Why Can’t Fallen Angels Repent?

            The notion that fallen angels cannot repent is, arguably, a common position held by many Christians. Since the Bible does not offer an explicit teaching on this theme, some Christians believe that fallen angels can repent. Since this is not an essential theme to uphold Historic Christianity, there is adequate scope for contradictory opinions.

            Understanding this theme will enable us to understand God’s expectation of man and the most appropriate response of man towards God.

Fallen Angels Cannot Repent

            Gotquestions.org states that fallen angels cannot repent:¹

First, Satan (Lucifer) was one of the highest angels, perhaps the highest (Ezekiel 28:14). Lucifer—and all the angels—were continually in God’s presence and had knowledge of the glory of God. Therefore, they had no excuse for rebelling against God and turning away from Him. They were not tempted. Lucifer and the other angels rebelling against God despite what they knew was the utmost evil…Second, God did not provide a plan of redemption for the angels as He did for mankind…Finally, the Bible gives us no reason to believe that angels would repent even if God gave them the chance (1 Peter 5:8). The fallen angels seem completely devoted to opposing God and attacking God's people. The Bible says that the severity of God’s judgment varies according to how much knowledge a person possesses (Luke 12:48). The fallen angels, then, with the great knowledge they possessed, are greatly deserving of God’s wrath.

            Although the reasons cited are highly persuasive, the question still remains as to why the fallen angels cannot repent.

The Intriguing Inability to Repent (The Freewill Conundrum)

            Angels were created by God as good beings. Hence the angels that rebelled against God should have had the freedom or freewill that caused them to rebel. This is affirmed by Gotquestions.org, “Satan was an angel who was cast out of heaven along with many other angels who decided to follow him and chose to sin (2 Peter 2:4). In terms of free will, the Bible reveals this was an exercise of their ability to choose (Jude 1:6).”²

            Hence, it is reasonable to believe that the angels had freewill. They would not have rebelled against God, in the first place, had they not possessed freewill. Moreover, God could not have created them as evil beings, since evil does not proceed from God.

            Since these fallen angels possess freewill, shouldn’t they be able to repent (they know God since the time of their creation, hence they have the opportunity to observe HIS goodness.)? If they cannot repent, does it mean that they have lost their freedom entirely or just the freewill to repent?

            If we believe that fallen angels cannot repent, then we need to resolve the freewill mystery. If fallen angels cannot repent, then it is quite plausible that they were deprived of their freewill after their fall. On the other hand, if their freewill is intact, why are they unable to exercise their freewill to repent?

            There could be another perspective to resolving this conundrum.

            When a pastor was exorcising a demon from a young girl, the demon apparently told him that they are under the tight control of Satan. Here’s an excerpt from the conversation between that pastor and the demon:³

Demon: I hate you. You get to go to heaven. I just hate you people. I believed Satan. He told us that we were gonna be greater. Ohh its so late…

Pastor: What happened when you were cast out of heaven?

Demon: Mmmmm….Jesus…HE just…I don’t know…I don’t know…

Pastor: You want to go back to heaven, don’t you?

Demon: Yes, if only I had a chance…if only I had a chance I’ll go back…

Pastor: God might have mercy on you. If you stop doing the things you are doing and making people sin.

Demon: I can’t do that. I can’t do that. Satan won’t let me. I can’t stop people from doing bad things; that’s what I am supposed to do. He makes me do it.

            From this conversation, an inference that the demons cannot repent since they are under Satan’s control is quite plausible. But to formulate a doctrine from a fallible source cannot be bulletproof, for the conversation between the pastor and the demon may have been fictitious.

            Gotquestions.org states that the direct knowledge of God may be the cause for the inability of the fallen angels to repent (by virtue of being in God’s presence), “Lucifer—and all the angels—were continually in God’s presence and had knowledge of the glory of God. Therefore, they had no excuse for rebelling against God and turning away from Him. They were not tempted. Lucifer and the other angels rebelling against God despite what they knew was the utmost evil.”⁴

            So the key to the demons’ inability to repent, it seems, is their direct knowledge of God. This is a conjecture, if not explicitly validated by the Bible. 

             If the Bible teaches about man’s inability to repent (a man who was a believer), then as an extension of that teaching, the inability of the demons to repent can be comprehended or justified.

            The Bible teaches that a man who has truly experienced God cannot be brought back to repentance if he/she rejects God, “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.” (Hebrews 6:4-6, RSV, Emphasis Mine). Such a person, after his rejection of God, still possesses freewill. Although this freewill precludes the ability to repent.

            Since the Bible teaches that a man, who has truly experienced God, cannot repent if he rejects HIM, fallen angels who have rejected God cannot repent, for they rejected HIM while they were in HIS presence.

            The inability of the fallen angels to repent need not necessarily be construed as an unforgivable sin committed by the fallen angels. The doctrine of the unforgivable sin presupposes the ability to repent, for the process of forgiveness cannot be initiated without repentance.

            Therefore, the teaching that repentance is impossible for those who reject God after having truly experienced HIM provides clarity to the inability of the fallen angels to repent even while possessing freewill. (The metaphysics of this freewill that precludes the ability to repent would be an intriguing theme to discuss, but that’s for another day.)

God’s Expectation & Man’s Most Appropriate Response

            What does this theme (the inability of fallen angels to repent) teach us?

            God expects HIS people to love HIM and love HIM more. God has done everything for us to love HIM and not reject HIM. Our love for God would be strengthened if we [strive to] remain in HIS presence always.

            The world and its ruler – Satan, will do everything possible to distract us from loving God. If we consciously or unconsciously allow that distraction to gain strength in our Christian life, then our relationship with God would be on shaky ground.

            Therefore, our most appropriate response is to remain with God; love, obey and trust HIM at all times – be it in moments of joy or pain, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, NET).

Endnotes:

¹https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-repent.html (last accessed on 10^th August 2017)

²https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-free-will.html (last accessed on 10^th August 2017)

³http://www.deonvsearth.com/i-wish-i-could-go-back-to-heaven-demon-speaks-through-16yr-old-girl-video/ (last accessed on 10^th August 2017)

⁴https://www.gotquestions.org/angels-repent.html (last accessed on 10^th August 2017)

Photo credit: Guillaume DELEBARRE (off for a while) via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

War & Christians: How Should Christians Wage War?

            This is a turbulent period for Christians. The enemy is active and prowling to destroy us. The enemy is exceptionally powerful than the individual Christian or the Christian community. This enemy has destroyed innumerable Christians; he cannot be ignored or discounted. A vulnerable church or a vulnerable Christian will be totally destroyed by this enemy. 

            We cannot remain passive; we should actively fight this enemy. Unless we remain vigilant, we could be destroyed. The threat is real.

            There is no middle ground in this war; we cannot escape the clutches of this enemy. We either win or lose this war.

Deadly Deception

            This enemy is incredibly powerful and extremely deceptive. His power and deceptions are beyond compare.

            He owns remarkable intelligence about us. He knows our vulnerabilities to precision. He has his eyes all over us.

            Deception is the most effective weapon in his arsenal. His deception is significantly dangerous since it could be very subtle. His deception is highly effective since it is employed during our weakest moment.

Prime Target: Christianity

            The enemy targets Christians primarily. This is not to say that he would not harm the non-Christians. If non-Christians could be used to destroy Christians, this enemy would gladly use them in any manner whatsoever.

            This enemy targets the strong and the weak Christians. The more mature and strong Christians could be complacent about their maturity and strength. Hence they may ignore the enemy and even think that this enemy cannot defeat them at any cost. Their complacency could be their downfall.

            The weak Christians would not be aware of the enemy’s deadly potential. They will always be an easy prey to this enemy. They will be seduced to fall into his deadly embrace. Unknowingly, the weak Christians would offer themselves as a means to destroy their stronger counterparts. (My reference to the weak Christians is not a pejorative remark. It is germane to this theme. I sincerely hope and pray that every weak Christian would become stronger and mature in the Lord.)      

Beware

            He will attack us when we least expect him to. The attack is most deadly when it catches us by surprise. He will hurl his best weapons against us; even through our near and dear whom we trust the most.¹ We cannot be smug and complacent about this enemy or those around us.

            I am not sorry to say this, but if our relative or friend is not a strong Christian then he/she is a potential tool in the hands of the enemy. Beware of such a person. I am not saying that we should passionately suspect all those around us, who are not too keen on growing in the Lord. But we should be diligently vigilant. 

Embrace Hate; Abandon Love, Meekness & Humility

            This war, for a Christian, is a reality. We cannot think that we cannot wage this war. The Bible mandates this war at all costs.²

            We cannot be meek while contending with this enemy, for if we are meek, we will be destroyed. Abandon humility. If we are humble with this enemy, he will not only destroy us, but he will destroy our family and everything that we have.

            When this enemy hurts us, we cannot show our other cheek. In fact, we should not allow our enemy to reside in our vicinity or to lay his little finger upon us.

            We are to sincerely and passionately hate this enemy. Hate him with all our might, hate him with all our power, and hate him with all that we have.³

            We need to be on fire to burn this enemy. We should strive to eliminate this enemy. We need our weapons and all the protective gear that we can marshal to fight this enemy.⁴

Can This Enemy Be Defeated?

            Christianity is not a powerless or a vain faith in the triune God. God who created this world is more powerful than anything and everything. So this enemy can be absolutely defeated.

            Christians should follow a certain protocol while fighting this enemy. First, we should identify the enemy and understand his potential. Second, we should know how to fight this enemy and fight him. Finally, we should persevere in the battle to defeat this enemy.

Enemy’s Identity

            The enemy is the enemy of our souls. He is the one who can separate us from the Lord, if we are weak and lukewarm towards God. Satan is this enemy.

             The Bible reveals the true character of Satan. Please read your Bible diligently to understand Satan. Many essays and books have been authored about Satan. Please read them. I have authored a few essays about Satan as well.⁵

How To Fight The Satan?

            Fight him with truth.⁶ We need to live in the truth if we are to fight the evil one.

            Fight him passionately. In order to fight Satan with passion, we should love and obey the Lord our God with a greater passion. The Lord should be real in our lives. Our relationship with the Lord should be the most significant aspect of our life.

            Fight him with prayer and fasting. God’s incomparable power will be ours only if we fast and pray.

            Outside of Christ, there is no victory over Satan. Unless we remain in the Lord, we cannot overpower Satan.

            Persevering in this battle is not child’s play. It is very difficult to fight Satan. We may have to face failures during our warfare with Satan. These failures cannot deter our warfare with Satan. We need to face and accept these failures if we are to win the battle.

            Worldly desires cannot impede our fight with Satan. We may lose our health, our families, our jobs, our savings, our comforts, even our reputation, all for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, ““I have come to bring fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled!...Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”” (Luke 12: 49-53, NET). 

            Why, we may even lose our lives in the process. We cannot worry about our lives while we battle Satan. Losing our lives during this battle does not imply a loss, for all the lives that were lost in this battle glorified God.

            Do not believe those who say that there is no Satan. They are liars. They are the sons and daughters of Satan; they are Satan’s stooges.

            Know this; Satan is able to inflict damage upon our lives because God has allowed him to do so. In other words, God is in control. Because God is in control, HE can and will deliver us, if not in this world but in the world to come.

            In God alone we trust. But trusting in God comes at a price – the price of our time and effort. May we dedicate our time and effort into knowing God, loving HIM more, and living a glorious life for HIS sake.

Conclusion

            C.S. Lewis, in his work “The Screwtape Letter,” wrote “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…” I am not advocating an unhealthy interest in Satan but my sole intent is to remind us of our attitude and response to the enemy of our souls. 

