======================================================================== ANGELIC WARFARE! by Keith Malcomson ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the reality of spiritual warfare and the involvement of angels in delivering, providing, and helping believers prevail in times of need. It highlights the importance of prayer, the unseen battles we face, and the assurance of angelic protection and intervention in our lives. Topics: "Spiritual Warfare", "Angelic Protection" Scripture References: Matthew 11:28, Psalm 139:23, Mark 9:24, John 14:1, Ephesians 6:12, Daniel 10:12, Revelation 12:7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the reality of spiritual warfare and the involvement of angels in delivering, providing, and helping believers prevail in times of need. It highlights the importance of prayer, the unseen battles we face, and the assurance of angelic protection and intervention in our lives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We're turning now to Psalm 34 and we're going to continue with our series on spiritual warfare that we've been doing over the past several weeks. We last looked in part eight at fasting and spiritual warfare. That was our last message. Then we took a week's break there. I taught 33 messages translated into the German. Just had a brilliant school with God's blessing and we'll catch up, have some testimonies tonight concerning that. But it's just been a very precious, very important week. So we just had that week's break. We will come back and do more of the school in July. We'll do about three weeks just teaching day in, day out for about 20 days. But here this morning, I want to come back to our series, a very important series on spiritual warfare for this hour. And my message this morning, I believe is going to be an encouraging one. Some messages are meant to convict, others to correct, maybe to rebuke, but there are messages to encourage and exhort us in an evil hour. And I do pray this will encourage you this morning. So part eight of this series, angelic warfare, turning to Psalm 34 and our message, angelic warfare. It says there in Psalm 34, reading from verse three, Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all of my fears. They looked onto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved them out of all of his troubles. And please note, this is my text this morning, verse seven, the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. Here this morning, let's pray together as I come to this message, angelic warfare. Father, we do thank you that we can gather, break bread, rejoice in the precious blood. Remember the work of Calvary, turn our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you. There's hours, times, seasons, where you come to encourage, to bless, to pour out revelation. And father, I pray that you'd open up our eyes at this table. Lord God, as we open up the word of God, would you strengthen every single individual, every family, every group of believers that listen to this message this morning? My God, would you lift our hearts heavenward? Would you open our eyes that we might see an unseen world that we so easily get distracted from? Lord God, let our eyes be single upon the Lord Jesus Christ. But more than that, let us, oh God, approach by faith Mount Zion, Lord God, the city of the most high God. Lord God, let us come, Lord God, to the blood of sprinkling and to an innumerable company of angels. Will you bless us this morning as we open up your word in Jesus name? Amen. My text here this morning from Psalm 34 and verse 7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and he delivereth them. My message, the title I've given this is Angelic Warfare. And this is our text that the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. I want you to notice before we come to our three major points that I'm going to deal with here this morning, and we're going to go into all of scripture or take a broad aspect view of this. But I want to start with this one single view, the angel of the Lord. I want you to see in this verse, it's talking about one angel encampeth around God's people. It's singular, not plural. All the Lord needs to do is send one angel to encamp around an entire church or body of people. One angel is more than a match for the enemy, for the adversary of the soul. And so this verse in Psalm 34, verse 7, it says the angel of the Lord. I'm talking about an angel that belongs to the Lord and angels that belong to the Lord. They are governed by the Lord, created by the Lord, ruled by the Lord, commanded by the Lord, sent by the Lord, positioned by the Lord. They give utter devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know that the angels right now, we don't see them. We don't feel them. We may not sense them. But I assure you in this gathering, as we are gathered in different homes and different lands, different places, I assure you that the angels gather with us. That's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11 concerning a woman covering her head, it's because of the angels. That's something that most Christians utterly ignore. They're not aware that the angels gather with the church, looking in on the proceedings, looking at these sinners that should have went to hell, but yet they're saved, given a second chance, washed from their sins, made ready from heaven. A fallen angel will never have that opportunity. Here in this scripture, it says the angel of the Lord. I want you to be very aware this morning. I'm not talking about fallen angels. I'm not talking about Lucifer. I'm not talking about demons. I'm not talking about our warfare. And this is a series on warfare, but I'm not talking primarily about our warfare against powers of darkness. I actually want you to think and consider and for us to pull back the veil on the angels of the Lord, those angels that actually belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, it says in John chapter 1 and verse 3, all things were made by him. That is Christ Jesus, all things, the entire universe. And it says, and without him was not anything made that was made. Then over in Colossians chapter 1, verse 16, it says, for by him, that is Jesus, were all things created. Since anything that's been created was created by Christ, it says that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, all these things. Do you know there's things created that are invisible? You cannot see them. You cannot touch them. They are not physical. They are invisible and yet they are created. There are things that don't even comprehend in our mind. We cannot see them. You cannot touch them. They are invisible. Yet they were created by God. It says, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. All the angels were created. They're actually created in Genesis chapter 1. Many people argue, debate, question, when were the angels created? They were created in Genesis 1 because in Genesis chapter 1, all things were created in Genesis 1. There's nothing created that wasn't created in Genesis chapter 1. And you know what? Somewhere in that chapter, although we're not specifically told it, the angels were created by the Lord Jesus Christ, the word of God, the eternal son of God. He created the forces. It says all things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things and by him, all things do consist. Here in Psalm 34, they are called the angel of the Lord. This singular angel that's mentioned in this verse is called the angel of the Lord. Do you know this angel he mentions was created by the Lord Jesus, by God himself. All