I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation 22:8–9 ESV)
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; 38they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. (Psalm 106:37–38 ESV)
I remember a conference I was at once where the speaker started off with a story about an interaction he had with his kids. He was talking about their experience at camp and remembered his days at camp…sitting around a campfire, telling stories.
Ghost stories.
His kids had just had that experience, but they were at a Christian camp, so instead of telling ghost stories, they told demon stories, and it scared them more than ghost stories. So they asked him, “Dad, are demons real?”
“If it would have been ghost stories, I could have said ‘no, ghosts aren’t real’, but of course, this was a Christian camp, and demons are real, so I had to tell them that yes, demons are real.”
The word of God is clear, angels and demons are real.
And angels and demons are frightening and awe-inspiring – so much so that as we saw in Revelation 22, something about them made even John bow down to worship them and the peoples of Caanan to sacrifice their sons and daughters to them.
So, what are they? Why do they evoke such emotions and behavior in us?
We must go to scripture for the base truths about them – pop culture, gothic art, and Hollywood have polluted the waters and we have ended up with ideas about them that are patently wrong. They picture angels as cute little babies with wings playing harps on clouds while they picture demons as muscular monsters with horns and pitchforks.
Angels have white robes and feathery wings.
Demons wear black trench coats and have leathery wings.
And see how they are portrayed regarding their power – the devil is almost as powerful as God, if God is even in the picture at all.
Also, see how they are portrayed regarding their morality – angels are pictured as struggling with sinful desires while demons are anti-heroes who are misunderstood.
They think angles are pretty much like us. But they are not. The only thing they get right is that these beings are powerful., but they completely miss the mark regarding their morality and nature.
Angles are good and sinless. Demons are evil and utterly corrupted by sin. There are no “good” demons, no anti-heroes. There are no “bad” angels, at least not anymore.
Wait…anymore?
Yes, the creatures we call demons used to be angels, and in some contexts are still referred to as angels…
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41 ESV)
Wait? The devil has angels too?
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:7–9 ESV)
So it seems. So maybe there are bad angels?
Well, sort of. Bad angels at one time were good angles, but are now no longer good and are called demons or devils. They were cast out of heaven too – Satan “took” them with him in his rebellion, and they were cast out with him for their rebellion too.
All that said, despite all of my appeals to test all things by scripture, there is no explicit passage that says “demons are fallen angels” however, there are many clues and hints we can see that lead us there, the two passages above are primary ones. Here is another…
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (Luke 10:17–18 ESV)
… read that with this fascinating passage in Ezekiel in mind…
“Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” (Ezekiel 28:12–19 ESV)
This seems to be a passage with two meanings – seemingly addressing both the king of Tyre and the devil. How could the king of Tyre have been in Eden? How could he have been appointed a guardian cherub on the holy mountain of God? Unless, maybe, it is referring to the possibility that the king of Tyre was possessed by Satan himself? Or Ezekiel is using imagery to describe the king of Tyre in a sort of analogy of the wickedness of Satan.
This passage makes the most sense in the context of it referring to Satan primarily, and describing his subsequent banishment and being cast out of heaven.
Like lightning.
With his angels.
OK, so what are they?
Angels and demons are both created beings, created before the earth…
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4–7 ESV)
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” (Hebrews 1:6–7 ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:8–10 ESV)
What implications does this have for Satan’s power? If Satan was created by God, then Satan is less than God – FAR less than God actually. God and Satan are not even in the same universe as far as their power goes. God is omnipotent, Satan is not, and that makes Satan infinitely less powerful than God. Do you want biblical proof?
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7–10 ESV)
Pretty anti-climactic for a final battle, eh? The devil is simply “thrown into the lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever.” The battle is literally over in a fire from heaven…in mere moments.
That should give you great hope indeed!
Even archangels invoke the name of God in their battles against the demons…
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 9 ESV)
Michael the archangel did not presume to be able to overcome the devil by his own name or power, so in humility and reverence to God, he said “The Lord rebuke you.”
Angels and demons are powerful, so much so that they were (and are) worshipped as gods…
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (Colossians 2:18–19 ESV)
“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, 3and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, (Deuteronomy 17:2–3 ESV)
Remember, even John the apostle tried to worship an angel…
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:9–10 ESV)
…but angels reject worship and direct it towards God.
Demons however?
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5–7 ESV)
Demons crave what God deserves – they crave worship, dominion, and power. We see this in the number of times demons try to usurp authority, receive worship, possess kings, etc.
It makes sense though, there are many places in scripture where angels or demons appear and people are afraid, so much so that the angels have to say “fear not”, but the demons take advantage of that fear and seek to destroy people in the process. And in our weakness, we worship the things we fear, hoping that those things won’t destroy us.
But angels and demons both are created beings, powerful, awe-inspiring, non-corporeal (spirit), and far less than God. They do not deserve worship, only God deserves our worship.
We’ve seen a few terms in this post already that indicate that there are different classes of angelic beings.
There are cherubim (guardian angels)…
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22–24 ESV)
… seraphim (worshipping angels)…
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:1–3 ESV)
… and archangels (chief angels)…
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 9 ESV)
Interestingly, the only archangel named in the bible is Michael, but Gabriel is also an important angel…
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:18–20 ESV)
Though these beings are mentioned many times in scripture, there are scant few who have names. We’ve seen Michael, Gabriel, and Satan (Lucifer). There are two more…
In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, 8their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. 11They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. (Revelation 9:7–11 ESV)
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Mark 5:1–9 ESV)
And then, though not specifically called “angels” or “demons”, there are a few more who are most likely demons…
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. (1 Kings 11:5–8 ESV)
Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. (Luke 11:14–19 ESV)
… Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, Molech, and Beelzebub. Note though that Beelzebub and Satan are used in the same context – likely the same being.
There are also references to idols and false gods that are not demons, but merely statues…
Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:4–6 ESV)
But some idols are either actually demons or mere statues that are worshipped under demonic compulsion …
Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Corinthians 10:18–22 ESV)
And just as soon as you think you have a pretty good handle on this, you read something like this…
And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling beryl. 10And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. 11When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced, the others followed without turning as they went. 12And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels that the four of them had. 13As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the whirling wheels.” 14And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 10:9–14 ESV)
… and realize that you’ve just scratched the surface of it all!
There is so much more to say about what kind of creature angels and demons are, but suffice it to say, they are the same kind of creature – spirits created by God for some purpose. All started as angels, and the non-elect angels (yes, there are elect angels)…
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. (1 Timothy 5:20–21 ESV)
… the non-elect angels rebelled, were corrupted by sin, and were cast out of heaven.
Though there is so much more to say, don’t be discouraged – this post has merely scratched the surface as well, and the bible has much more to say about angels and demons. And I’d encourage you to seek the truth about them in the bible – don’t go beyond what the bible says. Extra-biblical books like Enoch might give you insight into what the ancient people thought, but Enoch is not scripture and should not be read as such.
And know this, angels are good, but Jesus is perfect. Demons are powerful, but Jesus is omnipotent. Michael invoked the name of God against Satan, and you can too! Respect their power, but worship God and rely on the victory He has already won for you in Christ. On your own, you cannot overcome the devil. But if you are a Christian, you are not alone – the Holy Spirit intercedes for you, and He lives in you, and so you can cling to this promise…
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:3–4 ESV)
All of the angels, even the non-elect angels, were created by God for a purpose. God is holy and righteous and good and works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Therefore, as one called by God to be saved and sanctified, you can rest knowing that even the comings and goings of these angels and demons, work for your good.
God created all angels and demons for a purpose.
In the next post, we will see what those purposes are.
