The Angelic Conflict

Angels are divided into two categories: Unfallen (Holy & Elect) — 1 Timothy 5:21; Mark 8:38; and Fallen: Headed by Satan, there are fallen angels [demons] in two categories. There are operational demons — 1 Timothy 4:1; Imprisoned demons — 2 Peter 2:4, which are those of Genesis chapter 6. Fallen angels, including Satan, are sentenced to the lake of fire — Matthew 25:41. The sentence took place in the past. However, Satan objected to the judgement and in his objection he charged the character of God: “How can a loving God cast His creatures into the Lake of Fire?” While there is no specific scripture worded in this way the scriptural deduction comes from passages in the Word of God.

Satan’s negative volition is the pattern for man’s negative volition — Isaiah 14:12-14.

To resolve the angelic conflict an inferior creature, man, was placed on the earth — Hebrews 2:7 — and his volition was tested under two systems. Before the fall he was in innocence, ignorant of sin, and had no sin nature. But he had volition and used it in a negative way resulting in the fall which plunged the human race into spiritual death. After the fall man had a sin nature, free will or volition, and a new tree which was the cross. He was free to exercise his volition positively by the use of non-meritorious faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

This exercise of faith in Christ resolves the angelic conflict. The issue is a question: “Will mankind which is inferior to angels choose the work of Christ and be saved?” Doing so resolves the angelic conflict — Hebrews chapters 1 & 2. Jesus Christ became a man through physical/virgin birth, making Him lower than the angels. But through His perfect life, death, resurrection, and ascension Jesus Christ is now higher than the angels as He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. In Christ believers positionally are at the right hand of God also and are therefore positionally higher than angels. Therefore we have a servant, a guardian angel — Hebrews 1:4-24.

Mankind is under angelic observation and the angels learn the judgement of God by watching the human race — Luke 15:7,10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Peter 1:12; 1 Corinthians 4:9; 6:3; 11:10.

Satan gained control of the earth through the fall. The Bible says that he is the ruler of this world, but through faith in Jesus Christ man is freed from Satan’s domination — 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31, 14:30; 16:11; Ephesians 2:2.

Satan has a well organised strategy in this great spiritual conflict. He has access to heaven — Job 1:6-11; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Zechariah 3:1 — where he accuses believers to hinder the work of the Lord on earth, but the believer’s council for the defense is the Lord Jesus Christ — 1 John 3:1. Satan also invites believers to ignore the Word of God and accept false doctrine — 1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 10:19-20; 11:3,13-15; 1 Chronicles 21:1. Satan seeks to frustrate God’s will: His operational will — James 4:7,8; Galatians 5:7; His geographical will — 1 Thessalonians 2:18. He seeks to get the eyes of the believer off the Lord Jesus Christ and to obscure the focus of the believer by encouraging the concentration of the believer on to himself — 1 Corinthians 1:10,11; Genesis 3:1; Elijah in 1 Kings 19:10; Peter in Matthew 26:31-35; on things — Hebrews 13:5,6; on people — Jeremiah 17:5. The solution to this is found in Hebrews 12:2 and Colossians 3:1,2. Satan gets believers to worry — 1 Peter 5:7-9 — and to get them occupied with temporal solutions to problem, thereby neglecting divine solutions. He instills the fear of death in believers — Job 5:21; Psalm 23:4. He blinds the minds of the unbeliever — 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9,10; and he deceives the nations — Revelation 12:9; 20:3,8.

Satan also has counterfeits:

He has a system of evangelists, preachers, and apostles — 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 — who preach another [false] gospel — Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 11:3,4. He has a system of doctrine [doctrine of demons] — 1 Timothy 4:1-3; a communion table [idolatry] — 1 Corinthians 10:21. This involves the worship of images of man or animal or the worship of things, such as money. He has a smoke screen to obscure the truth — 2 Corinthians 4:3,4.

Satan has an unseen demon organisation more powerful than any human organisation to administer his policies — Ephesians 6:12.

The doctrine of the angelic conflict, part #2

1. Many of the problems which disturb believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, many problems which appear to have no answer, are actually related to the angelic conflict. Many things which cannot be explained in terms of human activity are actually related to angelic activity. For example, the question is often asked: Why are we here? Why is man created? Why does man live on the earth? The reason we are here is to resolve the angelic conflict. That is a part of glorifying God. The angelic conflict is a revolt against God, and God is going to win it. The way He is going to win it is to create something lower than angels, weaker than angels, dumber than angels, and use that to win it. The fact that they do exist is verified by Psalm 8:4,5; Hebrews 2:6,7; 2 Peter 2:11. They are created beings — Psalm 148:2-5.

