The Power and Limitations of Angels and Demons

This is the sixth in a brief series of posts on angels.

Who are demons? Where did they come from? What are they like? And what do they do? Scripture clearly affirms the reality of demons. In the New Testament alone, all of the writers except for the writer of Hebrews mention demons — for a total of more than 100 references. Jesus often casts out demons and authorizes His disciples to do the same. Never does the Lord correct anyone for his or her belief in demons.

References to demons are far less frequent in the Old Testament. The shedhim of Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37 are lord-idols whom the Hebrews regard as visible symbols of demons. The seirim of Lev. 17:7; 2 Chron. 11:15; Isa. 13:21 and 34:14 also are demonic conceptions, according to Charles Ryrie in Basic Theology.

Demons in Scripture exercise great power and knowledge; they clearly recognize Jesus as God and fear Him; they work actively against Jesus; and they promote false teachings known as “doctrines of demons.” 

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Satan: The Evil One

This is the fifth in a brief series of posts on angels.

There is ample evidence in Scripture that a supernatural creature called Satan actually exists. He is a created being, not merely a symbol of evil, a figure of speech, or a mysterious dark force. 

He is an angelic being of superior intelligence and power; a roaming lion with a ravenous appetite for evil; a master of disguise who often appears as an angel of light; a pathological liar who shades his words with half-truths and misquoted Scripture; a once-anointed cherub who reflected the glory of God before becoming the great dragon who may have led as many as one-third of the angelic host to rise up in rebellion against their Creator.

He is a prince over a dark and unseen domain; the god of this present world system; the accuser of believers; the one who blinds unbelievers from a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and binds them as slaves to sin.

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The Angel of the Lord

This is the fourth in a brief series of posts on angels.

There is in Scripture one “angel” who is above all others. He is not created. His name appears more than 40 times in the Old Testament, but never in the New Testament. He is called “the Angel of the Lord,” “the Angel of His Presence,” “the Captain of the Lord’s Hosts,” and “ I AM WHO I AM” — a name reserved only for the one true and living God.

Who is this awesome messenger?

Ancient Israelites believed him to be a special angel, the highest revelation of the unseen God. Similarly, Roman Catholics generally regard the Angel of the Lord as an angelic representative of God. 

Evangelicals, on the other hand, regard Him either as a theophany, a manifestation of God that is tangible to the human senses, or as a Christophany, an appearance of the preincarnate Son of God.

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The Eternal Fire

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In Matthew 24-25, Jesus is on the Mount of Olives with his disciples, responding to their questions about the future destruction of the temple and the end of the age. He closes out the Olivet Discourse with the parable of the sheep and goats, revealing the preparation of a final place of judgment for Satan, evil spirits, and unbelievers. 

A key verse reads: “Then he [the Son of Man] will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!’” (Matt. 25:41).

The central theme of this parable is that Christ separates believers from unbelievers at his return. Jesus also makes it clear that all angelic and human rebels are banished from his presence. This passage deals with human works, not as a condition of salvation, but as evidence of one’s regard for the Son of Man. 

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The Ministry of Holy Angels

This is the third in a brief series of posts on angels.

Most of the work of holy angels is performed in heaven, where angels minister to God with praise and worship (Ps. 148:2; Rev. 5:11-12). At the same time, angels carry out important duties on earth. In Angels Dark and Light, Gary Kinnaman says this earthly ministry falls into at least eight broad categories.

Angels are messengers

Angels deliver good news, such as the birth of Christ (Luke 2:9-14). They bring prophetic messages, such as the unlikely birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25). Angels also bring commendation and condemnation, as in the messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3). “Herald angels” announce spectacular and significant events, like the resurrection of Christ (Matt. 28:5-7) and the resurrection of the just (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Last, angels provide instruction and direction (Matt. 2:13). 

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