This week I read Matthew 18, and it became clear to me that, as Christians, we do have guardian angels. Coming from a baptist background, this thought had never occurred to me; that is until my wife and I started to venture away and investigate the Catholic and Orthodox faith. Although attending a few divine liturgies and latin masses didn’t provide me with a reason for the guardian angel, they at least presented the idea. The more I study the Word the clearer it becomes that the Christianity of old has been lost and convoluted into something nearly unrecognizable today. A new believer eager to learn about God and His Word will inevitably be misguided, sometimes due to sheer ignorance and other times due to ill intentions, this is troublesome. I am hoping sharing what I have learned in regards to this topic will be of value to those new believers and even those who have known Christ for most of their lives.
Matthew 18 begins after Jesus told his disciples to pay the temple tax. Verse 1 Jesus is answering another question they asked- Who is the greatest in heaven? The answer- little children. For one must humble himself like a child, to receive the gift of salvation. Those who do this will be the greatest in heaven. The children, Jesus says in verse 10, have angels looking after them. Christ himself had angels minister to him after he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights (Matt 4:11). This is supported in Hebrews 1:14; we learn that angels are spirits with a duty of ministering to those who are inheriting salvation. Church Father St.John Chrysostom writes that all humans have a guardian angel, and that may be true, but from what we know from the Word are those starving to be Christ like have guardian angels.
There are numerous cases of angels appearing in times of desperation and or uncertainty throughout the entire Bible. Luke 1-5:25 tells the story of Zacharias- a high priest and father of John the Baptist- praying in a temple. When, out of nowhere, an angel appears and tells him that he will have a son and he shall be named John. John will be a great sight to the Lord, and he will lead many children of Israel to the Lord. A similar event happens in Luke 1-26:25 with Mary and Joseph, and before that in Matthew 1. The book of Acts is also littered with events where angels are helping the disciples. For example, the story of Peter being freed from jail by an angel. This is not exclusive to the New Testament. The Old Testament is too filled with stories of angels assisting individuals. As one can read in Genesis 16,17,18,19, 21 33, Exodus, and a few more.. In the book of Daniel (chapter 10), the concept of angels being assigned to certain nations is alluded to as well.
God provides all of His creation with a purpose, and that purpose is always for good. Angels play a vital role in this cosmic battle we are fighting. The Kingdom of Heaven cannot perish. We all play our roles in defending and preserving that Kingdom, and each of us has a guardian angel helping us. This is a truth that is important to grasp. Satan possesses an army too, so there are forces greater than you or I attempting to steer us away or towards God (Jude 1:9). Pray for strength and guidance. Pray for protection. Pray to God and your guardian angel. They work congruously for your betterment.
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