> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://sbms.gitbook.io/know-jesus-and-resist-the-devil/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://sbms.gitbook.io/know-jesus-and-resist-the-devil/chapter-3-the-personality-of-angels.md).

# Chapter 3: The Personality of Angels

> For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:5-9)

The Devil was originally an archangel who served before God. When he abandoned his position and fell, all the subordinate angels fell with him. God cast all of them out of Heaven and imprisoned them under darkness.

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (Rev. 12:9).

To understand the Devil and his cohorts, we must first learn about the angels. Angels and man both have personalities. A personality consists of intellect, emotion, and will. Angels and man do not differ when it comes to these three elements. But they differ in the way their personalities exist. Angels are personalities without bodies. Man is a personality with a body. Understanding this difference can definitely aid in learning about the identities of demons in future studies.

Man’s personality cannot exist apart from his body. His personality cannot express itself without a body. Because of the presence of a spirit, the personality continues to exist even after death. But to express itself, the personality would have to wait until the resurrection to receive a new eternal body.

Animals do not have a spirit. Examining them will give a proper understanding that personalities cannot function separate from bodies. Man has a personality whereas animals have natural instincts. Man’s personality is a manifestation of his emotion, will, and intellect in synergistic operation. Animals automatically respond to the natural stimuli in their environment. For example, a dog barks at a stranger not because it has a personality. This behavior is triggered by the dog’s natural instinct to protect his territory. Animals are not rational like man; they just have instinctive personalities. When animals die, their personalities disappear. Man’s personalities stays with in their spirit, even after natural death.

The male and female that were created before Adam have similar personalities of animals; they disappear at death. Much has been said about the creation of the male and female man in Berea Academy. However, let us briefly review about the creation of man.

Genesis 2:7 records that God breathed into man and he became a spiritual being. But there were people already living on the earth before the creation of Adam. The creation of this pre-adamic race is recorded in Genesis 1:27-29.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

The words *male* and *female* are used to explain the gender for animals in the Bible. Their existence does not go beyond the level of animals. The main reason is, they do not have a spirit in them. God did not breathe into them. Both male and female were created at the same time. They were given a simple command to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.

Genesis chapter two is the account of Adam, whom God chose out of the multitude of pre-adamic men that had already filled the earth as described in chapter one. God took him and filled him with a spirit.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Gen. 2:7).

This man in the beginning of the verse is a rational being, not a mannequin. That is why it says, “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,” not a lifeless mannequin. This is referring to the pre-adamic man that God created in chapter one. Therefore, this first half of Genesis 2:7 is the restating of Genesis 1:27.

As it says in Genesis 1:27, God created the pre-adamic man, male and female at the same time. They reproduced and multiplied until they filled the earth. Out of them, God chose the most prominent man and put a spirit into him. He did not choose a couple but just one man. After receiving the spirit from God, the man became Adam, a spiritual being. God chose one to breathe into because He was seeking a godly offspring through him (Mal. 2:15). Jesus had to be born into the world so that He may fulfill the plan of God. In order for Him to be born, a lineage was needed. However, Jesus could not come from a lineage of spiritless beings. Thus, God breathed a spirit into Adam.

The pre-adamic race had the same type of personality as Adam. They had morals, ethics, and culture; yet, there was no next age to come for them because they did not possess a spirit (Matt. 12:32c). Because they are like the animals, they would just disappear at death.

God chose one man from the pre-adamic race. This chosen one was probably the most outstanding as a man. When God breathed into him, he became a spiritual being. This does not mean that Adam received a soul, an awareness, or transformation in his personality when he received a spirit. He already had a personality as a rational man. Yet, his personality now became permanent.

\[For the purpose of keeping the language simpler, the word *pre-adamic* will be used for the spiritless people created before Adam. The word *Adam* or *adamic* race will be used for the ones with a spirit.]

Before becoming a spiritual being, the pre-adamic race lived only by physical sustenance. As a spiritual being, Adam needed more than just bread; he needed the life-giving spirit. So God gave the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam disobeyed that command and was separated from God. In other words, he was not able to receive God’s word again. This is called *spiritual death*.

Being separated from God’s word means the absence of truth. Without truth, lies would completely reign. Without truth, life cannot exist. Death would only reign. Without life, no light can exist. Therefore, a spiritual being separated from God’s word is also separated from God’s glory.

