From the Eastern Orthodox perspective, the question of whether angels possess free will is both profound and nuanced. The Orthodox Church, drawing from Holy Scripture, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and centuries of theological reflection, affirms that angels do indeed have free will. However, the nature of this freedom, the implications for angels’ existence, and how their free will differs from human free will add a bit of nuance to the discussion. Let’s dive in!
4 minutes
Scriptural and Patristic foundations for angelic free will
Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that angels are spiritual, bodiless beings created by God before the material world. They are personal, intelligent, and immortal, serving as messengers and ministers of God’s will.
The belief in angelic free will is rooted in both Scripture and patristic writings. The Bible contains references to angels making choices, most notably in the account of the fall of Satan and other angels who rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17, Revelation 12:7-9). The Orthodox understanding is that Lucifer (Satan) was originally a great and beautiful angel. He then exercised his free will to turn away from God in pride, leading a host of angels into rebellion. We explicitly understand this event, the “fall of the angels,” as a result of the misuse of free will.
Related: The Orthodox Church’s Teachings on Angels
The Church Fathers expand upon this. St. John of Damascus, in his seminal work An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, states:
“The angels are intelligent and free, endowed with will and reason. They are not subject to necessity, but, being created, they are changeable, possessing the capacity to choose good or evil.” (Book II, Chapter 3)
St. Gregory the Theologian also affirms that God created both angels and humanity with freedom, which is essential for love and true worship of God.
The irrevocability of angelic choice
There is a distinctive nuance that bears mentioning here. Though the Lord created the angels with free will, the nature of their choice is different from that of humans. According to Tradition, God gave all angels a definitive opportunity to choose to remain faithful or rebel along with Satan. Those who chose to remain faithful to God were confirmed in their goodness and now freely and unwaveringly serve Him. Those who rejected God became demons.
St. John of Damascus explains:
“After the trial, the angels who remained steadfast in good, by the grace of God, became incapable of change, just as the saints in the age to come will be incapable of change.”
This does not mean that angels lost their free will in the sense of becoming automatons. Rather, their wills are fixed in the good as a result of their initial, irrevocable choice. Like the saints in heaven, their freedom finds fulfillment in perfect conformity with God’s will. They freely and eternally choose God.
Angelic free will versus human free will
Eastern Orthodoxy intentionally differentiates between angelic and human freedom. Humans, living in a fallen world, experience an ongoing struggle with sin, passions, and the possibility of repentance. Our choices are not final in this life; we may fall and rise again through repentance. Angels, however, made their choice at the moment of their testing. Now, they exist outside the realm of repentance and change. This is why the fallen angels (demons) cannot repent, and the faithful angels cannot fall.
St. Gregory of Nyssa likens this to the final state of the righteous after the Resurrection. They will no longer be capable of sin. Not because they have lost freedom, but because their will is perfectly attuned to God.
The mystery of freedom and obedience
In her teachings, the Church emphasizes that true freedom is not the ability to choose evil, but the ability to choose good without compulsion. The angels’ obedience to God is not a sign of slavery, but of the highest freedom—the kind that comes from love and knowledge of God. As Orthodox theologian Bishop Kallistos Ware notes, “To be free is not simply to be able to choose; it is to be able to choose rightly, in accordance with our true nature as creatures made for communion with God.”
Conclusion
In summary, the Eastern Orthodox tradition teaches that angels possess free will. Their original freedom allowed for the possibility of both good and evil, as seen in the fall of Satan and his followers. After the decisive test, the holy angels are confirmed in their goodness, freely and eternally choosing God without the possibility of falling away. Their freedom has not diminished, but has been consummated in perfect love and obedience—a foreshadowing of the freedom that awaits the righteous in the age to come. This profound teaching reflects two profound truths: that freedom is fulfillment in God, not mere autonomy, and that God created both angels and humans as beings to love and serve the Creator with dignity.
Keep Reading: The Nine Ranks of Angels