The Problem of Problems: Non Serviam

photo courtesy of Thermos

 

“Indeed God has created man to be immortal in the likeness of his own nature, but the envy of the devil has brought death to the world, and those who stand with him shall experience death”
(Wisdom 2:23-24)

Who was the serpent, the tempter who led Adam and Eve to sin?

Revelation, the last book in the Bible, identifies the serpent as none other than Satan, the first of the fallen angels (Revelation 12:9).

Who are the fallen angels or devils and how did they become evil?

• Like man, angels are endowed with intellect and free will.
• Like man (and all of God’s creations), angels were created good. Scripture tell us that angels are pure spiritual beings who are superior to man in many ways.
• Like man, angels were put to the test and asked to prove their love for God. As to the nature of the test given them, theologians could only speculate. Many of them think that angels were shown a vision of the Incarnation, of Jesus Christ’s suffering and crucifixion, and were commanded to adore the Word became flesh. Aware of their superiority to man, some of the angels refused to obey (“I will not serve!”), and by thus marking the birth of hell.

• Unlike man, the fallen angels were not tempted to sin.
• Unlike man, there is no redemption for fallen angels. It’s ironic that this is due to their superior nature.
• Unlike man, who was ignorant to a degree, fallen angels had “angelic intellects” (superior to that of man), making their choice to sin final and repentance impossible. Our (man’s) weakness, so to speak, was our excuse.

Some theologians also believe that men were created to fill out the void left by fallen angels. Though this is mere speculation, it does make sense of the devil’s envy and hatred for mankind.

What is clear is the fact that the fall of both angels and man was brought about by the sin of pride. Therefore, it’s essential for man to practice its opposite, the virtue of humility, in order to rise over evil and all its atrocity.

To Be Continued...

1. Introduction
2. Mystery of Misery
3. Good Job
4. Of Evil and "Non-things"
5. Free Fallen

6. Non Serviam