Do we have Guardian Angels?

Have you ever narrowly avoided an accident and wondered how you managed to escape unharmed? Perhaps you've felt an unexplainable urge to call a friend, only to discover they desperately needed encouragement at that exact moment. Or maybe your child has shared stories of an "invisible friend" who comforts them when they're afraid. These experiences, common across cultures and centuries, raise a profound question: Are we truly alone in our journey through life, or do we have unseen companions watching over us?

I have personal experience with this. Back when I was a first-year seminary student I'd just finished our Summer Hebrew intensive. It was brutal. The entire summer, 4-5 hours in class every day, learning the Hebrew Language. It was a great way to do it because when your entire day is "packed" with nothing but language learning it really helps you get it down. Clearly, though, once I'd finished the class I was eager for a break!

The last night of class, before I headed home, there was a Christian band playing that I enjoyed at a nearby church. You might remember them, they were called Caedmon's Call. Well, they'd just released an album called "In the Company of Angels." I got the t-shirt. All it said was the album title on the front.

Well, on my way home (from St. Louis to Kansas City) I was in a horrible accident. There was construction on I-70 and I slowed down... but the eighteen wheeler behind me had his breaks lock up... and while I was just at a crawl he rear-ended me going 65 mph. The impact threw my truck into the air and I came down on the back end of the car in front of me. Everyone in that car had to get taken away by ambulance.

My truck was totaled. The "bed" was smashed like an accordion against the cab. But I came out without a single scratch. Not even whiplash. I helped the family that was hurt as best I could as we waited for the police and ambulance to arrive. One of the women in the car was pregnant... though I heard she and the baby turned out fine in the end.

However, the EMT insisted on checking me out. I was totally fine, as I'd told him. But then he looked at me and gasped. He'd seen my t-shirt... "In the Company of Angels." He was convinced that it was prophetic... that it was more than just a t-shirt.

I'm inclined to agree. I think my guardian angel was with me that day. He protected me from what could have easily been an accident that might have claimed my life and let me walk away totally unharmed.

The concept of guardian angels has captivated human imagination for millennia, yet it remains one of the most mysterious and comforting teachings found in Scripture and sacred tradition. Far from being merely a sentimental notion relegated to children's prayers and greeting cards, the reality of guardian angels speaks to God's intimate care for each human soul—a care so profound that He assigns celestial beings to accompany us from birth to death.

But the reality of your guardian angel isn't just a "pious myth" (as MANY otherwise Bible-believing Christians think), it is thoroughly biblical.

 

The Biblical Foundation

Jesus himself provides the clearest biblical affirmation of guardian angels in Matthew 18:10, where He solemnly warns:

"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" (ESV). 

The Greek text here is particularly revealing. The phrase "their angels" (οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν) uses a possessive pronoun, suggesting a personal assignment or belonging. Moreover, these angels "always behold" (διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσιν) the Father's face—a continuous present tense indicating unceasing divine vision even while maintaining their guardian duties.

This passage does more than merely suggest angelic protection; it establishes a profound theological principle. These angels simultaneously maintain perfect communion with God while exercising watchful care over human beings. As Origen observed in his commentary on Matthew, "It is not only the case that the angels of the little ones behold the face of God, but also that they do so always, not being separated from His presence even when they are sent to minister to those who shall inherit salvation" (Commentary on Matthew, 13.26).

The testimony of Scripture extends beyond this singular passage. In the Psalms, we encounter the beautiful promise:

 "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11-12, ESV).

The Hebrew word used here for "guard" (שָׁמַר, shamar) implies careful watching, preserving, and protecting—the same word used to describe how Adam was to "keep" the Garden of Eden.

The Book of Tobit, while not included in protestant canons, provides one of the most detailed narratives of angelic guardianship in the angel Raphael's protection of Tobias. "For a good angel will go with him, his journey will be successful, and he will return safe and sound" (Tobit 5:21, NRSV). This text, valued highly by the early Church, shaped Christian understanding of how guardian angels operate in daily life—often incognito, working through natural means while maintaining their supernatural origin.

In the New Testament, we see further evidence in Acts 12:15, when the disciples, hearing that Peter stood at the door after his miraculous escape from prison, exclaimed, "It is his angel!" This casual reference suggests that early Christians commonly believed each person had a personal angel who could even manifest in ways resembling their charge.

 

Insights from the Church Fathers

The Church Fathers developed a rich theology of guardian angels based on Scripture and apostolic tradition. St. Basil the Great wrote with characteristic clarity: "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life" (Against Eunomius, 3.1). This isn't mere poetic language but a theological assertion about the structure of spiritual reality.

St. Jerome, the great biblical scholar, emphasized the dignity this truth confers upon every human being: "How great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it" (Commentary on Matthew, 18.10). Jerome's insight reveals that guardian angels aren't rewards for holiness but gifts accompanying the very fact of human existence, underlining the inherent worth of every person.

Perhaps no Church Father wrote more extensively on angels than St. John Chrysostom, who noted: "God's providence is so great that He has sent angels to guard even sinners... This is the greatest proof of God's love for mankind" (Homily 59 on Matthew). This observation challenges any notion that guardian angels are reserved only for the righteous; they are universal witnesses to divine mercy.

St. Augustine suggested that guardian angels work not only externally but also through interior inspirations: "The angels suggest many good things to our minds, which they themselves learn from the Word of God" (De Genesi ad Litteram, 12.22). This understanding opens up the possibility that many of our best intuitions, sudden insights, and moments of moral clarity may be angelic promptings.

