Beliefs in demons and the Devil represent this personification of evil forces perceived as external to our conscious control. ... Cicero employed lares (deified ancestors) for daimones and Apuleius tried genius (a guardian angel) for daimon. ... The civilizations of Mesopotamia and Syria shaped the Western concept of demons and the Devil most directly (Luck 1985, 165). The demons of Mesopotamia were usually hostile spirits and lower than the gods in both dignity and power (Russell 1977, 92). ... There were demons of plagues, graveyards, nightmares, headaches, and so forth. ...

• Word Count: 2828
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

The phrase is defined as a messenger or angel of Satan.18 The connotation of this phrase brings us back into ambiguity. ... To an original audience who are much more aware of demon possession than we are, perhaps Paul is relating his thorn for the flesh as such. ...

• Word Count: 3123
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School