A Study On Angels. Demons And Satan

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A Study On Angels. Demons And Satan Series

Contributed by Tom Shepard on Oct 22, 2022 (message contributor)

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Scripture: Genesis 3:1, Psalms 103:19-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Summary: This is an extensive study on Angels. This study can be used as the ground work for several sermons. There is more material here than can be delivered in one sermon.

A Study on Angels

I. Introduction

A. Why Study the Nature and Activities of Angels and Demons?

1. Holy Angels (Unfallen)

a. It builds our hope that God is for us. (Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43; Acts 5:19-20)

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Luke 22:43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

Act 5:19-20 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life."

b. It builds our confidence the God has the victory! (2 Kings 6:15-17; 19:35; Matt. 26:53).

2 Kings 6:15-17 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 19:35 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.

Matthew 26:53 "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

c. It provides a beautiful example of utter obedience and devotion to God. (Ps 103:19-21)

Psalm 103:19-21 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will.

2. Fallen Angels / Demons

a. It gives us an awareness of the dangers associated with the devil. (Eph 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8)

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

b. It gives us a clearer picture of the severity and effects of sin. (Matt 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6; Rev 12:9)

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

Jude 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

Revelation 12:9 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.

B. The Meaning of the Terms 'Angel' and 'Demon'

The word 'angel' refers to created spirit beings, some of whom are holy and some evil. The OT term for angel is mal'ak and the NT term is angelos, both of which refer to one sent with a message, or one acting as a messenger.

The biblical terms for angel are used of human messengers in some instances (1 Sam. 23:27; 1 Kings 19:2; Luke 7:24; 9:52).

1 Samuel 23:27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."

1 Kings 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."

Luke 7:24 When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Luke 9:51 When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; Luke 9:52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.

Often, in the OT particularly, the term is used for The Angel of the LORD (Gen. 16:7-14; Judg. 6:11-14; 2 Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12-13; Matt. 1:20),

Genesis 16:7-14 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority." Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count." The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers." Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Judges 6:11-14 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." Judges Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"

2 Samuel 24:16 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough! Now relax your hand!" And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Zechariah 1:12-13 Then the angel of the LORD said, "O LORD of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant these seventy years?" The LORD answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words.

Matthew 1:20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

But most often the terms are used for these created spiritual beings called angels or messengers (Exod. 23:20; Matt. 4:11; 25:31).

Exodus 23:20 "Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

Matthew 4:11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Matthew 25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

*NOTE: it seems that the context determines whether the terms are translated as messenger or angel.

Also the term 'angel' is sometimes used of evil spiritual beings (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:9), but the more common designation for these evil powers is that of 'demon'.

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

The Hebrew term shed ??? occurs twice in the OT (Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37), reaming to evil spiritual forces who stand in opposition to God yet receive sacrifice as false gods. The attention given to demons greatly increases in the gospels, where the Greek term daimonion appears 60 times, all but 8 of these in the gospels, and daimon 5 times, 3 of these in the gospels.

Deuteronomy 32:17 "They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread.

Psalm 106:37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, Psalm 106:38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood.

C. Their Origin

Because all that God creates and does is wholly good (see Genesis 1:31; James 1:17), it is impossible to account for the existence of demons or evil angels by the immediate and original creation of God. Rather, we must understand angels, in their entire class, as created by God as good.

Psalm 148:1-6 expresses praise to Yahweh for His creation of all things, and among those things specified are "all His angels" and "all His hosts" (v. 2).

Psalm 148:2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Psalm 148:3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Psalm 148:4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens!

Furthermore, Col. 1:16 makes abundantly clear that by Christ all things were created, including things "in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible." (Cf. Rom. 8:38-39 specifying angels as created by God.) Also relevant here is Yahweh's statement to Job (see Job 38:4-7*) which indicates that the angels ("sons of God") were present and shouted for joy at the creation of the heavens and earth. Angels, then, derive their existence from God, and their creation precedes the subsequent creation of the universe.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

*NOTE: In the passage of Job – the verse does not say, “angels”. This is an interpretation. Are the “sons of God” angels? We simply cannot say yes. But it is probable.

Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Job 38:5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? Job 38:6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

The difficult question beyond these matters concerns how some of the good angels God created have become evil. We will look later at the origin and depravity of Satan and the demons, but suffice it here to say that we must understand all fallen angels, in their originally-created form, to have been wholly good, a goodness they forfeited, presumably, because of their rebellion against God.

