The Role of Angels: Understanding Their Ministry and Our Relationship with Them
Angels are often misunderstood as being at our beck and call, ready to obey our every command. However, a closer examination of Scripture reveals a different reality. Hebrews 1:14 describes angels as “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation,” but nowhere in the Bible are humans instructed to give them orders.
In fact, the Bible teaches that we have no control over the work of angels. They are “His ministering servants,” not our personal slaves (Hebrews 1:14). Jesus himself had to humble himself to become lower than the angels in order to become human (Hebrews 2:7-9). Even when angels appear to humans, their presence is often unrecognized, as seen in Hebrews 13:2, where people entertained angels unaware.
In the Old Testament, angels worked with humans, but they didn’t take orders from them. The angel who appeared to Manoah, Samson’s father, refused to reveal his name (Judges 13:18). The angels who delivered Lot from Sodom cooperated with Abraham and Lot, but they didn’t obey their commands. When Lot hesitated to leave Sodom, the angels forcibly took him and his family to safety (Genesis 19:15-16).
So, how do we interact with angels? The biblical pattern is clear: we pray, God hears our prayer, and then He sends His angels to accomplish His will (Numbers 20:16, Daniel 3:17-18 & 28, 6:22, Acts 12:5, 11). We don’t command angels; we rely on God to work through them.
Let’s dispel the myth that we have control over the spirit world. Our power comes from praying to God, who then works through His angels to accomplish His purposes.
