ORIGEN
Origen (AD 185–254) was an early leader of the church at Alexandria, helping to develop many of the foundational doctrines of the early church. Although some of his hypotheses would later be exposed as incorrect and heretical, his writings and teachings are of immense value to understanding the theology of the early church.[1] In his Origen de Principiis, he describes the devil and his demons and how “the Church has laid down that these beings exist” but “had not explained with sufficient clearness” what they are or how they exist.[2] Origen describes a renunciation of the devil in baptism,
We come to that moment when we made these promises, this declaration to the devil. Each of the faithful recalls when he came to the waters of baptism, when he received the first seal of the faith and approach the fount of salvation, the words that he pronounced then; he recalls his renunciation of the devil. He promised to resort to none of his pomps and his works and not to submit to any of his servitudes and his pleasures.[3]
In Contra Celsus, Origen references the exorcisms that Christ performed and refers to how Christians of the day powerfully performed exorcisms through the “grace which is in the word of Christ,” rather than through the wisdom and learning of men.[4] He continues on, emphasizing the power of prayer in exorcism of both humans and animals.[5] Origen also directly connects false religions and their worship in idols, altars, and temples to direct demonic worship.[6]
[1]A. Cleveland Coxe,“Introductory Note to the Works of Origen” (ANF 4:223), accessed December 30, 2013, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.vi.ii.i.html.
[2]Origen, Origen de Principiis” (ANF 4:239), accessed December 30, 2013, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.vi.v.i.html.
[3]Origen, Homilies on Numbers 12.4 in Everett Ferguson, Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries (Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 2009), 445.
[4]“Because for the most part it is unlettered persons who perform this work; thus making manifest the grace which is in the word of Christ, and the despicable weakness of demons, which, in order to be overcome and driven out of the bodies and souls of men, do not require the power and wisdom of those who are mighty in argument, and most learned in matters of faith.” Origen, Contra Celsus (ANF 4:395, 613), accessed December 30, 2013, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.vi.ix.i.i.html.
[5]“For ourselves, so far are we from wishing to serve demons, that by the use of prayers and other means which we learn from Scripture, we drive them out of the souls of men, out of places where they have established themselves, and even sometimes from the bodies of animals; for even these creatures often suffer from injuries inflicted upon them by demons.” Origen, Contra Celsus (ANF 4:639). This is the only reference that suggests demonic establishment over a place.
[6]“Hence we are determined to avoid the worship of demons even as we would avoid death; and we hold that the worship, which is supposed among the Greeks to be rendered to gods at the altars, and images, and temples, is in reality offered to demons.” Origen, Contra Celsus(ANF 4:640).