AC 5992 - The Care of the Lord and His Angels

AC  5992 [1,3]

The angels, through whom the Lord leads
and also protects a person, are near his head.
It is their office to inspire charity and faith,
and to observe in what direction the person's delights turn,
and insofar as they can,
without interfering with the person's freedom,
moderate them and bend them to good.
They are forbidden to act with violence
and thus break the person's greediness and principles;
but are enjoined to act gently.
It is also their office
to rule the evil spirits who are from hell,
which is done in innumerable ways,
of which the following only may be mentioned.
When the evil spirits pour in evils and falsities,
the angels insinuate truths and goods,
which, if not received,
are nevertheless the means of tempering.
Infernal spirits continually attack,
and the angels protect;
such is the order.

Especially do the angels call forth
the goods and truths that are with a person,
and set them in opposition
to the evils and falsities which the evil spirits excite.
Thus the person is in the midst,
and does not perceive either the evil or the good;
and being in the midst,
he is in freedom to turn himself
either to the one or to the other.
By such means do angels from the Lord
lead and protect a person,
and this every moment, and every moment of a moment;
for if the angels were to suspend their care
for a single moment,
the person would be suddenly cast into evil
from which he could never afterward be brought out.
These things the angels do
from the love they have from the Lord,
for they perceive nothing more delightful and happy
than to remove evils from a person,
and lead him to heaven.
That this is a joy to them, see Luke 15:7:

I tell you that in the same way
there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous person
who do not need to repent.

Scarcely any person believes
that the Lord takes such care of a person,
and this continually
from the first thread of his life to the last of it,
and afterward to eternity.