The Origin of Demons, Part IV
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Welcome to the final installment “The Origin of Demons”! We’ve discussed the first, second, and third theories of where demons could possibly come from. See Part I, Part II, and Part III. We also discussed why the Nephilim so hated humanity. In this post, we’ll discuss why the Catholic Church fathers changed the belief that the “sons of God” referenced in Genesis 6:1-4 were not really fallen angels, but something else. We close the series out with a word of wisdom regarding balance in spiritual matters. Enjoy!
According to Jewish tradition, the “fallen fathers” of the Nephilim originally came down (either the delegation that came before Noah’s Flood or the one that came after) to teach men wisdom. But when they fell from glory while wearing human flesh, the wisdom that they taught men became wicked, fallen wisdom. In some traditions, these particular angels were called “watchers” like the angel who pronounced the judgment on Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. And it is said that the wives of these watchers were originally known as “witches.” That puts a WHOLE NEW SPIN on their black arts now doesn’t it?! Watchers and witches, witches and watchers!
The offspring of these watchers and witches, once dead in body, maintained their spirit--as all creatures with a spirit do--but these became demons, the terrestrial delegation of the Kingdom of Darkness. And this was a belief held by the Jewish community and Early Church until the Catholics came along and changed it to suit their ungodly agenda.
“God committed the care of men and all things under heaven to angels who he appointed over them. But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by the love of women, and begat children who were of those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense and libations, of which they stood in need of after they were enslaved by lustful passions; and among them they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness. Whence also the poets and mythologists not knowing that it was the angels and those demons whom had been begotten by them did these things to men, and women, and cities, and nations which they related, ascribed them to god himself, and to the offspring of those who were called brothers, Neptune and Pluto, and to the children again of these their offspring. For whatever name each of the angels had given himself and his children, by that name they were called.” (The Writings of Justin Martyr, Book 1, pg. 190, “How the Angels Transgressed”)
“They taught the use of metals, precious stones, charms, magic, astrology, and were called ‘demons bound in the flesh.’” (Clement of Alexandria, “Their Discoveries”)
“But from their unhallowed intercourse spurious men sprang, much greater in stature than ordinary men, whom they afterward called giants; not those dragon footed giants who waged war against God, as those blasphemous myths of the Greeks do sing, but wiled in manners, and greater than men in size, inasmuch they were sprung of angels; yet less than angels as they were born of women…” (Chapter XV, “The Giants”)
Why Did the Church Fathers Change the Definition of the “Sons of God”?
This unsupported, unbiblical change was made for two reasons:
“The theory was changed in the early 4th century by Julius Africanus because angel worship at the time was prevailing and there was a fear that the church would go into extreme angel worship. Also the Roman Church was teaching celibacy, that the priests had to remain celibate and unmarried. ‘If the sons of God,’ they reasoned, ‘became human and fell, then a monk would fail and it would justify sexual sinning or the necessity of being married.’ Therefore, they took away the theory completely out of the Church of fallen angels producing a race of giants and changed it to the sons of Seth coming into the daughters of Cain.” (Perry Stone)
Fear--a spirit not like God--was the basis of the removal of an ENTIRE DOCTRINE in the Church!
Enter a lying spirit.
I also believe a large part of this decision, or more like the product of this decision, was the overall decrease in the faith of Christians and non-Christians alike. In other words, people began to disbelieve or at least cherry pick with the supernatural power of God. When doubt enters a situation, you come double-minded and unstable in all of your ways (James 1:8). You start to say things like, “Is the Bible reeeeally the actual Word of God?” “Wasn’t the Bible written by men?” “I think most of the things in the Bible were meant to be metaphorical, not literal.” “Did God really part the Red Sea and the Jordan?” “Did Mary reeeeeally supernaturally conceived Jesus, non-sexually, through the power of the Holy Ghost?” “Does humanity reeeeeally need a Saviour?” “Do you truly believe Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life? Isn’t that, you know, kinda mean to everyone who believes in other faiths?” “Is there reeeeeally going to be a Rapture?” “Does the devil truly exist or is he just a figment of your religious imagination?” “Is the Bible necessary or is It just a nice suggestion of how we should live our lives?” Do you see the problems one little lie, one little area of doubt, can create? Hence our modern-day society chocked full of Christians who don’t actually believe in or follow Christ.
God was, is, and always will be supernatural. His ways are higher than ours, as are His thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). God changes not (Malachi 3:6). Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrew 13:8). And Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Thus, you cannot doubt the Word of God without doubting the Son of God. And if you doubt the Son of God, you doubt the Father-God (Luke 10:22, John 5:16-47), for the Son and the Father (and the Spirit Who testifies of both) are one (John 15:26).
A Warning
We understand that there is no being, no power, greater than God Himself. And while the Kingdom of Darkness is capable of catching humans off guard and even defeating us on an individual and collective basis, Satan, his fallen angels, nor his demons are capable of overcoming Christ and His Bride!
And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:20)
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… (Revelation 12:11)
We must keep victory on our mind and our lips. And if we keep it on our mind, it will inevitably be on our lips.
Also, while Jesus had a demon-busting ministry, that was not His only ministry. Thus the Bob Larsens of the world who ONLY EVER. cast out demons are out of order and those who see demons under every green tree are also out of order.
C.S. Lewis wisely composed this bit of wisdom:
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or magician with the same delight, (C.S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letters. 1941, p. 3)
Francis Frangipane also added to this wisdom in his PHENOMENAL book, The Three Battlegrounds.
There are occasions when your battle against the devil is actually a digression from the higher purpose God has for you. Intercessors and warfare captains take note: there is a demon whose purpose is to lure one’s mind into hell. Its name is “Wrong Focus.” If you are continually seeing evil spirits in people or in the material world around you, you may actually be fighting this spirit. The ultimate goal of this demon is to produce mental illness in saints who move in deliverance. Listen very carefully: we are not called to focus on the battle or the devil, except where that battle hinders our immediate transformation into Christ’s likeness. Our calling is to focus on Jesus. The work of the devil, however, is to draw our eyes from Jesus. Satan’s first weapon always involves luring our eyes from Christ. turn to Jesus and almost immediately the battle vanishes….
Wrong Focus will seek to turn your thoughts continually toward the enemy. Suddenly, all you will see are demons. The true gift called “discerning of spirits” is a balanced gift which enables you to recognize at least as many angelic spirits as you do evil spirits. The proper manifestation of this gift has a much more positive focus and influence than what commonly masquerades as discernment. (The Three Battlegrounds, “The Stronghold of Christ’s Likeness, pg. 36-37)
There you have it. We are not ignorant of the devil’s devices, but neither are we obsessed with them--or him.
However many demons there are, wherever they came from, however they came to be, and however many delegations of angels fell from glory to deceive the earth, there are that many more holy angels who stand in the presence of God, respond to the voice of His Word, and do His bidding.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
(Psalm 103:20-21)
There are more with us than are against us! And even without God’s angels, my Word says, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). We are seated in heavenly places in Christ and because of Him (Ephesians 2:5-7), we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)!
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)
For more on this subject, please see this teaching by Perry Stone and my corresponding notes.
