Join the Battle with Saint Michael at your Side

The Feast of St. Michael and all the Angels

When the Disciples asked Jesus about the signs of his return, among the things he said was “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars”. Those wars are a physical parallel to a war that’s been going on since the beginning.

The Prophet Isaiah describes it this way. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.’”  Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven”.

You know how we sing “We who mystically represent the Cherubim”? Ezekiel tells us that Satan is a Cherub – a member of one of the most powerful orders, closest to the throne of God.  In his rebellion, he took as many as one-third of all the angels with him!

On the other side of the battle is the Archangel Michael, whose name means “who is like God”.  He led the faithful angels against Satan’s rebellion, and he continues to do that today.  The Bible mentions him four times, and he has four offices:

• To fight against Satan.
• To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death.
• To be the champion of God's people, the Jews in the Old Covenant, the Christians in the New Covenant.
• To call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment

Revelation tells us more about the war. “And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Satan and his fallen angels were cast out of heaven, but the war continues. Man was drawn into the war very early, and it was actually a devastating defeat. You know the story. Satan took the form of a serpent and tempted Eve; she turned to Adam and drew him in, and when they sinned, they damned all of humanity to be separated from God. And then, as we confess in the Creed, Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, became man to restore our communion with God.

But the war continues.  Satan knows his defeat is certain.  He knows his fate is hell.  He’s chosen it over serving God! John Milton expressed his attitude in Paradise Lost. “It is better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven”.

Today, he has one goal.  Before his end, his final condemnation, he wants to steal God’s glory as much as possible.  And one way of doing that is to prevent as many people as possible from accepting Christ’s offer of reconciliation, to drag as many people as he can down to hell with him.

Revelation continues, “So when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place where she is nourished... Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus”.

The woman who gave birth to the male child is the Theotokos, the Virgin Mary; the male child is Jesus, of course. And the rest of her children? That’s us, Christians, especially Catholics and Orthodox, who fulfill her prophecy that all generations would call her blessed.

OK.  There’s a war going on. So, beyond standing around, waiting to be in the spiritual crossfire, what’s our part?

We can, and must, fight back.  In the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council tell us, “For a monumental struggle against the powers of darkness pervades the whole history of man. The battle was joined from the very origins of the world and will continue until the last day, as the Lord has attested. Caught in this conflict, man is obliged to wrestle constantly if he is to cling to what is good, nor can he achieve his own integrity without great efforts and the help of God’s grace.”

How can we fight?  Remember when Jesus sent out the Seventy to preach?  They were what we would call lay ministers – something you all can be. As the scripture tells us, “The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’ Jesus replied, ‘Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”

And Paul’s advice is strong. He wrote to the Corinthians, “The weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds”. And, to the Ephesians, he wrote, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

My Brothers and Sisters, in our prayer book, Hear Me, O Lord, and in Scripture we have a marvelous arsenal to use in our fight.  And, we can pray to the Saints and the Angels to come to our defense in the fight.

So, let us end with that very thing.

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.  Be our stronghold against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.