How to Enlist the HELP OF ANGELS
Christ said, “Are you not aware that I can call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). This shows that the Messiah could pray for the assistance of angels, if necessary.
Like Jesus, believers can pray for the help of angels when needed. “But Jesus was the Son of God,” someone might contend. True, but the Bible says that spiritually-regenerated believers are children of God because we’ve been born of the seed of Christ, which is ‘sperm’ in the Greek (1 John 3:2, 3:9). This brings up a powerful verse:
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:17
We are children of God through spiritual rebirth via the seed of Christ and are thus “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” This means that we share in the inheritance of our heavenly Father with the chief heir, Jesus Christ.
As co-heirs with Christ we can pray for and call down angels, if necessary, but doing so takes faith—that is, belief—because everything that’s available in our covenant with God is by faith (Hebrews 11:6 & Mark 11:22-24). How do we develop faith? Through exposure to truth and revelation by the Spirit of truth. ‘Truth’ is reality, the way it really is; it’s the opposite of unreality, aka lies, which is the main weapon the “father of lies” uses to mislead people. The main source of truth, of course, is the written “word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 & John 17:17).
As such, in order to have the faith Christ had for calling on angels we’re going to have to expose ourselves to what God’s Word says about these spiritual beings. The more we do this, the more faith we’ll have concerning them and this explains the purpose of this article and other relevant articles on this site: To expose the body of Christ to the reality of angels so we can benefit from their services since their very purpose is to “serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). So keep reading and you’ll be blessed!
The Purpose of Angels Is to Serve You, Watch Over You and Protect You
Speaking of Hebrews 1:14, since this verse is key to understanding angels, let’s read it again:
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews 1:14
Angels are “ministering spirits.” The Greek for “ministering” is leitourgikos (lih-toorg-ik-OS), meaning “given to serving.” This is observed in the second part of the verse: Angels are sent by God “to serve those who will inherit salvation,” that is, you and me. ‘Serve’ here is a different Greek word. It’s diakonia (dee-ak-on-EE-ah), which literally means serving in the sense of waiting on someone’s table. So Angels are here to serve us and help us; they’re waiting at our tables every day, 24/7. Get ahold of this!
With this in mind, notice what this psalm says concerning how angels can serve us:
9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
Psalm 91:9-13
If you say “the Lord is my refuge” and make God your dwelling, the LORD “will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (verses 9 & 11). This is powerful! ‘Guard’ in the Hebrew is shamar (shaw-MAR), which means “to watch over, preserve and protect.” God will command his angels “concerning you” to watch over you, preserve you and protect you “in all your ways,” which literally means all your paths in life.
But notice that there are conditions to partaking of this awesome promise: Verse 9 shows that it’s necessary to 1. say “the LORD is my refuge” and 2. make God your dwelling. Let’s consider both:
- To say the LORD is your refuge is a positive faith confession, which is important because “the tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21) and the very course of your life is linked to what you do with your tongue, whether good or bad (James 3:2-6). So the fulfillment of verse 11 is partially linked to your speaking in positive faith. I should add that the saying “The LORD is my refuge” is not a magical phrase, like “Open Sesame.” It’s simply a general statement of faith concerning God’s protection. As such, you could say a similar faith statement, like “God will protect me” or “God will deliver me,” and it’s just as effective.
- To make God your dwelling simply means to abide in the LORD according to the terms of your covenant. You see, God works with people through covenants; a “covenant” is an agreement or contract in modern vernacular. New Testament believers walk in the superior New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-7) where the terms are “faith working in love,” which the Amplified Bible translates as faith being activated by love (Galatians 5:6).
Why is faith so important? Because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
How is faith activated by love? By the fact that love is the supreme virtue (Colossians 3:14) and therefore fulfilling the first and second greatest commands automatically fulfills all the moral Law (Matthew 22:36-40). These two laws have three applications: LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE as you LOVE YOURSELF.
Anyone who does this abides in the Lord and “makes the Most High [his or her] dwelling.”
Since faith works by love it’s important to walk in love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) because, if you walk out of love, you walk out of faith and thus your faith won’t be effective. I’m not heaping condo on you here, but rather encouraging you to keep brushed up on your love walk (which includes walking in tough love when appropriate), not to mention “keep in repentance” when you miss it (Matthew/Luke 3:8 & 1 John 1:8-9).
