Introduction

The Doctrine of Angels”*

Angels Are A Very Popular Subject These Days. “Angelmania” has swept popular culture and is the hottest New Age trend at the moment. Recently five of the top ten books on a list of religious best-sellers were books dealing with the subject of angels.

One book that has topped the charts for many months is a how-to guide instructing people on methods for contacting angels, communicating with them, and even receiving guidance from them. One well-known secular publisher lists all these titles in its catalogue: Angel Letters, Angel Power, An Angel to Watch Over Me, Angel’s Bidding, Angels and Aliens, Angels Over Their Shoulders, The Angels Weep, The Angels Within Us, Angels: The Mysterious Messengers and Ask Your Angels. And that’s only in the listings under “A”!

Communicating with angels is serious business, according to books like these. According to the publisher’s promotional material for the most popular of these books,

“The authors show us how we can draw on the power of angels to reconnect with our lost inner selves and to achieve our goals, whether they be better relationships, healing an illness, or recovery from addiction.”

 Supposedly this book will teach the reader “how to align with the angelic energy field and learn to talk with your angels.”

Here Are Some Other Verbatim Quotations From Various Publishers’ Comments About Their Latest Angelic Books:

• Through the easy techniques presented in this book, you can learn to access and attune to beings such as guardian angels, nature spirits and elementals, spirit totems, archangels, gods and goddesses—as well as family and friends after their physical death. Also reveals which acupressure points stimulate your intuitive faculties, how to protect yourself from lower-level discarnates, and how to conquer fears of the unknown.

• Everyone has a Spirit Guide or guardian angel who assists him in keeping on a chosen Karmic path. [This cassette tape] helps you get in touch with yours.

• [You can learn to] contact your guardian angel and be receptive to the angelic realm in your daily life. Learn how to attune to the higher frequencies of Spirit, to be more aware of angels and nature spirits, and to communicate with these loving beings in order to develop a deeper appreciation of our own place in Creation.

• [This book] enables us to begin to open our hearts to these joyful and comforting protectors, so we can raise our consciousness to a new dimension.

• All the pieces in this unique collection stress the cooperation between humans and angels in the creation of our inner life and even of nature. The reader experiences a rich and variegated view of these ancient, elusive spirits that have inspired us for so long.

• The authors teach you nine specific ways your personal angel protects you, how to call out to your guardian angel, and how to get your angel to answer your cry for help and assistance in matters big and small. You’ll also find out about the Angelic Hierarchy and learn the actual language of the Angelic Kingdom!

• Shows us how to co-create with the angels and the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Specific exercises and meditations help you communicate with angels who are waiting to be invited into your life!

• By utilizing a combination of your birth sign and a specific colored candle, you can obtain the magic and wisdom you want in life by calling upon the angels. This book contains many spiritual secrets that will guide the reader to success and power.

Do Not Worship Angels, Pray to Them, or Seek Them:

"Worship of angels" (Col. 2:18) was one of the false doctrines being taught at Colossae.

An angel speaking to John in the book of Revelation warns John not to worship him: "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God" (Rev. 19:10).

q         Angels—like all other intelligent creatures—were designed to render worship to God, not to receive worship themselves.

q         In fact, in every case in Scripture, whenever angels are offered any form of worship, they always rebuke the worshiper and redirect all worship to God alone (cf. Rev. 19:10; 22:8–9).

q         Psalm 148 confirms that the angels are created beings who worship the Creator:

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!   Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!   Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!   Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!   Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. (Psalms 148:1-5 NKJV)

We are to pray only to God, who alone is omnipotent and thus able to answer prayer and who alone is omniscient and therefore able to hear the prayers of all his people at once.

Paul warns us against thinking that any other "mediator" can come between us and God, "for there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). If we were to pray to angels, it would be implicitly attributing to them a status equal to God, which we must not do. There is no example in Scripture of anyone praying to any specific angel or asking angels for help.

To seek such appearances would seem to indicate an unhealthy curiosity or a desire for some kind of spectacular event rather than a love for God and devotion to him and his work. Though angels did appear to people at various times in Scripture, the people apparently never sought those appearances. Our role is rather to talk to the Lord, who is himself the commander of all angelic forces.

