DEMONS OF
DARKNESS
Source:
Empirical Dogmatics: Tfje Spoken Theology of Protopresbyter John Roman ides, by
Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos (quoted text is attributed to Fr. John
Romanides).
For we are
not ignorant of his devices!
A part from
the angels (bodiless hosts) there are demons. The Prophets, Apostles and
Fathers have experience of this fact and describe the presence of demons.
Appearances of demons are described throughout Holy Scripture, and St. John the
Evangelist actually declares that the purpose of the Christ’s incarnation is
that He might destroy the works of the devil, (i Jn 3:8).
The demons
were originally angels, because God did not create evil, but through their
pride they fell away from God’s glory and became demons. Christ said: I beheld Satan
as lightning fall from heaven. (Lk 10:18). We shall draw attention to a few
points that are relevant to the existence of the demons and their method of
warfare.
As creatures
of God and spirits, the demons are “ethereal beings,” but on account of their
fall they do not participate in the glory of God as Light, so they are dark
beings. All creation shares in the creative and sustaining energy of God, and
this includes the demons. “Even the devil has a share in the uncreated energy
of God,” that is to say, in His uncreated creative and sustaining energy; not
in the glorifying energy of God but in the punitive energy.