A couple of passages lead us to think this is the case with the demon world. Jude 6 and particularly 2 Pet. 2:4 both speak of angels who departed from God's purposes and hence received God's judgment and condemnation. The text in 2 Peter is clear that the reason for this judgment was their sin against God. And when you add to this the clear implication from Matt. 25:41 and Rev. 12:9 that demons are the followers of Satan, their leader, it seems clear that these evil spirits, though created wholly good, became evil as they followed their leader's enticement to sin against their Creator.

II. Angels (Unfallen Angels)

A. The Character of Unfallen Angels

Less is said in the Bible about the character of unfallen angels than about their activities, but still some aspects of their character are evident:

1. They are personal beings, with intelligence, emotions and will.

• intelligence —They know and communicate some of God's plans (see Revelation 17:1-18) – but they don’t know everything (see Matthew 24:36).

• emotions — They rejoice when sinners repent (see Luke 15:10). They marvel at the Lamb that was slain and give Him their worship (see Revelation 5:11-12).

• will — It seems that all angels had free will to choose to sin against God. (see 2 Peter 2:4) It seems that unfallen angels have a will to worship God (see Hebrews 1:6; Luke 2:10-14).

2. They are spirit beings – but they can, for specific purposes, take on human form (Heb. 1:14; Gen. 19:1; Heb. 13:2).

Hebrews 1:14 Are they (referring to angels) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Genesis 19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

3. They apparently are not sexual beings, or at least they do not marry and hence, it would seem, do not procreate (Matt. 22:30).

Matthew 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”

4. They cannot die (Luke 20:34-36).

Luke 20:34-36 Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

5. They have great power (2 Thess. 1:6-8; 2 Kings 19:35; Dan. 6:22).

2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

2 Kings 19:35 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.

Daniel 6:22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime."

6. They are holy (Mark 8:38).

Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

7. They are elect by God (1 Tim. 5:21).

1 Timothy 5:21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.

8. They are not to be worshipped (Revelation 22:8-9).

Revelation 22:8-9 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he *said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God."

B. The Functions and Ministry of Unfallen Angels

It may be said generally of the ministry of angels that they are servants of God who surround His presence and carry out His will in various ways on earth (see Hebrews 1:14). But beyond this general description, some specific functions of angels are spoken of throughout the Scriptures.

Hebrews 1:14 Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

1. They worship and offer praise to God (Luke 2:12-14; Revelation 5:11-14).

Luke 2:12-14 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

Revelation 5:11-14 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.

2. They ministered in relation to Jesus' earthly life and ministry (Luke 1:11-20; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-21; Luke 2:8-15; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-20; Matthew 4:10-11; Luke 22:42-43; Matthew 28:2-7).

Luke 1:11-20 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years." The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."

Luke 1:26-38 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Luke "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. "For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Matthew 1:18-21 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Luke 2:8-15 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

Matthew 2:13-15 Now when they (the wise men) had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON."

Matthew 2:19-20 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."

Matthew 4:10-11 Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Luke 22:42-43 saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

Matthew 28:2-7 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."

3. They proclaim God's Word (Acts 27:23-24).

Acts 27:23-24 "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.'

4. They ordain the law (Acts 7:52-53; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2-4).

Acts 7:52-53 "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."

Galatians 3:19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

Hebrews 2:2-4 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

5. They protect and deliver God's people – as God directs (Exodus 23:20-23; 2 Kings 19:35; Daniel 3:28; Daniel 6:22; Psalm 34:7; Acts 5:19; Acts 12:7-9).

Exodus 23:20-23 "Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. "Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. "But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. "For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them.

2 Kings 19:35 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.

Daniel 3:28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

Daniel 6:22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime."

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

Acts 5:19-20 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life."

Acts 12:7-9 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he *said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

6. They bear witness to God's purposes (1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:12).

1 Corinthians 4:9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.

7. They will bear witness to a confession in Christ (Luke 12:8-9).

Luke 12:8-9 "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

8. They play a role in God's judgments (Luke 16:22; Acts 12:23: 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8).

Luke 16:22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

Acts 12:23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him (Herod) because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

9. They come with Christ at His return (Matt. 16:27; Matt 25:31).

Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

Matthew 25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.”

