Angel Warriors

--from Maylou Holladay

“For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” Psalm 91:11

ANGELS...Those sweet cherub faces and wings and haloes...Yes, I do like to hang them on our Christmas tree... especially those beautiful angels we got in Italy, Fiji, Germany, and Republic of Georgia.

BUT... are those really like the angels spoken of in the Bible?

How many times have we quoted the verse: “He will give His angels charge over thee...”
and yet we haven’t thought about what they truly are and why God assigns them to take care of us.

Every year in Cincinnati at the church our children attend, there is an incredible Christmas presentation called AWAITED. It is basically the story from creation to resurrection, dramatized in music, drama, and dance. It takes hundreds of hours to prepare and thousands of people...yes, thousands!...are amazed with the presentation every year. Brant and I have been privileged to attend twice. It was especially a blessing when our son David and granddaughter Kailee were involved in the ministry of it.

Of course, there had to be angels in a Christmas story. But...Wow! When I saw the way the angels were presented as God’s WARRIORS, it was as though a light bulb shone brightly over my head. Yes! These angels who protect us are not beautiful, feminine figures with wings and haloes but WARRIORS! How else could they do what God gives them to do? ANGEL WARRIORS are woven into the whole story of the Bible.

*The ANGEL who delivered the three men from the fire in Daniel 3:28 (“Blessed be the God...who has sent his ANGEL and delivered his servants...”) had to be strong enough to take care of three men in a fiery furnace.

*In II Samuel 24, God used an ANGEL to administer judgment. And we know about the ANGEL who stopped Balaam’s donkey in the road...trying to deter Balaam from his journey to curse the people of God (Numbers 22).

*The ANGEL of the Lord often gives protection...Psalm 34:7: “The ANGEL of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.”

*In Exodus 23:20ff, God speaks about His ANGELS helping to direct the children of Israel and to “keep you in the way.” Perhaps even for us, that promise is carried over with this thought in Hebrews 1: 14: “Are they not all ministering spirits (ANGELS - vs. 13) sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

*I have to include Matthew 18:10 - such a comfort for our little ones - which warns us not to despise these little ones who come to Jesus, because “in Heaven their ANGELS do always behold the face of my Father.”

The next time you hear the word “ANGEL,” be excited that God has those WARRIORS out there for us. We cannot see them, but they are there...strong, bold, and yet kind enough to do His bidding...keeping us safe and even helping to direct us. Thank God for His WARRIOR ANGELS. What a comfort!!