# Question: How do I live among the angels? ## Synopsis It is recorded in Kings that Elijah (Elias in the Greek context) experienced direct intervention in his life by the angels of God. Is it possible, and if so how, for us to live in such a way that the angels given charge over us are able to make direct intervention in our own lives? ## Primary Context *But Elijah himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat under a juniper tree. He prayed concerning his life, that he might die, and said, “I pray it be enough, O Lord. Now take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” Then he lay down and slept under a tree. Unexpectedly, someone touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then Elijah looked, and there by his head was a cake made of wheat and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. Again the angel of the Lord came back a second time, touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is a great many days for you.” So he arose, ate and drank; and he went with the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, as far as Mount Horeb. There he went into a cave and rested.* - 1 Kings 19:4-9 ## Detailed Answer & Discussion I got to spend some time yesterday without my phone and sitting "being bored." These moments, often accompanying things which I'd much prefer to avoid, are actually beneficial to our growth. With a caveat, of course, that we use the time well. I have written about the *[[What are logismoi and how do they affect our daily lives|logismoi]]* already, so I won't reiterate every statement made there. I was sitting yesterday and wondering just how deep the idea goes. Now, I wrote a few weeks ago about how easily I fall to [[Passion of Acedia|acedia]] in taking things way too far to a point they go nowhere. So I was already on edge thinking about this, but I think I can write from a more pastoral standpoint and avoid the nuance of writing a fully researched treatise. Maybe.... >>It is very easy for us to say "Well Elijah was a prophet of God of course God is going to take care of Him!" Yes, Elijah had a very specific purpose to his life and continues to have a purpose in the future. Does that mean that we don't? Are we just supposed to be carried by the wind, float down the river from birth to death, and just "be?" I don't think that's right. I think each of us have something specific that God intends for us (and no I won't use Jeremiah 29:11 here, Ephesians 2:10 fits better). If we have something to do, then why shouldn't we expect God to help us accomplish this? >>Oh, wait can *we* really "expect" God to do something? OK, valid point, God is sovereign and we have no right to demand from Him. But He has shown repeatedly that He is willing to give freely. So then how do we engage with Him and His angels well? Go read my notes on *logismoi* if you haven't already because my thoughts from here out really keep that front and center. ### The two realities So, this idea of two realities really gets me, but I think this language is required in order to truly express the thoughts here. Go read Fr. Stephen Freeman's book *Everywhere Present* for a deeper explanation on the one-story world. >>If we consider two realities, the spiritual (noetic) and physical, it can be said that the angels (and demons) exist only within the noetic realm and animals and plants and the physical earth exist only within the physical space. Of course, saying angels "only" exist in one space is incorrect as there are exceptions as we see above in 1 Kings where an angel makes himself visible within the physical world, but I digress. Notice though that I do not include humanity in either of these. Why is that? Do you see the connection? >>Humanity was created with a purpose. God directed man to *“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”* - Genesis 1:28 and in Genesis 2:15 *"Then the Lord God took the man He formed and put him in the garden to tend and keep it."* Humanity was given the task of tending to the earth, looking over it, having dominion thereof. It is our job to tend the physical reality. However, humans have a *nous* and spirit, we can pray, we can talk to God (Genesis 3 and many others). So we span both realities. We can interact with the physical world and the spiritual world simultaneously. This is incredibly important to keep in mind. ### Spanning both worlds -- This ability for humanity to have our life and being in both realities is precisely why, I believe, that the *logismoi* is possible. This is also what makes it possible for the angels to interact with us. We can choose to listen to the demon leading us to [[Passion]] or to the angel pointing us toward Christ. It's interesting, growing up watching Looney Tunes (reruns of course, I'm not that old) there was always the trope of the little angel on one shoulder and the little devil on the other. I grew up in a church that thoroughly rejects this idea, so it wasn't until recently that I began to question it. -- Because we span both worlds, when we receive a thought from the noetic realm it is imperative that we examine this thought and decide whether it is "pure, noble, just, and good" and thus think on it more deeply (Phil 4:8) or reject it outright as demonic (1 John 4:1, James 4:7). ### Angels man! get to the angels I know, I've rambled, I apologize. How then do we live our lives in such a way that we're attended by the angels and led by them in our daily walk? I want to start by saying "listen" to them. If we recognize that the *nous* is receiving thoughts from external sources then we have to choose which thoughts we listen to and take into ourselves and which ones we exclude. >> By focusing on the good, pure, noble things that Paul calls the Philippians to focus on we'll find ourselves receiving thoughts that prepare us for temptation or that help guide us through temptations. But when we allow ourselves to fall victim, the passions are stoked and it is harder and harder to fight. We need Christ's grace, and we need to call out for it. >>There is no method, no *techne*, to get the angels talking to you. At least not one that I will elaborate on here, there is far too much at risk for spiritual delusion or *prelest*. We need to focus our *nous* and spirits intentionally on Christ and let Him be the judge to decide when we're ready to go further into the spiritual realms. I can speak to this personally, and one day I may write an article on the risks of going the road alone. ## Closing Thoughts Do I expect angels to bring me food? No. Do I pray that an angel will guide me when I am facing temptation? Of course! I know just a few weeks ago, I was struggling with a passion and the *logismoi* was intent on pushing me that way. Out of nowhere, as *logismoi* do as well, I simply thought of a specific passage of scripture. It wasn't from myself, I was headed straight into passion, but God saw fit to show me that if I'd just listen to Him, through His angels, that I could wage war. I know that I've fallen since then into other passions, but it is a step, there are angels and saints attending to the tasks assigned by God the Father. As we span the gap to tend to the world while also communing with God, remember this. --- Canonical Link: <a href="https://bryangarrison.com/Questions/Among+the+angels" rel="canonical">How do I live among the angels?</a>