1 Jude 6; 2 Pet 2:4; Heb 2:16; Jn 8:44, ² Job 1:12; Mt 8:31, ³ 1 Tim 5:21; Mk 8:38; Heb 12:22,
⁴ Ps 104:4, ⁵ 2 Kgs 19:35; Heb 1:14

Angels are spirit being. It is clear from the Scriptures that there are elect angels and there are reprobate angels.

As all things were created "very good" (Gen 1:31), angels must have been originally good. However, some falling into sin, "kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation" (Jude 6a; 2 Pet 2:4a). These have God "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6b; 2 Pet 2:4b). "These chains," says Thomas Manton, "are eternal chains, because the wicked angels stand guilty for ever, without hope of recovery or redemption" (Jude, 202).

Our Catechism makes no attempt to explain how angels, created good, could fall. It speaks of God permitting them to fall by His providence. But as we saw in our earlier studies, this permission is not a "bare permission" (WCF 5.4), for God did "from all eternity…, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass" (WCF 3.1).

That is to say that even the fall of the angels would ultimately serve the glory of God. Thus our catechism declares that God limits and orders the fall of the angels and "all their sins," "to His own glory." This limitation of the power of Satan and his demons may be seen in the way that Satan was permitted and restricted by God in the former’s quest to afflict Job to expose his alleged hypocrisy (Job 1:12). It may also be seen in the demons request to the Lord Jesus to send them into a herd of swine rather than into the abyss (Lk 8:31-32).

This restriction has always been placed upon fallen angels, for as Manton suggests, the chains of Jude 6 also speak of "God’s power and providence, by which the angelic strength is bridled and overmastered, so as they cannot do what they would" (ibid.). Believers may take comfort in this fact.

But especially since the incarnation, and ascension of the Lord, the power of the Devil and his minions have been even more greatly curtailed. William Hendricksen, commenting on Revelation 20:103, puts it well:

So much for fallen angels.

There are, on the other hand, the "elect angels" (1Tim 5:21) or "holy angels" (Mk 8:38). These are the angels who by God’s decree and providence did not fall. We can be sure that the "cherubim" (Ezk 10:1-22), "seraphim" (i.e. "burning ones," Isa 6:2), "living creatures" (Ezk 1:14-15, Rev 4:6-9), "heavenly host" (Lk 2:13), "watchers" (Dan 4:13, 17), and "morning stars" (Job 38:7) are all part of the elect angels. (Although "the Angel of the LORD" in the Old Testament, and possibly Michael the Archangel, refers to Christ himself rather than a created angel).

The Scripture does not tell us in so many word that they are "established… in holiness and happiness." However, we can reasonably assume this to be the case by their being designated ‘elect’ and ‘holy.’ Daniel 7:10 suggests that more a hundred million of such angels exist in the world today.

Quite obviously, their ministry towards God and towards believers are quite different. Towards God, they render constant praise and worship (Rev 4:8). And as God is pleased generally to have His plans carried out mediately through His creatures, His angels are surely kept busy, willingly and lovingly doing their assigned duties. Their ministry towards God, in other words, is that of worship and obedience.

On the other hand, the angels’ ministry towards man is that of help and succour.

They were often sent to bring divine announcements, revelations, interpretations and instructions to God’s people (e.g. Lk 2:9-12; Acts 8:26, etc). With the completion of the New Testament canon, and the effusion of the Holy Spirit, this role of the angels have ceased.

The angels were also involved in protecting, encouraging, strengthening and delivering God’s children (e.g. Ps 91:11; Acts 12:7; Acts 27:24; Heb 1:14; etc) while at the same time defeating God’s enemies (e.g. 2 Kgs 19:35). As we are still in a spiritual battle (Eph 6:12), we have reason to believe that the angels are still aiding the Church of Christ.

Angels are also present at our worship (1 Cor 11:10; 1Tim 5:21) and it appears that they are always present at the deathbed of the saints to succour and then to escort their spirit to the presence of the Lord (see Lk 16:22).

Although we do not see angels, and do not feel their presence, we know from Scriptures that they exist, and that the elect angels exist largely for the sake of the Church of Christ. We need not fear the fallen angels for their powers are not only curtailed, but we know that the elect angels will allow them to touch the elect children of God without God’s permission. As such, we thank God for the elect angels, and look forward to having conscious fellowship with them one day (cf. Heb 12:22).

The existence of angels, moreover, provides a contrasting backdrop for the children of God to understand how God views us and redeem to us. Angels were created individually, their reprobation and election are purely individualistic. On the other hand, man is created as a federation. Adam was our representative. When Adam fell, the human race fell. But Christ came to be the representative of the elect (Heb 1:16). The elect is saved as one family in Christ. By extension, we see that God often deal with us as families. He saves households or families. He build his church through households (think of the church under age). This is why He ordains marriage and procreation for man but not for angels (Mt 22:30). This He did in order that he might "seek a godly seed" (Mal 2:15).

When we think about the angels, therefore, one thing that ought to be brought into our minds is the importance of the family unit that God has placed us in. We must remember our familiar duties,—of leadership, love, submission, obedience, godly training, etc,—because we are set in families that we may be "heirs together of the grace of life" (1 Pet 3:7). This is why it is declared that the covenant of grace is unto us and to our children (Gen 17:7; Acts 2:39).