At some point in time, we all need to be protected from something. It may be from a risky situation or from physical danger; at other times we may need someone to advise us of the potential consequences of a bad decision we’re about to make. There will always be dangerous things we should avoid; however, sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. Believers may have read in the Bible about the protection God provides, but sometimes we can forget just how complete it actually is.
God loves us enough to protect us from ourselves. Most of us have had the experience of making a bad decision, even when we knew better, and suffering the consequences. When we put ourselves in harm’s way and are unable to climb out of the pit we’ve dug and fallen into, He delivers us. “Even to your old age I am He, and even to hair white with age will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry and will save you” (Isaiah 46:4, AMPC). This is a lifetime promise.
God takes the promises He makes to us seriously, and He’ll always uphold His part of the bargain, although we also have a role to play in this agreement. When we got born again, God blessed us with wisdom and discernment; relying on Him helps us avoid making the wrong choices. We’re responsible for exercising common sense in everyday situations. “Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things” (Proverbs 2:11, 12).
Godly wisdom gives us direction that the world doesn’t have. It guards us and guides us along the right path in life, and warns us against wandering off that path. As free moral agents, the choice of whether to heed what God says is completely up to us. Ignoring Him moves us out from under His umbrella of protection. “Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you” (Proverbs 4:6, AMPC).
As Christians, we’re living in a battleground, not a playground. Satan is out to bring us down, but God Himself gives us the protection we need in this fight.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee (Psalm 91:3-7).
The enemy is no match for God.
We’re God’s children, and He’ll never let evil overtake those who trust in Him. Whatever the devil uses to attack us will fail. When we believe in the divine protection we have, all of heaven is on our side. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD”(Isaiah 54:17). Believing this allows us to walk in peace and safety.