A study of Scripture shows that all of these spirit beings were originally good “angels.” Beside Michael and Gabriel, the other highest-ranking angel was one whom Scripture refers to as the “angel of light” (and by many other names and descriptions). Angels were given free will, and it was “Lucifer” who rebelled against God and somehow persuaded one-third of the other angels to choose to join him in his attempt to usurp the throne of heaven (see Isa. 14:12ff; Ezek. 28:14ff; Rev. 12:3,4). They failed, were condemned to eventual extermination, and ejected from God’s presence. They now inhabit our world, where they are doing as much damage as they can to mankind before their time runs out and they are destroyed.

As is the case with many important biblical truths, Satan has introduced much error about angels—what they are and what they do. For example, It’s a Wonderful Life is a great movie, but “Clarence” is a lousy theologian—angels are not dead people. Neither are they chubby babies with bows and arrows. Angels are spirit beings that God created before He created mankind. Because there are both good spirit beings and bad spirit beings, we must know what God’s Word says in order to discern between the genuine and the counterfeit.

The good news is that three-thirds minus one-third equals two-thirds. We have millions of supernatural enemies, unwaveringly bent on our destruction, but we have twice as many supernatural friends, whose only mission is to help us in any way they can! Actually, we have more than twice as many on our side, because some of the original one-third are now “in chains” due to their behavior in the time of Noah (Jude 6). If you are a Christian, you know that you are never alone, because your heavenly Father and your Lord Jesus are always flanking you on the path of life, but you can know that there are also angels with you wherever you are. As spirit beings, they don’t take up much space, so there could be 26 of them in your car with you, or at least sitting on top of it.

It is important to note that there is no verse in the Bible saying that human beings can command (or ask) angels to do anything, as some Christians today teach. No, that is the Lord’s job—they are his messengers and servants, not ours. Neither does the Word say that people are to worship angels. In fact, Scripture shows that angels respect believers, who they are here to help (Dan. 10:11). It appears that angels recognize that people were originally made in the image of God, and that people are the focus of God’s infinite love.

Hold it—angels are spirit beings—how come the angel’s hand didn’t pass right through Peter? Because, as the Bible makes clear, angels know how to do what I call “the molecule trick.”  That is, they know how to arrange or re-arrange molecules into different forms, and thus can come into concretion in the form of people. When they do, they look like people, sound like people, and feel like people. They even eat (and it is obvious what to fix for them if any show up at your house). 

Not only is it the biblical testimony that angels assist believers, but if you have spent much time around Christians, you have heard many accounts of “people” (actually Traffic Division angels) showing up out of nowhere to help them when they were stranded motorists—and then disappearing; others (Child Care Division) leading their lost children home—and then vanishing; others showing up as big, muscular men (Security Division) to scare off their attackers, either military or civilian.

Let us be clear, however, that in His Word, God makes it plain that He does not have carte blanche in regard to intervening in people’s lives to help them. If He did, He would, because God is love. Thus, by the definition of love, and by the testimony of His Word, we know that He is always doing everything He can to protect us, rescue us, heal us. Think about it—that means that when He does not do so, it is because He cannot do so.

For example, God wants to save all men, but He cannot. Why? Because many do not cooperate with Him by making a free will choice to believe in Jesus Christ. So it is in our daily lives as Christians: to a large degree, God needs our cooperation, that is, our faith. The more we trust and obey His Word, the more He can do for us, often by way of angelic intervention.