They are spiritual creatures of a higher order than humans. God has
created them to serve him and to administer his Holy Will, to be his warriors, messengers
and to assist human beings. The angels are divided in nine orders: seraphim,
cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels and guardian
angels.
The three angels that are named in the Bible are the Archangels Michael who represents the Power and the Divine Will of God, Gabriel who represents the Word and the Wisdom of God, the messenger who brought down the news of the Incarnation to Mary. And the Archangel Raphael, the medicine of God who represents the Love of God. He came to assist Tobit in the old Testament.
The guardian angels are always assisting us, and manifesting the Will of God for us. The bad angels, who are called also demons or devils, are always trying to deceive us and they tempt us to sin.
Angels can not force the human will, but they give suggestions to our minds so that we still remain free to do what is good or bad.
In the beginning one third of the angels rebelled against God and they became the bad angels, with Lucifer as their head.
The name Satan known in the Hebrew as Abaddon or in Greek as Apollyon means "destroyer". Other names given to Him are prince of darkness, adversary, accuser, deceiver, dragon, liar, leviathan, murderer, serpent, tormentor and god of this world.
In the final battle of the angels as revealed in the Apocalypse, St. Michael the Archangel will defeat Satan forever, who will be thrown in the lake of eternal fire with all his angels.
The
Work of God Apostolate
www.theworkofgod.org