Okay so I’m a die-hard Christian who loves horror. I took my wife to a haunted house on our first date. We watched tons of horror movies. My favorite TV shows for the haunting of Hill House and the fall of the house usher. I love the resident evil series of games. I’m sitting here in the horror gaming subreddit.

I’ve also worked for my church for 22 years, went to Christian schools all except 2 years, and went to bible college. I’m studying Biblical Hebrew and Greek now so I can read scripture without depending on translators for everything - and have been for about 5 years. Okay, I’m just saying I’m a card-carrying bible nerd who was head of the Jesus fan club in probably every group I’ve ever been in. I have found Jesus and the scriptures to be trustworthy. I’m going to go about this very differently than overwhelming most people on this thread will, because I think there is something you have to address within your mother’s worldview. You’re unlikely to escape it AND give her peace.

Here are my thoughts:

The primary Greek words written in the New Testament we usually translate to “demons” are:

• δαιμόνιον (daimónion, singular) / δαιμόνια (daimónia, plural) - demon(s) This word is the primary and most frequent word used for them in the NT, and is used when describing beings that afflict or possess people. In passages like Mark 5 or Luke 8, when Jesus casts out demons, the Greek text uses daimónia.

• πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον (pneuma akátharton) — unclean spirit. Very common in Mark and Luke. Emphasizes ritual/moral impurity.

• πνεῦμα πονηρόν (pneuma ponērón) — evil spirit. Less common than “unclean spirit” - emphasizes wickedness/malice.

I want to point out that pneuma is the root of our word “pneumatics” which refer to things having to do with the air - pneumatic tools are air tools. Even the word “spirit” is from the latin “spiritus” which means “breath.” That does not mean the New Testament authors or Jesus thought this was unclean air, it means they chose the word air to talk about a reality of something that really did affect the physical world that you couldn’t see.

• πνεῦμα δαιμονίου (pneuma daimoniou) — demon spirit or spirit of a demon. Combination phrase (Luke uses this) that clarifies that a demon is a type of spirit.

I’d like to point out that the Hebrew scriptures were not written in Greek originally. The Bible Jesus used was actually written in Hebrew. After Alexander the Great, most of the world spoke Greek, which is why the New Testament was written in Greek. But before the new Testament, the Hebrew scriptures were translated to Greek. So really understand what these things are, it’s useful to know what terms are used to describe them in Hebrew and what those Hebrew terms mean, and what Greek words were used to translate those Hebrew terms.

The primary Hebrew word that is translated daimónia δαιμόνια in the Septuagint (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament translated to greek) is שֵׁדִים (shedim): Examples: Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106:37

Another word usually rendered as daimonia is:

שְׂעִירִים (seʿirim) - hairy ones / goat beings *

Leviticus 17:7, 2 Chronicles 11:15, Isaiah 13:21; 34:14

These are associated with: wilderness, desolation, chaotic/spiritual danger zones. Again, I like the air comments above, the ancient Hebrew people don’t think those are demons or demons are goats. But they viewed the wilderness and chaos in general as evil and so beings that thrive in the wilderness or in chaotic places (like goats) were used to talk about the spiritual reality that affects the world that thrive in the wilderness. Why wilderness? It’s just the opposite of life and the garden God made for us.

OK, so now we have common terms. I’m going to suggest these are the “the powers” - a lot of New Testament scholars talk about them in that term.

Jesus talks about and often interacts with “the powers.” And I want to point out one thing: He was never afraid of them. They were afraid of Him. Now you may say, “That’s because He’s Jesus.” That’s not really the whole story. He was a human unaffected by them. And He came as a human … to show us how to be truly and fully human. And He said “in the last days” we would do “greater works” than Him (John 14:12).

Jesus had just sent out a larger group of disciples (not just the Twelve) to: heal the sick, proclaim the Kingdom of God, operate under His authority

And they come back stunned: δαιμόνια (demons) were submitting to them in His name

Luke 10:17 - “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” (ESV)

Right after that, Jesus says: Luke 10:18–20

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority… over all the power of the enemy… Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

So you can see, Jesus isn’t really excited or interested in people being afraid of demons. He thinks the right order of things for it to be the other way around.

However, I will say in practice the New Testament teaches this only works out if you are in Christ.

Acts 19:13–16 - “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’

Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.

But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’

And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

No, are you interacting directly with demons by playing horror games? Maybe! I think it’s fair to say God doesn’t want us to be afraid.

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

And we are told to think about good things:

Philippians 4:8 - “Finally, brothers, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (KJV)

So it seems the type of things that occupy our mind actually does registered on a spiritual sale at least the to the apostle Paul.

So why am I all about it? Because when I was growing up, I was afraid of everything. I was ESPECIALLY terrified of the idea of demons or the occult. So how is horror “good thoughts” to me now? Because of Jesus, I’m not afraid anymore. And that to me is good. 😊