Archangels

We have all become very familiar with this image over the past three weeks. The ironically named Independence Square in Kyiv. Yesterday I decided to find out what that statue is all about as Id seen a few close ups of it and it looked very much to me like an angel holding a sword.  

It turns out that the statue is of the Archangel Michael. 
Close up he looks like this



Rev 12 7 -9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

In Jude 1:9 Michael is also referred to as fighting with Satan - and the Catholic tradition consider him to be the leader of the Army of God and the leader of heaven's forces in their triumph over the powers of hell. He is viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior, with the conflict against evil at times viewed as the battle within.

I dont think its a coincidence that in 2001 the Archangel was placed atop his pillar in the middle of the
capital city looking out over the land with his sword and his shield in his hand.  This is the same angel who contended with the Prince of Persia to get Daniels prayers answered in Daniel 10:12 and 12;1.  He is a warrior and is mighty enough to go head to head with the powers of darkness and cast them out.

I know the statue in Kyiv is just a lump of metal.  But the people in that city have considered Michael to be their patron saint for many hundreds of years.   Im not sure that I believe in patron saints per se.  But I definitely do believe in angels and that they are active all the time all over the place carrying out the will of God.  If the world ever needed angels to be on the move its now.  And if there was ever a time for the Archangel Michael to be wrestling through the prayers of a nation and contending with Satan for peace in the world its now.

Theres another statue in Kyiv.  Its called Motherland and it is another figure holding a sword and a shield.   But this shield has the hammer and sickle on it and its very name smacks of the Soviet regime. Something about it is unsettling to me .  Michael looks calm and noble and rather handsome.
Motherland looks expressionless, cold and rather creepy.


Im trusting that God has got His angels on the case in Ukraine, Russia, and indeed in all places of conflict in the world.  Im hoping that Michael is working hard to get the prayers of the saints through any demonic obstructions and into the throne room of God.  Secretly part of me wants to see the Motherland statue flattened in this war and the Archangel Michael standing proudly in Independence square unscathed.  In a time of war there is power in symbolism. Think of the cross in the twin towers.

 In times of stress and distress we look for signs of hope.  I pray that as the people of Kiev look at their statue in the coming days they remember they serve a God who has got angels at His disposal and who can do mighty and miraculous things.

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