There are two general categories of these unseen creatures: a) Saved or elect. They are called “holy” in Mark 8:38, and “elect” in 1 Timothy 5:21. They are a category of angels who will live with God forever, they are saved and they will never get into the lake of fire; b) The unsaved angels which fall into two categories. One category is in prison right now because they were all involved in the Genesis 6:1-9 fiasco, as explained by 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6. They are now in what is called Tartarus and there they are going to stay for a long time. The other category are the operative angels, i.e. demons — Mark 5; 1 Corinthians 10:20,21. Their doctrines are mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:1.

2. The point that is most important in the angelic conflict is the fact that all unsaved angels are sentence to the lake of fire forever and ever — Matthew 25:41 tells us that the lake if fire was created for this crowd.

3. During the course of human history we have the sentence under appeal. In eternity past God sentenced all angels to the lake of fire. However, Satan appealed the case and the course of human history is the period when the case is under appeal. The case will receive its final decision at the end of human history. So no angels at the present time are in the lake of fire. Except for the ones incarcerated the demons are all loose to day and they are definitely permitted under God to make certain attacks upon the human race because it is the volition of the human race that actually resolves the angelic conflict. It shows that Satan’s appeal is not valid.

Satan, as the chief of the unsaved angels, appealed the case at the time of the sentence to the lake of fire. In objecting to the sentence Satan made his appeal by impugning the character of God. He said the judge, God, was not fair. He said that the judge was inconsistent, and he also indicated that the judge was supposed to be love, and how can a loving God throw His creatures into the lake of fire? So in every way he impugned the character of God.

We know that Satan is the lawyer for the appeal because his Greek name is diaboloj. It means adversary, enemy, or slanderer. It also means a lawyer who takes the case. The same thing is true of Shatan (Hebrew) which means devil, enemy, adversary, so devil means a lawyer who has appealed the case. He is the enemy of God.

It is simple to see how all this worked out, it is a simple deduction based on elapse of time between the passing of the sentence before human history and the execution of the sentence at the end of human history.

The answer to this objection by Satan is found in the character of God in His essence box. God is not just love. God is sovereignty, absolute righteousness and justice; His love must be consistent with these. God cannot ignore the other characteristics, He is immutable. God has to be consistent. He .loves His creature but just because he loves them He still has to be fair, He has to be righteous and He has to be just. Because all of the fallen angels went along with Satan righteousness demands that God separate from them; justice demands that he sentence them. So the fallen angels are all talking about the love of God and ignoring the righteousness and justice of God. They are looking for God to be unfair for the first time and of God is unfair even once in all of human history, since human history is the appeal of the case, then Satan has won his case. But God throughout all of human history, and in dealing with billions and billions of people, has never been unfair even once, and having been consistent and being consistent throughout the entire course of human history the fallen angels are going to end up in the lake of fire. This is because God has never been unfair, unrighteous, unjust; He has always been consistent.

In order to demonstrate His fairness and His consistency in the human race there must be an issue — a big issue and a lot of subsidiary issues. The big issue is salvation, and from this come the subsidiary issues like after salvation, supergrace versus reversionism, carnality versus spirituality.

4. The pattern of angelic negative volition is expressed in two ways. Satan’s original sin of negative volition really gives the pattern. Isaiah 14:12-14. The angels also who took his side also reject God’s plan, whatever God’s plan called for.

5. The creation of man resolves the angelic conflict and answers Satan’s appeal. To resolve the angelic conflict an inferior creature, mankind, is placed on one planet possessing one thing in common with these superior creatures: free will, the bona fide function of a creature volition — Psalm 8:3-5; Hebrews 2:7.

6. Human volition is tested in exactly the same pattern as angelic volition. Angels began in innocence; mankind began in innocence. Angels sinned — negative volition of Satan and those who followed him; mankind sins — negative volition of Adam. God provided salvation or some way for angels to remain intact, so that they didn’t have to go with Satan. Many didn’t which is why there are the elect angels. God provided salvation for mankind. So they angels are divided into two categories: elect and fallen; mankind is divided into two categories — John 3:18,16, 36. The ones who believe in Christ are eternally saved. The ones who reject Christ are lost.

