Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
(Hebrews 1:14 ESV)
Are Angels Real?
Angels might seem like unicorns—really cool but reserved for fairy tales. Angels, however, are very real. The Bible tells us so. They are as much a part of God’s creation as hippos or hydrangeas, you just can’t always see them. Well—you may have seen one without recognizing it (Hebrews 13:2).
The New Testament writers talk unselfconsciously about angels, and this puts us at ease. Angels are real. God made them and he tells us about them so we can “believe in” them, meaning that we can have full confidence in that they are an active part of God’s creation.
Too often, I fear, we focus on the wrong group of angels—fallen angels. There is a group of angels—or spirits—that have rebelled against God. We call them demons (check out Mark 5 as an example of where the Bible talks about them). They are as real as angels. In fact, the apostle Paul makes very clear that we ought to consider their presence in the world a lot more than we do. They are often the true culprits behind much of our conflict (Ephesians 6:11-12). Demons make a scene—they make appearances in horror movies, and in our nightmares, they show up during drug trips and they love to make their way into our world, and make their power known through witchcraft. Unlike angels, they aim to steal worship from Jesus (Deuteronomy 32:17; 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 9:20).
But angels? We resign them to children’s stories and think little of them. I want you to see this wonderfully encouraging truth from the Bible that I saw today. Hebrews 1:14 gives us an incredibly encouraging word about angels, that should bring comfort and courage to anyone who has faith in Jesus.
What Do Angels Do?
Hebrews 1:14 says, “are they [angels] not all ministering spirits…?” Angels are spirits, we learn. In other words, you can’t see them. They are spirits that minister—serving, helping, working according to God’s will. They are “sent out to serve”—meaning they are servants, functioning according to the will of someone else, rather than acting as little gods invading human experience according to their own wishes. In other words, God sends angels out on missions. God is behind the work of angels—they are his servants.
Why are angels sent out by God? “For the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” This is an artful way to say for “God’s children” or “those who belong to Jesus by faith.” We know that salvation is a free gift of God given by God to those who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins because of his death and resurrection (Romans 6:23). Anyone who trusts in Jesus is born again into God’s family, and as his child, has “inherited” salvation.
Do you see what this verse is saying? The Holy Spirit placed this sentence into the letter of Hebrews so subtly, but with intention of bringing us strong encouragement! God reigns over an army of spirits who do his will—angels—and he sends them out to serve you, believer in Jesus! They exist to serve God’s children and minister to them, because God has tasked them with this mission.
How the Presence of Angels Are a Comfort to Us
So dear believer in Jesus, let this be of comfort to you—God employs angels to minister to you, because you are his child, and he “delights in the welfare of his servant” (Psalm 35:27). You may have no idea what they are doing on your behalf, but you can be sure they are working for your good, because God told them to do so.
Now angels are candidly mentioned in Scripture, but they are not the focus of the story—in fact the whole first chapter of Hebrews is about how Jesus is way better than angels. They can minister to you according to God’s command, but Jesus saved you from your sins, and would you believe that the angels long to understand the special saving loving relationship you share with your Savior Jesus (1 Peter 1:12). They wonder at it.
Angels faithfully remain incognito. They exist to serve you at God’s command, ultimately, to serve God, and above all, to worship God. You will join with the angels at the end of time to worship Jesus, and they would hate to steal any of your attention from him now (Revelation 5:11-14; Revelation 19:10).
But go forth today with this comfort. Whether you ever knowingly meet an angel in this life, they are real, and they exist to minister to you, because you belong to the Lord. God is at work behind the scenes to do you good through the ministry of his angels, to protect you, and to minister to you, because he deeply loves you.
Angels are real. They’re God’s servants, sent out to care for you. They are one means of God pursuing you with his goodness and mercy all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6).