angels are created beings and they do not match God's power. They are mere servants of the most high God. These angels are also called elect angels or chosen angels. They are chosen ones by the Lord. The Lord knows them. The Lord rules them. The Lord uses them to accomplish his will. And it says about the angel of the Lord, notice what it says here, that the angel of the Lord, singular, encampeth round about them that fear him. Look at that beautiful word, encampeth. And this is where we really get into spiritual warfare. You'll say, why am I preaching on spiritual warfare from this verse? It's because of this word, encampeth. Notice the angel of the Lord encampeth round about the saints of God, you and I. The word encampeth is a military term. It is a war term. It's not talking about a physical battle or a physical army or a visible army. It says the angel of the Lord encampeth. That term encampeth means to pitch a tent or to set up a military camp or a military tent. In other words, this is talking about a very specific angel in a very specific situation. This angel isn't dwelling in heaven. This angel is at war. This angel is encamping in the field of battle. It's talking about an angel in the battle or in the warfare. Do you know our God actually is called the Lord of hosts or it's another name for Jesus Christ in Psalm 89 and 6? It talks about the Lord of hosts. That word hosts specifically means armies. You see, the church, the real Christian, the real believer in the Lord, we are on a battlefield. We are in a war and it's a very real warfare. Our God, our Lord Jesus Christ is called the Lord of hosts. He is the Lord of the armies of heaven. Who are these armies? They are angels. They are angelic beings. Do you know what the march and rank and file, they are very organized. They are put in order and detachments, regiments. In the British army, we have regiments, battalions, depending on the battle, you can have a small troop of men or you can have a large regiment. And then it goes further when you go out into war. Well, I want to tell you when the Lord really goes to war, he is the Lord of hosts. He is the Lord of the armies of angels. Do you realize that we, the church are actually caught up in a warfare where it's not just us fighting the devil. You're not just fighting demons. I want you to be aware of this this morning. It's not that we are in a spiritual warfare and you're there having to face the devil and having to face the powers of darkness and having a wage of warfare against powers of iniquity. Do you realize that when there's a real warfare in the church of God or with some lone Christian who's praying, do you realize that the Lord is involved? And not only the Lord, he sets his armies. Do you know God puts his armies in the field? He detaches them from heaven above and he actually places them in the battlefield where it's hot, where the enemy is raging, where the enemy is attacking. Are you under attack today? I want to tell you, God does not leave you in the battlefield alone. You are not alone this morning. It's utterly impossible. If you love Jesus, if you're praying, if you believe in him, it doesn't matter if you're discouraged or if you feel like giving up. Do you realize, God, that the angel of the Lord encampeth? He encampeth. Do you know what that means? He comes. If you're in a battle, he comes and pitches his tent where your home is or your workplace or your church or your ministry. He literally encamps his tent. He says, I'm here for the battle. I'm here to accomplish something. I'm here with a task. It says a very strange thing in Genesis 32 in verse one. And Jacob went on his way and the angel of God met him. The angels actually met him. And do you know what? It was an hour. He was going to face a great trial. He was going back to see his brother. He thought his brother might kill him. He didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. But do you know what? The angels of God met him. Before you meet your trial, God will send his angels. And it says, and when Jacob saw them, he actually saw them. He said, this is God's host. Literally, this is the army. This is God's army. And he called the name of the place, Mahanim, which means a double camp or two armies. Do you realize on that day with Jacob, it was a family battle, family problems. He didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. But do you know what? He actually, God opened his eyes to see these two entire armies that would come with them. They met him. They come out to meet him. Can you imagine having two entire armies of angels coming out to meet you? You may say, God wouldn't do that for me. I'm not spiritual enough. Jacob, apart from God's grace, was a twister, a conniver. I tell you, he was a shrewd operator. And yet here he is in the day when he's facing trouble. He's worried. He's concerned about the future. God actually sends out two armies of angels and open his eyes that he could see. Do you know what? As soon as we're born again, a new convert, we're placed in the battlefield. Day one, we're in the battlefield. We wouldn't stand a chance if God left us to our own self. We're so weak. We have no power, no ability. The Bible says in Hebrews 2 and 7 that man is made a little lower than the angels. Angels have remarkable power, speed, ability, knowledge, wisdom, all of this. We don't. Since the battle rages round per week, clay vessels like you and I, this is where the battle rages. All the hosts of heaven with their great power, remarkable power, they actually are sent in to fight on our behalf, to march with us in the battle. You may feel nothing. You may see nothing. You may not be able to hardly to believe this. And yet the Bible teaches that since it's not a once in a millennium that God sends an angel to help something, that's not likely at all. Notice further as we go in this verse, I'm already getting worried I won't get through my message here. This is such remarkable stuff. But the angel of the Lord encampeth, and notice this next term, round about, round about. Isn't that a beautiful thing? It's one angel, but he is encamping a military camp against spiritual darkness and all manners of harm, intervening in your path, sent by God to you. He encampeth round about. And that word round about means to form a circle around you, to cover every single side, that there's no approach onto you without going through that angel. He is one angel, but he is encamped so in around you that no power of hell can come near you. No trial, no trouble without going through him. Whatever he is set there to do, he is not going to fail. You may fail, but that angel isn't going to fail. And performing his task, he's sent there with a divine task. It was the old preacher Spurgeon who talking about these angels, he says that God does set a watch or the watch is kept. This watch over you day and night, day and night, nighttime while you're sleeping or you're exhausted and you're tired. The watch is kept by warriors of sleepless eyes. The angels don't sleep. They don't get tired. They don't give up. They don't leave their tasks. They don't go AWOL. If they're sent there with a task, they'll stay there. So who is it that the Lord sends this singular angel to encamp, to circle and around? Because you know what, if you can find out, you can find out if you're such a person. And if this has ever happened to you, or if it is happening today, or if it will happen in the future, it says this angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. Them that fear him. If you fear the Lord, then the angel of the Lord