"But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord and He answers me from His holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I awake again because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side." Psalm 3: 3-6
Turning over to a new calendar year hasn't done the trick, it appears. That which assailed us in 2020 is doggedly following. A glimpse at the headlines today is a dismal reminder: "Capitol Chaos," "Lake County Exceeds 500 (hospital) Stays." It's easy for discouragement and fear to take root if we only look at the chaos.
Now let's take a look at Christ amid the chaos. The Psalmist above labels the Lord his shield. This reminds us of the passage in Paul's letter to the Ephesians when he taught them about the battles of life. "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16)." A trained soldier knows his enemy, protects himself with his provided gear and follows the instructions of his commanding officer.
Who is our enemy? Satan would have us believe it is Congress or other such governing authorities. That way, we take our focus off him and turn on ourselves. He loves that! He has a flaming bowl of popcorn and is laughing with his foul mouth full as he watches us destroy ourselves. Jesus identified our perpetrator as the father of lies; why listen to Satan? He prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
What protective gear have we been provided? Our gear is Christ Himself. Ephesians chapter six has a list: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, feet fitted with the gospel of peace and prayer. The offensive weapon, our sword, is the Word of God. If you are fearful of the future or suffering from PTSD, open your Bible and use it! Start slinging some arrows of your own! Don't leave home without it.
Lastly, who is our Commanding Officer? It is the One True God. Let us follow His example. When Jesus was stripped, mocked, flogged and executed unjustly, He prayed from the cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)." He was obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)! He resisted the schemes of the evil one, kept his focus on the job before him and won the victory over the enemy.
Keep your eyes and ears on Him and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.(Hebrews 12:2)"
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