SPIRITS, ANGELS, AND DEMONS

While most of us would assume that everyone knows the difference of Spirits, Angels, and Demons. So I don’t feel as though a story or an example is necessary. But in the spirit of SOUND DOCTRINE that is pivotal for the SPIRITUAL WARFARE we are in, I felt it is important to see the definitions that are given for these titles in particular.

Demon - evil spirit; devil or fiend / evil passion or influence

[H7700] (Deut. 32:17, Psa. 106:37)

Demon/Devils [daimonion (G1140)] - divine power, Deity / an inferior divinity, deity or demon.

• in OT, heathen deities, false gods (Deut. 32:17, Psa 95)

• in NT, evil spirits, demons (1 Cor 10:20, 1 Tim 4:1)

satyr (H8163c) - goat demon / demon possessed goat (Lev 17:7, 2 Chr 11:15, Isa 13:21, 34:!4)

Devil [diabolos (G1228)] - slanderous, accusing falsely / generally a slanderer, false accuser [1 Tim 3:6] / chiefly as Satan, the Accuser, the Devil [Matt. 4:1-11]

Spirit - the principle of conscious life; vital principle in humans, animation the body or mediating between body and soul

[H7307] - wind, breath, mind, spirit

• wind: of heaven, side, breath of air, gas, empty

• spirit: (that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) vivacity, courage, temper, patience, dispositioin, prophetic

  • spirit - (the living, breathing being in man and animals) gift, preserved by God, God’s spirit, departing at death

  • ‘as a seat of emotion’ - desire, sorrow, trouble

  • ‘as a seat of organ or mental acts’, especially of moral character

  • spirit of God, Holy Spirit, energy of life, endowing men with various gifts (never referred to as a depersonalized force)

Spirit [pneuma (G4151)]

• of air in motion; wind (John 3:18), breath (Rev. 11:11, 2 Thess. 2:8)

• of the vital principle, human spirit of Christ (Rom. 1:4)

• frame of mind, disposition, ifluence (1 Cor. 4:21)

• an incorporeal being (Acts 23:8)

  • disembodied human beings

  • angels

  • demons or evil spirits

• of the Holy Spirit

  • as a rule being used when the Spirit is regarded as a person or a Divine Power, and omitted when the reference is to an operation, influence, or gift of the Holy Spirit

Angel - one of a class of spiritual beings; a celestial attendant of God

[H4397] - messenger, representative / the theophanic angel (manifestation or appearance of God)

Angel [aggelos (G32)] - a messenger, one sent

• messenger or delegate

• bishop or ruler

• guardian angel

• the prevailing spirit of each church, or the Church itself

To simply it all: All of the three is in one way or another a SPIRIT. Those who continue to be representatives and agents of God are ANGELS. Those who have turned in rebellion to God’s authority are DEMONS.

-definitions were sourced by (DICTIONARY.COM app + LITERAL WORD app as of July 30, 2025