God’s Secret Agents … (June 2025 Update)
Everyone loves a great spy novel or movie. There is something exciting and mysterious about spies and secret agents. They are accomplishing their work often behind the scenes. To most people, their work is unseen. But their work is crucial to the success of the misson!
That’s why I love the subtitle of Billy Graham’s book about angels: Angels: God’s Secret Agents. That’s a great title because the work and ministry of God’s angels are usually “secret” or behind the scenes. But the Bible tell us a few things about the purpose of these “secret agents.” The Bible does not give us a list of the reasons why God uses His angels. But here are some possible reasons.
First of all, angels show us the greatness of God’s love for man. 2 Peter 2:4 reminds us “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment….” This is a warning to false teachers to repent. But it is also a reminder that we have an opportunity to repent that the fallen angels were not given. God did not send His son to save the angels, but He sent Him to save us! Hebrews 2:16 reminds us: “For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.” Angels remind us of the great love and mercy of God toward mankind.
Second, angels remind us of an unseen world. Everything that is happening is not visible. We do not see the unseen forces in this world that make up spiritual warfare. We see this in 2 Kings 6:17: “And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Hebrews 13:2 also reminds us: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” There is an unseen world and angels remind us that there is more to this world than what we can see.
Third, angels can be examples for us. The angels are examples of both worship and obedience. We see that the angels in heaven are continually engaged in the worship of the Lord. Revelation 4:8 tells us that the angels around the throne worship God continually: “And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’” Revelation 7:9 says, “All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God….” The Bible repeatedly pictures the angels as worshipping God.
And we also see that they are examples of obedience. Psalm 103:20-21 speaks about the angels obeying God’s Word and doing His pleasure: “Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.” Commenting on Psalm 103, John Piper says, “But whether you call them angels or you call them hosts or armies, the emphasis in both cases in Psalm 103 falls on this: they do the will of God.” In Matthew 6:10, Jesus says in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Those faithful angels in heaven always do the will of the Father, and they provide an example for us to do His will on earth.
Fourth, angels are often used to carry out some of God’s plans. At times, they bring messages to humans or even provide encouragement as the angels did for Elijah and for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Negatively, they can also be used by God to carry out some of His judgments on earth. And it seems that they may provide protection for believers, although many times even when we are not aware of their protection.
Fifth, angels praise God continually. They are around the throne of God praising the Lord. Psalm 148:2 says, “Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!” And we see that in heaven, the angels are constantly praising God for His works and for His ways.
Sixth, angels can be protectors for God’s people. Angels are often depicted as warriors in Scripture, fighting spiritual battles on behalf of God’s people. In 2 Kings 6:17, when Elisha prays that his servant’s eyes may be opened. His eyes are opened to see the angelic army surrounding them, ready to defend them against enemy forces. This passage encourages us that, though we may not see them, angels might be fighting battles on our behalf. Although a Messianic passage, Psalm 91:11-12 explains the depth of their protective nature: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” In the New Testament, an angel delivers Peter from prison in Acts 12:7 so that he can continue to preach the gospel: “And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.”
Finally, angels minister to believers. Hebrews 1:14 tells us that one primary task of God’s angels is to minister to believers: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” While the writer of Hebrews is not specific in how they minister, we see that the angels ministered to Jesus by providing comfort and encouragement for him: “Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11). The Bible does not specify all the ways that angels minister to believers. But it is interesting to note what the writer of Hebrews does say: “Are they not all ministering spirits.” This should remind us that all the angels are involved in various aspects of ministering to believers. So, we can find great comfort in knowing that angels are commissioned to care for and sustain us.
What should our relationship be to angels? First of all, we need to be aware of them. We need to recognize that there are “angels unseen” that often minister to us. And sometimes these angels even provide deliverance and protection for us as believers.
Also, there are a number of cautions about angels that we need to be aware of. First, we need to make sure we do not receive doctrine from angels. In Galatians 1:8, Paul warns us: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” In other words, we do not receive doctrine from angels. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul tells us that Satan even transforms himself into an angel of light to deceive believers. So, we need to remember that God does not give doctrine through angels.
Second, we are told to not worship them. In Colossians 2:18, Paul warns against worship of angels: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels….” In Revelation 19:10, when John falls at the feet of an angel, even the angel warns him not to worship angels: “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” We are not to worship angels.
Third, we are also not to pray to them. There is no example of anyone praying to angels in the Bible. And in 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul tells us: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus….”
So, we can see that the role of angels in the Bible has many facets —they are messengers, worshippers, ministers, warriors, and special agents for God’s plans. While they usually work “undercover” (unseen) as secret agents, they remind us of God’s constant care, special protection and unseen involvement in our lives.
