His name means, "Who is like God?" taken from his response to the presumption of Lucifer (the "Angel of Light") who imagined that he could be an equal to God. Michael defeated and cast out from heaven Lucifer and his followers.

Michael became the angelic patron of the Chosen People of Israel and he is the patron today of the "New Israel" that is the Church.

In the Orthodox Church, St Michael and all Angels are venerated highly and, in order of precedence, immediately after the Most Holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary.

The Horological Office of every Monday is dedicated in honour of St Michael and the Angels and his feast is celebrated on November 8th (21st Old Calendar).

This date was selected for symbolic numerical reasons. "November" refers to what was formerly the ninth month of the old Roman calendar ("Novem") when the beginning of the year was calculated from March. The number "nine" refers to the nine choirs of Angels, or as the Orthodox Church calls them, the "Bodiless Powers" that St Michael heads.

The number "eight" stands for the symbolic number of the "eighth day" that refers to Christ's Second Coming to earth which will be heralded by St Michael the Archangel and Commander of the Bodiless Powers.

A number of historic miracles of St Michael are also liturgically commemorated by the Orthodox Church, such as the miracle of Chonae. The Western liturgical feast of St Michael is September 29th.

St Michael also heads a group of Archangels like himself and these include: St Gabriel, the Angel Guardian of the Mother of God, St Raphael, St Uriel, St Salaphiel, St Jegudiel and St Barachiel. The Old Believers of Russia honour two more Archangels.

St Volodymyr the Great, the Enlightener of Kyivan Rus', proclaimed St Michael the patron of his empire and of the City of Kyiv in particular. Ukrainian coats of arms have always depicted St Michael, as does the coat of arms of Kyiv. For about 400 years, the icon of St Michael the Archangel eclipsed even the Ukrainian Trident as the national arms of Ukraine prior to the 17th century!

St Michael along with St George is venerated by many national armies as their protectors in battle, including the Ukrainian Kozaks.

The U.S. military chaplains have chosen St Michael the Archangel as patron of the various U.S. military units, Air Force etc. as he is esteemed by other faiths as well.