Do you ever feel attacked on all sides? Maybe you feel like everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. It’s like you see no way out. It’s in those times that you need to turn your eyes off your problems and turn them toward heaven because God is a shield for you.
You’re not the only one to feel like you’re under attack. King David understood what it was like to be threatened from multiple fronts. Also, King David understood that God is a shield. In this post, I will explain how God protects you even when you feel attacked from all around as we look at Psalm 3. Read on to the end to see how God is a shield for you.
So Many Foes
King David wrote Psalm 3 based upon his having to flee from his son Absalom. As recorded in 2 Samuel 15 and 16, Absalom plotted against David to kill him and take his throne. David found out about the plot and fled from Absalom.
Can you imagine having to flee for your life from your own child? David’s own son became his enemy, yet this wasn’t the first enemy David had.
Absalom Wasn’t David’s Only Enemy
Psalm 3 starts with David saying, “how many are my foes” (Psalm 3:1). For David, Absalom was one more enemy in a line of many enemies. This wasn’t the first time David was under attack.
Even when he was a kid, he fell under attack by wild animals as he watched over the family sheep. Then, King Saul attacked David often. Of course, the Philistines plagued him relentlessly.
Everywhere David turned, he came under attack. Now, it was from his own son.
Furthermore, they not only attacked David, but they also attacked David’s faith in God to save and protect him. They said, “God will not deliver him” (Psalm 3:2).
You May Feel Attacked on All Sides
Just like David, you may feel attacked on all sides. You may feel the pressure at home, at work, or even out and about among society.
This attack can come in the form of relationship issues, arguments, or even outright accusations. Think about all of the bashing that occurs on social media. Sometimes, it may even lead to physical altercations.
On top of that, you may feel like you’re under spiritual attack. You have an enemy in the devil that will do anything to keep you from walking with God. The devil exists and not in the cartoonish pitchfork and horns kind-of-way.
The Bible warns us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” ( 1 Peter 5:8).
In fact, the word Satan is literally translated as “adversary” or “opponent”.
Along with others and the devil, you may find yourself attacked from within. That’s right. You also have to fight against your own sinful nature.
The sin nature, or flesh as its referred to in the Bible, wants nothing to do with God. It will tempt you to sin and separate you from God.
Romans 8:7-8 states that “the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
As you can see, you can be under attack from:
- Others
- The Devil
- Within
Just like David, you may be able to say, “Many are my foes”, and they may be ridiculing your faith in God. Ultimately, they want to separate you from your walk with God.
God is a Shield For You
Even in the midst of such an onslaught, David held on to his faith in God. David wholeheartedly believed God would:
- Protect him
- Deliver him
- Comfort him
God’s Protection
David answers his enemies by saying, “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high” (Psalm 3:3). David trusted that God would protect him. The Hebrew word translated shield here is magen.
It usually refers to a buckler. A buckler was a small circular shield a soldier held in their hand or wore on their arm. It provided protection while allowing for movement for counterattack. David used military terms because he was very much a soldier at heart.
In regards to God, He didn’t just provide David with limited protection like a buckler. Instead, he protected David on all sides. David said God was a shield “around” him. God was protecting David on all sides against all his attackers at once.
God’s Deliverance
In addition to God’s protection. David also believed in God’s ability to deliver him. David states this in the last line of this psalm when he states, “From the Lord comes deliverance” (3:8).
David knew that military might wouldn’t be enough. Also, he knew that he couldn’t rely on clever tactics. No, he would need God’s help to get out of the mess he was in.
As David expected, God delivered him from the hands of Absalom.
How could David be sure of God’s deliverance?
God had proven himself faithful to his people over and over again. For example, at an early age, David experienced God’s deliverance against the giant Goliath. David knew God saved him then, so he could trust that God would do it again.
David said, “I call out to the Lord, and He answers me from His holy mountain” (Psalm 3:4).
God’s Comfort
In the midst of this trying time, God comforted David. God’s that powerful. He can protect, deliver, and comfort David at the same time.
While fleeing from Absalom, David said, “I lie down and sleep, I wake again, because the Lord sustains me” (Psalm 3:5).
God’s comfort put David at ease. He had nothing to fear with God on his side. David could then proclaim, “I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side” (Psalm 3:6).
The Shield of Faith
You see, God is a shield, but it takes faith to believe that. David had that kind of faith. He did not flee Absalom out of fear. He fled because he did not want to fight his son. Even when confrontation was the only option, David commanded his army not to kill his son.
David didn’t fear because he placed his trust in God. He had a shield of faith. The apostle Paul talks about the shield of faith in Ephesians 6 when he talks about the armor of God. This shield of faith, “with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16) is faith in God.
You have the shield of faith because God is a shield for you Himself. For you to take up that shield, you first have to believe that God exists. Plus, you have to believe that He is on your side.
God Fights Your Battles
Ultimately, David had to believe that he would survive this conflict with Absalom because he wasn’t really the one fighting the battle.
In fact, it wasn’t any human fighting on David’s behalf. God fought on David’s behalf.
When you have God fighting your battles, how can you lose?
As Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Therefore, we have nothing to fear when we call on God in the midst of our battles. He is a mighty warrior. Nothing can stand against Jesus Christ.
God is so powerful that even death and hell can’t stand against him. Jesus proclaims in Revelation 1:18, “ I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
David understood this. He knew God to be the all-powerful King of Heaven and Earth who controls everything. Therefore, he gave the situation to God in prayer in faith knowing that God would act.
When David prays, “Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God!” (Psalm 3:7), he is speaking in the present tense. The deliverance hadn’t happened, but David had confidence that it would because God fights for His children.
Can You say, “God is a Shield for Me?
As you can see, David experienced attacks often, and God delivered him often. God proved Himself faithful by answering when David asked for help.
Consequently, David could say with confidence, “God is a shield for me”
Can you say the same?
In the midst of your trials and tribulations, turn to God and ask for his help. Just as He did for David, he will answer you and will be a shield for you. He will provide you with protection, deliverance, and comfort.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I pray that you grow closer in your walk with God every day. If you found this post encouraging, please let me know in the comments or contact me.Also, please share this with others so they may be encouraged, also.
One last thing- Maybe one of the battles you face is not having a personal relationship with God. Maybe you feel all alone in the midst of your troubles. If so, take a look at my post Why Ransomed and Restored to find out how you can experience a personal relationship with God.
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