A great defense
What should we rely on for protection?
In biblical days, some people came to rely on a higher, surer, stronger power than great walls to ensure safety from enemies and the elements: God. Describing such trust in God, the psalmist wrote, “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved” (Psalms 62:6).
Later on, in encouraging us to find our strength and power in God, the Apostle Paul likened certain qualities of thought to pieces of body armor. He urged the Ephesians to “put on the whole armour of God.... having on the breastplate of righteousness ... taking the shield of faith.... And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11, 14, 16, 17).
Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, similarly wrote, “Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited” (“The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,” p. 210). Consciously holding righteousness, faith, and salvation in our thought confidently places our trust and reliance on God. We can know Him as ever present and all-powerful, watching over us every second, and nothing can penetrate the divine armor He provides.
God’s protecting power was distinctly demonstrated to me in a life-threatening experience some years ago. I was in the far-right lane of a four-lane highway, traveling 60 miles per hour, with the cab of a large semitruck on my left. Suddenly, a car from the far-left lane veered in front of the truck, and the semi moved into my lane, its huge front wheel grinding into my door.
At that moment, I had time for one thought only – that God is my protection against all forms of harm, that His allness provides an impenetrable defense. As His beloved spiritual offspring, I could never for an instant be separated from His love and care. In the fleeting seconds of that experience, I felt His protecting hand on me.
The front of the truck slammed into the rear of the car that had cut in front, spinning the car off the road to the right. The truck then flipped on its side away from me and slid several hundred feet. I struggled to regain control of my car and ended up sideways across the highway. All the cars behind us were able to come to a stop without broadsiding my car, despite the 60-mph speed limit.
God’s protection was so all-encompassing that no driver was seriously hurt, and my car actually remained drivable! The state trooper looked at the large round tire marks on my door (mere inches from where I had been sitting) and said it was a miracle that no one was seriously injured.
What was it that meant so much to me in that moment of need? It was a sense that God’s power was a palpable and irresistible force present right at that moment. A sense that God lovingly wraps each one of us in His great love and care. A sense that God’s power and presence conquer the dangers that seem to confront us.
We can maintain a strong defense against anything ungodlike by learning about our inseparable oneness with God and mentally affirming the spiritual facts of being throughout each day. We are never truly outside of God’s protection, vulnerable to physical or mental harm. And His defense is perfect, impregnable against all forms of evil.
