The Greek noun daimonion means a demon, evil spirit, or inferior divine being. In classical Greek it could be neutral — a spirit or divine being — but the New Testament consistently uses it for malevolent spiritual beings, subordinate to Satan, who oppose God and afflict humanity. The word appears about 60 times in the New Testament.
Daimonia (demons) are presented in the New Testament as real personal beings — not forces, not metaphors — who recognize Jesus (Mark 1:24; 5:7), know their fate (Matthew 8:29), and are subject to His authority. Jesus gave His disciples authority over daimonia (Luke 10:17–19). Paul warns that idol worship is ultimately worship of demons (1 Corinthians 10:20–21) and that some will depart from the faith following doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). The ultimate fate of all daimonia is the eternal fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).