THE FALL OF THE ENEMY

hen I posted the part 1 of this post, I received mixed reactions from readers via email. Some were thankful and some were inspired, some were quite hesitant and many were afraid to read it. A friend of mine (non-blogger) read the first part of this post and told me via YM that it is very disturbing, that she only read the first chapter of part 1 and did not anymore continue. The purpose of this OTWOMD special, in accordance with the feast of the Archangels, is not to scare anyone or to disturb the peace or mind of every readers. I actually published these four-parts special to enlighten readers, because I observed (and the church teach us actually) that the more we are afraid to know the reality and nature of the Devil in our lives, the more we give him power over us. We do not engage in a battle or war wherein we do not know our enemy. The more we come to know his nature, the more we can avoid his entrapments. This third part of Michael and the Devil exposes the evil one’s nature and origin according to the Church teachings and the revelation of the scriptures. Read on because this might save your soul.

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The Fallen Angels

We have an eye-witness account of the fall of this supreme Angel in the words of Christ, the Son of God: “I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven.”

What happened to this towering glory of creation to fall so low from such an exalted position? The same Divine Savior reveals something of the cause of his fall: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and he stood not in truth; because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.” He is called a murderer, from the beginning, because he destroyed, by his example and seduction, the life of grace in his fellow Angels and, later, in our first parents; he is depicted as the great liar, because blinded by pride he attributed to himself those marvelous gifts that God had graciously and most generously showered on him.

To him, therefore, the words of Isaias have been aptly applied, and Lucifer has become a synonym of Satan: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth? . . . And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God . . . I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High. But yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, into the depth of the pit.” These words of Isaias are a parable alluding directly to the King of Babylon but indirectly to Satan whose spirit and actions were reflected in that King’s conduct.

Another tyrannical ruler, the King of Tyre, gives Prophet Ezechiel the opportunity for another description of Satan before and after his fall: “Thus saith the Lord God: Thou wast the seal of resemblance, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou wast in the pleasures of the paradise of God. Every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, the topaz, and the jasper, the chrysolite, and the onyx, and the beryl, the sapphire, and the carbuncle, and the emerald: gold the work of thy beauty, and thy pipes were prepared in the day that thou wast created. Thou a Cherub stretched out, and protecting, and I set thee in the holy mountain of God, thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day of thy creation, until iniquity was found in thee. . . thou hast sinned, and I cast thee out from the mountain of God, and destroyed thee, O covering Cherub, out of the midst of the stones of fire. And thy heart was lifted up with thy beauty: thou hast lost thy wisdom in thy beauty, I have cast thee to the ground.”

The name Lucifer, the comparison with the Cherubim, the exalted beauty and wisdom of this spirit before his fall, all these seem to be sufficient indications leading to the conclusion that Satan, most probably, was the supreme Angel in the Choir of Cherubim.

Both Fathers and Theologians quite generally hold that the sin of the fallen angels was pride. Pride is a false estimation of oneself; it is a lie, just as humility is truth. Pride is the root of disobedience, the instigator of seditions and rebellions. In that period of probation one of the supreme Angels recognized his exceeding power, beauty, and knowledge but failed to give thanks and glory to God. He became envious and intolerant of God’s supreme dominion and thereby he constituted himself as the adversary of God: he became .

Like a sinister flash of lightning his evil mind was made manifest in the spirit world. Because of his exalted position many Angels followed him in his mad campaign of hate and rebellion. It was then that a cry and a challenge was heard in the heavens, and a leader was seen to rise from the lowest Hierarchy, from the Choir of the Archangels. His battle cry: “” was his mighty weapon and it became, later, his own name: . “And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his Angels. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast down unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Just as the Archangel Michael earned his name in the battle of heaven, so did Satan acquire his by the defying attitude he took against God. in Hebrew means the “adversary,” the “accuser.” The Greek version of the Septuagint translates with , hence the Latin , and all the derived vernacular names, including the English term “Devil.” The Devil is therefore the equivalent of Satan, the leader of the fallen angels. The other fallen angels have no proper name but they are called either “evil spirits,” “spirits of wickedness,” “unclean spirits,” or simply “devils,” because of their association with Satan their leader who is known as “The Devil.”

Another name, applied to fallen angels, is common to both Sacred Scripture and pagan literature: the term “demon,” from the Greek . The Greeks, like Socrates, distinguished between good and bad . In the Bible the word demon has always the meaning of an evil being. The false gods of the Gentiles are called demons: “All the gods of the Gentiles are devils.” Beelzebub, one of the various names of Satan, is called “the prince of demons.”

Evil, in this world and in all of God’s creation, begins with Satan and his associates. “The Devil and all the other demons, as created by God, were naturally good, but they did become evil by their own doing.?

All the wickedness and the resulting suffering, misery, and death in this world can be traced back to Satan. He, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, “seduced Eve by his subtlety.” This was the beginning of man’s fall, ruin, and death: “For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him, but by the envy of the devil, death came into the world.”

