Bible Question:
How will Satan and the demons be judged and when will they be put into the lake of fire?
Bible Answer:

Last Judgment Upon the Demons and Unbelievers
The Bible teaches us that there are both holy and evil angels. Originally all of the angels were holy and then a group of angels sinned. Those sinning angels are called evil angels or demons. The question we are interested in is: how has God and when will God judge these evil angels? The answer is that God has already started judging them and their judgment will continue into the future.
The First Judgment
Let’s start with Ezekiel 28:14 which tells us that the first evil angel was a cherub. His name is Satan or the devil. Here is Ezekiel 28:14,
You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
Ezekiel 28:14 (NASB)
Here we are told that this anointed cherub was in heaven with God and walked in the midst of the stones of fire. The word “anointed” reveals that this cherub was extremely special. When he walked among the brimstone, he was not hurt.
In Isaiah 14:12-14 he is called Lucifer, the Star of the Morning or the Son of Dawn. The verse says,
How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!But you said in your heart,
I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.
Isaiah 14:12-14 (NASB)
In verse 13 we are told that Satan wanted to become like God, the Most High. That is, how Satan sinned or became evil. As a result, he was cast down to the earth.
Jesus confirmed this event when He told the disciples that He saw Satan fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). Apparently, this was the initial judgment upon Satan. It occurred before Eve and Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. Revelation 12:3-4 reveals that one-third of the angels in heaven had joined Satan in his rebellion. Consequently, these angels were thrown out of heaven along with Satan! This was God’s first judgment upon Satan and these disobedient, evil angels. Jesus calls Satan and his evil followers a kingdom in Matthew 12:26.
The Second Judgment
Today, Satan and his army of evil angels prowl over the earth hindering people from believing in God and being saved (Matthew 13:19; Luke 8:11-12). They also seek to devour believers (1 Peter 5:8). Sometimes they enter into the body of an unbeliever. We call that demonic possession (Matthew 8:16). So, we should not be surprised that Genesis 6:1-3 tells us that some exceptionally wicked angels prowled around, found some women, and caused them to give birth to some unusual children in some supernatural way. Jude 6-7 and 2 Peter 2:4-7 give us the timeline of this event. It occurred before the universal flood of Noah’s time and before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both passages reveal that these exceptionally wicked angels who did not keep their own domain, that is obey the boundaries assigned to them by God, were locked in a prison called the pit.
Consequently, the second step in God’s judgment upon the evil angels was limited to these exceptionally wicked angels. The judgment upon these angels is that they were locked up in in a pit that is called Abaddon or the abyss. They will remain there until the last half of the tribulation when they will be released upon the earth to cause horror and kill people (Revelation 9:1-11).
The Third Judgment
The third step in God’s judgment upon these evil angels occurred when Jesus was crucified on the cross and resurrected from the grave. Surely, this caused horror with Satan and the evil angels for James 2:19 says the demons shudder at the thought of God. That is why sometime after Jesus’ crucifixion and before His resurrection, Jesus descended into the pit, Abaddon, or the abyss and proclaimed victory over the exceptionally wicked angels. His announcement of victory is described in 1 Peter 3:18-20. There Jesus’ proclaimed victory over them because He had defeated Satan by dying on the cross for our sins thus freeing believers from an eternity in hell (John 14:19). Next, Hebrews 2:14-15 says,
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NASB)
This passage reveals that Satan is now powerless over all of mankind for Jesus can now give sinners eternal life if they believe in Him. In addition, Genesis 3:15 prophesied Satan would be defeated by the Messiah. So the third step in God’s judgment upon Satan and his evil angels was His crucifixion and resurrection. Their ultimate and eternal defeat is now certain. It will happen for Romans 16:20 says,
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Romans 16:20 (NASB)
The Fourth Judgment
The fourth step in God’s judgment upon Satan and his myriads of evil angels will occur when they are defeated at the end of the tribulation at the battle of Armageddon. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11 and Revelation 13:1-8 tell us that Satan will empower the antichrist so that he appears to have incredible power. So, people on the earth will follow him. At the end of the tribulation, the antichrist and Satan will be defeated in his attempt to control the entire world. His defeat will occur when Christ, at His coming, destroys the armies of the world and the antichrist and false prophet, a supposed religious leader. As a result, Revelation 20:1-3 tells us that God will cast Satan into the abyss and he will remain there for one-thousand years. That is the fourth step of God’s judgment upon Satan and his evil angels. Their leader will have been defeated and imprisoned. Most likely his evil angels will also join him in the abyss. At that point, God will have revealed that He has total control over Satan and his army of evil angels.
The Fifth Judgment
The fifth step in God’s judgment upon Satan and his myriads of evil angels is that all of them will be thrown into the lake of fire where they will suffer for eternity. Revelation 20:7-10 says that God will release Satan from the abyss and allow him to try to defeat God again. But verses 9-10 reveal that Satan will be defeated and Genesis 3:15 and Romans 16:20 will be fulfilled. Satan will be completely crushed and thrown into the lake of fire. Matthew 25:41 records these words that Jesus will speak to the unbelievers,
““Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41 (NASB)
So, this fifth judgment upon Satan and his evil angels includes unbelievers who refuse to repent and believe in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. This judgment is spending eternity in the eternal fire called the lake of fire. Revelation 14:10 describes the lake of fire as a place of torment and brimstone. Revelation 20:10 says this,
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10 (NASB)
Imagine Satan, his evil angels, and unbelievers always suffering in the flames of the lake of eternal fire.
Conclusion
So, we have discovered the nature of the judgment upon Satan and his demons and when they will they be put into the lake of burning fire. Today, these prophecies of their judgment are obvious but it is amazing that Scripture never speaks of them repenting of their rebellion. Sadly, they know more about God than we do according to James 2:19. This reveals the power of sin upon Satan, evil angels, and unbelieving hearts. Believers should rejoice that God has saved us and empowered us by the Holy Spirit to increasingly become more holy.
Suggested Links:
Will Satan live forever in the lake of fire?Who were the sons of God and daughters of men in Genesis 6:2-4?
Are evil spirits present with us here on earth?