Demons play a recurring role in the Christian Bible, symbols of sin, temptation, and evil. They began their lives as angels, before turning against God and becoming fallen angels, cast down from heaven into the fiery depths of hell. The original demon, Satan, was once himself an angel named Lucifer who betrayed God, waging a war with a group of fellow traitors which he subsequently lost.
Their following expulsion from heaven was the first fall in the Bible, when sin was introduced into the universe. Satan thereby became the “prince of demons,” the evil leader of all demonic forces, whose overriding mission was to tempt people into a life of sin. Below are profiles of the five most important demons in the Bible.
1. Satan (Lucifer)
Satan, otherwise known as the devil, or the prince of demons, was once a beautiful angel called Lucifer, but he defied God, and subsequently suffered a fall from grace. In the book of Isaiah, God renounces Lucifer, stating, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations.” God created Lucifer as a creature of great beauty and wisdom, but he became vain and boastful, as described in Ezekiel, “your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”
After attempting to overthrow God and his legion of angels led by the Archangel Michael with an assembled army of traitors, Lucifer was thrown to the earth, where he became the prince of air for a brief spell, before being cast into the fiery pits of hell for continuing to cause trouble. While Hell is often described as Satan’s domain, he is never described in the Bible as the ruler of Hell or the other demons there. This image comes more from Dante’s Divine Comedy than Bible study. Lucifer has the power to torment and corrupt on earth, but his actions are restricted in Hell, where he is destined to be thrown into a lake of fire and tormented for eternity. He also cannot send people to Hell, Jesus Christ says that only God has this power. Nevertheless, he is still the most powerful demon in the Bible.
Augustine’s work Civitas Dei, written in the 5th century, became the major opinion of Western demonology. For Augustine, the rebellion of the Devil was the first and final cause of evil. His first sin was pride, as he became enamored by his own beauty, followed by the sin of envy as he became covetous of god’s position.
2. Molech (Moloch/Molek)
The horrible demon named Molech is depicted as a half-man, half-bull, Minotaur-like figure with a belly made of fire, who symbolized some of the darkest traits of humankind. In Leviticus, God forbade the worship of Molech, sometimes referred to as Moloch or Molek (depending on the translation), an Ammonite God to whom child sacrifices were made. Described as a terrifying warrior among demonic beings, Moloch was keen to wage a new war against God following Satan’s first failed attempt. He is a symbol of brawn over brains, a hot-headed demon with no regard for the sanctity of human life.
It is agreed that Molech is inspired by a Canaanite god who was associated with human sacrifice, especially of children. He was the supreme god of mant of the people surrounding the Israelites. A variety of pagan deities are represented in the Bible as evil spirits. Biblical scholars imply that he is a demon who will exercise power on your behalf in exchange for a terrible sacrifice.
3. Legion
Legion was a terrifying man in the Bible who had been possessed by many demons, a maniac who encountered Jesus and his disciples after crossing the Sea of Galilee. He is described in the Bible as a “man with an unclean spirit,” whose entire being has been taken over by the forces of evil. Having abandoned his normal life, Legion lived in a tomb with the dead, and inflicted harm on himself and others day and night. In scripture he is described thus: “night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.”
When Lord Jesus encounters this strange possessed man, he asks him “What is your name?” to which Legion replies, “My name is Legion. For we are many.” Jesus drives away the evil spirits from the man with a single word: “Go.” The demons then leave the man and enter a herd of 2,000 pigs, who all fall to their death in the sea.
4. Abaddon
Abaddon is described in the Christian Bible as “the angel of a bottomless pit,” and the king of a plague of locusts resembling horses with crowned human faces, long hair, wings and a stinging tail. A fallen angel, Abaddon seems to occupy a curious position between good and evil, bringing judgement upon people in the name of God, yet siding with Lucifer in the war against heaven.
5. Azazel
In Jewish demonology, Azazel is the evil spirit who acts as the scapegoat for the sins of God’s people during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Two male goats were chosen for the ritual – one designated for the Lord and one for Azazel – and sacrificed in the Temple, with the high priest ritually transferring the sins of the Jewish people to the scapegoat. The demon was the personification of uncleanness in Rabbinic writings and also described as a fallen angel.
FAQs
Do demons exist in the Bible?
Yes, the Bible mentions demons as evil spirits that can attack human beings in possession of the Holy Spirit through physical illness, mental illness, spreading false doctrine, spiritual warfare, and possessing physical bodies. Several stories in the Bible see Jesus casting out demons.
Where do demons come from?
While the Bible is not specific in its description of the origins of demons, it is believed that they are angelic beings that joined Lucifer in his battle against God and the other angels, and like Lucifer, were cast out of heaven and down to earth, where they challenge God’s power through tempting mankind to the side of darkness.
Who are the seven princes of Hell?
The seven princes of Hell are seven demons who represent the seven deadly sins. Lucifer represents price, Satan (considered separate from Lucifer) is wrath, Asmodeus is lust, Mammon is greed, Belphegor is sloth, Beelzebub is gluttony, and Leviathan is envy.
Originally published: July 7, 2023. Last update: March 5, 2025, by Jessica Suess.
