Angels operate spiritually but can interrupt and manifest in the material world occasionally when God permits it. The word of God warns us not to worship angels but God.
“And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:9-10 KJV
The devil was one of the archangels (a fallen angel), he requested for worship but Jesus rebuked and reminded him that we ought to only worship God. Our fellowship is with the father and his son not with angels.
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3 KJV
“But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?” Hebrews 1:13 KJV
- Jesus is exalted far above any and all angels.
2. We are joint heirs with Christ, we are partakes of all that Christ has by inheritance.
3. We are seated in Christ in the heavenly places , in position we are higher than angels based on the finished works of Christ.
How to relate with angels:
It is important to understand how to relate with the ministry of angels so we don’t end up in idolatry. In the occult a lot of people relate with guardian angels through soul travel etc these practices open them up to demonic realms. Any angel that draws attention to itself is not of God but of the devil. God’s angels reject the worship and reverence of man, they point man back to God.
“And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.” Judges 13:15-19 KJV
The angel of the Lord directed Manoah to offer the burnt offering unto the Lord. His desire was to point Manoah back to God and not to receive his honor.
Angels do the will of God, excelling in strength at the word of the Lord. Angels are discreet in nature, the angel of the Lord didn’t even disclose his name.
“For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.” Judges 13:20-21 KJV
When they made the burnt offerings, the angel ascended back to God as the offering went up in flames.
“And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:51-53 KJV
Jesus our Lord never worshipped or prayed to any angel. Our fellowship is with the father and his son Jesus Christ. We don’t talk to angels but we fellowship with the Holy Spirit. When someone speaks about having a relationship with a guardian angel or spirit, it is a fallen angel seeking to take the role of the Holy Spirit. There are some traditions and practices that we’re involved with that are demonic, these practices are not consistent with the word of God.
We don’t pray to angels or call on angels to assist us rather we call on God to send his angels. Jesus demonstrated this principle to us. We need angelic assistance for this end time, we need to release angels into the harvest.
“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:38 KJV
We have spiritual allies, the angels of God who ensure the will of God is done on earth. However the atmosphere we create around us can either be conducive for angels or act as a hindrance to their ministry. When we cultivate a lifestyle of obedience we create an atmosphere where the angels can easily operate in. When we pray to our father, he hears us and send forth his angels who enforce his will on earth. Angels operate in an atmosphere of obedience to the commandments of God.
The faith journey of a believer is a life of obedience. We can quicken the angels to work supernaturally by obeying the word of God. We don’t have to see angels to believe this reality, so we don’t pursue after seeing angels but we believe and engage by faith. There are some people who spend their spiritual energy pursuing the sight of angels but they encounter demonic spirits who appear as angels of light, they end up receiving messages that conflicts with the word of God. We know that God has exalted his word above his name so there isn’t a message that he would give that would be contrary to his word (Psalms 138:2).
When you receive a message from angels or ministers and it is against the spirit of the scriptures, trash it. Learn to avoid people that bring contention against the word of God. It matters what you listen to, learn to exalt the word and obedience to the word above everything else.
The atmosphere that angels love:
In order to understand the atmosphere angels love we need to highlight the atmosphere they don’t love.
“But if you are guided and led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.” Galatians 5:18 AMP
When you are truly submissive to the influence of the Holy Spirit, it brings you into a process of transformation. It’s not a mechanical growth but inward growth that is initiated by the power of the Holy Spirit who is at work in you. No one is perfect from the day they get born again, but learn to keep desiring to overcome these weaknesses.
“Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 AMP
When we were in the world we were subject and slaves to the power of the air that works in the sons of disobedience. That spirit customizes human beings to become enemies of God. When we become born again we have a right standing with God and as we behold the perfect law liberty we are being changed into the same image. As we fellowship with the father and the son , Christ is mirrored to us and the Holy Spirit helps us to become like him. The Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us.
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” John 15:26 KJV
The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ and reveals him to us bringing us into maturity and sonship in Christ. We ought to desire growth and transformation, Christ said
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2 KJV
Once you are born again you can’t continue to walk the ways of the old life because Christ promised that he would prune us so we can bear much fruit. The Christian walk is a life of transformation. Learn to desire growth, when you honor his word and begin to yield to the Holy Spirit the angels find it easy to operate in your life. We’ve been made spiritual in Christ.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 KJV
“The truth” is the word of God, Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified by his truth because his word is truth. As you hear the word of God the Holy Spirit will quicken some desires in your spirit and that is the work of transformation. It’s not mechanical but a nudging of the Holy Spirit towards what is pleasing to God, if you don’t heed to his voice you will lose the ability to hear. Many people have lost a season of growth and they drying up spiritually.
