Continuing with the Holy angels V

From now on evil always assaults good, the devil will assault the angel. But the evil one cannot be victorious. When the good angel fights, he does not rely on his own strength, but upon GOD's: he fights"in the name of GOD", with the divine might and majesty, So the faithful angel next to GOD is the victor, the first creaturely bearer of GOD's Triumph.

In his fall, the dragon and his followers fell to the earth. Again it says in Holy Scriptures,"As soon as the devil found himself thrown down to the earth, he sprang in pursuit of the woman....."and a few lines further"....but the earth came to her rescue; it opened it's mouth and swallowed the river thrown up by the dragon's jaws. Then the dragon was enraged with the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, that is, all who obey GOD's commandments and bear witness for JESUS."(Apoc.12:13-17)

Man too, has to stand a test. He is called to respect the will of GOD; he is to defend GOD's law's against the serpent which was hurled upon the earth and who now goes about to corrupt mankind through woman.

Angels IV

Both, however, are the image of GOD; both had to decide freely for GOD or against GOD; for the majesty of GOD is not love alone, but also justice. This justice demanded the free decision of angels and men, in order to judge their worthiness of being GOD,s image. Each of these creatures, angel and man, was tested according to the knowledge and power of will; proper to his nature.

But already the host of the angels had divided itself. Holy Scripture says,"And there was a battle in heaven; Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon fought with his angels. And they did not prevail, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast down, the ancient serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, who lead astray the whole world; and 1he was cast down."(Apoc. 12:7-9)

Here something new occurs: creature fights against creature. It is not the Lord GOD who single-handedly throws the rebellious angels into the depths. He let the faithful angels fight the unfaithful ones. The great oppositions begin: the adversary places himself against GOD.

A gift of the Angels III

The angels are sent from God to man, for angels existed before man. The angels are the first creatures of GOD. In Scripture it says," In the beginning God created heaven and earth."(Gen.1:1) GOD created heaven first, i.e. the spiritual creatures together with their dwelling place, the spiritual, supernatural heaven (for the earthly sky which men call "heaven" was created only later.-Gen.1:8). And then GOD created the earth, the material creation. Lastly He created man. So at the beginning of all creation we meet the image of GOD, the angel- and at the conclusion of creation we find the image of God, man.
But the angels and men are quite different. The angel is pure spirit; his entire nature is immortal. Man consists of an immortal, spiritual soul and a mortal, material body. So one may say: the angel is ordered more towards GOD the SPIRIT while man is ordered more towards GOD the SON, the WORD,and the Son of Man JESUS CHRIST. The angel is not subject to growth and decline; however, is subject to his material nature in his"becoming" and "passing away")
Taken from: O Angel Of God My Gardian Dear... National center for Padre Pio
Barto, PA