What is demonic oppression?

by Matt Slick

Demonic oppression is the work of evil spiritual forces that urge us to sin, to deny God's word, to feel spiritually dead, and to be in bondage to sinful things. This oppressive work is performed by demons, which are fallen angels who resist God, and who sinned in their first estate (Jude 6). They war against God, against God's people, and against unbelievers as well. Their goal is to bring as many people as possible into rebellion against God and condemnation in hell.

Demonic oppression could be experienced in various ways:

Physical ailments such as sleeplessness, nightmares, strong anxiety, self-mutilation, addictions, and physical illness.
Spiritual deadness that includes apathy and anger towards God, interest in false religious systems.
Emotional upheaval such as regular outbursts of anger, high and low emotional levels, self-justification, fear, hopelessness, abnormal fixations, etc.
Financial difficulties such as constant and unusual financial pressures. Sometimes numerous things go wrong all very quickly and it causes us great financial strain.
Of course, we must be very careful not to say that every negative thing we experience is demonic oppression. Sometimes physical ailments are caused by lack of proper sleep, poor diet, germs, or disease. Spiritual deadness can be brought on by the effects of physical problems, and sometimes our lack of emotional maturity can complicate our understanding of God and result in us not being able to rest in Him. Many times people don't have demonic oppression, and the reality is they just don't know how to control themselves, their anger, or their lusts. And as far as financial situations go, we have to be careful that we’re not spending more than we take in and then somehow blame our financial difficulties on demonic forces.

It is always a good idea to ask the Lord to bind the evil one on your behalf. We Christians have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to resist evil and we are guaranteed the ultimate victory in Christ. But, sometimes God lets things happen to us, even demonic attacks, in order to test our faith and to purify it. Remember, in all our struggles we are to be faithful and trust the Lord. So before assigning anything to demonic oppression, make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating right, exercising, and that you are working to control your emotional behavior. Then, after prayer, it would be time to consider demonic oppression if things in your life are unusually difficult.