In the name of Jesus.
Many people recently have been concerned about abject evil, the occult, or genuine demonic influence in their lives personally, politically, and throughout society. There is a genuine rise in occult and Satanic activity in our culture, but there is also a rise and resurgence in church attendance, especially among men.
This has gotten Satan’s attention.
Should believers be concerned about demonic influence? As believers in Jesus, can we be affected by the evil actions of spiritual beings around us?
The story of a demon or spirit sitting on a man’s chest is one of the oldest and most universal explanations for sleep paralysis or other paralyzing fears at night.
When I was a young preteen, we could check out any books in our school library. I had a tendency to check out books on monster movies, ghost ships, haunted buildings, and scary stories. They were scary to a 12-year-old.
This is when I stumbled upon a book of Colonial ghost stories. I was particularly fascinated with the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
One story I discovered was of a pastor of his church who suffered from an evil spirit that would enter his house and torment him by sitting on his chest. He would experience tightness in his chest, unable to breathe for hours or all night. The fascinating part was that his family knew it was real because they saw literal claw marks from hands and feet in the fireplace to the end of the bed. They could not see what was causing the issue, but they could see its footprints and handprints, as if it emanated from the fireplace at night.
It was such a prevalent story for hundreds of years that the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli created a famous painting in 1781 entitled “The Nightmare.” This painting depicted a demonic spirit sitting on a woman, staring out at the audience. The painting was so engaging to the culture at the time that a rumor spread, “You are to never look at the painting after midnight because if you do, you might be inviting the demon to leave the painting and torment you.”
The “Mara” was believed to be a spirit or demon that would supposedly sneak into a room at night and was the cause of “nightmares.”
The person would wake up and feel powerless to move or even speak, feeling their feet could not move, and their chest could not rise or fall, like suffocation, unable to call out loudly for help.
The “night hag” was also thought to come and agitate people.
This is where we get the word “haggard” from. Meaning, you look like you have been up all night struggling with your demon.
An incubus was another demonic entity thought to be a male demon that specifically sat on women’s chests. It was frequently depicted as a small, ape-like creature in colonial times. A succubus was considered a female demon in European lore who took human form to seduce or torment men, often in their dreams, while draining their energy.
To prevent the “mara” or demon from sitting on them, people would use:
Iron Items: Placing iron items (such as scissors or knives) under the pillow.
Upside-down Brooms: Leaving a broom upside down behind the door.
Sleep Position: Many believed that sleeping on one’s back made it easier for the demon to sit on their chest, leading people to prefer sleeping in a more upright or sitting position.
Many of these people were Christians, faithful church attenders, and even pastors or deacons in their local churches.
No one thought of prayer or Bible reading?
Today, what was once blamed on a demon sitting on the chest is thought by some to be explained away through sleep paralysis, a state of being trapped between sleep and waking, often accompanied by hallucinations of a dark presence. The Irish sometimes referred to these experiences as “the thin places.” Where people experienced the spiritual threshold between the natural and spiritual world. This was also associated with times of the year or seasons, like fall (Halloween). Every culture around the world has beliefs about these “thin places” where the spiritual and the physical might encounter one another. Could we all be wrong worldwide, or is there such a reality?
I have experienced sleep paralysis many times, and also experienced nights where I could not sleep, or was awakened suddenly by a nightmare. I believe some of these have been spiritual in nature. The Lord has awakened me to pray. Other times I believe I was being affected by something trying to disturb or frighten me. Sometimes I will go years without these things occurring. Sometimes they will come in spurts during weeks or days where I will be unable to sleep and have multiple nights of bad dreams. Once I shared a nightmare I had that was so visceral it scared my foster mom. As I told her the dream, she became visibly concerned, and as we arrived at church, she pulled into a parking lot stall and, as a Pentecostal believer, began laying hands on me and speaking in tongues over me, feeling as though Satan were trying to lure me into regret of my past. I have never forgotten that nightmare, but I do not live in fear of it.
What does the scripture say?
The Bible speaks about spiritual darkness, fear in the night, oppression, and demonic activity, but it does not specifically teach that every frightening nighttime experience is some demon agitating somebody. We are not taught to look for demons in every bedroom or basement. Scripture calls believers to have discernment, to live a prayerful life, and to be of a sober mind when it comes to spiritual matters (take them seriously but not fearfully), to walk in confidence in God’s authority, knowing that there is more power in the believer’s little finger than in the power of darkness.