For details on this topic see this article (scroll down to the section The New Covenant is Superior to the Old Covenant).
“His Angels Concerning You”
The devil quoted this verse — Psalm 91:11 (which is in the passage quoted above) — to the Mighty Christ when tempting Him in the wilderness. Let’s look at this occasion:
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
Matthew 4:5-7
The Greek word for “concerning you” is peri (per-EE), which means “about, concerning, around.” The point is that every person has angels consigned to him/her personally. They’re the angels that are “about” them and “around” them. Why are they around the person? Because angels by definition are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” and they cannot very well do this if they’re not there to do it.
An interesting aside is that these angels won’t just automatically protect the person; the Sovereign God has to command them and this is in response to the person fulfilling the aforementioned conditions of Psalm 91:9: If you 1. make a positive faith declaration using the power of your tongue, like “The LORD is my refuge” (or something similar, such as “God will protect me,” “God will deliver me,” etc.), and 2. “make the LORD your dwelling” then God will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. And angels naturally obey the voice of the LORD (Psalm 103:20).
Something Jesus said also shows that each person has angels dispatched to him or her:
“See that you do not despise 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
The Lord was referring to children and this shows that children have heavenly angels assigned to them.
Similarly, Christian assemblies are assigned angels to watch over the fellowship and to serve it (Revelation 1:20). Thus each of the seven churches of Asia Minor that Christ addresses in Revelation 2-3 is shown to have an angel consigned to it. Speaking of which, I heard a couple of ministers insist that these angels actually refer to the pastors of these churches. No, if Christ meant the pastor He would have said “pastor” (or the equivalent “shepherd” or “bishop”).
Here are a few additional things to consider concerning angels assigned to specific people and ministries:
- It’s unlikely that a single angel is assigned to a person or ministry, although one angel would obviously be in charge of the “operation.”
- It stands to reason that angels periodically relieve others in order to return to Heaven and “recharge” or what have you. Angels going back & forth from Heaven to Earth in Genesis 28:12 obviously refers to angels delivering messages or carrying out other services and then returning (Daniel 10:12). Perhaps angels relieve those on Earth so they can go back to the presence of God and “recharge” before returning to duty. Remember, God is the Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:9).
- Some people—like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13)—have higher callings and therefore greater responsibilities than the average person and, as such, would require more angels for service & protection; and likely stronger As they say: “Higher levels, bigger devils.”
“…To Guard You in All Your Ways”
When you fulfill the conditions of Psalm 91:9 the LORD will command his angels concerning you “to guard you in all your ways” (verse 11). This literally means in any path you take in life; which obviously doesn’t include evil paths, like sneaking out on your spouse to commit adultery. To think that God’s angels will protect you when you willfully break covenant by walking in outright wickedness is arrogant presumption, to say the least. The Book of Wisdom warns against this:
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Proverbs 11:3
A good example of this is Ted Haggard who founded a mega-church in 1984, started a veritable sect, and was the leader of the National Association of Evangelicals from 2003-2006. He was the prized darling of Evangelicals and Charismatics alike. But it all came crashing down in a blaze of shame in November, 2006, when a serious scandal broke out to which he initially denied the allegations, but later confessed.
I don’t mean any offense to this brother, by the way; I’m just citing this occasion as a well-known example of what happens when a person fails to walk in integrity and is duplicitous. I’ve messed up in lesser ways in the past and had to suffer the ramifications as well; you probably have too. Praise God that Ted was willing to honestly ’fess up and move on with his life. I wish him nothing but the best.
With the obvious exception of evil paths,* God will command his angels to guard you in all your ways. Whether you turn to the right or the left, God will be with you, and his angels will watch over you (Isaiah 30:21 & Genesis 28:15). Make this your positive confession—personalize it and shout it from the rooftops, so to speak. Fear will flee from you as you progress forward and fulfill the LORD’s will.
* Yet even in cases where someone foolishly or ignorantly takes a wrong path the LORD mercifully offers a generous period of grace (Luke 13:5-9). I’ve experienced this and I’m sure you have as well. My point is that we shouldn’t be presumptuous about God’s mercy when stubbornly choosing evil paths.
Pray for the Help of Angels or Simply Speak in Faith?
