In a previous article/poem, I referenced God's clever use of disguise in infiltrating our society, choosing to play by our cruelly fallen world's terms, while showing them His Own, for necessary purposes.

But have you ever thought about God's spiritual messengers, His spiritual warriors?

That's right-- angels.

Now let me make myself VERY clear. I am NOT talking about those sweet, fictional little cherubs floating around merrily on cloud-speckled frescoes in Italy or wherever. Nor am I talking about those gorgeous yet somewhat misleading paintings of FEMALE angels protecting, caring for, or safeguarding people (especially young children). Don't get me wrong, angels DO help with that stuff, at times. But they are often grossly represented in our media and in our interpretations of who they are, who they're supposed to be. So, I'd like to clear up a few things, before going into what's really important:

1. Angels are typically male, or for what the Bible tells us, all male. Yep, kiss all those paintings with those lovely lady-angels good BYE, because to our knowledge the Bible makes NO mention of female-based angels. Most angels aren't even named, but two that are are Micheal and Gabriel-- male-based archangels (the former being a warrior, the latter, a messenger.). So instead of thinking gorgeous female angels (and do NOT think of Victoria's Secret ones, ------ forbid!), think of men all shining, in bright white clothing-- so bright it blinds. The Bible gives us more vivid descriptions to the more... elaborately created angels, as well (multiple pairs of wings, etc.).

2. Angels have various roles-- not just the Christmas heralds. Sure, I'm certain that that was a pivotal moment in angel history-- I'll give it definite kudos where it's due-- but it certainly was not their only job. They are God's spiritual warriors, His legions of armies, sworn in allegiance to Him. They help look out for us, from making very poor/dangerous life decisions when necessary (such as the "men" who got Lot and co. out of serious trouble in Sodom, in the book of Genesis). They can come bearing prophecy or messages, as well, as seen in instances like Mary's or Abraham's. They will, in essence, show up only when God deems necessary, and the Bible warns us to never call aloud to have angels show themselves to us (for obvious reasons-- most people were terrified of their appearances, and, on the other hand, you certainly don't want to run the risk of accidentally having a... well, you know... in front of you.... not the best idea...). I'll actually go into that a bit later, since it's a main point I want to make about them.

3. We may have guardian angels... or we may not. While the Bible does say they'll look out for us, it doesn't say they're specifically ASSIGNED to each and every person.

OK, now that we've cleared up a few things...

A while back, I realized something. While the angels in real life most likely look nothing like those in the short animated series, Angel Wars, or a certain angel comic series whose series title escapes me currently, the stories in them are in fact probably the closest accurate representation of how they behave, IRL. The premise is essentially the same, though: people can't see the angels (and sometimes comically walk through them, etc.). But the angels' influence is very much there; they're depicted, almost heart-breakingly, invisible near people gently watching them, or watching out for them (either from a distance or from close by-- with the latter, it's usually when they're trying to talk sense into a person.). The angels in the comic especially focused on being integrated into human society, from going undercover (as the angels were in Abraham/Lot's cases) to manipulating events to God's will, to looking out for the humans involved-- while the demons (aka fallen angels) were constantly trying to seal the humans' fates in condemnation, Screwtape Letters-style, almost (scary, really-- the extents they would go to just to send a single soul to the deep, dark pits of you-know-where. Pure insanity, but that's sadly reality.). But it got me to think, really think. About those unbidden, tempter's thoughts rising up inside our subconsciousness. To how many actual angels we may have actually bumped into, whether physically or spiritually in this life. Could have been maybe one. Or even a few.

An angel could be sitting in this room with you at this very moment, for all you know.

Some of you may be starting to get a little paranoid, but it's OK, really-- remember, they're on your side. They're God's personal forces, and God loves you, so it would naturally stand to reason angels are here to both glorify God and help us every once and a while, protecting us from the evil one and his henchgoons, as well as encouraging us.

Others may be a BIT skeptical; heck, at the mention of angels to begin with, I'm willing to bet some of you probably rolled your eyes in pure disbelief, thinking, Oh joy, another religious nut/paranormal freak. Let me clear some things up with you, as I sometimes feel the need to do: I am perfectly sane and in my right mind, as my last counselor's appointment will gladly affirm. While I do try to believe not by sight, I myself am a bit of a doubting Thomas, and, well, let's just say I've seen things (or rather, heard/sensed things, physically) that cannot simply be explained otherwise, that might raise a few hairs on the back of your neck, and less eyebrows. (I will go into one of those many stories later, but since most nonbelievers will be less than likely to actually bother with believing me, I won't waste my breath all that much.) But that aside, I will say this much: Just because you can't see something does not mean it's not there, or wasn't there. Can you see Mozart? No. How do you know he existed? You probably HEARD pieces written about him, and read/listened to testimonies of people who have met with him, etc. Can you SEE gravity or the oxygen you breathe? Nope. But you KNOW it's there, because a., without gravity you'd be soaring into orbit, and b., you'd be dead with your precious oxygen. So, I'll cut to the chase: Just because you can't always see someone/something does NOT automatically make them/ it nonexistent. That argument is completely null and void, especially in this sense. These are beings that I FELT nearby, or outright HEARD (because, just because you can't see something, doesn't mean you can't HEAR it, amen?). So....

.... *clears throat after semi-lecture* On a better note, I'll disclose said story soon so as to drive home my point about spiritual warfare. But first permit me to say, to fellow believers: You and the angels are fellow warriors, fighting side-by-side together in combat against Satan directly. You may not SEE your fellow soldiers, but you know what? While you work and do your part on the surface, they take care of the behind-the-scenes things, working directly for our Creator. They might even give you battle tips to resisting the enemy. Pretty sweet, am I right?!

Anyways, the story I have for you is a spiritual battle story:

It was three years ago; I was spending my summer working as a summer junior missionary for Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF-- think of our summer program as a kind of VBS-on-wheels sort of thing.). We entered this more run-down area, a kind of joined living suburban area for people who couldn't afford more. It was the summer of the massive heat wave, so the air was heavily layered with heat, but...

There was something else, something I distinctly recall sensing.

The air was not just thick with heat-- it was thick with unseen TENSION. Unseen, SPIRITUAL tension.

I knew then, I was walking STRAIGHT onto a spiritual battle zone, and both sides were watching, with bated breaths, to see what we'd do. How we would fight the battle before us. I can clearly remember the primary missionary, Hillary, being extremely discouraged about our circumstances, but I was positive, upbeat. I told her, no matter how many kids we got, we'd give them God's message nonetheless; we were there for them, after all. After some encouragement, we stepped out on the battle ground. I recall, it was likely a tough spiritual battle that had likely been going on for a while; two little girls mentioned that they were living with their mom and their "other mom". It was an area of desperate spiritual need of the Great Physician and His personal care. The whole thing shook me to the core, but I remembered feeling God and His invisible warriors with us-- and not just that time either, but all throughout that summer.

The bottom line is, angels are real. If you're on God's side, you've absolutely nothing to fear from them, and, even if you aren't a believer, you know what? God and His angels still look out for you (although that doesn't give you an excuse to purposely mess up, in that knowledge.). On the other side of things, fallen angels are equally real, and sometimes, as was the case with the demon-possessed girl who harassed Paul for a while on one of his journeys, they will pester Christians on occasion (which I myself believe to have had the unfortunate business of experiencing once or twice), but if you don't fear them, trust in God and ask Him to tell them to leave you the HECK alone, that pretty much does the trick. So with that in mind, I'll end with Chris Tomlin: