Protection

Isaiah 54:17 (ESV)

No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,

    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord

    and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.

Respect will protect you against unexpected attacks from your adversaries. For centuries, one of Satan’s strategies has been to destroy the credibility of Christians and undermine the reputation of the Church.

Losing your credibility can render you ineffective because you can also lose the authority, blessing and position of influence you may have gained. Having integrity, righteousness and respect are a great protection against the weapons of your enemy, the devil. The promise in the Word of God is:

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).

Weapons may be formed against you, but they certainly won’t be successful, unless you make yourself an easy target. The Bible clearly instructs us: “nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27).

Giving him no opportunity, no advantage and no permission to move in your life is how you thwart his attempts to rob you of the blessing of God.

To be a skillful tennis player, you have to cut off the angles, making it difficult for your opponent to get a shot past you. This is how you can counter the strategies of the devil — cut off the angles and don’t be ignorant of his devices. Satan will never play fair. If there are issues in your life that give him room to move, deal with them. If you don’t, you are giving him opportunity to use them against you. You can close the door on him and protect your marriage, emotions, health and finances by living according to God’s principles.

The key to protecting yourself from the enemy is living by the principles of God — in relationship with God and empowered by the grace of God. What areas of your life might give opening to the enemy? Bring those things before the Lord in prayer, make changes today and protect every area of your life by operating in accordance to God’s Word.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would live by Your principles so that we cut off the areas that the devil can attack us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.