Spiritual Warfare with Fallen Angels - Demons

Salvation History 25 April, 2023

Table of Contents

BEFORE THE FALL OF ANGELS

Angels have long captured the imagination of Catholics and non-Catholics alike, as have Demons – who are evil spirits – fallen angels. This article will seek to set out what angels are, how they began and their nature, the fall of angels, the role of angels and demons, and the parts they have played, and have still to play, in the history of salvation. This article serves as a backdrop for the history of the fall and salvation of mankind as structured through the series of Covenants with Almighty God.

The Nature of Angels

It is a “dogma” or “truth of the Faith” to believe in Angels. This means that to be truly Catholic, one must believe in Angels.

“The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls ‘angels’ is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 328)

What is less clear and non-binding however is the understanding of the nature and history of angels. Nevertheless, many Catholic thinkers have addressed these philosophical and theological questions with diligence, particularly in the early Church battling Gnosticism – e.g. St Augustine and his battle with Manicheism; and in the medieval Church with scholastics such as St Thomas Aquinas applying a structured Aristotelian and Christian philosophical synthesis.

Angels were Created

God is Eternal. This means that the Most Holy Trinity has always and will always exist.

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” (Hebrews 1:10-12)

Father, Son and Holy Ghost – One Divine Being has always existed, even before time (measurement of change) and space (place for matter) came into being.

Angels however are creatures. They were created by God at the beginning of time. They will continue to exist forever¹ but they had a beginning.

The very first line of the Bible is “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth“. The word ‘heavens’ precedes ‘earth’ and the following verses describe the formation of the earth – the physical universe. Filius Dei of the First Vatican Council however clarifies that this creation of heavenly and earthly creations occurred at the same first moment, with other material creations following the initial, such as land, animals and man².

The earlier Fourth Lateran Council infallibly declares in it’s first canon named after it’s first word “Firmiter“, that the spiritual and material were created by God such that God “at the beginning of time, created from nothing both spiritual and corporeal [material] creatures, that is to say angelic and earthly, and then created human beings composed as it were by both spirit and body in common“,

Thus angels were created at the first moment of the First Day of creation.

Created Good

God is Good. Evil is an absence of good, just as darkness is an absence of light. Evil has no substance – it is an absence of goodness. When God acts, He acts according to His nature which is Good. Therefore God’s actions, including all of His creation, began good. Angels were therefore created good. Therefore as the Fourth Lateran Council infallibly declares in 1215 AD, in it’s first canon:

“The devil and other demons were created by God naturally good, but they became evil by their own doing.” – Canon 1, Fourth Lateran Council (Nov, 1215)

Spirit / Incorporeal

“…’Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do, ‘angel’.” – St Augustine ³

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As St Augustine explains, God created good spirits. He did not create them with a body. They have no matter. They are pure spirit – not subject to physical decay nor subject to the physical laws of the universe. Without these limitations, these spirits are vastly more powerful than ordinary physical creatures, and being pure spirits, were more akin in nature to God when they were created. These spirits far exceeded the capabilities of mankind.

God also gave these good spirits an office – a purpose – we call this office ‘Angel’. When certain angels later emptied themselves of goodness and rejected their purpose, through sin, they fell from the office of Angel, and became Demons – spirits emptied of goodness and light, to become spirits of evil and darkness.

For those in any doubt as to their spiritual nature, in his Letter to the Hebrews St Paul affirms “In speaking of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels spirits,…‘” (Hebrews 1:7).

As to their purpose or office, St Paul goes on to declare “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve…” (Hebrews 1:14). So the office of Angel, the purpose of an Angel is therefore To Serve.

Those spirits who will not serve therefore reject the office of Angel and become Demon – the unfulfilled – subject to the unquenchable fire⁴ and that worm that will never die⁵ (see below).

Personhood of Angels

When God created the good spirits He created them as unique distinct individuals and Holy Scripture is full of their personalities. They have distinct names such as Gabriel or Michael. As Pope Pius XII observed in his Encyclical Humani Generis, it is a mistake to even “question whether angels are personal beings”⁶.

Angels were made in the image and likeness of God – first born children of creation – made before man, who are like the second born children. One cannot help but bring to mind the blessing of the second born over the first throughout salvation history such as Cain & Abel, Esau & Jacob, Zerah & Perez, Manasseh & Ephraim, Reuben & Joseph, Ishmael & Isaac, Leah & Rachel, Eliab & David, the Prodigal Son, the Jews & Christians. The blessing of the second born is the Incarnation.

“As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendour of their glory bears witness.” CCC 330

Intellect of Angels

According to the Angelic Doctor, St Thomas Aquinas, human intellect is inferior to angelic intellect⁷ – “You have made him (man) a little less than the angels” (Psalm 8:6).

In fact, angelic intellect is far superior than ours in both its function and its capacity.

Function

According to Aquinas, the reason that human intellect is different from angelic intellect is derived from the fact that angels are pure spirit, whereas we are corporeal and make sense of the universe mainly through our senses.

Angelic Intellect differs from human intellect in its function therefore in the following ways:

Angelic Intellect is Simple. Unlike human intellect that uses it’s senses to make sense of the world around it in addition to rationality and stepwise logic, angels do not have bodies or senses and so do not make sense of the world in the same way. Angelic intellect is therefore purely rational and simple without such an extra part that is limited by the sensual experience. Angelic intellect is therefore fully complete and immediate.
Angelic Intellect is Innate & Immutable. Because angels are pure spirits and do not learn about reality around them from senses, they are created with knowledge that remains with them perfectly for ever.

Capacity

Not only does the Angelic Intellect function differently from human intellect, it is also far superior. For instance, Angelic Intellect:

Can understand infinity, such as the Infinity of God
Can understand concepts and realities beyond our comprehension such as the mystery of the Holy Trinity
Can perceive things that are hidden from human senses, by being able to understand the spiritual realm in addition to the fullness of the physical realm (from the furthest star to the inside of a nucleus). An angel’s intellect is therefore more perfect than a humans.
Is intuitive and direct in that there is not a deductive process of understanding, rather it knows instantaneously at once from the first moment of its existence in accord to its creation.
Can grasp multiple concepts simultaneously without needing to reason from one to the other
Can understand things perfectly, without error or confusion.

KNOWLEDGE of Angels

Whereas Intellect is the faculty and activity of the mind/spirit to know and understand reality, knowledge is the fruit of that operation. Unconstrained by human physical limitations of their intellect and perceived knowledge, the Angel’s experience of reality is different as touched upon above.

