To have a truly Biblically informed view of the demonic activity in the world, we must hold a robust belief in the reality of spiritual evil, a sober avoidance of emotionalism and hyperbolic stories, and an unshakable confidence in Christ’s supremacy.

Last week I wrote an article about the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives if Christians today, particularly in the context of spiritual gifts. So naturally that got people thinking about demons or impure spirits. Here is an evangelical reflection on demons, deliverance, and some of our modern blind spots

One of the striking features of the New Testament—especially the Gospels and Acts—is how often Jesus and his apostles confront impure spirits (or demons, depending on what translation of the Bible you use). Whether in the synagogue, in the streets, or in the wilderness, demonic forces are shown to be active, vocal, and violently opposed to the kingdom of God. Yet many Christians today look at their own experience and wonder:

• Where is all that now?
• Have the demons disappeared?
• Are we simply blind?
• Or were these accounts really describing what we would now call mental or physical illnesses?

These are fair and important questions that can have significant pastoral implications for the lives of many people. As Christians I think we can have confidence and offer a biblically faithful and pastorally grounded way of addressing such questions.

1. Scripture Is Clear: The Spirits Back Then Were Real

First, we must not evade the obvious: the New Testament speaks of demons not as metaphors or cultural misunderstandings, but as real personal beings.

Jesus spoke to them and they spoke back. He gave authority to his disciples to cast out demons which you see continued in the book of Acts (e.g., Acts 8:7; 16:16-18; 19:11-16).

The Bible never suggests that Jesus confused epilepsy with demonisation or that the apostles misdiagnosed schizophrenia. Instead, the Gospels deliberately distinguish between ordinary illnesses and demonic activity (e.g., Matt. 4:24; Mark 1:32-34).

That must be the foundation that we start with as we approach this topic — demonic spirits were real then, and they remain real now.

2. Why Doesn’t the Western Church See the Same Manifestations Today?

But then the question must be, why don’t we see much of that same activity today in the West? This is where the question becomes more complicated—not because Scripture is unclear, but because human experience is varied. There are a few things we must bear in mind;

Satan’s Tactics Are Contextual

I would say, from my evangelical perspective and a big fan of Reformed theology, that it is understandable that the enemy adjusts his strategies. Calvin noted that Satan varies his methods according to time and place. C. S. Lewis (not Reformed, but helpful in some things) observed that the devil is just as pleased with superstition as with secular disbelief.

In a secular, materialistic culture like the modern West, I don’t think that overt demonisation would be Satan’s most effective weapon. Instead, he works more subtly — through unbelief, ideological captivity, addictions, distortions of identity, and cultural darkness.

In cultures where the supernatural worldview is already dominant, overt spiritual manifestations are far more common. Modern missionaries affirm this consistently.

Western Blindness and Reductionism

We must also admit: we may simply be blind.

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