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The City of God

Chapter 20.--Of the Kind of Knowledge Which Puffs Up the Demons.

However, the very origin of the name suggests something worthy of consideration, if we compare it with the divine books. They are called demons from a Greek word meaning knowledge. ¹ Now the apostle, speaking with the Holy Spirit, says, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity buildeth up." ² And this can only be understood as meaning that without charity knowledge does no good, but inflates a man or magnifies him with an empty windiness. The demons, then, have knowledge without charity, and are thereby so inflated or proud, that they crave those divine honors and religious services which they know to be due to the true God, and still, as far as they can, exact these from all over whom they have influence. Against this pride of the demons, under which the human race was held subject as its merited punishment, there was exerted the mighty influence of the humility of God, who appeared in the form of a servant; but men, resembling the demons in pride, but not in knowledge, and being puffed up with uncleanness, failed to recognize Him.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XX: De qualitate scientiae, quae daemones superbos facit.

Quamquam etiam ipsa origo huius nominis, si diuinos intueamur libros, aliquid adfert cognitione dignissimum. daemones enim dicuntur - quoniam uocabulum Graecum est - ob scientiam nominati. apostolus autem spiritu sancto locutus ait scientia inflat, caritas uero aedificat; quod recte aliter non intellegitur, nisi scientiam tunc prodesse, cum caritas inest; sine hac autem inflare, id est in superbiam inanissimae quasi uentositatis extollere. est ergo in daemonibus scientia sine caritate, et ideo tam inflati, hoc est tam superbi sunt, ut honores diuinos et religionis seruitutem, quam uero deo deberi sciunt, sibi satis egerint exhiberi, et quantum possunt apud quos possunt adhuc agant. contra superbiam porro daemonum, qua pro meritis possidebatur genus humanum, dei humilitas, quae in Christo apparuit, quantam uirtutem habeat, animae hominum nesciunt inmunditia elationis inflatae, daemonibus similes, non scientia sed superbia.