Does Every Christian Have a Guardian Angel?

Is an angel assigned to every person throughout their life to protect them? Is that Biblical? Or is that just a myth that most of us have come to believe because we’ve heard it so much?

What Scripture Teaches Us

Throughout the Bible we see different instances where angels have a specific assignment to guard an object. For instance, after Adam and Eve are kicked out out from the Garden, Genesis says that God placed an angel to guard the tree of life.

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3:24

Another Scripture tells us that at the time of the resurrection of Jesus, an angel was there and rolled back the stone.

And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Matthew 28:2

Verses That “Prove” We Have Guardian Angels

However, the idea that angels guard people at all times is mainly based on these two verses: Psalms 91 and Matthew 18:10.

For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

Psalms 91:11-13

Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 18:10

At first glance, it seems like this verses clearly state that each believer in Christ has an angel that protects them. But upon further examination of the verses, we see what it truly says.

Have you ever heard the joke, “Don’t be speeding because your guardian angel can’t keep up”? That joke is made under the assumption that an angel that is assigned to protect us is actually by our side 24/7. However, when we carefully look at the verse in Mathew, we see that the angel is never actually with us.

…For I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face…”

Matthew 18:10

It doesn’t say at any point that the angel is waiting patiently by our side, waiting to see how to help us. They stay in heaven.

The verse goes on to say that,

Their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 18:10

Now, not only are they in heaven, but according to this Scripture, these guardian angels, who are intended to protect us, are not even looking at us!

Why are they not looking at the person they are intended to protect? Why is there attention not even on us, but on the Father instead?

Although I do believe that God uses angels at specific times to intervene in our lives and protect us from accidents or different emotional hurts, I do not believe we have one guarding us at all times or watching over us. They keep their eyes on God and at times, He gives them certain orders which they then carry out.

And the verse quoted above in Psalms is simply saying that God uses angels to protect His children, not that they are with us at all times.

Our Promise as Believers

What we do have at all times, that is greater than any angel, is the Spirit of the living God.

We may not have an angel that protect us 24/7, but we do have the Holy Spirit that never leaves.

Jesus, before He left, made it clear that He would not leave us orphans.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

John. 14:18

The danger with believing that we do have these angels is that it can cause us to glorify them instead of God who sends them.

Our culture has grown such a fascination with them and a deeply-rooted belief that we are guided by them; but in reality, it is God who guides and protects us out of His unending love for us, and angels are merely those who carry out His commands.