“From the psychological point of view,” writes J. Pohle, “it is a reasonable assumption that the apostasy of the Angels was instigated by one of their own number, most likely by the one who ranked highest both in natural and supernatural endowment, and that consequently the kingdom of evil originated at the very summit of creation and thence spread over heaven and earth.”
The devil sinned with perfect knowledge and complete freedom, without any bad example or seduction, consequently his sin was inexcusable. With the exception of Salmeron and very few others, the theologians believe that, unlike man, Satan and the fallen angels were given no time for repentance.

This opinion seems to be firmly based on the words of the Scripture that reveal the fall of the angels, like: “God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment.” In these words, like in the following ones taken from the Apocalypse, there seems to be no time left between sin and punishment, the punishment being eternal damnation and the torments of hell. “Michael and the Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels; and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.”

It has been pointed out before that perhaps one third of all the inhabitants of the spirit world followed the example of Satan and were expelled from heaven with him: “His tail (the dragon’s) drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth.”

There were defections, probably, from almost every Choir of the heavenly Hierarchies. Saint Paul mentions Principalities and Powers among the fallen angels, who try to seduce man with their deceits: “Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.? As Saint Paul never gives a complete enumeration of all the Choirs of the good Angels at one time, we may surmise that he follows the same rule with the fallen angels. The mention of Principalities and Powers in this passage should not be taken as complete and exclusive, but only as more representative and as implying the great natural power and cunning of our adversaries.

Even though deprived of all supernatural grace and superadded gifts, the fallen angels retain their natural power which, in itself, is far superior to the natural power of man. For this reason the Apostle demands that the faithful put on the “armor of God” and “the shield of faith” in order to be able to resist and to conquer. Yet, in view of the fact that in another list of fallen angels, the Apostle mentions again only these two Choirs: Principalities and Powers, we believe that the largest number of fallen angels must have come from them. Speaking of Christ’s victory over sin and the Devil, Saint Paul says: “Despoiling the Principalities and Powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open show, triumphing over them in himself ”

With the fall of Satan and his angels, the good Angels closed their ranks: “Neither was their place (Satan’s and associates’) found any more in heaven.” It was then, we believe, that the good Angels who had stood their test and devoted themselves irrevocably to God’s service and love, were admitted to their eternal reward in the glory of heaven and began to enjoy the Beatific Vision without fear of ever losing it. The heaven in which the big battle took place between Michael and Satan was not the heaven of glory and Beatific Vision, but the heaven of the spirit world during the period of probation; for no sin is possible in the land of the Blessed nor war in the house of peace.
The good Angels became the court of the most High King of Heaven, God’s army against all the legions of the rebel spirits, and God’s messengers to men.

It was here on earth, after man’s creation and fall, that the good Angels met their fallen comrades of old. On many occasions Satan’s path crossed that of Michael the Archangel. One of these occasions has been revealed and recorded for us by the Apostle Saint Jude: “When Michael the Archangel, disputing with the Devil, contended about the body of Moses, he did not venture to accuse him insultingly; he was content to say, May the Lord rebuke thee.”

The war against God has been taken down to earth and directed against man. The Angels of heaven can sin no more and Satan would waste his time trying to seduce them now. But man, who even after his fall, has a chance for conversion and salvation, because of Christ’s redemptive work for him, can be made to fall again and again until he rises no more and is lost. The Devil who was “a murderer from the beginning” has continued his murderous activity with the children of man. Ever since original sin he has exercised a reign of death?the ?over mankind, so that in a spiritual sense he became “the prince of this world” by making man the slave of sin. Satan with the assistance of his demons extends this “reign of death” in three principal manners: by seductive temptations; by diabolical obsessions and possessions; by all sorts of black magic, spiritism, and the superstitions of idolatry.

The reality of diabolical activity in this world is so plainly and so strongly emphasized in the Scriptures of both Testaments that it would be superfluous for us to prove it. The diabolical perversity and cruelty, manifested by so many people in this present generation, living in the most enlightened period of human history, cannot be explained without the presence, in our midst, of an evil genius who delights in man’s suffering and despair. This unseen evil genius is Satan. But why hate man? The obvious answer is that Satan hates God and anyone made to His image; much more so since God Himself assumed a human nature.

Some theologians believe that one of the reasons of Satan’s rebellion and disobedience was the fact that God revealed to the Angels the great things He had in store for man, elevation to the supernatural order, the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Hypostatic Union, the Virgin Mother of God, Mary. God commanded all the Angels to adore the Incarnate Word, as Saint Paul writes: “When He bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith: And let all the Angels of God adore him.” Envy and pride were, it seems, the cause of Satan’s rebellion and fall.

Man reminds him always of his fall and his misery, hence his hatred and the relentless campaign against man with the intention of making him an associate of his own misery and despair. This campaign will last to the end of the world. At the final Judgment, Satan, his demons, and all lost souls will hear the eternal condemnation already announced by Christ: “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.”