7. Two tests are instituted for man’s volition just as the same two types of status existed in angelic history — pre-human history. a) Innocence; b) Sinfulness. Innocence existed with free will but no sin nature. For the free will to be functioning and to have a test mankind is prohibited the use of one tree. That was the volitional test — Genesis 2:17. In the status of innocence man could only sin in one way — negative volition: eat of the forbidden tree. The penalty for going negative and eating of the forbidden truth was said to be death, but not physical death. In innocence there is no physical death — perfect environment. Man understood death as a penalty, as a condemnation, a judgement, and he understood it in its right context — separation from God. Adam died immediately when he ate of the forbidden fruit, but he was still alive and still breathing. Obviously it wasn’t physical death. He died spiritually. Christ died for our sins, but He didn’t die physically for our sins, He died spiritually for our sins. Romans 5:12; 6:23; Genesis 2:17 — spiritual death. The test in the garden was to parallel the test in the angelic realm, so we can only conclude that there was a similar test with the angels. Eventually all the angels were divided.

Sinfulness: After the fall salvation is promises so that you can still have the issue. The devil thought he had won a round when man went negative and ate of the forbidden fruit, but immediately Christ come sin the garden, promises salvation through Himself and immediately volition faces an issue. And the first parents went positive and believed in Jesus Christ. Now the issue in the human race, from the time of Adam and Eve right down to the end of the Millennium, is “what think ye of Christ?” Salvation. Before Christ came historically He was portrayed in many ways: in animal sacrifices, etc. The issue right through is volition, the function of free will with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ.

8. Man’s entrance into the plan of God through faith in Christ destroys the devil’s appeal, it resolves the angelic conflict. The issue: Will man, inferior to angels, equipped with the same free will as angels, choose for or against the plan of God — operation grace. The solution: If even one member of the human race in all of human history believes in the Lord Jesus Christ the angelic conflict is resolved — Hebrews 1:4-14; chapter 2; Colossians 2;14,15. Therefore the principle of operation footstool in Psalm 110:1; 1 Corinthians 15:54, 24 ,25. Also Hebrews 1:3 relates the work of Christ on the cross to man’s expression of non-meritorious volition.

After the cross the next issue is this: Can God keep His character intact and bless you? There is the whole story of the supergrace life.

For this reason we have angelic observation. Why? Angels learn through the conversion of members of the human race that the free will of man does not necessarily choose against God as each demon did. The fallen angels before human history have already done this, now they see in the unbeliever a repetition of their own negative volition. This explains also the rejoicing of elect angels over one unbeliever who changes his attitude toward Christ — Luke 15:7,10. By comparing Colossians 2:15 in the Greek with Revelation 19:6-8; Zechariah 13:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:13 it is concluded that the numbers of believers in the body of Christ will be equal to the number of demons operating under the command of Satan in the intensified stage of the angelic conflict. That is why the Church Age is going to last a long time.

9. The results of the angelic conflict.

Phase one: salvation results. Regenerate mankind is positionally higher than angels because of his union with Christ — Hebrews 1:4-14.

Phase two: Through suffering, regenerate mankind uses doctrine to the point of celebrityship with Christ, occupation with Christ. The maximum use of the faith-rest technique in suffering produces occupation with Christ — Romans 5:2-4; 1 Peter 1:7.8. Also in phase two the blessing of the supergrace believer demonstrates the same thing. That is why the life of any believer who is worth his salt has alternate suffering and blessing.

Phase three: Regenerate mankind is going to be physically superior to angels because he is going to possess a resurrection body like that of Christ. In the resurrection and ascension Christ demonstrated the superiority of His resurrection body. We will have one like Him — Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:1,2; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57.

10. Through the fall of man Satan gained control of the world but not necessarily control of mankind. This is because God instituted some divine laws. The laws of divine establishment began with human freedom. Human volition or free will makes man a free agent, and as a free agent in the devil’s world he can choose between the plan of God and the blessings that come from that plan or the plan of Satan and the things that Satan offers by way of bait. Salvation through faith in Christ frees mankind from Satan’s control — Galatians 5:1. After salvation the believer who GAPs it to supergrace learns the reality of this freedom. Until the second advent Satan will be the ruler of this world — 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Ephesians 2:2.

11. The doctrine of angelic observation. Angels are observing the human race. Angels observed the incarnate Christ during His incarnation — 1 Timothy 3:16. Elect angels observe and rejoice over the conversion of any member of the human race — Luke 15:7. Fallen angels are organised under Satan’s command to resist and oppose all believers — Job 1:6; 2:1,3; Ephesians 6:12. Angels are watching all the human race, and especially believers — 1 Corinthians 4:9; 6:3; 7:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Peter 1:12.

