“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”
Psalm 33:20
You don’t need a degree from West Point to know the fiercest, best-trained soldiers are useless if they’re not protected. Defenseless troops quickly become casualties of war. This has always been true.
In Bible times, while a sword was valuable, a spear helpful, and a slingshot deadly, a soldier’s shield was his most important weapon.
Shortly after God called Abraham, He promised to be Jehovah-Magen to him, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1). As the father of God’s chosen nation (in name and promise only for many years), Abraham did not have the luxury of numbers.
He did not live in a city of ten thousand people. No walls surrounded his encampment. No fortresses kept him safe at night. His only guarantee of safety was the God who promised to be his shield. And it was always enough.
Throughout history, God has made it clear that He acts as a shield for His people. While we tend to focus primarily on physical safety, God wants to shield us in other ways too: relationally, emotionally, occupationally, financially, and more.
He seeks to protect us not just from thieves, thugs, and physical dangers, but from spiritual forces we cannot see.
“God as our shield” is a mighty idea, one that becomes even more precious when we couple it with God’s other attributes. Because God is unchanging, for example, we know that the shield of protection around Abraham is the same shield that surrounds us.
Because God is all-powerful, we know none of the “flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16) can penetrate His protection.
Because God is ever-present, we know the divine shield is always there. Because God is omniscient (all-knowing), He is aware of every danger, and He understands the best ways to protect us.
When have you felt God being a shield for you?