As noted earlier, Christ said that he could pray to the Father and God would send myriad angels to help him (Matthew 26:53). Yet we never actually see him do this in the Scriptures. What we do see is Jesus miraculously escaping time after time when his life was in danger, presumably with the assistance of angels. Here are four examples:
- When the people of Nazareth tried to murder him by throwing him off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).
- When hostile Jews attempted to seize him (John 7:30,44).
- When the offended religionists tried to kill him by stoning (John 8:59).
- When a murderous group tried to seize him in Solomon’s Colonnade (John 10:31,39).
The only time Jesus allowed himself to fall into the hands of his enemies was in the Garden of Gethsemane when it was actually God’s will for him to be arrested and crucified as our substitutionary death. This is an example of what Peter called “suffering according to God’s will” (1 Peter 4:19). Other than this occasion, the Messiah refused to suffer at the hands of hostile people, aka those with harmful intent, which includes criminals. Rather he escaped, obviously with the aid of angels.
Yet we don’t observe him praying for the assistance of angels, so how did they aid him on these four occasions? Simple: Jesus fulfilled the conditions of Psalm 91:9-11:
- He spoke in faith concerning God’s supernatural protection, and believed
- He abided in the LORD by walking according to the terms of his covenant.
Jesus was our example. So this is all we need to do in order for angels to guard us in all our ways and save us when our lives are threatened. I’m not saying you can’t pray for the service of angels—do so if led—I’m just saying that it automatically happens when you simply comply with these two conditions, as it did with Yeshua.*
* Yeshua is the Hebraic form of the Greek Jesus, meaning “God saves.”
I want to stress that angels want to be involved in your life—in your home, in your work and in your ministry, which is your service for the Lord, small or great. They want to be involved in any project you take on, as directed of the Spirit. Why? Because they’re “ministering spirits” that God has placed about you to help you and serve you in whatever you do. Needless to say, take advantage of this blessing!
Now let’s get a little more specific about how to do this…
The Power of Words
Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve the people they’re assigned to, but what is it they respond to? Notice what this passage says:
Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Psalm 103:20
Angels don’t just obey the bidding of the LORD, they obey His word period. Here’s a more literal translation of the verse:
Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Psalm 103:20 (NASB)
The purpose of angels is to perform God’s Word. You could say that their occupation is to obey the voice of God’s Word. The Hebrew word for voice is qol (kohl), which means “sound, voice.” That’s what angels obey—the sound or voice of the Word of God. But does your Bible make any sounds of itself? Does any passage make a sound when you read it or study it? No, it only makes sound if you speak it! That’s why it’s so important that you get the power of your tongue into play and start speaking the Word of God in faith, particularly the promises of God that apply to the New Testament believer. And, remember, all the promises of God are “yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). This means that, if you’re in covenant with God through Christ—i.e. you are “in Christ”—you can claim by faith any general promise of God you find in the Scriptures that strikes a chord in your spirit!
As an example, take the promises of divine protection of Psalm 34. When facing some type of human attack you can claim by faith verses 7, 17, 19-20 & 22, all of which promise God’s deliverance when suffering severe persecution. We’ll look at these verses in more detail momentarily.
Why is it that a person speaking God’s Word in faith is so powerful, literally unleashing the angels to perform it? Because people are the only beings God has created who are created in His likeness and called to be co-heirs with Christ:
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
The LORD created the Heavens and the Earth simply by speaking them into existence (Genesis 1). People are created in God’s image and thus have this power as well. Of course, our words only have power corresponding to our faith, as Christ pointed out:
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”
Mark 11:22-23
The Douay-Rheims Bible translates verse 22 as “Have the faith of God.” We need to walk in faith as God walks in faith. We are the only physical beings created in His likeness and thus we’re called to imitate our Creator:
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.
Ephesians 5:1
Many Christians don’t realize this, but we are called to imitate God! And we can do it because we’re children of God, born of the seed of Christ; we just have to learn how to live out of our new nature.
With this understanding let’s return to Mark 11 above: Jesus goes on to say in verse 23: “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” First of all, he says “if anyone says.” He doesn’t even specify that the person has to be a Christian. This applies to anyone created in God’s likeness, how much more so those born-anew of the seed of Christ? (See 1 Peter 1:23).
