Angels, and demons

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In our faith we’re taught that angels and demons are all around us and can see and interact with our world, but if they don’t have bodies or eyes, how can they see or interact with anything?

With angels maybe the answer is as simple as God wants them too.

But what about demons.

They have no bodies and they have no eyes.

Why should they be able to see or interact with our world at all?
 
Such an answer would best be derived from Divine Revelation.

This section from John Paul II catechesis on the Angels is noteworthy.
  1. According to Sacred Scripture, and especially the New Testament, the dominion and the influence of Satan and of the other evil spirits embraces all the world. We may think of Christ’s parable about the field (the world), about the good seed and the bad seed that the devil sows in the midst of the wheat, seeking to snatch away from hearts the good that has been "sown"in them (cf. Mt 13:38-39). We may think of the numerous exhortations to vigilance (cf. Mt 26:41; 1 Pet 5:8), to prayer and fasting (cf. Mt 17:21). We may think of the strong statement made by the Lord: “This kind of demon cannot be cast out by any other means than prayer” (Mk 9:29). The action of Satan consists primarily in tempting men to evil, by influencing their imaginations and higher faculties, to turn them away from the law of God. Satan even tempts Jesus (cf. Lk 4:3-13), in the extreme attempt to thwart what is demanded by the economy of salvation, as this has been pre-ordained by God.
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It is possible that in certain cases the evil spirit goes so far as to exercise his influence not only on material things, but even on man’s body so that one can speak of “diabolical possession” (cf. Mk 5:2-9). It is not always easy to discern the preternatural factor operative in these cases, and the Church does not lightly support the tendency to attribute many things to the direct action of the devil; but in principle it cannot be denied that Satan can go to this extreme manifestation of his superiority, in his will to harm and lead to evil.
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  1. To conclude, we must add that the impressive words of the Apostle John, “The whole world lies under the power of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19), allude also to the presence of Satan in the history of humanity, a presence which becomes all the more acute when man and society depart from God. The influence of the evil spirit can conceal itself in a more profound and effective way: it is in his “interests” to make himself unknown. Satan has the skill in the world to induce people to deny his existence in the name of rationalism and of every other system of thought which seeks all possible means to avoid recognizing his activity. This, however, does not signify the elimination of man’s free will and responsibility, and even less the frustration of the saving action of Christ. It is, rather, a case of conflict between the dark powers of evil and the powers of redemption. The words that Jesus addressed to Peter at the beginning of the Passion are eloquent in this context: “… Simon, behold, Satan has sought to sift you like wheat: but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Lk 22:31).
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This helps us understand how Jesus, in the prayer that he taught us, the “Our Father”, that is, the prayer of the Kingdom of God, terminates almost brusquely, unlike so many other prayers of his era, by reminding us of our condition as people exposed to the snares of evil and of the evil one. The Christian, appealing to the Father with the Spirit of Jesus and invoking his Kingdom, cries with the power of faith. let us not succumb to temptation, free us from evil, from the evil one. 0 Lord, let us not fall into the infidelity to which we are seduced by the one who has been unfaithful from the beginning.
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ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2ANGEL.HTM#rebellious
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SeekerM said:
In our faith we’re taught that angels and demons are all around us and can see and interact with our world, but if they don’t have bodies or eyes, how can they see or interact with anything?

With angels maybe the answer is as simple as God wants them too.

But what about demons.

They have no bodies and they have no eyes.

Why should they be able to see or interact with our world at all?
Click to expand...
Here is part one of a two part talk on demons by exorcist Fr.Chad Ripperger.
youtu.be/A5ZuP2itfy4

He also has an excellent talk on guardian angels as well.
youtu.be/HROH926Ln-A
 
SeekerM said:
In our faith we’re taught that angels and demons are all around us and can see and interact with our world, but if they don’t have bodies or eyes, how can they see or interact with anything?

With angels maybe the answer is as simple as God wants them too.

But what about demons.

They have no bodies and they have no eyes.

Why should they be able to see or interact with our world at all?
Click to expand...
The fact that you don’t see Angels doesn’t mean that they don’t have any body.
 
