Satan and Demons

by Jun 24, 2021

For most of my childhood and adolescence, I didn’t understand who or how Satan worked. I always sort of believed the cartoon idea that Jesus and Satan were on each of my shoulders battling it out and one day, Jesus would finish him off. In my head, they were kind of like Power Rangers. They always fight and the bad guy would lose, but he never really died so he would be back for more. That was until I got to college and got a real biblical understanding of Satan, demons, and the spiritual world around us. I think there is a lot of folklore in our knowledge of this, and I feel like this quote from C.S. Lewis’s book, The Screwtape Letters, is helpful. “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” Lewis’s words are wise. Satan and demons are real. To not believe in them is foolish and can actually be harmful to you. To obsess over it and to go out of your way to look for demons is also not a wise idea. Below are several resources and articles I feel are helpful in the discussion of Satan and Demons. I added a little bit of commentary on each one to give you an idea of what you can expect. As you learn more about Satan and Demons, you grow in your confidence in Christ, who is the victor over sin and death. And as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:11, it is wise that we study this “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” Satan and Demons by The Bible Project This 6-minute video gives you a good summary of the origins of Satan and demons. The animation is stunning, but the content is even better. The Satan and Demons Question and Response – BibleProject The same people who made the previous video did a 47-minute Q&A addressing some of the most challenging questions regarding Satan and Demons. Southside Rabbi Podcast: Satanic Panic – Signs & Symbols I love the Southside Rabbi Podcast. It is entertaining but also really informative and educational. KB and Ameen talk about satanic symbols and pagan imagery and how the demonic works in our lives. (Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you want an audio version.) Against the Darkness: The Doctrine of Angels, Satan, and Demons by Graham A. Cole Against the Darkness is a solid book on the study of Angels & Demons with helpful information on what this means practically. Satan and Demons by The Gospel Coalition The Gospel Coalition created an excellent essay looking over the Old and New Testament about Satan and Demons. The Screwtape Letters The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with an ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to Satan. It is comical, shockingly profound, and one of a kind. Though it is a work of fiction, it portrays how spiritual warfare works and how we are tempted to sin authentically. It is one of my favorite works by C.S. Lewis. The Fall of Satan & the Victory of Christ by John Piper Sermon John Piper preached an inspiring message about the fall of Satan and Jesus’ victory over him. Where Is Satan Most Visibly Active Today This audio from an “Ask Pastor John” podcast answers the question of where Satan’s influence is mostly seen today.

How Hebrew Poetry Works

Rhyming Thoughts

While Western poetry often relies on metered rhyme (similar-sounding words), ancient Israelite poetry doesn’t follow a master system of meter or sound. Instead, its primary organizing principle is the parallelism of lines—essentially, biblical poets “rhyme” thoughts and ideas rather than sounds.

  1. The Heartbeat: Parallelism Parallelism is an “associative mode of thought” where two things are placed next to each other to show their relation. It assumes that to truly understand an idea, you need to grasp another idea that is both similar and distinct. There are three main types:
  • Synonymous: The second line repeats the first using different words (e.g., “The heavens declare the glory of God; / the skies proclaim the work of his hands”).
  • Antithetical: The second line contrasts the first, often using the word “but” (e.g., “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, / but the way of the wicked leads to destruction”).
  • Synthetic (Progressive): The lines build on each other to tell a developing story or narrative.
  1. The Color: Imagery & Metaphor Biblical poems are “terseness” personified—they use fewer words than normal speech to communicate rich, imaginative experiences. To understand them, we must understand the ancient Israelite worldview. Common metaphors include:
  • The Shepherd: Signifying God’s care, provision, and leadership.
  • The Rock/Fortress: Representing stability, safety, and refuge.
  • Unsafe Landscapes: Using deserts, storms, or waves to signify fear or tests of faith.

The Architecture: Structural Glue

The psalmists didn’t just write individual lines; they used sophisticated “structural glue” to organize their prayers into larger units.