When Adam was separated from God’s word, he lost communication with God. Though he was a spiritual being, he could only live according to the flesh. The pre-adamic race lived according to the flesh because they did not have a spirit from the beginning. But Adam became like an animal because he lost his spiritual capacity to receive from God. Because Adam was a spiritual being, his personality would exist forever though he dies. But he would exist forever in hell, completely separated from God’s light.

Man is comprised of a body, a soul, and a spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). The body is the flesh, the soul is the personality, and the spirit is the permanent part of man. As stated before, the personality (the soul) can only function with the body. In this sense, the body and soul can be considered as one.

“Spirit, soul, and body” can be expressed in two different ways: “spirit and body” or “spirit and soul.” In both cases, there is an understanding that the words *soul* and *body* are interchangeable in usage because they do not function apart from each other. So a man as a spiritual being is recognized to be a permanent personality with a temporary body. Thus, Adam is an eternal personality, an eternal being with a personality.

When a person dies, his personality lies dormant in his spirit. His spirit itself is not a personality. Some mistakenly believe that man’s spirit is another personality. But his spirit just makes his personality permanent. For example, a sheet of paper glued to a transparent glass window would seem to be suspended in the air. Without the glass window, the paper would fall to the floor. The transparent glass is like man’s spirit, and the paper is like his personality. Similarly, man’s personality continues to exist because of his spirit.

Though the personality that leaves the body remains forever because of the spirit, it still cannot express itself without the body. The world calls this state, *death*. They believe that nothing exists after death and man’s personality just disappears. But without a body, man's personality sustains forever in his spirit. The Bible expresses death as *asleep* (John 11:11).

Some argue that the story of the rich man and Lazarus points out that they were not sleeping after death. But Jesus used this parable to stress that everyone should be ready for eternity before death. It cannot be used to discuss about what happens to man’s spirit and soul after death.

In the resurrection, the dormant personality will manifest again but not through an earthly body.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption (1 Cor. 15:50).

The spirit that held onto the personality will suddenly be transformed into an eternal body. The personality will express itself again through that new body. The concept of the spirit transforming into a body should not be foreign to us.

Jesus is the Word become flesh (John 1:14). Jesus said that His words are spirit (John 6:63). Jesus’ flesh is different from man’s flesh; it did not come from dust. The word Adam can be a name but it also means a spiritual being. Adam is a general term that refers to a spiritual being that has a body.

Jesus is also an Adam. However, Jesus is different from man in that he is a created spiritual being but Jesus is the life-giving spirit. Also, man needs a body and a spirit to be an Adam, but the flesh of Jesus itself is Adam. Man became Adam when he received a spirit from God, but Jesus became the last Adam when the Word became flesh (1 Cor. 15:45). In other words, man became an Adam when he became a spiritual being. Jesus became the Adam when He came in the form of a servant. As man’s status was elevated, he became Adam, but Jesus became the Adam when He humbled Himself. Jesus’ flesh itself is spirit. His flesh is in the same level as man’s spirit. This is how the physical death of Jesus Christ made atonement for the spiritual death of man.

Each person commits his own personal sins in the flesh. Yet, eternal death does not result from such personal sins. Eternal death comes from the original sin, Adam’s disobedience against God’s word. All mankind inherited this original sin from Adam because they were all connected to him through one spirit. The original sin affected the spirit of mankind eternally. However, Jesus took care of the original sin by suffering in His flesh. What He received in the flesh solved the problem in man’s spirit.

Just as the Word became flesh, the spirit of man will likewise transform into an eternal body in the first resurrection. The personality that was dormant in the spirit will then be able to express through the new body. Every unbeliever will resurrect because he also has a spirit. But this resurrection will be for eternal punishment in hell.

And come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:29).

If the unbelievers do not resurrect, then their personalities would simply be dormant in their spirit forever without any punishment. The fact is that all will resurrect in the end. Believers and unbelievers alike will all resurrect and their personalities will manifest through the newly acquired eternal bodies. The spirit is a permanent existence; thus, the new body that transforms from the spirit will be a permanent body. It will not be like the earthly body from the dust.

Some people do not want their bodies to be cremated after death because they think that their original bodies would resurrect. Dust will return to dust. This flesh from dust will not resurrect. For Jesus, His flesh was from the Word; thus, the scars still remain on His body. Man is different. Whatever happens to the body while on earth will not affect the resurrection because the body will go back to dust. If a person hurts his leg in an accident, then it is only in the flesh, not in the spirit. In the resurrection, he will receive a body without scars or blemishes.

