We don’t have much use for shields these days. Except when it comes to rain. Have you ever been caught in a downpour without an umbrella? You were at the mercy of the rain, weren’t you? It soaked through every piece of clothing you had on, and rainwater dripped off of the ends of your hair and ran down your face. You needed a rain-shield.

Just like we are defenseless when we are caught unprepared in a storm, so are we helpless and exposed against Satan and sin if we don’t find the right kind of protection. And even when we know we need protection, we often look for it in all the wrong places.

We look to people to guide us through life.

We look to rules to keep us from falling.

We look to willpower to make it through temptations.

We look to our wisdom to thwart Satan’s plans.

While these are not bad things, they can’t be our only or main line of defense. If they are we will fail. We will be truly defenseless.  

The world is stronger than our resolve, the devil is stronger than our self-control, temptations are stronger than our willpower, and sin is stronger than our religious rules.

We are exposed and defenseless on our own unless we find a shield big enough and powerful enough to resist everything that comes against us.

As a Christian, we have a shield like this. His name is Jehovah-Roi, the Lord our Protector. He is a buckler to us, a kind of shield that surrounds a person and keeps them safe from all sides.

God is never caught off guard, nothing surprises Him, nothing can trick Him or cause Him to let down His watch over you. He never gets tired or distracted, He never has an off day. He is the Almighty God who has made heaven and earth, who took the penalty for your sins, overcame death, and rules all nations. This is your shield. He is your shield. But for a shield to be of benefit, you must stand close to it.

So stay close to Him, learn all that He is capable of and believe through faith that He is for you and will help protect you from all the attacks, storms and doubts that you experience throughout your life.

Looking to Jesus,

Jen Thorn

Jen Thorn grew up in Germany and then spent her teenage years in Africa, where her parents were missionaries. She moved to the United States for college and attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband. They have been married for twenty-two years and have four children. Jen lives in the suburbs of Chicago, where her husband is the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship. Jen is passionate about theology and the connection to daily living.