Is That One Mine or Yours? Guardian Angels

I have had to scratch my head in confusion when it comes to individual guardian angels and the idea that each person has an angel of his or her own. Does Scripture really talk about that?

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Angels. They are mighty. They are eternal. They stand before the throne and war in the heavens. They defend and bring urgent messages. They warn us and protect us. Angels are such an interesting and marvelous part of being a Christian, and I am so glad to call them part of my family.

There’s just one part of angelic knowledge I’m not very sure about: guardian angels. I didn’t grow up talking about guardian angels. We didn’t really talk much about angels at all, but they’ve always fascinated me. Although they are wondrous creatures and I do believe they are warriors and messengers from God, I have had to scratch my head in confusion when it comes to individual guardian angels and the idea that each person has an angel of his or her own. Does Scripture really talk about that? Why do we seem to think that it is biblical? Does God really assign an angel to each one of us?

It only takes a quick Google search to read that Wikipedia says, “A guardian angel is an angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group, kingdom, or country. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity.” This is exactly how I have heard people talk about “guardian angels” my entire life. People speak of this idea with almost certainty that each one of us has an angel assigned by God to guard us.

I like to look at everything through Scripture and not just bank on belief because church doctrines or traditions, or even Grandmas, tell me to believe in it. I’m not a skeptic by any means, but I never want to believe anything unless it is the truth, hence my very real and firm belief in looking at everything through the lens of Scripture.

Matthew 18:10 (NIV) says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” This clearly says “their angels.” This could be interpreted in two different ways. Way one: each little one has an angel that is “theirs,” or way two: the angels assigned to guard children, in general, are the ones being referred to here. It’s hard to know simply from the grammar used.

Psalm 91:11 (NIV) says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” This sheds light on the fact that God is the One leading the angels to guard us and protect us in the day in and day out happenings of our lives. This doesn’t exactly convince me that I have a specific angel of my own that stays with me throughout my life, though.

Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” I am so comforted by this notion, not necessarily in that they are sent to serve me like some subordinate being but that they are sent to guard and protect me. To fight and war on my behalf in a realm that I cannot see. This verse does not convince me that I have one particular angel for my life, but it definitely speaks to the fact that God sends them to help and serve humans, which is a marvelous thing to think about. I am extremely thankful!

It’s very obvious that God highly values angels and their role in protecting us and guiding us. They are a large part of how He works on the earth. They disrupt and counterattack the plans of the enemy. They can even slay armies on our behalf. Angels are amazing warriors and a truly incredible way our Father takes care of us. I am not 100% convinced that I have an angel assigned to me that sticks with me my entire life, but I, without a doubt, believe in angels and their presence in my life.

We all have tiny angel stories or moments where we know God steps in and intervenes. I won’t go into too much detail, but I know that God has sent them to watch over me from even a young age. I can recall instances where my human plans were thwarted and I was saved from some really bad choices, and I really do believe angels were a part of God’s plan to protect me in those instances.

For example, I was about fourteen and a freshman in high school. At that point in my life, I was very very focused on being popular and adored by any and every person I could manage. My heart was so hungry for love. The first semester of high school, a friend of mine and I got invited to a senior late-night party. I knew there would be alcohol there and a specific senior boy I had been eyeing in the cafeteria. My friend and I snuck out of her parents’ house and walked down to the end of the road to wait for a few guys to come pick us up.

We waited. And we waited. And we waited. Neither of us had a watch, and we wound up waiting for a few hours for some guys who never showed up. Monday at school they said they got so lost and couldn’t figure out where we were. I have to believe that God sent an angel to get them so lost. After all, they had a few hours to find us and never did. I am so thankful they never came. I have no idea what my little naive heart may have gotten into that night or what horrible path it may have launched me down. God was so faithful to me even when I desperately wanted to be sinful.

I’ve heard it said that we can hold beliefs in two different ways. We can use an open hand or a closed hand. The closed hand is a sign that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what we believe is true. Several things fit into this closed hand: God’s love for me, Jesus’s death for me, my salvation, the Jews are God’s chosen people, you could go on and on. Things that go in the open hand: your knowledge of the salvation of other people, whether Christians will be taken pre or post tribulation, whether people lived with dinosaurs, the age of the earth, and for me, whether we have specific assigned guardian angels.

I may be unsure of whether there’s an angel out there with my name and face etched into its mind constantly protecting me and serving me. I am definitely not unsure of the fact that God sends His angels to help me. I know that His angel armies war on my behalf and help me face the onslaught of the enemy. I know that they strengthen me and protect me, and I pray for them to come and protect my family and me on a regular basis. They are absolutely wonderful and magnificent creatures, and I am indebted to them for their unwavering devotion to serve God by serving me.

 

 

Featued Image by Luke Michael

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About the Author

Dawn King is a Carolina native with a Neverland heart. She's an Enneagram 4 that believes beauty can be found even in the darkest of places, light is always bright enough to outshine darkness, and love is stronger than any madness or evil. She values kindness and honesty more than most anything else. She will always believe that to change the world you must first change yourself.