The Connection between Idols and Demons

Since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, there has been a battle raging for the souls of mankind. Much of this battle has to do with worship. Everyone worships something or someone. The question is, will we worship the living God or put something else in His place? Will we worship the Creator or something created? Will we worship the eternal King or temporary idols?

Satan loves to steal the worship that belongs to God. He seeks to draw people into worship of anything and everything but the Lord. God continually warns us in the Scriptures to be free of idolatry. This includes physical statues and objects of worship that many religions espouse, but also idols of our heart; things that we place in front of God. It might be a sinful habit, or it might be something that is good in itself but has become too important to us, and is thus coming between us and the Lord.

Behind Every Idol is a Demon

There is a clear connection in the Bible between idols and demons. Paul makes this link in
1 Corinthians 10:19-20: “What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.” When sacrifices are made to idols, it is actually an act of worshipping demons.

There are other references that demonstrate that behind every idol is a demon. (See Psalm 106:36-38 and 2 Chronicles 11:15 for some other examples.) Similar to engaging in occult activity, idolatry is another way that evil spirits gain access to people’s lives. Anytime we offer worship—either in a formal way or through our attitudes and actions—to anything or anyone but God, we are allowing demonic spirits to grab a foothold in our lives.

We are told in Scripture to “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14). We are to run from idols. And even though we might not be tempted to bow down to a physical statue, idols are constantly pulling at our attention and time. It could be greed or lust, a career or an achievement, a relationship or social status, or a whole host of other potential objects of our worship.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you are placing anything before God. Ask Him to highlight anything that you have turned into an idol. If He shows you anything, make a clean break by repenting and renouncing the idolatry. Let’s give our worship to God and to Him alone!

Are there any idols that you need to leave behind?