12. The angelic conflict, then, answers some basic questions about life. If you really want to understand what life is all about you have to understand why we are here. We are here to resolve the angelic conflict. We are here because Satan went to court and appealed the sentence passed upon the fallen angels. The sentence was the lake of fire forever and ever.

Man has volition even as Satan had volition and the first question that is answered by the angelic conflict is, Why man? Man is here to glorify God. Inside of man’s soul is volition and that volition can operate once and that resolves the angelic conflict. If just one person in the history of the human race has believed in Jesus Christ that would be all that was necessary to prove God’s point. But over the course of human history millions and millions of people have believed in Christ. So the cross is the beginning of a series of victories whereby God demonstrates His point to the fallen angels. This reaches its peak under the supergrace concept. God keeps pouring and pouring, and this glorifies God.

Another question is, Why sin? Sin resolves the issue of phase one in the plan of God. Man’s free will is the source of all sinfulness in the human race. Man was created without any sin. God is not the author of sin, God is not the creator of sin, God does not sponsor sin; but He did create in man something whereby man could choose to go into the hole deeper. Man did choose that and man becomes a sinner by an act of his own free will. Man’s free will created the old sin nature. God did not create the old sin nature, man did. At the cross all human sin is poured out upon Jesus Christ and judged, this removes the barrier between man and God and, at the same time, resolves the angelic conflict. So the fact that man went deeper into the hole does not in any way deter the angelic conflict, it merely shifts gears and goes into a new area.

Suffering is another problem in the human race. The answer to the suffering problem is, again, God permits the believer to suffer for the purpose of blessing. That is why suffering is designed to catch the believer in supergrace, and while all the other blessings are being poured in the cup to pour in some suffering. And when that suffering is poured in the believer is still blessed. The only difference is his happiness isn’t over on the ecstatic side.

The Church is also another question that often occurs. The Jewish Age is interrupted and we are now in the Church Age. The key to this is found in one of the angelic conflict passages — Colossians 2:10. Christ, the head of the Church, is absent from the earth as a part of operation footstool. So He has representation on the earth in the form of His body. Christ is the head of the Church, we are His body representing Him as ambassadors. We are a kingdom of priests, every believer is in full time Christian service and therefore the personal representative of Christ on the earth. So Christ appointed the Church as His full time representation.

Why chaos on the earth? Satan is the ruler of this world and he cannot improve his own kingdom. Divine laws of establishment keeps the human race from entering into this chaos. Therefore Satan is very frustrated trying to improve his kingdom and show God that he has a right to stay out of the lake of fire. But he never gets around to improving it. All of the improvements come from God and not from Satan. Therefore chaos is related to the angelic conflict.

There is the problem of spirituality, the filling of the Spirit. People often ask why it doesn’t have the characteristics that it will have in the Millennium where it will be associated with ecstatics. But there is no ecstatics related to the filling of the Spirit now. Why? The filling of the Spirit must be compatible with the absence of Jesus Christ from the earth. This is the whole concept of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age. Jesus Christ during the Church Age is at the right hand of the Father, and in His absence the ministry of God the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ. In the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ the filling of the Holy Spirit does exactly that. It produces in the believer certain things which glorify Christ. Jesus Christ is absent; Jesus Christ must be glorified, therefore the whole ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bring doctrine from the page of the Word of God into the soul of the individual though GAP and for the individual to manifest some of the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Therefore neither emotion nor ecstatics are involved. The filling of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ and it is minus emotion, ecstatics. But in the millennium Jesus Christ is going to be present and the filling of the Spirit will change then to reflect that. Since Christ is present the objective is to worship Christ or to love Christ in the filling of the Spirit and therefore there will be emotion. In any case of true love there is always an emotional response to what you have by way of capacity for love in the right lobe. Joel 2:28,29. There will be an appreciation of Christ on the earth rather than glorifying the absent Christ.

13. Certain principles need to be applied from the angelic conflict. The angelic conflict explains the superiority of spirituality over the Mosaic law. The Mosaic law has an objective, i.e. to set up the laws of establishment, but spirituality has a higher objective to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why the Mosaic law was taught by elect angels in the days of Moses. Elect angels were most anxious for the winning of the angelic conflict and the Mosaic law is a summary of the laws of divine establishment. So angels taught the Exodus generation. Acts 7:38; Galatians 3:19; Psalm 68:7; Deuteronomy 33:2. Christ is superior to angels as He is resurrected and ascended, the believer is in union with Christ, and now we have a difference. Angels were the teachers of doctrine to the Old Testament saints, now angels are servants — Hebrews 1:13,14.