Michael & Satan

(Angels & Demons)

The spiritual realm affecting our physical realm is a reality in the Bible. This study is to give us a Biblical perspective on the identity and role of both angels and demons.  Enabling us to walk spiritually with confidence in this physical realm knowing whose side we are on, 1st Jn. 4:4. Firstly lets look at the leaders of angels and demons. Obviously God the Father is in ultimate and complete control of them both, but there is a degree of hierarchy amongst both sets of spiritual beings.

 

LEADER OF ANGELS;

The prophet Daniel introduces both Michael (10:13,21, 12:1) & Gabriel (8:16 & 9:21) to the Jews. Michael seems to hold pre-eminence over other angels because of his place of victory in the Revelation 12:7-9, and his victory over Satan in Jude v9. His name means “who is like God?” However Gabriel (man of God) seems to be secondary in that he is simply a messenger of visions to Daniel and introduces the news of baby Jesus to Mary & Joseph (Lk. 1:19-26). Seraphim are only mentioned by Isaiah 6:1-7. They seem to be a group of superior angels with the exclusive purpose of guarding & proclaiming the holiness of God around His throne. Seraphim means ‘fiery ones’, they were in the shape of humans but with wings.  The Cherubs are thought to be SYMBOLS of the Seraphim, serving the purpose of protecting God’s holiness, law and power, Gen. 3:24 & Ex. 25:17-20. Other angels in the Bible have no name and Jesus refers to there being many legions of them, Mt. 26:53. But often in Scripture we see only the “Angel of the Lord”, which most theologians agree, is simply a phrase to describe Christ’s presence throughout the history of the Jews. This doesn’t mean Jesus was an angel before his virgin birth, He is certainly God, but it does means that The Christ existed before Bethlehem as a messenger! Which harmonizes with John 1:1-14, as the Word (Logos).

      Angels are spiritual beings used by God to send messages, that is simply what the word angel means. The Hebrew writer speaks of angels as in service for Christians (1:14) and that we should be hospitable towards strangers because they may be angels in disguise for our service, (13:2). Helping us to serve God by helping the poor, Matthew 25:34-40. If anyone causes offences towards children, spiritual or physical, Jesus warns us that their angel is before God’s face, and justice will ensue! The point being that there is no medium in communication between children’s angels and God. The angels do not need a mediator, like we do in Jesus.

LEADER OF DEMONS;

The book of Job introduces Satan to us as amongst the angelic host of heaven Job 1:5-12. And the prophet Isaiah uses ‘Lucifer’ as the symbolical name for the king of Babylon, who was a historically evil king, but many theologians draw a spiritual analogy from this word ‘Lucifer’ to describe the fall of an angel producing Satan. If this is true, and there isn’t anything which I know of to oppose it, then the scenario relates to what Peter said about the Lord reserving Satanic angels to Tartarus, chained in pits of darkness, 2nd Pet. 2:4. The word Lucifer means “shiny morning star”, Satan means “deceitful enemy”, and Devil means “accuser”. The Bible doesn’t attempt to describe a chronological sequence of events explaining the origin of Satan, but we do know his origin had a beginning as created, and an end to be destroyed, clearly his intent is our destruction, Rev. 9:11. He failed in his attempt to kill Jesus and many of his demons were destroyed by Jesus, Lk. 8:30-33. Today we need to be prayerfully aware of the battle we are in, Eph. 6:10-13.

CONCLUSION: Since Satan has an angelic origin, and since Jesus is superior to all angels,   we can have security stronger than the angels strength, when we are in Christ.