We are told in Ephesians 6, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We’re also told to take up the shield of faith with which we can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Warfare rages around us. Some are challenges we face just being in this world. Distractions steal our attention away. Enticements call to us, busyness overwhelms us, difficult circumstances draw our gaze away from God and on to things of this world. But there is also a hidden, and more sinister, warfare raging all around us.

There is a great story in 2 Kings 6. Elisha had been prophesying and telling the king of Israel where his enemy, the Aramean army was located. The King of Aram was enraged by this and sent his army to capture Elisha. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, saw the soldiers coming toward them and panicked. “What shall we do?” he cried out.

But Elisha, knowing God’s sovereign protection, said these famous words: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Right then, Gehazi’s eyes were opened and he saw all around, chariots of fire and horses; the invisible angel army. A heavenly host, there to protect them, blinded the entire army, and Gehazi and his master led them away to the King of Israel.

There is a spiritual battle that rages around us.

If we could see into the spiritual dimension, we would realize that those who are with us are greater than those who are against us.  We are told to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.

As we fix our gaze onto our Advocate, our Protector, the Lord of Hosts, we realize that He is a shield of protection around us. There is nothing we face, health issues, relational issues, financial pressures, that God cannot use for our good and His glory.

But warfare also rages within our very hearts. Fear, anger, unforgiveness, envy, pride, lack of faith, lust; they all fight for our soul. However, John says in his first letter, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” We don’t just have the external protection of a shield around us; the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, dwells within us. It’s almost unimaginable, but somehow, in God’s providence, He truly is our Shield and our Salvation.

Questions for Thought:

1. Have you ever felt like you were in a situation that you couldn’t escape and that made you fear the future?

2. Looking back, can you see an example of how God was working in that situation?

3. Where in your life right now (an external situation, an internal struggle) do you need the Lord to be a help and a shield?