Can demons attach themselves to non-living/inanimate objects?

[Chad]

There is no biblical support to the idea that demons can attach themselves to physical objects. This belief is actually part of superstitious practices and occult beliefs found in animistic cultures and among those who practice the occult.

Some say that verses such as Acts 19:19, where former magicians burned their magic books, prove that objects can have demons. But the passage does not say that. It is more likely that these new believers were burning their magic books to prevent the spread of lies and to show that they were now believers in Jesus.

The Bible records stories of demons afflicting or possessing unbelieving people. But they are no stories of demons being in or attached to objects, and the Bible does not warn us about demons attaching themselves to objects. Occult practices may attract evil spirits, and, since certain objects are used in those practices, it might seem that the demons are attracted to the objects; however, this does not mean the demons are in the objects. It is the occult activity itself that attracts them. When people who have been involved in the occult come to Christ, they are often advised to get rid of their occult books and objects, not because the objects have demons in them, but because the books and objects would be a source for future temptation.

Believers in Christ are not to fear demons, although we are to be vigilant and alert for their temptations (1 Peter 5:8). The key is submission to God and walking in the truth of Christ daily: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Those who have put their faith in Christ have nothing to fear, as the apostle John explained, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome [Satan and his false prophets], because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Source: Can demons attach themselves to non-living/inanimate objects?

 

[james1523]

Demons do not like dry places. Therefore they do not like to attach themselves to dry things such as inanimate objects.

Matt 12:43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none."

According to Scripture (Matthew 8:30-37; Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:27-38), demons like to live in people, animals (pigs) and water.

Demons like wet things, such as biological creatures and anything made of water.

 

[KeepMeBurning]

Demons do not like dry places. Therefore they do not like to attach themselves to dry things such as inanimate objects.

Matt 12:43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none."

According to Scripture (Matthew 8:30-37; Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:27-38), demons like to live in people, animals (pigs) and water.

Demons like wet things, such as biological creatures and anything made of water.

No, that is not true. Why do you think unbaptized people are more often possessed than those who are baptized?

Let me quote David Wilkerson: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none" (Matthew 12:43). Unclean spirits - or demons - roam about in dry places, where there is no water. (The New American Standard translates dry places as waterless places.) And the rest they seek is possession - a body to live in, a dwelling place that's dry, without water of any kind.
The Bible gives us a very clear picture of this in Mark 5. Jesus was approached by a Gadarene man who was possessed by a legion of demons (that is, about 2,000 of them). When the demons saw Jesus, a spokesdemon cried out: "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not" (Mark 5:7).
The demon begged Jesus to send them all into a herd of swine that was grazing on a hillside nearby. I believe those unclean spirits had every intention of driving the herd into the wilderness - a dry place, where they could wait until they found other humans to inhabit.
Jesus did permit them to possess the swine - but then, Scripture says,
"The herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea (they were about 2,000 and were choked in the sea" (verse 13). What an incredible scene! I have often wondered why Jesus allowed those demons to enter into the hogs. Why didn't He just send them into outer darkness, where they could never harass another human?
The fact is, Jesus never said or did anything without a powerful spiritual truth behind it. And I believe this incident has great spiritual significance for us today!
As I was studying this passage, the Holy Spirit whispered to me: "Demons can't swim!" I answered, "Lord I don't know what that means. Please show me!" And He began to open to me the significance of what Jesus allowed to happen:
I believe those hogs - suddenly possessed - were compelled by the Spirit of God to run pell-mell down the hill and plunge into the sea. Jesus is Lord over all of nature - and He commanded the swine, "Go! Take them now into the sea!" That was the end of that demonic possession - the Gadarene man was saved and delivered. Yet as the hogs ran into the water, the legion of demons went screaming in terror, out into dry places because they hate water!

Water is one of the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not contradict itself.

Jesus Himself said, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive)" John 7:38-39).
The Holy Spirit is living water! He falls like rain (both the former and latter rains). He springs up like a well within thirsting believers. And His life is poured out as a flood upon the world - like streams in the desert!
When I say demons can't stand water, I am talking about the Holy Spirit! Every demon in hell knows that water in the Bible represents God's Spirit. And they know that since Jesus is now bodily with the Father, their arch enemy is His Spirit - and wherever He abides, they must flee! They can't stand the water of the Holy Ghost - in you, in the church or in the world. And the sea that the swine were driven into was a type of the Holy Spirit! This was to serve as an object lesson to all succeeding generations.
Yet dryness represents one who is void of the Spirit of God. Dry places are a type of spiritless people - God's Spirit does not dwell in them. David said, "The rebellious dwell in a dry land" (Psalm 68:6). This is true of the believer who has neglected the Lord: he has become "dry," empty of all things of God. And dead, dry churches and Christians become the dwelling places of unclean spirits. Demons roam about them, looking for rest - because dryness opens one up to demonic harassment.

God Promises to Issue Out His House Living Waters


God is going to send forth floods of water on dry ground, where devils work! He is going to have well-watered gardens where before there was only dryness. How? you ask. He is going to chase demons out of His house by flooding it with His Spirit! We see a picture of this in Ezekiel 47. The Lord showed Ezekiel a vision in which His Spirit overflowed and became "waters to swim in":
"He brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house" (verse 1). Ezekiel saw water begin to trickle out from under the doorway of the Lord's house. First it came up to the prophet's ankles... then to his knees... then to his loins... until finally, he said, "It was a river that I could not pass over. for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over" (Ezekiel 47:5).
Then the Lord said to Ezekiel: "Every thing that liveth, which moveth, withersoever the rivers shall come shall live" (verse 9). In other words: "Wherever this river flows, there's going to be life. Living water will flow out from My house!"
Beloved, that house signifies us! We are God's house - our bodies are temples of His Holy Spirit! And the Holy Ghost is a well that continually springs up within us: "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

Again, the Bible does not contradict itself. Demons hate water. They hate the Fountain of Living Waters.

