31. How is the human heart known by God, men, angels, and demons?
31. HOW IS THE HUMAN HEART KNOWN BY GOD, MEN, ANGELS, AND DEMONS?
Do angels know the secrets of my mind even if I don’t want them to? What about demons?
What is proper to God (alone) does not belong to angels. But it is proper to God to read the secrets of hearts, according to Jer 17:9: The heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable; who can know it? I am the Lord, Who search the heart. Therefore angels do not know the secrets of hearts.
A secret thought can be known in two ways: (1) first, by its effect. In this way it can be known not only by an angel but also by man . . . for thought is sometimes discovered not merely by outward act but also by change of countenance; and doctors can tell some passions of the soul by the mere pulse. Much more then can angels, or even demons . . . (2) In another way thoughts can be known as they are in the mind, and affections as they are in the will; and thus God alone can know the thoughts of hearts and affections of wills . . . (I,57,4).
Owing to their upright will . . . the good angels form no judgments . . . save under the divine ordinance; hence there can be no error or falsehood in them. But since the minds of demons are utterly perverted from the divine wisdom, they at times form their opinions of things simply according to the natural conditions of the same. They are not deceived as to the natural properties of anything, but they can be misled with regard to supernatural mysteries; for example, on seeing a dead man they may suppose that he will not rise again, or on beholding Christ they may judge Him not to be God (I,58,5).
Angels are stronger and wiser than demons, especially regarding spiritual things and regarding God’s plans and God’s strategies for us. Angels never err; demons often do.
Both angels and demons are smarter and cleverer than we are regarding “the natural properties of anything”.
Neither angels nor demons can read our secret thoughts if we don’t want them to. Only God can do that.
But angels can read us, or hear us, or know us, when we want them to, when we pray. They will gently and respectfully enter our minds and inspire us with good thoughts when we open the door for them, but not before. They are gentlemen. Demons want to knock the door down (the door of our permission, our free will), but they can’t.
Our demonic opponents are formidable and fearsome (see 1 Pet 5:8), but our angelic allies are even more so. It’s a fixed fight.
So jump in and swing your spiritual sword with confidence and joy. But carefully. There are going to be casualties even in a winning war.