No repentance, therefore, and no salvation for the Devil, the adversary and the enemy of God, as, once, Origen and, lately, G. Papini dared to affirm.

Many other problems are connected with the fallen angels, but they belong to a different treatise, to Demonology. Our task, at present, is limited to the good Angels and their activity in this world.

Devil

?Devil? comes from diabolus (diabolos — diaballein), the Greek word diabollos which means a slanderer, or accuser, and directly refers to the rebellion of the fallen angel and God?s judgment

“The accuser [ho kategoros] of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night” (Apocalypse 12:10).

It thus answers to the Hebrew name Satan which signifies an adversary, or an accuser.

Names

• Satan = The accuser

• The Devil = The slanderer

• Belial = The wicked one

• Beelzebub = Lord of flies

• Apollyon & Abaddon = Destroyer

• Mephistopheles

• Lucifer = Son of the Morning, Angel of light

• The Prince of demons

• The Prince of Darkness

• The Prince of this world or Age

• His Satanic Majesty

• The Prince of Hell

• The Prince of Pandemonium

• The (Arch-) Fiend

• The Great Dragon

• That Ancient Serpent

• Murderer

• Roaring lion

• The Adversary

• The Father of Lies

• The Angel of the Abyss

• The Oppressor of the Saints

• The Sower of Discord

• The Enemy of all Good

• The Prince of the Power of the Air

• A Liar and Deceiver

• An Imitator

• The Proud One

• The Tempter

• The Evil One

Familiar names

• Old Scratch (see the story Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne)

• Leonard (France, Germany, Switzerland)

• Le Cornu (France)

• The Hooven Cloof

• Pocker

• Old Horney

• Old Gooseberry

• Old Harry

• Old Nick

• Mr Sam

Satan and the Bible

There is no full account of Satan given in any one place, and the Scripture teaching on this topic can only be ascertained by combining a number of scattered notices from Genesis to Apocalypse, and reading them in the light of patristic and theological tradition.

Almost absent in the Old Testament, the Devil is mentionned 188 times in the New Testament :

• 62 as a ?demon?

• 36 as ?Satan?

• 33 as the ?Devil?

• 37 as a ?Beast?

• 13 as a ?Dragon?

• 7 as ?Belzeebuth?

Summary of the role played by Satan in the Scriptures

Satan is an angel (Job 1-2). God made him before the world began (Job 38:4-7). Satan was very powerful (Revelation 12:3: “ten horns”) and very wise (Revelation 12:3: “seven heads”). But he became the first sinner (1 John 3:8). Apparently at one point in the past (or possibly future) he led a rebellion in heaven against God (Revelation 12:7). In Satan?s fall, he drew a vast number of angels with him (Revelation 12:4, 9). Some of the fallen angels are loose and some are bound in a place called the Abyss (Luke 8:31). The loose ones we call “demons”. Of the bound ones, there are two kinds, permanently bound (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) and temporarily bound (Revelation 9:1-11). Satan and his demons now wage war against God?s kingdom (Revelation 12:17). Some people think that Satan lives in hell, but hell is where Satan and the wicked will be sent at the last judgment. Satan now dwells on earth (Job 1:7). At the Second Coming of Christ, he will be bound for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). After the thousand years, he will be set free for a short time and will go out to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:7-9). The devil?s final end will be in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10), which was prepared by God for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

The Perfect Being

Under the figure of “King of Tyrus,” Ezekiel declares that this great created being “had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.”

• “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

• You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.

• You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

• You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.

Ezekiel 28:12?19 describes Satan?s original state as the anointed cherub who was not only a created being, but created perfect (vss. 12-13). He enjoyed the highest position and honor in the presence of God (28:14, 16).

Further, Isaiah spoke of him as Lucifer, ?star of the morning , son of the dawn? – Isaiah 14:12-15.

He was on the holy mountain of God and every precious stone was his covering. He was set there as “the anointed covering cherub” by God and walked up and down in the midst of stones of fire. He was perhaps the appointed guardian of the holiness of God, probably over this original planet earth.

6 By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. 17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor . . .” Ezekiel 28:12

The Fall

But what exactly was the character or nature of Satan?s iniquity?

As suggested by 1 Timothy 3:6-7 and Ezekiel 28:17, though created perfect by God (Ezek. 28:13-15), it was conceit or pride that welled up in his heart because of his beauty and high position that led to arrogant aspirations and to his sin and fall.

In Isaiah 14:12-15 and in Ezekiel 28:12-19, we have a remarkable account of the original place which Satan once had as “Lucifer, son of the morning.” His fall from this original, exalted place, of perhaps the greatest of created angelic beings, is given in these Scriptures. These arrogant aspirations are described for us in Isaiah 14:12-17 : pride, self-will, iniquity, rebellion, and violence are the reasons.

Because of his pride and aspirations to be like God, he became God?s chief adversary (Heb. Satan). After this, he is never again called by any of these prestigious titles. Instead, he is called by terms that reflect his fallen character and hostility to God and men, like liar, murderer, Satan (adversary), the evil one, Abaddon (destruction), Apollyon (destroyer), Belial (worthless), serpent, and dragon.

Blessed John Duns Scotus, however points out that this sin was not pride properly so called, but should rather be described as a species of spiritual lust.

Although nothing definite can be known as to the precise nature of the probation of the angels and the manner in which many of them fell, many theologians have conjectured, with some show of probability, that the mystery of the Divine Incarnation was revealed to them, that they saw that a nature lower than their own was to be hypostatically united to the Person of God the Son, and that all the hierarchy of heaven must bow in adoration before the majesty of the Incarnate Word; and this, it is supposed, was the occasion of the pride of Lucifer.

Furthermore, we learn from Ezekiel 28 that Lucifer engaged in a multitude of traffic, which means “going about.” He filled heaven with violence and sinned.

“Thou has defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic”

Thus Lucifer instigated violence and rebellion among the heavenly hosts before man was created, and those who followed him became his angels or demons. Seeking to overthrow God and rule heaven, Lucifer assembled an army of apostate angels and initiated a war in heaven.

In the book of Revelation we read about a war in heaven between Michael and the angels who remained loyal to God and the dragon, “called the Devil, and Satan,” and his angels. Then Satan and his angels were defeated by Michael, and were thrown down from heaven to hell.

?And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.? Revelation 12:7-9

The Five ?I Wills? of Rebellion

Isaiah points us to five ?I wills? coming from the proud and boastful heart of Satan that describe the nature of his aspiration (Isa. 14:13-14).

In each of these ?I wills? Satan pitted his will against the will of God. He substituted his will for God?s will and, significantly, these five statements expressed by Satan manifest the very essence of sin (or glory for some): it is the will of the creature set against the will and appointment of the Creator.

• I will ascend to heaven.

• I will raise my throne above the stars of God.

• I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north.

This describes Satan?s ambition to control all the affairs of the universe as the assembly of Babylonian gods supposedly did. Often in Scripture, mountain and hills refer to authority or the right to rule.

Isaiah 2:2 reads, ?Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.?

This anticipates Messiah?s rule or kingdom, called here ?the mountain of the house of the Lord,? and all the other kingdoms, mountains and hills, will be under His kingdom (see also Ps. 48:2). So this third ?I will? of Satan expressed his determination to rule over the affairs of the entire created universe.

• I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.

According to Exodus 16:10 and Revelation 19:1, clouds are often associated with God?s glory and presence. This ?I will? expressed Satan?s desire to usurp the glory that belonged to God. Pentecost writes:

?When Lucifer said, ?I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,? he was saying, ?I will take to myself a greater glory than belongs to God Himself.? You will remember that Ezekiel described the beauty and the glory that belonged to Lucifer in terms of the sun shining on polished gems. But the glory that belonged to Lucifer was not inherently his; it was a reflected glory. God, who is the author of glory, God, who is the all glorious One, revealed his glory through the work that came from His hand.? How insane the thinking of this one that he could add glory to the infinite glory of God. It suggests that there was a deficiency in the glory of God and that Lucifer could complete that which was lacking.??

• I will make myself like the Most High.

Lucifer was not satisfied with the exalted place he had in the creation of God. Ezekiel says, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness” (Ezek. 28:17). So he purposed to exalt himself and his throne and aimed to be like God Himself. Note the contradiction in Satan?s own thinking here. To become like God was first of all to admit that he was not God. He was only a created being, one created by the Creator.

Here his counterfeit is crystal clear. Satan wanted to be like, not unlike, God. The name Elyon for God stresses God?s strength and sovereignty (Gen. 14:18). Satan wanted to be as powerful as God. He wanted to exercise the authority and control in this world that rightfully belongs only to God. His sin was a direct challenge to the power and authority of God.

Satan operates on Earth

Scripture describes this present time in which we live as an evil age and Satan is called ?the god of this world,? Eph. 5:16; 2 Cor. 4:4. On several occasions, Satan is revealed to be the ruler or god of this present age and the world system that dominates our present world.

Now judgment is upon this world (Greek, kosmos); now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. John 12:31

I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world (Greek, kosmos) is coming, and he has nothing in Me. John 14:30

and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world (Greek, kosmos) has been judged. John 16:11

in whose case the god of this world (aiwn, ?age?) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving 2 Corinthians 4:4

In which you formerly walked according to the course (aiwn) of this world (kosmos), according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Ephesians 2:2

In his temptation of Christ, Satan declared, ?I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish? (Luke 4:5). Of course, God is sovereign and omnipotent, but in accord with God?s eternal purposes, as discussed previously, the Bible does teach us that this present world is Satan?s domain and under his authority.

