Part 3:  Section 2
THE ANGELS: AN OVERVIEW

2. All the Angels whom God created were, at the beginning, in the grace of God and well pleasing to Him. But many of the Angels sinned through pride, and were cast down by God into Hell forever [2 Peter 2:4].

When God created the Angels, He created them all in His grace. But none can be crowned without a struggle [2 Tim. 2:5], and God subjected the Angels to trial, that so, according to the universal law of the universe, they might earn their reward of eternal happiness. In this trial a large number of the Angels fell. They desired to be equal to God, and refused to submit their will to His [Cf. Is. 14:12-14]. They did not abide in the truth [John 8:44]. Hence arose a great war in Heaven [the ante heaven]. St. Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his Angels fought, and prevailed not, neither was their place found anymore in Heaven. The dragon was cast out and all his Angels with him [Apoc. 12: 8,9]. They were all cast down to Hell; not that they were confined to any local Hell. for they are allowed to wander about the earth tempting men, but they carry their Hell with them wherever they go, inasmuch they everywhere suffer the torments of Hell. Their leader was Satan or Lucifer, for this was his name before he fell, and he is said to have been the highest of all the Angels. The number of the fallen Angels is less than that of those who remained faithful. The fall of the Angels was the more terrible, because they had previously enjoyed such a high estate. The higher the place from which we fall, the worse the fall. At the Last Day the evil Angels will be judged, and their wickedness and its punishment will be made known to the whole world [Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4]. To deny the existence of the evil Angels is a grievous sin against faith.