Where do demons come from? What is the origin of demons?

We read of these, the devil’s angels, (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7). They seem to be of two classes. First, according to 2 Peter 2:4, there are angels who sinned and were delivered into chains of darkness, Jude also alluding to them in the same way. They appear to be strictly confined, until “the judgment of the great day,” and unable to roam about. But there is another very numerous class of fallen angels who have liberty of movement and act under the direction of Satan in his attempts to subvert the work of God.

Of course God never created any being or intelligence sinful. Sinfulness was acquired by self-will. As Satan fell and became the destroyer, Apollyon, so his angels fell and became demons. All through the four Gospels we get constant allusions to demons. These are clearly those fallen angels who are not under everlasting chains.

There is another class of fallen angels, in Scripture called demons, who evidently are allowed a range of activity in this world. We have ample proof of this in the four Gospels. That these unclean spirits have the power to enter and possess the bodies of men and animals is evident. We read:

The God of Scripture is evidently on that side. He created the glorious angels, and one of the highest, probably the very highest, rebelled against Him, and drew away a great company of angels with him.

Some other intelligent beings were created by Him, and in some way we know not have become demons, unclean spirits, who are all around us, and are so numerous that a legion of them attended one single man.

Yes! For nothing came into being apart from Him. These infernal beings were not infernal when He created them; they became that by rebellion.

The Hebrew word shed, though traced from the word 'lord,' properly signifies "a destroyer, extirpator, a violent one; hence metaphorically a mischievous demon." — Fürst. It occurs only in the above two passages. Sair signifies 'rough, hairy,' and specially a he-goat: hence "a goat-shaped deity, which was idolatrously worshipped . . . . It was believed that such hostile beings inhabited the deserts and woods (Isa. 13:21; Isa. 34:14), and that they must be appeased by divine worship'. — Fürst.

The evil spirits that possessed so many persons when the Lord was on earth were demons, and from the instances given we learn much respecting them. The Pharisees said that the Lord cast out demons by Beelzebub the prince of demons. The Lord interpreted this to mean 'Satan casting out Satan;' by which we learn that the demons were the agents of Satan; and that Satan as a strong man had to be bound before his kingdom could be assailed. Matt. 12:24-29. The demons also were strong ones, by the way they handled those they possessed, and by one overcoming seven men and making them flee out of the house naked and wounded. Acts 19:16. We know also that they were intelligent beings; for they knew the Lord Jesus and bowed at once to His authority. They also knew that punishment awaited them: for some asked if the Lord had come to torment them before the time. Matt. 8:29.

This proves that there is a personal Devil. Indeed only one person is called in Scripture the Devil, the Greek word meaning the accuser. Demon is really the correct description of the myriad fallen spirits who own Satan as their prince (see Matt. 12:24). The perusal of Matthew 4:1-11 further proves Satan’s knowledge of Scripture, and his use, or rather misuse, of it, even for his own evil ends. So we may not be surprised if his agents, the demons, exhort their dupes to read the Bible, or if Spiritualistic books craftily quote from the Bible, when it suits their purpose.

From other Scriptures we gather that he carried with him in his revolt an immense number of followers of the angelic hosts. These appear to be: (1) Principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:12). (2) Perhaps the fallen angels “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6, and 2 Peter 2:4). (3) Fallen angels, called in the Old Testament “familiar spirits,” and in the New Testament “demons.”

Intercourse with such in the Old Testament is sternly forbidden; whilst the activities of demons are outlined in the Gospels as seeking to gain possession of the bodies of men for the destruction of their souls; as bitterly opposed to the Lord Jesus, but yet subject to His commands, whilst the latter-day revival of their activities is prophesied in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, which is clearly seen today in the intensive propaganda of spiritism. Spiritism is purely Satanic and anti-Christian.

Your second question assumes two falls of angels, of which scripture does not speak, though it be very possible. Satan is spoken of as fallen; he "abode not in the truth" - but of his angels we have no account, though we must suppose they are fallen, but not the same as those reserved in chains of darkness. These last are simply kept in chains for the judgment of the great day; nor are they ever called demons that I know of: those are active in evil. So we have "the devil and his angels:" but no further account of them.

It appears there were at least two falls of angels; one was he whom we call Satan — when man was made, Satan tempted man through Eve. Those ordinary evil angels, of which we read in the Bible from Genesis down to Revelation, are not under everlasting chains at all. They are roving about the world continually, and so far from being in chains of darkness, in “tortures” as it is called here, they are allowed access to heaven.

This brings us to the consideration of the statement made previously that Satan when he fell carried with him a vast number of adherents. Evidently this was well recognized by the Pharisees, and is supported by Scripture itself. Scripture indicates that there are two classes of fallen spiritual beings, whose fortunes are linked up with Satan, their leader and head. One class is described to us in Jude 6: