In the Bible, one of God's names is the "Lord of Hosts." This translates to the "Lord of armies," signifying that God has armies at His disposal, beings we call angels.
What are angels? The Bible has a lot of things to say about them, and knowing who they are and what role they play in God's plans can help us live our Christian lives to the fullest.
While the Bible tells us not to worship angels (and God's angels themselves will stop you from worshipping them), we are not to ignore or disregard them as "unnecessary" because "God is all we need." Yes, God is all that we need, but at times, if it's helpful, He will allow His angels to do something to us or for us.
Angels in the Bible
To help you appreciate the work of angels and their importance in our Christian life, here are some things that the Bible teaches us about them.
- They minister to or serve those who will inherit salvation
"Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)
God sends His angels to minister to those who are inheriting salvation. Picture this: a rich family man has servants to whom he entrusts his own children. Such servants are commanded to take care of the rich man's children.
In the same way, God commands His angels to minister to those who are saved and are continually being sanctified.
"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:9-11)
Isn't that awesome?
- They act as messengers or couriers of our God-given prayer answers
We read several times in the Bible that God sent angels to bring answers to the prayers of His people. Daniel's experience shows this:
"And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.""
Here we see God's angels in action. We read there that an angel was sent to bring the answer to Daniel's prayer, but the enemy stopped that angel. And so God sent the archangel Michael so that the angel could bring the message to Daniel.
- God uses them to bring blessings and provisions to our lives
Angels don't only protect us and bring God's messages to us. God also commands them to bring us our provisions. Consider Elijah's experience after he ran away from Jezebel:
"But [Elijah] himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."" (1 Kings 19:4-7)
God used an angel to bring real, physical food to Elijah. He can still command them to do that today.
- They rejoice at the repentance of a sinner
Angels rejoice every time a sinner repents of his sin and turns to Jesus for salvation. Jesus Himself said,
"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)
- They must not be worshipped
No matter how "holy" or awesome an angel could be, no human should ever worship them. God's angels will never accept any worship from anybody. They themselves will always point to Christ Jesus and worship no one but God.
Read what an angel told John when the latter tried to worship him:
"And I (John) fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."" (Revelation 19:10)
Are there angels that are not from God?
Not all angels are of God. The Bible tells us that Satan was able to deceive many of them and they, like him, were cast out of heaven. If an angel accepts your worship, points you to a savior other than Jesus, denies that Christ came in the flesh, or sets himself up higher than God, recognize that angel as not of God but the devil. (see Luke 4:5-8; Galatians 1:8; 1 John 4:1-3; Isaiah 14:12-15)
Satan will always try to masquerade as an angel of light (see 2 Corinthians 11:14) so he can turn Christians away from God and towards himself. He will deceive people into denying Christ as having come in the flesh (see 1 John 4:1-3). Be warned never to agree with him (see 2 Corinthians 6:15).