The angel’s superior Intellect allows them to have fuller knowledge:

Innately – from the first moment of their creation
Divinely – communicated to it through the Revelation of God that shares knowledge with the angel
Completely – knowledge not only of earthly realities, but also spiritual realities and mysteries. Knowledge of the unseen as well as the seen.
Perfectly – knowledge without error
Immediately – there is no learning in a human way – they are created with knowledge and do not learn from experience thereafter. As mentioned above, their intellects are immutable and unchanging – their intellects do not develop. However, they can still grow in knowledge. Angels can still receive knowledge from God or another spirit via a sort of communication / revelation / illumination. Spirits can communicate and share knowledge with another angel to instantaneously transmit their knowledge fully and immediately to the other. This is similar to how God communicates/reveals unknown knowledge to individual angels.
Eternally – the knowledge an angel acquires at creation or thereafter via communication with God or other spirits remains integral, complete and undiminished for evermore thereafter.
Personally – the knowledge granted to them personally at creation, or thereafter granted to them via revelation from another spirit. Different angels have different degrees of knowledge in addition to different levels of intellect.

Will of Angels

A Will

The will is a faculty/power of the spirit that is closely operational with the Intellect. Just as the intellect recognises the good, so too the will is inclined to the good⁸.

Free Will

As St Thomas Aquinas reasons, “Only an agent endowed with an intellect can act with a judgment which is free, in so far as it apprehends the common note of goodness; from which it can judge this or the other thing to be good. Consequently, wherever there is intellect, there is free-will.“⁹ Angels therefore have Free Will.

Perfect Free Will

Unlike human beings though who have senses and therefore additional types of sensory wills and passions, the angel is purely spiritual without this additional complexity of spirit. It is a purer will of a superior, less divided intellect¹⁰. “It is therefore manifest that just as there is intellect, so is there free-will in the angels, and in a higher degree of perfection than in man.” ¹¹

As angels have full knowledge by their superior intellect, then consequently they choose with an undivided full consent. Angels act with full knowledge and full consent.

Angels In The Order of Creation

“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. ²Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. ³There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; ⁴yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” – Psalm 19:1-4

Creation cries out the existence of the Creator, his Intelligence, his Order. The intellectual part of our soul recognises the intelligible in Creation, the handwriting of God that our reason can read. We see laws that the Lawgiver has left us. We now usually call these physical laws, the laws of science.

By observing the design and laws of Creation, man is drawn towards the Creator – He calls us back as a cry to anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear. He draws all things to Himself.

From the earliest times, it was believed that the forces of this material universe were governed by purely spiritual angels. Matter subjected to Spirit. The angels were responsible for the right and consistent ordering of the physical creation – the movement of the celestial bodies in their orbits for example.

It was a cooperation between the pure spirit of angels, and the inanimate material of the earthly realm in a kind of dance. It was mankind that was later to straddle both realms like a bridge, with both a body (material) and a soul (spirit) united in the single person.

Each angel was therefore given personal gifts and roles in this universal dance with the purest spirits being closest to the Spiritual Almighty God in worship, and the more complex angels dealing with more of the nitty gritty of creation further away from God’s infinity.

But God’s order also extended to the groupings of Angels themselves¹² as part of this universal dance.

The 9 Choirs of Angels

Every creature, spiritual or material, living or not, is called to praise and worship our Creator (cf. Psalm 148) according to their nature. The right ordering and functioning of Creation is a harmony – a song to the Lord. “Creation was fashioned with a view to the sabbath and therefore for the worship and adoration of God. Worship is inscribed in the order of creation.” CCC 347. This is discussed more in the Liturgy section.

It is no surprise therefore that angels too, are called to praise and worship God in love for it is every creature’s perfect end and fulfilment and so joy. Ancient writers have therefore spoken of 9¹³ different Choirs of Angels of the angelic host. Since Pentecost the Church has sought to imitate these Angelic Choirs in the Divine Liturgy to “sing to the Lord a new song” in the life of the Church (cf Psalm 96; Psalm 149).

The identity of the 9 Choirs of Angels can be found in Holy Scripture itself (Isaiah 6:6; Ezekiel 1; Ezekiel 10; Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 1:21 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15). However, the Hierarchy of Angels was developed primarily in the works of Dionysius the Areopagite. Purporting to be the judge of the Areopagus converted by St Paul in Acts 17:34, the author’s identity is clouded in mystery but academically is considered to be a Syrian author of the 5th Century¹⁴.

In particular, the writing concerning the hierarchy of angels can be found in his work “The Hierarchy of Heaven” (“De Coelesti Hierarchia“) which was intensively studied by the Medieval Scholastics, such as St Thomas Aquinas¹⁵, and influenced them so heavily.

Succinctly, 3 tiers of 3 choirs of angels were proposed gradated by their proximity to God – almost like the architecture of a spiritual High Temple for creation to sing forth it’s worship:

the Holy of Holies – the inner sanctum ¹⁶
the Holy Place ¹⁷
the Outer Court ¹⁸

Highest Sphere of Angels

1. Seraphim

Depicted as fiery beings with 6 wings (Isaiah 6:6)
Closest to God in perpetual worship
Associated with attribute of Divine Love
Seraphim derives from the Hebrew “seraph” which means “to burn”. Seraphim are therefore “ones who burn” with the love of God.
Associated with stars

2. Cherubim

Powerful & majestic beings with multiple wings & faces (Ezekiel 1:4-28; 10:1-22)
Associated with the attributes of divine wisdom
Guardians of Garden of Eden & Ark of Covenant in Scripture
Some Church Fathers believe St Michael is actually this Guardian¹⁹.
Cherubim derives from the Hebrew “kerubim” which means “one who intercedes / blesses“. It is from the root “karav” which means “to come near” or “be close to“.