10. They gather the elect when Christ returns (Matt. 24:30-31).

Matthew 24:30-31 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

11. They dispense God's judgment on the wicked at Christ’s return (Matt. 13:39-42; Matt. 13:49-50).

Matthew 13:37-42 And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:49-50 "So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

12. They are used by God to defeat the evil powers (Rev. 12:7-9).

Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. 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.

13. An angel binds Satan during the millennium (Rev. 20:1-3).

Revelation 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

14. Twelve angels are stationed at the twelve gates of the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12).

Revelation 21:12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

C. The Destiny of Unfallen Angels

In light of their continuous biblical role of ascribing praise to God, it stands to reason that they will be among the great heavenly choir singing its praise and worshipping Him forevermore. Beyond this, a few things are known for sure (Ps. 103:19-21).

III. Angels (Fallen Angels)

A. The Origin of Satan and Demons

The Bible does not specifically say where Satan and demons came from, so we cannot be dogmatic on the issue. However:

1. The Fall of Satan

Some believe that Isaiah 14:12-23 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 speak of the fall of Satan. Tertullian (c. 160-215), Origen (c. 185-254) and others have held these scriptures to be a description of the fall of Satan.

Isaiah 14:12-23 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?' "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse. "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities." "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity," declares the LORD. "I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of hosts.

Ezekiel 28:12-19 "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had 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 ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. "All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever."'"

*Arguments against this interpretation:

a. The context of both passages clearly indicates human kings. (see Isa 13:1, 19; 14:4; and Ezek 28:1, 12). And the larger contexts suggest the nations over which they reign as kings.

b. The judgment in both passages comes in the form of death (and Satan did not die in his judgment (see Isa 14:18-20; Ezek 28:18)

c. Ancient Near Eastern documents show it common to speak of kings (i.e., human kings) in a deified manner, since they are seen as possessing the image of the god(s). So, the language of Isa 14 and Ezek 28 is appropriate to kings in the Ancient Near East, and would indicate that even though they are viewed as so exalted, nonetheless, God will bring them to judgment.

2. When did Satan fall from Heaven?

There are various thoughts as to when Satan fell from Heaven:

1. Before Genesis 1:1 (Angelic Fall Predates Creation)

2. Between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 (Gap Theory)

3. Between Genesis chapters 1-2 and chapter 3.

4. After Job 1-2

5. After Zechariah 3:1-2

6. After Jesus' Temptation (Luke 4:2-13)

7. During the mission of the seventy (Luke 10:17-20)

8. Every time there is an Exorcism

9. After Calvary/Resurrection (Colossians 2:15)

10. In the Future (Revelation 12:9)

F. F. Bruce in Answers to Questions, thinks that Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth as the immediate consequence of Jesus' earthly ministry. This same thought is found in Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 465-466.

George E. Ladd in A Theology of the New Testament, thinks that Satan's final fall is in the future (pp. 67, 625).

*I think that there was only one great fall of Satan and that would have happened around the same time as the creation. To me #3 is the best possible answer – although I know from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 12:9) that Satan will no longer have any access to Heaven at some point in the future. Let us remember that this casting down was only to the Earth – there will come a day when Satan will be cast into Hell (Revelation 20:10. All of this being said – I will not be dogmatic in this opinion – I know that some of this is speculation. But, here are some of the reasons I hold to this view:

a. The fall could not take place from Heaven until the creation of Heaven. There was no Biblical evidence of the preexistence of Heaven before its creation – therefore Satan could not fall from a place that does not exist.

b. Satan as well as all of the angels, were created beings and were part of God’s creation (see Psalm 148:1-6). Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth all that would have existed before that was God for He is eternal.

c. Jesus says that he saw Satan fall from Heaven (see Luke 10:18). This appears to be a past event. Some think he is referring to the mission of the seventy where demons were subject to the authority of Jesus’ name (see Luke10:19). I hold that Jesus literally saw Satan fall from Heaven.

d. Is it not possible that even though Satan fell from Heaven – but he was granted access to heaven on occasions? Thus, you would find him there in the story of Job 1-2 and Zechariah 3:1-2. The picture in these scenes seems to be that of a courtroom where Satan is acting as the accuser. It seems to me that Satan’s abode was no longer heaven but he could have been granted access to heaven now and then. (I think he still may have access.)

e. The Bible now pictures Satan’s primary activity is on earth (see 1 Peter 5:8).

3. Satan and the Origin of Evil

We must affirm that in his originally created form, Satan was good – just as Adam and the rest or creation was good. (see Gen 1:31) James 1:17 indicates that every good and perfect gift is from God – so God cannot create anything that is intrinsically evil.

So, how does a good creature become evil? Augustine helps on this with two observations (see City of God, On Free Will, Enchiridion, especially):

1) Created goodness is one of finite, mutable, and corruptible goodness. (God on the other hand is infinite, immutable, and incorruptible goodness).

2) Evil is not a positive quality in itself, but it is the misuse or misdirection of what is good. This must be since God is good and eternal, and God made only what is good, so evil must have come through the use or misuse of what is good – which would make it evil.

*In other words – “Good” does not mean morally pure. Others words that

could have been used instead of “good” are: pleasant, agreeable, appropriate, right, etc. So, when God declared His creation “good” – He was giving His approval to it. In other words – His creation was exactly the way He intended it to be. He created a world that had the ability to be misused and corrupted and yet it was “good”.

How does this relate to Satan?

Since Satan, is a created being – he is finite, mutable, and corruptible. No matter how glorious he may have been – he had his limitations. Yet he did not possess what he wanted. He wanted to be God. He wanted what was not his – and so rebelled against God.

*Nowhere in the Bible do we find any mention of repentance of Satan or his demons. It seems that there is no hope of salvation after their fall. It seems as if once Satan and his demons made their choice – there was no way to turn back.

B. The Character of Fallen Angels

As with unfallen angels, more is said of the activities of demons than of their character. But some aspects are clear:

1. They are personal beings with intelligence, emotion and will.

• intelligence — They knew who Jesus was. (see Mark 1:24, Mari 1:34); They know of their future torment. (see Matthew 8:28-29)

• emotion — Demons' belief in God makes them tremble or shudder. (see James 2:19)

• will — Demons wished to be sent into the herd of swine (see Matthew 8:31)

2. They are angels, and hence, they are spiritual beings — yet their destruction seems set. (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:9)

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”

3. They are spiritual beings and sometimes referred to as evil or unclean spirits — (Luke 8:2; Luke 11:14-26; Luke 8:26-33; Mark 1:23-25)

Luke 8:2 …also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

Luke 11:14-20 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 11:21-22 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

Luke 11:23 "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.”

Luke 11:24-26 “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first."

*Note: Jesus switches from talking about demons to talking about unclean spirits. Are unclean spirits and demons one in the same?

Luke 8:26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me." For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

Mark 1:23-25 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"

4. They are doctrinally corrupt and deceitful — (1 Tim. 4:1-2; Ephesians 6:12)

1 Timothy 4:1-2 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

5. They are cruel and hurtful – (Matthew 12:22; Matthew 17:14-15; Mark 5:1-5)

Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.

Matthew 17:14-15 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.”

Mark 5:1-5 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.

6. They have power exceeding human power — (Mark 5:1-5; Acts 19:14-16)

Acts 19:11-16 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

C. The Activities of Fallen Angels

1. Demons seek to advance Satan's purposes – (Revelation 12:7-9; Revelation 16:13-14)

Revelation 16:13-14 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.

2. They become the objects of idolatry — Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:34-39; 1 Corinthians 10:20; Revelation 9:20-21)

Deuteronomy 32:17 "They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread.”

Psalm 106:37-38 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, 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 demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Revelation 9:20-21 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

3. They promote false teaching — (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 1 John 4:1-4)

1 Timothy 4:1-3 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

4. They oppose Godly faith and behavior — (Ephesians 6:10-16; Revelation 18:2-3)

Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Revelation 18:2-3 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."

5. They can possess and cause physical infirmities in individuals — (Matthew 9:32-33; Matthew 12:22; Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 5:1-5; Luke 13:11)

Matthew 9:32-33 As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."

Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.

Mat 17:14-18 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him." And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

Luke 13:11-12 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness."

