Explanation in steps
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Angels existed before humans
In Catholic theology, angels are spiritual creatures created by God before the visible material world (or at least before humans). -
Satan was at first a good angel
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God” but “they became evil by their own doing.” Vatican+2Catholic Culture+2
In other words: God did not make angels evil; they chose evil by their own free will. -
The fall of Satan (angelic rebellion)
At some point (not recorded in Scripture in detail), one angel—traditionally named Lucifer—rebelled against God’s authority, refusing to serve Him. This rebellion caused him and other angels who followed him to fall and become demons. Catholic Culture+4Catholic Answers+4Catholic365+4 -
Thus, when Adam and Eve were created, Satan had already fallen
Because the fall of the angels is understood to precede the fall or temptation of the first humans, Satan was already in a fallen state when he tempted Eve in the Garden. The Church sees the serpent in Eden as a symbol (or instrument) of Satan who tempts humankind. Catholic Culture+2Catholic Answers+2
Why this is the Catholic view
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Since angels are spiritual pure beings, their trials, choices, and fall happen outside space/time in a way different from human history.
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The Garden of Eden narrative doesn’t describe the origin of evil or the fall of angels; but Catholics rely on Scripture + Tradition + theological reasoning (especially about free will, nature of evil, the hierarchy of creation) to fill in the “before” events.
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The Church affirms that evil is not a thing created by God, but a privation or turning away from goodness (a corruption of the good) — thus, evil “entered” by free choice, not by God manufacturing it. Catholic Answers+2Catholic Answers+2
What is agreed (or held by Catholic teaching)
Before diving into speculations, here are some things that are more certain (or widely held) in Catholic theology:
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Angels are created, spiritual beings (not eternal with God). Catholic Culture+2EWTN Global Catholic Television Network+2
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Among those angels, some remained faithful to God, and some rebelled (became fallen angels / demons). catholicleader.com.au+3EWTN Global Catholic Television Network+3Catholic Exchange+3
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The fall of the angels is understood to have occurred by their free will (not forced) — they turned away from God by their own choice (pride, rebellion). EWTN Global Catholic Television Network+2Catholic Exchange+2
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The Scriptures and Tradition don’t clearly record when in “history” or “time” that fall occurred. The Bible gives hints (e.g. “I saw Satan fall like lightning” in Luke 10:18) but does not give a timeline relative to creation of humans. EWTN Global Catholic Television Network+2Catholic Exchange+2
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Some Church Fathers and Catholic authors hold that those angels who fell sinned “in the first instant” of their creation (i.e. very soon after being created) rather than after a long delay. Catholic Exchange+1
Because of these, many theologians conclude that the fall of Lucifer and his followers happened before or “prior to” the creation (or appearance) of Adam and Eve (at least in the sense that by the time humans appear, Satan is already fallen).
What some Church Fathers and theologians speculated
Below are a few of the views or ideas advanced by early Church writers and later theologians. These are not dogma, but interesting attempts to understand how the fall of angels relates to the rest of creation.
| Author / Tradition | Idea or Speculation | Strengths / Problems |
|---|---|---|
| Origen (c. 2nd–3rd century) | Compared the “morning star / Lucifer” imagery with a heavenly spirit that fell into the abyss through pride. He speculated that rational creatures (angels) existed before material creation, and that some of them fell. Wikipedia+2julianspriggs.co.uk+2 | Origen’s speculations were influential, but some of his other ideas (e.g. universal reconciliation) were later considered problematic or even condemned. |
| Augustine (4th–5th century) | Augustine affirmed that angels were created good and those who rebelled sinned almost immediately (“in the first instant”) after their creation. Catholic Exchange | Augustine’s view is highly influential in the Western (Latin) tradition. But he doesn’t give a precise “when” relative to humans. |
| Later Fathers / Tradition | Some Fathers treat the fall of Satan as a kind of template or typological reading of biblical texts (e.g. Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28) — not necessarily literal historical chronology, but symbolic of pride and fall. Catholic Answers+2Sententia+2 | This approach guards against overly rigid literalism, but then it becomes less clear exactly when the fall “in real time” happened. |
| Medieval / Scholastic Theologians | Some speculated that God might have created the angels and given them a “trial” or possibility to prove faithful. The fallen angels’ rebellion would occur early, before the creation of the physical order or humanity. Others maintain that the fall is “outside” our human time frame (i.e. “metaphysical time”). | These views try to reconcile God’s sovereignty, free will, and the ordering of creation. But they also must avoid implying that God foresaw evil or caused it. |
A key difficulty is “time”. Angelic creatures are spiritual, and their “fall” might not be bound by time the way material events are. So theologians sometimes speak of a “pre-temporal” fall—i.e. a fall that happens before or outside of human chronological time.
One summary phrase you’ll sometimes see is: the angels sinned “at their creation” or “in the first moment of their existence.” That is, as soon as they were created (or shortly thereafter), they had to choose fidelity or rebellion. Some did. From then on, their fallen state existed, so when humans come on stage, Satan is already fallen and ready to tempt.
A possible “sketch” scenario (not official, but one helpful way to think about it)
Here is a simplified “story sketch” (again, speculative) that many theologians find helpful. (It’s not church doctrine, but a mental model, consistent with many accepted points.)
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At “the beginning” (before anything material), God creates the angelic order (spiritual beings).
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Among them is an angel of great beauty, wisdom, perhaps called Lucifer (or a high angel).
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That angel is given free will and grace. At some point, that angel, through pride or desire to be like God, rebels, refusing the proper ordering to God.
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A number of angels follow him; they become fallen angels (demons).
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God, foreseeing this possibility of fall (since free will implies risk), nonetheless allows the angels to make their choice.
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After that, God goes on to create the material universe and then humans. By the time Adam and Eve are made, Satan is already fallen and present as adversary.
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That is why in Genesis the serpent is already an agent of temptation—he doesn’t first fall later. The fall is already in place.
So in this view, the fall of Satan is “prior” to human history, though not necessarily eternal (i.e. angels are not co-eternal with God).
One more nuance: theologians often distinguish God’s foreknowledge and permitting evil from God causing evil. Even if God “knew” that Lucifer might rebel, that doesn’t mean God forced him to do so. The fallen angels do so by their own free will.
Challenges and things we don’t (or can’t) know
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The Bible doesn’t clearly date the fall of Satan.
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The Church does not define precisely when the fall happened in relation to the creation of humans.
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Because angels are spiritual, the idea of “before time” or “outside of our time” is hard to picture.
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Some speculative views (e.g. universal salvation of demons) have been rejected by Church councils.
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It is possible to lean into overly imaginative or mythic stories that exceed what can be divinely revealed.
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