            God, who was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the blazing furnace, is with us. HE will guide, guard and lead us to a victory over the evil one.

Endnotes:

¹cf. Job 6: 9

²Ephesians 6: 10-18

³Proverbs 8:13; Psalm 97:10; Romans 12:9

⁴Ephesians 6: 10-18

⁵These are the essays authored by me:

1. Knowledge to Overcome Satan: http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2013/11/knowledge-to-overcome-satan.html

2. The Devil is God’s Devil: http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2013/11/the-devil-is-gods-devil-overcoming-satan.html

3. Should Christians Fear Evil Spirits & Demons: http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2014/03/should-we-fear-evil-spirits-demons.html

4. Could Genuine Born Again Christian be Demon Possessed: http://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.in/2014/07/could-genuine-born-again-christian-be.html

⁶cf. Ephesians 6: 14  

Could A Genuine Born-Again Christian Be Demon Possessed? (A Glance Into Spiritual Warfare)

                  A theist or a religionist affirms the existence of the demonic. A Senior Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and a leading researcher in Extra Sensory Perception (ESP), Dean Radin, deems the demonic as the ‘projection of the unconscious.’ The naturalist rejects the existence of the demonic, as he denies God’s existence.

            This blog is not a venture to defend the existence of the demonic, instead the Bible is totally trusted. Since the Bible affirms the presence of the demonic, we trust their presence as well.

            My title presupposes the existence of two categories of Christians – the nominal and the genuine. Very minimally, the nominal Christian has virtually no relationship with the Triune God, whereas the genuine Christian trusts, loves, hopes in the Triune God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.

            My title implies that the nominal Christian is available for demon possession. The nominal Christian, by virtue of his stark ignorance of the Lord, is perennially available to a demonic occupancy. However, the moot point or the debatable question is whether a genuine Christian, who has an organic relationship with the living God, be demon possessed.

            What is demon possession? The technical term is to “have a demon” (Matthew 11: 18; Luke 7: 33; John 7: 20 et al.) or “be demonized,” suggesting a demonic influence. The Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5: 1-20) was unable to exercise his will and was under the total control of the evil spirit. This is an extreme instance of demon possession, where the human will (independency of the human will) is under the domination of the evil spirit.

            If by demon possession we mean that the genuine Christian is unable to exercise his or her will to love and obey God, then we should understand from the Bible that such a demon possession is contrary to the Biblical teaching (Colossians 1: 13; 1 John 4: 4 et al.). Therefore it’s a straightforward conclusion that a genuine Christian cannot be possessed by a demon to the extent where he loses the employment of his will to love and obey God.

            But we are not done yet, because the question of temptations looms large over us. Does temptation imply demon possession? Who tempts us and how are we tempted?

            Of this we are sure that God does not tempt anyone (James 1: 13). We are also sure that temptation causes sin, and sin is an assault on God. So we infer that Satan opposes God ought and tempts mankind. God allows for that temptation to occur in our lives (Cf. Matthew 4: 1).

            It was the Spirit of God who led the Son of God to be tempted by the devil. Therefore, we conclude that devil, whose chief occupation is to oppose God and HIS people, tempts people towards sinning.

            Temptation does not imply demon possession. Temptation is analogous to bait (read sin) that’s dangling right in front of our eyes, and man decides to bite the bait. In this instance, Satan does the dangling, and man does the biting [willfully]. While Satan causes man to sin, it’s the man who sins.

            Since man sins willingly, we infer that the sinful man need not necessarily be possessed by a demon, but he merely could be under a demonic influence. It’s also imperative to note that sins need not always necessarily be a result of demonic influence.

            Galatians 5: 19-21 catalogs the acts of the sinful nature or flesh. Let us briefly consider “hatred.” We do not need Satan to entice us into hatred. If a person hurts us, then the default response of anyone, Christian included, is hatred for that person. We could argue similarly for any act of the sinful nature listed in Galatians 5. Significantly, let us remember that these are the acts of the sinful nature or flesh, certainly not the evil spirit.

