Last week I needed to serve a client in a complex I was unfamiliar with and felt intimidated by.  I was also a bit nervous because my back was giving me trouble and I wondered if I would find a place to park close to the building so I could more easily carry in all my gear.  An assistant wasn’t available, so I’d be on my own.  The day before my appointment, I read the Psalm of the day my brother-in-law sends out as a text to a group of people.  In God’s kindness, the opening phrase of that text was just what I needed.  

“My shield is God Most High. . .”  Psalm 7:10

That statement boggled my mind.  In Hebrew this name of God is Elohim.  It connotes the lofty, mighty, supreme One, the most powerful God, he who created everything.  It is used over 30 times in the first chapter of the Bible which tells the creation story.  This God bothers to protect me?!  It’s hard to believe.  But by faith, we do believe his promise is true.

As I left my house the morning of my rendezvous with my client, I was repeating to myself, “My shield is God Most High.”  Only one minute into my trip, at the first intersection I had a bit of a close call.   Whew!  With elevated heart rate and a sigh of gratitude, I repeated yet again, “My shield is God Most High.

As I drove, I thought about all the ways we need God to shield us.  In my case, I need shielding from my own inclination toward negative thinking.  Fear and doubt will take over my thoughts unless God helps me to focus on better things.  We all need to be shielded not only from our own propensity for wrong thinking and actions but also from the enemy of our souls who shrewdly plays on those weaknesses.  “Just give up.  You can’t do that.  You’re not capable enough/smart enough/ strong enough/young enough.  Blah, blah, blah.”  Or worse, those nebulous, dark thoughts, “Any time now something terrible is going to happen.  You won’t be able to deal with it.  Your life will turn upside down and you won’t be able to cope.”  Or maybe you default to pride and arrogance.  “I can handle this without help.”  Right then is the time to remember the shield of God.  He promises to be there for us in every experience, thought, and temptation.

“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.”  2 Samuel 22:31

If your battle is against fearful thoughts, too, remember that we’re not alone in this battle.  Even the greats of our faith faced the temptation to fear.   Even Abraham’s faith was in danger of faltering due to fear.  God had to kindly bolster his faith by giving him a precious assurance.  

“the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”  Genesis 15:1

But Abraham didn’t feel very rewarded.  The thing he yearned for the most had eluded him.  He was now old and had never had children.  But God was about to make an outrageous promise that Abraham would be tempted to disbelieve.  I think God was promising him that he would be his shield when doubt bombarded him.  You see, God was about to promise Abraham offspring in his old age.  It was biologically impossible for Sarah to conceive and bear a child.  Yet, God gave his word that it would happen.  Abraham would need God as his shield against unbelief.

It occurred to me that we don’t need a shield unless we’re engaging the enemy.  We don’t need a shield when we’re having a picnic, but we sure do if we’re under attack.

“. . .  hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.”  Ephesians 6:16

The devil loves to shoot burning, hurtful things at us.  He hates God and God’s children.  He is on the prowl 24/7, so we must be vigilant. God’s power enables us to resist his attacks with faith.  By faith, we hang onto God’s promise to be our shield.  God has told us what to expect from our enemy so we can recognize him and resist him.  Since the beginning, he has had evil intent.

“The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  John 8:44

So what are our enemy’s tactics?  We can always recognize the telltale signs of Satan.  He kills and he lies.  He kills our hopes, our faith, and our courage.  He tells us lies about ourselves.  He tries to convince us that we can’t and that we aren’t.  He tells us we can’t resist our impulses, that we can’t do what God wants us to do.  He tells us we aren’t enough; we aren’t good enough, strong enough, loving enough, capable enough, faithful enough.  This is all true if left on our own!  But God steps into our lives and provides what is lacking in us.  

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Be firm in the faith and resist him,  God who shows us his kindness. . .will strengthen you, make you strong, and support you. . .”  1 Peter 5:8-10

The devil tells us lies about God.  He claims that God isn’t good if bad things happen.  God must not care or we wouldn’t be facing this.  God isn’t listening or our prayers would be answered.  But we have God’s Word, the Bible, to tell us the truth about God.  We can rely on what God tells us about himself and us.  He is good, and loves us enough to give up his own life for us.

 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,  just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”  John 10:14-15

When we recognize the enemy of our souls we can depend on God to shield us from his murderous intent and his lies.  We know that Satan can’t steal our souls because we are safe in Jesus.

“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.”  Isaiah 43:13

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.  The Father and I are one.”  Jesus in John 10:28-30

PS. With God’s help, I was able to serve my client well.  The location was perfect and we both enjoyed it.

PPS.  For photography nerds:  the battle image was made by combining two photographs of statues- one taken in England and one in Poland not by me.  I also didn’t draw the flaming arrow in the ground.  The special effects, etc. were done by me.