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Do we have guardian angels?

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Swim at Your Own Risk. No Lifeguard on Duty.

Those words might sound a bit perilous to a parent whose teenager is spending a lazy summer day at a lesser known beach. But to the teenager, the words call out, “Freedom!” No authorities within sight to spoil the fun. Now that’s a good time! Until help is needed.

Like lifeguards, God’s angels watch over us. Angels are spirit beings, without the earthly limitations of physical form, created by God as his agents for earthly missions. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11).

Angels have been, and will continue to be, sent by God to battle evil and frustrate the ways of the wicked. For example, angels appeared in the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to announce their doom (Genesis 19). This mission of justice, though, falls in line with a greater purpose for which angels are created and called. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14)?

Just like we believe in a God whom we cannot see, we believe in angels whom we cannot see because the Bible convinces us so. Just like God cares for all people, but shows special attention to his children who love and believe in him, angels show the same special attention to believers. Every believer. Every minute. “Sent to serve.”

Is there a specific angel, a guardian angel, assigned to each believer? Jesus once taught about the care of God for children when he said that “their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). That doesn’t necessarily mean that one, specific angel is assigned to a believer for life, but it does mean that there are plenty of angels around and assigned to help. Also, those angels are holy, they are heavenly, and cannot lead us astray.

So put your faith in God to forgive you, bless you, and to take care of you not only with normal circumstances like lifeguards or a job, but also in his invisible, miraculous ways like sending angels. He remains superior to angels, by the way, so only God deserves your praise and prayers.

The Bible says that even angels praise him (Psalm 148:2)!

What Do Angels Do?

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Idleness is the devil’s workshop.

Someone said that. It seems to be a true statement too. And if indeed it is true, then angels are not going to be getting into trouble with evil because they are not busy. They are not idle. The Bible talks about angels as busy creatures.

The very name angel means messenger. The Old Testament book of Malachi literally means, “My angel.” We know God sent his angels to do his bidding and work. Christmas was a time when that was especially evident. Angels came to the characters of Christmas, piercing their darkness, speaking words of instruction and encouragement. Angels were there at Easter too. Remember the angels in the tomb? And at Jesus’ ascension back into heaven forty days after he rose on Easter Sunday, the angels were there too, saying, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Angels are witnesses of heaven and of God. The angel spoke to the future father of John the Baptist and said, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news” (Luke 1:19).

As the protectors of God’s people, angels are very busy. He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways… (Psalm 91:11). In this guarding of God’s people and his little ones, these angels keep their contact with heaven. Jesus tells us about them, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Angels travel through space on their assignments. The angel Michael said to Daniel, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come…” (Daniel 10:20).

And perhaps the greatest and happiest thing angels do: they rejoice over one sinner who repents. In this way you and I can make the angels do something.

Let’s you and I make the angels happy!

Will I Be an Angel?

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There are no marriage bells in heaven. No walking down the aisle. No pledges of faithfulness to a blushing and happy spouse.

Jesus says it will be this way: “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels” (Luke 20:34-36).

We are going to be different in heaven. Life is going to be different. We will be forever in love with Jesus. He will be the center of our attention and we will be the center of his. We will be forever with him. We will be like the angels in that regard because they “always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

But please notice that it doesn’t say we change and become angels. We will be like angels. But we won’t be angels. We will no longer die. We will be like the angels. We will be without sin. Angels are without sin. We will rejoice with the angels around God’s throne. The book of Revelation tells us this. We will be in the company and presence of angels. In fact, on that last and greatest of days, when the trumpet sounds and the dead rise, we will see the angels coming with Jesus in the heavens (Matthew 24:31). They will be the ones separating God’s people from the rest. But we won’t be angels.

Many in the world are talking about angels these days. New Age belief doesn’t have trouble encompassing the idea of angels. Songs on the radio talk about loved ones becoming angels to guard and bless the living loved ones. Various television shows promote the idea too. The Swedish singing group ABBA sang about angels. “I believe in angels, something good in everything I see,” they sang. It’s “cool” to talk about angels.

We like talking about angels too, but we won’t be angels.

The writer to the Hebrews asks a question. Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14) The answer is yes.

We rejoice to think of seeing them. We even look forward to thanking them for their work.