3 Limitations of Demons: Breaking Demonic Strongholds

In dealing with demons, there is a balance to be had.

Some people are so obsessed with demons and demonic power that they minimize the Holy Spirit’s power. Others are so skeptical of demonic power that they leave themselves wide open to attack. To help you find proper balance in dealing with demons, I want to show you, using Scripture, the limitations of demonic beings.

#1 Demons are not omnipresent.

When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none (Matthew 12:43 NLT).

Demons can only be in one place at one time. The verse from Matthew 12 illustrates the fact that demons travel, move about. The fact that they can move about is proof that they are not omnipresent. By definition, if someone is omnipresent, they are unable to move from one place to another since they are already everywhere at all times.

#2 Demons cannot read your mind.

Scripture clearly communicates that God alone can see into the human heart. Only God knows your thoughts.

Then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart (1 Kings 8:39 NLT).

It may seem sometimes like the enemy can read your thoughts, but biblically speaking, this can never be the case. If someone thinks that demons are reading their mind, they have to consider at least two possibilities. The first possibility is that they may be mistaking their own negative thoughts for demonic voices. When a demon seems to reply to what you’re thinking, it’s possible this reply could actually be from your own voice of negativity.

The second possibility is that the demonic beings are simply reading exterior clues. It should be noted that demonic beings have been studying mankind for thousands of years. They are highly trained spiritual assassins. They know human nature. By simply looking at body language, listening to voice inflections, or observing your actions, they can get a pretty clear idea of what’s going on within you.

For example, if I have something on my mind, my wife can tell what’s running through my mind by just looking at me. She doesn’t need to be able to read my mind in order to be able to read me. Likewise, those closest to me have learned to read me. In the same way, demons learn to read you very well, creating the illusion that they can see your thoughts.

Consider also the fact that demonic beings communicate with one another (Matthew 12:45). What one demon sees you do and say in secret can be communicated to another demonic being. They share your secrets with one another. They could use this intel to create the illusion that a demon or a demonically influenced person is reading your mind when they’re actually just receiving intel from the demonic beings who observe you regularly.

Through careful observation, demons can see clues that tell them which lies affect you the most. They know when you’re anxious, depressed, paranoid, angry, tempted, and so forth. For example, a demonic being might say something like, “God has rejected you.” Then it waits to see if your heart rate rises, if you pace the room, or even if you jump online and run a search for Bible verses about God’s rejection. From exterior clues alone, demons can learn to predict what you might be thinking in any given scenario. This is one way they exaggerate their power, but this isn’t the same thing as them being able to read your mind.

#3 Demons cannot see the future.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (Isaiah 46:9-10 KJV).

In the book of Isaiah, we see a definitive statement: “there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning….” It’s rather straightforward here. One of the distinguishing abilities that God has is His exclusive power to see past, present, and future as one “picture.”

Much in the same way that demons can read people without reading minds, so they can make educated guesses about the future. This would explain why some who operate under demonic power are seemingly able to predict certain things. As an economist can make an educated guess about the economy, so demons can make educated guesses about the future of any one individual or even society. They look for key indicators and trends. Additionally, it’s also possible that demonic beings work to fulfill their own predictions.

We can conclude that demons cannot be omnipresent, read minds, or see the future. Those are their general limitations. In short, against the believer, demons can use their voices to lie and torment but hardly more than that.

Not By Power or Might

Believe it or not, confronting the demonic aspect of a stronghold is the simplest part of tearing down strongholds. Though in this chapter I am not specifically addressing the topic of demonic possession, I am going to use examples of demonic possession from Scripture to show just how responsive demonic beings are to the Holy Spirit’s power. By the power of the Spirit, you command absolute authority over demonic beings.

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick (Matthew 8:16 KJV).

It was with a simple word that Jesus expelled the forces of darkness. Demonic possession is the most severe form of demonic assault, yet Jesus vanquished this dark power with a simple command. What was at work? It was spiritual authority that came by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself told us that He was driving out demons by the Holy Spirit.

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you (Matthew 12:28 NLT).

In contrast, we see that the seven sons of Sceva attempted to drive out demons through ritual—in a special prayer offered in the name of Jesus but through Paul’s experience. Because they lacked the power that came from a connection with the Lord Himself, the demons overpowered them.

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered (Acts 19:13-16 NLT).

Granted, the sons of Sceva were able to cast out some demons because the demons feared the name of Jesus. Still, they were limited when they attempted to practice exorcism by ritual instead of relationship.