*Note on Demon Possession of Believers

Since possession involves the control of a person’s mind, will, and behavior, it seems impossible that a true believer could be demon “possessed.” A believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a child of God, and a citizen of the kingdom of Christ (e.g., Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-6; Colossians 1:13; 1 John 3:7-9). A believer certainly may be oppressed by Satan or a demon; Paul had his thorn in the flesh as a messenger of Satan (2 Corinthians 12:7). But this is far short of the sort of demon possession we saw in Jesus ministry.

D. Characteristics and Activities of Satan

1. Biblical Terms for Satan

a. Old Testmant Name

The Hebrew term satan (adversary; opponent) is used as a noun 27 times in the OT. Ten times the word is used for human adversaries. Seventeen times it is used of the fallen angel – Satan (15 times in book of Job and 2 times in Zechariah). When used of Satan, the article is used with the term satan.

*Note: 1 Chronicles 21:1 has an anarthrous use of satan (i.e., no article included), and so should most likely be translated, as with the other such occurrences, as "an adversary". This helps clear up the apparent conflict between 1 Chronicles 21:1 and 2 Samuel 24:1, the latter of which says, "the anger of the Lord burned against Israel," because it incited David to number the people.

The adversary of 1 Chronicles 21:1 may be understood as the nations over which David wished to be superior. God's anger then, coincides with these enemy nations as what incites David. (See John Sailhamer, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, pp. 52-53.)

b. New Testament Names

Two Greek terms are used in the New Testament when referring to God’s adversary – diabolos (Devil) and satanos (Satan). In the KJV 33 verses use the term “Devil” and 34 verses use the term “Satan”. It is clear that in the New Testament there is a heightened awareness of Satan and his demons. No doubt the coming of Christ elicited an unprecedented display of Satan's activity in an attempt to thwart Christ's mission and the subsequent witness of His Spirit.

c. Other biblical names ascribed to Satan

— accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10)

— Beelzebul ruler of demons (Matthew 12:24)

— our adversary (1 Peter 5:8)

— the father of lies (John 8:44)

— a murderer (John 8:44)

— great red dragon (Revelation 12:3)

— the serpent of old (Revelation 12:9)

— the prince of this world (John 12:31)

— the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)

— the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16)

— the evil one (Matthew 13:19)

— the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4)

2. Satan's Activities

a. He is the ruler of the present evil world system — Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 5:19

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

1John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

b. He is the ruler of the demon world — Matthew 12:24; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:7-9

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”

c. He thwarts the spread of the gospel — Matthew 13:19; Matthew 13:37-39; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Matthew 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.”

Matthew 13:37-39 And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

d. He tempts God's people to sin — Matthew 6:13; Ephesians 4:26-27; Ephesians 6:10-12

Matthew 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (NET)

Ephesians 4:26-27 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

e. He can bring about sickness — Job 2:2-7; Luke 13:10-16

Job 2:2-7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face." So the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Luke 13:10-16 And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

f. He can influence individuals — Luke 22:3; John 13:21-27; Acts 5:3

Luke 22:3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve.

John 13:21-27 When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me." The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter *gestured to him, and *said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking." He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, *said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus then *answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, "What you do, do quickly."

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

g. He is the accuser of God's people — Revelation 12:10

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

h. He is a murderer and liar (deceiver) — Genesis 3:13; 2 Corinthians 11:3; John 8:44

Genesis 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

3. The Defeat of Satan and His Angels

a. The defeat is already secured by the work of Christ — (John 12:31; 1 John 3:7-8)

John 12:27-32 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."

1 John 3:7-8 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

b. The full and final manifestation of this sure defeat is yet future — (Romans 16:20; Rev. 12:7-10)

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Revelation 20:7-10 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

4. The Destiny of Satan and the Fallen Angels

a. They are not offered salvation — (2 Peter 2:4 & 9; Hebrews 2:16; Jude 6)

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; … 2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

Hebrews 2:16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

Jude 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

b. They will be judged by human followers of Christ — (1 Corinthians 6:3)

1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

c. Satan’s abode during the millennium is the abyss – (Revelation 20:1-3) *NOTE: Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss. Are the demons placed there too? We simply do not know – but it stands to reason that they are bound there along with him.

d. Their final destiny is eternal fire (hell) — (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10)

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”

Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

A Study On Angels. Demons And Satan Series

Contributed by Tom Shepard on Oct 22, 2022 (message contributor)

Summary: This is an extensive study on Angels. This study can be used as the ground work for several sermons. There is more material here than can be delivered in one sermon.