I.  Introduction

Angels are also referred to as “holy ones” (Ps. 89:5, 7) in the sense that they are “set apart” by God and for God as attendants to His holiness.

Angels are referred to as the “host,” which can be understood to denote the armies of heaven (Ps. 89:6, 8; 1 Sam. 17:45).

A. The Bible asserts the existence of angels

1. Mentioned in 17 books of the Old Testament

2. Mentioned in 17 books of the New Testament

3. About 265 occurrences in the Bible.

B. Jesus asserted the existence of angels

1. Christ frequently mentioned the various relationships and ministries of angels.

a.  Mat. 13:39,16:27,18:10,22:30,25:31,41,26:53; Mk. 12:25; Lk. 15:10,16:22; Jn. 1:51.

II.  The Origin of Angels

A.  Created by a direct act of God's Will (Ps. 148:2,5; Jn. 1:3; Rom. 8:38-39; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:7; Nehemiah 9:6)

Angels Are Created Beings.  They do not have attributes of deity, such as omniscience or omnipresence. They did not exist in eternity past. They are creatures.

B.  If "the sons of god" in Job 38:7 are angels, then it is evident that the creation of angels occurred prior to the creation of the earth.

So the angels were there to witness the formation of our world. And since there is no procreation among angels (Matt. 22:30), they must have all been created at once—in a sweeping creative act.

God instantly commanded, and untold numbers of creatures came into existence, each one independently unique.

They do not reproduce, so there can never be any increase in the number. They do not die, so there’s no decrease.

C.  All of the angels were originally created Holy .

(Genesis 1:31, Ezekiel 28:14-15; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26). 

q         1 Peter 1:13-19—God also has called us to a Holy Life & we have the Holy Spirit to help us.

D.  They glorify God in their worship and work (Rev. 4:6-11). How is your worship & service (Matt.4:8-11); (1Cor.6:19-20); (Jn.12:28)

III.  The Nature of Angels

A. They are not glorified human beings (Mat. 22:30; Heb. 12:22; Ps. 8:5; Heb. 2:7; 1 Cor. 6:3).

B.  They are finite spirits. (Ezekiel 28:12-13)

C.  They are designated in Scripture by the masculine gender. (Names)

(Note: I believe the two women in Zech. 5:9 were part of a vision and not actual angels.)

D.  They are a company, not a race. (Hebrews 12:22)

E.  They have great knowledge, though not omniscient. (Daniel 10:20)

F.  They have great strength, though not omnipotent. (Daniel 10:13)

Angels apparently have very great power.

q         Struck 185, 000 in (2Kings 19:35)

q         They are called "you mighty ones who do his word" (Ps. 103:20) and "powers" (cf. Eph. 1:21) and "dominions" and "authorities" (Col. 1:16).

q         Angels are seemingly "greater in might and power" than rebellious human beings (2 Peter 2:11; cf. Matt. 28:2). At least for the time of their earthly existence, human beings are made "lower than the angels" (Heb. 2:7).

q         Though the power of angels is great, it is certainly not infinite, but it is used to battle against the evil demonic powers under the control of Satan (Dan. 10:13; Rev. 12:7-8; 20:1-3). Nonetheless, when the Lord returns, we will be raised to a position higher than that of angels (1 Cor. 6:3).

q        Prayer: We see hear the spiritual warfare that is waged while in prayer.

q        (Jer.29:11-13); (Luke 18:1)

IV.  The Fall of Angels

A  Did the Angels Fall? Yes (Ez. 28:16, Is.14:ff., 2 Pet. 2:4, Jude 6)  All of creation was created good. If they are wicked, they must have fallen at one point.

B.  When did they Fall? I don’t know.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever… (Deut. 29:29).

C.  What was the cause of their Fall?  Sin, pride

Isaiah 14:12-14 – sin begins in the heart

D.  What was the result of their Fall?  eternal punishment

V.  The Classification of Angels

A.  The Godly Angels

1.      The Angels

q         Angel. The Hebrew word simply means “messenger”; it may refer to a human messenger (1 Kings 19:2) or a divine messenger (Gen. 28:12). The basic meaning of the word is “one who is sent.” As a divine messenger an angel is a “heavenly being charged by God with some commission.

q         We may define angels as follows: Angels are created, spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without physical bodies.

2.      The Cherubim – The cherubim were given the task of guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24), and God himself is frequently said to be enthroned on the cherubim or to travel with the cherubim as his chariot (Ps. 18:10; Ezek. 10:1-22). Over the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament were two golden figures of cherubim with their wings stretched out above the ark, and it was there that God promised to come to dwell among his people: "There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel" (Ex. 25:22; cf. vv. 18-21).

3.      The Seraphim – Another group of heavenly beings, the seraphim, are mentioned only in Isaiah 6:2-7, where they continually worship the LORD and call to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3).

4.      The Living Creatures – Both Ezekiel and Revelation tell us of yet other kinds of heavenly beings known as "living creatures" around God's throne (Ezek. 1:5-14; Rev. 4:6-8). (below, [19:3]) With their appearances like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, they are the mightiest representatives of various parts of God's entire creation (wild beasts, domesticated animals, human beings, and birds), and they worship God continually: "Day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"' (Rev. 4:8)

5.      The Archangels – One angel, Michael, is called an "archangel" in Jude 9, a title that indicates rule or authority over other angels. He is called "one of the chief princes" in Daniel 10:13. Michael also appears to be a leader in the angelic army: "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated" (Rev. 12:7-8). And Paul tells us that the Lord will return from heaven "with the archangel's call" (1 Thess. 4:16). Whether this refers to Michael as the only archangel, or whether there are other archangels, Scripture does not tell us.

6.      The Watchers – (Dan. 4:13, 17, 23),

7.      The Sons of God –  Angels are called “sons of God” in that in their unfallen estate they are God’s sons by His creation (Job 1:6; 38:7).

8.      Guardian Angels? – Scripture clearly tells us that God sends angels for our protection: "He will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone" (Ps. 91:11-12).

Does Everybody Have A Guardian Angel (Matt.18:10; Acts 12:15)

q         Matthew 18:10 – Our Lord may simply be saying that angels who are assigned the task of protecting little children have ready access to God's presence.

q         Acts 12:15 – When the disciples in Acts 12:15 say that Peter's "angel" must be knocking at the door, this does not necessarily imply belief in an individual guardian angel. It could be that an angel was guarding or caring for Peter just at that time. There seems to be, therefore, no convincing support for the idea of individual "guardian angels" in the text of Scripture.

B.    The Ungodly Angels

       Scripture Indicates There Are Two Groups Of Fallen Angels. One group is the demons who are free and active in the world.  Other fallen angels are bound in confinement.

1.      The Angels That Are Kept In Prison

               Some are mentioned as being confined to tararus, (translated “hell” in 2 Pet. 2:4); they are confined because of some enormous sin (some relate this to Genesis 6 in suggesting the “sons of God” were angels).

               Jude 6 may refer to the same confinement. Another group of fallen angels are kept confined in the pit (Luke 8:31; Rev. 9:2). They were “apparently too depraved and harmful to be allowed to roam upon the earth.

               Revelation 9 indicates these demons will be released from confinement during the Tribulation to afflict people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev. 9:3-11).

2.      The Angels That Are Free

               It teaches that when Lucifer rebelled against God he fell from his place of prominence and led with him a host of lower-ranking angels. Lucifer, now called Satan, is the “ruler of demons” (Matt. 12:24). Matthew 25:41 also refers to “the devil and his angels,” which would refer to demons; similarly, Revelation 12:7 mentions “the dragon and his angels.”

3.      The Demons

Demons are spirit beings.      

Demons are localized but not omnipresent.

Demons are intelligent but not omniscient.

Demons are powerful but not omnipotent.

4.      Satan

               The Doctrine of Ultimate Dualism – The existence of two equally ultimate powers, one good and the other evil.  Dualism indicates an eternal conflict between God and the evil aspects of the material universe.

Star Wars - - May the Force Be With You.

               Revelation 2:13 – A must note: Do not think that Satan is today reigning in Hell sitting on a throne and that all of his agents are sent forth from the pit.  This is not so.  

a.       Created by God

b.          Original State

·         "full of wisdom"

·         "perfect in beauty"

·         "perfect in thy ways"

·         "absolute righteousness"

·         Created with the highest position

c.       His Fall – Isaiah 14:12-16; Ezekiel 28:13-17  

d.       Cause of his Fall – Because of his sin Satan was cast from the presence of God (Ezek. 28:16).

q         Satan’s downfall was his pride; his heart was lifted up because of his beauty, and his wisdom became corrupt (28:17).

q         The statement indicates Satan must have had extraordinarily high rank that led to his pride. Isaiah 14:12-14 further describes the sin that led to his downfall. Five “I will’s” emphasize his sin (14:13-14).

q         Result of a new believer in a position of spiritual leadership (1Tim.3:6-7; Proverbs 6:16)

e.       Result of his Fall – Satan fell from his original exalted position. As the anointed cherub Satan led a host of angels, possibly one-third of all the angels, from heaven in his fall (Ezek. 28:16-17; Rev. 12:4).

VI.  The Work of the Angels

A.  The Work of the Good Angels

1.  Their General Work

Angels are termed “ministering spirits” in Hebrews 1:14. The Greek term for “ministering” does not convey the idea of slavery, but of official functioning. They have been duly commissioned and sent forth with the responsibility of aiding believers.

2.  Their Special Work

a. In relation to Christ – Angels have a significant ministry to Christ from prior to His birth until His Second Advent. The fact that angels have this important ministry to Christ also emphasizes His deity; just as the angelic beings surround the throne of the Father so the angels attend to God the Son.

(1)     Angels predicted His birth (Luke 1:26-38).

(2)     Angels protected Him in infancy (Matt. 2:13).

(3)     Angels ministered to Him after the temptation (Matt. 4:11).

(4)     Angels strengthened Him at Gethsemane (Luke 22:43).

(5)     Angels announced His resurrection (Matt. 28:5-7; Mark 16:6-7; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:12-13).

6) Angels attended His ascension (Acts 1:10).

b. In relation to Nations – Angels will attend His Second Coming (Matt. 25:31). Angels will prepare the world for the return of the Son by regathering Israel to the land preparatory for their Messiah’s return and rule (Matt. 24:31). As God the Son returns to earth He will be attended by a host of angels, adding to the splendor and glory of His triumphal return (Matt. 25:31).

c. In relation to believers – “ministering spirits” Hebrews 1:14.

(1)     Physical protection.

q         David experienced physical protection by the angel when he was forced to flee to the Philistines (Ps. 34:7).

q         Angels may frustrate the plans of the enemies of God’s people (Ps. 35:4-5).

q         Angels protect from physical harm those that seek refuge in the Lord (Ps. 91:11-13).

q         They released the apostles from prison (Acts 5:19) and Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-11).

q         They will protect the 144,000 in the Tribulation (Rev. 7:1-14).

(2) Physical provision – An angel brought physical nourishment for Elijah when he was weakened from a lengthy journey (1 Kings 19:5-7).

(3) Encouragement – During the storm at sea an angel encouraged Paul, reminding him he would arrive safely at Rome to bear witness for Christ (Acts 27:23-25).

(4) Direction – An angel directed Philip to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26); an angel arranged the meeting of Cornelius and Peter that brought the Gentiles into acceptance in the believing community (Acts 10:3, 22).

(5) Assist in answers to prayer. There seems to be a relationship between the prayer for Peter’s release from prison and the angel’s releasing him (Acts 12:1-11). Similarly, Daniel’s prayer was explained by the angel (Dan. 9:20-27; cf. 10:10–12:13).

(6) Carry believers home. Luke 16:22 describes the death of Lazarus and the angels carrying him to Abraham’s bosom. This may be the way God causes all His dying saints to be “absent from the body . . . at home with the Lord.”

d. In relation to unbelievers – Angels have been and will be involved in meting out judgment on unbelievers.

q         Angels announced the coming destruction of Sodom because of those people’s sin (Gen. 19:12-13)

q         Prior to the climactic bowl judgments angels will announce the destruction of the world powers along with those that worshiped the beast (Rev. 14:4, 7, 8-9, 15, 17-18).

q         Angels are seen judging the people of Jerusalem for their idolatry (Ezek. 9:1-11); an angel struck Herod Agrippa I for his blasphemy so that he died (Acts 12:23).

q         Angels will also be instrumental in judgment at the end of the age when they cast unbelievers into the furnace of fire (Matt. 13:39-42)

q         Angels will sound the trumpet judgments during the Tribulation (Rev. 8:2-12; 9:1, 13; 11:15); angels pour out the bowl judgments upon the earth (Rev. 16:2-17).

B.  The Work of the Evil Angels

1.  Hinder the work of the good angels

Daniel 10:13

2.  Oppose the people of God

1 Peter 5:8-9, Rev. 12:17, Rev. 13:7, Eph. 6:11

3.  Support the work of Satan

Matthew 12:24, 25:41; Revelation 12;7

C.  The Work of Satan

1.  In Relation to God

a. Contradicts God's Word Genesis 3:4-5,

b. Opposes God's Work 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Thess. 2:4

c. Counterfeits the works and work of God 2 Cor 11:15, 2 Thes 2:9

d. Usurps God's position and power by his working through the man of sin 2 Thess. 2:3-4

e. Seeks to be worshiped Rev. 13:4-8,12,15

2.   In Relation to believers

a. He tempts them to doubt, disbelieve and disobey God

b. Sows tears among believers (Matt.13:24-20, 36-43)

c. He tempts them to lie

d. He tempts them to commit immorality

e. He uses demons to war against them in the spiritual life

f. Hinders their work (1Thess.2:18)

q         Acts 16:6 – The Holy Spirit Hinders Paul

q         Romans 1:10 – Appears to be the Lord or His timing

q         Romans 15:22 – Paul’s missionary work hindered him

g. Incites persecution (Rev.2:10)

h. Accuses and slanders believers (Rev.12:9-10; James 3:13-18).

Accusation is used in the passive voice, lit. signifies “to hurl across” ( “through,”  “to throw”), and suggests a verbal assault. It stresses the act rather than the author.

The word means to bring charges with hostile intent against someone, whether falsely and slanderously or justly, but maliciously and insidiously. The word expresses “giving currency to a damaging insinuation” (Thayer, Lexicon, p. 340a).

The tactics of Satan and his demons are to use lies (John 8:44), deception (Rev. 12:9), murder (Ps. 106:37; John 8:44), and every other kind of destructive activity to attempt to cause people to turn away from God and destroy themselves.

·         John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy."

·         Demons will try every tactic to blind people to the gospel (2 Cor. 4:4) and keep them in bondage to things that hinder them from coming to God (Gal. 4:8).

·         They will also try to use temptation, doubt, guilt, fear, confusion, sickness, envy, pride, slander, or any other means possible to hinder a Christian's witness and usefulness (James 3:13-18). 

Who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?   He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; (Psalms 15:1-3 NKJV)

       Christians Must Live Above Reproach.

Every Servant of Christ Must Exercise Diligence in Living Absolutely Above Reproach.

q         Acts 6:3 – be of good reputation, full of the Spirit & wisdom

q         1 Thessalonians 5:22 – abstain from every form of evil

q         Titus 2:1-8 – older woman (that the Word of God may not be blasphemed); young men (that they have nothing evil to say of you).

q         2 Samuel 11:1-5 – Idle time, plus Opportunity, equals Trouble & gives great occasion to the enemies to blaspheme the Lord (2SAM.12:14)

3. In Relation to the World

a. Satan rules it under God's permissive will

b. Deceives the nations (Rev.16:13-14)

c. Gathers them to the battle of Armageddon

Demons will eventually gather the nations of the world together in rebellion against Christ. Demons deceive the nations through performing signs in order to incite them in warfare against the returning Messiah (Rev. 16:14).

4. In Relation to the Unbeliever

a. Snatches God's Word from their hearts (Matt.13:19)

b. Blinds their minds (2Cor.4:3-4)

c. Prevents them from spiritually understanding the Gospel

d. Uses them to oppose, hinder and harm believers

VII. The Destiny of the Angels

A.  The Destiny of the Good Angels

Revelation 21:12: Will be with us in the New Jerusalem.

