Are Demons Fallen Angels?

Angels and demons are probably some of the most misunderstood spirit-beings to Christians as well as unbelievers. Many Christians are taught that when Lucifer rebelled against God (later to become satan) that he took one third of the heavenly host of angels with him in his rebellion against God. How the created could rebel against its creator is unbelievable you would think, but we are surrounded by people in this lost world that are either unaware of God and ignoring the built in desire to know Him or they are blatantly denying him. Revelations 12:4 talks about a third of the angels falling from God and the light. Many assume that these fallen angels are now the unclean spirits or demons we have on the earth.

The problem is that in 2 Peter 2:4, we are told that the fallen angels are imprisoned until the judgment. Imprisoned means that they are not moving around the earth. Demons are NOT fallen angels. Demons are disembodied spirits from the prehistoric earth (read more about the GAP theory here). John Finis Dake in his book, ‘God’s Plan For Man’, summaries it well saying,

“Demons are disembodied spirits and a legion can inhabit one man (Mk. 5). One or many can enter a man and gain control (Mt. 12:43-45). They enter an individual “through sin” (Jn. 5:14); “through failure to resist them” (Eph. 4:27; Jas. 4:7); “through failure to accept God’s protection” (1 Pet. 5:8-9); “through some weakness in the human body or through failure of one to keep God in his life” (1 Sam. 16:14-15) and “through selfishness and yielding to demons” (Prov. 4:14; Lk. 11:24-26).”

Demons are unclean spirits, they are not fallen angels. In Jude 1:6, we see that the angels that rebelled are locked away until judgment day. This is confirmed again in 2 Peter 2:4. So who are these demons that roam they earth looking for whom they may deceive (1 Peter 5:8)? How could it be angels that fell with God if the Bible is so clear that they were locked up until judgment. The conclusion is simple. We don’t know much detail about who lived on the earth before Adam. We know that Lucifer (later satan) was in the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) before Adam and Eve. Who else and what they were we don’t know. Archeologists are discovering bones of various prehistoric man-like creatures that some try to tie to the deception of the theory of evolution (a weak attempt to write God out of history). The fact is, there is no connection.

The Lord Jesus told us that when a demon (or demons) don’t have a human to control or inhabit they go through the “dry” places (Luke 11:24, Matthew 12:43). Angels have never had a physical body. They are spirit beings. Demons try to possess or oppress a human and get them to kill, substance abuse, hurt others, and deceive others from knowing God personally. Although satan is fallen angel, that doesn’t mean the demons roaming the earth under his authority are. Searching the scriptures we see that the Lord Jesus has given us authority over demons. As a believer, we don’t want to spend time talking to demons or asking them questions. They have been roaming the earth for thousands of years and have the goal to deceive and kill us (John 10:10).

If you come across people controlled or influenced by demons you can shut them up and stop their activities by binding them in the Name of Jesus. More importantly, you can command the demons to leave a human. Remember, Jesus gave us authority to cast them out (Mark 3:15, Matthew 10:8, Acts 8:7, Mark 16:17,18).

What is the best way to summarize how believers are to deal with demons? No one says it better than the Lord Jesus Christ.

“…Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

-Luke 10:20

Is hell a real place?  Read article here.

Do you know Jesus? Find out here.

Do you have God’s power in your daily life?  Find out now.

—

Thanks for reading FaithPro! You are here because you want to know the truth, and the truth of the Word will set you free! Don’t keep the freedom to yourself! Share with others via the buttons below. One Word from God can change someone’s life forever. Jesus is Lord!