Satan?s Real Nature

He is a Creature

The Scripture teaches us that there is only one eternal and self-existent God who is the Creator of all things.

If Satan were not a created being then he must be eternal or self-existent, a dualism which is incompatible with what the Bible teaches about God and the world in which we live.

The Bible emphatically declares all things were created by God through Christ, and there is nothing that was not made by him – John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17 with Psa. 148:1-5; Col. 1:16; Ezek. 28:13.

He is a Spirit Being

Hebrews 1:14 describes angels as spirits and demons are called unclean spirits – Matt. 8:16; 12:45; Luke 7:21; 8:2; 11:26; Acts 19:12; Rev. 16:14.

Further, the fact we are told that ?we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places?.

Eph. 6:12 also suggest that Satan and his demons are spirit beings. Finally, the fact that Paul describes them as invisible also shows they are spirit beings – Col. 1:16.

Here it is clearly taught that the Devil and the other demons are spiritual or angelic creatures created by God in a state of innocence, and that they became evil by their own act.

It is added that man sinned by the suggestion of the Devil, and that in the next world the wicked shall suffer perpetual punishment with the Devil.

He is a Former Angel

Mention is made of the Devil in many passages of the Old and New Testaments, but The authoritative teaching of the Church on this topic is set forth in the decrees of the Fourth Lateran Council (cap. i, “Firmiter credimus”), wherein, after saying that God in the beginning had created together two creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is to say the angelic and the earthly, and lastly man, who was made of both spirit and body, the council continues:

“Diabolus enim et alii dæmones a Deo quidem naturâ creati sunt boni, sed ipsi per se facti sunt mali.” (“the Devil and the other demons were created by God good in their nature but they by themselves have made themselves evil.”)

As may be gathered from the language of the Lateran definition, the Devil and the other demons are but a part of the angelic creation and their natural powers do not differ from those of the angels who remained faithful.

Like the other angels, they are pure spiritual beings without any body, and in their original state they are endowed with grace and placed in a condition of probation. It was only by their fall that they became devils.

Satan?s Role

The nature of Satan?s aims in the world are quickly evident in his first appearance in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Eve to act independently of God that she might become ?like God, knowing good and evil? (Gen. 3:5).

He appeals to what is pleasant to the senses and desirable to gain wisdom, but always, the goal is a life that seeks to get by without God. His suggestion that Adam and Eve could be like God was a lie because he did not explain that they would know good and evil but would not have the power to accomplish the good or to avoid the evil apart from divine grace

Satan has ever been busy in the sowing of his deceptive and false teachings which are represented by the tares, or darnel. Imitation, deception, and corruption are manifest in the figure of darnel.

The Devil sows deceptive and imitation seed that poisons and corrupts the minds and hearts of mankind. He has an imitation, modernistic gospel; an imitation, false Christ; and an imitation, false church.

So, he will copy as much of God creation as he can, but he will always either distort, pervert, substitute or leave out those key ingredients of truth. Many of the epistles are written, at least in part, as arguments against Satan?s devices.

It is not always made clear how the demons of Lucifer can appear upon the earth when they have been cast down and bound in hell. Apparently, as we may gather from the Book of Job, Lucifer is able to walk upon the surface of the earth but is not permitted to directly injure human beings.

Satan?s Power

Satan enjoys the usual supernatural powers that make him transcend the dimensions of time and space. He can move instantaneously to great distances, the future and the past are only a walk away.

He can read our minds and take possession of whatever he wants. When he comes down to Earth, he can borrow any disguise but remains strangely a fashion victim.

Satan seems to follow our obsessions and fear : Dragon, serpent, black goat, cat, beggar, old man, child, gentleman, rock star, Pope, King, Prime Minister, ?

?For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:12?

We saw that the whole race, according to this passage, has fallen under the control of satanic forces, whom Paul calls, “the world rulers of this present darkness”. Jesus confirms this in his figurative description of Satan as the strong man who, armed, rules his own palace and keeps his goods in peace.

The picture of the Bible from beginning to end is that all human beings, without exception, regardless of how clever or educated or cultured they may be, if without Christ, are the helpless victims of satanic control. Under the control of satanic forces human beings are uncomfortable and unhappy, but also completely unable to escape by any wisdom or power of their own.

As the god of this world system, Satan has authority over a federation that also includes all of the unsaved and fallen humanity whom he takes captive and uses at his will – Matthew 4:8-10; John 14:30;. The apostle John wrote: “We know that we are of God and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” 1 John 5:19. We are also told that “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” – 2 Cor. 4:4.

Satan influences governments and nations. Daniel 10:12-13,20-21 gives us a glimpse into the spiritual realm of angels and demons and how they affect nations. The “prince of the Persian kingdom” (v.13) is apparently a demon exercising influence over the Persian realm in the interests of Satan. The archangel of God named Michael finally overcame his resistance. Likewise the “prince of Greece” in verse 20 is also a demon.

