- Feb 5, 2002
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Since angels and demons are pure spirits, they cannot experience physical harm. This means that angels and demons do not fight one another in the way that material creatures do. Instead, their combat takes a different form.
A War in Heaven
At the beginning of creation, all of the angels were united in serving God. But a time came when Lucifer, the most senior of all the angels, grew resentful towards God. Catholic tradition holds that this resentment arose when Lucifer realized God’s plan for humanity and the role which human beings, and in particular Our Lady, were destined to play as the crowning glory of all creation.
Rather than serve a peasant girl from Nazareth, Lucifer chose instead to rebel against his Creator. In the Old Testament, we find several texts which are interpreted by the Church Fathers as describing, in mystical terms, the pride and subsequent fall of Lucifer (see Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:12-17). In the New Testament, the book of Revelation implies that a full third of the angels joined Lucifer in his revolt, which caused a civil war in heaven:
Here we see the dragon, who represents Lucifer, being defeated by St. Michael and his angels.
But how could such a battle ever take place between spiritual creatures who are incapable of physically harming or killing one another? The exorcist Fr. José Antonio Fortea offers some helpful insights on this question:
Continued below.
A War in Heaven
At the beginning of creation, all of the angels were united in serving God. But a time came when Lucifer, the most senior of all the angels, grew resentful towards God. Catholic tradition holds that this resentment arose when Lucifer realized God’s plan for humanity and the role which human beings, and in particular Our Lady, were destined to play as the crowning glory of all creation.
Rather than serve a peasant girl from Nazareth, Lucifer chose instead to rebel against his Creator. In the Old Testament, we find several texts which are interpreted by the Church Fathers as describing, in mystical terms, the pride and subsequent fall of Lucifer (see Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:12-17). In the New Testament, the book of Revelation implies that a full third of the angels joined Lucifer in his revolt, which caused a civil war in heaven:
Here we see the dragon, who represents Lucifer, being defeated by St. Michael and his angels.
But how could such a battle ever take place between spiritual creatures who are incapable of physically harming or killing one another? The exorcist Fr. José Antonio Fortea offers some helpful insights on this question:
Continued below.
