If you ask people if they believe in angels, most people will probably say yes. In fact there is a whole industry obsessed with creating images of angels. We top our Christmas trees with angels, we tell our children about guardian angels, and in times of temptation we imagine a good angel and bad angel whispering into our ears. (By the way, the bad angels are called demons.) I’ve heard that there are two mistakes that we can make with respect to demons. One is to think that we see them under every rock and behind every bush. The other is to think that they don’t exist.
Today the church celebrates the victory of St. Michael the Archangel and his angels over Lucifer and his angels (demons) in a heavenly battle, hurling them out of heaven. The disciples were astonished that as they ministered in Jesus’ name, they too, were victorious over demons. There is a real spiritual authority that Jesus gives to his disciples.
We celebrate any victory over sin, death and the demonic, but our real source of joy needs always to be the eternal life found in Jesus.
Lord Jesus, as we live lives centred in you, show us how to battle the forces of evil that continue to plague our world, secure in our identity as your people. Amen. — CN