3. Thrones

Depicted adorned with eyes & wings (Colossians 1:16)
May be the wheel-like creatures described by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:4-28; 10:1-22)
Associated with attribute of Divine Justice
Serve as the Throne of God’s Glory

Second Sphere of Angels

4. DOMINATIONS

Have authority over lower choirs of angels
Associated with attribute of Divine Governance
Considered to be administrators of God’s Will
Maintain order in the celestial realm

5. VIRTUES

Depicted as Warriors or Messengers of God
Associated with the attribute of Divine Strength
Bestow Courage, Grace and Valour to humans

6. POWERS

Celestial Guardians against evil
Associated with the attribute of Divine Power
They assist in Spiritual Warfare and defend us

Third Sphere of Angels

7. PRINCIPALITIES

Govern the earthly realms e.g. Angel of Portugal at Fatima
Associated with the attribute of Divine Leadership
Often regarded as guardians of nations, cities and peoples (cf Daniel 10:12-21; Deuteronomy 32:8)

8. ARCHANGELS

Most well known of the angels in Catholicism
Powerful messengers of God²⁰
Associated with a certain role e.g. protection (St Michael), healing (St Raphael), or revelation (St Gabriel).
Again there is debate if St Michael is of this choir or higher.

9. ANGELS

Messengers and Servants of God
Depicted interacting with humans for Divine missions
Unsure how many of these are personal Guardian angels or whether guardian angels also come from the other choirs

THE FALL OF ANGELS

In summary, Angels were created as good spirits with supernaturally powerful intellects able to know perfectly & fully according to the innate knowledge & revealed knowledge they were personally gifted or enlightened with, in order to fulfil a hierarchical role in Creation. This perfect intellect & pure knowledge allowed them to choose fully and so they act with full knowledge and full consent immutably. But to what end….?

“The order of things in the world is such that the inferior things are ordered to the superior, and the superior are ordered to God.” – St Thomas Aquinas, (Summa Theologiae, I, Q. 47, A. 2).

Every creature is therefore created to be orientated to God. “All things were created through Him and For Him“²¹. He is our beginning and our perfect end – “the Alpha and the Omega“²².

“God created the world to show forth and communicate his glory. That his creatures should share in his truth, goodness and beauty – this is the glory for which God created them.” CCC319

Beatitude – The Angel’s Choice

“Our nature needs to attain the goal for which it was created – this is perfection and wherein lies our happiness” – Aristotle, (Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, Ch. 7).

This is why the Catechism declares “Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created in a state of journeying (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it.“” CCC302

Angels therefore were created Blessed and Good with a nature described above, but Angels too were created with a teleological end – a perfection of happiness still to be won. Angels, like the rest of creation, were called to fulfil their nature in order to attain their happiness and share fully in the truth, goodness and beauty of the infinite God for eternity, called the Beatific Vision.

As Aristotle observes²³, the notion of a perfected end is the reward of virtue which must be merited by the free will. In short, the angel must freely will the virtue that merits their end to attain the Beatific Vision and eternal happiness²⁴.

So after being created good and powerful, what did these spirits have to choose with their full knowledge, full consent and full action?

What Happened?

God’s Command

We know the command that God gave the good spirits that, if they obeyed, would merit for them participation in the Beatific Vision, from Scripture:

“…Angels…were sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14)

Therefore for the good spirits, to attain the office of Angel, and for grace to perfect their nature²⁵ to merit perfect happiness in the Beatific Vision – the life of the Eternal Trinity, they had to Serve Mankind.

To Obey and Serve God, they had to Serve Mankind.

Let us pause a moment here and consider this.

Inferior Creatures

We have spoken of the order of Creation, namely that Angels are closer to God than man given that they are:

Pure spirits
Supernatural Intellect able to understand Divine Mysteries
Act with full knowledge and full consent, immediately and immutably
Do not decay or deteriorate
Have greater proximity to God in the spiritual realm
Greatly exceed the powers of mankind

Compared to Angels, humans are like maggots or lesser. Imagine if you were asked to serve maggots for eternity… And Yet, God in His Divine Wisdom called on these superior angelic beings, these good spirits to become servants of inferior beings. God was saying that therein lay their glory & beatitude. To be greater, one must humble oneself and serve.

““Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ²And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, ³and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:1-5

“…they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. ³⁵And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”” – Mark 9:34-35

As if speaking directly to the Devil and his choice of whether to attain the Beatific Vision, Jesus declares in John 13:16-17:

“Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” – John 13:16-17

This declaration by Jesus occurred at the Last Supper – as Judas was considering betraying Jesus, and in the following verses Jesus speaks of his hidden betrayer.

Prince of Creation

Not only that, as God continued the Days of Creation, rather than Angels having dominion over the material realm and mankind, God decides to put Mankind – Adam²⁶ & Eve²⁷ – as the Prince & Princess of Creation – humans of spirit and matter with the authority to name²⁸ the beasts, guard and cultivate the Garden of Creation.

To the angels therefore, mankind was not only being placed over them in dominion for them to serve, but were also being honoured above them as royal children of God.

What Could Be Worse?

It is this author’s own conjecture and suggestion, that still more disagreeable for the greatest angel, than to serve the royal firstborn man Adam, or worse, the royal firstborn woman Eve, it would gall him immeasurably more if he were asked to serve, not the firstborns at all, but lower still. A creature far removed from those firstborn, much later in history. Not with the primary authority of a man, but a woman.

A woman so self-effacing, small, young, weak, lowly, humble, quiet, hidden, gentle, simple, selfless, servile, meek, pure, inconsequential, that she pales into insignificance next to the angel’s dazzling grandeur, stature and ability.

I speak of course of Mary, that creature, so lowly, that she simply declares herself to be the handmaid of the Lord²⁹, created to do only God’s will, who when praised by Elizabeth responds with that great Magnificat to instead glorify the Lord³⁰.

Perhaps, being the closest to God, our Lord confided in Lucifer by revealed knowledge of this woman still to come – the apple of his eye – His Spouse to be, and it so pierced Lucifer’s heart³¹ to have to serve one so lowly a handmaid as her, that he rebelled.

There is enmity between the devil and the 2nd woman³² (ie 2nd Eve / 2nd Adam-ah) – the Ever Blessed Virgin Mary³³. The creature who did what Eve and Lucifer would not do³⁴, and who is now the greatest creature ever made – Queen of Heaven & Earth, Queen of Angels – the new Mother of all the living.

Ever the Teacher and Leader, God Himself – Jesus, the 2nd Person of the Most Holy Trinity, became Incarnate in her sealed womb, by her flesh, and was subservient to Mary³⁵ for at least 30 years but ever His Mother. Not only Mother of God, but so too the Spouse of God the Holy Spirit, and the perfect Daughter of God the Father.

Perhaps this is why Tradition declares St Michael is so anxious to do her bidding? Nevertheless, we know only for sure that the good spirits were asked to serve mankind to hold the office of Angel and see the Beatific Vision however.

So how did the angels react?

Who?

NAMES

In Catholic theology, names and naming are considered important, and have both practical and symbolic significance.

From a practical standpoint, names are used to identify and differentiate individuals. In the Catholic tradition, names are often given at baptism, which is the sacrament of initiation into Christ and the Christian faith. Baptismal names are usually chosen to honour or invoke a saint or to reflect a particular virtue or quality that the parents hope the child will embody.

In addition to their practical function, names also have symbolic significance. In the Bible, God is often referred to by different names, each of which conveys a different aspect of God’s nature or character.

Names can also be used to signify a change in identity or a new beginning. For example, when Simon was renamed Peter by Jesus, it signified his new identity as the rock on which Jesus would build his Catholic Church (Matthew 16:18).

To name another as Adam & Jesus did³⁶, or to declare a name thereby knowing the other’s nature, was symbolic of authority over the other. In exorcisms too, it is common for the exorcist to acquire the name of the afflicting demon to exert Christ’s authority over it³⁷.

The Devil

Before the Devil made his decision on whether he would obey and serve God by obeying and serving mankind, he was described as the highest and most powerful of God’s creatures. He was therefore thought to be of the highest sphere of the angelic choirs – a fiery Seraphim³⁸. The Seraphim were associated with Stars³⁹ and derives from the Hebrew word “Seraph” – “to burn”, such that “Seraph-im” is “one who burns” with love for God. It is Divinely ironic that we know him now as diametrically opposed to that nature and is instead one who burns with hatred for God, and is destined to burn for ever in Hell.

When he began though, as the highest of the Spirits after God, the tradition is that his name was Lucifer which means “Light Bearer”. It is again Divinely ironic that the most effective bearer of light is in fact darkness.

Lucifer was therefore the most beautiful and powerful of the angels – an Angel of Light⁴⁰ – and is referred to in Scripture as the ‘Son of the Dawn‘⁴¹, and the ‘Morning Star‘⁴². In Ezekiel, Lucifer, represented by the King of Tyre⁴³ is described as “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty“⁴⁴ present in the Garden of Eden, adorned with luxury⁴⁵, on the holy mountain of God. So precious was he that an anointed Cherubim⁴⁶ was appointed to guard him⁴⁷.

And then, in talking about Tyre and giving authority to the Church in exorcism⁴⁸, Jesus said:

“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning…” – Luke 10:18

Lucifer, this most beautiful, adorned, perfect and highest of the angels made his choice about whether to freely obey and serve God by serving mankind. In an instant like the crack and flash of lightning, Lucifer exercised his free will with full knowledge and full consent. He refused the happiness and fulfilment of his nature and turned down the grace of the Beatific Vision. In so doing, he orientated himself directly opposite to God. He disordered creation and set himself outside it – Lord of his own diabolical kingdom – a god of the world.

Lucifer became opposed to God – he fully emptied himself of light to become full of darkness, emptied himself of love to become full of hatred, emptied himself of order to become confusion, emptied himself of the worship of God to become a cacophony of silence. That Angelic concupiscence – that first sin – was so disordered it caused an ontological change of nature in him. No longer good and inclined to good, he had become evil and inclined to evil – damned – a creature of his own infernal creation – a god to himself. He was now no longer Lucifer, but had changed his nature to become Satan, which means “adversary”.

And Satan screamed…”I will not serve”.

SATAN WILL NOT SERVE

What motivated such malice, such rebellion, such destruction? The answer lies in our observations above of the Inferiority of Mankind to Lucifer, and the Dominion of Adam & Eve over creation. Pride and Envy were the two twins generated by Satan but the first of these twins to be born was Pride.

PRIDE

The Divine command to serve an inferior creature when he was so beautiful and powerful, wounded Lucifer’s great pride that burned within him.

“You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour. I cast you to the earth.” – Ezekiel 28:17

And so began sin and darkness, empty and devoid of life, multiplying only suffering unto annihilation, as Scripture points out:

“The beginning of pride is when one departs from God, and his heart is turned away from his Maker. ¹³For pride is the beginning of sin, and he that hath it shall pour out abomination: and therefore the Lord brought upon them strange calamities, and overthrew them utterly.” – Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 10:12-13

The Church Fathers too attest to this truth:

“Satan is the enemy of God and the father of pride.” – St. Basil the Great⁴⁹
“The devil is the source of all pride and enmity, and his greatest pleasure is to keep souls from humility and love.” – St. Francis de Sales⁵⁰
“The devil’s pride and envy led to his fall, and he seeks to bring us down with him through his temptations.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux⁵¹

Ultimately, as St Thomas explains, Pride is disobedience to one whom obedience is owed: “The sin of pride [is] not to be subject to a superior when subjection is due. Consequently the first sin of the angel can be none other than pride.“⁵²

“Pride is the beginning of sin. And what is pride but the craving for undue exaltation? And this is undue exaltation – when the soul abandons Him to whom it ought to cleave as its end, and becomes a kind of end to itself.” – St Augustine, City of God, Book XIV, Chap. XIII

Not only did Satan want his own good despite the will of God in Pride, but he also envied and wish to deny another of their good – Man⁵³.

ENVY

As spirit and closer to God in nature than material beings, Lucifer viewed himself higher than man as has been said above. And Yet, Almighty God in His Divine Wisdom set mankind, body & soul, at the head of Creation as a sort of apex between the spiritual and earthly.

Lucifer envied mankind in that he willed that mankind not have this honour as explained by St Thomas:

“[T]here followed the evil of envy in the sinning angel, whereby he grieved over man’s good, and also over the Divine excellence, according as against the devil’s will God makes use of man for the Divine glory.” – St Thomas Aquinas⁵⁴

Scripture concurs in the book of Wisdom:

“but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it.” Wisdom 2:24

The Spawn of Pride & Envy

“The devil is the author of all evil, and he seeks to lead us astray through pride, envy, and other vices.” – St. Thomas Aquinas⁵⁵

This unholy marriage of pride and envy spawned all manner of evils. His wounded pride, his lust for how beautiful he used to be, his greed for power, his refusal to serve, his jealousy of man and envy of his dominion, generated in him a violent rage:

¹⁵“You were blameless in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you. ¹⁶In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God” – Ezekiel 28:15-16

And from this violence sprang forth murder in Satan that he were to eventually transmit from Cain to Barabbas:

“You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

And with that warning we too are given a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, the Prince of Peace and Truth, or a murderer and liar:

“But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you” Acts 3:14

This violence of Satan’s sin disfigured and disordered his nature such that he became known by many names, each describing expressions of his concupiscence and fallen angelic spirit.

