Saturday, January 7, 2012

From Angels to Demons


I recently watched Ron Howard's cinematic vision of Angels and Demons which brought to mind the myriad of beliefs and teachings about our common Christian faith and the hidden spiritual realm of which the pulpits speak so little of.

Calling attention to this latter realm can be dangerous, for our great adversary: Satan (Hebrew: הַשָׂטָן ha-Satan; note: the Hebrew suggests by the use of "ha" or "the", is to show that this is a title bestowed on a being, versus the name of a being.), is not one to be taken lightly. 

Peter 5:8
New King James Version (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Let's begin in the book of Jude, who was the half brother of Jesus (son of Mary and Joseph), from his writing we read:

3 Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
 5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful. 6 And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment. 7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
 8 In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. 9 But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) 10 But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. 11 What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

If one of God's mighty angels, Michael, dare not bring an accusation against the enemy (adversary/accuser) then we know that we dare not deal carelessly about this topic.

Disclaimer: At the same time, we should not be fearful for as John teaches in his first Epistle:

1 John 4:4

New King James Version (NKJV)
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

The Apostle Paul also teaches how we, as a body, can overcome this dark spiritual force in the world:

Ephesians 3:10-11

New Living Translation (NLT)
 10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, as we join together as the body of Christ, Jesus manifests His great power to the unseen rulers of this world.

Again, Paul teaches us, as in Jude, that there is something going on in a different plane, in an unseen spiritual realm that is not visible to the human eye nor perceivable by our common senses in his letter to the church in Ephesus, chapter 6:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ever wonder what got into the heads of murderers, pedifiles, terrorists and the like to do the terrible and disgusting things they do?  They have been influenced and manipulated by the enemy.  Whispered to and sold a lie.  That is why the Lord has called us to love them and pray for them:


(Matthew 5): 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Since we now have an understanding that we are at war in a spiritual battle (beyond the reach of our senses...of what we can see, hear, feel, smell, taste), we look to the words recorded in the authoritarian writing: "The Art of War" as quoted by the great Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu: 

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

So before we examine our enemy, let's first understand his strategy with us as described by James in chapter 1:

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

So you see, the enemy knows you, has studied you, and knows what are your weak points...


So now let us turn the tables and study him, the serpant of the Garden of Eden...from Ezekiel 28:


      “ You were the seal of perfection,
      Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
       13 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.
       14 “ 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.
       15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
      Till iniquity was found in you.
       16 “ 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;
      I cast you to the ground,
      I laid you before kings,
      That they might gaze at you.
       18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries
      By the multitude of your iniquities,
      By the iniquity of your trading;
      Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
      It devoured you,
      And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
      In the sight of all who saw you.
       19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
      You have become a horror,
      And shall be no more forever.”’”


And from the prophet Isaiah in chapter 14:

    12 “ How you are fallen from heaven,
      O Lucifer, son of the morning!
      How you are cut down to the ground,
      You who weakened the nations!
       13 For you have said in your heart:

      ‘ I will ascend into heaven,
      I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
      I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
      On the farthest sides of the north;
       14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
      I will be like the Most High.’
       15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
      To the lowest depths of the Pit.
       16 “ Those who see you will gaze at you,
      And consider you, saying:

      ‘ Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
      Who shook kingdoms,
       17 Who made the world as a wilderness
      And destroyed its cities,
      Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
       18 “ All the kings of the nations,
      All of them, sleep in glory,
      Everyone in his own house;
       19 But you are cast out of your grave
      Like an abominable branch,
      Like the garment of those who are slain,
      Thrust through with a sword,
      Who go down to the stones of the pit,
      Like a corpse trodden underfoot.
       20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
      Because you have destroyed your land
      And slain your people.
      The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
       21 Prepare slaughter for his children
      Because of the iniquity of their fathers,
      Lest they rise up and possess the land,
      And fill the face of the world with cities.”


And Jesus was witness to the enemy's great fall:

 18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! (Luke 10:18)


John, gives us further insight to this event in Revelation chapter 12:

7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Continuing on to better understand our adversary, I have come across a writing that I will assert, in my opinion, may lend itself to add insight and color to our discussion: The Book of Enoch (which is considered a pseudepigraphical work, or one in which the author is not considered to be the one which the work lends its credit to)

So before we begin to examine this work in understanding our adversary, I submit:

  • Book of Enoch was quoted by Jude in verses 14-15
  • Aramaic fragments were found with Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran cave 4 (dating back between 150 BCE to 70 CE).
  • And so, from the Book of Enoch I submit chapters 7 - 10:



These writings seem to mesh well with the Biblical accounts found in Genesis and in first and second Peter:

Genesis 6
A World Gone Wrong
 1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”
 4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.
 5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord


1 Peter 3:18-22

New Living Translation (NLT)
 18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
 19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
 22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

2 Peter 2:4-5

New Living Translation (NLT)
 4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.
Footnotes:
  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Greek Tartarus.
  2. 2 Peter 2:4 Some manuscripts read in chains of gloom.



So from these writings we can glean the following points:

  1. There were a number of angels that rebelled against God and on the Earth they had relations with human females.
  2. The offspring of those relations were a "demi-god" (half spiritual/half human) race of giants called the Nephilites.
  3. The fallen angels were locked up in the prison of hell until a set time in the end.
  4. The offspring of these fallen angels may have very well been the purported Greek and Roman mythological legends that have prevailed in historical literature and art.
  5. This race of beings had their human bodies destroyed in the flood of Noah, but their spirits survived and were released into the world to be known as demons (spirits without bodies).

The Apostle Peter warns us that even today, our enemy is roaming the Earth, bent on our demise:

1 Peter 5:8

Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
8 Be ye sober, and wake ye, for your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion goeth about, seeking whom he shall devour.

I like this translation as not only does it call for us to be alert to the hidden plans of the enemy, but it further illustrates that when we are under the influence of controlled substances, our defenses are down and the enemy can slip into our thoughts and guide our decisions into destruction and morning- after missery.
Absent of the leading of the Holy Spirit we are void and misguided as Paul tells Timothy:
1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
And Jesus warns us that if the Holy Spirit is not living in you, guarding your heart, and filling your temple then beware...
20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
 23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
 24 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ 25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. 26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”

But to those of us who are in Christ Jesus, Paul writes...

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory."  Ephesians 1:13


And thus, now knowing your enemy, the father of lies (John 8:44), realizing there is a spiritual battle going on, here is what we must do:

Ephesians 6:10-20

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Whole Armor of God
 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
So, in summary...stand firm
  • Remain truthful
  • Clothed in Christ
  • Peaceful and full of grace
  • Holding on to our faith
  • Strengthened by the knowledge of our salvation
  • Fed by the Word of God
  • and dispatching the mighty power of God, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.


  • *  For homework, I would ask you also to consider the "Day of Atonement" as described in Leviticus 16:8-10.  It speaks of the scapegoat to Azazel whom the Book of Enoch describes as one giant leaders of rebellion prior to the flood.  See also: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2203-azazel