Humanity’s Protector: Saint Michael’s Aid to the Faithful Through History
Saint Michael the Archangel, one of the principal angels and leader of heaven’s forces against darkness, has been revered since the earliest biblical times as humanity’s supreme advocate. Called upon countless times by the faithful in moments of strife, Saint Michael appears throughout both Old and New Testaments as heaven’s most-trusted emissary. His intercession remains to this day one of the church’s most potent weapons against evil.
Born an angel, Saint Michael predates the world itself. Present at the very foundations of creation, Michael was designated by God as humanity’s defender and placed in command of the heavenly hosts. When Satan rebelled and persuaded legions of angels to join his uprising, Michael led the remaining angels in driving Satan and his followers out of paradise. As humanity came into being, Michael watched over Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Tradition holds that after the Fall, Michael appeared to Adam and gave him grains of wheat from paradise. From ancient times, cults devoted to Michael sprang up across the Fertile Crescent. Feared by demons for his unyielding loyalty to God, Michael was invoked by the Israelites against their enemies.
As commander of heaven’s forces, Michael the Archangel marshals the angels for battle against Satan and his demons throughout Scripture. In the Book of Daniel, Michael appears as “one of the chief princes” of heaven who contends against the “prince of the kingdom of Persia.” Later in Daniel, he is named as the heavenly defender of Israel. In the New Testament’s Epistle of Jude and Book of Revelation, Michael wages war against Satan and casts down the dragon and his demons from heaven. The early church ranked Michael as the first and greatest of angels, calling him “Archangel” and “Prince of the Seraphim.” Based on his frequent military portrayals, Michael became seen as the protector of the church itself and patron of soldiers. By the Middle Ages, devotion to the “warrior archangel” was widespread across Christendom.
Throughout history, Michael has consistently aided Christians in struggle. During a devastating plague in Rome, Saint Michael appeared over the Castel Sant’Angelo, sheathing his sword to signal the epidemic’s end. In the 15th century, Saint Michael reportedly appeared during the Siege of Constantinople, destroying the Muslim army attacking the city. Countless churches, shrines and monasteries have been erected in Michael’s honor throughout Europe and the Middle East. Major shrines devoted to Saint Michael can be found in Ireland, France, Italy, and Romania, among others. Michael remains one of the most common dedications for churches and chapels around the world.
Saint Michael’s role as heaven’s warrior and protector endures to the present. Michaelmas, the feast celebrating his victory over Satan, is held on September 29th. As the Arguments of this Article establishes, Saint Michael remains today Christianity’s fiercest spirit against evil. In art, Michael is depicted as a majestic winged figure, clad in armor and wielding a sword or spear, prepared to smite Satan and those who aid him. Though terrible to demons, Michael is a figure of immense comfort and reassurance to the faithful. His intercession and protection highlight the formidable spiritual allies available to believers in times of adversity.
References
Fortea, Fr. José Antonio (2007) Interview With an Exorcist. Ignatius Press.
Allen, M. (2018). Understanding Catholic Christianity. Matthew James Media.
Cruz, J.C. (2012). Angels and Devils. TAN Books.