In the Bible, we often hear God described as a “shield.” For example,
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7
“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3
“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear Not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Genesis 15:1
Yet even with these verses, many of us don’t think of God as a shield in our everyday lives. It’s a comforting truth; something to remember when we’re in spiritual warfare. We often couple it with the shield of faith described in Ephesians 6.
I believe that when God says He is a shield, He’s talking about more than just being something you can hold up in front of yourself when the fiery arrows start flying. He is a shield around us – always, day and night. Whether or not we take advantage of that shield is a mixture of His mercy to us and our acceptance of His protection.
For example, when we’re facing a disgruntled coworker, are we doing it in our own strength, or are we allowing God to be our shield? When someone accuses us, do we take the accusation to heart, or do we allow it to flow through Christ Jesus first? When a horror happens such as a terrorist attack, are we running out to find out as much about it as possible, or are we allowing God to protect our hearts and minds and emotions before we run into the fray?
I heard recently of a man who conquered shame in his life by allowing God to be his shield. Every time the devil would bring a shameful thought into this man’s head, he would tell the devil something to the effect of, “If you really believe that about me, why don’t you take that up with my Father instead of me?” That fizzled out the shameful thoughts remarkably quickly!
God is a shield around us, all the time. We can save ourselves a lot of pain and trouble if we learn to appropriate the shield and accept His protection, even in everyday life. Allowing our external (and internal) circumstances to flow through that shield 1) disassembles lies before they reach us, 2) puts situations and interactions into perspective, 3) helps us to stay humble, 4) keeps many accusations from searing our minds and emotions, and 5) gives God more control in our lives. God loves you; it is His joy to protect us and to be our shield.
“My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.” (Psalm 7:10)
