Powers of Evil: A Biblical Study of Satan and Demons

In an age when the popularity of spiritual warfare ranks second only to eschatology, books are being produced at an alarming rate. Unfortunately this has led to pragmatism & subjectivism to triumph over object Scriptural truth. Sydney H. T. Page overcomes this trend by getting back to the Bible with academic methods that offer an in-depth biblical survey on demonology that uses proper hermeneutics instead of questionable experiences. Beginning with a brief section that explains why he studies the demonic realm, he then sets the tone of the book by thoroughly covering Satan’s role in Genesis 3, Job 1-2, & Zachariah 3. While admitting that the arch-demon is a minor character in Old Testament, he does establish his reality (which is denied by most liberal scholars) & demonstrates how ‘the adversary’ would have been viewed by followers of Yahweh in ancient times. Like most studies on demons, the writer then goes on to address the infamous ‘Lucifer’ passage found in Isaiah 14 & the ‘cherub in the garden’ passage found in Ezekiel 28, both of which are customarily viewed as allusions to Satan’s original rebellion. However, Page disagrees with this conclusion. Basing his premise more on the lack of evidence for a satanic reference, than on solid evidence for an alternative interpretation, the author does adequately show how the historical setting & context of each writing, make any reference to a primordial angelic rebellion questionable, in turn giving the reader a better understanding of why a satanic reference is tentative at best. Even if one differs with this analysis, his work at the very least encourages others to reexamine the given passages, making sure personal interpretation can be validated with appropriate exegesis, instead of simply relying on traditional assumption. To add to his detailed study, Page gives an excellent 11- page summary of the ‘sons of God’ Genesis 6 debate, establishing why the angelic interpretation is the most credible. Although he does not speculate how this sexual act was achieved, he explains how the original language, New Testament evidence, & history of interpretation favor the celestial view. The author even offers an important contribution to the study of demonology, by reminding the reader that the ‘sons of God’ in Gen 6 could be angels that had previously fallen, or possibly holy angels that lose their heavenly status because of the events described in the text. Given that Scripture is vague on this (see Rev 12), it is not unreasonable to presume that there was possibly more than one angelic rebellion. Thus, his suggestion should illicit further investigation on this issue for future studies. The book goes on to cover demonic activity in the New Testament, emphasizing Jesus’ conflict with Satan in the Gospels & how Christ’s work of exorcism played a crucial role in the inauguration of God’s Kingdom. Unlike other writers on the topic, Page paints the demonized as victims, rather than individuals who allow such torment due to their own personal sin. While some might disagree with this hypothesis, the fact is, the Bible never clearly explains what allows demonic possession & one would be wise not to assume the guilt of the tormented without first analyzing each situation case by case. In addition the author offers a careful study of the biblical epistles, showing the knowledge that can be gained concerning the Christian’s position in Christ & what this means for true believers who are involved in a genuine spiritual war against cosmic powers. To end his survey, Page examines Satan & the role of demons in the book of Revelation, doing so with an openness & scholarly tone that avoids speculative eschatology & the normal eisegesis that is so often seen when reading about the Apocalypse. Even though the author could have gone more in-depth on the topics of the ‘divine council’ & the angelic princes in Daniel; taken as a whole, the book is a must read for any serious student of biblical demonology & is a classic work that will set the tone in this field of study for decades to come.