He continues: “if anyone says to this mountain.” Obviously there was a mountain nearby and Jesus used it to illustrate his point. “If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” This is an example of hyperbole, which is exaggeration for effect. The “mountain” is figurative, not literal. If there is, say, an obstacle in your way you can utilize the power of words spoken in faith and remove that obstacle. But—and this is an important “but”—you have to believe that what you say will happen and not doubt in your heart.
Jesus doesn’t go into the precise mechanics of how this works, just that it works. But, in view of the other passages in this study, it’s safe to say that the angels assigned to you respond to your words spoken in faith because 1. they are assigned to you, 2. it’s their very purpose to serve you, and 3. you are created in the likeness of God and are co-heirs with Christ. Thus they are released to help you in your situation… or they’re released to not help you in the event that you speak words of death, doubt and unbelief and act accordingly.
On that note, let’s do a quick brush-up on what the Bible teaches about the power of words.
WORDS Have the Power of Life and Death
Proverbs 4:24 instructs: “keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” The root Hebrew word for ‘corrupt’ is luz (looz), which means “to turn aside or depart from what is right or good.” To practice this verse you must realize the power of your tongue:
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
The “fruit” of the tongue is good, but only “those who love it will eat its fruit.” This means that only those who realize and value the tongue’s power—and therefore use it accordingly—will partake of its fruit.
You must get a hold of the fact that your tongue is a powerful gift from God, which has the potential to bless or destroy. Only those who realize the incredible value of the tongue will experience the fruit it has to offer.
Exactly how powerful is the tongue? The Bible likens it to the small rudder of a large ship that steers the vessel wherever the pilot wants it to go (James 3:2-6). Think about it: The very course of your life is linked to what you do with your tongue; or what you don’t do. This is so because your words are either creative forces or destructive forces.
Here’s a powerful passage to chew on:
From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, as surely as the works of their hands reward them.
Proverbs 12:14
For biblical details on the power of words see this article.
God’s Word Is His Will; Your Word Is Your Will
Now that you have a better understanding of the power of your words, consider this little nugget: God’s Word is His will. They are essentially one-and-the-same. Human beings are created in God’s likeness and thus your word is your will. If your word isn’t your will then why would you give voice to it?
Why do angels obey the voice of God? Because what God speaks is His will. Would not angels assigned to us—the only physical beings created in God’s likeness—take our words as our will and respond accordingly?
Think about it.
Angels Are Listening!
Obviously our words are very important and we disregard what the Bible says on the power of the tongue to our own peril.
One reason our words are so crucial is that the angels around us are listening and respond to our words spoken in faith because we’re created in the likeness of God. Yes, God commands his angels what to do, as shown in Psalm 91:11, but verse 9 shows that this is in response to: 1. our speaking a positive confession based on the promises of our covenant—e.g. “the LORD is my refuge (shelter, protection)”—and 2. abiding in the Lord according to our covenant. This passage offers further insight:
Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Psalm 103:20
As you can see, angels obey God’s word. It’s what they do. Are you speaking according to God’s Word? If not, get in the habit of speaking it in faith.
If you’re not familiar enough with the Bible to speak it in faith then get in the practice of reading it daily. Do a Google search for some reading programs and try out a few until you develop one that fits your life. Choose a version of the Bible that you find readable, like the NIV (Nearly Infallible Version*). Since you’re under the New Covenant and not the Old Covenant, I suggest getting to know the New Testament first before delving deeply into the Old Testament (with the exception of Psalms and Proverbs). Why? Because it’s imperative that you understand your covenant with God before familiarizing yourself with the inferior covenant that the Israelites had with the LORD. This will keep you from confusing the two and tripping into the pitfall of sterile religiosity, like the Pharisees did (John 5:39-40).
* Just kidding (lol).
Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve you and so the angels assigned to you are around you 24/7 listening to your words. If your words are in accordance with God’s Word and you believe in your heart then the angels assigned to you will be released to obey—helping to bring to pass God’s Word spoken in faith. You’re a human and human beings are the only beings created in God’s image called to be co-heirs with Christ.
However, if your words are in opposition to the Word of God then they obviously won’t act. They’ll be bound by your doubting, negative, destructive words. And if your angels are hindered from helping you, what kind of spirits do you think will take advantage of the situation? Evil spirits!