Satan is not only the accursed adversary, who is deceitful, violent and a murderer, but is also described as:

The Destroyer – Abaddon⁵⁶ – “They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).” Revelation 9:11. “Sheol is naked before God. Abaddon has no covering” Job 26:6 ⁵⁷
Beelzebub – the “Lord of flies” who congregate around filth and disease.⁵⁸
Leviathan – the several headed sea serpent⁵⁹
The Ancient Serpent, the Tempter, spoken of in Genesis and the Garden of Eden – “that ancient serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” Revelation 12:9
Prince of the world – who won dominion from Adam & Eve at the Fall of Man⁶⁰
the Dragon of Revelation⁶¹
The Evil one⁶²
Enemy of Tradition – “But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!” Galatians 1:8
Ravenous Lion – “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour” 1 Peter 5:8

THE DEMONIC REBELLION

Lucifer was not the only angel to fall, but he was the first and greatest. One cannot help but wonder what role Lucifer played in the fall of the other angels to become demons.

Perhaps Lucifer communicated deceit to the others to incite their pride or rebellion, as he did with Woman – after all he is “the father of lies and a liar from the beginning.” This knowledge has not been revealed to us as yet, but we do know that because of Satan many angels followed him to disorder and thus rebellion against God the Creator.

“His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the Woman who was about to bear a child…” Revelation 12:4

LIKE UNTO GOD

Irrevocably committed not to serve mankind and in so doing, not to obey & serve God, Satan became his own god of his own creation and kingdom opposed to God’s Kingdom. In envy he wanted to strip dominion from mankind and take it for his own. So Satan deceived the Woman to disobey God promising that if she ate the fruit they would “be like God“⁶³. This is known as the Fall of Mankind.

Satan wanted to be served instead by all creation – demonic spirit, mankind and the material realm. He wants to be the one to be served. He wants creation directing its worship to him. He wants to be worshipped like God.

¹²“How you have fallen from heaven,
    morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!
¹³You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.^[b]
¹⁴I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.” Isaiah 14:12-15

Infatuated with the pride of his splendour, Lucifer demands to be worshipped:

“And the devil said to [Jesus], ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’” (Luke 4:6-7)

Who Is Like God? – St Michael

When Satan set himself up to be worshipped like God, Divine Justice demanded that Satan be cast out of heaven to the earth. This was accomplished by the power of God granted to His good angels who rallied behind the war-cry “Who is like God?!” of their leader.

In Hebrew, this war-cry “Who is like God” is Micha-el, and so the angel who lead the expulsion of Satan and his demons from heaven is called St Michael. The answer? There is none like unto God Who alone is worthy of all praise, worship, glory and honour.

There is not consensus on which choir of angels Michael was from. St Basil and other Greek fathers together with St Robert Bellarmine posited he was the prince of the angels and termed him “Archangel”. St Bonaventure however thought he was a prince of the Seraphim, whereas St Thomas Aquinas suggests that he was a prince of the lowest choir of Angels. Still others associate him with the Cherubim who guards Eden, the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the New Covenant, and the Cherubim who thrust Satan from the Holy Mountain into the Pit.

Regardless of his rank, Michael is the highest general who expelled Satan from the heavenly paradise, just as Man & Woman were expelled from the earthly paradise.

“Fierce war broke out in heaven, where Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought on their part, but could not win the day, or stand their ground in heaven any longer; the great dragon, serpent of the primal age, was flung down to earth; he whom we call the devil, or Satan, the whole world’s seducer, flung down to earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:7-9

AFTER THE FALL OF ANGELS

As discussed above, spirits act with full knowledge and full consent. Thus when Lucifer and the other spirits freely chose not to serve mankind and thus not to serve God, they made that decision with full knowledge and full commitment. They chose to disorder themselves and be damned.

Eternal Damage to their Nature

Not only did the free choice of the demons cause the loss of the office of angel which is based in service, but the gravity was so great that it tore the very fabric of their essence and nature, even to the fabric of creation itself like the veil of the Temple⁶⁴.

Rather than acting with an inclination to good, they were so damaged by their freely chosen action that their angelic concupiscence made them diametrically opposed to goodness and orientated only to evil.

This choice was irrevocable. It was instantaneous and it is eternal.

“It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the demons’ sin unforgivable. “There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death.”⁶⁵” – CCC393

There is no “conversion” or re-orientation for demons. They have turned away from the Light to darkness forever. Jesus has told us what awaits them for all eternity:

“Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41

The good spirits who were obedient however are Angels enjoying the Beatific Vision. Attentive, good and faithful servants of the Most High ministering to the new mankind born of the Second Man⁶⁶ (Jesus) and the Second Woman⁶⁷ (Mary).

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
²As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a handmaid to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
until he has mercy upon us.” – Psalm 123:1-2

Satan’s Curse

When St Michael thrust Satan and his demons out of Heaven to earth, it was a spirit being cast low, among matter devoid of life – inanimate and base. Satan was banished far from God, ejected to the furthest reaches of the Temple of Creation, far from the loving warmth of God.

It is for this reason that Dante considers the innermost part of Hell, not full of burning fire, but full of burning ice – stagnant and cold⁶⁸.

Satan’s curse is stated clearly in Genesis and is interwoven with the curse of Woman – a foreshadowing of the victory Mary, the Second Woman, would have over him:

“The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the Woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15

Satan was as close to the dirt as possible, hence why metaphorically he was considered as lord of an Underworld in the depths of the earth:

“Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your harps; maggots are the bed beneath you, and worms are your covering.” – Isaiah 14:11⁶⁹

The Role of Demons After The Fall

As discussed above, after their fall, demons are fully committed to their evil ways of opposing God seeking to be worshipped in His stead, and depriving mankind of their crown of salvation.

After Satan won their dominion over the world in the Fall of Mankind in the Garden, the devil and his demons usurped the throne and became like rulers in this world.

They spread darkness and deceit. They hid God and performed supernatural wonders to mask reality and gain worship for themselves. People’s who dabbled in magic and the occult were actually conversing with the demons, becoming ensnared in their net to be dragged down to Hell for eternity. The worship of Pagan gods and idols is actually false worship of these demonic spirits in violation of the First Commandment “Thou shalt have no gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3).

