Do Angels and Demons Affect Our Minds?
Except: 1) Dog's don't have minds (rational souls) as we do to will against bodily impulses. 2) Angels don't look like us or dogs, they are immaterial, pure spirits. 3) Angels don't have wings, halos, pitch forks, or horns either. (Sourse: Wikipedia)
Angel intelligence is superior to that of humans. As pure spirits, intellectual beings much closer to God than man, they are naturally infused with more knowledge and possess the full power of their intellect, free from deception, from the beginning of their existence. They do not gather knowledge incrementally through senses as humans do. An angel is able to comprehend the whole field of all sciences in one thought, as we might observe a whole field of vision in one glance.
Even still, angels are creatures and do not know the future unless God reveals it to them. Angels communicate with each other, as an act of will, by illumination of the intellect from one to another, but they do not have the power to know secrets thoughts, as only God can. Angels cannot force themselves into another’s mind. Likewise, if we will an angel to know our thoughts, he can. Otherwise, he can only learn them by our words and actions.
Angels also cannot perform miracles in the strict sense of the word, as only God can (something outside the order of nature). It is in their natural power to manipulate matter in ways we cannot because they understand the laws of chemistry beyond what we do. The effects may seem like miracles, but they are not. Angels even have the power to manipulate the matter in our brains, and can influence our imagination and emotions insofar as they are material. Imagination is formed by mental images of things sensed, what we might see, smell, taste, touch, or hear. Emotions and feelings are affected by our senses, in response to bodily changes. Angels love man as much as Satan hates man; good angels inspire us, demons tempt us, like friends or enemies. Angels, therefore, can influence our choices by influencing our imagination, emotions, and feelings, but they cannot control our choices.
For example, a child may be tempted to steal cookies. He may will to behave as Mommy tells him and not steal from the jar, but if his imagination, tempted by demons, conjures up a taste of gobbling up all those wonderful cookies, his resolve to exercise restraint may dim. Or a good angel can remind him of the praise and reward his mother will heap upon him for honesty and obedience, and he may be inspired to mitigate his craving. Either way, and this is key, he cannot say the angel, or devil, made him do it. That power belongs to him alone.
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Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas, First Part, Question 57, Article 4 and Question 58, Article 5.
The Unseen World, Alexis Henri Marie Lépicier, p. 27.
The Angels in Catholic Teaching and Tradition, Father Pascale Parente, Chapter II “The Angelic Nature and Its Operation.”
Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know about Them?, Dr. Peter Kreeft, Questions 62-72.
Category: Angels and Demons, Catholic Free Press, Doctrine, Theology
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Good summary.
As I recall the explanation, the angels who saw the Second Person of the Holy Trinity as a human-God were more than displeased at the status of human beings who are elevated above them. The rebellion that ensued continues.
But the spiritual warfare, which is far from over, includes angels of all ranks who did not rebel.
Jesus relies on them and so should we when we are struggling with the other kind of angels.
I am particular thankful for St. Michael the Archangel [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_the_Archangel ].
He carries the battle to the rebels, especially when we call on him for assistance.
John, I read that somewhere too. I was trying to find it, but couldn’t. I think Dr. Kreeft writes about that, or suggests it, in his book, which is really a summary of what others have written.
My husband has a devotion to St. Michael. We have a three foot statue of him in our living room. It’s a daily reminder of the power of good over evil.
I think I was referring to the passage in Revelations 12, verse 7 in particular: http://www.usccb.org/bible/rev/12
Good to hear of your husband’s devotion to St. Michael. He is mentioned in this passage as well.
Perfect! This is wonderful.
A demon is like a mean dog on a leash. Stay away from him and he can’t hurt you. He can try to scare you. But he can’t make you come close. Wander onto his territory and you’re in trouble.
That’s what I taught my kids from a very young age.
Jeff, that’s an excellent analogy! I’m going to remember that one.
That is a great analogy, for kids and grownups!
The best insight in my readings was by St. John of the Cross who said when we are very angry at a person, the demons can add or subtract relevant material as we imagine that person in a situation.. Add or subtract. Watch for it next time you are fuming at someone.
You’ll likely forget their good and exaggerate their evil momentarily until the good angels arrive and help you toward accuracy.
You are so right about this, bb.
Tough to just ignore them when they arrive, but such demons can be ignored and dismissed with a silent (or loud) “Jesus!” Rather than see this expression as a form of expletive, it becomes one’s prayer for deliverance.
For deliverance, see Monsignor Pope’s excellent article on it at http://blog.adw.org/2013/02/exorcism-or-deliverance-some-pastoral-reflections-on-assisting-the-faithful-who-are-tormented-by-demons/
bb,
It’s true, boy did I learn it late though. When I did figure it out, I was so much better able to control myself.
I’ve learned to recognize that demonic pull, when I’m obsessing over something someone’s done wrong. Like John said, one prayer will clear my mind. It’s amazing.
I have written about this to other mothers before because I think a lot of what stresses out young mothers are demons tempting them to despair. Satan must really, really despise happy faithful families.
http://www.catholicsistas.com/2012/10/02/how-to-kick-satan-out-of-your-home/
Applies to dads as well, of course.
You can see the demons in action and the angels in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina ]. It begins with that famous line about families:
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Another famous line: “… no one may build their happiness on another’s pain.”
A good version of the movie is available on YouTube, beginning at: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiSlkv-2AMw ]
Again, I see truth being discovered in the presence of fallacy.