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Specific Bible Studies - Godly Protection
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SUBJECT: Protection
QUESTION: What scriptures show that God can protect us now and in the future?
ANSWER:
Following are both scriptures from the Bible and articles showing Biblical protection.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. -Proverbs 18:10
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. -Job 5:22
And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee. -Job 11:18-19
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for ever more. -Psalm 121:7-8
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
-Proverbs 3:24
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
-1 Peter 3:13
. . .The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
-Deuteronomy 33:12
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
-Psalm 112:7
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. -Psalm 91:9-10
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. -Isaiah 43:1-2
And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
-Ezekiel 34:28
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. -Proverbs 1:33
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. -Psalm 4:8
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? -Psalm 27:1
Following is the Psalm of Protection:
Psalm 91
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
GOD'S HEDGE OF PROTECTION
Text: Romans 8:31-35 (1 John 2:1) 8:36-38 (Ephesians 6:12) 8:39
Statement: God puts His hedge around His faithful children.
I. When we surrender our lives to Jesus and make Him our Commander-in-Chief, we also acquire a new enemy - a powerful spirit being with a large army of demons at his beck and call. Satan sets the cross hairs of his sights squarely on each true Christian. You and I are his target. You and I are his obsession. It is frightening to think that Satan can actually approach the throne of God at any time and ask for any Christian by name. But Satan is "the accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night," (Revelation 12:10).
1. In the book of Job we find an account of Satan going before God (Job 1:6-10). Notice Satan's words concerning Job. "Have You not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?" That is exactly right. Satan was correct in his observance of Job. God had put a hedge of protection around him. He has put an identical hedge of protection around all his faithful followers. Why? Because "Satan walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
From this account we see that although Satan has considerable power, he does have certain limitations - especially in dealing with a child of God. Before Satan can lay a finger on a child of God, he must first receive permission from our very protective Father in heaven. He can't do just anything he wants to a Christian. He can't always have his way with the Christian. Satan has to ask.
When it was apparent to all that Job loved God, regardless of whether or not he received blessings, the Lord restored his fortunes and even increased them.
2. Jesus told Peter that Satan had ask for him by name. Peter had been loudly proclaiming his unfailing devotion to Jesus, when Jesus said, "Satan wants you to be taken out of the power and keeping of God and given to him so he might sift you like grain" (Luke 22:31).
But, Jesus said, "I have prayed especially for you, Peter, that your faith would not fail..." (Luke 22:32).
Isn't that a wonderful and comforting thought that Jesus prays for all God's children? "He (Jesus) is forever able to save the people He leads to God, because He always lives to speak to God for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
II. But more often the problem isn't Satan acquiring permission as it is firstfruits actually giving Satan admission into our lives. Why should Satan ask God for permission if he can just tempt us and we invite him in? Remember it is hard to fight Satan if we keep inviting him to look into our lives.
Yet, some Christians stray away trying to see just how far they can get from God and still have His protection. It is unbelievable, but some Christians actually chop holes in God's hedge. How does a Christian chop holes? By playing on the edge with sin. By compromising values. By taking the Salvation Process for granted.
The Christian's life is not a playground, but a battlefield. The Christian life is far from easy, it is war. The Christian life is marked with conflict, spiritual warfare, hardship, and intense opposition. Yet, some Christians are only half-hearted.
The biggest problem that face some Christians is the fact they don't understand the importance of maintaining a close walk with God. For our relationship to operate at its peak, we must constantly work at it. Any time we stop, we actually go backwards. No Christian can stand still in their Salvation Process. We are either going forward or backward [backsliding].
III. So, Satan can't just march in and take a Christian. Satan must either ask permission from God or get admission by the Christian who submits to his temptations. God will allow temptation to enter the life of a believer. He will allow testing. He will never allow the pressure to reach such a state that we can't endure it successfully (1 Corinthians 10:13). At times it may seem that God has given you more than you can handle, but during these times we must trust that God's Word is true. It is by these testings that we grow.
Satan is commanding a well organized network of demons who share the goal of helping him accomplish his evil purposes. What are those purposes? In the words of Jesus, those purposes are "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).
This evil army is wretched, full of malignity, and desire our destruction.
This demonic army is certainly a force to be reckoned with - and that's the bad news. The good news is that two thirds of the angels of heaven are still on our side, which means that Satan is out numbered. Praise God! The number of angels on our side is innumerable (Hebrews 12:22, Psalms 68:17, & Revelation 5:11) their power is inconceivably great. One angel was able to destroy Sodom and the other guilty cities (Genesis 19:23-24). One angel smote the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:29).