encampeth around you. This is something for you. Do you fear God this morning? You see, you can't act like a rebel and fear God. You can't live like a sinner and yet fear God. If you fear God, you depart from iniquity. You depart from sin. You tremble. You know, we brought the fear of the Lord down to some vague respect. We call God the Father, Papa, Daddy. We treat him like a chum and a friend. We have lost what it means to tremble in the presence of God. It used to be the church trembled at the presence of God. Now in churches, they act like idiots with no respect or reverence. We need to recapture the fear of the Lord. Maybe this is why there's so little angelic visitation in the church of this day, certainly in the Western world. You know what? We've lost the fear of God and the angels don't encamp round about. I guess the angels don't like encamping around about those that don't fear God. Maybe if an angel was sent, he would say, why should I be protecting this scoundrel? He doesn't love God. He doesn't fear God. He doesn't obey God. Why should I be sent here to rescue them and guard them night and day? Do you know what the fear of God means? It means to live with a sense of reverential awe, to actually be there with an awareness that this God could cast you into hell, body and soul. If you rejected him, that's what the fear of God is. I'm so aware of who he is. Yes, I love him and I know he loves me. Oh, I know that. But the fear of God, the real fear of God doesn't make you draw back. It makes you come close. Do you know the fear of the Lord in me does that? It makes me intimate with him. It drives me closer. If you say, oh, I fear God, and you hold back, you're scared to go near him. That's not the fear of God. That's a natural human carnal fear. But the true fear of God makes you draw very close to the Lord and stay very close to him. And notice as well, it says the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. The angel of the Lord not only encampeth around you, but he delivers. Do you know what that means? He draws you out of your troubles. He delivers you from danger. He draws you away from a place of danger. He snatches you onto himself away from danger, evil, or the enemy, since the angel of the Lord is very real. All this is, is one verse, but look how powerful it is that the angel of the Lord encamps and circles around a man or a woman, a Christian who truly fears God. You say, I'm going to take you to some scriptures, but I also want you to be aware that things like this have always happened in church history. There was an English martyr in London in the 1500s who was awaiting to be martyred the next day. That night, he was so scared, so fearful, but he loved the Lord. That night, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream of the night. He knew God had sent an angel to speak to him, to reassure him, to face martyrdom. Don't think it's a new charismatic thing to experience dreams about angels or to actually see angels. No, it's not. For 30 years now, the charismatic movement has almost destroyed this teaching and we're scared to touch on it or to believe it because in the Toronto revival, you go into meetings and you get these men and women on platforms pointing saying that the angels are swinging off the lampshades. Oh, what foolishness. It destroys the church. Away with such foolishness. I've got no time for it, but I do believe in angels. I believe they can come in dreams. I believe they can come and speak to men and women. It was just after the year 1600, a young Samuel Rutherford who became one of the greatest preachers of Scotland, a Scottish Covenanter, a Presbyterian. He actually, just after 1600, he was a small boy about five years old near the town of Jedburgh, where I used to preach every week for a period of time. He fell in a bit of water. He said this many years later, that a man all dressed in white came along and pulled him out and saved him from drowning. A little boy, he would have been lost, his parents wouldn't have even known, but a man all dressed in white, he believed it was an angel of the Lord. Do you know the Lord knew the plan he had for Samuel Rutherford, so he saved him at the age of five. Many years ago, heading towards 200 years ago in the New Hebrides, which is down in the South Pacific, just north of Australia, there is a whole chain of islands about 450 miles long. They were filled with Aboriginal peoples. Many of them were actually cannibals. They used to, if anyone landed there, they would eat them, roast them for dinner that night. Literally, this is what happened. But in those islands, Christians began to evangelize. In the year 1839, on one of those islands called the New Hebrides, there was a couple, a married couple, burdened for the souls of men, for the cannibals on that island. 1839, they landed on the beach to evangelize, to pray, to reach out to these lost souls. They were killed and eaten for lunch. Three years later, the London Missionary Society sent two more missionaries called John G. Patton. He was a Scotsman and him and his wife went out there. They knew what had happened before, but they went, they prayed and said, Lord, we need to reach these souls. That was in the year 1842. Listen, by 1887, just over 40 years later, there were 12,000 converts amongst that people. Remarkable revival. I mean, thousands and all through those islands, other missionaries went there and evangelized. But it began with bloodshed, people laying down their life. But listen, that isn't all. I'm coming to something here. John G. Patton tells a remarkable story of once on the 23rd of June, 1873. As they're in the midst of evangelizing these pagan peoples, that this night, the tribesmen got stirred up and decided to kill them and to eat this Christian couple. That night, the natives began to gather around the small camp. Mr. Patton knew we're on dangerous ground here. He told his wife, his wife was very scared. The people began to dance around the camp and scream and yell and began to bring fire. His wife was very scared. He just kept telling her, just keep praying, keep praying. All through the night, they prayed, Oh God, protect us. Oh God, deliver us. Oh Lord, would you save us from the enemy? And as they saw the fire coming, he said, they intend to burn us out. He said, wife, keep praying. He had his children there as well. What a terrifying night they went through. What a terrifying night. But as it seemed like all hope was lost, all of a sudden it began to get very quiet and all these tribesmen suddenly left. Do you know, it was a year later after one of the chiefs got converted. He actually asked him, he said, why did you leave us that night? What was it? We thought it was all over. You're going to kill us that night. He said, it was a very fearful night. Why did you leave us? And the chief said, well, it's obvious all those soldiers that you had around you, hundreds of men dressed in white with swords drawn. We were terrified. We were scared. We had to leave you and we knew we couldn't touch you. Do you realize the angels of the Lord were sent to those missionary? Don't tell me this is only a thing for the Bible. It's a thing that's happened all through the generations. There was another single lady called Mary Munson from Norway. She went out, she was a Lutheran missionary and she was sent out to China. A remarkable lady in 1901, just before she went out, there'd been an uprising where all the missionaries were killed in China and tens of thousands of Christians were killed. Well, that was the very time she volunteered. I'm going as a missionary to China. Give us Christians like this again. She served from 1901 through to 1932. She was a remarkable woman of prayer. When the Chinese used to come in, the Chinese leaders and Western missionaries used to come in, she'd go to the white Western missionaries and she'd say, are you born again? They'd get angry with her. Imagine Colin asking me, a missionary, am I born again? That's what she would do. She was a woman of prayer. She loved God with all of her heart. She was no fool. A remarkable lady. In fact, God used her up into the 1920s and 30s to bring revival in China. It was an amazing national revival broke out. God really used this little Lutheran lady. Well, do you know what? She tells a remarkable story. In fact, she tells many, I don't have time to tell you them all here, but she tells one particular story one night when she was in her missionary camp and the Chinese bandits began to gather and to shoot off their weapons and begin to, they were in a drunken, terrible state. They were coming to massacre her and there were women and children and some men gathered to that camp. They were scared for their lives and they took refuge in the mission's camp. And as they did that night, she was suffering terrible malaria. She'd been in bed. She was very sick, but as these people began to gather at the camp, she felt very responsible for them. And these men, these violent men began to gather around. They're going to set the place on fire and kill them all and come in and take them. And near that night when she was with the people, she began to minister onto them and to say, pray, pray for God's protection. Pray that God say, begin to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, you know what happened? All of a sudden, just again, as these drunken men are laughing and mocking and threatening, all of a sudden they died down and they all left. Do you know, the next morning, all the surrounding people, villages, people come out of their homes and they come shocked saying, who were those four men? Well, she said, which four men? Said you had four large tall men dressed in white. This missionary lady never seen them, never felt them, didn't know they were there. God didn't show her a vision, but those other Chinese actually saw them. And that's why these bandits left. I can tell you about Fania, who was a young Russian soldier. He joined the Russian army. He was born again, loved Jesus, a young Baptist man. And he went there. He eventually died in 1972, the year of my birth at 20 years old. Well, he joined the Russian army, the Soviet union. You're not allowed to be a Christian in there. They tortured him. They persecuted him. He went through terrible suffering. I don't have time to tell you about it, but he had angelic visitations. If you ever get the chance, read the testimony of Fania, the young Russian soldier. He had real experiences of the angels of the Lord coming to him to help him and to comfort him. Praise God. It is so real that the angel of the Lord encampeth around them that fear him. I could keep telling you contemporary testimonies, real testimonies. I'm not talking about foolish people, strange revivals or false prophets. I'm talking about real people who've suffered for Christ, who have had these experiences and they wouldn't lie. They loved Jesus, loved the word of God. I've got three points here. I feel like I could preach all day long on this, but I want to try and confine myself. We'll come back and do a series at another time. But there's my first point, protected by angels. I want you to see this morning that we're in spiritual warfare. And I believe the three points I'm going to give to you apply to spiritual warfare. All of you are involved in spiritual warfare. Even if you're not saved this morning, you're involved in spiritual warfare. The devil wants you. The devil wants to send you to hell. But God sends forth his angels, even to minister on behalf of those like Samuel Rutherford, even before they get saved, God sends angels going, they're going to get saved one day and I'm going to put an angel there to protect them. The devil wants to damn them and send them to hell. I'll send my angel to protect them. That's why some of you aren't in hell today. You should have been in hell, but God sent an angel that you never knew about. You won't know it until eternity. Do you know the Bible says we Christians are going to judge angels on that day. I wonder if we're going to see all that they've done, how they intervened in each one of our lives. I wonder if we are going to be responsible for handing out rewards. We are told that we're going to judge them. It's not a thing of condemnation. They can't be condemned. They're not sinners. They can't do wrong. So how are we judging? We must be handing out rewards and God brings us in on that, that we are even going to judge the angels. But listen, protected by angels. My first point, protection by angels. In spiritual warfare, both physical and spiritual, unseen attacks, warfare against our spiritual life. We do receive protection by angels. In 2 Kings chapter 6 and verse 15, it says, and this is talking about Elisha, the man of God. They were being pursued by their enemies and took refuge in a city. And it's, he's there, Elisha's there with his young servant. And it says there, and the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth. He looked over the wall of the city and he said, he's seen a host encamped against the city, both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, unto Elisha, alas, my master, how shall we do? And Elisha answered him, fear not. It's okay for a man of God. You know, you mature Christians can turn around to younger ones or sometimes it's the other way around. And you can say, there's maybe a Christian gets all scared and you say, fear not. And you go, it's okay for him to say that. Well, the servant must've thought the same. It's fine for Elisha to say that. Look at the armies, the horses, we're trapped. They are going to kill us. Look at all of these chariots, these horses, these soldiers, look at their spears and their swords. We're finito. We're trapped in here. They tracked us down. I'm going to get killed because of my master. He's a prophet. They want to kill him. I know I'm going to die. My young life is finito. It's over. Can you see the fear in his heart? But the old prophet says, fear not. Listen this carefully. For they that be with us are more than they that be with them. Young man, all you're seeing is the enemy. All you can see is the devil. All you can see is your problems. All you can see is what is against us. And it all joins up until it's unbearable. In fact, you can't see a way out. You cannot see God in the situation. You're not applying God's word to the situation. All you can see is it's over. I'm finished. I'm finished. Do you realize there's a protection by angels in this warfare? When you come to a point where you cannot see, you cannot believe, you cannot hear, you do not know, all you can see is the natural warfare. All you feel is the natural battle. Do you know what the prophet of God would say? And this preacher is saying to you this morning, fear not. This is the word of the Lord to you. Fear not. For they that be with us are more than they that be with them. You say, but you don't understand. Oh yes, I do. Oh yes, I do. One angel encamping around you is enough. But listen, he goes on and Elijah prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. Some of you are in a dark place because you cannot see. You need to pray. I'm going to pray for you before we're over. I'm going to pray that God opens your eyes. I was praying for this message that God would open your eyes, that even as we preach from, I've just began this morning, that your eyes are going to begin to open to see things you couldn't see before. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw, what did he say? I mean, he could see physically, he can see the enemy, he can see the battle, he can see what's against him, he can see the problems, he can see the impossibility, but God had to do something. God opened the young man's eyes. What did he see then? How did God answer in prayer? What difference does prayer make? If you don't think prayer makes a difference, you know very little. Prayer makes a difference. When he prayed, the eyes of the young man was opened. And listen, and behold, when the word behold is used in the Bible, it means stop what you're doing. Look, this is major. Behold, the mountain was full of horses and of chariots round about Elisha. Do you see that the armies, the angels were in around Elisha, not the young man. As he looked at this prophet, suddenly he sees the great hosts of armies of angels are there in about Elisha. In fact, it says more than that. The mountain was full. The mountain where they were was literally full. There was no room for any space. You thought there was nothing there. Oh, there's lots there. You see some of you this morning, you go, I'm alone in my trial. You don't know what you're talking about. Oh, I'm facing, you don't know what I'm facing. I'm all alone in the battle. No Christian understands. You don't know what you're talking about this morning. You're blind. Your eyes are closed to see reality. What I'm telling you is reality. Your troubles aren't reality. The enemy isn't the reality. All the things that are against you, your own fears aren't the reality. This is reality. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire. Do you see this angelic presence? There were horses. Candice is going to love this because she loves horses. She's always asking, will there be horses in heaven? Will there be dogs in heaven? Will Shiloh make it to heaven? Well, I don't know. I don't know. That's my diplomatic answer, especially when you have a dog and your wife loves the dog. But I tell you, there's horses, there's horses there. These are horses and chariots of fire. They are burning with fire. This young man, all he had to do was have his eyes open and it changes the whole situation. Then there was a whole story here of Elisha praying and the eyes of the entire physical army outside the wall, they're struck blind. We're not going to go into the story, but I just want to point this out. This invisible angelic army was a camping around Elisha. Elisha didn't fear because he knew to be true. He could see it. He could literally see it in a round. Do you remember when Elijah was caught up to heaven? We're told that he got carried off in a chariot of fire and horses of fire and Elijah was parted from Elisha. They were parted asunder and Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven. Again, it says in Psalm 68 verse 17, the chariots of God are 20,000, even thousands of angels. The Lord is among them. It says over in Ezekiel chapter 1 and 13, concerning the angelic beings, their appearance was like burning coals of fire and like the appearance of lamps. The appearance of lamps, since it's very real. We are talking about angelic armies that encamp around the people of God. It's real. God doesn't show you these things to satisfy curiosity. Don't be praying and saying, God, show me these. Do you know what? He might put you in a very hard situation to answer that prayer. In Daniel chapter 6, we know about Daniel being put in the den of lions because he refused to stop praying. When he was delivered, he said, God has sent his angel and has shut the lion's mouth that they have not hurt me. Why did the lions not eat him? Because one angel was sent into that den of lions and that was enough to stop it. For as much as before him, innocency was found in me. Daniel was innocent. There'd be some believers would have got eaten up. They would have went to heaven, but they would have got eaten by those lions because there's some Christians aren't as innocent as others, I want to tell you. But this lion was sent, sorry, this angel was sent to shut the lion's mouth. They dare not touch him. Do you know the animal kingdom is affected by an angel? An angel has power over a whole group of lions, a whole prison cell filled with lions and one angel can stop them from harming even one hair on the head. This is so real. I'm talking about protection by angels, angelic protection. We're in a spiritual warfare. It's very real. It manifests physically. There are powers of darkness against us, but we have angelic protection in spiritual warfare. Over in Acts 5, verse 19, it says, Peter was in prison, thrown in prison for preaching the gospel. It said, but don't you like those buts? Here is another but of the Bible. And it says there in Acts 5, verse 19, but the angel of the Lord by night opened the doors and brought them forth and said, go stand and speak in the temple to the people, all the words of this life. Now don't get that mixed up in Acts 5 with Acts 12. There is another incident in Acts 12 where an angel is sent to deliver Peter out of the prison. It's two different things. What a simple verse in Acts 5, just saying an angel came, opened up the door and sent them out to preach the gospel. A simple thing. Saints, it's so real what God does. Acts 12, verse 6, and when Herod would have brought Peter forth, the same night Peter was sleeping, Peter was put in prison. They're going to kill him the next day. Do you realize that the angels get active in crisis, in great tragedies, in great trouble? When things are going to happen to stop the plan of God, I assure you the angels of God are active. Whether you see them or not, they're active. In Acts 12, it says that Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and the keepers before the door kept the prison. No way he could have got out of there. Verse 7, and behold the angel of the Lord, again just one angel, angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison and he, that is the angel, smote Peter on the side, raised him up saying, arise, get up quickly, and his chains fell off his hands. An angel said unto him, gird thyself and bind on thy sandals. Isn't it wonderful how the angels of God look after this man? Put your coat on, put your shoes on, I've removed your chains, now follow me. An angel said unto him, gird thyself and he did and he saith on him, cast thy garment upon thee and follow me. He went out and he followed him and he wished not that it was true, not which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. He couldn't even believe this was physically happening. He actually thought, I'm having a vision, God's given me a vision of what he would like to do. No, it was real. This angel has made sure he's clothed right so he doesn't get a cold. Candice always makes sure my scarf and hat are on, she won't let me out the door on a cold night. Well this angel is doing the same for Peter. I'm going to get in trouble with Candice by the end of this message. Anyway, this angel will not even let Peter out into the cold night air without being clothed correctly. Doesn't God look after you in a wonderful way, a beautiful way, an amazing way? It says, and when they were past the first and the second ward or guard, they came to the iron gate that leadeth into the city, which opened to them of his own accord. And