The approach towards the Angels is often distorted by religious syncretism, pseudo-spiritualities or, even in the Catholic sphere, by a sugar-coated view of their function. Romanticism has contributed to portraying them as infantile and fatuous beings, the expert violinist of Heaven… And the contemporary bibliography on Angels unfortunately grows in proportion to their misrepresentation.
However, this current interest is not correspondingly echoed in serious theological research. It should be emphasized that although Angelology is a sub-discipline of theology, which revolves around the Triune God, the Angels are included at the beginning of the Symbol of Faith, as the Council of Nicaea confirmed in 325: “We believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible” (DH 125).
In the Old Testament, the appearance of Angels is often indistinct from divine manifestations, as in the case of God’s visit to Abraham at the oak of Mambre, followed by the vision of three men in the manner of Angels (cf. Gn 18). As for the theophany to Moses, the Book of Exodus states: “the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” (3:2) and then “God called to him out of the bush” (3:4).
On the other hand, throughout history the devil has planted in the imagination of the faithful an insipid vision of angelic spirits and the supernatural, and even of his own demonic nature, by disguising himself as an “Angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14). In the Modern Age, for example, Angels were humanized into harmless, childish forms of little “baroque cherubs”. Such a visualization is diametrically opposed to the biblical account: God is “the Lord of hosts” (1 Sm 1:3), one member of which, for example, exterminated 185 thousand Assyrian soldiers (cf. 2 Kgs 19:35).
The most representative image of the Angels as members of the heavenly hosts is that of St. Michael, the defender of God’s people, general of the great battle in Heaven and of all the great battles in this world, which “is in the power of the evil one” (1 Jn 5:19).
The devil, for his part, constantly seeks to undermine the forces of good with temptations, perpetrated even against the Man-God. The aim of Satan – which means adversary – was precisely to prevent the Redeemer from fulfilling His mission of freeing the captives (cf. Lk 4:19).
For the time being, Providence allows Satan to operate in the four corners of the earth, until he is finally cast into the lake of fire and brimstone for ever and ever (cf. Rv 20:7-10). Therefore, we must trust and be vigilant, as St. Peter exhorts us: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pt 5:8-9).
One of the most effective tactics in warfare consists precisely in deceiving the enemy, and this is the devil’s specialty, he being the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44). Accordingly, he employs countless ruses, whether weakening the authentic military conception of the Angels, or disguising himself as a good Angel. The demons will continue to try to conquer until the end of time. In vain… Because God, for His part, does not “try”; He only triumphs, together with His Angels and saints. ◊