1. Elisha's servant awoke from sleep to discover that the enemy's army was closing in on them. Being first to spot the invading forces, he frantically, woke the slumbering prophet: "Oh, my Lord, what shall we do? To that Elisha replied, Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha prayed, Lord, open his eyes that he may see. The Lord opened the servant's eyes and as he lifted them up to the hills, he saw that it was full of angels and horses and chariots of fire " (2 Kings 6:15-17). For a brief moment, the stressed out servant was given a glimpse into the supernatural realm. When he saw that God's angels were already engaged in battle on their behalf, he relaxed.
2. The appearance of the Captain of the Lord's Army. The Prince of the Angels had come with a host of angels to lead Israel in the coming strife, and to over throw by heavenly might the armies and the enemies strongholds (Joshua 5:13-15).
3. The angel of the Presence of God (God's face or countenance) "... the Angel of His Presence saved them,..." refer to an angel of superior order/rank that "bore them (Israel) and carried them all the days of old" (Isaiah 63:9). God sent an angel before the nation of Israel to protect and save them. This presences was seen in the form of a pillar of clouds by day and a fire by night (Exodus 40:38).
4. Angels came to minister (care and help) to Peter while he was in prison "...behold an angel of the Lord stood by Peter, ... and said, put on your garment and follow me" (Acts 12:5-8) and the angel lead Peter safely out of jail.
These same kind of things are happening in our lives too. Truly God puts a hedge around His children:
1. We are also told that the angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are heirs of salvation" (Hebrews 1:13-14).
We are told that an angel watches over a person from infancy through life - "... in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father ..." (Matthew 18:10)
The angels are God's messengers and ministers. God employs innumerable invisible ministers to serve us. The mighty power of angels are willingly and obediently exercised in ministering to the welfare of God's children. The sources of all the angels power, wisdom, care, and love flow from God. His care and love are over each one of His children every moment.
2. Lets take that truth a little further. We are taught that angels will hold us up and protect us "lest we dash our foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11-12). This verse doesn't refer only to Jesus. Yes, Satan quoted it to Jesus, but it is a truth concerning all firstfruit Christians.
These angels concern themselves with the every day little things of our lives. This is very wonderful. For think of who and what the angels are; how great, glorious, holy, and blessed; how high and majestic the office they fill, and the employments in which they engage. And then think of their stooping to such works as this - the preventing of a man stumbling against a stone. God has given the angels charge so our feet may not even come in hurtful contact with a stone. Surly that seems beneath and unworthy of them.
But this same truth is told of in many other Scriptures. "The very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). "Not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father knowing it" (Matthew 10:29). Holy angels have charge over the minute details of our lives, as well as over great events. Why? Because for our body, the slightest stumble could have a lifetime consequence. And for our soul, we need the help of angels because we fall little by little, not by great crimes, but by a series of little sins.
3. We are told that "the angels of the Lord encamp all around those who fear Him..." (Psalm 34:7).
We are told that angels contend with Satan and demons on our behalf in spiritual warfare - "but the prince (evil angel) of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days, and behold Michael, one of the chief princes (arch- angel), came to help me, ..." (Daniel 10:13, Ephesians 6:12, & Jude 9).
These angels that God sends, encamp around us both when we wake and when we sleep. They are at His command for the purpose of protecting, defending, and guarding. They are like an army that defends a country, only they are defending us.
4. These angels are fellow worshipers and associates in the eternal home.
When a person puts their trust in Jesus, by receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord and surrendering all to Him, as they enter the Salvation Process, they come under the full divine protection of all of heaven itself. What a hedge! Please understand that the promise of God's hedge is for those followers who are faithful. We have no claim if we want to be disobedient and wayward. The faithful are under the constant care of angels, who assist, aid, help, and guard.
More Bible Verses Showing God's Protection:
Psalm Chapter 27 verse 5
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Isaiah Chapter 43 verse 2
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Psalm Chapter 5 verses 11 and 12
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shied.
Deuteronomy Chapter 33 verse 27
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Philippians Chapter 4 verses 6 and 7
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Psalm Chapter 34 verse 7
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Proverbs Chapter 21 verse 31
The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
Matthew Chapter 10 verses 29 thru 31
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Proverbs Chapter 29 verse 25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
Psalm Chapter 23 verse 4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Isaiah Chapter 59 verse 19
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Psalm Chapter 105 verses 14 and 15
He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
NEEDING GOD'S PROTECTION
Psalm 27:1-6
1. A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2. When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war
should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his
tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Protection
"But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." -2 Thessalonians 3:3
"For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy."
-Psalm 61:3
"But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." -Exodus 23:22
"But You, O Lord, are on high forever. For, behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for, behold, Your enemies will perish; all who do iniquity will be scattered."
-Psalm 92:8-9
Further Reading:
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