“They sacrificed to demons and not to God” Deuteronomy 32:17⁷⁰

These occultist and satanic practices were rife on both a national and personal level.

PAGANISM, Idolatry & THE OCCULT

National

In all instances of sin there is disorder. An act contrary to the natural or supernatural order God created. The ultimate disorder is to put the creature above the Creator. “The wages of sin is death“⁷¹ as it is contrary to and devoid of Life.

There are different types of creature.

Inanimate material.
Vegetation
Animals.
Mankind.
Spirits

After the falls of angels and mankind, the demons sought to take advantage of the limited knowledge and powers of mankind, and subvert them to rebellion against God and steal their salvation.

Demons used their intellects to manipulate mankind to worship creatures rather than the Creator. All forms of this are idolatry and contrary to the first commandment and the right ordering of creation.

Idolatry

In the deceit to place inanimate matter as worthy of worship and divine, there have been many instances such as the god of the sea, the god of rivers, the gods of celestial bodies (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, etc), the golden calf, etc. This polytheistic paganism is everywhere in human history before Christ. God laments of his children’s folly to rebel so:

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” Psalms 136:15-18

There were others who were seduced into worshipping living creatures too as divine such as vegetation or animals, whether it be the Norse tree deities, the animism of Native American Indians or Hindus, or the wider pachamama “mother earth” systems of the Amazonians, Aborigines or Celtic Druids.

Unabashed, paganism also extended to the evil of worshipping human beings as divine such as the leaders of the Romans, Egyptians, Japanese, Incas and Chinese, or the ancestor worship of some African peoples.

Emboldened, when mankind tried to communicate with demons in the guise of natural powers, they even revealed their names⁷² such as Baal & Moloch (worshipped in Canaan), Baal-Zebub (worshipped by the Philistines and who the Jews termed Beelzebub), the goat-demon⁷³ Baphomet (symbol of the Freemasons), and even Avarice personified by Mammon.

But to help people understand the seriousness of their actions to worship inanimate matter above the Creator Who made, loves and sustains them, God gives strong warnings:

“Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:4).
“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 26:1).
“Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6).
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:3-5).
“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:25).
“Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14)

Communication and the Form of Worship

These civilisations would attempt to communicate to their deity through a variety of methods including:

Alcohol e.g. Greek
Drugs e.g. Norse, Shamen & Native Indians
Altered states of mind known as ecstatic trance induced by things like breathing, meditation, dance, rhythmic drumming, chanting, yoga etc eg Greek, Shamenism, Buddhism, Hinduism etc
Divination such as astrology, tarot cards, runes, looking at the entrails of slaughtered animals (e.g. the Romans, Greeks, etc)

More than just recognition of their power, and communication, the pagan people would also be seduced to worship (usually in return for favours). The act of worship proposed by demons was usually rooted in death in the sacrifice of animals, or often of human children.

Greek demons e.g. King Agamemnon murdering his daughter (Iphigenia) in ritual sacrifice to gain favourable winds in his Trojan war; or in Sparta where prisoners were offered to Apollo
Phoenician peoples performed human sacrifice to worship their demons such as the son of the King of Tyre as recorded by the Greek historian Philo of Byblos
Canaanites who worshipped the demon Baal Hadad offered human sacrifice
Canaanites who worshipped the demon Moloch would also offer human sacrifice of children by being burned alive
Philistines who worshipped the demon Baal Zebub (Beelzebub) offered human sacrifice
Egyptians conducted human sacrifice for people to accompany high-ranking Egyptians in the next life
Aztecs conducted regular human sacrifices of with tens of thousands per year being slaughtered to “sustain” the demon with the human blood
Incans conducted human sacrifice of children who they viewed as innocent and so purer oblations
Celtic and Gaul Druids⁷⁴ practiced divination, magic and human sacrifice probably by burning alive
Carthaginians used to sacrifice their children, often newborn babies, by placing them on a bronze statue of Cronus which would roll the babies into pits of fire in worship of demon Baal Hammon⁷⁵
Norse religion offered human sacrifice in the form of the “blood eagle” to ensure victory in battle or times of crisis
Thugian Hindus who worshipped kali the demon “goddess” of death offered human sacrifice
Chinese religion offered human sacrifice of prisoners of war to appease the demons and ensure good harvests

“They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons;” Psalm 106:37

Although since the Catholic Church has spread throughout the world to evangelise cultures, and child sacrifice today feels like something from the distant past, one would do well to remember that each year around 73 Million⁷⁶ unborn vulnerable babies are slaughtered globally so that the mother isn’t subject to that creation. Over a decade that’s almost three quarters of a Billion people denied baptism and a life. The horror is further compounded when one considers that to be involved in an abortion is a mortal sin but that also carries with it the sentence of automatic excommunication of the people involved. The wages of sin truly are death.

Furthermore, despite the Catholic Church’s triumph over these pagan religions and cultures over time denouncing them as evil, some fools are reawakening paganism or still dabbling in occultist or pagan practices such as magic spells (eg Wiccans), tarot cards, astrology, drugs, types of breathing etc. These are all gateways to the demonic spirits who seek to coerce one to turn from salvation to eternal damnation with them in Hell.

Personal

In addition to the geographical dominion of demons over nations and peoples as usurpers to the good angels assigned to those jurisdictions – almost like anti-popes – so too can demons seek to gain dominion of individual human beings through either a weakening of their bodily defences, or the weakening of their spiritual defences.

“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.” Ephesians 6:12

The everyday battle with the temptation from the devil and his demons and how to defeat him, is covered in the Spiritual Warfare section. There are occasions however when the attacks of demons are more pronounced whether with apparitions of demons, the movement of objects, violence, agitation and even demonic possession.

DEMONIC INFLUENCE & POSSESSION

Humans too are called to serve God by serving Christ⁷⁷ in serving our neighbour. We cannot “serve two masters“⁷⁸ so that if we serve only ourselves or worse, serve demons, then we are opposed to God and we have subjected ourselves to the other to have power over us whether that is alcohol, drugs, money, power, sex or any type of vice. This is spiritual warfare, to put things in their rightful order, our bodies/flesh serving our reason, our reason serving the spiritual health of our soul, our soul serving God. The techniques and training needed to diminish vice and grow virtue can be found in the Spiritual Warfare section.

Demons seek to get us to relinquish authority and dominion to them and so control of ourselves, either incrementally or fully, through different gateways – bodily weakness, spiritual weakness or deals.

