Origen: imitating the angels wins their favor; God's friends follow him as a shadow
Origen teaches the same when he deals with a similar argument. Celsus had argued that one must never fall away from the worship of God and that the soul must be intent on him in every action and thought, but that this did not prevent the various powers set under God from being appeased and won over, since this too redounds to the honor of the supreme deity.
That distinguished teacher of the ancient Church replies: "For the angels of God to be well disposed toward us and to do everything for us, it is enough, first, that we love God and that our disposition, as far as human nature can, imitates the judgment of the angels themselves, who imitate God; and second, that we lay hold of the Son of God, the Word, as far as we are able."
And again: "There is one God whom we must win over, the Lord of all things, and to have him favorable we must pray to him; he is won over by godliness and every virtue. But if anyone also wants others besides him, God above all, to be favorable, let him consider that, as the shadow moves when the body moves, so when someone has the supreme God favorable, it follows that he has all God's friends favorable too: angels, souls, and spirits."
"For they perceive who are worthy of God's favor. They not only wish such people well but also work alongside those who want to worship God; they seek his favor and pray and plead together with us. So we dare to say that whenever people who have firmly resolved to choose and follow what is better pray to God, countless holy powers pray with them uncalled, offering themselves as companions to our frail and mortal race, contending, so to speak, at our side and laboring with us in this struggle." (Against Celsus, book 5; and Against Celsus, book 8.)
Latin
LXV. Quibus congruunt quae docet Origenes simile tractans argumentum. Nam Celso contendenti nunquam quidem a Dei cultu deficiendum esse & animam in illum intentam esse debere in omni opere & cogitatione, verum id non obstare quominus placandae propitiandaeque sint variae potestates sub Deo constitutae, idque ad summi numinis honorem redundare, Respondet insignis ille veteris Ecclesiae Doctor, Ad hoc ut Angeli Dei nobis propitii sint, & pro nobis omnia faciant, sufficit & noster primo in Deum affectus, nostraque dispositio, quantum quidem humana natura valet, imitans ipsorum Angelorum Deum imitantium judicium, & secundo Filii Dei verbique pro nostra virili apprehensio. Item, Unus nobis est placandus Deus universorum Dominus, & hunc ut propitium habeamus, orandum est, qui pietate & omni virtute propitiatur. Sin & post hunc supra omnes Deum aliquos alios propitios velit, cogitet quod sicut moto corpore umbra quoque ipsius movetur; ita cum aliquis summum Deum habet propitium, sequitur ut propitios habeat omnes ejus amicos, Angelos, animas, spiritus; sentiunt enim qui sint favore Dei digni, quibus non ipsi solum bene volunt; verum etiam cum iis, qui Deum colere volunt, operam jungunt, eumque placant, & una nobiscum precantur & postulant; ita ut audeamus dicere hominibus, qui cum firmo animi proposito meliora eligunt, ac sequuntur, quoties ii Deum precantur, innumerabiles potestates sacras una cum iis non vocatas precari, fragili ac mortali nostro generi se una socias praebentes, ac ut sic dicam concertantes, & nobis in hoc agone collaborantes. Contra Celsum lib. 5. Contra eundem Celsum lib. 8.