BIBLE STUDY FEATURE
by Rene Rache
D e m o n s w e r e h e a v e n l y s p ir it s in the first place, cre ated perfect for the service of God. Then the revolt of Lucifer, the anointed cherub, fascinated and seduced them. They became the angels of whom Jude speaks who “ kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation” (v. 6). Peter also calls them the angels that sinned (II Peter. 2:4). It is difficult to say just when this fall of the angels took place; at any rate, it was between the fall of Satan and the creation of man. The fall of demons shows that the Lord could not trust heavenly spirits. From this come the sad words from the book of Job: “He putteth no trust in his servants [in heaven]; and his angels he chargeth with folly . . . he putteth no trust in his holy ones; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight: how much less one that is abomi nable and corrupt, a man” (Job 4:18; 15:15, 16). Are the Demons Numerous? If there are myriads of faithful angels, the demons are also numerous. A legion of evil spirits took possession of a single man (Mark 5:9). John shows us that Satan and his angels consider themselves powerful enough to fight openly against Michael and his angels (Rev. 12:7). According to this same passage, the tail of the great dragon — a picture of the devil — “ draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” (v. 4). One wonders if that signifies a third of the angels revolting at the instigation of Satan. The Kingdom of Darkness Like the angels, the demons have their hierarchy and their organization. The Bible speaks of Satan and “his angels” (Rev. 12:9; Matt. 25:41) just as it says that Michael, the archangel, commands the heavenly hosts (Jude 9; Rev. 12:7). He is likewise “ prince of the de mons” (Matt. 9:34). Among the rebellious angels there are what Paul calls the “ principalities . . . the powers . . . the world- rulers of this darkness . . . the spiritual hosts of wicked ness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6 :1 2 ). These “ dig nities” are now fallen; but it would be madness on our part to despise them, when the faithful angels themselves do not bring against them any railing judgment (Jude 8; 2 Peter 2 : 1 1 ) . This judgment belongs to God alone. As there is a hierarchy among the fallen angels, there are also degrees in their strength of their wickedness. The spirit chased out of his house took with him seven other spirits more wicked than he, to take possession of it
again. And Jesus spoke of a sort of demon that does not go out except as a result of prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:21). The assemblage of diabolical spirits makes up the kingdom of “ the prince of the power of the air” and of “ the power of darkness” (Eph. 2:2 and Col. 1:13). . . . this “ kingdom of Satan” is not divided against itself; and that is why its strength is so formidable. To conquer it, the Son of God first had to bind up its head “ the strong man,” by the power of the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:24-29) and by His own death on the cross (Heb. 2:14). The Struggle of the Demons Against God Ever since Satan lifted the standard of revolt, his angels have been carrying on, with him, a fight to the finish against the Lord. Daniel reveals to us that fearful powers are striving to impede the action of the faithful angels, even of the most glorious of them. (Read Daniel 10:13, 14, 20, 21). The true conflict, then, takes place primarily on the spiritual plane, in the invisible sphere which Paul calls “the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). What goes on in that higher sphere has repercussions down here, and vice versa. Being no longer able to touch the glorified Lord, the demons furiously attack His body which is the Church. And when the believers carry away a victory, there are consequential effects of it even in the “hea venly places” where the adversary is forced to retreat. The first coming of Christ to the earth was the signal for a general counter-offensive on the part of the forces of hell. The Gospels give the impression that a multitude of evil spirits had gotten together in Palestine to oppose the Saviour’s ministry and to turn men’s attention to themselves. There was indeed much at stake. After hav ing unsuccessfully tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Sa tan, by mobilizing all his allies, tried to set up an ob stacle before Him. This diabolical frenzy went right up to the pages in the book of the Acts (See 5:16; 8:7 and 16:16) and far beyond. Prophecy makes plain that the last days will also see the infernal powers redoubling their efforts: Satan and his angels will fight one last time in jieaven against Michael and his angels; then they will be precipitated together down to earth. (Rev. 12:12; I Tim. 4:1, 2) Through the Antichrist and the false prophet, the power of Satan will perform “ all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:9, 10; Rev. 13:2b; chs. 14 and 15). At the time of her judgment the great Babylon will become “ a habi-
20
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker