The Supernatural: Angels and Demons
By Pastor Ron Mckey
The thought of the supernatural can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. We live in a world that was created by a supernatural God. Everything about God and salvation is supernatural. You're a new creation because God did supernatural work in you. Prayer, communion, and laying of hands are all supernatural. In fact, everything about Christianity has a supernatural aspect to it.
The supernatural also includes angels and demons. However, there is limited teaching on the subject of angels. For most people, the closest they’ve come to “learning” about angels is through movies and TV shows, most of which have no theological basis.
Psalms 103:20 NKJV – “Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.”
From Genesis to Revelation, there is a lot of information about the ministry of angels. But much of that information has not entirely made its way into modern-day Christian literature. Throughout the Bible, angels are mentioned over 200 times as a host, meaning an army of angels. So, I’m hoping to clear some of the misconceptions about angels and demons.
Hebrews 1:13-14 NKJV – But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Three Important Truths About Angels
Three Important Truths About Angels
1. Angels Minister to Believers, Not Unbelievers
Now, I understand that I can't put God in a box. I know that God is merciful and there may be times when He does something like that. But Scripture tells us that angels are there to minister to the lives of sons and daughters of God. They are a part of the blessing that God has us as believers.
2. Angels Minister to Our Physical Needs
The Holy Spirit ministers to our spiritual needs. The angels don't bring peace, comfort, or joy. The Holy Spirit brings those into our lives. Angels, on the other hand, physically rescue people out of harm's way.
3. Angels Listen to Your Prayers
Angels are essentially God's secret agents. When we speak God's word, angels respond to it. When we pray to God, angels are sent out on assignment concerning that prayer request. They are divine influencers moving in this world we live in.
Quick Facts About Angels
#1 You Do Not Become an Angel When You Die – One of the most common sayings to grieving people is: ”Well, God needed another angel in His choir.” But God doesn't need another angel. He has innumerable angels. When we go to heaven, we have a higher position than the angels. We are seated beside the Father.
#2 Angels Are Not Fat, Pudgy Little Cherubims – When Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, God sent a cherub, a big angel with a flaming sword. If they tried to reenter the Garden of Eden, that angel would have killed them. So, cherubim are warriors and guardians that God uses.
#3 Angels are Masculine and Not Feminine – There's no reference to a female angel in the Word of God. They are an army that God has made.
What Scripture Tells Us About Angels
What Scripture Tells Us About Angels
God has innumerable angels available to Him. Angels are beings with superhuman strength. They are God's messengers, possessing great intelligence and immortality. Angels are holy and joyful protectors of the believer. They can take on a human form, and they bring answers to prayers.
Angels Will Protect the Believer
Most of us have experienced the protection of an angel, probably not even knowing that we had divine protection over us.
Psalms 91:11-12 NKJV – “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
When Peter was put imprisoned before his execution the following morning, there was a prayer meeting for him. In the middle of the night, an angel went out on assignment and supernaturally unchained Peter. The chains around him fell off. Peter got up and walked out of prison because of angelic ministry.
Angels Wage War in the Spirit
Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days for a breakthrough. Michael, God's angel, appeared and said they had been fighting spiritual warfare for 21 days, just to bring the answer to Daniel’s prayer.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
There is a spiritual battle that is being fought all the time. We are instructed as believers to take part in that war. The book of Revelation says there is a huge battle that is being waged in the heavens.
Angels Walk Among Us
The Bible says we need to be careful because there may be times when we are entertaining angels unaware. You don't have to go very far on the internet or in the church to hear somebody tell a story of an angelic visitation.
I sincerely believe that angels lead people to us believers so that we can witness to them. Sometimes angels may appear in our lives to encourage us. They ministered to Jesus when He was down after fasting in the desert for 40 days.
Angels come to strengthen and encourage us, and that may come in different ways. We may unknowingly have conversations with them. We may learn some things about ourselves or hear something from them because they are ministering spirits.
The Bible has shown that angels can take on the form of humankind. And if there is a host of angels, then we have all likely had some sort of an encounter with them and will have more encounters.
The Fall of Lucifer
The Fall of Lucifer
Four angels are named in the Word of God. There's Gabriel, who is God's Messenger; Michael, who is God's warrior; Lucifer, whose name was Sun of the morning, and Abaddon, the angel of the bottomless pit.
Lucifer was one of the three Archangels. However, he became Satan when pride was found in him. See, he wanted to exalt his throne above God's. And so, God cast him out of heaven.
Revelation 20:1-2 NKJV – “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;”
When Lucifer fell, a third of the angels fell with him because they were swayed. The Bible says that the angels who serve God now have been sealed. They are perfectly submitted beings to God. They bid and do His will just as believers do.
Revelation 20 goes on to say that Satan will roam the earth again after a thousand years. He amasses a huge army that comes up to march against the New Jerusalem. People who are born during that 1000-year reign will have to choose. However, we won’t have to make the choice again because we’re sealed.
Demons and Demonic Influences in Our Lives
To say that demons do not exist would mean discounting a large portion of Jesus' ministry. Jesus spent a lot of His ministry dealing with demon forces, demonic influences, and demon-possessed people. When we think of demonic influences, we often think of The Exorcist. However, we’re probably more likely to deal with demonic influences than demonic manifestations.
One of the primary purposes of demonic influence is to oppose the people of God and to draw us away from our faith. A lot of demonic influence contributes to oppression, confusion, torment, and a spirit of fear. Demonic influences often cause doubt, and they may physically attack our bodies.
The basic daily function of demonic influence is to confuse the child of God, disrupt our faith, take our focus off of God, get our focus on the world around us, and distract us. But as believers, it’s important to remember that we have power over the devil. So, in the name of Jesus, demonic influence has to stop.
We can experience demon oppression as Christians. Oftentimes, the spirit of heaviness is a demonic attack on our lives. You’ve got to pray it away! Praise God until that heaviness lifts. Praise, prayer, and the name of Jesus always defeat the enemy. Jesus didn't focus on demons; He focused on preaching about God. When a demon manifested, He dealt with it and moved on.
We need to fight against demonic forces and be aware of them because if you're a casual Christian, you can become a Christian casualty. We need to know about the supernatural because Jesus dealt with these issues. As a believer, you have God up above, and Satan is under your foot. You have the authority to rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus, which compels Satan to leave.