The Holy Spirit is in us and he speaks inwardly so we don’t have to seek and pursue outward manifestations because we have the spirit of truth who is in us and lives in us. Anyone who contends with this truth is an agent of the devil, the father of all lies, learn to avoid them. Friendship is by choice not by force so no one can influence you against God if you don’t accept it. There are people in the bible who took a stand for righteousness and rejected the ways of the world. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. When you start reasoning and accepting the ways and the style of the world you are drifting away.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” 1 Timothy 4:1 KJV
When we accept doctrines that are contrary to the word of God we’ve yielded to seducing spirits. We live by the eternal law the word of God. It’s possible to relate to other lesser forms of truth for example you can relate to sensual truths, secular truths and many other forms of truth but we live by the eternal truth the word of God which is life.
How to engage as a child of God:
There are three kingdoms: the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the devil, and the kingdom of men. Although we engage physically within the kingdom of men, we belong to the kingdom of God. The other people who’ve rejected the word of life belong to the kingdom of the devil and they obey their master. In essence they desire to fulfill the will of the devil, while we desire to accomplish the will of God as citizens of his kingdom.
If you are born again you’ve been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God( Colossians1:13). You belong to the kingdom of God and it’s important to understand that the ways of this kingdom are completely different to the ways of the kingdom of this world and of the devil. As believers we are called to bring the kingdom of this world under the government of Christ.
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 KJV
Originally this world was under God’s authority before the fall of man. God reconciles the world by saving man to save the world. The systems, culture, education, entertainment, traditions etc. will go in the direction of the kingdom that exerts its influence. For example if the MLA is an unbeliever he will make laws that are consistent with the kingdom of darkness.
The kingdom of men reflects the dominating influence that controls the minds of men. Look at the story of Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26) who looked back and turned into salt after God delivered them from Sodom. She was destroyed because her heart was consumed by the world and she couldn’t let go. There are believers who love the ways of the world and even as God is delivering them, their hearts are calloused and drawn away by what is not pleasing to God. There are huge spiritual implications to these behaviour and attitudes of the heart.
The atmosphere that attracts angels is the atmosphere of obedience where you become consumed with the desire and passion for the will of God. A doctrine of faith that doesn’t encourage obedience is demonic. A person who desires to grow spiritually will not abandon the truth even when it offends them. When you hear the truth and you are offended it’s a sign that you are walking in error.
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”Galatians 5:19-21 KJV
These things are not consistent with the kingdom of God but the kingdom of the devil. The Holy Spirit will deliver us from these deeds and mature us into an atmosphere that is consistent with the word of God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25 KJV
The works of the flesh don’t have control over us unless we submit to them. The devil cannot make you do anything that you haven’t agreed to. The devil will persuade you into works of unrighteousness and wickedness but he can’t make you do anything that you haven’t given consent to.
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3 KJV
When you do things that are customary to the will of God the angels will automatically dwell in that presence. Angels live in the atmosphere of prayer, worship, sacrifice and consecration. When you cultivate an atmosphere of obedience to God, the ministry of angels will be evident in your life.
The impact of the Holy Spirit in your life is what produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the spirit is a byproduct of the work of transformation taking place within you. When the Holy Spirit is at work the angels are also at work. It’s impossible to walk with God and your life remains the same. The Christian faith is the response of your spirit to the inner workings of the Holy Spirit that produces the results of God.
May God help us to commit ourselves to growth so that we can disengage ourselves from atmospheres that attract demons. The grace to reject sensual and secular truths that rob us from our eternal inheritance in Christ.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:3-4 KJV
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9 KJV
We’ve been called out of darkness into his marvelous light. In the last days men will love darkness more than light. If you see yourself gravitating towards darkness it’s time to restart. You’ve been delivered from the influence, control and pull of darkness it’s time to say no and reject darkness. I pray the Holy Spirit will circumcise your heart and make you consistent with the will of God and obedience to the word of God