In the resurrection, man’s dormant personality will completely be restored. It will be like a person who wakes up from a deep sleep. A resurrected person will have the same intellect, emotion, and will as before, but in a new body. Both believers and unbelievers will go into eternity with full consciousness, being able to feel everything. Believers will enjoy eternal life in Heaven while unbelievers will suffer the eternal punishment in hell.

What differentiates the believers from unbelievers is that they have something more than a body, soul, and spirit. Believers have the spirit of Christ in them, namely His words.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20).

The spirit of Christ is the life-giving spirit.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63).

Believers will enter into Heaven forever because of the spirit of Christ. However, unbelievers will be cast into hell after their resurrection because they do not have the life-giving spirit.

Man can only express his personality through his body. This is his weakness. Angels possess and express their personalities without the limitations and weaknesses of the flesh. Man suffers because of his flesh, being a slave to affliction. He has to toil and sweat all his life in order to eat. Because of the flesh, there is pain in childbirth. Man is clothed with suffering and crowned with thorns because of the flesh. This crown might be unbearable in this world, but it will be a crown of glory in the next age to come.

You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands (Heb. 2:7).

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You” (Heb. 2:9-12).

Because man has a body, he is destined to suffer and eventually die. On the other hand, man can attain a glorious crown because he has a body. Man will be the envy of all angels in the end. To whom does God pour out His Spirit?

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:17).

The Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh whereas the angels cannot receive the Holy Spirit. Only man can receive the Holy Spirit and through Him become a powerful witness for Christ.

If angels were given the work of evangelism, then they would probably do a swift job. Everybody would receive a heavenly visitation from them. Angels could threaten the people into accepting Jesus, and everyone would become Christians overnight. However, the angels were never entrusted with evangelism. Only man was given this privilege.

The right to call God, “Father,” is given only to those who have flesh. Without the agency of the flesh, no one has the opportunity to become a child of God. So none of the angels can call God as their Father. Only man can obtain the privilege to become a child of God and call Him, “Father.”

For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? (Heb. 1:5).

The flesh can be a definite disadvantage because of its limitations, but we must remember that the flesh is also a precious asset to us. Because of the flesh, we can temporarily remain on the earth and labor for our eternity. It is only while we are in the flesh that we have the opportunity to devote ourselves to work for the glorious crown.

The flesh is our opportunity to labor for our spirit. Once we leave this body, we have no more opportunity. If we do not labor for the Lord, our life is meaningless. Many believers thank God for a bigger house and better paychecks. However, they rarely thank God for the opportunity to live for their spirit. The real blessing is what comes in eternity.

The flesh is our wonderful opportunity to earn the glorious crown in the future. Originally, we were nothing but dust, destined to return back to dust. But God breathed a spirit into this dust and made a way for us to have communion with Him. He did not stop there. God forgave and adopted us as His children. It would have been enough for us to be forgiven, but He also made a way to reward us. Does it not seem strange that we would stand to receive rewards from God? Who are we that we should receive such privilege? Hell was the obvious consequence for us as sinners. Just forgiving us would have been sufficient, but God is willing to reward us!

When Jesus returns to throw the Devil into the lake of fire, the world will disappear. Believers will be taken into the kingdom of Heaven. The world exists only because the Devil is still here. After the Devil is thrown into the lake of fire, there will be no reason for people to remain on the earth. So while our enemy still exists, we are like soldiers fighting on the battlefield. What would happen if we become lazy in this fight? What would happen if we could not wake up and even hold our weapons correctly?

Man suffers much because of his flesh. When it gets too difficult, some people wonder about the value of remaining in the flesh. What they are really saying is that they want to escape their flesh. Remember how much Job suffered? But Job decided that no matter what happens, he would not take his own life before God. He would rather wait until God takes his life. Job recognized that God is the Giver of life and only He has the right to take it.

Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hands? (Job 13:14).

We must remember that our flesh exists to suffer. People in the Bible who understood this used their opportunity to labor for God. Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, and others labored for God’s kingdom to the end. And at the opportune time, Jesus also suffered and fulfilled God’s plan. Too many Christians are only seeking their own comfort just like the unbelievers. We must never forget that suffering for God is our calling in life.