Do Demons Do God's Will?

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The traditional Catholic vision of Hell, expressed so vividly in Dante’s “Inferno,” depicts Hell as a place where demons torment the souls of humans for eternity.

So, one must wonder. Since God has justly condemned these sinner to such eternal torment, are these demons actually doing God’s will? If so, then it begs one question.

Why would a demon, rebellious against God’s will by nature, do God’s will?
 
Before I do read that how do I know that this person knew for sure that it was truly fact?
 
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Whose faith, yours in his word?

The Catechism says this
391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy.266 Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called “Satan” or the “devil”.267 The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."268
My emphasis

In other words these demons don’t do Gods will, though He may allow them to continue to exist.
 
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Didn’t Dante have Virgil also explain that they were meting out God’s justice?

Angels had their free will at their moment of choice, to serve God or not to serve God. So the celestial angels are now incapable of falling, and the fallen angels are now incapable of repenting. So it would also follow that they are unable to deny doing God’s will, regardless of whether they are aligned with it or opposed to it.

So, since we’re talking about Dante (which is allegory, not theology), you see how, in each of the circles, the punishments are different. The demons are prevented from meting out the wrong punishment to the wrong individual. The punishment for an Evil Counselor is going to be different from a punishment for a Hypocrite. The demons don’t get to choose who comes and who is punished and how— they’re just as much slaves and prisoners as those they torment.

There’s the bit in the third Canto that goes—
As leaves in autumn loosen and stream down
until the branch stands bare above its tatters
spread on the rustling ground, so one by one
the evil seed of Adam in its Fall
cast themselves, at his (Charon’s) signal, from the shore
and streamed away like birds who hear their call.
So they are gone over that shadowy water,
and always before they reach the other shore
a new noise stirs on this and new throngs gather.
“My son,” the courteous Master said to me,
“all who die in the shadow of God’s wrath
converge to this from every clime and country.
And all pass over eagerly, for here
Divine Justice transforms and spurs them so
their dread turns wish: they yearn for what they fear.
No soul in Grace comes ever to this crossing;
therefore if Charon rages at your presence
you will understand the reason for his cursing.”
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And the notation says–
Hell (allegorically Sin) is what the souls of the damned really wish for. Hell is their actual and deliberate choice, for divine grace is denied to none who wish for it in their hearts. The damned must, in fact, deliberately harden their hearts to God in order to become damned. Christ’s grace is sufficient to save all who wish for it.
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So, I don’t know what flavor of Christianity Ciardi comes from (the author of my translation and notes), but it aligns with the Catholic understanding of the afterlife in that the souls in Hell deliberately choose to reject God, both on earth, and in the afterlife. I have no doubt that Judgment is far more nuanced than Dante would depict— but ultimately, you don’t rely on Dante for your theology (no pagan who preexisted Jesus made it to heaven!), but you do read Dante for his thought-provoking allegory.
 
To give him the benefit of the doubt, I believe he meant that in response to the inquiry about knowing the book’s authenticity.
 
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TheOldColonel said:
expressed so vividly in Dante’s “Inferno,”
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I don’t think Dante’s work could be considered non-fiction or his art a first person account. So I guess I really have nothing to say here. Sorry to interrupt. 🙂
 
The demons don’t rule in Hell, they suffer right alongside the damned souls.
 
TheOldColonel said:
The traditional Catholic vision of Hell, expressed so vividly in Dante’s “Inferno,” depicts Hell as a place where demons torment the souls of humans for eternity.
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Dante’s Inferno is less a religious document than it is a commentary on the political intrigues of Renaissance Italy. I would not rely on it for doctrinal definitions of Hell and of demons. Revelation indicates that Satan and the demons themselves will be cast into the Lake of Fire and suffer hell. They won’t be running the asylum so to speak. They will be imprisoned there.
 
Hodos said:
Revelation indicates that Satan and the demons themselves will be cast into the Lake of Fire and suffer hell. They won’t be running the asylum so to speak. They will be imprisoned there.
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Indeed. But how does one know the truth nature of Hell without firsthand knowledge? For they check in but they don’t check out. 😎
 
We just take Christ and John at their word and try not to speculate too much.
 
God’s will is love of him and of neighbor. Demon’s are incapable of love b/c of their eternal separation from God.

I think that answers the question.
 
How does separation from God make one incapable of love? Could quite the opposite be true? Could love be the very source of the suffering in Hell?
Bon_Croix said:
God’s will is love of him and of neighbor. Demon’s are incapable of love b/c of their eternal separation from God.

I think that answers the question.
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Dante was not speaking doctrine 🙂

Demons, the fallen angels will be tormented in hell, they don’t run the place.

Eternal separation from God is the ultimate torment of Hell, not getting jabbed with a pitchfork.
 
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