Who is My Shield?

When men go into battle, there is always a need to ensure that the necessary defensive covering for the body is available. At the time the Bible was written, one of the major items of defense was the shield. In Psalm 7:9-10, the psalmist declares “God Most High” to be his shield from “the violence of the wicked.”

The passage of scripture we studied this morning was from 1 Peter 1. Verses 3-5 (NIV) read as follows: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Peter indicates that through faith we are shielded by God’s power. The apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians (6:10-12), encouraged them to “put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” One piece of that armor was the shield of faith.

I have two choices in facing the challenges of live. I can stand directly in the line of fire and handle the situation on my own, or I can choose by faith to stand behind my shield, the Lord Most High. Note that God does not always choose to remove us from the battle for our safety. He may choose to allow us to remain within the struggle in order to strengthen our shield of faith. It seems to me that those who have trusted in their shield in the past are more prepared to handle the next struggle that will come.

I have heard people ask the question, “How big is your God?” Maybe that’s how big my shield is also.