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We previously considered the Shield of Salvation and how it serves to protect the children of God. We learned that the shield of salvation requires an overt action - choosing Jesus as one's Lord and Savior and choosing to live by that choice all one's days.
Today, we consider another element of spiritual protection. Specifically, the Shield of Favor and what it affords those who wield it to the glory of God. Psalm 5:12 speaks about this, saying, Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
These sorts of people experience the favor of God surrounding them. Where others would struggle, they experience supernatural ease. What would take someone else years takes the favored person days, if not hours. Certain things will happen for them instantly, while other people must wait and still never experience such success. Doors that are typically closed shut open. They have access to people others could never imagine rubbing shoulders with. And it's all because God wields His favor around them like a shield.
The Shield of Favor, therefore, protects from disease, failure, mishaps, and much more. Every person should desire to be so blessed, and they can be, because God wants all people to live within His favor and grace in all things. Giving one's life to Christ and allowing the word and the Spirit of God to guide them triggers the Shield of Favor. Unlike the Shield of Salvation, this one requires God's active participation. It is He who keeps this weapon in place around a person.
Remember that the Shield of Favor is for the righteous. The wonderful thing is that God mercifully grants righteousness to many of us who are admittedly slacking in that department. It is for us to repent, accept this grace in faith, and increase our cooperation with Him. As we allow His word to sanctify us and His Spirit to remind us of what Jesus taught, making righteous choices will become more normal. By His grace, His favor surrounds us like a shield now and forever more, IJN Amen.
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In warfare, a shield is part of a soldier's arsenal for protecting their body during battle. Once well-positioned, their opponent's sword could not get through to flesh. As the weapons of war advanced and warriors went from clashing in close quarters to fighting across long distances, traditional personal shields, constructed from wood, metal, or leather, fell out of favor.
While human warcraft changed with technological advancements, that never happened with spiritual warfare. Such battles have been fought the same way since the beginning - obedience, prayer, fasting, praise, thanksgiving, and intercession. Hence, the 'shield' remains integral to the Christian's arsenal. As Apostle Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 10:4 - The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (NIV). And all believers must learn which shield is appropriate for which battle and how to wield it successfully so that the accuser of their soul, satan, is put to shame.
One such shield is the shield of salvation mentioned by King David in Psalm 18:35 - You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds and sustains me; Your gentleness [Your gracious response when I pray] makes me great (AMP). In David's case, he'd watched the Lord repeatedly rescue him from his enemies and detractors. He understood that such salvation - the preservation and protection of his physical body and interests - were solely because of the Lord.
Christians received salvation for free, and it refers to the deliverance and redemption obtained through the uneven exchange that occurred on the cross. When an individual chooses Jesus Christ and lets the Holy Spirit help them, they experience continuous preservation and protection of their physical bodies and all that concerns them. Like David, they watch their enemy - satan - fall, while they grow in faith, godly wisdom, and more.
Deliverance from satan and sin through Jesus Christ is the primary shield every Christian needs. This goes for the newcomer to the faith and those born as Christians. For the latter group, many often don't realize that they only become a child of God through an active choice. The choice to put Jesus first, receive God's Spirit, and allow Him to lead them in righteousness in everything they do, think, and say. When this happens, the believer's steps are blessed, and the devil has fewer opportunities to interfere with what God is building in them. Salvation, therefore, stands as a defense against the enemy's schemes and transforms them from their Before Christ (BC) ways into an After Christ (AC) lifestyle.
That shield is a layer of protection that every believer needs. Obtaining it requires their active participation to declare Jesus as Lord and Savior and apply His teachings. His blood then washes them clean, making the believer a brand new creature covered by the God of Salvation. This shall be our portion, IJMN, Amen. See you at Noon EST for fellowship. God bless you.
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