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Introduction
Above us, behind us, before us, and all around us,
there hovers a myriad of spirits, ever ready to decoy the
soul from its intended sphere; but in every redeemed soul
there dwells a guardian Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to
protect and defend from the imposing spirits infernal.
Again and again we hear His tender
voice repeat the wooing call, "This is the way, walk
ye in it." While there is but one Holy Spirit, with
which we have communication, there are legions of vile
spirits. This is true from the fact that there is but one
holy way, requiring but one spirit to lead the soul
therein; while the broad way (Matt. 7:13) is traversed by
unnumbered crooked paths (Psa. 125:5; Prov. 2:15)
requiring as many wicked spirits to allure the souls of
men into them. Each perverse way, it seems, is provided
with a subtle demon, well calculated to lead the
unsuspecting soul around the crooks and turns of life's
pathway, unaware of the danger ahead, at each turn
promising, that the sought for pleasure is near at hand;
till the sin blinded soul is suddenly tossed head long
over the precipice of eternal despair, lost and ruined
forever. "But the path of the just is as the shining
light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect
day." Prov. 4:18. As we have just noted, there is but
one Holy Spirit with which we have communication; and yet
at different times God has communicated with man by means
of His angels. "He maketh his angels spirits, and his
ministers a flame of fire." Heb. 1:7. However God's
speaking to man by means of angels seems to have always
been on special occasions; while His established way,
especially in this dispensation, is by His Spirit.
It is true, however, that God sends
His angels to protect and defend us from the wicked
spirits that seek our overthrow. "The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and
delivereth them." Psa. 34:7. In former days when men
could not receive the Holy Spirit as an abiding comforter,
God often sent His angels in visible form to minister to
the faithful, and encourage and defend them; and even in
this dispensation God has often sent His angels to deliver
His people.
When Elijah was fleeing for his
life from the face of Jezebel, who threatened his
destruction for having killed the priests of Baal, he sat
down under a juniper tree and requested for himself that
he might die (1 Kings 19:4); but God was not done with
him. "And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree,
behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him,
Arise and eat. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake
baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And
he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the
angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched
him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too
great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and
went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty
nights unto Horeb the mount of God." 1 Kings 19:5-8.
When the host sent by the king of
Syria surrounded the city where Elisha and his
servant lodged, intending to do them harm, the young
man, his servant, was greatly alarmed: but Elisha assured
him that there were many more with them than the king of
Syria. And after praying the Lord to open the eyes of his servant
he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots
of fire round about Elisha. 2 Kings 6:13 18. No doubt if
God should see fit to open our eyes in times of trial, we
could see hosts of angels hovering near us, ready to
ward off the spirits infernal; but in this
dispensation God deals with us directly through His
Holy Spirit rather than by communication with us through
the person of angels, and yet His angels are hovering near.
Angels were the first to announce the glorious birth of the
Son of God our Savior. "And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the
angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Savior, which is Christ the Lord.... And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, arid saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Luke 2:8-14.
The angels came to Jesus in His
hour of temptation in the wilderness and ministered unto
Him. Matt. 4:11. Also in His agony in the garden an angel
came and strengthened Him. Luke 22:43. When the mob came
to take Jesus, Peter drew his sword; but Jesus assured him
that it was not His intention to fight, and if it was,
that He could pray the Father and He would presently send
Him more than twelve legions of angels. Matt. 26:53.
An angel appeared to Peter and
delivered him from prison. Acts 12:7.
An angel stood by Paul in the
night, saying, "Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought
before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that
sail with thee." Acts 27:24.
We often hear of persons who when
dying, affirm that they can see the angels. Such we have
no reason to doubt, when we have evidence that they are
saved; as God sends the angels at death to bear the souls
of the righteous to Paradise or Abraham's bosom (Luke
16:22) to await the day of final reward.
The foregoing we deem sufficient to
prove that God has in all ages of the world sent His
angels to encamp about the righteous and deliver them.
Spirits, though invisible, are as
real as material objects, and their entity is as certain
as beings which we see with our natural eyes. The question
naturally arises here, How do we know there are such
beings, seeing that we cannot comprehend their existence
with the sense of sight. Jesus said, "The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither
it goeth: so is every one that is born of the
Spirit." John 3:8.
The argument is this: We cannot see
the wind nor tell its source or goal, and yet we believe
that there is wind; first, because we feel it; and,
second, because we see its effects: and for the same
reason we believe there are spirits. We see the green
leaves and the ripened grain waved by the zephyr breeze;
so we see the virtuous lives of devout men and women,
lived out in meekness by the Holy Spirit; consequently we
believe there is a summer breeze, also a Holy Spirit.
We also see the huge forests and
fruitful orchards torn by the angry gale; and the fertile
fields and fragrant flower gardens laid bare by the
winter's blast: in like manner do we sometimes see the
fertile fields of manhood, and the floral plains of
womanhood, laid waste by the vile spirits of error. We
feel the soothing effect of the summer breeze and the
comforting influence of the Holy Spirit and are convinced
of the reality of both. We also feel the severity of the
angry cyclone, and the presence of spirits infernal. And
so we are convinced, not only by the testimony of divine
truth, but also by personal experience of the reality of
spirits, both good and evil.
Seeing then that we are surrounded
by spirits which seek our hurt and fain would destroy our
souls; and that God has provided the Holy Spirit to lead
us aright, and angels to deliver us, does it not behoove
us to seek how we may know the evil from the good, that we
may choose the way of life and live?
It is not advisable for us to seek
the visible presence of angels, for God has only promised
to give us the Holy Spirit, and the visible manifestations
of angels should be left with Him. Those who seek what God
has not promised go beyond the line of God's promised
protection, and expose their souls to the spirits of
devils. Let us, therefore, be content with His dealings,
and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, armed with which we
shall be able to conquer every foe.
God only informs of the fact that
angels are near us that we may feel secure in times of
trial; and if He shall deem it expedient to send them in
visible form to open the prison doors or strike down
the wicked, let that be in His hands alone, as He knoweth
best.
While the angels of God and the
Holy Spirit only protect and defend those who fear Him,
they are all interested in the salvation of the lost. The
Holy Spirit pleads for them, and the angels hover near to
rejoice with the righteous when only one sinner repenteth.
"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:7.
Thanks to God for His unbounded
protection. Let us "abhor that which is evil and
cleave to that which is good." Amen.
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