they went out and passed through one street and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, now I know for a surety that the Lord has sent his angel and that delivered me out of the hand of Herod. And then you know the story, how he went to the prayer meeting and they couldn't believe that it was Peter. Utterly impossible, since I'm telling you about a singular angel, what an angel can do. These are not things merely of scripture, of a few Old Testament stories or a few New Testament stories. I believe these are things for this hour, this generation in the church, we are going to need to know these things happen. When I was young, I nearly drowned three times. Once in the south of England, we were at the beach and I basically almost drowned. A man, a swimmer there, pulled me out, resuscitated me, the water came out of my mouth. My brother Ian was there and said that water was coming out as that man resuscitated me. There was once I was trapped in a barn that was on fire. When we were young, with my next door neighbor, we went into the big barn of bales and we always used to make huts inside, right in the heart of those bales. It was something we'd done all through the years. We stopped after this, I can assure you, but we tunneled our way down and had a beautiful hut built in the center of it, but it was dark. My young friend decided to make his own candles and bring them into that barn. We were right in the center. We went down there. He lit the candle, lit the match, lit the candle. He dropped his matches and he put the match above his head to see where the matches had gone. As he did, it caught fire and it went up between two bales. That fire just went up. We put out what was inside there. Then I said, go out and see if everything's okay outside. He went out and I'm sitting, waiting. Everything looks okay inside. He didn't come back. I was waiting, waiting. He's gone. I decided I better go see where he is, so I went out. As soon as I stuck my head out, I'm right in the barn. The whole top of all the bales are on fire. There was a strong wind that day. It just blew. The fire was everywhere. Well, I couldn't go anywhere. I went back in. I'm young. You don't always do the right thing. I went right back in, sighed again, and I sat there. I was panicking. Friends, I don't fully understand what happened next. I have the memory. I can see it, but I don't understand it. I don't know how else to explain that. There was a rolling motion. The next thing, I'm standing outside. I mean, I'm just standing instantly. I'm looking up at that barn. The whole thing's ablaze. I didn't see anything. I didn't feel anything, but I believe the hand of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, was there to rescue and to save. In 2002, I was in a car wreck in Texas, in America. It was an English driver. That was my mistake. We cut across the carriageway, and being an English driver, he looked the wrong way. The last thing, as I looked out of my window, up to the right, a big, massive truck. I mean, it was right on top of this. I closed my eyes. It hit the car. We really hit bad, but yet, our lives were preserved in that. The car was utterly written off. I believe the angel of the Lord. I'm talking about protection by angels in the spiritual warfare. My second point, provision by the angels, provision by the angels. I'll take you to someone who doesn't have a good reputation, doesn't get preached about much in a good light, isn't thought about us as a church in a good light. That is Hagar and her little boy that was born, Ishmael. In Genesis chapter 16, we read about Hagar, who was a handmaid of Sarai, the wife of Abraham. She was an Egyptian. It actually says there in Genesis 16 that she, you know the whole story about how Sarai came up with this plan that her handmaid in Hagar would sleep with Abraham and would have a child. That child would become Abraham and Sarai because she wasn't believing God. It was an act of unbelief by someone who loved God. There's always consequences when you don't trust God. You do things you ought not to. Be very, very careful in a very real way. It says when Hagar was pregnant that Sarai, who couldn't have children, was despised in her eye. I want you to note here, as we look at the provision by angels, or God providing through angels, or working through angels, how that he works in imperfect situations with imperfect people to bring about his perfect plan and purpose in the earth. Isn't it amazing that God is so gracious and so good, even unto Hagar, even with Sarai having dealings with her? Well, it says that Sarai dealt hardly with Hagar. Hagar was not despising Sarai. Sarai was treating her badly and made her flee from the camp of Abraham. What a terrible situation, and yet God is still there working. You may feel like God isn't working in your family situation, but I want to tell you, God works in imperfect families, but oh, that we have trust him and seek him and walk right before him. If God can do this for Hagar, will he not do it for you? If you think that angels only work on behalf of the most perfect, most mature, most gifted of people, you're terribly wrong. Terribly wrong. It says in Genesis 16 and 7, and here in this condition, and the angel of the Lord found Hagar by a fountain of water in the wilderness, and by the fountain in the way of Shur, and he said, Hagar, Sarai's mind, whence camest thou, and whither wilt thou go? An angel comes to her. Here she is by a fountain. She's fled for her life, and she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, return to thy mistress and submit thyself to her hand. I know it's a bad family situation, but God has sent me an angel to make sure that you go back there. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall be numbered for a multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, behold, art with child, and now shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard thy affliction, and he will be a wild man, and his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the Lord that speak unto her, thou God seest me. For he said, I have also looked after thee and seen thee. Saints, I'm going to tell you about this little lady running. Here she is bearing a child. God has a plan. And the angel of the Lord, I want you to return and just do what is right. Again, some years later, a similar thing happens in Genesis chapter 21. And now the boys are grown. Isaac has been born to Sarah. So now you've got two boys in the camp, one after the spirit, one after the flesh, one in the perfect will of God, one in the allowed will of God. It wasn't God's perfect will, but he's there and God's going to use him. And it says Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took bread. Sarah wanted that child and that mother out of the camp. This time God tells Abraham, do it, do it. So Abraham gets up early in the morning and takes a bottle of water, gave it on to Hagar, put it on her shoulder and the child and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And when the water was spent in the bottle and she cast the child under one of the shrubs and she went and sat down over against him a good way off, as it were, a bow shot away. And she said, let me not see the death of my child. And she sat over against them and lifted up her voice and she began to weep. You know, this mother, she's a Hagar. There's many of the Arab peoples descend from her and this child. I mean, many Arab people who have been born again of God have come out of this seed line as well. God had a plan here. He's going to be a rough man, but