458. That they should not adore demons, signifies that thus they are in the evils of their lusts, and make one with their like in hell. By "demons" are signified the lusts of evil springing from the love of the world; the reason is, because in hell they are called demons who are in those lusts; and men also, who are in the same, become demons after death. There is also a conjunction between them and such men; for every man is conjoined with spirits as to his affections, even so that they make a one; from which it is evident, that to "adore" demons, is to sacrifice to those lusts from the love of them. Therefore he who invokes faith alone, as the head of his religion, or as his idol, remains in evil, by reason of his not searching out any evil in himself which he calls a sin, and consequently is not desirous of removing it by repentance; and as every evil is composed of lusts, being nothing but a bundle of lusts, it follows, that he who does not search out any evil in himself, and shun it as a sin against God, which can only be done by repentance, becomes a demon after death.
[2] Nothing but such lusts are signified by "demons" in the following passages:
They sacrifice to demons, not to God (Deut. 32:17).
The sons of Israel shall no longer sacrifice to demons, after which they have committed whoredom (Lev. 17:7; Ps. 106:37).
The Ziim shall meet with the Ijim, and the demon of the woods shall meet with his companion (Isa. 34:14).
The Ziim shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of Ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the demons of the woods shall dance there (Isa. 13:21).
By "Ziim," "Ijim," "Ochim," "the daughters of the owl," are signified various lusts; "wood demons" are such lusts as appertain to priapuses and satyrs:
Babylon is become the habitation of demons, and the hold of every unclean spirit (Rev. 18:2).
The demons, which the Lord cast out, were such lusts, when they lived in the world (concerning which see Matthew 8:16, 28; 9:32, 33; 10:8; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32, 34; Luke 4:33-37, 41; 8:2, 26-40; 9:1, 37-42, 49; 13:32).
