The Bible mentions angels from Genesis to Revelation. Jewish and Christian theologians have developed traditions and even hierarchies regarding these beings over the centuries. Books have been written on the subject. There have even been TV shows about angels living among us and their fight for good. People decorate their houses with angels. It often takes discernment and some biblical study to filter through the truth and myth surrounding angelic beings.
Among all the different ideas about angels, the Scripture mentions how God will “give his angels charge over you.” What does this say about angels and our relationship to God?
Where Does it Say God Will “Give His Angels Charge Over You”?
Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For he will give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” The psalmist writes about how God commands his messengers to protect his people. Mentioning “all your ways” suggests the Lord provides safety through all areas of life. Since God sends these angels with a purpose, the passage also points to God’s sovereignty. He rules over the heavens and powerful spiritual beings. With that power, God uses his Kingdom resources to care for believers out of compassion and love.
The verse appears again in Matthew 4:6. In this account, the Devil quotes the verse to tempt Jesus. Satan challenges Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give his angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” The Devil takes the passage out of context, using it to twist the truth and tempt Jesus to intentionally test God’s protection.
Jesus responds with Scripture, as well, from Deuteronomy 6:16: “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Christ uses Scripture to correct Satan’s twisting of the original verse.
Looking at the verse that God will “give his angels charge over you,” the Psalm teaches Jesus' followers to trust God’s authority and protection in their day-to-day lives.
What Does the Bible Say About Angels and Their Role?
Angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve him and carry out his mission.
The Bible describes angels as worshippers of God, declaring his holiness and glory. Isaiah 6:2-3 reveals seraphim surrounding God’s throne, and they cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.” Revelation 5:11-12 gives another glimpse around the throne, where countless angels praise the Lamb, saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.” Being in God’s presence and experiencing him fully, they must bow and worship.
Angels also serve as messengers, delivering important instructions. Gabriel announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:13-19, 26-38), while an angel led Philip to share the Gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26). The word angel means “messenger,” and God uses angels to communicate his will.
Regarding God’s will, angels play a role in executing God’s judgment. They participated in the Lord’s wrath against Sodom (Genesis 19:13) and will gather the righteous and remove the wicked at the end of the age (Matthew 13).
As Psalm 91:11-12 points out, angels protect God’s people. Angels also delivered Lot from Sodom’s destruction, and they rescued Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-11). Angels fight on behalf of believers. In 2 Kings 19:35, one angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers who had besieged Jerusalem. The Bible describes the angel Michael as a warrior, and he contends for God’s people in Daniel 10. In Revelation 12, Michael leads an angelic army against Satan.
Finally, angels comfort and minister to believers when they’re in need. When Elijah ran to the wilderness, an angel gave him food and water (1 Kings 19). After Jesus’ temptation in a similar wilderness, angels came and gave him strength (Matthew 4:11).
What is the Context of “To Give His Angels Charge” in Psalm 91?
Scholars aren’t sure who wrote Psalm 91, although tradition ascribes it to Moses or David. Psalm 91’s primary message communicates God’s care and protection for those who trust in him.
The song begins with an image of God as a refuge and fortress. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (verse 1). These pictures of power and safety set the stage for the psalm. Verses 3-6 describes how God is able to rescue his people from any danger. These verses talk about God’s deliverance from terror, pestilence, and snares. While these extreme threats exist, they can also symbolize all of life’s challenges and how God’s care and protection remain.
After the psalm speaks of God sending angels to help his people, the writer introduces the need for intimate connection with God’s presence. The Lord himself is the shield and refuge, so Christians must remain in relationship with him to enjoy those benefits. The psalm expresses God’s promises of deliverance, honor, and long life for those who call on God and trust in him. Finally, verse 13 uses lions and serpents to show how God triumphs over evil, encouraging believers with the truth that they also have victory in God.
From this psalm, we see that angels are an extension of God’s compassionate and authoritative nature.
How Does Satan Use “To Give His Angels Charge” in Psalm 91?