An Interview with an Exorcist by Fr. Fortea is an excellent thin book written in Question & Answer format. Very easy to understand, simple English. Some of his questions and answers can be found for free in the rcspiritualdirection.com under the tag "demonology ".
 
SeekerM said:
In our faith we’re taught that angels and demons are all around us and can see and interact with our world, but if they don’t have bodies or eyes, how can they see or interact with anything?

With angels maybe the answer is as simple as God wants them too.

But what about demons.

They have no bodies and they have no eyes.

Why should they be able to see or interact with our world at all?
Click to expand...
My understanding is that the spirit can see. Consider for instance that John was taken up in spirit yet he was able to see.
 
SeekerM said:
In our faith we’re taught that angels and demons are all around us and can see and interact with our world, but if they don’t have bodies or eyes, how can they see or interact with anything?

With angels maybe the answer is as simple as God wants them too.

But what about demons.

They have no bodies and they have no eyes.

Why should they be able to see or interact with our world at all?
Click to expand...
If “God is spirit,” was he not able to “see” until He took on flesh (and eyeballs) in Jesus?
 
Something to remember with regard to the subject is that it’s not a battle of equals.

It’s easy for people to be confused and thinking of Satan as an equal but opposite to God.

One is the only Creator.

In the same way, some folks think of demons and angels.

Correct is always going to be stronger than incorrect, truth will always be stronger than lies.

Just have the right perspective and don’t spend too much time dwelling on the loser demons.

They are very sly and cunning and excellent at laying the foundation to draw lives away from a relationship with God. Don’t make it easy for them.

With regard to the bodies thing, it’s not written (revealed) anywhere that creations outside of this world are made in the image and likeness of humans or in the image and likeness of God,

We know the depictions humans give them, typically close to human form.

That might be more an effect of relatable circumstances. It’s easier to relate to those that look like us.

When the first parents are mentioned in ‘seeing God’ it was God taking a walk and the first parents hiding (after sin #1), the detail makes it seem like image was relatable / similar between the three.

Vs. the image of the snake.

So, I would guess God’s army looks relatable to each member.

However, a proper depiction of loser demons is probably far from God or Human like.

It’s simply human of us to make both look human-like.

Doesn’t it seem sly and cunning to be represented as one is not. Demons must love that humans make them relatable.

Also, in the Catechism, bodiless is in the definition of angel.
 
In his Dialogues, Saint Gregory the Great points out that Lazarus and the rich man could see each other. And goes on to note that our vision is enhanced when the soul is disembodied. I totally agree with him. Consider also, the stories we hear of near-death experiences, the people say they saw their own lifeless body, floated above their body etc… Also, consider the travel of souls thru dark magic. It seems to be a faculty of the spirit much like the way the spirit is able to think, it is able to observe it’s surroundings. This ability is refined, as Saint Gregory the Great points out, as souls recognize souls they did not even know when on earth.

A blessed and fruitful New Year 2017 to all in the philosophy forum.

Peace.
 
LittleFlower378 said:
Here is part one of a two part talk on demons by exorcist Fr.Chad Ripperger.
youtu.be/A5ZuP2itfy4

He also has an excellent talk on guardian angels as well.
youtu.be/HROH926Ln-A
Click to expand...
Well, I took the time and watched some of his presentation. It was not persuasive - to say the least. If I had the opportunity to have a conversation with this “real, bona fide exorcist”, I would ask him the following questions:
  1. What was the “spell” that burned down the house of that Spanish woman?
  2. Who was that Spanish woman?
  3. Where was this event documented?
How do you find the “real” name of a demon? Do they have a “name-tag”?
 
Hebrews 13:2

Parallel Verses
New International Version
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

New Living Translation
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

English Standard Version
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Demons

Mark 9:25

Parallel Verses
New International Version
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

New Living Translation
When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

English Standard Version
And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Mark 9:26

Parallel Verses
New International Version
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”

New Living Translation
Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.”

English Standard Version
And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”

Mark 9:27

Parallel Verses
New International Version
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

New Living Translation
But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

English Standard Version
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

Ed
 
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