When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
We are not told how she got multiple demons. Even more severe was the case of the mad man of Gadera, who had at least 2,000 demons in him. Jesus also cast those demons out of him and then they went into pigs. (Hence, animals can have demons too.) Furthermore, even young children can have a demon (Mk. 9:21).
Jesus taught about what goes on when a demon leaves a person's body in Mt. 12:43-45:
When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, "I will return to the house I left." When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.
The Lord said that demon will return and if it finds its former house unoccupied, it will live there again with 7 other demons more wicked than itself. Hence, a person who has a demon cast out better get saved and thereby have the Holy Spirit occupy that house or he will then end up with multiple demons and in a worse condition than before.
So what are the characteristics of demon possessed people? The people mentioned in Scripture with demons:
So can demons hurt you? Yes, if you are possessed by them! It should also be stated that not all people with demons appear to be different from people with no demons. Judas was possessed by Satan at one point (John 13:27) and appears to have seemed normal. Also, the fortune-telling woman at Phillipi in Acts 16 must have appeared normal too.
Shocking as it may seem, there was also a demon possessed person in the synagogues in Jesus' day in (Mk. 1:23). Hence, demons can be religious. Furthermore, the sacrifices of pagans to idols are actually offered to demons. Paul wrote:
Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. (1 Cor 10:19-21)
So who has power over a demon? The answer is: Christians do when they use the name of Jesus to cast demons out. In Luke 10:17 we read:
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
Paul also cast a demon out with these exact words:
"In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" (Acts 16:18)
NOTE: Paul never used so-called holy water, a cross or a Catholic Eucharist to cast a demon out. None of that is Scriptural.
While that demon was in that girl, she was able to predict the future, but that ability abruptly ended when the demon was cast out. In the Scriptures, when demons were cast out of people:
Don't be deceived: There are no demons of lust, anger, rage or greed like some teach. All of these are of the sinful nature (Col. 3:5-8; Gal. 5:19-21) and must, therefore, be put to death. They cannot be driven out by another person. In conclusion, demons are real, but the power of God through the Lord Jesus is able to rectify their damage.
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