List of 12 Evil Spirits in The Bible_

List of 12 Evil Spirits in The Bible

Spiritual warfare is a very real part of your life as a Christian. You can choose to ignore it, but that’s the only way you’ll lose the battle. Colossians tells us that Jesus disarmed the principalities and powers, and He has given us power and authority over them.

The issue is, if we’re ignorant of our enemy, we can’t put up any fight and we’ll lose the battle. If we’re ignorant of the devil’s tactics he will take advantage of us. 

The devil doesn’t show up with red horns and a flaming pitchfork. We need to understand what and who the enemy looks like so we can take a stand. Paul explains the fight like a boxer. We can’t win the fight if we don’t know where to punch.

There are 12 different evil spirits or strongholds found in the Bible. They each look a bit different in our life and use different tactics to steal, kill, and destroy us. 

This post will identify each stronghold and show you how to overcome them and stand your ground in Jesus’ Name.

1. A spirit of jealousy

“If the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself”
Numbers 5:14 NKJV

The first stronghold is the spirit of jealousy. A person with the spirit of jealousy will never be restful or content. Having a moment of jealousy is normal, but the stronghold makes the jealousy and anger uncontrollable and unreasonable. We see jealousy lead to rage and murder in the story of Cain and Abel.

Jealousy is connected to a spirit of murder, anger, rage, revenge, competition, and suspicion.

“For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.”
Proverbs 6:34-35 KJV

Also in: Genesis 4:4-7; 37: 3-4; 37:8; Numbers 5:30; Proverbs 10:12; 14:16 -17; 14:29-30; 27:4; 29:22-23; Song of Solomon 8:6; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 13:4-6; Galatians 5:20; James 3:14-15

2. A spirit of lying

“Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.”
2 Chronicles 18:22 KJV 

The lying spirit is connected to religion and a religious spirit. Similar to jealousy, people will lie without always having a lying spirit. This stronghold is connected with sultry and evildoing. It’s a propane spirit, also hypocrisy—saying one thing and acting differently. Lying spirits bring forth vanity and superstition.

“I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers(this is the strongman! They strengthen the other spirits), that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.”
Jeremiah 23:14 KJV

“For there shall be no more vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.”
Ezekiel 12:24 NKJV

Also in: Leviticus 19:11; Psalm 31:18; 78:36; Proverbs 6:16-19; 10:18; 12:22; 14:5; 17:7; 20:19; 26:28; Jeremiah 27:9-10; Matthew 7:15-16; John 8:43-45; 14:17; Acts 5:3; Colossians 3:9; Galatians 5: 19-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 1 Timothy 4:7; 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16; 1 John 2:22; 3:7-8; Revelation 22:15

3. A familiar spirit

“Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.”
1 Samuel 28:7 KJV

A familiar spirit usually travels through family and generations. It’s intertwined with astrology, witchcraft, horoscopes, and occult activity. Familiar spirits do their best to blend in and make the activity look normal. Don’t be fooled—these evil spirits are only seeking to destroy your life.

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.”
Deuteronomy 18:10 KJV

Also in: Leviticus 19:31; 1 Samuel 6:2; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Isaiah 8:19; 29:4; 59:3; Jeremiah 29:8; Galatians 5:20; Revelation 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15

Psalm 27:14
Hebrews 10:22

4. A perverse spirit

“The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.”
Isaiah 19:14 NKJV

The perverse spirit causes people to live in error and go against God’s commands and guidance. It will bring about laziness. You can see entire nations that are taken over by this spirit. This spirit hates God and worships all sorts of perversion. The perverse spirit can also twist the Word of God in an attempt to justify the perversion. You can see how the devil tries to use God’s word to kill Jesus in Matthew 4:6.

“He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.”
Proverbs 14:2 NKJV

“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”
Proverbs 23:33 KJV

“You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?”
Acts 13:10 NASB

Also in: Exodus 20:14; 20:17; 21:22-25; Proverbs 1:22; 2:12; 15:4; 17:20; 17:23; 19:1-3; 23:33; Romans 1:17-32; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Timothy 6: 4-5; 2 Timothy 3:2-4; 3:7-9; Titus 3:11; 2 Peter 2:14

5. A spirit of heaviness

”To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

The spirit of heaviness causes grief, depression, and despair. This evil spirit can use a tragedy to create a stronghold in our life. The Bible tells us that there’s a time for mourning. When your sadness or heaviness is sustained it’s usually a stronghold. The spirit of heaviness carries grief, despair, hopelessness, rejection, self pity, and gluttony.

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”
Proverbs 15:13

Also in: Nehemiah 2:2; Psalms 69:20; Proverbs 12:18; 18:14; 26:22; Luke 4:18; Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

6. A spirit whordom

“My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declares to them: for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.”
Hosea 4:12 KJV

The spirit of whordom is connected to idol worship, prostitution, and a religious spirit. This spirit is never satisfied, and it will continue to take ground in your life until everything is destroyed. Just like God wants us to give Him access to our entire life, this evil spirit wants unhindered access to everything.

