The Key to Understanding Demons is to First Learn about Angels

According to Orthodox traditions, the hierarchy of angels is divided into high, middle and low circles: this is true in both Old Testament and New Testament texts. The High ranks include the Seraphim Cherubim and Thrones, The six-winged Seraphim blazed with the fire of the love of God. The many-eyed Cherubim pour out enlightenment and wisdom, their jurisdiction in Heaven. The Thrones uphold God’s justice.

The middle ranks are composed of the Dominions, Powers and Authorities. The Dominions establish wise governance and help to quell sinful impulses. The Powers fulfill the Will of God and help people do so. Authorities repel the devil from people and help people fight temptations.

The lower ranks are the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. The Principalities instruct people in fulfilling Divine commands and they protect nations. Archangels reveal the mysteries of faith and prophecy and help enlighten people’s minds with the light of the Gospel. Angels are our guides and guardians and ever protect us throughout our lives.

The Commander of the Bodiless Powers is St. Michael (Who is like God?); other Archangels include: Gabriel (power of God), Raphael, (healing of God), Uriel (light of God), Seraphiel (prayer of God) Jehudiel, (glorification of God) Barachiel, (Blessing of God) Jeremiel (Raising up to God). The Ethiopians also add, as a special Archangel, Phanuel. Of course also among the Archangels is Lucifer (The Light Bearer) who was at one time god’s favorite, but who fell from grace when he dared to compare himself to God or place himself above common men.

Herein lays the rub; depending on who you are reading, the history of the angels is filled with what might be considered major flaws in their personality.  For instance, two angels go to Sodom and give Lot instructions from God to leave the city of Sodom.  The angels strike the townspeople blind and Lot, his family and the angels escape the city before it is destroyed.  But the story veers off the Sunday school version when one text suggests that the angels were overtaken by the beauty of Lott’s two daughters and they make love to them. This enrages God, who acknowledges the paternity of infants and in turn curses the offspring who are doomed to be giants in the land of humans.  The simple explanation of the nature of angels is not quite as simple as one might think, but so too with demons.

Again, in early texts, Lucifer is not the bad guy, rather he is sent to tempt Adam and Eve as an advocate of God.  Somewhere in the history books, the story of Lucifer being cast out with his followers from heaven finds its way into our belief system and he becomes the Peck’s bad-boy of humanity; blamed for everything that is wrong with the world. Where before much of the negative influences seem to be placed at the foot of God, who is simply testing his people, it has now become the work of demons.  

It is impossible to sum up all of the accumulated knowledge of angels and demons in a short discussion, it is reasonable to suggest that there is nothing cast in stone on the subject.  What can be cast in stone are the differences of good and evil, dropping the nametags we commonly associate with this topic.  Good exists in the world, but so does evil; whether that is under the direct supervision of God or Demons is yet to be proven.  There is no doubt that Demons exist and that they are evil in nature, but to rely in the New Wave belief in the intervention of angels is not a given.  If good and evil exist as elemental powers then there are a plethora of questions yet to be answered and the inclusion of God or Lucifer into the discussion seems only slightly relevant and if nothing else only complicates the matter.

What is possible is to take warning from what we do know. The confrontation with demons is never a good idea and always best left to the experts, a select group of religious who have dedicated their lives to these matters.  This is not the realm for experimentation and in a broader context, neither angels nor demons are entities to be trifled with in any case.

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