 

Theological Reflections

Thomas Aquinas, synthesizing centuries of theological reflection, provided systematic clarity to the doctrine of guardian angels. In his Summa Theologiae (I, q. 113), he argues that divine providence extends to particular goods, not merely universal ones. Since human beings are destined for eternal beatitude—a particular and personal good—it is fitting that God assigns particular angels to guard individual persons.

Aquinas addresses a crucial question: Do guardian angels ever abandon their charges who fall into mortal sin? His answer reveals the depths of divine mercy: "The angel guardian never entirely forsakes a man, but sometimes he leaves him in some particular, for instance by not preventing him from being subject to some trouble, or even from falling into sin" (ST I, q. 113, a. 6). This teaches us that even when we experience the consequences of our choices, our guardian angel remains, waiting to assist our return to grace.

The angelic doctor also explores how guardian angels operate. They cannot directly move our will (which would violate human freedom), but they can work on our imagination and senses, presenting good options more attractively or helping us perceive dangers we might otherwise miss. They strengthen us against temptation not by removing free will but by fortifying our capacity to choose good.

Contemporary theologian Jean Daniélou observed that guardian angels represent "the personalization of Providence." They ensure that God's care isn't merely a general force but a personal presence adapted to each individual's unique needs, temperament, and calling. This personalization doesn't diminish God's direct care but rather expresses it through created mediators who can operate within the created order.

 

A Shared Christian Belief

While the doctrine of guardian angels is often associated with Catholicism, it's a conviction rooted in the shared heritage of the early Church and affirmed across many Protestant traditions.

The belief in a personal angelic guardian isn't a uniquely "Catholic thing" but a mainstream Christian understanding of how God's providence works.

Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, held a firm belief in guardian angels. In his Large Catechism, he teaches that "God has created us and has given us an angel to guard us, lest the devil, with his many evil angels, devour and destroy us." He saw angels as a practical reality in the spiritual battle, not just a theological abstraction. Luther also commented on Psalm 91, saying, "The angels are our guardians who have been appointed for us by God. They are sent to us as ministers, to watch over us and protect us from harm."

John Calvin, another giant of the Reformation, affirmed this belief. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he writes, "It is certain that angels are our guardians and protectors. For this reason, Christ teaches that believers, even those who are but children, have their angels who are appointed to watch over them." Calvin viewed this as a tremendous source of comfort, assuring believers that God's care is both personal and constant.

This belief extends to modern Protestant thought as well. The renowned Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon spoke eloquently on the subject, declaring in a sermon on Psalm 91: "There is an angel for every one of the saints, and that angel is charged with their protection and safe-keeping... You and I have an angel... a guardian, a companion, a friend."

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer, in its collect for St. Michael and All Angels, similarly prays for angelic protection: "O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven, so, by thy appointment, they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

These examples demonstrate that the belief in guardian angels is a broad, ecumenical Christian heritage, not a denominational peculiarity. It reflects a shared understanding of biblical teachings and a common trust in God's use of spiritual beings to care for His people.

 

Living with Awareness

What difference should this truth make in our daily lives? First, it should cultivate a sense of sacred companionship. You are never truly alone. In your darkest moments, when human comfort fails, an angel appointed by God himself stands beside you. This isn't merely metaphorical comfort but metaphysical reality. As the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, angels are "ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14, ESV).

Second, awareness of our guardian angel should inspire greater moral seriousness. Every secret sin, every hidden virtue, is witnessed by a pure spirit who beholds God's face. St. Bernard of Clairvaux counseled: "Reverence your angel. Do not grieve him by sin. He is so pure, so holy. In his presence, would you dare to do what you would not do in the presence of a human being?" (Sermons on the Psalms, 90.11).

Of course, we should have similar reflections regarding God's omniscience. Even if you think you've hidden your sin from men, behind closed doors... the one who made the wood that forms your door can certainly see through it.

Third, we should actively cooperate with our guardian angel through prayer and attentiveness. While angels don't require our permission to protect us from physical harm, they deeply respect human freedom in spiritual matters. By consciously inviting their assistance and remaining attentive to their inspirations, we can benefit more fully from their guidance.

Consider developing these practical habits:

Morning Acknowledgment: Begin each day by greeting your guardian angel and asking for guidance in the day's decisions. This simple act cultivates awareness of spiritual reality and opens your heart to angelic inspiration.

Decision Consultation: Before important decisions, pause to quiet your mind and invite your guardian angel's assistance in perceiving truth clearly. Often, the clarity that emerges from such moments of recollection bears the mark of angelic illumination.

Evening Gratitude: End your day by thanking your guardian angel for their protection and asking pardon for any ways you've grieved them through sin or ignored their promptings through inattention.

Intercessory Partnership: Remember that others also have guardian angels. When you pray for someone, ask their guardian angel to minister to them. This practice may deepen your sense of solidarity with fellow believers and enhance your intercessory prayer life, especially since Scripture suggests that angels offer up our prayers before God (Revelation 8:3-4).

In all these ways, the reality of guardian angels offers a profound invitation to live with greater awareness of the unseen realm that surrounds us, guiding our steps and protecting our souls through life's trials and triumphs. By embracing this truth with childlike trust and reverence, we open ourselves to the transformative power of divine providence working through these celestial messengers, leading us ever closer to the heart of God's love and care.

 

In Jesus' name,

Judah

 

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