Why do you think Jesus gave such weight to our words? Notice:
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:36-37
Wow! Our words are being recorded and will be brought up when we stand before God. Believers will give an account of their lives at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10-11 & Romans 14:10,12) whereas unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Either way, our words are being recorded and will either acquit us or condemn us! Christ said so. Why? Because words have the power of life or death! In fact, your very salvation is dependent upon your words spoken in accordance with what you believe in your heart. See Romans 10:9-10 if you find that incredulous.
The bottom line is this: The way we move-to-action angels assigned to us is by speaking in line with the Word of God. Speaking contrary to God’s word will bind them up and prevent them from fulfilling their purpose, which is to serve us in the sense of waiting on our tables. Needless to say, don’t speak fear, worry, doubt and unbelief; speak in accordance with the Word of God! *
* Venting, on the other hand, is healthy and has its place. The Bible thus instructs us to cast all our anxieties and cares on to God (Psalm 55:22 & 1 Peter 5:7). This means to literally go to the LORD in prayer and hurl your burdens on Him. Why cast your cares on the LORD? Because we can’t handle them. Just as we must remove physical waste from our bodies so we must remove emotional waste. No wonder venting is strongly encouraged in the Bible (Psalm 62:8) and we observe example after example of it (Psalm 142:1-3 & Jeremiah 20:7-18). See this article for details.
“Keep This Book of the Law Always on Your Lips”
This provides insight to God’s instruction to Joshua after Moses’ death when Joshua was about to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan to conquer it:
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8
“The Book of the Law” refers to the first five books of the Old Testament, which was God’s revealed Word at the time. Obviously part of the reason the LORD instructed Joshua to constantly keep the Word of the Law on his lips was so that he’d be careful to “do everything written in it.” However, in light of what we know about angels from the rest of Scripture, speaking in line with God’s Word would move the angels assigned to the Israelites to serve them, which is their very purpose. As such, Joshua and the Hebrews would be “prosperous and successful.”
“Forget Not All His Benefits”
Observe the first five verses of this awesome Psalm:
1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
David praises the LORD and tells his soul—his very self—to “forget not all his benefits.” He then lists several benefits of being in covenant with God:
- The LORD forgives sins when we humbly confess (1 John 1:9).
- He heals all our diseases.
- He redeems our lives from “the pit,” a biblical synonym for death and, in this context, premature death.
- He crowns us with love and compassion.
- He satisfies our desires with good things.
- So that our youth—our vigor—is renewed like the eagles.
At least some of these benefits would require the service of angels and angels only obey God’s Word. So, if you want these benefits flowing in your life on a regular basis, be sure to speak in line with the Word of God. You must remove doubt, fear, worry, unbelief and negativity from your lips! Speak scriptural words of faith that release the angels consigned to you to serve you accordingly!
Forget Not the Benefit of Angels!
Speaking of “forgetting not all his benefits,” the body of Christ in general has forgotten the benefit of angels and their services. Until first studying this subject several years ago I never heard one sermon in my life on the purpose and benefit of angels—not one! That’s incredible when you consider I was almost three decades old in the Lord when I finally looked into the topic.
The purpose of this article and linking articles on this site is for the worldwide body of Christ to rediscover this benefit.
I encourage you to store up God’s Word in your heart through study, memorization and positive confession until you’re so full of it that you speak the Word of God (or speak according to the Word of God) in faith at the drop of a hat. This corresponds to something Jesus said:
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7 (NASB)
The Greek for “abide” means to ‘stay.’ All true believers stay in the Lord. Just the same, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Colossians 3:16 NASB). Why? Because, as Christ said:
For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
Matthew 12:34-35
If your heart is full of God’s Word, and hence the Word of God is abiding in you, you’ll automatically speak accordingly. When you fulfill these two conditions—staying in the Lord and allowing his Word to abide in you—Jesus promises: “ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Now, let me ask you: How is it that whatever you righteously ask for is done for you? Does the LORD come down from Heaven and do it? No, God enlists the services of angels to serve you accordingly. That, after all, is their function—to serve those who are to inherit salvation—us.
Confessing the Word, or Not, Is Transferred to the Angels
Here’s an interesting statement that Christ made:
“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9 but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
Luke 12:8-9 (NASB)
This obviously means that, whether we confess or deny Jesus Christ before people on Earth, the Lord will do the same before the hosts of Heaven when we stand before the LORD at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10-11) or the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Each one of us will stand at one or the other depending on whether we’re a believer or unbeliever. This interpretation is verified by a similar passage in Matthew’s gospel:
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 10:32-33
Both verses are stand-alone statements that we can take at face value, but there’s a principle here that we can extract: Jesus is the living Word of God (John 1:1) and, whether we confess the Word of God or deny the Word of God, it will be transmitted to the angels in Heaven and Father God.
Jesus is the living Word of God and therefore he’s “the truth” (John 14:6). The written Word of God is also “truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). ‘Truth’ in the Greek is alétheia (ah-LAY-thee-ah), which means “reality; the way it really is.” When we confess the Living Word—reality—it is transmitted to the angels and our heavenly Father. If we deny the Living Word—reality—it is likewise transmitted to the angels and Father God. Don’t you think the same principle is at play when we confess or deny the written Word of God, which is also reality?
Make no mistake, whether you confess the Word of God or deny the Word of God it affects the angels concerning you. Remember, angels are “the mighty ones” who do God’s bidding and “obey his Word” (Psalm 103:20). If you ignore God’s Word or, worse, deny it, the angels about you will be hindered from fulfilling their mandate—to serve you—because there’s no Word of God for them to obey.
In the vacuum evil spirits will take advantage of the situation; and more so if your words are in contradiction to God’s Word, such as words of doubt, fear, worry and general negativity (e.g. “I can’t do it,” “We’re screwed” or “God’s not gonna come through this time”).
Needless to say, learn to “loose” your angels and allow them to serve you by speaking God’s Word in faith.
Saved By an Angel in the Fiery Furnace!
A good example of this principle can be found in the book of Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar erected a 90’ image of gold and commanded the people of his empire to fall down and worship the colossal idol at the appropriate time. Those who refused faced death by incineration in a blazing furnace.
Three extraordinary Hebrews—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—were administers in Babylon during Judah’s exile and they refused to worship the image. Their enemies reported this to the King and so Nebuchadnezzar had them brought before him where he threatened them with death via the fiery furnace if they failed to comply with the edict. Observe their response:
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:16-18
They were obviously respectful to the pagan monarch, but they took a bold stand against his edict because obeying it conflicted with their God-given Law; specifically, the first two of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 & Deuteronomy 5:4-21). This is a good example of justified civil disobedience. An excellent example in the New Testament is when the apostles refused to obey the Sanhedrin’s order to not preach the message of Christ (Acts 5:27-32).
Notice what the three Hebrews publicly confessed before Nebuchadnezzar: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us.” They were speaking in faith in accordance with their covenant, which promised them protection as they walked in obedience (Deuteronomy 20:4 & 28:1-7).
Thus the infuriated king commanded that they be tied-up and thrown into the blazing furnace. Yet, once this was done, Nebuchadnezzar saw them alive in the furnace, along with someone else whom he described as a “son of the gods” (Daniel 3:19-25). This was such an incredible testimony to him that he referred to the Hebrews as “servants of the Most High God” and called them out of the furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar then said:
“Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants!”
Daniel 3:28
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were saved by an angel sent by God. Keep in mind that angels are “the mighty ones” who do God’s bidding and “obey his Word” (Psalm 103:20). What Word did this mighty angel obey? The three Hebrews’ confession of faith that was in accordance with the revelation of God and their covenant.
By contrast, if they had spoken words of doubt that contradicted God’s Word then it would’ve prevented the angel from saving them. Why? Because angels only respond to God’s Word. They cannot and will not assist those who speak contrary to it. This is why it’s so important that you learn to speak in accordance with the Word of God.
Now, you might be wondering about something the three Hebrews added to their confession of faith when they stood before the king:
“But even if he does not [deliver us], we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:18
This isn’t doubt, but simple defiance in the face of pompous ungodliness. It’s an example of godly bratty-ness! It’s also an example of bold willingness to face martyrdom, if it were the LORD’s will, which they may not have specifically known. We’ll look at cases of God-approved martyrdom momentarily.
Daniel Saved By an Angel in the Lion’s Den
A similar example can be observed three chapters later where Daniel is the protagonist. On this occasion the prophet refused to obey a decree that King Darius put into effect at the pressure of Daniel’s enemies. The decree was to pray to no god except the king for a month. Daniel refused to obey this law, of course, which is another example of justified civil disobedience. Naturally, his enemies wasted no time in reporting this to the king (Daniel 6:10-13).
