Angels, Satan and Demons, Oh My!

Last week I began a sermon series by the name above. The series will be 8 weeks, covering angels, satan, demons and spiritual warfare. While two sermons on each category is really not sufficient, I pray that it will be a good place for us to correct some of our misperceptions and examine these areas from a biblical perspective.

The first sermon contained many passages of scripture and there were several church members who had a difficult time finding them... either because I was moving too fast, or, unfortunately, they are not familiar with their Bibles...

So... here are the notes I used from the first sermon and each week I will put the notes on here for anyone that is interested. If you have any questions, please ask... and if you want more information... I will gladly help you find it...

Angels, Satan and Demons, Oh My!
Angels Part 1

Angels, Satan and Demons, oh my! – a summer study of supernatural beings, where they originated, what they do, and how we interact with them.

Why spend the summer on this topic? There has been some interest expressed through Rob Brumfield’s discipleship class on eschatology. There have been questions I have received from time to time about the devil, or demons, or angels. The main reason, the Bible speaks to celestial beings nearly 250X throughout the OT and NT, from Gen to Rev. Any truth mentioned one time is worthy to examine and learn from, much more with this topic. Another reason, when was the last time we heard about angels, Satan, or demons from a biblical perspective?

We will use a wide range of scriptures but use three or four main passages. In addition, we may re-visit some passages on several occasions throughout our study.

Angels – elect angels – fallen angels – loose angels – bound angels – permanent – temporary

May 25th - Angels above
June 1st - Angels below
June 8th - Satan’s sin and fall
June 15th - Satan’s work in the family/church
June 22nd – Pastor Don Long (will now be something different due to cancellation of mission trip)
June 29th - Vacation
July 6th - Demons pt 1
July 13th - Demons pt 2
July 20th - Spiritual warfare pt 1
July 27th - Spiritual warfare pt 2

Angels Above –
Creation
Types
Ministry

Angels Below –
Messengers – God
Messengers – Jesus
Messengers – Second Coming
Messengers – Judgment

So let’s begin this undertaking with a word of prayer.

Three aspects to their creation: who, when, and how many

Who created angels? The short answer is Jesus

John 1:1-3 (HCSB) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

Colossians 1:15-17 (HCSB) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation; 16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.

When were angels created? This is a great question.

Let’s turn to Job 38:4-7 and find out.

Morning Stars and sons of Gods are designations for angelic beings. We find here they were created at least right before the earth was created because they shouted for joy at creation.

Now, turn to Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:31.

Creation does not deal with the heavenlies, rather it deals with the earthly. Why? God could have described in greater detail the creation of the universe, but doesn’t. I believe the account of creation deals with the earth and her inhabitants, because this is where the story of redemption will take place. God will send His only begotten Son to redeem sinful mankind on this terrestrial ball. Creation deals with this and this only.

It is very good. This completes creation. Gen 1:31 tells us everything was very good. It was complete. And then God rested. So, God/Jesus have created the heavenlies, They have created the celestial beings, They have created the earth, and everything on it, and They have created man. Everything is complete. Everything has been created, everything is good.

Now, at this point in our study, you might be wondering where Satan and the demons come into the picture, and we will get to those questions, but not today.

So, God/Jesus created the angels, and they were created sometime before the creation account in Gen 1. How many angels are there? This is a question that has intrigued biblical scholars, curious seekers, and everyone in between. Are you ready for the answer? 1trillion, 864 billion, 409 million, 298 thousand, 345. You might be asking yourself, “Where in the world did Pastor Ricky find that answer. It is in the most popular book of the Bible. 2 Opinions chapter 3:16.

The Bible does not tell us how many angels there are? Many times it mentions a host or a multitude of angels, but not a complete number. Hebrews 12:22 and Revelation 5:11 mention an innumerable number, myriads or ‘ten thousand times ten thousand, thousands of thousands’. Jesus tell us in Matthew 22:30 that in our resurrected state we are neither married or given in marriage, just like the angels.

Angels are created celestial beings, and Jesus tells us they do not procreate. Throughout all of scripture, there is not a single mention of an angel dying, so the exact number of angels that were created before the creation account are the same exact number that exist today.

Types of angels… Let’s look at the organization of the angels. Since God is a God of order, there is an order to the angels.

The Morning Star: Lucifer

This is the most exalted angel, by creation and appointment. By his sin he became Satan. Isaiah 14:12.