And demons attaching themselves to inanimate objects, some can. They have ranks and specialties. Some are called poltergeist, they try to inflict fear on people by moving things, sounds of footsteps, etc. Just rebuke them in JESUS' name. They have no power against the Blood of the Lamb.

 

[B-A-C]

I agree with you about the demons preferring dry areas.

Mat 12:43; "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.

Although the Holy Spirit is often often explained as "living water". This isn't real H2 O. All water isn't Holy or unclean on it's own.
I don't know that demons "hate" water. I think it would be difficult to prove they can't swim.
I do think it's interesting that even though Jesus had the power to destroy them, ( Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; ) He rarely did if ever. (Their day is coming ).
I also find it interesting that people tried to destroy demons with both water and fire ( Mark 9:22; ) and neither had an effect.

I know of no instance in the Bible where demons inhabited inanimate objects. They may wander through "the dry places" or perhaps even water (as in the case of swine above).

 

[KeepMeBurning]

Actually, what "water" meant is not the literal water. Dry places can also be explained as those who are "dry" in serving Jesus or those who are far from Jesus (unbelievers, etc).

But nothing shall be impossible with God. When drought comes to us, just call on Jesus and He will send forth waters. Isaiah 35:7 says And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

Let's all stay in the Water which is Jesus. God Bless us all.

 

[brakelite]

And yet all the demons survived the flood....

 

[farout]

Demons can not possess Christian, baptized or not. The Holy Spirit will not share a soul with demons. The Holy Spirit resides in every believer, even those who have not ben baptized yet. I know of no verse in the Bible that says a genuine believer can be possessed. If you know of one please share it so I can correct myself.

 

[Brad Huber]

And yet all the demons survived the flood....

Their bodies did not survive, only their spirits did, and those spirits are the demons.

 

[brakelite]

Their bodies did not survive, only their spirits did, and those spirits are the demons.

Ummmm....okay, bear with me for I haven't heard this one before.
Question: what were they before they lost their bodies, before the flood? And because they didn't die, were they therefore immortal?

 

[Brad Huber]

Ummmm....okay, bear with me for I haven't heard this one before.
Question: what were they before they lost their bodies, before the flood? And because they didn't die, were they therefore immortal?

Before the flood, they were the children of fallen angels and women.
Gen 6:2-4
2that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

When human flesh dies, the spirit continues onward, eventually to be judged worthy of heaven or hell. The "waiting area" for our spirits are somewhere, I am not aware of the location, I can speculate, but that would be speculation. But these spirits were part man/part angels, so their spirits are no doubt somewhat different, as they died on the earth, their spirits probably still roam the earth, (and hate God for their punishment, and humans whom God favored over them) as there is possibly no location that was made specifically for them, as there was for us.

 

[james1523]

No, that is not true. Why do you think unbaptized people are more often possessed than those who are baptized?

Let me quote David Wilkerson: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none" (Matthew 12:43). Unclean spirits - or demons - roam about in dry places, where there is no water. (The New American Standard translates dry places as waterless places.) And the rest they seek is possession - a body to live in, a dwelling place that's dry, without water of any kind.
The Bible gives us a very clear picture of this in Mark 5. Jesus was approached by a Gadarene man who was possessed by a legion of demons (that is, about 2,000 of them). When the demons saw Jesus, a spokesdemon cried out: "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not" (Mark 5:7).
The demon begged Jesus to send them all into a herd of swine that was grazing on a hillside nearby. I believe those unclean spirits had every intention of driving the herd into the wilderness - a dry place, where they could wait until they found other humans to inhabit.
Jesus did permit them to possess the swine - but then, Scripture says,
"The herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea (they were about 2,000 and were choked in the sea" (verse 13). What an incredible scene! I have often wondered why Jesus allowed those demons to enter into the hogs. Why didn't He just send them into outer darkness, where they could never harass another human?
The fact is, Jesus never said or did anything without a powerful spiritual truth behind it. And I believe this incident has great spiritual significance for us today!
As I was studying this passage, the Holy Spirit whispered to me: "Demons can't swim!" I answered, "Lord I don't know what that means. Please show me!" And He began to open to me the significance of what Jesus allowed to happen:
I believe those hogs - suddenly possessed - were compelled by the Spirit of God to run pell-mell down the hill and plunge into the sea. Jesus is Lord over all of nature - and He commanded the swine, "Go! Take them now into the sea!" That was the end of that demonic possession - the Gadarene man was saved and delivered. Yet as the hogs ran into the water, the legion of demons went screaming in terror, out into dry places because they hate water!

Water is one of the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not contradict itself.

Reading carefully, Matt 12:43 says demons do not find rest in dry places, therefore it is not dry places that they like to inhabit, but wet.

Water is also a symbol of death and God's judgement, as in Noah's flood. In baptism, water symbolizes death. That the demons dwell in the sea indicates that demons are continually under God's judgement and dwell in death, with no hope of salvation.

There will be no more sea in the new earth, indicating there will be no more demons, no more death, no more judgement:

Rev 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."