Many Christians and non-Christians alike are intrigued by the existence of angels. St. Michael the Archangel is a prominent angelic figure, in Holy Scripture and across many cultures since the beginning of recorded history.
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What is an Angel?
First things first, we need to define the term angel.
The word angel, in Latin "angelus" or in Greek, "aggelos," stems from the Hebrew word that means "one going" or "one sent." Angels are spiritual beings that are sent by God as intermediates between God and men.
The word intermediate means "being or occurring at the middle place, stage, or degree or between extremes." I really like this definition because I think it does a really great job of presenting a visual for us to consider when we think about spiritual warfare in heavenly places.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Angels and Spiritual Warfare
When we think about the chasm between Heaven and Earth, and the spiritual battle that rages over the souls of humans, we must consider that God's holy angels are assisting us in this spiritual battle. Some of the angels rebelled against God and so fell into eternal darkness, but I am referring specifically right now to the holy angels that declare Jesus Christ as Lord and help humans come into the Kingdom of God through Christ.
The author of Hebrews declares that the holy angels are "all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation." As disciples of Jesus Christ, we know that he is our great High Priest, under which all angels are subject to his authority.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Overall, angels have three distinct purposes as referred to in Holy Scripture.
Angels are messengers to humanity: Genesis 16, Judges 13, Daniel 8, Luke 2 and 22
Angels are guardians of humanity: Genesis 24, Matthew 4, Hosea 12, 1 Kings 19, Acts 12
Angels are divine agents of God that serve as governors over aspects of the world: 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, John 5
Who is St. Michael the Archangel?
It is clear from Holy Scripture that there is an order or hierarchy of the angelic forces. The hierarchies are referenced in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jude, 1 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Colossians, Daniel, and Revelation, to name a few places.
St. Michael the Archangel is a chief or prince angel who leads the other angels in the heavenly battle against the powers of darkness. In the end times, when the Antichrist is loosed out of his prison (Rev 20), St. Michael the Archangel will rise up and fight against Satan and all the evil powers of darkness in the world.
The reference from Revelation parallels the battle that occurred in the heavenly places when Satan was initially cast out of heaven and thrown down to the world. Revelation 12 states, "And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon."
For now, Satan actively seeks the ruin of souls until the second coming of Jesus Christ, when Jesus will come to establish his eternal Kingdom forever and Satan and all evil forces will be forever cast into the lake of fire.
What is St. Michael's Role?
Overall, St. Michael, the Archangel has four major purposes, as evidenced in Holy Scripture.
To lead spiritual warfare against Satan
To rescue faithful souls from Satan's grasp, particularly at the hour of death
To champion human causes that are for the purpose of building up the Kingdom of God
To encourage souls away from darkness and into humble repentance, so that they may be reconciled to God
Intercessory Prayer and Angelic Invocation
In chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation, right before the angels begin to cry out in worship of the Lamb who was slain, the passage describes that Jesus took a scroll, and "the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
In chapter 8 of the Book of Revelation, St. John describes his vision. An "angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel."
I think it is beautiful how angels lift and carry our prayers up as fragrant incense to the throne of the Living God. Is that not wild? Considering the angel's role as intermediaries, would they not so enjoy lifting up praises of ours to God our Savior? What an image. When I think about the consistent biblical call that we have been given to intercede, to pray unceasingly, and to call upon all the choirs of angels and saints in heaven when we pray, I think about how the angels and the saints intervene for us and join with our voices in supplication to the Lord.
"The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." - James 5:16
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." - Ephesians 6:18
The New Age and the Angelic
Y'all know I am the disclaimer queen, so here's my disclaimer for this topic. It is common in modern occultism to be quite obsessed with angelology. It is imperative as a Christian to understand that we are called to focus our attention on the Lord, and his will over our lives. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Oftentimes those obsessed with angelic communication and invocation are doing it from the perspective of attempting to seize occult power or knowledge. Biblically, we are encouraged to invoke the assistance of angels. But as you can see from the details here, the purpose is for protection and guidance for the faithful in the mission of building up the Kingdom of God.
The core of this is prayer. When we pray to God and we ask God to send his ministering spirits (angels) to guide, guard and protect, that's all good. No issues there. The issue is the focus on the prayer. Oftentimes in the occult, people will focus their attention on the angel itself as a means of curiosity, to connect with, explore, or study the spiritual forces. This actually opens the person up to demonic pacts, because let's face it, angels who respond to these types of calls are not angels of God. They are demons with the intention to pull you away from the path of God and distract you. Satan and his demons offer all kinds of signs and wonders that mislead humans into a deeper curiosity about occult practices and engagement with the demonic. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. What is the antidote to getting trapped by this deception? Remain anchored to the Word of God, daily prayer, and sacramental worship.
Prayer to Saint Michael
As an example of proper angelic innovation, let's break down the St. Michael prayer. When it comes to consideration of intercessory prayer, St. Michael the Archangel has a special role. Since he is one of the highest ranking angels and because he is the chief angel in the battle against Satan, his intercession is extremely effective in the realm of spiritual warfare. Another saint who is incredibly efficacious against the powers of darkness is the Blessed Virgin Mary, but that conversation is for another article.
For now, I want to submit the prayer to invoke the divine help of Archangel Michael. This is an excellent prayer to memorize and utilize during heavy times of spiritual war in your life.
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The Blood of Jesus and Spiritual War
When it comes to salvation, Jesus Christ is our only mediator, advocate, and guide. When it comes to spiritual battle in this time of imperfection on this planet, during the grace period before Jesus Christ comes back to establish his Kingdom once and for all, we are commanded to pray unceasingly, to join our voices with all the communion of saints and all angelic and archangelic forces to worship the Lord.
We are called into vigilance, to be always prepared to provide an account of our salvation through the perfect blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to the Kingdom of Heaven. And God is a god of community. We are not alone in this battle. We have all the saints who have gone before us, who intercede for us even now.
We have the support and guidance and protection of all the angels in Heaven. We have our brothers and sisters in Christ, those who are currently alive, known as the Church Militant, to pray with us. Worship is our warfare! Thank you, Jesus, for laying down your life so that we may obtain the promises of your eternal inheritance.
[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:15-20
About The Author
Teresa Yanaros, a degreed journalist with a passion for Jesus, has dedicated her life to investigating media, exposing occult lies, and driving home the truth of Christ. Earlier in her career, Teresa was a successful author who gave speeches and practical workshops across America, after publishing a book that investigated the phenomenon of modern American online spiritualism and attempted to reconcile her Roman Catholic roots with new-age practices. She then had a radical deliverance experience from the occult and now coaches Christians who left the new age to follow Jesus. With over 1M views on her YouTube channel, Teresa has impacted viewers across the world who seek to look deeper at spiritual warfare and how Satan deceives through occult traps in media. After going #newagetoJesus she attended seminary classes and continues to research, investigate, and share information about the new age deception, occult deliverance, spiritual warfare, and Christian theology.
INTERESTED IN THE ACADEMY? If you are a Christian who left the new age, apply to join the CLARITY ACCELERATOR ACADEMY. The Academy takes the entire process from start to finish of getting oriented after leaving the new age, grounding into theology and spiritual warfare, deprogramming new age lies, renouncing Satan's influence, remaining delivered, and establishing a firm context for Christian living and spiritual formation, bible study, how to pray, how to share the gospel, how to build your testimony, how to share your testimony, and put it ALL into this academy. IT WORKS. People's lives are being transformed by this framework, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus, for deliverance!
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