Have you ever felt like someone in your life is constantly dragging you down, leaving you mentally and emotionally drained? You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you hate feeling this way about them. Yet, you can’t deny that this person just isn’t good for you. If you’re battling these conflicting feelings, you’re not alone – and you might be dealing with it right now.

So you might be wondering… if these demonic individuals can appear so ‘normal’ while causing so much chaos, how can you possibly identify them?

Look, we all know to walk away from toxic people and party animals, but what about those who deceive you into thinking they’re positive? The real issue with these individuals is that their positivity only shines when it comes to negative things. They only encourage you and seem happy with you when you partake in their destructive behaviors. Misery loves company, after all.

The Story of Troy:

But first, it’s crucial to understand HOW these demonic forces infiltrate your life.

Let’s take a lesson from the legendary city of Troy. Renowned for its impenetrable walls, Troy fell victim to a cunning Greek plan after a long siege. The Greeks constructed a massive wooden horse, hid a select group of warriors inside, and pretended to abandon the siege, leaving the horse as a deceptive gift. The Trojans, believing they had won, brought the horse into their fortified city.

When night fell, the hidden Greek soldiers emerged, opened the gates for the rest of their troops, and completely conquered Troy from within.

THIS is EXACTLY how Satan operates. His mission is to kill, steal, and destroy. Before you think, “Oh, I don’t give in to Satan,” be careful; you might be giving in to one of his ‘gifts.’ 

If the devil can’t get to you directly, he’ll send a narcissist.

That’s why so many Christians are being fooled by these wolves in sheep’s clothing, applying a Pollyanna mentality and getting slaughtered. And this isn’t a five-minute mistake; the repercussions can last years – even a lifetime.

So you may be wondering, if these demonic people look ‘normal’ and can wreak that much havoc, how can you identify them?

Here are the signs to spot and walk away from toxic people!

Sign #1: Encourages You to Sin

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but godly people will call you out to bring you to repentance and restoration.

People sent by the devil, however, will actually encourage you in bad behaviors. And it’s subtle. 

We know to avoid negative people, but what about those who fool you into believing they’re positive? The problem is, they’re only positive about the negative. They only encourage and are happy with you when you join them in their destructive behaviors.

That’s because sinners love company. 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.'”

These devil-sent ambassadors only celebrate when you do something wrong, with encouragement like “Good for you, I’m proud of you!” after you just drank too much or told off your boss.

They might say, “It’s normal… it’s only natural… wouldn’t God want you to be happy? YOLO.”

If you resist, they’ll attack you with sayings like, “You’re such a self-righteous stick in the mud… always a buzzkill.”

These people often appear as charismatic, fun-loving individuals, seeming like everything you’ve been praying for, but in reality, they’re on a mission to drag you down with them.

Sign #2: Manipulation and Control

This sign is likely one you’ve endured on countless occasions, and not only ignored but blamed yourself for. It’s because their twisted motives are cunning and hard to spot.

If you’ve ever been told your feelings aren’t reality, had your experiences invalidated, or were told you can’t see someone because it would be a betrayal of your bond, you’ve been manipulated by someone sent by Satan to control you.

This isn’t always obvious control. Just as in Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ He controlled her through lies and manipulation, and that’s what narcissists do. With their word salads and gaslighting, they twist the truth to get you to do their bidding.

And if you’re not careful, you might think you’re doing God’s will by ‘submitting’ to or ‘loving’ someone who’s out to manipulate you and control you like a puppet.

Their intent is to steer you away from God’s path and purpose. But it’s not a dramatic ‘run you off the road’ type of derailment; it’s more of a subtle ‘few degrees off course’ diversion. At first, you might not even notice it, but over time, you’ll find yourself so far from where you started that you can’t see how to get back.

Sign #3: Sowing Division

When my husband and I were first married, we hit a lot of bumps in the road due to our past baggage. We had a family member who would befriend me, and encourage me to talk about the troubles I was having with my husband, and no sooner would we finish our walk and talk, she would go to my husband and ‘warn’ him about me. THEN she would act like the savior who came to mediate and bring us back together. This woman was destructive. It didn’t take long to see that she was fulfilling Satan’s plan by creating division in our marriage.

