Our Allies

 

For the past couple of posts I have talked extensively about our enemy and the spiritual warfare every Christian needs to participate in. Having focused on the insidious and the infiltrators I feel it is necessary to talk about our allies. Let me start with the most important. Our chief and greatest ally in the Spiritual War is Almighty God himself. The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Creator, Savior, and Power are omnipotent and capable of annihilating our enemies. God has not limits, he can snap his fingers and Satan is no more. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, enthroned and interceding (praying) for us believers. (Romans 8:34). The Lord assists us with his power, he brandishes his scythe for the wicked and his sword for the demonic spirits. The Lord God commands the mighty winds that can strip the forests bare (Psalm 29:9). Thunder and bolts of lighting fly according to his command. (Psalm 144:6). Consuming fire in the form of coils, hail stones, blazing rain, and pillars cleanse the earth. (Exodus 9:23, Proverbs 25:22, 1 Kings: 18: 38, Exodus 13:21). With the breath of his nostrils the Lord can destroy the mightiest fortress and with one word he can move a mountain and make a planet cease to exist. 


The Archangel Michael vs Satan

After the Commander and Chief, the Lord of Hosts (Jesus Christ), we have another ally in the faithful angels. The angels who did not fall, continue to serve and fight in the cause of Almighty God. The most well known is Michael, the Captain of the Archangels, who fought Satan in the war in heaven and over the body of Moses. (Revelation 12:7) Michael only prevailed against the devil when fighting over Moses' body when he said "The Lord (God) rebuke you!" (Jude 1:9). There is also Gabriel who is the messenger that met Mary and told her that she would conceive, carry, and give birth to Christ. (Luke 1:26-38). Gabriel also appeared to the Shepherds and said "I give you tidings of great joy, for Savior is born unto us.." (Luke 2:10) There are the two Apocryphal archangel warriors Raphael and Uriel who do battle with fallen spirits.

Gabriel speaking to Mary

Angels have a hierarchy. Each is designed with a purpose. The highest was the Cherub that Covereth, this was the station reserved for Lucifer before he fell and become Satan. (Ezekiel 28:14). Next is the Cherubim, which there are four known who are with the Father and who's description contains a lion, a lamb, an eagle, and ox, and a man. (Ezekiel 10:14). Then there is the Seraphim, angels that reportedly have six wings and who stand like sentinels at the foot of God's throne. Next are the Archangels, which are the warriors who pitch battle in the spiritual war against the devil and his hosts. After the Archangels are the Teraphim who minster mainly on Earth by observing mankind and even take on human form to intervene in affairs. (Genesis 19:1, Daniel 4:17). Finally there is the Guardians, which are singular angels that are assigned to each believer for protection. (Psalm 34:7).
It is important that we know we have these allies fighting in the cause of Christ. However, we must be careful not to be too preoccupied with angels or focus on them more than our Lord and Savior. St. Paul confronts angelic worship when he says, "Do not let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions of these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud". (Colossians 2:18). Unfortunately, many orthodox Christians revere and worship angels. Michael the Archangel is revered as St. Michael in Catholicism, as well as St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and St. Uriel. Angelic worship is apostasy! The good angelic beings do not want worship! They seek only to draw attention to the Almighty One. Angelic allies say, "fear not," and they only share the message or do what they were commissioned to do. When St. John fell down at an angel's feet to worship the angel, the angelic messenger responded, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your fellow prophets and with all the people who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!" (Revelation  22:8-9). People who see angels are not apostates, but if an angel should visit often and draw the focus of a believer to itself rather than to Christ, then it is a fallen angel! Beware, the fallen angels will disguise themselves as good angels. It says in the Scriptures, "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14). The way you tell the difference between the faithful and fallen is that the angels of the Lord God minster and draw you to Christ, while the fallen want worship for themselves.
Finally, we have allies in our Christian brothers and sisters. We are family and we need to stand in faith together. To wage the spiritual war we need each other. Our prayers direct angels into battle and we have the authority to "bind on earth what is in heaven and loose on earth what is in heaven!" (Matthew 18;18). As believer we need to pray for one another continuously. So remember that while one third of the angels fell to the dark side, there are two thirds still on the side of God Almighty and us! Have courage and do not give up! Finish the race!