It's so hard to believe that people believe this kind of nonsense, but they do. I was raised in it. I have family who are still in it. and by "it," I mean mainstream, respectable Baptist churches (and many like them) where community leaders believe in utter superstitious nonsense.

Demons, indeed!

But being nonsensensical doesn't render the foolish beliefs powerless. Demons terrified me as as child. Scared me witless. Scared me sleepless. Unlike "monsters in the closet" that my parents could assure me were imaginary and harmless, demons were "real." They terrified me until I finally realized that religion is just a crock of superstitious shit pushed by ignorant idiots.