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Transcript 371B — Understanding Guardian Angels
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: Brother Camping, would you explain guardian angels for believers? Do believers have guardian angels? Does the Bible teach this? Or do we not have guardian angels? And would you please explain why or why not? I've been a little confused on this lately, because I had thought we did have guardian angels, but I heard a preacher recently say that Christians do not have guardian angels. And I would like to know what you think from what the Word says. And I'll take my answer over the radio.
HC: Thank you very much for calling and sharing that. The question is concerned with guardian angels. What does the Bible teach about them?
In Hebrews 1:14, the last verse, we find a reference as to what angels are. There we read, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" God is teaching therefore that angels have a very distinct role in relationship to those who are saved. They minister to the needs of those who are being saved.
This verse is not particularly saying that they are guardian angels. But nevertheless this verse is teaching that they are particularly concerned about those who are being saved.
In Psalm 91 we have additional information. In Psalm 91, we read in verse 9, "Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation [this is a statement referring to those who have become saved], there shall no evil befall thee. Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because He has set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high because He hath known My Name."
Now you see, this statement does indicate that God sends His angels to care for us, to guard us, so that we will not become enslaved to Satan, so that Satan cannot have anything on us. The reference to the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon, these are synonyms for Satan himself, and his evil spirits. He cannot assault us. He cannot have us.
Now sometimes it is God's providential plan that we might be persecuted. And Christ did say, "Do not fear him who can destroy the body," because Satan is permitted by God, perhaps, to take our lives in death through persecution. But that is no victory for Satan at all. That is simply the moment when we leave our bodies to go to be with Christ in Heaven.
Actually, I think the implication here is not so much physical, although God also cares for us physically, and He gives His angels charge over us. I am sure there are many times in the life of people, and certainly in the life of believers, when they could have died, or they could have gotten into an accident, or whatever. And it almost seems miraculous that we did not get into it. And it could be that the angels were active in setting aside what could have been a disaster.
But I think the larger focal point is one of spiritual safety. Do you remember in Revelation 12 we read about the dragon and his angels, that they fought with Michael and his angels. And the dragon was cast out of Heaven. The angels stand as God's servants, between the believer and Satan. They stand between the believer and the evil spirits, to keep the evil spirits, to keep Satan away. Satan has nothing on the believers anymore. We are citizens of God's Kingdom. Satan cannot assault us. He cannot come into our lives.
He of course can tempt us through others. But God keeps us. Remember what Jesus said in John 10:28, "We shall not perish." No one can snatch us out of his hand. And I think this is really the larger sense of Psalm 91, where He speaks about His angels having charge over us, to keep us in all the ways of God, in all "Thy ways." You notice that language, in the path of God, in the path of righteousness.
Well, thank you for that call.