The Archangel

Only Michael is designated as the archangel. No other scripture gives us the name of any other archangel. Jude 9 and 1 Thess 4:16 give us two distinct descriptions of Michael.

We learn that even the archangel does not act on his own accord, but depends completely on the power of God.

Chief Princes

Dan 10:13 is a reference to angelic beings. Here is clear indication of the order and rank of angels. Michael is listed as one of the chief princes, being the archangel, he would be the highest of the princes.


Cherubim

Ezek 28:14,16 is part of a passage we will explore in greater detail when we spend some time learning about Satan. This passage tells us he was a cherub. While we typically think of cherub as fat little babies playing harps, this is not the biblical picture of them. Satan was the highest of the cherubs, called the anointed cherub. Cherubs were responsible for protecting the holiness of God. After Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden of Eden, cherubim were placed as guards to keep man finding the tree of live (Gen 3:24).

Seraphim

Isaiah 6:2-7 – These angelic beings are attendants at the throne of God, they praise God continually and act as agents of cleansing.

Rulers and authorities

We have already looked at this next verse:

Colossians 1:16 (HCSB) because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Here we find an order to those things that are invisible. Paul also describes the order of the demon in Ephesians 6:12, which we will spend more time studying later in the summer.

What do angels do?

The word angel in the Hebrew and the Greek mean messenger. Angels are messengers of God, while demons are messengers of Satan. Throughout the Bible, angels delivered messages from God to mankind. Next week we will spend more time looking at the messages they carry, but let’s look briefly at so of the ministry of the angels.

Gabriel

This angel appears to be a very faithful messenger of God, carrying messages to Daniel in the OT, announcing the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias and announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary. The birth announcement of Jesus is one of if not the greatest announcements of the entire Bible. Jesus is going to be born and He is coming to save us from our sin. Sin has separated us from God and we can’t do anything to save ourselves. The time has come for God’s redemptive plan to be fulfilled. Gabriel gives this message to a young girl named Mary. Luke 1

Time does not permit us to go into great detail, so here is a summary of what angels do:

They praise and worship God. They cry out to Him 24/7 “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty. Isaiah 6:3; Rev 5:8-13.

They are messengers on behalf of God, as we have seen in the messages of Gabriel.

You can’t read about the life of Jesus in the gospels without encountering angels and demons. Angels announced His birth, warned His parents of harm, ministered to Jesus after the temptation, rolled the stone away from the tomb at the resurrection.

They were present at the ascension (Acts 1:10-11), will announce the rapture along with the trumpet of God (1 Thess 4:16), be present at the second coming (Matthew 25:31), and separate the wheat from the tares at the second coming (Matthew 13:39-40).

Angels were prominent in the NT church, as they provided for the escape of the apostles on numerous occasions and I believe they are still as prominent today, although not in ways we think.

Do angels still minister today?

Do we have guardian angels? Heb 1:14; Psalm 91:11-12; Matt 18:10

While it doesn’t say guardian angels are specifically assigned to an individual believer, these verses give clear indication that angel’s minister and give us direction and guidance.

What can we learn from angels? If they obey and worship Jesus, then we should obey and worship Jesus. Angels directly worship God because of His holiness. We should worship God b/c of holiness.

Don’t worship angels. Col 2:18 – we worship Jesus. He is the one who can save us from our sin. That is one reason we praise Jesus the angels can never comprehend. They have not been saved.

It's been about a month... but... no excuses

I just re-read chapter 7. I will make no excuses for the month long delay, other than to say thanks to the two or three faithful readers of this obscure blog...

SUMMARY

This chapter addresses one primary thought: There will be no mortification unless a man be a believer. While this sounds pretty simple, and I think most true believers would say, "Duh!", the fact still remains that our churches and lives are filled with individuals who are trying to deal with the 'sin' or 'bad things' in their lives apart from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

DISCUSSION

Here is an overview of what Owen says:

* Unless a man be a believer... he can never mortify any one sin.
* There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.
* A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.
* Men must be gold and silver in the bottom, or else refining will do them no good.
* Mortification is not the present business of unregenerate men.
* Let the soul first be thoroughly converted, and then, "looking on him whom they had pierced," humiliation and mortification will ensue.
* To kill sin is the work of living men; where men are dead (as all unbelievers, the best of them, are dead), sin is alive, and will live.
* Be sure to get an interest in Christ - if you intend to mortify any sin without it, it will never be done.

It has been my experience that Christians all to often expect others to conform to a set of standards relegating right and wrong behavior based on personal experience rather than God's word. At the same time, we tend to take that standard and apply it to the lost and demand they change their 'sinful' behavior before ever coming to meet Jesus Christ.

Maybe that is why Jesus hung out with sinners, tax collectors, and wine bibbers. It was here He could effectively associate with men, not their behaviors. I have found myself many times getting irritated when the 'lost' act like the lost, failing to remember they do not see sin the way I do.

On the other side of the issue, I have talked to people who attempt to remove sin from their lives through various means (meditation, acts of penance, good works, ritual/tradition, family heritage) all the while never experiencing the new birth through Jesus Christ.

So we have two sides to this issue. Those who are truly saved imposing a standard on those who aren't saved and then those who aren't saved trying to mortify sin without being saved. OK... sound confusing yet; I had to re-read that sentence myself a couple of times.

Here is one way I can understand it. A builder goes out to construct a house. He is given a set of plans to use, and diligently takes those plans and builds a house. The only problem with the plans, however, is the lack of a foundation. So, the builder has a beautiful house, with no foundation. Needless to say, the house will not last very long.

On the other hand, a different builder gets a set of plans. These plans begin with the foundation. After examining them, the builder sets out to build a solid foundation, and then the house is built on it. Here we have a house that will last, because it is on a foundation.

On the other end of town, someone randomly buys a book from the local hardware store that contains plans for homes. This someone sets their mind to build a home, and proceeds to buy lumber, nails, saws, doors, windows, light fixtures... everything they believe a home should have. They go out to an empty field and lay the materials out and come back the next day hoping to discover the house miraculously constructed. To their dismay, the only change in the materials is the moisture that has collected on them from the morning dew. This goes on for days and weeks. Frustrated, they abandon the thought of building a home.

Let try to explain the way my mind is working here:
The first set of 'standards' came from a well-intentioned Christian. The standards are given to them without a solid foundation being discussed first. While the builder can follow the standards and may appear to build, without the foundation (which is salvation in Christ) nothing will last.

The second set of 'standards' is shared only after the well-intentioned Christian takes the time to explain the foundation first. This is salvation. One must be saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit in order to mortify sin.

The last example is one who attempts to mortify sin without ever being saved. This person, who is lost, gets everything they think they need to mortify sin, only to find they are still left with a pile of materials that resembles nothing like a house. Only after they experience the new birth will they be able to build on a foundation the house that will stand.

We need to remember that an individual needs to understand their sinfulness and only through the person and work of Jesus Christ will sin be forgiven and atoned for. From that foundation onward, it becomes the duty of every believer to mortify sin.

YOUR TURN

I pray this isn't just idle rambling and it makes some sense? I am interested to see what your thoughts are... until Chapter 8...

I love doing what God has called me to...

Chapter 6 - Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

Summary

This chapter is pretty dense and deep. I had to reread it several times and I still think I should read it a couple of more times. But here it goes.

1. Mortification consists in a habitual weakening of sin.

2. Mortification consists in constant fighting and contending against sin.

3. Mortification consists in frequent success.

Personal Thoughts

Again, this was a tough one. With some of the time constraints I have been under the last week or so... I am going to use Tim Challies summary:

"It was Owen’s comparison of the actions of a crucified man with a mortified sin. It’s an image, a metaphor, that I think will stay in my mind.

As a man nailed to the cross he first struggles and strives and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard; when a man first sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigor and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success.

And if that is true of a sin, if it at first fights hard but then, after a period of mortification, it must also be true of a sinner. When I first fight against a sin, a new sin that has been brought to my attention, I struggle hard. As Owen says, “When sin is strong and vigorous, the soul is scarce able to make any head against it; it sighs, and groans, and mourns, and is troubled.” It is difficult to put this sin to death and to vanquish it. Yet as time goes on, and as the Spirit helps me put that sin to death, I find that I struggle less. As that sin begins to be destroyed in my life, it cries sparingly and soon is scarce heard. I guess the metaphor breaks down eventually since that sin will sooner or later come calling again, raising its head to see if I’ve lowered my guard against it, but still, I think it’s an effective word picture and one that helps me understand why it is at first so difficult to fight and to beat those sins."

Very true... the fight and battle against sin is tremendous. I look forward to the day when we will be able to see Jesus completely unhindered from any sin that keeps us down... until that day...

Your Turn

Just leave a comment or two if you would like... I appreciate the ones who have taken the time to commit to this and I also apologize for not keeping to the weekly format like I intended.