God has a purpose. But here's this mother again a second time. The first time God looked upon her. Now here she is. She doesn't want to see the death of her child. God spoke and said he had a plan, but it's all over. You know, some of you know God has a plan with you and for you and through you until you hit the hard times. And when you hit the point of death, that point of impossibility, you say it's over. Oh yes, you know, God's got a plan, but you cannot even believe that something good is going to happen. And God heard the voice of the lad and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said unto her, what aileth thee, Hagar? I just love this angel that dealt with Hagar all these times. Where are you going? Hagar, what are you doing? She's lying there wanting to die. He said, fear not for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, hold him in thine hand for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes. Remember the first time she realized that God's eyes are upon her. Now it's the reverse. God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink and God was with the lad and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness. I'm talking in this second point about provision by angels. First of all, delivered by angels. Second of all, provided for by angels. You see, God has a plan for your life as a Christian. And you may not see demons or feel like you're in a spiritual warfare, but there are a set of circumstance and family in home that seem to be against God's will in your life. All of it seems out of order. It seems like nothing's going to happen. It's all over. And yet God, not only is his eyes open to you, but also he opens his eyes to you, to him and to his full provision. You know, God in both these cases with Hagar, God sent an angel to protect Hagar and this young boy Ishmael first in the womb. And then as a young boy that was going to die isn't the Lord wonderful? Let me give you another couple of examples of God's provision. In 1 Kings 19 and 4, we read about Elijah getting very discouraged. He'd not long ago called fire down from heaven and seen the death of all these prophets of Baal. But that wicked Queen Jezebel writes him one letter and that letter as he reads the word, as he receives that email, see there's powers of darkness behind an email. There is, there can come a spiritual attack from an email. And as he read that letter, he went down. I mean, he got discouraged, depressed. Elijah, he's a man like you and I. Oh yes, calls fire from heaven, yet straight afterwards can get terribly discouraged. Well, it says in 1 Kings 19 and 4, but he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and he came and sat down under a juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die. And he said, it is enough. Now, Lord, take away my life for I am not better than my fathers. Here he is lying down under a juniper tree. And verse 5, and as he lay and slept under the juniper tree, behold, remember what that word means? Stop, look, something important's about to happen. Behold, open your eyes. Then an angel touched him. What a delicate touch. This man of God who should have known better, who should have believed better, who should have been praying, who should have seen beyond all of this, a man who should have been able to take this. He's utterly at the end of himself and he wants to die. Lord, take away my life. That's how he's praying. He's not saying, Lord, deliver me. Lord, encourage me. Lord, help me. Lord, destroy Jezebel. He said, take away my life. It's all over. I'm finished. There's no future. The angel delicately touches him and said unto him, arise and eat. And he looked and behold, there was a cake bacon on the coals and a cruise of water at his head. And he did eat and drink and he laid him down again. The angel laid him down again. So an angel sent to him to feed him and to make sure he has another good night's sleep and make sure he's got water. And then the angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him again and woke him and said, arise and eat. You've got a second meal because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose and he did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat 40 days and 40 nights unto Horeb, the mount of God. What an amazing thing. Let me give you another couple of incidents. Acts chapter 27. You remember Paul's in the boat, in the storm. And in the middle of the night, he actually stands up and encourages all the people. Our lives aren't going to be lost. Yes, it looks like it. It seems like it. It seems there's no hope in this storm, but it says, he said, be of good cheer for there stood by me this night, an angel of God, whose I am, whom I serve saying fear not Paul, because all those that are with you, their lives are going to be saved. In Matthew 4, verse 11, again, after the 40 days of temptation, Jesus is in the wilderness. And on that 40th day, it says, then the devil leaveth him and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. They waited upon him, attended him, served him. I wonder if they provided a meal for him. Do you not think that if God sends angels to minister to Jesus after a time of temptation, do you not know that he would do the same for you? Do you not know there's been supernatural encouragement ministered to you? Restoration of heart, comfort. I'm talking about provision ministered from God for you in an hour of need. Thirdly, and finally, let me finish here on this third point, prevailing by angels. Now, this is something we've dealt with a lot in our Daniel series and over past weeks, going back to the new year that we've dealt with Daniel 10 and with Revelation chapter 12. So I'll be brief on this last point, but I want to point it out to you again, prevailing by angels. Are you in a warfare of prayer, fighting for loved ones? Do you find the clouds roaring around you? Do you feel that you're in a war, a battle? Do you feel you're fighting with the enemy, that you're wrestling with the powers of darkness, that it's a struggle to get through in prayer? It's a struggle to go through with God. Do you know there's a prevailing by angels? It's not just you trying to get through to touch God. It's not just God you're dealing with. God actually sends his angelic host to help you when the spiritual battle is raging. You may not feel you're doing well, but you know what? God doesn't leave you at that time. He wants to help you. He wants to come through for you. First of all, in prevailing with angels in Daniel 10 concerning Daniel, we read that he was in a time concerning the vision God was going to give him. The time appointed was long concerning the vision or the prophetic word that God gave him. The time appointed was very long. Do you know what it reads in the Hebrew? That it was a great, that this time it was long. It was a great gathering of soldiers, an army organized for war, prepared for a long campaign. Do you know the man, Daniel, was in prayer here, 21 days he's in prayer. Do you know he feels this intensity of the battle? He doesn't see it. He doesn't know what's going on, but he feels this long warfare and gathered against him. He has to be told the time appointed was long. There is a great army gathered against him, against his prayers, against the purpose of God, against the people of God. There is a great unseen demonic army. I mean, there's powers of darkness that stand against God's people, against the church in this generation. Don't you think that this hour, 2021, is a year that the hosts of hell are marching against the church? Never have