Bodily Gateways to Demons

As observed in the national worship and communication with demons, we commune with demons and grant them degrees of control over us as a type of master through practices that affect the body such as:

Alcohol abuse
Drug abuse
Altered mental states from breathing techniques, chant, drums, rhythm, dance, certain mediation techniques and more.

Spiritual Gateways to Demons

Repeated submission to sin, especially grave sin or mortal sin, and the refusal of grace (such as sacramental grace) greatly weakens the human soul such that it no longer serves God. Repeated theft, killing, sex outside marriage, masturbation, pornography are all examples of vice that can be a gateway to demonic forces. They are all forms of disorder that refuse the service of our Creator. We empty ourselves of His light to instead become darker and darker.

‘DEAL’ Gateways to Demons

Demons can also gain control of humans if the person directly relinquishes dominion in return for some power or knowledge from the Demon. So called pacts or deals with the devil. But these deals can come in different forms such as knowledge of the future in tarot cards or ougi boards, or knowledge of the spiritual realm with mediums & spiritualists, or supernatural powers (like great strength⁷⁹ or speed) in return for demonic dominion.

At it’s most serious there can be a ritualistic nature to the deals such as sin performed in a type of Satanic liturgy as with Satanic cults or the use of cursed objects.

All of the above are extremely dangerous and difficult to escape the snares of the devil without the Light and Authority of Christ and His Church.

Exorcism

Christ obviously has the power to defeat demons as we read throughout Scripture:

“That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick” Matthew 8:16

But Christ also gave this authority to His Church, primarily the bishops, as we read:

“And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, ¹⁵and to have authority to cast out demons.” Mark 3:14-15

It is for this reason that in every Catholic diocese in the world, the Bishop is the Exorcist of the diocese, although he has the authority to delegate this power to a designated priest.

Bishops As Angels

It is interesting to note that the roles and functions of the Bishop mirror those of angels after the fall.

Just as angels are sent to worship and serve in different roles so too the Apostolos (apostles and thus bishops) were sent to serve and worship with the Divine Liturgy.
These Bishops should be those that burn with love of God (seraphim),
Who are closest to Him and bless us (cherubim),
Who sit with authority on the cathedral throne,
Who have dominion over their diocese,
Who are full of virtue,
With the power to cast out demons as exorcist,
To rule over the clergy & people of God in that diocese/principality with authority,
To proclaim the message of good news of the Gospel as messengers (angels & archangels) and
Who guard their flock from the ravenous wolf and prowling lion (angels).

It is in this manner therefore that bishops, and even men, performing the roles of angels have been called “Angels”⁸⁰.

Let us look in more detail of the role of angels after the fall and how they fulfil the command of God to serve Him by serving the righteous mankind.

Catholic thinkers and theologians often describe angels as having specific functions or roles in God’s divine plan. For example, the Seraphim⁸¹ are associated with divine love and adoration, the Cherubim⁸² with wisdom and knowledge, and the Thrones⁸³ with justice. The Dominions⁸⁴ are believed to have authority over the lower choirs of angels, while the Virtues⁸⁵ bestow strength and grace upon humanity. The Powers⁸⁶ protect against evil, and the Principalities⁸⁷ govern earthly realms. The Archangels⁸⁸ are considered powerful messengers with specific roles, and the Angels are seen as messengers and servants of God on Earth.

The Roles Of Angels After The Fall

As St Paul states in Hebrews 1:14, angels serve. Who do Angels Serve? They serve Christ.

Christ is the centre of the angelic world. They are his angels: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him… ”

They belong to him because they were created through and for him: “for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.”

They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan… – CCC 331

But blessing on blessing, the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, where the Head is, so too the body – “You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

This is why St Paul goes on to rhetorically explain “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)

“The angels surround Christ their Lord. They serve him especially in the accomplishment of his saving mission to men.” – CCC 351

And just as the Body has many parts and functions⁸⁹, so too the Angels serve in different ways:

Angels as Ministers / SERVANTS:

1 Kings 19:5-7: Angel feeding and ministering to Elijah
1 Kings 3:5-15: Angel appears to Solomon in a dream and says “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.“
Hebrews 1:14: Angels are described as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.”
Matthew 4:11, Mark:1-13: Angels minister to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness.
Luke 22:43: An angel appears to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, strengthening Him before His arrest.

Angels as Messengers:

Genesis 16:7-14: An angel appears to Hagar to comfort her and promise her descendants.
Genesis 18:1-14: Three angels visit Abraham and announce the birth of Isaac despite Sarah’s age and that she was barren.
Genesis 19:1-22: Two angels visit Lot in Sodom to warn him of its destruction.
Genesis 28:10-17: Angel appears to Jacob in a dream with a message of his descendants. This is the vision of Jacob’s ladder where he sees angels ascending and descending. Jacob’s ladder is a type/precursor of The Cross and so Jacob is correct in Genesis 28:17 when he says “…this is the gate of heaven“.
Exodus 3:2-4; Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19: The angel of the Lord in the burning bush at the giving of the 10 commandments although some ancient commentaries have suggested that this may be Jesus as the one sent (angel) by the Father
Exodus 23:21-22: Moses instructed to listen to the message of the angel to be sent to him
Numbers 22:22-35: Angel appearing to Balaam to instruct him and correct him
Judges 2:1-4: Angel’s message of rebuke at Bokim
Judges 6:11-24: Angel appearing to Gideon telling him how to deal with the Midianites and supporting him
Judges 13:2-21: Angel appearing to the parents of Samson to tell them of Samson’s birth despite Manoah’s barren state.
Daniel 8:13-19: Angel Gabriel explaining the vision about the liturgy to Daniel
Daniel 9:21-23; 10:5-13: The angel Gabriel appears to Daniel to give him understanding and insight. The angel St Michael may also have been mentioned as a helper in Daniel 10:5-13
Zechariah 1:9-17: Angel gives a vision and message to Zechariah and intercedes for him
Job 33:23: “there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand,
sent to tell them how to be upright,“
Luke 1:11-20: The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:26-38: The angel Gabriel appears to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:8-14: Angels appear to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
Matthew 1:20-24: Angel told Joseph about the Divine origin of Mary’s child
Matthew 2:13: Angel told Joseph to flee with Mary & Jesus to Egypt to escape the persecution of Herod
Matthew 2:19-23: Angel told Joseph that Herod was dead and to take Mary & Joseph to Israel, just as Moses had left Egypt for Israel leading the Chosen people.
Matthew 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:10-14: Angels appear at Jesus’ tomb to announce His Resurrection to the women.
Acts 1:10-11: Angels give message of Jesus’ second coming at the event of the Ascension
Revelation 14:6-7: Angel warns mankind with a message of what they must do

Angels as Guides:

Exodus 23:20-23: God promises to send an angel to guide the Israelites through the wilderness and bring them into the promised land.
Luke 16:22: “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.“
Acts 8:26-40: An angel directs Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch who needs guidance in understanding Scripture, and which leads to his conversion
Acts 10:1-8: An angel appears to Cornelius, a Gentile, and directs him to send for Peter to hear the Gospel.

