Do angels walk with us all the time? How many angels does one person have? What is the purpose of angels in our lives?
Speaking of angels, Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Angels are sent by the Lord to minister to our needs. As we have stated before, the angels act upon God’s orders. We do not pray to or try to direct the angels. They move as instructed of the Lord.
Do we have our own guardian angel or angels? While we often hear of this expression, it is not found in the scriptures. Let’s look at the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Some have taken this verse to indicate that we all have guardian angels that watch over us. However, notice in this verse where the angels are looking. We see that they, “always behold the face of my Father.” This shows that the angels are not watching us to make sure we are protected. No, they look to the Lord for instruction. They wait upon Him to tell them what to do. In this respect, they are, ‘ministering spirits’. As the Lord sees fit, He will dispatch angels to serve His own purpose.
In reality, we don’t need the abiding presence of angels. We have the abiding presence of our blessed Savior, which is far greater than the presence of angels. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “…I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” We should be thankful for the angels that the Lord sends to minister to our needs, but we should not be taken up with angels, we should be taken up with the Lord. He is far superior to the angels.
For an example of the Lord’s superiority, let’s read Luke 1:19, “And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.” Let’s compare that with Hebrews 1:3 which speaks of the Lord Jesus. That says, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Notice how that Gabriel the angel ‘stands’ in the presence of God, while the Lord Jesus ‘sits’ at the right hand of God. The Lord rules, the angels serve. Let us be occupied with the one who rules, the One who is King of kings, and Lord of lords…the Lord Jesus Christ. (167.8)