  • Stanzas: Groups of lines that form a distinct “paragraph” or unit of thought.
  • Refrains: A phrase repeated at intervals, like a musical chorus, grounding the reader in a recurring truth during shifts in mood.
  • Inclusio (The Envelope): This is when a poem begins and ends with the same phrase. These “bookends” signal that everything in the middle should be interpreted through that specific frame.
  • Chiasm (Symmetry): A pattern where themes are repeated in reverse order (A-B-C-B-A). In a Chiasm, the “C” (the center) is the “hinge”—it is the most important point the author wants to make.

Our Language of Faith

Themes to Look For

As we dive into the Psalms together, use your reading guide to look for these six specific themes. These aren’t just categories; they are the “language of faith” that helps us trust in Jesus, become like Jesus, and do as Jesus did.

  1. Praise & Hymns (The Language of Adoration) These are songs of “orientation”—they recognize the right order of the world with God at the center. This language is used to express direct worship for who God is, not just what He has done. When we pray these, we align our hearts with the truth of His character.

     

  2. Lament (The Language of Raw Honesty) About one-third of the Psalms are laments—cries of pain, protest, and confusion. This is the language of “disorientation.” These psalms give us permission to bring our grief and anger to God. They remind us that God welcomes our honesty, and bringing our pain to Him is actually a profound act of faith because it assumes He is listening and He is the only one who can help.

     

  3. Petition (The Language of Asking) Petition often goes hand-in-hand with lament. It is the specific cry for help, protection, or intervention. Whether asking God to “wake up” or to “be a shield,” this theme gives us the words to express our total dependence on Him when we are in distress or facing injustice.

     

  4. Thanksgiving (The Language of Rescue) This is the language of “new orientation.” These psalms are the “before and after” stories of the Bible. They are prayed after God has delivered or rescued the psalmist. They move beyond general praise to specific gratitude for a concrete act of God’s faithfulness in time and space.

     

  5. Wisdom (The Language of Reflection) Wisdom psalms (like Psalm 1 or 119) invite us to reflect on how to live life well. They often contrast “two ways” of living—the way of the righteous who meditate (hagah) on God’s Word and the way of those who ignore it. This language helps us navigate the complexities of life in light of God’s instructions.

     

  6. Royal (The Language of Hope) Royal psalms focus on the King or the promised “Anointed One.” While they originally spoke of the Davidic kings, they point us toward the ultimate King, Jesus. This is the language of waiting and hope, looking forward to the day when God’s Kingdom fully arrives on earth as it is in heaven.

Reflect & Apply:

The 150-Day Challenge

Our challenge to you is to read one Psalm a day over the next 150 days. 

Choose Your Journey
  • The 150-Day Challenge: Read one Psalm a day for a steady, transformative experience.
Download Psalms Reading Plan
  • The Five Books & Torah Plan: Early Judaism arranged the Psalms into five “books” to mirror the five books of the Torah. This plan invites you to read the Psalms alongside Genesis–Deuteronomy to see how our prayers and God’s instructions connect.
5 Books & Torah Reading Plan

As you read, use these three questions from your bookmark to guide your meditation:

  • How should this psalm make you feel? Notice the psalmist’s raw honesty. What emotion is it designed to help you express to God right now?
  • Where is Jesus? Many psalms come from someone waiting on God. What is this psalm waiting for? Does Jesus answer that wait, or did He experience that same wait Himself?
  • Can you use this psalm to talk to God right now? If so, pray it! If not, “hide it in your heart”—you may need it soon.
Happy meditating (hagah-ing)!

 

Dive Deeper

Recommended Resources

If you want to go even further in your study of biblical poetry and the Psalms, here are some excellent resources compiled from our class:

Watch & Learn

The BibleProject has created several incredible video series that bring these concepts to life. We highly recommend checking out:

How to Read the Bible series: Includes specific videos on Poetry, Poetic Metaphor, and The Book of Psalms.

Read & Explore