Satan the Destroyer

Satan delight?s is to smash, to mangle, to twist, to mutilate, to disfigure, to darken and blast in every way he can. It does not make any difference whether it is bodies or souls, flesh or ideas, matter or spirit, the aim of the devil is exactly the same in every case: It is to distort, to blast, to twist, to destroy.

That is why the devil can never offer anything positive to human life. He can make nothing. He has never made anything and he never can make anything. All he can do is destroy what God has made. His power is totally negative, completely destructive in every way.

He deceives by lying, by distorting, by counterfeiting, by play-acting and masquerading, by illusion and fantasy. This is what Paul calls “the wiles of the devil.”

In the Bible there are many references of the work of the devil : the snares, the traps of the devil, the illusions, the stratagems, the wiles … .

The Father of Lies

Though Satan has been defeated by Jesus Christ, he continues as an unrelenting foe in his warfare against God and mankind.

The Lord said to the Pharisees who hated Him:

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not” (Jn. 8:44-45).

Satan may use the truth, but only to eventually propagate a lie. It is always a subterfuge for promoting his deceptions. Using his network of deception through demonic forces and duped people, he promotes false doctrines in the name of God (2 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 4:14; 1 Tim. 4:1-4; 2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Thess. 2:10).

Satan has the power of influence and blinding. He blinds the minds of the unbelieving (2 Corinthians 4:4). He prevents the gospel from entering their hearts (Matthew 13:19; Luke 8:11). Satan speaks through fortunetellers (Acts 16:16), cult leaders (1 Timothy 4:1-2), and false preachers (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15). He seeks to deceive about his existence, his purposes, his activities, and his coming defeat. He is the deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:8). His ultimate deception will be in the anti-christ (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

His Power on Flesh

Not all physical or mental illness is caused by demons. The gospels make a clear distinction between illnesses with a demonic base and those without. Nevertheless, some illnesses and distresses do have a demonic foundation.

Satan can control a person?s body but the battle is mostly won in the mind (Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:5; “sound mind” – 2 Timothy 1:7).

In some cases demons are said to be the cause of physical distress:

1. Deafness and muteness (Matthew 9:32-33; Mark 9:25; Matthew 12:22; Luke 11:14).
2. Blindness (Matthew 12:22).
3. Convulsions/seizures (Mark 9:20).
4. Crippling (Luke 13: 16).
5. Violent action (Luke 8:26-29),
6. Back problems (Luke 13:11).
7. Superhuman strength (Mark 5:4).

In some cases demons are said to be the cause of mental or psychic disorders:

1. Torment (Mark 5:5).
2. Mental disorder (John 10:20),
3. Depression (1 Samuel 16:14-16,23).
4. Physical harm to oneself (Mark 5:5).
5. Suicide (Mark 9:22).

Satan and his demons also inspire a spirit of fear (Romans 8:15; 2 Timothy 1:7).
This might include a fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15), fear of man (Proverbs 29:25), worries and anxieties (Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7), and night terrors (Psalm 91:5).

Influence on Civilization

During the Middle Ages, the devil was said to have built many great places :

Many bridges in Europe are called ?bridges of the Devil?

France : The ?Pont Dieu? between the shore and the island ?Ile d?Yeu? in the West of France (unfinished). The wall of the castel of Vizille near Grenoble in France. Saint-Cloud, the Pont de Valentre at Cahors, Beaugency, Pont-de-l?Arche, Vieille Brioude, Orthez

Switzerland : Einsieldeln not far from Paracelse?s house

Germany : many ?Teufelbrücke? (names welcome), The Sachsenhäuser Bridge at Frankfurt

England : The Bridge at Kentchurch, Herefordshire, Hadrian’s wall between Scotland and England

The devil is said to have moved 4 columns from the Cathedral of Milano to the Kaiserkapelle at Nuremberg (XII)

Two of the portals of Notre-Dame-de-Paris were ironed by the demon Biscornet (the portals have been replaced in 1860)

Usually, the devil traded his work against the soul of the first passenger to pass over the bridge. In such stories, man usually fooled the devil by sending first an animal instead of a real person or by putting a limit in the time allowed for the devil to finish his work (usually one night)

Demon

(Greek daimon and daimonion, Lat. daemonium).

The word demon is apparently derived from daio “to divide” or “apportion”, originally meant a divine being; it was occasionally applied to the higher gods and goddesses, but was more generally used to denote spiritual beings of a lower order coming between gods and men. It is now practically restricted to the evil spirits.

A similar change and deterioration of meaning has taken place in the Iranian languages in the case of the word daeva. Etymologically this is identical with the Sanskrit deva, by which it is rendered in Neriosengh’s version of the Avesta. For the original meaning of the word is “shining one”, and it comes from a primitive Aryan root div, which is likewise the source of the Greek Zeus and the Latin deus. But whereas the devas of Indian theology are good and beneficent gods, the daevas of the Avesta are hateful spirits of evil.