As with Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego and King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was brought before Darius where he still refused to obey the edict. So the king was forced to have Daniel executed by being thrown into a den of lions (verses 13-16). The main difference in these two stories is that, unlike the three Hebrews, Daniel had the monarch’s favor and thus the king didn’t want to execute him. He obviously respected the prophet, but was forced to throw him to the lions because of the edict.
After a sleepless night the king went to the den to see what happened to Daniel and was astonished to find him still alive in the lions’ lair. How could he possibly still be alive? Daniel informed him:
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
Daniel 6:22-24
While it’s unfortunate that the wives & children of Daniel’s enemies had to perish with them this was simply a reality in Babylon’s brutal patriarchal society where wives and kids were considered property.
But this doesn’t take away from the fact that Daniel was saved from the lions via an “angel” because “he had trusted in his God,” which means that he stood in faith according to the promises of his covenant.
Was This “Angel” the Pre-Incarnate Christ?
Was the “angel” who saved the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace and the “angel” who saved Daniel in the Lions’ den an angel or was it Jesus Christ in pre-incarnate form?
There are clear examples of Yeshua* making pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament, such as these three:
- The “man” Jacob wrestled all night (Genesis 32:24,28 & 35:1).
- The magnificent Commander of the Army of the LORD who appeared to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15).
- The “Angel of the LORD” who appeared to Gideon (Judges 6:11,14).
While Christ did make pre-incarnate appearances to people on several occasions, there’s no verification that the “angel” who delivered Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego or Daniel was Christ. This “angel” may have been, but—again—it’s not verified in either passage, so it’s best to just go by what the account says—they were saved by a mighty angel.
But, whether it was an angel who saved them or Yeshua, the principle is the same: Those in covenant with the Almighty will be assisted by heavenly beings based on faithfully speaking and acting in line with the Word of God according to their covenant.
What About Cases of God-Approved Martyrdom?
These two examples of miraculous deliverance from fatal persecution understandably raise the question: What about situations where people are martyred for their faith? Could they have been delivered, as were the three Hebrews and Daniel?
It all comes down to the Sovereign LORD’s will on any given occasion. It is God’s general will that His children be delivered from life-threatening persecution, and the Bible contains promises to this effect:
The angel of the LORD encamps around those
who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Psalm 34:7
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Psalm 34:19-20
The LORD will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be
condemned.
Psalm 34:22
There are scores of promises like these in the Bible—both Old Testament and New Testament—and they are all “yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). In other words, the New Covenant believer can claim them by faith and be delivered from any severe persecution, just like the three Hebrews and Daniel were. Keep in mind though that the LORD didn’t deliver them until after they were thrown into the fiery furnace and the lions’ den respectively. Furthermore, they didn’t turn away from God when the going got tough. It was a test of their faith to see if it was genuine or not (1 Peter 1:6-7). Thankfully, their faith was sincere and they were rescued.
However, there are occasions where it is God’s will that a person die for the cause of Christ. The martyrdom of Stephen is a good example. His death resulted in the mass scattering of believers and thus the spreading of the Word of God in that part of the world (Acts 7:54-8:4). Yet Stephen’s martyrdom offers us an important insight: Just before Stephen was apprehended and stoned, the account points out that he was full of the Spirit and saw Heaven “open up,” palpably viewing the glory of the Father with Christ at his right hand.
This reveals that God will give those He calls to die for their faith the grace to handle it. If you’re in a situation where you’re facing severe persecution and you don’t discern the Holy Spirit leading you to martyrdom then it’s obviously not God’s will that you be martyred. In this event, stand on the promises of God’s Word and the LORD will deliver you, just as he did with Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego and Daniel.
Unfortunately, some Christians are either biblically ignorant or have a martyrdom complex and so have unnecessarily died under persecution when, actually, it was God’s will to deliver them.
We look into this subject in more detail here.
This article was edited from chapters 3-5 of…
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Related Topics:
ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
Spiritual Warfare — Do You know What You’re Fighting For?
Evil Spirits (Demons) — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer
Demonic Spirits — How to Deflect Them
Why do Unclean Spirits seek out Dry Places?
Why is this World so Messed Up?
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
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