“For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.”
Psalm 91:11 (NLT)
This verse about angelic protection is for the believer who chooses to surrender their life to God and spend time in His presence. It goes on to say about angels in verse 12, “they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”
It is interesting to note that Satan himself knows the Word of God well enough to quote it. He used this verse to tempt Jesus to sin against God through attempting suicide in Luke 4:9-12. Jesus responded with another scripture, “do not tempt (or test) the Lord your God.” God’s promises for protection cover us when we are living in dependency upon the Lord. His promises are void for those who chose to live outside of the parameters of His will for their life. Jesus lived a life that was yielded to God.
When we daily surrender our life to the Lord, He will protect us. If we are in danger, angels are in place for our protection. Angels are supernatural beings that have the ability to tangibly operate in this natural realm (see Acts 12:7, I Kings 19:5, Daniel 6:22). Hebrews 1:14 says of angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” When there is a need, God may send an angel to satisfy that need. Sometimes we see the angels at work; sometimes we don’t.
I can recall several times in my life when there has been unusual and unexplained help come my way. I remember one incident when I was a young child in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when I was riding my bike alongside a road with a large drop off on either side. I had lost control of the bike and saw myself headed for a dangerous crash. Suddenly, the handlebars of the bike were jerked, as if someone had grabbed them from me, and the bike turned back onto the road. I believe that God saved my life that day, perhaps with the help of an angel (Matthew 18:10). Another time, as a teenager, a friend and I were traveling at night and got lost. It was getting late, and we didn’t know where to turn. A stranger approached our car, pointed to a road, and told us that this was the direction we needed to go. We went down that road and soon found our way back home.
Application: God doesn’t tell us to look for angels or to pray to angels, but He does let us know that He has them and can use them for our care.