The Bible teaches that the LORD God, when He created the heavens and the earth, also created a great number of angels to carry out His commands and do His will. The Bible says that God “maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire” (Psalm 104:4; cf. Nehemiah 9:6; Exodus 20:11; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 103:20-21; Daniel 7:9-10).
It describes the angels as spirits of great power and strength when it says in Psalm 103: “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure” (Psalm 103:20-21; cf. 2 Kings 19:35).
According to the Bible, a large number of these angels sinned and fell away from the LORD God shortly after the creation. Jesus said in Luke 10:18: “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Revelation 12:7-9 says: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (cf. Rev. 12:1-17).
The Bible speaks of the devil (or Satan) and the other evil angels who fell away with him being reserved unto the judgment of eternal torment in hell. 2 Peter 2:4 says: “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” And, Jude 6 says: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
The Bible also warns us that, until the last day, these evil spirits continue to oppose God and His will and seek the destruction of God’s works, especially seeking to lead believers away from God and back into sin and unbelief. It tells believers to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8; cf. Genesis 3:1ff.; Revelation 12; John 8:44; Job 1-2; Matthew 4:1-11). It cautions followers of Christ to “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).
The great number of angels who remained faithful to the LORD God are now, according to the statements of God’s Word, confirmed in their holy estate and continue to carry out God’s commands and serve the needs of Christians. God tells us in His Word that His angels are “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Jesus says in regard to the angels who watch over little children who believe that “in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10; cf. 25:31). And, the Bible assures us that God “shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12; cf. 103:20-21).
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]