SHIELD OF FAVOUR!

A shield is a protective device and it guarantees the safety of those who use it properly. Thus it takes away any fear or apprehension which might emerge in the light of enemy attack. But a shield for the child of God is not his own device but is supplied by the Lord. It is not man’s invention, but its very idea comes from God. The people of the world use their intelligence, experience, technology and strategies to escape the perils they face, but God’s people have the most superior shield for protection, safety and security. It is the shield of God and cannot be penetrated by the most fiercest of the enemy. In fact, God Himself is our shield. When we are attacked by the enemy through the manipulation of our circumstances and the resultant fear and anxiety that it would cause us, the Lord comes to us as our shield from it all. When the enemy sends fear or anxiety, we only need to allow the divine shield to encompass around us. When the enemy knocks at our hearts to give us fear, doubt, confusion and anxiety about our circumstances complicated by him, we can hide behind the Lord who is our shield. We can claim victory over these emotional entanglements through the Lord who is our protector and refuge. He will make sure that our hearts and minds are kept at peace in spite of circumstances. So instead of fear and anxiety, our hearts will be filled with peace, joy and courage to trust the Lord to look after our future no matter how complicated our situations might be. God as our refuge also gives us His favor which generates spiritual strength in us to do what we ought to do in the wake of the manipulations the enemy has made in our circumstances. When God’s favor is upon us, we will have His strength all over us and thus the enemy’s attacks will not be felt by us.

Dear friend, you probably wonder who will defend you in the wake of the present fierce attacks by the enemy. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the complications created by the enemy around you and the fierce attacks through the darts of doubt, confusion, fear and anxiety that come your way? There is no need for you to be discouraged because we are on the Lord’s side and He is our commander-in-chief. He will protect us with His favor as our shield and defender and give us the strength to do what we need to do. We can do all things in and through our Lord for His glory. So there is no use wasting our energies to become fearful and anxious. Instead, we need to put on the whole armor of God. This is the process of wearing Jesus Christ as our armor. So when the enemy attacks us, we can protect ourselves with the shield of His favor. His favor is like a fountain which falls continuously upon us as showers of blessings from Heaven. As we are filled with Him and His Spirit, and are covered by His favor, we will be able to depend on His strength to keep away from all the emotional responses that our natural instincts will prompt us to depend on. These natural instincts like fear and anxiety need to be crucified on a regular basis and have to be killed and buried at the foot of the cross. The enemy will try to send these negative emotions to us to weaken us all the time, but we can confide in and cover under the shield of our Lord and be safe. This was what Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, Paul, Timothy and others did when they were under severe attacks from all corners. The grace given to them is available for us today to draw upon the safety that is available for us under the shield of favor who is our Lord Himself. This safety is available for us today to appropriate, use and enjoy for the praise of His name!

Psalms 84:11 – For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold to those from those who walk uprightly.

Thought for Today
God as our shield is our greatest protection and favor to meet any challenge in any circumstance.