we worldwide had the entire church locked down at the same time, forbidden to attend church, than the past year. There's been certain times when people have stayed home. Never has that happened worldwide, globally, in 2,000 years of history. Don't tell me that the hounds of hell, the forces of darkness are marching, organized, setting themselves against the church of God. It's a long warfare. It involves conflict. It's hard. There is suffering involved in it. You feel like you're discouraged. You feel like giving up. Don't you know this is not a natural battle we're involved with? Daniel was caught up in such. It says in Daniel 10, in verse 2, in those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. It was a partial fast he was on. I ate no pleasant bread. Neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth. Neither did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Three weeks he's praying, and it's a warfare. Nothing. He feels nothing, sees nothing, hears nothing. Three weeks. Then in verse 5, then I lifted up my eyes, and I looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Eupaz. His body was like the barrel, and his face like the appearance of lightning, and his eyes like as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color, but polished brass, and the voice of his words were like a voice of a multitude. As we study these chapters, you see that this angel, he's an angel. He wasn't the son of God. He was an angel. He is equal to Michael the archangel. I believe it was Gabriel sent to Daniel here. Look at the appearance. It's a warfare he's involved in. Then in verse 12 he says, then said he unto me, fear not Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, I did chasten thyself, which means fasting, chasten thyself before God. Thy words were heard, and I am came forth for thy words, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia. This is an angelic prince. A fallen angel is hindering Gabriel getting through, and he was stood him one and 20 days, 21 days, but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me. Saints, spiritual warfare is a real thing, and angels are dispatched to help us prevail. You're praying, praying, praying. There's no answer. Just wait, saints. There's an angel coming. Do you realize angels are caught up in our prayer life? They are affected by our prayer life. They come to answer even our prayers. They may be sent to come to deliver you or to provide for you or to cause you to prevail against the enemy. Do you remember again in Revelation 12 where we looked? In verse 7 it says, and there was war in heaven. This is a prophecy about our generation. What's just about to happen? There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought against his angels and prevailed not. Neither was their place found anymore in heaven. They were cast out, and the great dragon was cast out. That old serpent, the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, who cast him out? Michael and his angels. There was war in the heaven against the dragon. Real warfare. You see, the last days, the days we're entering, is going to be a remarkable hour and time of spiritual warfare. I actually believe there's going to be a great increase in angelic intervention. If you think that it's becoming dangerous in our world for the church, for the Christian, I assure you it's going to be an hour of greater angelic visitation. There are two kingdoms in this world, and I believe there's going to be an intense warfare in this hour. Our world is changing. Politics is changing. Society is changing, and I believe the church is going to change. It is an hour of great spiritual warfare. Put on the whole armor of God that you 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. Can I tell you, it is a time of great warfare. In Isaiah 37 and 36, Isaiah and King Hezekiah go to prayer. The enemies are coming against them, overwhelming armies. They don't stand a chance in Jerusalem, but do you know what the secret is? King Hezekiah goes to prayer with a man of God called Isaiah, and listen, God answered prayer. It says in Isaiah 37-36, and the angel of the Lord went forth and smote the camp of the Assyrians, and it says there that that one angel killed 185,000 soldiers that were on the battlefield standing against them. I want to show you, we are entering an utterly unique hour of spiritual warfare. How do we fight this battle? On our knees in prayer, but I promise you by the word of God, by the authority of heaven itself, I promise you as we pray and as we face whatever may come in the future, maybe it'll be like some of these people like John G. Patton, that missionary to the New Hebrides, or maybe like Mary Monson who went to China, or maybe like Vanya. I don't know what awaits us, but I promise you, church, that angels are working for this church, for you, for I. I don't feel them. I don't see them. I've only had two dreams in my life where I know it was an angel from the Lord delivering a message to me. It was nine years ago, just over nine years ago, maybe nine and a half. We were preparing, trying to sell our house in Cork. For three years we tried and it wasn't possible. It wasn't selling. Everything had changed. No mortgages. Our two mortgages were going higher. We were coming to the end of our financial resources. In fact, we got so close. One week later, we would have been in serious trouble financially, but the Lord knew. I was worried about these things. There's two things I was concerned about. This night in a dream, an angel came to me and said, it'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Concerning these two things, just trust the Lord. Everything's going to be all right. In that dream with this angel, I knew it was going to be okay. It was a miracle how God provided for us. Nine years ago, we sold our house, moved here to Limerick. We're able to do it all and be financially free. It could have been a disaster. It got to within a week of it. An angel of the Lord, I believe, people can argue or laugh at that, but I believe the angel of the Lord, as soon as he spoke that peace came into my heart. I've never seen a physical angel. I don't need to see them. I may never see them, but they're no less real to me. I believe the word of God. As we close to pray here, Psalm 34 and verse seven, the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and he delivereth them. Father, I pray for my friends, those in this church, those scattered elsewhere and other countries and other nations and other places, those that feel they're a part of this church, we pray for them. I pray this morning, Lord God, that you'd send this message, that you'd open up eyes, even as you have done from the beginning of this message. I believe it's ordained of you to encourage, to strengthen, to equip us, to help us. My God, I pray, will you help your saints that are listening to this message? Will you deliver them from harm? Will you provide for them in the day of trouble? And Lord God, will you prevail against powers of darkness as they pray and seek your face? I pray that you would endure us with power, that you prepare us, that even as we go into uncertain days in the year ahead, as we face many trials, many troubles, persecution, opposition, that you are going to send your angels to deliver us, to help us, to show us the way through. I do pray that you help my friends in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/3b1hevdNxoY.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/angelic-warfare/ ========================================================================