Sermon - Michaelmas 2022 - Matthew 18:1-11

Saint Michael and the Dragon, Benjamin West, 1797

Angels fight for us.

1. What are angels

2. How have angels fought for us and still fight for us

3. Christ, the greater Michael, who fights for us

A blessed Michaelmas to you my friends! This Sunday we are observing the feast of St. Michael and All Angels. Considering the popularity of angels in our culture and the many misconceptions people have about them, it’s good to spend a day giving thanks to God for sending angels who fight for us. Today we will answer the question of what angels are, how they’ve fought for us and still fight for us, and how angels point us to Christ, the greater Michael, who fights for us.

So, what is an angel? St. Paul wrote in Hebrews: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” Angels are ministering spirits. So very importantly that means that they’re created beings. They’re not gods; they may be spirits and immortal, but they’re not gods. Jesus is not an angel, He’s fully God and fully man, but an angel He is not. 

Nor are angels people, since angels are their own unique type of creature. Just as God created people, insects, reptiles, rodents, bacteria, and other such living entities, so did God create angels as their own thing. When people die, they don’t become angels. This is a common misconception, and especially applied to children, that when they die and go to heaven they become angels and watch over us. That’s simply not true. Angels watch over us and our children; we don’t become them.

This misconception is probably a bit related to how we commonly picture angels. Today at children’s christmas pageants, who dresses up like angels? Cute little delicate sweet girls. Or in previous centuries angels were often portrayed as cherubs, cute little naked chubby babies. But neither of those depictions are very accurate to the Bible. The Bible describes angels as fierce warriors.

To make this clear let’s look at the Bible. In our reading from Daniel, the preincarnate Christ appeared to Daniel, and He said that He had been fighting with the prince of Persia. Who came to help Him fight? The archangel Michael! Or look at our reading from Revelation: “War arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back.” Or remember back to the fall of Jericho, when the Israelites marched around the city until the walls fell. Right before that an angel appeared to Joshua and said: “I am the commander of the army of the Lord.” Or how about the time when the prophet Elisha was surrounded by a great army. Elisha’s servant was terrified, but Elisha said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be opened to see the reality, “So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Angels are fierce warriors! That’s an incredibly comforting fact. If angels were just little babies or little children, we’d be in quite a lot of trouble, because our adversary the devil is described as a dragon and a lion. The angels aren’t the children, we are. Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven… See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” 

We Christians are the little ones. We are the children of the heavenly Father and the angels are the fierce warriors who guard us. It’s a good thing that most people’s reaction to angels in the Bible is fear and trembling. It means that our guardians are strong enough to fight for us and win. It’s kind of like when little kids argue over whose father is stronger and could beat up the other kid’s father. The kids all know that they’re little and that their dads are big, and their hope is that their dad will be able to fight for them and win. Similarly, our Father in heaven and His angels are stronger than any of our enemies we face! 

When Michael and his angels fought against the devil and his demons in heaven, Michael won! “The dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.” The angels “conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” We don’t know all of the details of this heavenly battle, but obviously some of the angels rebelled against God, and they were cast out of heaven.

So the battle was brought down from heaven to earth. Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, deceived Eve and convinced Adam, and triumphed over this earth, ushering in his reign of death. Jesus refers to Satan as the prince of earth and the strongman. Yet a stronger Man came: Jesus! “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Christ took the battle against Satan to the cross and is victorious!

Jesus is in fact the greater Michael. Michael’s name means “Who is as God?” Jesus is not only like God, but is Himself God almighty. Michael the archangel fights against Satan, but Michael’s power is found in Christ. Michael conquered not by His own might, but conquered by the blood of the Lamb and His Word. Michael could only ever cast the devil down to earth, but Jesus has the power to cast the devil into hell.

God has already revealed to us the end of the final battle. “At that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” Those who have fallen asleep in death shall awaken, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ““Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” The little ones whose names are written in the book of life shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Those who followed after the ways of the devil shall follow the demons into the fiery pit prepared for them.

So we’ve seen the angelic warfare from its beginning to its end. What remains is the warfare in which we are presently engaged. “Woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath.” Satan rages against Christ’s church until the end of time. Satan doesn’t only employ demons, but men. He’s active in various political pursuits and institutions, infiltrating governments, schools, communities, and even (perhaps especially) groups which claim to be Christian. He puts to his use worldly and intellectual powers. Instead of seeing everything around us as purely secular and worldly, we need to learn to see that everything is spiritual and nothing is really secular. There are spiritual battles being fought around us, and nothing is as simple and innocuous as it seems at first glance.

Additionally, Satan rages against the church through our hearts. It’s not enough to win political battles and conquer ungodly nations, since the battle is truly fought in every soul. Like Jesus said to Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Satan will sift us like wheat, it is necessary that temptations come. The battle has been brought into your own souls! So be on guard, dear Christian, and “resist the devil and he shall flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Take heart, Jesus prays for you! Fear not! Jesus listens to your prayers, and your prayers are heard, and He has come because of your words. The devil is only so angry “because he knows that his time is short!” God has sent His fierce and mighty angels to keep guard over you! Your angels see the face of the Father, and one day by God’s grace so shall you.

So don’t let your guard down and pretend that everything is okay. But remain vigilant and steadfast in the battle over your soul. Nevertheless, do not despair nor grow weary, since one mightier than Michael has already cast the devil into the hell of fire on the last day. Michael and his mighty angels are keeping watch over you, even now. God is faithful and has written your name into His book of life. Cast your burdens on the Lord and trust in Him. Happy Michaelmas!