“But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.”
Ezekiel 16:15 NKJV

“You also played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied….“You erected your shrine at the head of every road,…because you scorned payment. You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry…In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.”…and with all your abominable idols, …and they shall throw down your shrines and break down your high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.”
Ezekiel 16:28-39 NKJV

Also in: Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Judges 2:17; Proverbs 5:1-14; 16:28; Hosea 4:13-19; 5:4; I Corinthians 6:13-16; Galatians 5:19; Philippians 3:19; James 4:4

7. A spirit of infirmity

The spirit of infirmity causes demonic sickness, pain, and sorrow. Not all sickness is connected to this spirit, but not every sickness is a physical issue either. You need to discern whether the sickness is being caused by this evil spirit or it’s a physical illness.

We see Jesus rebuke spirits of infirmity, and pray for healing without rebuking an evil spirit. Jesus rebuked a fever but did not rebuke every sickness. In both cases, Jesus is the great Healer, and it’s His will that everyone would be healed.

“And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.”
Luke 13:11 NKJV

Also in: Psalm 77:10; Proverbs 18:14; Isaiah 53:4-9; Matthew 8:17; Luke 5:15; 7:21; 8:2; John 5:5; Acts 3:2; Romans 6:19; 8:26; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 11:30; 12:5; 12:9-10; Galatians 4:13; 1 Timothy 5:23; Hebrews 4:15; 5:2

8. A deaf and dumb spirit

This evil spirit is a spirit of insanity. It’s connected to suicide and epilepsy, and it can cause eating disorders and anorexia. This spirit is deaf AND dumb—that’s what you need to call it when you’re praying for deliverance. It’s physically trying to kill people, while blending in with problems that many people see as normal, or psychological disorders. Unfortunately, most people’s go-to for this spirit is medication, which can make the problem worse rather than solving it.

“Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid…Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him…He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”
Mark 9:17-25 NKJV

“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.”
Matthew 17:15 NASB

Also in: Deuteronomy 1: 43-45; Psalms 38:13; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 6:10; 42: 19-20; Jeremiah 6:10; Ezekiel 12:2; 33:32; Micah 7:16; Zechariah 7:11; Matthew 9:32-33; 12:22; 13:15; 15:30-31; Luke 9:39

Psalm 119:147
Hebrews 4:16

9. A spirit of fear

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

The spirit of fear has been one of the most prominent and widespread strongholds in the past few years. A spirit of fear causes uncontrollable torment, terror, worry, timidity, inferiority, phobias, inadequately, fear of heights and dark, the sense of danger, nightmares, trembling. Many people can say that they’re using wisdom when the reality is a spirit of fear is controlling their life.

Fear robs you of life while wisdom prepares you for life. Fear looks at your circumstances and wisdom looks at God’s truth. 100s of people die in car accidents every week—a spirit of fear will tell you not to drive because you might die. Wisdom will tell you to buckle up and stop texting and driving.

“Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.”
Job 4:14 KJV

Also in: Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 27:1; 56:3; 91:5-6; 94:19; Proverbs 12:25; 29:25; Isaiah 13:7-8; 41:10; 43:1 54:14; Jeremiah 1:8; John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7

10. A spirit of pride

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18 NKJV 

The spirit of pride and haughtiness is an attempt to put us in the place of God. This was the original sin of Lucifer. Pride also looks like mockery, stubbornness, and gossip. Pride is an arrogant, self righteous spirit. Pride can easily be confused with godly confidence, so not everything that looks similar to pride is evil. 

“By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.”
Proverbs 13:10 NKJV 

“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.”
Proverbs 21:24 NASB

Also in: 1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Samuel 22:28; Psalm 31:23; 131:1; Proverbs 3:34; 18:12; 24:9; 28:25; 29:1; 29:8; Isaiah 2:11; 2:17; 3:16; 5:15; 16:6; Jeremiah 43:2; 48:29; 49:16; Ezekiel 16:49-50; Daniel 5:20; Obadiah 1:3; Luke 18:11-14

11. A spirit of bondage

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15 KJV

“So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.”
Exodus 6:9 NKJV

The spirit of bondage enters when people are in a situation that leads to bondage. This stronghold goes along with anguish, bitterness, and addiction. It can look similar to fear but is not a spirit of fear. This causes spiritual blindness, and people are unable to receive spiritual truth 

Also in: Exodus 1:14; 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; 7:8; Ezra 9:9; Matthew 6:22-23; Acts 8:23; Romans 6:16; 7:24; 8: 5-6; 8:15; 7:23; 8:15; 8:21; Galatians 2:4; 4:3; 4:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 2:14-15; 2 Peter 2:19

12. A spirit of antichrist

“And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” 1 John 4:3 NASB

The spirit of antichrist has been here on Earth 2000 years ago. When Jesus was born, Herod put out an order to kill all of the baby boys trying to kill Jesus. The same thing happened when Moses was born. An antichrist spirit denies the virgin birth and denies the deity of Christ.

Also in: Daniel 7:24-25; Matthew 24:5; 24:24; 24:26; Mark 13:6; 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18-19; 2:22; 1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 1: 7; Revelation 13:1-18; 19:20; 20:25

These 12 strongholds are the strong man that you need to go after in prayer, by their name. Evil spirits and demons hide under different names and you need to call them out and command them to leave. You can’t cast out a nameless spirit. 

When Jesus was delivering the boy from a deaf and dumb spirit, He said “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

Click here to get additional notes on deliverance.


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