Using Evil as a Tool: Demons and Their Misunderstood Malevolence

by Kyle Tansel

The following is satirical.

As the calendar nears its climax of autumn’s celebration over all things dark, terrifying, fear-inducing, and downright spooky, many leave October unaware of the numbing callus toward the aggregate of horror they’ve built up. Some call this “bravery,” but what is bravery without fear itself? Modern tropes of Halloween arguably turn the world’s unknown horrors into a watered-down, digestible, commercialized treat for all to consume, leaving us ignorant to the carelessness adopted by the masses. Chinese general Sun Tzu coined the old adage to “Know thy enemy” in his ancient military treatise The Art of War. While many associate Halloween with classic tropes of ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, vampires, zombies, and so on, there lacks an emphasis on the source of this fetishization of all things spooky.

Considering one’s self to be morally “good” (if not “good” enough) leaves a gray fluidity between an individual’s personal beliefs and those of another fellow flawed human being that’s trying their best, dammit. But regardless of one’s placement upon the moral spectrum that we lack any authority to read and decipher, the vast majority of fears - both common and infrequent - stem from the same source at their core: evil itself. Arguably, the mystery of the unknown and lack of familiarity drives the fear within most individuals, but it’s the fear that this “unknown” contains some sort of negative outcome that turns said “unknown” into a personal fear. And while negativity specifies itself within the mind of the individual, negativity as an overall concept is but a branch stemming out from the unfamiliar, the unknown, the terrifying; all growing out of the same trunk of the same tree: evil itself.

Western culture often associates the origins of evil through the lens of the Christian canon; specifically from John Milton’s biblical fanfic, Paradise Lost (spoilers to follow); expanding on the tale of Lucifer’s fall from Heaven in a more publicly understood and accessible read than that of, oftentimes, warped biblical metaphors. With that tragic fall from the good graces of comfort in paradise came an army of angels to follow their traitorous leader. This army of angels, including Lucifer himself, would lose their holy status among the ranks of God’s messengers and adopt a new title given to them by mortal men. This title, much like evil itself, underwent eons of evolution in the public lexicon to become what we know of today as demons.

While demons and the supernatural lore behind them vary across cultures, this article will focus on their association within the context mentioned above.

It’s important to understand that demons don’t necessarily aim to torture the souls of the dammed. This potential for eternal suffering is more of an outcome, or an unfortunate side-effect of being detached from the divine post-mortem. 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist, portrays a stunning cinematic piece of entertainment that paints demons as some powerfully supernatural bully whose goal is to induce pain and suffering onto us foolish mortals. Ultimately though, while this film connects the dots that stem demons to our understanding of evil, demonic entities generally aim to distract us from the big picture in the Christian canon - that being the name above all names themself: God.

But why should demons even bother going toe-to-toe with the likes of the Christian faith’s creator of all that is? Such a battle puts these former-angels into a foolish unwinnable deathwish that could easily lead them to being spoken out of existence with ease from their opposition. Lucifer knows his demonic army will lose this war, so they opt for the next best outcome for them: make sure the Christian God doesn’t win. So again, a demon’s goal is not necessarily to torture the souls mortals, but to distract them from worshipping the divine, the holy of holies, the name above all names; the Christian God. With that in mind, how would one go about shifting one’s focus away from potential spiritual comfort in the afterlife?

To cite the Bible’s New International Version of the book of 1 John; in chapter 2, verse 15: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” This is but one of many verses that touch on the dangers of worldly pleasures.

Most of the population would agree, worldly pleasures are enjoyable; oftentimes to an addictive degree. So what might be the best way for a demon to ensure that the biblical “love for the Father” is not found in the feeble souls of mankind? By distracting them with worldly affairs, of course. From smartphones, alcohol, wealth, pornography, fame, video games, fashion, 2008 critically acclaimed American drama Breaking Bad and equally successful spin-off series, Better Call Saul, and then some, demons bring about distraction from the divine en masse through arguably mundane means as opposed to the fantastical horrors we’ve grown to assume thanks to modern entertainment’s hijacking of what the public deems as “evil.” So if an individual finds themselves interested in such worldly pleasures, and has no interest in experiencing the love of Christianity’s creator of the universe, they might seek the aid of a demonic entity to partake in such worldly material desires; be it unknowingly, or with purpose.

