Lesson 27 - Angels and Demons

(Lesson 27)

Angels and Demons

“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him” Matt 4:11

Discussion Guide:

Angels are pure spirits created by God. Sacred Scripture does not tell us the exact time of their origin. They are real creatures who exist without physical bodies. To clear up a popular misconception, human beings will never become angels. Although the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my favorites, the premise of a deceased man eventually becoming an angel by “earning his wings” is pure fiction. The word angel literally means “messenger”. God sends angels to announce his will, to correct, punish, teach, rebuke, and console. Angels are frequently mentioned in both the Old and the New Testaments. There are 9 different types of angels mentioned. They are often referred to as the choirs of angels. The following is a list of these choirs and the scriptures that mention them: Seraphim (Is. 6:2, 6); Cherubim (Gen. 3:24; Sirach. 49:10; Ez. 10:1-22); Thrones (Col. 1:16); Dominations (Col. 1:16); Virtues (1 Pet. 3:22); Powers (Col. 1:16; 1 Pet. 3:22); Principalities (Col. 1:16); Archangels (1 Thess. 4:16); and Angels.

Some of the angels rebelled against God, were cast out of Heaven, and condemned to Hell. Those angels that fell from their high state together with Satan are called fallen angels or demons. They were guilty of the sin of pride. These demons are the cause of much evil in the world. They have angelic intelligence and can influence the behavior of human beings. We must constantly fight against these unseen spiritual forces by faith in Christ, prayer, and the sacraments of the Catholic Church.

God appoints an angel to guard every soul from the moment of birth. It is supported by Sacred Scripture (Ps. 90:11; Matt. 18:10) and by Catholic tradition. Pope Clement X approved the traditional devotion to the guardian angels. We should remember to ask our guardian angel for intercession on our behalf.

Discussion Points:

· God created the angels out of nothing; they are not equal to God

· There are nine choirs of angels that are mentioned in Scripture

· Angels are messengers of God and they help people to attain salvation

· Demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God

· Satan (the father of lies) is a fallen angel and the leader of all the demons

· Angels and demons are purely spiritual beings without bodies

· People never become angels after they die

· We can ask the angels for their intercession with God

· Angels and demons sometimes interact with people on earth

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.


Mark 5:1-13

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him, "Send us to the swine, let us enter them." So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.


Angels and Demons

“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him” Matt 4:11

Opening Prayer:

Lord Jesus, protect us in our daily struggle against evil. Open our eyes to see through the deceptions of the devil. Give us the faith to call out to You when we are in need. Amen

Theme:

Angels and demons are real beings that are pure spirit. Angels are messengers of God and helpers of mankind. We can ask the angels to intercede for us with God. Demons are fallen angels who deceive people and foster evil in the world. Satan is a fallen angel.

Bible Readings:

Matt 18:10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

2 Pet. 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment;

Rev 12:7-9 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Explanation of the Bible readings: Jesus teaches his disciples that angels in heaven constantly behold the face of God. Not only can angels communicate with people on earth, such as in the case of Mary and Zechariah (Luke 1:5-56), they can also intercede with God in heaven on our behalf. St. Paul tells us that we are involved in a spiritual battle against the wiles of the devil. Our fight is not directly against other people; it is against the evil forces that influence them. This offers some insight into the old phrase, “Love the sinner but hate the sin”. St. Paul implores us to wear the full armor of God in our spiritual battle. We should constantly pray and receive God’s grace through the sacraments. Mary’s intercession is also a very powerful weapon against the devil. Satan hates the Rosary! St. Peter speaks about the fall of the demons. He explicitly teaches us that they were cast into hell by God for the sin of pride. The book of Revelation illustrates a battle between Satan and St. Michael the Archangel. In the end, when the smoke of battle clears, God’s people will have total victory over the evil of this world.

Genesis 19:1-14 Angels visit Sodom and Gomorrah
Luke 1:19 An angel brings information to Zechariah
Acts 12:8 An angel helps Peter to escape from prison
Luke 9:42 A demon torments a man

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

THE ANGELS

The existence of angels - a truth of faith

328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'" With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".

330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.

331 Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . " They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"

332 Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples. Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.

334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.

336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

THE FALL OF THE ANGELS

391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."

392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".

393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."

394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.

395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign….. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."

The Nine Choirs of Angels:

Seraphim (Is. 6:2)
Cherubim (Gen. 3:24)
Thrones (Col. 1:16)
Dominations (Col. 1:16)
Virtues (1 Pet. 3:22)
Powers (1 Pet. 3:22)
Principalities (Col. 1:16)
Archangels (1 Thess. 4:16)
Angels (Romans 8:38)

Reflection Questions:

What are your impressions about the “angels” you see on television? Demons?








When have you been aware of the presence of your guardian angel?








Do you see any evidence for the existence of demons when you watch the evening news?