How spirits work: Part 3

I thought that I would discuss the dilemma between the concept of free will and spirits or souls. One place this is manifested is in the idea that demons and devils were once angels that had gone wrong.

If we assume that the concept of angels turning away from God and becoming devils or demons is valid, then we must conclude that free will is a reality. Could it be a proof that we have free will? Let's explore that.

First of all, we must determine if there are really fallen angels. The term is defined as a rebellious angel who has been cast out of heaven. There are references to this in the Bible, as in 2 Peter 2:4 in which it is said that God cast sinful angels into hell. "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;"

This suggests that there was a war in heaven and that devils and demons are these fallen angels. The Bible mentions Lucifer as being the leader of the fallen angels. Lucifer is also called Satan, which is the name most mentioned in the New Testament. Where this is mentioned the most is in the book of 'Revelation'. The best reference is in Revelation 12:8-9. "Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him".

And in Revelation 20:2-5  "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time."

Also we see in Jude 1:6-7  "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."

The other place that this war in heaven is used is in John Milton's epic poem 'Paradise Lost', where Satan is called 'brighter once amidst the host of Angels, than the sun amidst the stars'.

So, the idea of fallen angels is well established. We can say with certainty that devils and demons were angels before rebelling against God in heaven. This means that they were given free will to choose between God and Satan.

If we assume that our souls and angels are similar as far as substance is concerned then we must conclude that we also have this free will to choose between God and Satan.

Unfortunately, this creates the problem of predestination in which God already knows whether we will choose Him or not. This means that there is nothing we could do to change this outcome. This is based on the idea that God has foreknowledge.

If our souls were created at the time of the Big Bang then why would God even bother making us if He knew we would turn against Him? That's a question that's hard to answer unless you propose that God is not totally infallible. The only reconciliation that I could come up with is that God's love is universal and unrelenting no matter how we turn out. In other words, it is we who turn from God.

Thanks for reading.