What Are the Differences Between Angels and Demons?

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Whether we believe in them or not, we have all heard of angels and demons. However, most of us would struggle to explain the differences between these beings that are described in every culture and in every period of history. We see their recreations on TV and movies, but do these depictions accurately reflect what is actually in the Bible? Who exactly are these beings and what do they have to do with Christianity?

God wrote about angels and demons throughout the text. They both have played big roles in the Bible and still play large rolls in the lives of Christians today. Angels and demons are all around us. These spiritual beings have very different motives, though, with angels being positive messengers of God while demons are evil creatures that follow Satan.

Here are the main differences between angels and demons.

What is an Angel or Demon?

First, it’s important to understand who angels and demons are by definition. In the Christian understanding of creation, angels are the first beings created by God. The word “angel” comes from the Greek word "aggelos," meaning “messenger.” God has sent these beings to deliver messages to mankind: the angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the good news that God had chosen her to bear His Son, for example.

A demon is a supernatural source or agent of evil. Demons are dark, fallen angels who follow Satan instead of God. These fallen angels, along with Satan, chose to rebel against God. As they look to Satan as their leader, they do everything in the power to thwart God’s plan and hinder His people (Daniel 10:13).

Angels Appear Human, Demons Inhabit Humans

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When angels are sent to us, they take on human form. While the bodies they adopt are material, they exist only so long as the angels appear to us. When an angel no longer has need of a human appearance, their "body" ceases to exist.

Demons, on the other hand, seek to possess bodies and seem rather uncomfortable being outside of them. Take for instance the story of a man possessed by an entire legion of demons. While being cast out, the demons in that story begged Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs that was nearby. The demons begged, "If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine" (Matt. 8:30–31). These spirits need to inhabit a physical form.

Angels Love God, Demons Fear Him

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Angels announce the Savior in love and expectation, and they want to see us be saved by Jesus Christ. God’s holy angels will someday take us back home to Him. Colossians 1:16-17 speaks of the creation of angels, telling us “For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Demons, however, have rejected God from the beginning. They are terrified of the Lord and want us to be far away from Him. Demons scream His name in fear, provoking further fear in those non-believers who may be watching. Ephesians 6:12 tells us “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Angels Point Us to God, Demons Distract Us From God

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Angels want to point us in the direction of God, and try and guide us on the correct path. They want us to find salvation with Jesus Christ. Demons are doing all they can to distract us from God and take away our salvation. In fact, they try to accomplish this by acting as false gods to divert our attention from the true God. Revelation 9:20-21 says "The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood-idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts."