But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel 10:13-14 (NIV).
My Concordia says this is an account of how a demon tried to misuse the nation of Persia, but was thwarted by an intervention from the archangel Michael. Michael is mentioned 3 times in the Bible – here in Daniel, in Jude, and in Revelation – and always in the context of protection, fighting, or war. This section of Daniel mentions Michael as one who will arise at the end of time to defeat Satan (see Revelation for that). One source that I read discussed how Michael is stronger than Satan.
When I think of Michael the angel, I think of the John Travolta movie where Danny Zuko played him. Fun movie about a real being who’s really high up in the order of things.
Thank God he’s on our side. I’ve written here before about how I haven’t ever seen an angel (that I know of) but I know they’re real, that they’ve intersected my life several times. Maybe when our lives are over we will be shown all the times that has happened; I bet it’s more than we could even count.
Again, thank God they’re on our side. Let’s be real: Satan and his fellow fallen angels are indeed powerful. It isn’t cool in our world to talk about angels and demons, about how they are active in our time. But they are. I’ve long thought many things we think of as mental illness, or even incurable disease, may very well be demonic in nature. Demons fight against us because we matter to God and they despise God. They rail against Him, fighting against the inevitable admission that He’s God and they aren’t. Like us, angels are just created beings, not the creator. Powerful as he is, Satan can’t create, isn’t God, is so much less than God.
And is much less than Michael, leader of the Lord’s Host. In fact, if the best of the evil realm are thrown at us every day (and I believe they are) then we really don’t have much to worry about. Sure, they’ll lie and twist words and work to deceive us. When they attack, it hurts. But their power is puny compared to that of the angels Jesus commands and sends to protect us and intervene in our lives. Thank God that this is so.
Maybe even John Travolta would recognize that.
For further reading: Isaiah 24:21, Ezekiel 12:27, Habakkuk 2:3, Jude 9, Revelation 12:7-9, Daniel 10:15
Lord, praise and thanks to You for sending Michael and your angels to guard and protect us.
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