That being said, it’s important to note that conjuring demons will not grant the summoner a lifetime of material pleasures lacking any repercussions. Much like the jinn of Islamic tradition, or the fae of European folklore, demons may provide an individual that which they desire, but will also bring along any and all side-effects and outcomes after partaking. Like any other hobby or extra-curricular activity, preliminary safety measures should be considered before invoking some otherworldly entity. While demons can be exploited for one’s personal benefit, it’s important to weigh the outcome of gaining such desires. Take world leaders for example: From American presidents and congressmen, prime ministers and parliaments, kings and queens, and so on; these spearheads that place themselves above the public often promise to enact legislation that may benefit the public, along with themselves. The outcome of said legislation may be predicted, but still lies within the unknown. Much like demons, individuals considered world leaders can bring about promise and progress, so long as the recipient endures the consequences of their partaking; good or bad.

So while one may reap the benefits of conjuring a specific demon, it’s important to keep an exit plan handy as an easy means of escape should anything go awry. Circumventing the unforeseen repercussions of a demon’s perks can be tricky, if not impossible, but having a method of dispelling the demon at a moment’s notice will help ensure the safety of the conjurer and those in proximity.

For example, according to the Testament of Solomon, a composite text from the 1st millennia AD, written after King Solomon’s death, the thirty-third demon of the thirty-six decans, Rhyx Achoneoth, can be dispelled using a pile of ivy leaves with the Greek word “leikourgos” (roughly translated to “of holy things”) written on them. Preparing said pile of ivy leaves preemptively creates an easy means of ridding the area of said demon should they be conjured, but may take a significant amount of time to put together. Overall though, cautionary or not, Solomon benefited from the aid of demonic entities, and even utilized the aid of specific demons to help build his temple; such as capturing the wind demon, Ephippas, and using the demon’s strength to raise a heavy stone into the entrance of Solomon’s temple.

Another example of a mortal’s ability to benefit from a demon’s distractions from the divine comes from the 19th century’s Grimorium Verum. When in need of a quick buck, such riches may lie through the conjuring of the demon, Clauneck. Said wealth might come in the form of assisting the conjurer with locating some unearthed treasure, turning parchment into gold coins, or by simple delivery. Despite the responsibility of upholding a sense of obedience bestowed upon them as one of eighteen Servitors of Syrach, Clauneck still anticipates a certain level of respect before working with anybody seeking fortune through them. While Clauneck may have the ability to bring upon wealth to mortal men, this said-to-be-favorite of Lucifer holds an equal power to take said wealth away. Given the potential for economic collapse that could lead to more poverty-stricken souls to turn to the divine for guidance, should this demon counterfeit their monetary gifts, were the masses to partake in Clauneck’s gifts of riches, one could only imagine this arguably immoral method of profit must be sourced from the pocket of another.

So while it’s clear that working with demonic forces can be used as a tool for one’s benefit, it’s important to understand that these fallen-angels aren’t actually looking to help the world for the better, but to simply distract the public from the holy of holies; to watch the Christian God lose. And even though fear coils around us individually as branches off of the unknown trunk of an evil tree, demons themselves are not the terrifying unknown horror our modern lexicon makes them out to be. This fear lies within the consequences of our own actions. Ordering a rare steak brings upon the potential for foodborne illnesses the chef can’t be held responsible for. And ultimately, following the lore this article borrows from - taken from that of the Christian canon - otherworldly powers aside, demons, angels, humans, pets, objects all share a similarity that often goes overlooked: All are brothers and sisters of creation stemming from the divine name above all names. Gifts and curses follow all creation; from Clauneck’s ability to bring wealth and take it away, to a CEO’s power to give out bonuses or fill their own wallets.

Much like gifts and curses, no being under the divine is free from fear of the unknown. Just look at Lucifer in John Milton’s Paradise Lost mentioned earlier. As the son of God approached with open forgiving arms, in a fight/flight response, Lucifer jumped out of the holy comforts of Heaven and fell to Earth, damning himself and his now-demonic army down to our worldly mortal level. All out of the shared emotion celebrated every October: fear.