January 2, 2021
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
~Proverbs 2:7~
If we were to watch a man fighting in battle, geared up in his armor, we would notice a certain stance they take as they approach their enemy. A shield typically covers the entire front part of the body and can be rather heavy as it needs to strong enough to block any type of hit the enemy may throw at said person. In order for the shield to block properly and for the man to be able to battle while holding it, the man must hold their stance strong and straight. They can not let their guard down even for a second. If they were to start feeling tired, their shield could drop down and there is the perfect opportunity the enemy looks out for. When someone wants to destroy you, they continuously look for a moment of weakness to strike. Solomon compares our Father to our shield, he does so in a way that describes the importance of how we walk with Him. Just like the battle shield, if we are in a constant battle with our enemy, the devil, we must make sure we are walking uprightly and holding God close to us every moment. The shield is designed to go in front of a man, not on the side, nor behind them. The shield goes before a man. Our Father is meant to go before us and guide our steps in strength; And the Lord , He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
(Deuteronomy 31:8)
If we start to let God down even the slightest bit we will begin to have a weak point, this is what satan has been waiting for us to have all along. This happened to the children of Israel when they let down God and lost their shield of protection, they figured they could attempt their invasion against the Amalekites and Canaanites without the Lord beside them and learned the lesson the hard way, even after Moses tried to warn them; " Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you." (Numbers 14:42)
You will fall flat on your face if you choose to battle alone. Having Jesus as our shield in any situation we face will truely save us from ourselves. If we become overly confident in our own strength we will walk into a problem everytime.
The difference between an earthly battle and the battle between satan and the Lord is that we already won this battle; "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." (John 19:30)
The cross is our confirmation that our enemy lost already. The blood of Jesus is enough to make the enemy throw up his white flag. The problem is he is relentless and wants to use what he still has to blind people into thinking something other then the truth. If he can keep you in the dark with what is pure truth he can play games in your life, causing you to drop your shield. However, if we hold out our shield of faith each and everyday, stand strong and upright, it will become a normal part of our attire each day and we will in a sense create muscle memory to holding it tightly against us. This is wisdom that allows understanding on how to fight, stand firm, hold fast and testify the blood firmly. When we do these things, satan cringes and backs off. He cannot touch what is not his, when we know we are not his even in the slightest and push our shield of God in his face, he must stand down. Hallelujah! Those who fall backwards and loose their grip on what the Lord has given them to use, will in turn loose themselves; "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?" (Luke 9:25)
When we focus on grasping the Lord tight in front of us He will direct our steps and block all the hits the enemy has against us. How amazing our God is that He supplies us with all of His special armor. It is, however, our job to put it on and grasp our weapons of proctection. Our faith is ours to use and hold on to, He will not force us to do so. We have the choice if we want to drop it down and become a product of the enemies game or to hold it up high and strong and receive our divine protection He is longing to give us. We have a battle here and one on the way my friends, let us grasp God tightly in front of us and know each day that we do He will be our safety. We will become wise as we use our armor correctly and we will hold on to the defeat Jesus has already given each and everyone of His believers. Do not try to attempt battle yourself, thinking you can handle it on your own. Do not doubt in the strength and power of our Father, our shield of faith.
Prayer:
Gracious God, thank you for being my strength in battle. Without You, I know I would fall. You are my firm foundation that I stand upon, my Rock in which keeps me safe. I know that whenever the storm comes I shall not be moved. Thank you for loving me enough to go before me and make a safe way for me to win. I have such love for You for all that You have done for me and continue to do through me. Thank you for blessing my family and I. Thank you for teaching me the truth that shows satan who is the true winner. All the glory to You Jesus for Your precious blood that covers me in all circumstances, the devil has no authority over me anymore and he knows it! Remind me to always testify this out loud so he continuously stands down against me. I am strong because of You. I am victorious in You. Praise be to You always for this grace and mercy. Show me how to hold my shield tightly, no matter what I am feeling or seeing around me. Your kingdom come, Your will be done. I receive this prayer in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen.