The existence of angels, their spiritual nature, the fact that there are good and bad angels, the fall of the evil spirits of their own free will, and the role of the devil in bringing about the fall of man are doctrines of faith that have at various times been solemnly proclaimed by the Church.
Sacred Scripture witnesses not only to what the Church has formally defined but also to many features of angelology that are part of historic Christianity.
The angels are pure spirits without a body created to adore and to serve God in heaven. They are immortal and superior to man. Scripture does not say when they were created, and the opinion of the Church Fathers is that the heavens were created first and then the angels. St. Thomas Aquinas held to this belief. The Fourth Lateran Council (AD 1215) declared that God created angels and material beings “at the same time, from the beginning”. However, the Council had no intention of definitely deciding the question.
In Scripture, we find nine different orders of these heavenly spirits mentioned at different times. The Seraphim, the Cherubim, Thrones, Principalities, Powers, Dominations, Virtues, Archangels and Angels. The Seraphim and Cherubim are represented as continually praising God in heaven. Their prayer, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest” (Isa. 6:3), is recited at the Sanctus of the Mass. The Archangels and Angels appear as having charge of the affairs of men, occasionally acting as God’s messengers. St. Michael (Dan. 12:1), St. Gabriel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21), and St. Raphael (Tob. 12:6, 15), are especially mentioned.
In the Gospels, an angel appears to Zachary to foretell the birth of John the Baptist, and to the Blessed Virgin to announce the mystery of God becoming man. An angel appears to Joseph to instruct him about the miraculous conception of Christ and to tell him of King Herod’s death. Angels appear to the shepherds at Bethlehem, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to men who enjoy his favor” (Lk. 2:14). They minister to Christ after his temptation in the desert, and appear many times to announce his resurrection from the dead. Moreover, according to Christ, there are more than twelve legions of angels in heaven; the angels of little ones continually behold the face of the Father; angels will separate the wicked from the just on the last day, and the children of the resurrection will be equal to the angels.
The Acts of the Apostles describe how an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison for them during the night; also an angel who spoke to the deacon Philip, who delivered Peter from his jailers, who struck Herod with a fatal disease, and who stood by St. Paul during the terrible storm at sea.
The Angels are superior to man in the exercise of an intelligence, which is in perpetual operation. Its special keenness enables them to see by intuition, conclusions which come to us only imperfectly and after much reasoning. They can move from place to place with swiftness impossible to man. Their knowledge depends upon images received from God along the nature He has given them. They are endowed with free will and are able to communicate with each other. This much concerning the Angels is either contained in Scripture or deduced from it by the Church Fathers, as may be seen by consulting St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Paul calls the Angels “ministering spirits” (Heb. 1:14). They serve God continually in heaven, besides defending countries, cities, churches and individuals under their protection, and offering to God the prayers of the faithful. The Guardians Angels exercise a special watchfulness over their charges, suggesting good thoughts and deeds, helping in prayer and devotion, and lastly, presenting saved souls to God.
The Church shows only veneration, or inferior honor, which is their due, to the angels. We are encouraged to ask for their prayers. However, supreme adoration is due to God alone. Our greatest act of devotion, the Mass, is offered to God alone.
Fallen Angels
While the Old Testament contains much that is interesting on the subject of evil spirits. We must turn to the New Testament for more complete information concerning them. The personal; existence of evil spirits is clearly taught in both. In 1 Chron 21:1, Satan is mentioned as the perverse angel who enticed King David to sin. In the Book of Wisdom we find that it was Satan that took the form of a serpent and deceived Adam and Eve (Wis. 2:24). Although Satan has power over men, he is subject to God.
St. Paul tells us that the devil is a spirit:
Eph. 2:1-2 – And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
That Satan is the prince of demons we find in Matthew’s Gospel:
Mat. 12:24 – But when the Pharisees heard it they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons”.
That the demons were not originally created, but fell through sin is found in Jude and Revelation:
Jude 6 – And the angels that did not keep their own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal chains in the nether gloom until the judgment of the great day…
Rev. 12:7-9 – Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 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.
All spiritual evil can be traced to Satan:
2 Cor. 11: 14-15 – And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
All obstacles to the Gospel can be traced to Satan:
1 Thess. 2:18 – But since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face; 18 because we wanted to come to you–I, Paul, again and again–but Satan hindered us.
Christ’s death has done much to destroy the works of Satan, yet his power remains in part, so much so that he is called the ruler of the world:
Jn. 12:31-32 – Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; 32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself”.
2 Cor. 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.
In the end, Satan’s power will be destroyed.
The rest of what we believe concerning evil spirits is either taken from Tradition of by induction. It is universally held that Satan and his demons were originally pure spirits. Satan was the chief of the fallen spirits and the majority of authors believe that he was originally in a high place among the angels in heaven. It is also believed that although condemned to the everlasting pains of hell immediately after the fall, Satan and his angels wander in the air and all over the earth. It is a common opinion that wherever they go, their punishment continues. The time of their fall is not determined. Neither is it accepted that the reasons leading up to the fall were arranged in the nature of a test or probation. Those who fell were driven out of heaven, and those who remained were confirmed in their loyalty to God forever. It is a common opinion that the hosts of heaven were led by St. Michael, the archangel who is invoked in prayer as “our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil”. In addition, there is at least a plausible inference from the words of St. Paul to Timothy (1 Tim. 3:6), that Satan, fell, puffed up by pride. From the words of Christ, “Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mat. 25:41), from the general teaching of the Fathers, and from the definition of the Fourth Lateran Council of the Church (AD 1215), it is certain that Satan and his angels are condemned without hope of pardon.