            Thus far, the following is clear:

            (1) A genuine Christian cannot be demon possessed.

            (2) God does not tempt anyone, but Satan tempts everyone and causes them to sin against God.

            (3) Temptation does not imply demon possession.

            Is demonic attack an instance of demon possession or demonic influence? Demonic attack is not an instance of demonic possession. For instance, Job and the Apostle Paul were attacked by Satan and not possessed by Satan.

            The Bible is sufficiently clear about the demonic attack on genuine Christians. The Bible teaches that being a genuine Christian does not entail a perfect protection from the demonic. Genuine Christians are likely to be attacked by the devil (Cf. 2 Corinthians 12: 7; Ephesians 6: 12 et al.). This is biblical.

            Can the Christian overcome the devil? Of course! This is a no-brainer. But the bigger question is if the Christian knows how to overcome the devil.

            For many years of my early Christian life, I had not known the power of the Holy Spirit that’s intrinsic in every genuine born-again Christian. It was after I immersed myself into the Bible into reading and studying the living Word of God that I understood the power of the Holy Spirit and the victories that can be ours when we use that power rightfully to our advantage to crush the devil.

            It’s casually taught that a Christian can rebuke the evil spirit / demon in the name of Jesus and command it to leave. But this is easier said than done.

            Christ’s disciples understood the need for a greater strength when they encountered an evil spirit that they could not cast out (Matthew 17: 21; Mark 9: 29). Christ taught them that they could only cast out such spirits if they were in a greater relationship with the Triune God. The greater relationship is possible when the disciple prays continually i.e. he is 24x7 (always) connected with God.

            Make no mistake; the work of Christ on the cross is the ultimate basis for our authority over demons. Satan was decisively defeated when Christ won the victory on the cross. This is the foundation for every believer who intends to cast out demons through rebuke in the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

            When Christ was tempted by Satan, HE quoted the Scripture to rebuke Satan. We are to do likewise (Cf. Ephesians 6: 17). Christians should memorize or integrate these Scripture verses to overcome Satan: Matthew 4: 10, 12: 28-29; Luke 10: 17-19; 2 Corinthians 10: 3-4; Colossians 2: 15; Hebrews 2: 14; James 4: 7; 1 Peter 5: 8-9; 1 John 3: 8, 4:4, 5:18. 

            Satan is always overcome by constant prayer and by the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit – the offensive weapon in spiritual warfare. Satan flees when believers rebuke him as they pray in the Holy Spirit using the Word of God and in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

            Finally, what about those Christians who preach false doctrines? Are they demon possessed or under demonic influence?

            Any Christian who denies Christ’s Lordship and professes that the Lord Jesus Christ did not come in flesh to redeem the world of its sin and power is under a demonic influence (1 John 4: 2-3; Cf. 1 Corinthians 12: 3). Any Christian who claims to be speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit but denies the necessity of Christ in any form or manner could also be demonically influenced (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15).

            Those branding themselves as Christians and denying the necessity of Christ for salvation of mankind are not genuine Christians.

            Having said this, it’s also imperative to note that not all false doctrines can be termed as demonically inspired. For instance, a Christian who teaches that water baptism is necessary for salvation need not necessarily be demonically inspired. Similar instance could be a teaching that every pie of a Christian’s sacrificial giving should go to the local church and not to any other entity as how wonderfully Christian they may be.

            Last but not the least; let’s not attribute every problem in a genuine Christian’s life to a demon. This relegates the Christian’s ‘walk in righteousness’ to futility, hence it’s remarkably unbiblical.  

            To conclude, a genuine Christian cannot be demon possessed. He could be under demonic influence. Demonic influence can be resisted and overcome by praying in the Holy Spirit using the Word of God in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Cf. Ephesians 6: 10 - 18). Therefore, let us walk by the Spirit to be victorious over Satan always (Galatians 5: 16). Amen.