Points: The devil is real, personal, created. Extremes: Too much emphasis <-> or ignore completely.
“We have been forewarned than an enemy relentlessly threatens us, an enemy who is the very embodiment of rash boldness, of military prowess, or crafty wiles, of untiring zeal and haste, of every conceivable weapon and of skill in the science of warfare. We must, then, bend our every effort to this goal: let us not be overwhelmed by carelessness or faith-heartedness, but with courage rekindles let us stand our ground in combat.” John Calvin Institutes (Vol. 1)
Mat 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He
then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of
God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It
is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" Then the devil *took Him into the holy city
and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and *said to Him, "If You are
the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS
ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU
WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" Jesus said to him, "On
the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE
TEST.'" Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed
Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All
these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus *said
to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP
THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" Then the devil *left Him; and
behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
Luk 22:31-32 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded
permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith
may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your
brothers."
Devil is fallen angel, exalted in rank and power above all other fallen angels.
Isa 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the
dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
Isa 14:13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my
throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the
recesses of the north.
Isa 14:14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself
like the Most High.'
Isa 14:15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the
pit.
Eze 28:12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to
him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom
and perfect in beauty.
Eze 28:13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your
covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the
jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the
workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were
created They were prepared.
Eze 28:14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You
were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
Eze 28:15 "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until
unrighteousness was found in you.
Eze 28:16 "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with
violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain
of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the
stones of fire.
Eze 28:17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your
wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before
kings, That they may see you
2Pe 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
Jud 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
"Jesus played the checkmate on the cross. There are moves left on the board, but checkmate is certain." -A. Begg.
Joh 12:31 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will
be cast out.
Joh 12:32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to
Myself."
Joh 14:30 "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;
Joh 16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
Heb 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Heb 2:15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery
all their lives.
Eph 1:20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead
and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name
that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Rom 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
2Co 2:10 But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I
have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the
presence of Christ,
2Co 2:11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not
ignorant of his schemes.
Eph 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Jam 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Joh 17:15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one."
1Jo 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
Col 2:9-10 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Col 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
1Jo 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
1Jo 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
2Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
What about:
Mat 12:43-45 "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
The key is the demon comes back to an *unoccupied* house. We, in Christ, are not unoccupied (1Co 6:19). Demon possession is indeed real.