginning of the church that is recorded in Acts 2. In the book of Acts, Paul encountered a servant girl who was possessed by a spirit relating to the god Apollo (Greek god of wisdom and knowledge) whose major shrine was at Delphi. After being annoyed by her for some time, the apostle cast the spirit out of her (Acts 16:16-18).
The Apostle gave teaching regarding the influence of demons (principalities and powers) and the work of Satan against Christians, but demon possession of Christians is not a subject broached by him or the other apostles. There is a discussion of the rise of demonic works in the Revelation of John that relates to the end of the present order and the coming of Christ, but not of believers being possessed by them.
What is especially important to understand is the demonic activity in the life and ministry of Jesus was in view of His coming sacrificial work on the cross, and that which is found in the revelation is in view of His coming in judgment. Though we should be wary of Satan's devices, and those of the fallen angels, we are protected by spiritual forces by the word of God, our faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit (Eph 6:10-18).
Harold North Fowler, Plato (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus), published by Harvard University Press, 1961. ↩︎