Angels as Worshipers:

Exodus 25:18-22; Isaiah 6:1-3: Seraphim, a type of angel, worship God in the vision of Isaiah crying out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Deuteronomy 32:43; Hebrews 1:6: “Let all God’s angels worship him“.
Luke 2:13-14: A multitude of angels praises God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Revelation 4:6-11: Four living creatures around God’s throne worship Him day and night, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power.”
Revelation 5:11-14: The host of angels circling the Lamb of God chanting his praise
Revelation 7:11-12: “All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,…“
Revelation 8:3-4; Tobit 12:12-15: Angels offer incense and prayers and worship to God

Angels as Intercessors:

Zechariah 1:12-13: An angel intercedes for the people of Israel, asking God for mercy and compassion.
Isaiah 6:7: An angel touches a hot coal to Isaiah to remove the guilt of sin – this a precursor to Purgatory
Tobit 12:12-15: The angel Raphael reveals to Tobit and Tobiah that he intercedes on their behalf before God, presenting their prayers and deeds as an offering of worship.

Angels as Guardians & Protectors:

Genesis 3:24: A Cherubim guards the East side of the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword. Some Church Fathers name this angel as St Michael.
Genesis 19:1-16: Angels rescue Lot and his family from Sodom before its destruction.
Exodus 25:20-22: Two Cherubim envelop the Ark of the Covenant, the precursor/type of Mary.
Exodus 23:20: An angel is sent to guard Moses and the Israelites as they journey through the wilderness
Judith 13:20: “As the Lord liveth, His angel hath been my keeper“
Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those that fear him, and he delivers them“
Psalm 91:11-12: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
Daniel 6:22: An angel protects Daniel from the lions in the den. The lions also symbolise the Devil and demons prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Acts 12:7-11: An angel frees Peter from prison and guides him to safety.
2 Kings 6:17: Elisha prays for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and he sees the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire, representing angels protecting them.
Acts 27:23-24: An angel appears to Paul during a storm at sea, assuring him that all will be safe.

Angels as Warriors:

Exodus 23:21-22: Angel sent ahead of Moses to wipe out his enemies
Psalm 35:5-6: An angel drives out and pursues the wicked
Revelation 12:7-9: St Michael and his angels fight against the dragon (symbolizing Satan) and his demons in a heavenly battle and thrust them out of heaven
2 Kings 19:35: An angel of the Lord destroys 185,000 of the Assyrian army besieging Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 32:21: An angel of the Lord destroys the Assyrian army besieging Jerusalem, resulting in their defeat.
Acts 12:23: An angel of the Lord strikes Herod down for his arrogance and he dies.

Angels as Executors of Judgment:

Genesis 19:24: Angels execute God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the cities with fire and brimstone.
2 Samuel 24:15-17: An angel of the Lord strikes down 70,000 people in Israel as a result of David’s sin.
1 Chronicles 21:15-16: “And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem…” – this may have been St Michael and resonates with the vision of Pope St Gregory and Castel Sant-Angelo
Acts 12:23: “And immediately an angel of the Lord struck [Herod] because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died“
Revelation 8:6-9:21: Angels blowing each trumpet then wreak the devastation on earth justly ordered by God
Revelation 9:11: The angel of the Abyss, Abaddon (Hb) / Apollyon (Gk) – the Destroyer.
Revelation 12:7-9: St Michael and his angels expel Satan and his demons from heaven
Revelation 14:14-20: Angels are depicted as harvesting the earth and executing God’s judgment upon the wicked.
Revelation 20:1-3: Angels bind Satan and his demons and cast him into the Abyss.

Angels as Heavenly Beings:

Ezekiel 1:4-28: The prophet Ezekiel sees a vision of four living creatures with the appearance of angels, representing God’s glory and power.
Revelation 4:6-8: Four living creatures around God’s throne are described with angelic characteristics, including wings and eyes.
Isaiah 6:2-3: Seraphim are depicted as angelic beings with six wings, praising God’s holiness.

What About the Nephilim?

Nephilim is a Hebrew word that has been translated in various ways as “giants”, “those who fall [on their enemies]” and “fallen ones”. This word is found in 3 places in Holy Scripture namely:

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown” – Genesis 6:4

“So they brought to the Israelites an unfavourable report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size. ³³There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” – Numbers 13:32-33

“And they do not lie with the fallen warriors [Nephilim] of long ago who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose shields are upon their bones; for the terror of the warriors was in the land of the living.” – Ezekiel 32:27.

The controversy stems from Genesis 6:4 as to whether these Nephilim – great fallen warriors – were sons of God in that they were fallen angels. The conjecture is therefore that fallen angels were lustful after women and had intercourse with them to give birth to offspring of great renown.

This question has been settled for c. 2000 years, first by the Jews, and then by the Church Fathers – such as St Clement but especially St Augustine, and then again later in medieval times with the great St Thomas Aquinas. The issue has re-emerged in modern times however because certain protestant sects, in their unbalanced reliance of Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura), jettison the knowledge acquired via Tradition from our forefathers.

Q. Were the Nephilim Fallen Angels?

A. No.

Jewish, Orthodox and Catholic experts are agreed that the Nephilim “sons of God” refer to the male descendants of the line of Seth, and the “daughters of men” refer to the female descendants of the line of Cain. The Nephilim therefore are humans and not angels. This is obviously also coherent with the philosophy and theology of angels/demons as spiritual beings. A full treatise entitled Who Are the Nephilim? can be read for those who want more information.

The whole concept of the line of Seth is caught up with the Covenants between mankind and God since the Fall of Mankind and the beginning of Salvation History.

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Journey to the Fall of Man

The First Covenant