But as we reflect on the role of angels, their presences should remind us that they are a gift from a loving God who cares for and protects His children in many, often unseen, ways. And we can know that God’s plans are unfolding according to His perfect will even when we cannot see how He is accomplishing them. Angels are just one part of God’s magnificent care for us. They are His special secret agents.
Opportunities to Serve and Teach …
This academic year, I will only be teaching one Ukrainian class by myself. I now have all my classes except one being taught by Ukrainian professors that were my former students! This is what missions is really all about – equipping and training local leaders to do the work of the ministry. Someone long ago told me that the job of a missionary is to work himself out of a job! Even though I now have Ukrainian professors in place, I will still be joining them once a day during classes to answer questions. This has been very helpful for the new professors. Please pray for these Ukrainian colleagues as they work toward teaching on their own. And also pray that I can find someone to teach my remaining class.
Now that I have handed off most of my classes to Ukrainians, I will be transitioning to helping train missionaries going to the field. In July, I will be attending the annual GlobalServe International New Missionary Orientation Conference in Sarasota. We will be meeting with and providing some training for the newest group of families that GSI is sending out this year. Pray for them as they head out to unreached people groups in countries where missionaries are not permitted. Also, at the conference, I will be meeting with missionary candidates and talking with them about theological education. We plan to start classes with them hopefully this fall. One of the greatest needs for these missionaries is a strong theological education. Most of our missionaries have said that they feel very inadequate in this area. So be praying that I can be helpful in leading and training these missionaries starting this fall.
In spite of the on-going war, both seminaries in Ukraine (Kyiv and L’viv) are holding their graduations. Because the seminaries have grown so much and because of the complications of the war, each department is having separate, smaller graduations so the ceremonies can be held in bomb shelters. I posted about some KTS graduations in May, and here are some pictures of graduations in June. Pray for these students as they begin their ministries in Ukraine during a very difficult time.
Family …
Our garden is doing quite well, and we hope to have some vegetables to eat in July. Our lettuce plants have been great, and we are eating salads nearly every day. Work on the house has slowed just because I have so many other things to do. Our main concern now is getting the landscaping near the driveway done. It’s a lot of work raking stones and prepping for adding soil and grass. We are looking forward to getting more done on the house hopefully at the end of the summer.
The big event of the last month was our family vacation to Miramar Beach in Florida. We decided to meet in the panhandle rather than going all the way to Sarasota this year. Almost all my children and grandchildren were there, and we had a great time. The kids loved the beach and especially the larger waves the week we were there. We had time to play games, eat together and spend lots of time at the beach every morning and evening. I have added just a very few pictures of our wonderful trip.
On our trip to Florida and on our way back, we stopped at some historical sights. In the Arkansas delta, we visited a cotton processing plant. We spent a day at Vicksburg enjoying the National Battlegrounds there. This was great since we just finished studying the Civil War. Then we spent a day in Natchez on the Mississippi River. We even visited on the most unique Plantation homes in the South and learned about plantations and slavery. On our way back home, we stopped near Atlanta and enjoyed the Gone with the Wind Museum.
After our week at the beach with family, we headed further east to Amelia Island where our Ukrainian pastor and his family (Sergei and Natasha Bochko) are staying. It was wonderful to see them and spend time with their boys. Our girls and their boys especially had a great time. Even though they had not seen each other for 3 years, they were just like old friends! Please pray for them. They need to have their visas renewed so they can stay here in the US.
Pray for Ukraine …
Peace continues to be elusive for Ukraine. Russia has increased its attacks on civilians in Ukraine and Ukraine’s air defenses are struggling to keep up with all the missiles. Nightly attacks mean trips to shelters in the middle of the night. Life is very difficult for Ukrainians now. Pray for the people of Russia to see what is being done and pray for a change in the Russian government. Only a government change will bring real and lasting peace.
Pray for our students who continue to minister in very difficult times. In spite of the war, churches are growing, and the gospel is being shared. Also, many of our friends are involved in ministering to refuges and to military families. The war is especially hard on small children.
Thank you for your prayers and support. It is hard to believe that we have been here nearly 3 ½ years already. We feel adjusted and settled in, but our hearts are still in Ukraine. Also, pray for the missionaries at GSI and for us as we transition to training and equipping missionaries to share the gospel with unreached people groups around the world.
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya, Kristina and Nadia
If you missed previous updates or just want to read some short theological reflections, you can find these at our website at https://teachingresources.org/ .
Also, some have asked about how to support us. You can send checks to Teaching Resources International, PO Box 100, Goshen, AR 72735 (note: new address) or pay through PayPal on our website. Just put “#1000 Ehrhard” in the memo so our treasurer knows where to allocate the funds.
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