Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.                                                                                                              

                                                            Psalm 23:4b 

The presence of God brought David a strong sense of comfort and rest. He explains this ease by referring to two specific tools that any earthly shepherd would have had at their disposal: the rod and the staff.

While protecting the sheep, a shepherd living in David’s day would not have had the option of taking a rifle or handgun to the pasture. Shepherds would have to protect the sheep and themselves by using a rod or stick. The modern day equivalent would be carrying a baseball bat in order to defend oneself. David referred to his personal experience in fighting off wild animals as he spoke to King Saul:

“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

                                                                                                            1 Samuel 17:37a

David gives God the credit for his deliverance from these animals. As a shepherd, he personally experienced the protection of God as he defended the sheep against these ravenous animals. Just as an earthly shepherd would use a rod to defend himself and the flock, David found comfort in knowing that God was his Shepherd and thus could use a heavenly “rod” to keep David safe.

As Christians, we are in a daily battle with our spiritual enemy. He is described as that of a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We need to know how to recognize his attacks and how to biblically fight against them. Paul gives us the secret to victory in our Christian lives: putting on the full armor of God. Out of these six pieces of armor, Paul gives us three that work together to protect us from the enemy: a shield, a helmet, and a sword. Consider his instructions: 

…in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

                                                                                                            Ephesians 6:16-17 

Of course these are word pictures that carry a spiritual meaning. The shield is actually our faith, the helmet in the knowledge of our salvation, and the sword in the word of God, the Bible. Here they are in slightly more detail:

1. We find protection when we have a strong faith in Christ.

Faith is the key to so much of the Christian life. From time to time, all of us go through seasons of doubt and confusion. But faith in Christ is to be at the center of our lives. We should have faith as we make decisions. We should have faith in praying. We should have faith in everything that we do. This faith is rooted in the Person of Jesus Christ and not in ourselves. Knowing that our right standing with God is secure and based on the finished work of Christ on the cross is the foundation for our faith.

Paul tells us that all of the flaming arrows of the enemy can be extinguished with this “shield” of faith. In other words, the stronger our faith, the more we can rest in the spiritual protection that it brings. The opposite is also true. If our faith is weak and unstable or if we find ourselves failing to grow in faith as a result of neglecting regular, spiritual “work out”, we can find ourselves susceptible to falling to the enemies “fiery arrows.” A lack of faith or weak faith can be equated to laying down the very shield that we should be holding up in order to find protection. In order to declare rest in the protection of the Lord, we must have a strong, vibrant faith in Christ.

2. We find protection when we know that we are saved.

Secondly, we are to wear a helmet representing our salvation. I believe that as a physical helmet is designed to protect the head, this spiritual helmet is intended to protect our minds. This helmet can be thought of as knowledge and not just any knowledge but the knowledge of our salvation. To be saved is to be eternally secure. It is to be in right standing with God and to be an heir to His kingdom. When we know this and live accordingly we are protected from the fear and doubt that can plague those who question their salvation. This knowledge of our own salvation works in tandem with our faith. When we are certain of our standing with God, we are exercising our faith and when we exercise our faith we grow more and more certain of the reality of our salvation.

It should comes as no surprise that the enemy would work on believers in these two areas. If he can get us to question the goodness of God or His provision of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the enemy can effectively get a foothold on our thinking. For the believer, the battlefield truly is in the mind. If we are thinking correctly, we can live in victory. So in order to declare rest in the protection of the Lord, we must have a confident knowledge of our own salvation.

3. We find protection when we know, believe, and live by the word of God.

Finally, our faith and our knowledge of our salvation are both rooted in the truth of the word of God, the Bible. This piece of spiritual armor is described as the “sword of the Spirit”, making it the only piece of armor used offensively. I believe that this is an important distinction. All other pieces of spiritual armor are designed to provide us protection but the truth of scripture acts as a means of fighting off the lies of the enemy. I believe that this is also the key to using all of the other pieces of armor.

A born again believer should be hungry for spiritual growth and for the word. Avoiding the Bible could indicate that we are either not saved or that we are attempting to construct our own reality. Believers should be committed to a daily study of scripture. This dedication should not be drudgery rather feeding on scripture should be as delightful as eating at our favorite restaurant. As our bodies get hungry, we can often find ourselves “refueling” at a local eatery. Likewise, as our souls get hungry, scripture brings with it spiritual nourishment. Our faith and knowledge of our own salvation comes as we regularly study scripture. This practice also insulates us from false teaching and worldly philosophies that seem to echo across our modern culture. In order to declare rest in the protection of the Lord, we must make the study of the Bible an essential part of every day!

When we understand how to use each of these pieces of armor, we can boast with David that we take comfort in the presence of God and in His power to protect!

 

*some thought from God’s Psychiatry by Charles L. Allen