The Bible has a lot to say about spiritual beings, both good and evil. According to Scripture, God created spiritual beings known as angels to serve and worship Him. However, some of these angelic beings rebelled against God under the leadership of Satan and became evil spirits or demons. The Bible also teaches about the reality of Satan and his forces of darkness which seek to oppose God’s purposes. In this article, we will explore what the Bible teaches about the different kinds of spiritual beings, their origins, nature and activities.
Angels
Angels are spirit beings created by God to serve Him and carry out His will. The Bible indicates that angels were created at some point, likely before the creation of the physical universe (Job 38:4-7). Angels are not meant to be worshipped but are fellow servants with believers (Revelation 22:8-9). They appear in both the Old and New Testaments frequently as messengers from God and agents through whom He accomplishes His purposes. Some key things the Bible reveals about angels:
- Angels are personal spirit beings with emotions, intelligence and wills (Luke 2:13-14, 1 Peter 1:12).
- They have high intelligence but limited knowledge – they long to look into the gospel (1 Peter 1:12, Ephesians 3:10).
- Angels are immortal and do not die or have biological processes like humans (Luke 20:34-36).
- They have high power but are limited in presence and ability (Daniel 10:13, 2 Kings 6:15-17).
- They manifest in human-like form at times (Genesis 18:1-2, Luke 24:4).
- They live in God’s presence and worship Him continually (Matthew 18:10, Revelation 5:11-12).
- They are organized and ranked, with archangels like Michael being chief princes over angels (Daniel 10:13, Jude 1:9).
- Their number is vast, likely tens of millions at least (Luke 2:13-15, Hebrews 12:22)
Angels exist primarily to serve and bring glory to God. Major roles angels play in Scripture include:
- Messengers from God delivering His word (Luke 1:11-20, Acts 7:53)
- Agents of God’s providence watching over believers (Psalm 91:11-12, Acts 12:1-19)
- Warriors in spiritual warfare against evil (Daniel 10:12-14, Revelation 12:7-9)
- Assistants to human prayer (Revelation 8:3-5, Luke 22:43)
- Worshippers of God singing His praises (Isaiah 6:1-3, Revelation 5:11-12)
- Guardians of children who trust God (Matthew 18:10, Acts 12:15)
The Bible portrays angels as highly active in human affairs, especially in redemptive history. Yet we only catch glimpses of their hidden work behind the scenes. Angels are amazing examples for us of faithful, loving service to God. As His servants, they provide a model for believers’ obedience, worship and ministry.
Fallen Angels/Demons
During angelic history before the creation of mankind, a rebellion broke out in heaven led by Satan, who was likely one of the chief angelic beings (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-19). Satan (also called the Devil) convinced a third of the angels to join him in rebelling against God and attempting to exalt themselves above Him and set up Satan’s throne above God (Revelation 12:3-9). As a result, God cast them out of His presence and they became known as fallen angels or demons. Key things the Bible reveals about demons:
- Demons are evil spirits or unclean/evil angels under Satan’s command (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 12:7)
- They propagate false doctrine and try to deceive people (1 Timothy 4:1-3, Revelation 16:13-14)
- They recognize Christ’s deity and react in fear of His authority (Mark 1:23-27, Luke 4:40-41)
- They afflict people through possession, oppression and physical infirmities (Mark 9:17-29, Luke 13:10-17)
- They are filled with rage, violence, immorality and hatred of humans (Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39)
- They have hierarchy and organization under Satan’s authority (Matthew 12:24, Ephesians 6:12)
- They know their future judgment in hell and shudder (Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6)
Demons seek to thwart God’s plans and purposes and lead people into rebellion and judgment. They promote idolatry and false religions, tyranny and corruption, immorality, violence and chaos throughout history. Yet they remain bound by God’s sovereign control (Job 1-2, Mark 5:1-13). Jesus Christ defeated Satan and his forces through His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14-15). Believers have authority in Christ to resist and overcome demonic influences in their lives (James 4:7, 1 John 4:4).
Satan
Satan is portrayed in Scripture as the chief leader and organizer of the demonic forces. He is referred to by many names including:
- Satan – meaning “adversary” (Mark 1:13, Luke 10:18)
- Devil – meaning “slanderer, accuser” (Revelation 12:9-12, 20:2)
- Serpent – alluding to Eden (Genesis 3:1-4, 2 Corinthians 11:3)
- Dragon – symbolic imagery (Revelation 12:3,7)
- Ruler of this world (John 12:31, 14:30)
- God of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- Prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)
- Beelzebul – prince of demons (Luke 11:15)
The Bible reveals important truths about Satan’s character and activities:
- He is a created angelic being who rebelled and fell from his position (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-19)
- He is the originator of sin, temptation and evil in the universe (Genesis 3, John 8:44, Revelation 12:9)
- He deceives and blinds unbelievers from truth and Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4, Revelation 12:9)
- He prowls like a roaring lion seeking victims (1 Peter 5:8-9)
- He can disguise himself as an angel of light (false religions) (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
- He has power to perform counterfeit signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)
- He afflicts people with suffering and captivity to sin (Luke 13:10-17, Acts 10:38)
- He tempts believers and accuses them before God (1 Thessalonians 3:5, Revelation 12:10)
- He infiltrates and corrupts churches with false doctrine and sin (Revelation 2:9-10,13)
Satan seeks to oppose and counterfeit the works of God. But believers can resist him steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9, James 4:7). Scripture assures us that Jesus destroyed the works of the devil through His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 John 3:8). In the end, Satan will be bound and cast into the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10).
The Sovereign Rule of God
Amidst the spiritual forces of good and evil, the Bible continually upholds the complete sovereignty of God. All angels, demons and Satan himself remain subject to God’s rule and authority. Nothing can ultimately thwart His purposes and plans. Key verses revealing God’s sovereignty include:
- “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)
- “He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?'” (Daniel 4:35)
- “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” (Psalm 115:3)
- “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
God may allow Satan and demons limited power for His own sovereign purposes. But they remain completely under His authority and control. One day, God will renew all of creation and banish all evil, suffering and death forever (Revelation 21-22). As believers, we can take great comfort that God is seated on the throne over all spiritual forces at work in the universe. He works all things together for good for those who love Him and serve His purposes (Romans 8:28).
Our Response as Believers
What should be the response of Christian believers to the spiritual realm around us? The Bible commands us:
- Submit to God, resist the devil (James 4:7)
- Be sober, watchful, vigilant against temptation (1 Peter 5:8)
- Test the spirits to discern truth from deception (1 John 4:1-3)
- Reject ideas and influences contrary to Scripture (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
- Walk in light, truth and wisdom, not foolishness (Ephesians 5:6-17)
- Put on the full armor of God for protection (Ephesians 6:10-18)
- Pray against evil influences affecting our lives, families, churches, communities (Matthew 6:13, Mark 9:29)
As His redeemed people, God calls us to understand the spiritual forces at work around us and respond appropriately in faith. Jesus gave His followers authority to overcome demonic powers (Luke 10:19). The Holy Spirit empowers us to walk in spiritual power and victory (Romans 8:9-11). Through submission to Christ, we can resist the devil’s schemes. God enables His Church to stand strong against the forces of darkness threatening His people. He will lead us to ultimate and final victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!