Why angels are not called demons
For it is not reasonable to call upon angels without first acquiring a knowledge of them that is beyond human reach. And even supposing that this knowledge of them, wonderful and secret as it is, were attained, that very knowledge, by showing what their nature is and what task each of them is appointed to, will not allow anyone to venture to pray to any other than the God over all, who suffices for all things, through our Saviour, the Son of God. He is the “Word” (John 1:1), and Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24), and Truth (John 14:6), and all else that the writings of God’s prophets and of Jesus’ apostles say of him.
For the holy angels of God to be gracious to us and to do everything on our behalf, it is enough that our disposition toward God should imitate, as far as human nature can, their purpose, as they imitate God; and that our understanding of his Son, the Word, so far as we can attain it, should not be at odds with the holy angels’ clearer understanding of him, but should press on toward it every day in clearness and precision.
Celsus, as one who has not read our sacred Scriptures, answers himself as if speaking for us, saying that we call the angels who come down from God for the benefit of men some other kind of being; and he says that presumably we would call them demons. He does not see that the name “demons” is not even neutral, as the name “men” is, among whom some are good and some bad. Nor is it a good name, as the name “gods” is, which is applied, not to base things, whether demons or statues or animals, but, by those who know the things of God, to beings that are truly more divine and blessed. The name “demons,” on the other hand, is always applied to the wicked powers that are outside the grosser body, which lead men astray and distract them and drag them down from God and from the things above the heavens to the affairs of this world.
Greek
Ἀγγέλους γὰρ καλέσαι μὴ ἀναλαβόντας τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπους περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμην οὐκ εὔλογον. ἵνα δὲ καὶ καθ᾿ ὑπόθεσιν ἡ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμη θαυμάσιός τις οὖσα καὶ ἀπόῤῥητος καταληφθῇ, αὕτη ἡ ἐπιστήμη, παραστήσασα τὴν φύσιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφ᾿ οἷς εἰσιν ἕκαστοι τεταγμένοι, οὐκ ἐάσει ἄλλῳ θαῤῥεῖν εὔχεσθαι ἢ τῷ πρὸς πάντα διαρκεῖ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν υἱοῦ θεοῦ· ὅς ἐστι „λόγος“ καὶ σοφία καὶ ἀλήθεια καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα λέγουσι περὶ αὐτοῦ αἱ τῶν προφητῶν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ Ἰησοῦ γραφαί. ἀρκεῖ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἵλεως ἡμῖν τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πάντα πράττειν αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διάθεσις ἡμῶν, ὅση δύναμις ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει, μιμουμένη τὴν ἐκείνων προαίρεσιν, μιμουμένων αὐτῶν τὸν θεόν· καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ λόγον κατὰ τὸ ἐφικτὸν ἡμῖν διάληψις, οὐκ ἐναντιουμένη τῇ τρανοτέρᾳ περὶ αὐτοῦ διαλήψει τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων ἀλλ᾿ ἐπ᾿ ἐκείνην ὁσημέραι τῇ τρανότητι καὶ διαρθρώσει σπεύδουσα. ὡς μὴ ἀναγνοὺς δὲ τὰς ἱερὰς ἡμῶν γραφὰς ὁ Κέλσος ἑαυτῷ ἀποκρίνεται ὡς ἀφ᾿ ἡμῶν ὅτι ἄλλο τι γένος παρὰ θεοῦ φαμεν τοὺς καταβαίνοντας ἐπ᾿ εὐεργεσίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀγγέλους καί φησιν ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς λεχθῆναι ἂν αὐτοὺς ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν δαίμονας· οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι τὸ τῶν δαιμόνων ὄνομα οὐδὲ μέσον ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν οἷς τινὲς μὲν ἀστεῖοι τινὲς δὲ φαῦλοί εἰσιν, οὔτ᾿ ἀστεῖον, ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ τῶν θεῶν, τασσόμενον οὐκ ἐπὶ φαύλων, ἐπὶ δαιμονίων ἢ ἐπὶ ἀγαλμάτων ἢ ἐπὶ ζῴων. ἀλλ᾿ ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ θεοῦ ἐγνωκότων ἐπὶ τῶν ἀληθῶς θειοτέρων καὶ μακαρίων. ἀεὶ δ᾿ ἐπὶ τῶν φαύλων ἔξω τοῦ παχυτέρου σώματος δυνάμεων τάσσεται τὸ τῶν δαιμόνων ὄνομα, πλανώντων καὶ περισπώντων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ καθελκόντων ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ὑπερουρανίων ἐπὶ τὰ τῇδε πράγματα.