Do you think demons can be good?

[Lax]

Do you think demons have the potential to be good?


Or that they have free will?

 

[Theofane]

No, but they can use your own understanding of good and evil against you. To destroy you, to turn you against God, to make sure you fall into hell. The enemy will even use your love of God as a weapon against you, against other people, against God Himself! You cannot imagine the cunning or the malevolence of Satan and his fallen angels. The hatred they have for mankind is beyond all reckoning. (I think it is the Holy Spirit prompting me to tell you these things.)

Praise God and live for Him!

 

[Lax]

No, but they can use your own understanding of good and evil against you. To destroy you, to turn you against God, to make sure you fall into hell. The enemy will even use your love of God as a weapon against you, against other people, against God Himself! You cannot imagine the cunning or the malevolence of Satan and his fallen angels. The hatred they have for mankind is beyond all reckoning. (I think it is the Holy Spirit prompting me to tell you these things.)

Praise God and live for Him!

I see.... thank you.

 

[WinBySurrender]

Do you think demons have the potential to be good?

No.

 

[Myshkin99]

No, but they can use your own understanding of good and evil against you. To destroy you, to turn you against God, to make sure you fall into hell. The enemy will even use your love of God as a weapon against you, against other people, against God Himself!

Demons can only do what God permits them to do.

Is there any disagreement on this point?

 

[wannabeadesigirl]

Can I play devils advocate ? Demons, according to Christian theology are fallen angels. If demons cannot have free will, then did angels have free will to begin with?

Many Christians believe Lucifer and his followers had the free will to fight against God then I think I can safely say that Angels have free will.

If demons are nothing more than fallen Angels why can't they have the free will to chose Gods will?

My answer is yes, they have the ability to chose Gods will, but because they are so corrupted they cannot, and out of pride, will not.

You could also look at Islams take and say that there are 3 beings created by God for this earth, the Angels, Djinn, and Humans. Djinn are spiritual beings that can be good, neutral or evil because they have free will, like humans. According to Islam anyway, Satan is a Djinn that chose evil. In this account at least Satan isn't the SUPREME evil in the universe, so to say the dark to Gods light, like he is in Zoroastrian thought.

 

[Myshkin99]

If demons are nothing more than fallen Angels why can't they have the free will to chose Gods will?

My answer is yes, they have the ability to chose Gods will, but because they are so corrupted they cannot, and out of pride, will not.

Which is why I pray for Satan to be redeemed. I think everyone of an Abrahamic bent ought to. If we have no compassion for the most fallen of the fallen, then what good are we?

 

[Jpark]

Do you think demons have the potential to be good?


Or that they have free will?

Neither.

Besides, they've been obeying until now. They will not be accepted by God because their sin is knowledge.

 

[WinBySurrender]

Demons can only do what God permits them to do.

Is there any disagreement on this point?

Careful not to place God in a position of directing the demons. He doesn't. He just limits the amount of evil they are permitted to commit.

 

[Ronald452]

I think it's an odd question... how do you define "good"? Only God is good, and only those in harmony with him can be considered so. Demons (as traditionally defined) have nothing but ill intentions toward us and so we should naturally consider them enemies who only seek to deceive and destroy us.

 

[CatsAreNice]

I don't think so, personally. The only times I've felt that I've encountered demons are in my dreams. And it gets pretty nasty. Last night I dreamt one of them was snarling at me and dragging me down to hell by the ankle. I woke up scrabbling at my leg, convinced I was being taken all the way down. Damnedest thing. Then again, I might just be losing it!

 

[Theofane]

Demons can only do what God permits them to do.

Is there any disagreement on this point?

Yes, from me. You make it seem like demons are still loyal to God, which they aren't.

 

[Theofane]

I don't think so, personally. The only times I've felt that I've encountered demons are in my dreams. And it gets pretty nasty. Last night I dreamt one of them was snarling at me and dragging me down to hell by the ankle. I woke up scrabbling at my leg, convinced I was being taken all the way down. Damnedest thing. Then again, I might just be losing it!

Early this morning I woke up --with a cry of terror-- from a dream about being in a dark basement, rushed by several skull-faced ghouls with no means of escape. It lasted just a few seconds but boy was I scared. If you're losing it, so am I!

 

[TheUnfaithful]

I guess that depends what you view a demon as... in order to define if a demon is free or not, you would have to define what you mean by demon.

 

[TheUnfaithful]

if you mean like evil spirits, or the angels that fell from heaven with Satan, modern Christians might view them as uncontrolled by god, but in a sense god makes the rules. the demons might be subject to the rules but not to the actual will of god. if that is you believe free will exists.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I don't believe the question is answerable. That's simply not the sort of thing God has felt it important for us to know. There is nothing in Scripture that suggests the devils can't repent, likewise there is nothing that says they can or will.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Hammster]

Do you think demons have the potential to be good?

No, but they can be used for good.

<*(((><

 

[dollarsbill]

Satan and demons can indeed do good. But it's always meant to deceive.

Matthew 24:24 (NASB)
24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

 

[daydreamergurl15]

Do you think demons have the potential to be good?


Or that they have free will?

No, I don't think demons have the potential to be good, but their counterparts are good. See, demons are the names given to the fallen angels who rebelled in Heaven. So, I think angels have the ability to be good.

And yes, I think they have free will. Without free will, the demons would not rebel in Heaven.

 

[Blessedj01]

Which is why I pray for Satan to be redeemed. I think everyone of an Abrahamic bent ought to. If we have no compassion for the most fallen of the fallen, then what good are we?

You do realise that what you just said is Satanic right? Firstly, you're saying everyone of an "Abrahamic bent" (ie. making no distinction that Jesus is the truth - as wether one's beliefs have some tie in with Abraham has no basis on salvation) should pray for Satan. This is accusation and guilt-mongering. Secondly, you say we should have "compassion" for the fallen of fallen - more accusation and guilt-mongering. Then you say "what good are we," which is again, accusation and guilt-mongering, coupled with works-before-faith and the idolatry of self. None is good but Him.

I think you should stop praying for Satan, because doctrinally, he has you worshipping him and guilt-tripping others into doing so. I should tell you, Satan is not only fallen - he consciously chooses to be the enemy of man and God. He is the Father of Lies and is incapable of speaking the Truth. He is your eternal enemy and has no interest in being redeemed of God.