The Angels and the Devils
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III continues his talk about the angels and then enters the subject of the demons as fallen angels. He insists that angels, although they are luminous spirits, some of them fell and became evil spirits called demons.
The nature of angels and demons
Angels are luminous ministering and fiery spirits in their nature, and demons are also spirits but they fell and lost their sanctity; nevertheless they are under God’s authority and do not act outside His wisdom. The devil can take the likeness of an angel of light to deceive people.
The limits of the devil’s authority and his work
The devil is a creature under God’s authority and cannot act except with His permission as in the trials of Job and the stories about entering the pigs. He is strong and intelligent and uses his abilities for evil: lying, pride, envy, hardness, stubbornness and deception. The devil will continue to work until the end of times but he is judged to final destruction according to John’s Revelation.
The impossibility of the devil’s repentance
The speaker does not see the possibility of the devil’s repentance or salvation; Scripture describes his end in the lake of fire, and the devil does not want to repent.
The devil’s powers and their effect in the world
The devil is intelligent and exploits his gifts (poetry, art, music, false signs) to mislead humans, and he can work signs and wonders especially in the last age of deception (the Antichrist). He also works to corrupt hearts and to invent false gods and erroneous cults that spread in the world.
Warning and discernment of spirits
Because demons can appear as angels, the Pope warns against being deceived by apparitions and obscure visions, and calls for spiritual discernment and caution against false prophets who are driven by the devil.
Educational spiritual conclusion
The spiritual lesson is to recognize the devil’s power and guile but also to know that he is a creature under God’s authority; therefore the believer is required to stand firm, be vigilant, and discern with prayer and spiritual wisdom so that he is not led astray by the devil’s cunning.
For better translation support, please contact the center.