But what should you do?
Do you fear the night?
Psalm 91:5–6 (NIV)
“You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.”
Nighttime fear is real, but God’s protection over His people is real as well.
Recognize spiritual warfare is real.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Spiritual forces exist, and believers should take spiritual warfare seriously and soberly. Demons are not jokes and should not be laughed off or pretended not to exist. It is always amazing that we are comfortable admitting to the belief in angels, but sometimes mock and discount people who discuss the existence of demons.
Many times I will find myself at my church at night, praying against the darkness in my community in the unseen realm and trusting in the Lord for the victory over the violence and pain in my community.
Realize that oppression is the devil’s game for the believer.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Believers are called to be spiritually alert, but not to live in panic or obsession with demons.
Many times I will pray over each seat in our sanctuary at church, pre-emptively praying over the person who will sit in that seat on a Sunday morning, believing they will be able to let go of whatever besets them and be able to worship and praise God when they arrive.
Remember Jesus has authority over demons and all evil.
Luke 10:17–19 says The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The emphasis is not on fear of demons or evil but on confidence in God’s power and authority, in Jesus’ name.
What about nightmares, sleep paralysis, and fear?
Many experiences people interpret as demonic encounters can also involve:
- Nightmares
- Intense anxiety
- Personal or professional trauma
- Sleep paralysis
- Stress
- Vivid dreams
We are encouraged to “test” experiences rather than assume every disturbing event is supernatural.
1 John 4:1 reminds us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”
How do we make fear not a factor in a genuinely evil world?
Scripture points believers toward:
- Prayer
- Worship
- Repentance
- Filling the mind with Scripture through reading, memorization, and recitation.
- Avoiding occult practices and trusting Christ’s authority through the name of Jesus, the name above every name (see Luke 10: 17-19).
Many times when I speak with believers who are consumed with fear, it is because they are not participating in some of these sanctifying activities or are openly or nonchalantly participating in occultic behavior or Idolatry, placing material possessions or status in life ahead of God’s will and being consumed with fear that they might lose position, power, or possession of material in their lives. Or they are openly seeking spiritual power outside of God’s presence to control or have power over outcomes in their lives. Secretly or not so secretly, these people have experienced some trauma in life or abuse that has left them feeling weak, vulnerable, or inferior, and so they seek power to overcome that. But everything comes with a price, and some are willing to go to the prince of darkness to enslave themselves; the price of the power is their soul.
2 Timothy 1:7 encourages us, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
From an Assemblies of God perspective, many Christians believe demonic oppression can occur, but also strongly affirm that believers do not need to live in fear because Jesus Christ is greater than demonic power, or any personal loss or anxiety a believer may encounter. Depression is recycling fear over something that has already occurred. Anxiety is fear over what might occur. The believer is to seek help among fellow believers, the church, and spiritual and psychologically faith-filled professionals to understand what is at the root of the fear and then to dig out that root spiritually and personally so that the true fruit of the Spirit- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, and Self-Control- will be evident to all.
When Satan is bound in Jesus’ name, he must submit to authority.
This is why I often pray, “Lord, I pray you would bind Satan in the believer’s heart and life. I pray you would put a hedge of protection around them so that the attacks of the enemy may not get through. I pray you would tear down the walls and strongholds that the devil would seek to build and maintain in their lives, and Lord, I pray that you would set them free to worship and praise you because that is why they were created.
I also always pray in Jesus’ name.
There are times I will not know what to pray, but I will know something is spiritually off, distracting me, maybe even wanting harm to come my way. I will then find myself praying the name of Jesus over and over and over again, simply repeating, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” until I have a sense of peace and calm that something in the spiritual space around me has broken, calmed, or changed. I learned this from my foster mother, who could often be heard in our living room, after everyone had gone to bed, calling out to Jesus with a tearful voice to save and keep people: “With your keeping power, Lord!”
If you like new songs, here is a link to a great one that reminds us of the power of the name of Jesus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51aZAb7r4lw
But I am reminded of an old school song with these lyrics
“In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory!
In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, demons will have to flee!
When we go in the name of Jesus, tell me who can stand before us?
In the mighty name of Jesus, we have the victory!”