Doctrine: Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons

Discussion regarding angels and demons within the Christian community ranges from denial to obsession. The “excluded middle” grows more taboo as culture becomes more “civilized.” All the while, Hollywood exorcisms and guardian angels portrayed in media mythologize actual Biblical characters. Scripture separates angels into two categories: the author of Hebrews who defines angels as “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation,” mentions the first. The Greek word for “angel” in the New Testament is ἄγγελος, which could also be translated as “messenger from God.” The second category contains those messengers/ministers who have rejected service to God. Tradition holds these fallen angels to be the same demons mentioned in the New Testament in passages like Mark 5:1-20. The term most often used to describe these spirits is δαιμόνιον, which means “messenger or minister of evil.”

Concerning the essence of these spirits, St. Thomas Aquinas attributes pure intellect without flesh or physical form as their substance. He discusses the difference between human interaction and angelic communication in his Summa Theologica. A man’s inner thoughts are doubly barricaded off from others: by his own will to keep the thought in rather than make it public (and only God can see through that barricade), and by his body’s opaqueness which requires him to use outwardly perceptible signs…but angels have only the first barricade, and as soon as one of them wants to make known his thoughts, they are made known.[1] According to Aquinas, “an angel guard is appointed for each man as long as he is a wayfarer,” and demons oppose humans as tempters and testers.[2]

Despite his Baptist/Calvinist filter, Wayne Grudem’s perspective on angelic substance is similar to Aquinas’ Catholic outlook. He says “angels are created, spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without physical bodies.”[3] However, Grudem disagrees with the concept of individual assigned guardian angels while acknowledging their general protective role. He interprets passages like Matthew 18:10 as referencing many angels ministering to children in general. As a response to Acts 12:15, he believes that instead of Paul’s individual guardian angel, a specific angel was appointed to him for that specific tumultuous period in Paul’s life. Where Aquinas began discussing the goal of demons, Grudem elaborates on their tactics. He says demons lie, murder, deceive, tempt, scare, confuse, and slander. Still, he emphatically states, because of Biblical encouragement,[4] that Christians shouldn’t bend to demonic tactics.

More than Aquinas and Grudem, Stanley J. Grenz focuses on the angelic and demonic roles in the unfolding drama of salvation. He defines angels and demons by commission over substance. “They are divided into opposing heavenly forces- good angels and evil demons- who engage in cosmic battle.”[5] These forces conflict because God rules over all of his created beings, and when they “fail to fulfill their design, these beings participate in sin.”[6] The entire salvation story culminates in God’s reconciliation of the world to his purposes. For this reason, Jesus Christ assures victory over all dissent to God’s plan. He was victorious over death, the ultimate goal of evil. He inspires Christians to conquer evil like him in this present age by his Spirit, and he will triumph over all demonic forces on the Day of Judgment that is yet to come. In this epic, Grenz places his understanding of angels and demons.

Angels and demons are a reality within Scripture. They are liaisons between the heavenly and the earthly worlds. Good angels bring messages of God’s plan, while evil demons distort and oppose that plan. Because demons rebelled, they are nothing more than created beings running amok (even if they are powerful in comparison to humans) as their creator and his loyal angels lead the world to wholeness.

Having a greater understanding of these majorly important, but flippantly discussed beings leads Christians to an awareness of the supernatural conflict around them. Undue fear of the demonic only feeds their sins of pride while placing the individual vulnerable for deception. Obsession may have the same pride enflaming effect. Balance is necessary when dealing with unseen spirits. God is above everything he has created, and no being deserves more recognition or fear than him. Christians align themselves with the Creator and may call on him to protect them. Jesus encourages his disciples with the correct perspective when he says, “do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”[7]

The works of these theologians compliment each other beautifully. Contemplating these powerful spirits leads to a wonder at their creator. Who is this God that creates such majestic beings? And who are humans to be called into relationship with him?

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[1] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (Sophia Institute Press, 2001), 157.

[2] Aquinas,158.

[3] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1995), 397

[4] 2 Cor. 10:4

[5] Stanley J Grenz, Theology for the Community of God. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000), 221

[6] Grenz, 224

[7] Lk.10:20