The Devil knows the Bible, too. In Matthew 4, Jesus fasts for 40 days and nights in the wilderness. Satan appears when Jesus is at his physically weakest and tries to tempt him to disobey the Father, which would have undermined and destroyed the whole redemptive plan. Jesus couldn’t call people to follow God’s will if he rebelled against it. In this case, the Devil even uses the Scripture to tempt God, much as he twisted God’s words to lie to Adam and Eve in the Garden.
This is the ultimate twisting of truth. The Devil takes a message meant for encouragement and life, and he misinterprets and manipulates it to a destructive and deadly end. Satan quotes “He will give his angels charge over you” to get Jesus to intentionally do something suicidal to test God’s power, specifically leaping from the top of the Temple to see if God will save him as he promised.
Satan challenges Jesus to prove his identity as the Son of God. The temptation also questioned God’s promises. This challenge was rooted in doubt, not faith.
Remember, just before his temptation, Jesus was baptized by John and heard from his Father, “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus didn’t need to try to kill himself to prove his identity and God’s promises. He heard his Father’s voice and declaration of love and pleasure. That was sufficient.
Jesus responds to Satan with, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Deuteronomy 6:16). Jesus counters the twisting of a Bible verse with another clarifying the right application. Jesus recognizes how testing God as Satan requested wouldn’t demonstrate trust but instead demand proof from God, contrary to a loving relationship with the Father. Further, it would essentially be prideful manipulation of God’s love and care.
Unlike Adam and Eve in the Garden, Jesus resists Satan’s temptation in the wilderness and obeys his Father.
What Can Christians Learn From God Giving His Angels Charge Over Us?
Psalm 91 expresses the reality that God will protect and care for those who trust in him. As both a Father and King, God uses all his resources to provide a refuge for us. This includes angels, messengers and servants who act under his authority to guard us both physically and spiritually. We can have comfort and peace in the middle of difficult times. No matter the situation, God and his angels together protect us.
This promise doesn’t mean Christians won’t face hardships. On the contrary, Jesus promises we will have trouble in this life (John 16:33). Instead, the psalm points to God’s ability to be our guardian and deliverer within his ultimate victory of good over evil.
For the psalmist, being in God’s presence had both moral and geographical implications. They would enter God’s presence in the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, we have even greater access to the Father through the Son by the Spirit. Upon our repentance, turning back to the Father in total submission, we receive the Holy Spirit within our hearts to constantly guide and speak truth to us, keeping us within his safety and security.
Satan’s misuse of the passage in Matthew 4 also warns us against misusing God’s word. The Devil and human nature can easily twist and manipulate the Scripture for evil ends. The Spirit inspired the Scripture, and the written word of God must be interpreted by the Spirit, as well. Taking one scripture out of context or apart from the whole canon leads to bad doctrine or lies. The Devil knows Scripture, but he doesn’t let it humble him. He uses the Bible for his own selfish designs. We act like Satan when we use a Bible verse to affirm our own flesh. Instead, may we let the word of God humble and change us, transforming us more into Christ’s likeness.
Specifically, the promise of God’s protection shouldn’t lead to reckless actions that demand a miracle. God may lead us into possibly dangerous situations, but this must be done in obedience, not to force some supernatural event to make God prove himself for our benefit. For a broader application, God’s grace is infinite. However, as Paul points out, should we sin even more to test God’s grace? Paul says, “God forbid!” (Romans 6:1-2)
We should go where God leads us to love and care for others, leaving the results of our obedience up to God. And when troubles arise, we remember God’s promise to care for us in every circumstance. We pray for his guidance, humbly relying upon his ways over our own understanding. In practice, we take comfort in God’s protection (or grace) without using it as an excuse for carelessness or testing his faithfulness.
God’s promise to “give his angels charge over you” encourages us that God will use every resource of heaven on behalf of those who have given their whole lives to him. The same all powerful God who calls us will care for us.
Peace.
Further Reading
What are the Different Types of Angels in the Bible?
5 (Biblical) Reasons Why God Might Send His Angels
Photo credit: Unsplash/Gavin Allanwood