B.  The Destiny of the Evil Angels

Matthew 25:41, 2 Peter 2:4

C.  The Destiny of Satan

Revelation 20:10

            At the end of the millennium, when Satan is loosed and gathers the nations for battle, he will be decisively defeated and "thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur" and "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10). Then the judgment of Satan and his demons will be complete.

VIII.  The Christian and the Demonic

A.  The Christian's Warfare (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Eph.6:12)

B.  Can a Christian be demon-possessed?

1. N0

a. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 -- Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit

b. Mat. 12:28; 1 John 4:4 -- the Holy Spirit is greater in power than the demonic spirits.

2.  A Christian can be so influenced by demons that he appears to be demon possessed.  He may show some of the symptoms of demon possession.

3.  Demon influence may be thought of as a temporary operation of demon from without, while demon possession may be thought of as a more permanent demonic operation from within.

4.  Just as the flesh can strongly influence the believer (Gal. 5:16 - 18; 1 Cor. 3:1-3) without displacing the indwelling Spirit (John 15:16-17; Eph. 4:30), so a demon and/or demons may strongly influence a Christian without actually displacing the Spirit.  The believer who does not yield himself to the superior power of the Spirit (1 John 4:4 cf. Rom. 6:13: 12:1) will to the extent of his unyieldedness lack the control of the Spirit and leave himself open to the influence of the flesh or even demonic power (cf. Eph. 4:26).  Positively, the extent of the believer's yieldedness to the Spirit is the extent to which he experiences the power of the Spirit to give victory over the flesh and the devil and demons.

C.  There is no clear-cut case in the NT of a Christian being demon possessed.

D.  The Believer's Course of Action Regarding Satan

1.      Recognize Satan's limitations

a. He is not omnipotent

b. He is not omnipresent

2.      Realize that Satan's power is limited by the Will of God

a. Job 1:10; 2:4-6

b. Luke 22:31 – And the Lord said,  “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

3.      Realize that he has been conquered.

a. 1 John 3:8 – The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil

q        Victory over the world (1 John 5:4)

q        Victory over the flesh (Romans 6)

q        Victory over the devil (Colossians 2:15)

Heb.2:14-15 says the plan was “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

q        The Lord has already dealt a defeating blow!

4.      Remember that the believer has One Who intercedes in his behalf.

         1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 7:25

5.      Practice unceasing vigilance

6.      Deny Satan any foothold in himself (Eph.4:27)

7.      Put on the whole armor of God.

                    Illustration of football player not having all of his gear on.

General Norman Schwarzkopf, former commander of the United States Central Command and the architect of Operation Desert Storm, said:

I really think of myself as a soldier who tries to do his duty with honor, serving his country. Contrary to what has been said about me, I have never had any illusions of grandeur, of leading huge armies into battle, and I will confess that sometimes the awesome responsibility that is placed on my soldier flat scares me to death. But I do recognize that is what I have been trained for, and that’s what the United States has a professional military for, and certainly a crisis is not the time for me to be weak of heart or timid about my responsibilities. All I can do is my best, and when this is all over if I can still say to myself that I did my very best, then that is what is really important to me (“A Mud Soldier’s General Reflects on the Risks of War,”  U.S. News and World Report [11 Feb. 1991]: 37).

As believers we should do our best to serve and honor Christ, who is our Commander-in-Chief. By His death, burial, and resurrection, He has won the victory for every believer. Christ came to earth as a man “that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 12:14-15) 

Until our ultimate victory is fully realized in glory, however, Satan and his army will continue to assault the work that God is attempting to accomplish in the lives of His children. That means you can count on facing everyday battles and skirmishes.

How Are We To Respond To Satan’s Attacks (1Corinthians 16:13-14)

q         Watch – Satan wants you to be un-alert, lazy, not being about your Fathers business, & not being ready for the Lords return

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.   Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.   But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:12-14 NKJV)

q         Stand fast in the faith – Satan does not want you to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word Phil.1:27; Col.3:1-3)

q         Be brave –  NASB “Act like men”

Finish the race (2Tim.4:7)

q         Be strong – The command literally means “be strengthened.”  Now you can’t strengthen yourself; that’s something God has to do. In Ephesians 3:16 Paul said we are “strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”  As you yield your life to the Spirit of God, you will be strengthened by His strength.

q         Do everything with love – John 13:34-35