When you confront demonic beings, you must remember that you are not confronting them in your own strength, power, or authority. They don’t care about how much you think you know about them, what others consider to be your spiritual rank, or even how many years you’ve been engaged in spiritual warfare. They don’t respond to your credentials—they respond to Christ. So it’s not a matter of garnering techniques or of implementing learned protocols. It’s simply the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We are not the ones the demons fear.

In my first few years of ministry, I had begun to develop a reputation for how God was using me, and I’m ashamed to admit to you that I had developed a great deal of spiritual pride. I know the term “spiritual pride” might seem like an oxymoron. After all, pride is not spiritual. By this, I simply mean that I had begun to base my identity on my ministry accomplishments and how God was using me instead of who I was in Christ. When people needed healing, deliverance, or an encounter with God, they were often referred to me. I began to allow what God was doing through me to build up my ego.

It came to the point where my faith for healing miracles wasn’t in God but in my “deep” prayer life. My confidence in my prophetic gifting wasn’t in God’s grace but in my “sharp” spiritual hearing. And my confidence in casting out demons wasn’t in the authority of Christ but in my “expertise” about demons and the spiritual realm. In my mind, I was like a member of a spiritual special forces.

Whenever I would deal with demonic powers, I thought it was my knowledge of the spiritual realm that caused demons to submit. Because I believed the demons were responding to my own knowledge and experience, I thought it necessary to gather intel like the demon’s name, type, rank, entry point, and so forth. Sure, people got delivered, but they were delivered despite my superstitious methods, not because of them.

I was limited in my understanding of divine authority. Casting out a single demon would take me hours. The exorcisms I conducted were more like interrogations than they were demonstrations of true authority. “What’s your name? How did you get in? How many generations do you go back?” Don’t ask me why I even trusted the intel I gathered from lying spirits. I would’ve told you, “They have to tell the truth because I carry authority, and I can command them to tell the truth.” Yet I failed to see my own circular reasoning. After all, if I had the authority to make them tell the truth, I should have just used that authority to make them leave without an argument. Defending myself, I would have told you,“ Jesus interrogated demons!”

Of course, I would have been referring to Jesus confronting the demoniac with a legion of demons in him. That was the one instance where Jesus asked for the name of a demon. But that wasn’t an hours-long session in which Jesus conversed back-and-forth with the evil spirits. In fact, even after learning the name of the group of demons, Jesus didn’t bother to use it.

Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place. There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.” So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water (Mark 5:9-13 NLT).

So why did Jesus ask for the name of the demon? There are a couple possible explanations.

Obviously, Jesus knew the name of the demonic group before they told Him. So this could have simply been a demonstration of His power—to show that He had the authority to drive out even a whole legion of demons instantly.

Another thing to consider is the fact that in certain parts of the ancient world, it was believed that to learn someone’s name was to gain power over them. The fact that Jesus didn’t speak the name of the demon even after being given the name could have been Him demonstrating, “I know your name, but I don’t need to use it to have authority over you.” Truly, the only name you need to know when confronting a demonic power is the name of Jesus.

To conclude that Jesus would be unable to cast out the legion of demons without knowing its name would be to greatly underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit and to greatly overestimate the power of the demonic. How powerful our Christian myths have become! Just as old wives’ tales become popular and then accepted as true, so many of the things we teach about spiritual warfare keep us from tapping into true power.

I was stuck in my ritualistic ways. Interrogations. Long deliverance sessions. Stabbing demons with angelic swords. Obsessing over demon types, ranks, and roots, I complicated the pure and simple power of the Holy Spirit.

Whenever anyone tried to lovingly correct my approach, I would arrogantly reply with spiritual-sounding yet very unbiblical defenses. I would say foolish things like: “Well, the Pharisees persecuted Jesus too, so I can see why you’re coming against me.” “You haven’t dealt with real heavy demonic influence yet, so you don’t understand how this works.” “Maybe you need deliverance; that might be why you’re coming against me.” “You lack knowledge of the demonic realm and should stick to your area of expertise.” “You just need to go deeper.” “The only ones criticizing me are the ones not actually doing deliverance!” By that, I meant that they didn’t use the methods I used. Because they weren’t practicing the man-made rituals I had been taught, I incorrectly concluded that others weren’t practicing deliverance ministry at all.

I had a hard time letting go of the man-made protocols that had become so popular. Many believers attach their identities to such methodologies. They may think their use and knowledge of these practices assigns to them a special rank or a greater effectiveness in spiritual battle. Those who become entangled in such things usually have the purest of intentions and motives. We all want to live free, help set people free, and train others to minister freedom. We all want to destroy the works of the devil, drive out demons, break strongholds, and utterly devastate the kingdom of darkness.