"Powers of Angels"
We know a good deal about Satan from the fact he is an angel, though a fallen one. As such he was created without a body or physical aspect, for angels have no bodies, unless God clothes them with a temporary appearance in order to send them as messengers or witnesses into the world, as in the case of the angels that sat in the tomb of Christ.
Angels evidently have an appearance in Heaven, but are not normally visible to human eyes on earth.
Angels are immortal only by God’s sustaining permission and power. We read in Scripture that they have mysterious differences in ‘rank’, so there are higher angels. Though spirits, they operate in dimensions of time and space, for they are not infinite and outside time, as God is.
Angels clearly have powerful intelligence, and although the day will come when believers, as glorified people in Heaven, will be greater than the angels, while on earth we do not have their powers of mind. They ‘excel in strength’, says the Scripture, which places them above people on earth in ability.
Angels have great knowledge but it has a limit. So, for example, we are told in Ephesians 3.10 that they look down from Heaven in wonder at the conversion and sanctification of people on earth, marvelling at each case, and learning about the ‘manifold wisdom of God’. The Gospel age has been an immense education to the very highest angels.
This also shows that angels cannot tell the future, apart from knowing the Word of God, as we also may know it. When Old Testament prophecies began to be fulfilled with the coming of Christ, they observed with wonder these events, things which ‘the angels desire to look into’ (1 Peter 1.12). In this they are not like God, Whose knowledge is infinite, and Who continuously knows all things that happen throughout eternal history.
Angels clearly have power to communicate with each other. They cannot create anything or kill anyone at will, though they may sometimes be appointed by God as His agents to terminate life. Even Satan is shown seeking the express permission of God to inflict disease and take life in the book of Job. Angels cannot do these things of themselves. Angels cannot change earthly substances, altering one element into another, nor can they alter or override the laws of nature, except at God’s direction.
They are bound within these limitations. It follows that angels cannot work miracles unless God empowers them to do so.
As fallen angels, Satan and his demonic hosts share all these limitations. And here is another limitation, common to both good and evil angels, and one which is of very great importance to us in our battle with the devil.
Angels cannot search our hearts and read our thoughts. They cannot enter into the innermost recesses of our thought-lives. An old Christian adage runs – ‘Demons can speak to the soul, but not search the heart.’ We will say more about Satan’s inability to read thoughts in due course.
All these limitations are clear from the Bible, which ascribes infinite intelligence and knowledge, power to create and end life, working of miracles, and searching of hearts, to God alone. These things are exclusive to Him. Indeed, the devil and his demons are more limited than good angels, because God would never appoint or delegate to them His own wonder-working power.
We are taught in 2 Thessalonians 2.9, that when the man of sin is revealed, who will operate under the rule of Satan, his miracles and wonders will be ‘lying wonders’, or counterfeit deceptions. Satan and his demons cannot perform true miracles.
Satan, we need hardly say, is utterly evil. He is described as an unclean spirit, and the leader of the vast host of unclean, fallen spirits. However, since Calvary he cannot determine the actions of human beings irresistibly, overriding their freedom and responsibility, unless they have altogether yielded themselves to him and co-operated with him in opposition to God, so that they are ‘taken captive by him at his will’ (2 Timothy 2.26). And even such people are not beyond redemption.
Satan cannot make us do anything. He cannot so dictate to us that we are bound to do his bidding, but must work by deception and persuasion. It is therefore wrong to say, ‘Satan made me do it.’ He may urge us, suggest things to us, press us, and lie to us about the outcome, but he cannot make us do anything. We must never ascribe to Satan powers which belong exclusively to Almighty God; and while we should be very aware of his power, we must never fear him as invincible.
We know a good deal about Satan from the fact he is an angel, though a fallen one. As such he was created without a body or physical aspect, for angels have no bodies, unless God clothes them with a temporary appearance in order to send them as messengers or witnesses into the world, as in the case of the angels that sat in the tomb of Christ.
Angels evidently have an appearance in Heaven, but are not normally visible to human eyes on earth.
Angels are immortal only by God’s sustaining permission and power. We read in Scripture that they have mysterious differences in ‘rank’, so there are higher angels. Though spirits, they operate in dimensions of time and space, for they are not infinite and outside time, as God is.
Angels clearly have powerful intelligence, and although the day will come when believers, as glorified people in Heaven, will be greater than the angels, while on earth we do not have their powers of mind. They ‘excel in strength’, says the Scripture, which places them above people on earth in ability.
Angels have great knowledge but it has a limit. So, for example, we are told in Ephesians 3.10 that they look down from Heaven in wonder at the conversion and sanctification of people on earth, marvelling at each case, and learning about the ‘manifold wisdom of God’. The Gospel age has been an immense education to the very highest angels.
This also shows that angels cannot tell the future, apart from knowing the Word of God, as we also may know it. When Old Testament prophecies began to be fulfilled with the coming of Christ, they observed with wonder these events, things which ‘the angels desire to look into’ (1 Peter 1.12). In this they are not like God, Whose knowledge is infinite, and Who continuously knows all things that happen throughout eternal history.
Angels clearly have power to communicate with each other. They cannot create anything or kill anyone at will, though they may sometimes be appointed by God as His agents to terminate life. Even Satan is shown seeking the express permission of God to inflict disease and take life in the book of Job. Angels cannot do these things of themselves. Angels cannot change earthly substances, altering one element into another, nor can they alter or override the laws of nature, except at God’s direction.
They are bound within these limitations. It follows that angels cannot work miracles unless God empowers them to do so.
As fallen angels, Satan and his demonic hosts share all these limitations. And here is another limitation, common to both good and evil angels, and one which is of very great importance to us in our battle with the devil.
Angels cannot search our hearts and read our thoughts. They cannot enter into the innermost recesses of our thought-lives. An old Christian adage runs – ‘Demons can speak to the soul, but not search the heart.’ We will say more about Satan’s inability to read thoughts in due course.
All these limitations are clear from the Bible, which ascribes infinite intelligence and knowledge, power to create and end life, working of miracles, and searching of hearts, to God alone. These things are exclusive to Him. Indeed, the devil and his demons are more limited than good angels, because God would never appoint or delegate to them His own wonder-working power.
We are taught in 2 Thessalonians 2.9, that when the man of sin is revealed, who will operate under the rule of Satan, his miracles and wonders will be ‘lying wonders’, or counterfeit deceptions. Satan and his demons cannot perform true miracles.
Satan, we need hardly say, is utterly evil. He is described as an unclean spirit, and the leader of the vast host of unclean, fallen spirits. However, since Calvary he cannot determine the actions of human beings irresistibly, overriding their freedom and responsibility, unless they have altogether yielded themselves to him and co-operated with him in opposition to God, so that they are ‘taken captive by him at his will’ (2 Timothy 2.26). And even such people are not beyond redemption.
Satan cannot make us do anything. He cannot so dictate to us that we are bound to do his bidding, but must work by deception and persuasion. It is therefore wrong to say, ‘Satan made me do it.’ He may urge us, suggest things to us, press us, and lie to us about the outcome, but he cannot make us do anything. We must never ascribe to Satan powers which belong exclusively to Almighty God; and while we should be very aware of his power, we must never fear him as invincible.
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