Are there angels? Is the devil real? What are demons?
The Bible teaches that angels, demons, and Satan do exist. Angels are ministering spirits created to serve believers in Jesus Christ, as the writer of Hebrews says:
Heb. 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies
A footstool for Your feet”?
Heb. 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Angels were created by God, including an angel called Lucifer, who was the greatest of all angels:
Ezek. 28:12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God,
“You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
Ezek. 28:13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
Ezek. 28:14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezek. 28:15 “You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
Lucifer (Satan) fell into sin because of his pride, and as a result, he brought down a third of the angels with him, as described in Revelation 12:
Rev. 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.
Rev. 12:4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
Rev. 12:5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
Rev. 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Rev. 12:7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,
Rev. 12:8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Notice the dragon (Satan) recruited a third of the angelic realm to join him in rebelling against the Lord. This third of the angelic realm are called demons. Demons are fallen angels, which move between heaven and earth doing the bidding of the enemy. Demons may bring torment to believers and unbelievers, and they may indwell unbelievers as shown in the Gospels.
At the end of this age, demons and Satan are bound and kept in the abyss during the kingdom.
Rev. 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
Rev. 20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
Rev. 20:3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were completed; after these things, he must be released for a short time.
At the end of the 1,000 Kingdom, the enemy is allowed a short time once more to work in the hearts of men on earth. At the end of that time, the Lord will judge Satan and cast him into the Lake of Fire forever.
Rev. 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
For more information on these matters, we recommend you listen to our Revelation Bible study.