That’s what these people do – they sow discord and cause division while pretending to have your back. It’s sneaky, it’s sly, it’s demonic.

Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

It’s Satan’s desire to see marriages and families torn apart, and we have no shortage of his agents infiltrating our lives, spreading conflict, and eroding the foundations of our relationships.

Sign #4: Draining Your Energy

Have you ever encountered someone who initially seemed benign, maybe even supportive, but as time passed, their true impact became painfully clear? They turn into emotional vampires, feeding off your energy and leaving you drained and weary. Each conversation feels like a battle, and their constant negativity and demands slowly erode your spirit.

Devil-sent individuals come like a thief in the night, and before you know it, they’ve sucked the life and joy out of you. Instead of recognizing the spiritual leeches they are, you spend your time trying to improve the relationship, apologizing for things you didn’t do, just to keep the peace. But trying to improve a relationship with a person sent by Satan is like trying to quench a fire with gasoline. There will be no improvement – only more life-sucking, energy-draining behaviors designed to pull everything from you until there’s nothing left to even worship the Lord, much less fulfill His purpose for your life.

Sign #5: Fostering Fear and Anxiety

Have you ever felt a creeping sense of dread after spending time with someone? Or maybe over time, you’ve shifted from a joyful optimist to a fear-filled worry-wart.

It’s difficult to determine if the feeling of doom is from your personality or your circumstances. But rarely do we consider external influences. Yes, we are responsible for our behaviors and reactions, but did you know that there are demonic forces at work in your life designed to keep you trapped in fear and anxiety? To make matters worse, if you have a temperament that leans into these qualities, it can make you an easy target for Satan to send his ambassadors to do his dirty work, keeping you trapped in a constant state of fear and anxiety.

You may not even realize how fear-filled you are. In fact, you may write it off as ‘normal,’ pray it away, or worse, cover it up with fake self-talk and soothing substances. 

The Bible reminds us in 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.”

These devil-sent individuals thrive on your fear, anxiety, and paranoia. They are instruments of the enemy, designed to foster fear and anxiety within you. Maybe they’re always bringing up the negative, gaslighting you to keep you from stepping out in faith or using threats, intimidation, or ‘what ifs’ to keep you in a constant state of worry and dependence.

Whatever doom-filled feelings you’re facing, my friend, they’re not of God – they’re a demonic influence designed to destroy you from within.

In life, it’s not a matter of if, but when you will encounter someone sent by the devil. So what do you do? There are two steps to protect yourself.

First, you MUST be grounded in prayer and truth. Ephesians 6:11 reminds us to “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ignorance is not an excuse. You must be in prayer and in the Word to know how to spot these demonic people who contradict the truth of God. You MUST stop following your feelings and start strengthening your faith.

Next, you have to operate in wisdom. Emotional, hopeful decisions are for children, not spirit-led followers of Christ.

I’m guessing you had wisdom at one point and lost it because you ignored it. If so, I want to encourage you to repent and return. Our Lord makes it easy. James 1:5 says if you lack wisdom, just ask God and He will give it liberally.

 But my friend, I have to warn you, if you take God’s wisdom and overshadow it with dysfunctional desires and flaky feelings, you will see that wisdom flee faster than a deer at the sound of a hunter’s gunshot.

Wisdom doesn’t make excuses for someone’s bad behavior. It doesn’t write it off as a bad day because you can’t tolerate confrontation. Wisdom sets firm boundaries and doesn’t hesitate to walk away from toxic people. By staying rooted in prayer and grounded in wisdom, you become a target too tough to penetrate.

But what do you do if they’ve already gotten in? Educate yourself on the 11 demonic mind games they use to trick you by checking out this episode here. 

Ready to reclaim your peace? If toxic people are draining your energy and zapping your joy, be sure to grab a copy of our FREE Toxic People Survival Guide here. It’s my gift to you to help you identify the red flags of toxic behavior and set strong, biblical boundaries.