Angels and demons engaging in spiritual battles is a concept that can seem confusing if we don’t understand the biblical context behind it. As spiritual beings, angels and demons cannot truly “die” in the human sense of the word. However, the Bible indicates there are very real conflicts between the forces of good (angels) and evil (demons) that have significant consequences. Though the full purposes and outcomes of these battles may be beyond our comprehension, we can still gain some insight from Scripture.
To start, the Bible establishes that there is an ongoing spiritual war between God’s kingdom and Satan’s forces. Revelation 12:7-9 describes a primeval battle in heaven where the angel Michael and his angels fight against Satan and his demons. Satan loses this battle and is thrown down to earth. This indicates that spiritual battles can result in the defeat and limitation of demonic powers, even if they cannot be fully destroyed.
Throughout the Bible, we also see battles where angels assist and protect God’s people against demonic forces. Angels fight on behalf of Israel in battle (2 Kings 6:15-17). The angel Michael fights with the prince of Persia against demonic forces (Daniel 10:13). After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, angels come to minister to him, likely after some confrontation with Satan (Matthew 4:11). So angelic battles can serve to help and defend God’s people on earth even if they cannot wipe out Satan’s kingdom entirely.
Some specific purposes and outcomes of angelic battles include:
1. Overcoming Demonic Strongholds – When angels overcome demonic powers in the spiritual realm, it breaks their grip and strongholds on earthly territories. This may open doors for the gospel’s advancement and strengthen the church (Daniel 10:13, 20-21).
2. Protecting Followers of God – Angels fight on behalf of God’s people to protect them from demonic harm (Psalm 34:7, 2 Kings 6:15-17). They are spiritual “bodyguards” who contend with evil spirits.
3. Enforcing God’s Will – Angels are sometimes dispatched for battles to execute judgment on the disobedient and enforce God’s decrees on earth (2 Samuel 24:16, 2 Kings 19:35). Through battle they ensure God’s purposes advance.
4. Worship – The book of Revelation depicts heavenly creatures praising God before and after battle victories over the forces of evil (Revelation 11:15-19, 19:1-8). So spiritual battles bring glory and praise to God.
5. Preparing for Final Judgment – The ultimate destiny of Satan and demons is final defeat and judgment by God’s power. Spiritual battles now may weaken their works and prepare for their eventual total demise at the final judgment (Revelation 20:10, 2 Peter 2:4).
So in summary, biblical spiritual battles have significant outcomes even if the immortal angels and demons themselves cannot be permanently destroyed. Demonic strongholds are broken, God’s people are protected, God’s will is enforced, God is worshipped, and future final judgment on evil is anticipated. As beings with eternal destinies, angels and demons fight for the upper hand and for human souls to align with either Satan’s rebellion or God’s kingdom. The Bible exhorts believers to prepare for spiritual battle by putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). While the full meaning of angelic and demonic battles remains shrouded in mystery, we do know they have real spiritual impact and implications.
Additional Verses About Angels and Demons in Spiritual Battle:
Daniel 10:20-21 – Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21 But I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince.
Revelation 12:7-9 – Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Psalm 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
2 Kings 19:35 – And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
Matthew 4:11 – Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
2 Peter 2:4 – For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.
Revelation 20:10 – And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Ephesians 6:10-12 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
2 Samuel 24:16 – And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
Daniel 10:13 – The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
Revelation 12:3-4 – And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
Luke 10:17-18 – And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
2 Kings 6:15-17 – When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Revelation 19:1-8 – After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.
Revelation 12:7-12 – Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Jude 1:9 – But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Daniel 12:1 – “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
Revelation 12:7 – Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
2 Corinthians 11:14 – And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Matthew 16:18 – And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jude 1:6 – And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Revelation 16:14 – For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
Zechariah 3:1-2 – Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 – For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Revelation 20:1-3 – Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
Colossians 2:15 – He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Job 1:6-12 – Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Luke 22:31 – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
Revelation 9:1-11 – And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.
