Demons for Dummies

Much has been written in recent years concerning the issue of the Nephilim and my recent blog post, "Nephilim for Dummies" summarizes the topic. 

Thankfully, due to the unprecedented influence of the work of the late Dr. Michael Heiser, a growing number of Christians are becoming convinced of the earliest view of Genesis 6:1-4, namely that the Sons of God were angelic beings. This was the view of Ancient Judaism, the Apostles (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6), the earliest Christians, and such modern Evangelicals as Pastor John MacArthur, the late Pastor Chuck Smith, and the late Bible Teacher Chuck Missler. 

The origin of demons, which is the topic of this blog post, however, is a more contested issue. Where did demons come from? What is their origin?  Like many, I was taught that demons are fallen angels. That continues arguably to be the most common view of Evangelicals. A related narrative is that Satan's fall happened before the creation of mankind and that he took 1/3 of the angels with him in that primordial fall (Rev. 12:4). I may discuss this issue of Satan's fall and the fall of other angelic beings another future blog post, but all of what I've just mentioned about the timing of Satan's fall and 1/3 of the angels falling with him is actually CHURCH TRADITION! Nobody debates THAT Satan fell. As to when he fell and why he fell are questions that the earliest Christians had different answers to. More on that later.

Back to our topic: What are demons? What is their origin? Are they fallen angels as many Evangelicals teach? 

Shockingly, this was NOT the view of Ancient Judaism nor was it the view of the Early Church. 

The ancient view (both Jewish and Christian) was that demons are disembodied spirits. Angels on the other have have an embodiment, a corporeality. Some angelic beings rebelled against God; those are what we now refer to as "Fallen Angels" and they still possess that embodiment. 

Some angels descended and had sexual relations with human women (Gen. 6:1-4) and the product of those unions were the Nephilim/Giants. When these hybrid, embodied offspring died, it was their spirits that became what are today known as demons or unclean spirits. 

Are demons related to fallen angels? Yes, they are their offspring, their children. They are NOT embodied any longer and are looking for things to inhabit or to dwell in.

This was the UNIVERSAL view of ancient Judaism and Apostolic Christianity.

As to why this view is not understood or taught today I believe is due to the rejection of the Apostolic view of Genesis 6:1-4 as being angelic beings in favor of the novel Sethite view that Augustine popularized in the 5th century which taught that those "sons of God" were not angelic beings but actual human males.

Sound doctrine matters and rejecting the angelic view results in a wrong idea about the nature of demons as a consequence.

Below I have supplied comprehensive quotes from the earliest Christian commentators/scholars and theologians who articulate the view I have just summarized. These quotes confirm my last blog post namely the angelic view of Genesis 6 and the nature of the hybrid Nephilim AND they show the origin of demons came about upon the death of these embodied hybrids.

I have highlighted the relevant parts of the following quotations that are related to the origin and nature of demons.

The angels transgressed this appointment and were captivated by love of women. And they begat children [the nephilim], who are those who are called demons.  Justin Martyr (c. 160, E), 1.190.

These angels, then, who have fallen from heaven, and haunt the air and the earth, and are no longer able to rise to heavenly things, and the souls (spirits) of the giants [nephilim], who are the demons who wander about the world, perform similar actions.  Athenagoras (c. 175, E), 2.142.

Furthermore, we are instructed by our sacred books how from certain angels, who fell of their own free will, there sprang a more wicked demon brood, condemned of God along with the authors (the angels who fell) of their race. ...Their great business is the ruin of mankind. So, from the start, spiritual wickedness sought our destruction. Accordingly, they inflict upon our bodies diseases and other grievous calamities. And by violent assaults, they hurry the soul into sudden and extraordinary excesses. ...By an influence equally obscure, demons and (fallen) angels breathe into the soul, and rouse up its corruptions with furious passions and vile excesses.  Tertullian (c. 197, W), 3.36.

In my opinion, it is certain wicked demons (so to speak, of the race of Titans or giants [nephilim]) who have been guilty of impiety towards the true God and towards the angels in heaven. They have fallen from it, and they haunt the denser parts of bodies. They also frequent unclean places on the earth. Since they are without bodies of earthly material, they possess some power of foretelling future events. So they engage in works of this kind, desiring to lead the human race away from the true God. They also secretly enter the bodies of the more predatory, savage, and wicked of animals and stir them up to do whatever they choose, whenever they choose. They can turn the fancies of these animals to make flights and movements of various kinds, in order to entrap men by such power of divination.  Origen (c. 248, E), 4.538.

Among angels, some are angels of God, and others are angels of the devil. But among demons, there is no such distinction. For they are all said to be wicked.  Origen (c. 248, E), 4.648,649.

From the seed [of the fallen angels and women], giants [nephilim] are said to have been born. By them, arts were made known in the earth. They taught the dyeing of wool and everything that is done. When they died, men erected images to them. Yet, because they were of an evil seed, the Almighty did not approve of their being brought back from death when they had died. For that reason, they wander and they now subvert many bodies. And it is these whom you [pagans] presently worship and pray to as gods.  Commodianus (c. 240, W), 4.203.

However, those who were born from [the relations of angels with women]—because they were neither angels nor men, but had a mixed nature—were not admitted into Hades [when they died]. Similarly, their fathers (the fallen angels) had not been admitted into heaven, either. Thus there came to be two kinds of demons: one of heaven, the other of the earth. The latter are the wicked spirits, who are the authors of all the evils that are done. This same devil is their prince. ...However, grammarians say that the reason they are called demons...is because they are skilled and acquainted with matters. For the grammarians think they are gods. In truth, the demons are acquainted with some future events, but not with all. For He has not permitted them to know entirely the counsel of God. ...As I was saying, these contaminated and abandoned spirits wander over the whole earth. They console their own ruin by destroying others. Therefore, they fill every place with snares, deceits, frauds, and errors. For they cling to individuals and even occupy whole houses, from door to door. ...And since spirits are without physical substance and cannot be held, they slink into the bodies of men. Secretly working in their inward parts, they corrupt the health of these persons, bring on diseases, terrify their souls with dreams, and harass their minds with frenzies. They do this so that by these evils, they may cause men to come to them for aid.  Lactantius (c. 304-313, W), 7.64.

SUMMARY

Clearly, when all of these authors are read, we can see that demons are the disembodies spirits of the hybrid offspring known as the Nephilim and/or Giants. Demons, or what Jesus normally referred to in the Gospels as "unclean spirits", are NOT fallen angels! Related to fallen angels, YES. Demons are the disembodied spirits of the fallen angels' offspring. 

The final quote by Lactantius could prove to be a bit confusing as he does refer to both categories, fallen angels and their Nephilim offspring, as 2 kinds of 'demons' - one of heaven and one of earth. But the clear distinction between fallen angels and their disembodied offspring, which he calls the "wicked spirits" is in complete agreement with all the other commentators who wrote before him.  Maybe a better distinction would have been to say, they are both DEMONIC, meaning they are both part of the Kingdom of darkness and in opposition to the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. In short, they are all evil. All against Christ and His purposes. 

DOES IT EVEN MATTER?

Some will think that I'm splitting hairs. Why does this even matter? If they are all evil, then that is what we should agree upon, right?

Actually, it can be extremely dangerous to confound the 2 categories of beings - why? Because we have been given authority and commandments to cast out demons who afflict people but we have NOT BEEN GIVEN an authority or a mandate to command and/or take authority over fallen angels. 

A dangerous practice exists in much of the Body of Christ wherein people command and take authority over principalities and powers (angelic beings) that we were never commissioned and commanded to address and/or deal with directly. Can we pray about their influence? Yes! That is the pattern. We talk to GOD and GOD ALONE about them. We do not command them directly. Not even the Archangel Michael...AN ARCHANGEL...would address Satan directly (a fallen angelic being) - see Jude 1:9. But today many Christians in the name of doing Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare (SLSW) go around commanding Satan and other principalities/powers believing that they have the authority and mandate from Christ to do that. 

To conflate these 2 categories of beings, fallen angels and demons, is therefore a massive error and can/does have deadly spiritual consequences.