Demon is often confused with devil as both qualify the evil spirits or fallen angels. The precise distinction between the two terms in ecclesiastical usage may be found in the decree of the Fourth Lateran Council:

“Diabolus enim et alii daemones” (The devil and the other demons), means that the chief of the demons is called the devil, also found in Matthew 25:41, “the Devil and his angels”. This distinction is observed in the Vulgate New Testament, where diabolus represents the Greek diabolos and in almost every instance refers to Satan himself, while his subordinate angels are described, in accordance with the Greek, as daemones or daemonia. It does not indicate a difference of nature; for Satan is clearly included among the daemones in James 2:19 and in Luke 11:15-18.

Origin

According to the Scripture, demons are fallen angels but their names often reveal that they derive from pre-christian Gods demonized by the early fathers of the Church. In Christian writings demons in the strictest sense — those fallen angels who remained loyal to Lucifer in hell — were continually being confused with pagan deities and with nature spirits.

Thus we find mention of the demon Satyr who incites men and women to lust, and the demon Theutus, who induces the urge to gamble for money with cards or dice. The satyr is a nature spirit of Greek mythology, and Theutus is a degenerate variation on the name of the Egyptian god Thoth, who was associated by the Greeks with numbers, and by extension with money. In dealing with the pagan system of idolatry, the apostle Paul declared by inspiration of God that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice to idols

“they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and the table of demons” (1 Cor. 10:10-21 ).

The Bible thus clearly reveals that behind every pagan idol there is a demon and that the sacrifices offered to such idols are offered to demons and not the the one and only true God. There was the table of demons and the table of the Lord, and expressed fellowship with one or the other.

Associated with the whole satanic, pagan system of idolatry were many other demon activities about which Moses of old warned the children of Israel. In the book of Deuteronomy we read:

“When thou art come in the land which the Lord they God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all who do such things are an abomination unto the Lord” (Deut. 18:9-12).

Nature

Demons are spirit beings who do not have a body of flesh and blood. Since demons are fallen angels, like angels they are immaterial and not usually subject to human visibility or our other senses.

They are dwellers in an unseen world. To manifest themselves among men, they must possess or control a physical body of a person or an animal. As they possessed people, their influence had its effect in several different areas.

In the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, demons were thought able to travel on the earth invisibly, but to assume physical bodies at will. The same was understood concerning angels. This has a certain logic. In order to tempt human beings, demons need to remain invisible while they whisper seductive words or cause opportunities to commit sin to fall across the paths of their intended victims. But in order to murder their victims once their temptations succeed, demons need to have teeth and talons capable of ripping flesh.

The modern view of demons, among those who believe demons in the Christian sense to exist, is that demons are usually invisible but are capable of revealing their forms at their pleasure.

It is not so widely accepted that demons can make their forms material. The modern demon is thought to punish those who give in to its temptations by possessing the victim’s body and using it against the victim and the loved ones of the victim. Frequently the possessing demon causes the victim to commit a horrible crime, such as the mass murder of elementary school children, before committing suicide.

Appearance

To modern eyes, medieval images of demons may appear comical and quaint. You should realize that these images, and the understanding that Christian demonologists had about them, were merely unsophisticated attempts to come to terms with real, perceived phenomena of daily life.

Demons in one form or another have been a constant fixture of folklore and myth in all cultures around the world since the dawn of history. While this is not proof that these folk beliefs are literally true, it suggests that a core of truth exists that has sustained and defined the myths of demons over the centuries. It is nothing short of intellectual arrogance to leave unexamined so universal an aspect of human experience.

?If he was as beautiful then as now he is ugly, when he lifted his brow against his Maker, well must all grieving proceed from him. Oh how great a marvel did it seem to me, when I saw three faces on his head! … Beneath each one came out two great wings….They did not have feathers; their mode was like a bat’s….With six eyes he was weeping, and down three chins dripped the tears and the bloody slobber. In each of his mouths he was breaking a sinner… ?

Dante – Inferno

The other shape If shape it might be call’d, that shape had none, Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb; Or substance might be call’d that shadow seem’d; For each seem’d either; black it stood as night, Fierce as ten furies, terrible as Hell, And shook a dreadful dart; what seem’d his head. The likeness of a kingly crown had on. Satan was now at hand; and from his seat the monster, moving onward, came as fast with horrid strides; Hell trembled as he strode.”

John Milton?s Paradise

The truth is that demons are more likely to appear in attractive. They love to masquerade, so even Christians are fooled by them. Paul warned them that even “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

In traditional black magic, demons have usually two shapes : a monstrous one and a pleasant one. The pleasant one can be a beautiful woman or an elegant good-looking man.

When a demon is of high authority, it appears in human form. Demons in animal forms are of lesser importance. Still less in rank are demons that come in the shapes of insects or plants. And last in importance are demons that appear as objects. regardless of what is claimed for him.

