Angels: Your Friends in the Unseen Realm

There is an invisible realm that surrounds us—a spiritual dimension more real than the physical world we see and touch. Though veiled from human eyes, it is filled with activity. Beyond that veil rages a war: on one side, the fallen angels who followed Lucifer in his rebellion against God; on the other, the holy angels—your friends—who, at God’s command, are dispatched to preserve your life, protect your path, and fulfill His purposes for you.

WHO ARE ANGELS?

Scripture is clear that angels are created beings made by, for, and through Christ (see Psalm 148:2, 5-6 and Colossians 1:16). They were created prior to the creation of the material world as part of the spiritual world. But they are not divine. They are not to be worshiped, prayed to, or venerated. To look to angels or patron saints is to take our eyes off Christ, which is the heart of idolatry. Rather, we can learn how to worship God from the angels, who shouted for joy as they watched God bring the material world into being (see Job 38:4-7).

We must also distinguish between angels and the Holy Spirit. Although a part of the spiritual realm, invisible to our physical eyes, angels are distinct from the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity. He reveals the Truth of God’s Word; He reveals Jesus Christ to us. He convicts of sin and leads us to repentance. Angels, on the other hand, are God’s messengers, given charge over physical matters.

Scripture gives us marvelous insight into this distinction. For example, angels pulled Lot and his family out of Sodom before its destruction (see Genesis 19:16), and angels were sent to Elisha to fight the Arameans (see 2 Kings 6:16-17). Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, taught by the Spirit, and filled with the Spirit, but after His temptation in the wilderness, angels attended Him, meeting His physical needs (see Matthew 4:1-11). It was the Holy Spirit who filled Peter to preach the Gospel and bring 3,000 people into the Kingdom of God at the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2). But it was an angel who later freed him from prison, removing his chains and leading him past guards and iron gates (see Acts 12:6-10). So the Holy Spirit presides over our spiritual lives, but angels are primarily given charge over the physical matters of our lives.

WHAT DO ANGELS DO?

Mentioned 108 times in the Old Testament and 165 times in the New Testament, angels have played and will continue to play significant roles in history—even announcing the arrival of the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 11:15-19). In Scripture, Jesus always associated angels with His glory and ministry. So while angels are certainly our friends, they do not serve at our behest but at God’s command.

Scripture calls Moses the meekest man on earth (see Numbers 12:3). Although he was superior to any of the Israelites in intelligence, wealth, education, position, power, and influence, he refused to be tempted with pride. That’s why God used him—he was humble. In the same way, the Lord uses His holy angels in a mighty way because they had the opportunity to rebel and follow Lucifer and his pride, but they didn’t. They refused to succumb to the temptation of pride and willingly submitted to God their Creator. They unconditionally love God, and so all their service and ministry to us is based on their love for Him (see Hebrews 1:14).

The ministry of the heavenly hosts on our behalf is overwhelming when we consider the incredible power they wield and the additional weighty tasks the Lord entrusts to them. They are fearsome creatures. They ride on spiritual horses, guard gates and entrances, engage in bodily combat and war, execute judgment and administer verdicts, and rule nations. They praise and adore God and minister before Him day and night. They protect and strengthen the faithful in the hour of temptation and trial. They lead sinners to evangelists and evangelists to sinners. They appear in dreams and visions, put a hedge around the saints of God, and bind Satan. They separate believers from unbelievers and will accompany Christ upon His return. They carry believers home to heaven at physical death. They carry answers to prayer. They hand out God’s laws and revelations, administer His full, perfect will, and watch over the Church of Jesus Christ at all times.

Your enemy, the fallen angel Lucifer, wants to destroy you, your family, your work, your influence for the Kingdom of God. But your friends, the angels, are sent to preserve you. Your enemies want to lead you into a life of disobedience, but your friends aid you in righteous living. Lucifer wants to destroy everything holy and bring you into rebellion against the Living God, but God’s messengers want to encourage you to worship the one true God. Satan is angry over every sinner saved, but the angels rejoice over every soul that receives Christ (see Luke 15:10).

DO PEOPLE BECOME ANGELS?

Because of the influence of popular culture, many people believe that when they die, they will become angels. However, Jesus said that at the resurrection, we will assume some of the characteristics of angels (see Matthew 22:30), but we’ll not become angels. We’ll be equal with the angels but not the same as angels (see Luke 20:36, KJV)—just as a husband and wife are equal in the sight of God but created to fulfill different roles. Psalm 8:5 tells us that God made man “a little lower than the angels,” which means that, for now, angels possess some characteristics that are superior to ours. But in heaven, like angels, we’ll never die. We’ll live in perfect obedience to God. We’ll praise Him day and night without tiring.

Mankind does have some privileges that angels do not understand. Angels do not know what it is to be saved and delivered from sin and death because they were never lost. They cannot experience the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ because they never needed salvation. Like us, they possess the power to choose, but the holy angels choose to obey God alone.

PIERCING THE VEIL

With all our science and knowledge, we haven’t even touched the hem of God’s garment of creativity. God populated space with spiritual beings—cherubim and seraphim—and their hierarchy—thrones, dominions, powers, principalities, and an archangel—before He ever made man. He created an entire angelic host of untold numbers who respond to His command.

I encourage you to take time every day to focus on the spiritual reality. Reflect on the spiritual existence that awaits every one of us. Take time to focus not on this passing world but on the day when you will pierce the veil into eternity. Rather than focusing on building a mansion here, contemplate God’s heavenly Kingdom and how you can lay the foundation now for your future eternity (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19).

Calling on saints or angels won’t do you any good. Christ is our only Savior, our faultless cornerstone. So like the angels, we must fix our eyes on Him, who sealed us with His Spirit, “a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14).