Angels And Guardianship

Περὶ ἀγγέλων· ὅτι ἀγγέλους φύλακας ἡμῖν ἐπέστησεν ὁ Θεός. Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ἵνα φυλάξῃ σε ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, ὅπως εἰσαγάγῃ σε εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ἡτοίμασά σοι. Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, καὶ εἰσάκουε αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀπειθήσῃ αὐτῷ· οὐ γὰρ μὴ ὑποστελεῖταί σε. Τὸ γὰρ ὄνομά μού ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων Θεοῦ. Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων·λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ὥσπερ παιδαγωγούς τινας ἢ παιδονόμους ἐπιτεταγμένους τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἰδὼς ὁ Ἀπόστολος, εἰς μαρτυρίαν ἐκάλεσε. Τοὺς μὲν ἁγίους φωταγωγοὶ φυλάττουσιν ἄγγελοι, τοὺς δὲ φαύλους σκοτεινοί. Πλοῦτος γνώσεως καὶ σοφίας προστίθησιν ἡμῖν ἀγγέλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δοθέντος αὐτῷ ἐκ παιδὸς ἀγγέλου χωρίζεται. Ἡ γὰρ πνευματικὴ φιλία ἔστιν ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις Θεοῦ, δι' ὧν συναπτόμεθα πρὸς φιλίαν ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσιν, εἴ γε οἱ μετανοοῦντες ἄνθρωποι χαρᾶς αἴτιοι γίνονται τοῖς ἀγγέλοις. Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, Τὰ Ιἐρα Παραλληλα, Στοικειον Α'  Τιτλ Ζʹ.

Concerning angels: that God has appointed angels to guard us. Behold, I send my angel before my face, that he guard you in the way, that he lead you into the land which I have prepared for you. Look to yourselves and hear his voice, and do not think to be unmoved by him, because he will not indulge you, for my name is in him 1 I have constituted the limits of my people according to the number of the angels of God. 2 See that you do not disregard any of these little ones. For I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 3 Because the Apostle knew that angels are to men as a teachers exhorting their pupils, so he called them to witness.  4   Holy men have angels of light guarding them, but evil men have angels of darkness. 5   Wealth of knowledge and wisdom binds many angels to us. But he who is unclean is stripped even of that angel given to him as a child. For spiritual friendship is founded on virtue and the knowledge of God, by which we are able to be bound in friendship with the holy. And those who repent are a cause of joy to the angels. 6   Saint John of Damascus, Sacred Parallels, Part 1, Chap 7 1 Exod 23. 20-21 2 Deut 33.8 3 Mt 18.10 4 1 Tim 5.21, Basil lib de sp 5 Didymus the Blind 6 Evagrios Ponticus, In Prov