Role

Just as angels are the agents of God who act with divine authority to do good works among men, so demons are the agents of Lucifer who act with infernal authority to do works of evil. Indeed, in Jewish, Islamic and Christian mythology, Lucifer was himself once an angel of heaven who defied God.

Lucifer seeks to harass God by plaguing mankind with a multitude of troubles, and by inciting human beings to defy God. He uses his fallen angels as his agents, sending them abroad across the face of the world to incite and commit evil. Every time he succeeds in inducing a human to defy God, Lucifer gains another soldier in his rebellious army.

Powers

• Intellect (Mark 5:7),

• Knowledge (Acts 19:15),

• Emotion (Matthew 9:31; Mark 5:7; James 2:19),

• Self-awareness (Mark 5:9),

• Will (Matthew 8:31), and

• Ability to speak (Mark 1:24; 5:7-12; Acts 19:15).

Limitations

? Demons are not omnipresent nor do they have unlimited power. Their freedom is restricted, as is that of Satan, by their own nature and the power of God (Job 1:12; 2:6-7).
? Demons are not all-knowing. Demons are fallen angels and angels don’t know everything (1 Peter 1:11-12). There is no indication in the Bible that demons (or Satan for that matter) can read our thoughts. They are pretty good at predicting human behavior, however, because they are experts on human nature.

Freedom on Earth

Contrary to popular opinion, the Bible reveals that Satan and some of his demons were not confined to hell after their initial expulsion from heaven. Indeed, the Old Testament shows that, before the first coming of Yeshua the Messiah, Satan and the demons continued to have access to the very throne of God.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.Job 1:6

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satancame also among them to present himself before the Lord. Job 2:1

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. Zechariah 3:1

If some demons are obviously free to propagate evil in the world, there are Scriptures which indicate that a portion of the evil angels are currently restrained in a type of spiritual prison.

And the angelswho did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great Day. Jude 6

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; II Peter 2.4

. . . He went and preached tothe spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. I Peter 3:19

Clearly, the Bible teaches that there are at least two different groups of fallen angels; those who can move around freely and those who are currently locked up in “chains of darkness.”

Numbers

Demons are numerous. It is impossible to count the number of angels (Revelation 5:11; Hebrews 12:22; Daniel 7:10) and the fallen angels were apparently a third of all these (Revelation 12:4,9).

According to Joanes Weirus in “De praetistigiis” published in 1568, there are 7 451 926 demons, organized in 111 legions of 6666 demons and ruled by 72 princes of demons.

Fromenteau in ?Le cabinet du Roy de France? (1581) is very close to that number. An inventory supposedly made by sorcecers has yielded 7 409 127 demons and 72 princes.

According to Wier in ?Pseudomania daemonum? there are 6 legions of 66 cohorts each, divided into 666 companies of 6666 individuals which comes to 1 758 640 176 demons. They are governed by an Emperor, 7 kings, 23 Dukes, 13 Marquees, 10 Counts and 11 Presidents.

Last but not least, a popular method of calculation is to multiply the number of Pythagorus by 6, i.e 1234321 x 6 = 7 405 926 demons, a number very close to Wier and Fromenteau?s conclusions.

Periods of Increased Demon Activity

Some historians of times past believed that there were cycles during which demonic activity increased, and used this theory to explain various occurrences, much in the same way as today’s economic historians might explain historical events in terms of trade, productivity and other factors. These older historians saw a rise in demonic activity accompanying such occurrences as the destruction of Jerusalem, the fall of Rome and the French Revolution, and would in all likelihood also have viewed the demonic theory at work in relation to the rise of Nazism and World War II.

Catholic Church Statement on Fallen Angels (Demons)

“These beings, because of pride, did not return God’s love. God did not destroy them, but permits them a limited scope of activity. Their condition is permanent for no creature can turn away from the perfect good of the beatific vision once he has come to enjoy it, and no additional reflection could change the mind of a purely spiritual being who has turned away.”

Does God Ever Make Use of Demons?

Before answering “no,” one might wish to refer to the Book of Tobias. In it, a virgin named Sara weds, only to have her husband slain by the demon Asmodeus on her wedding night. Sara, still a virgin, marries again, and the same thing happens. Actually, the same thing occurs a total of seven times. Then Tobias marries Sara – this would make him the young woman’s eighth husband – Raphael banishes the demon Asmodeus, and Tobias and Sara presumably live happily ever after. Some readers have hypothesized that the demon may have had a personal attraction to Sara, but the Catholic Encyclopedia makes the interesting claim that “God allowed the demon to slay these men because they entered marriage with unholy motives,” and that “the permission given by God to the demon in this history seems to have as a motive to chasten man’s lust and sanctify marriage.”

I will not make any comment regarding the demon’s motivation, but would like to point out that the idea of God giving a demon permission to slay men in order to illustrate a lesson in morality strikes me as somewhat improbable.

References:
Catholic Online
Catholic Demonology
Demons and Monsters.com
EWTN – Sons of Perdition