HOW DO YOU SHIELD
YOURSELF FROM OPPOSITION
When opposition and adversity come against you how do you defend yourself? What do you use as a shield? Where do you go for shelter and refuge in time of trouble? Most of us usually resort to our own resources to defend ourselves, yet the Lord has abundantly declared His divine ability to shield and defend us. But do rely on Him or do you stubbornly put up your own resistance in the face of opposition or accusation?
Psalm 3:1-4 –A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
This writer was rebuked of the Lord for building my own defense in the face of opposition. While crying out to the Lord about my circumstances He showed me the consequences of creating my own shield of defense. At the time I was pasturing a church and expanding my efforts in ministry by employing a monthly mailing to every household in the city and surrounding area to convey God’s Word and Bible teaching to those who did not attend our church.
Needless to say there was opposition, nevertheless I continued. Over time, and lacking support of others, I became weary of the opposition and accusations and began to succumb to being assailed. I then resorted of my own defensive strategy to shield myself. One day while praying about the matter, seeking encouragement and sympathy from the Lord, He put a stark illustration in my mind of just what it was that “I” was doing.
He reminded me of science experiments we used to do in High School that were conducted with the use of a “bell jar”. The bell jar was used to create an isolated environment for the experiment. The isolation prevented the outside environment from getting in at the same time as preventing the inside environment from getting out. The Lord showed me that I was inside a bell jar type shield that I created. It was my shield from the opposing environment on the outside. However, what I did not recognize, until He revealed this to me was that the ministry that I had to offer others was now prevented from getting into the outside environment where it was needed. I hindered my own ministry by creating my own defense.
The reason this happens is that by my building a shield around myself I was actually more concerned about myself than for the others I was supposed to minister to. So having built a shield of defense, like a bell jar, around myself so I would not feel the opposition, I eliminated my effectiveness any ministry I was to do. I had to repent as He showed me from His Word that HE cares enough about me doing His work that He is my shield and fortress and I was not to create my own defense.
I know this same applies to many others in ministering God’s Word, therefore it is incumbent upon me to share the following to help others who are facing opposition to themselves and their ministry. Know and be assured that God IS your defense and shield. How can you be assured of this fact – it’s recorded for you in His Word.
Psalm 7:9-10 – Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
Psalm 18:1-3 – To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Psalm 28:6-7 – Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalm 31:1-3 – To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 59:9, 16-17 – Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. ……But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Psalm 62:2-6 – He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
Psalm 71:1-8 – In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
Psalm 84:9-12 – Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
Psalm 91:1-4 – He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Proverbs 30:5 – Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Ephesians 6:16-18 – Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Being armed with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God as listed above, you then hold up the Shield of Faith (confidence in those words of God) and HE becomes your defense. Then you are able to resume your ministry of His Word as more than a conqueror. Remember, you can’t be more than a conqueror unless you have had something to conquer. You can’t be an over-comer unless you have had something to overcome. To be labeled as such means that you may have had a battle and got knocked down; but the over-comer gets up again and resumes the fight. Then he is not just a conqueror, but more than a conqueror because he keeps on fighting even after being knocked down and out.
Notice Ephesians 6:18 admonishes us to pray for one another, to encourage them on in presenting the Gospel.
The work of the ministry is WARFARE, this means there are battles and sometimes there are defeats, but mostly because we rely on our own resources and not HIS.
Romans 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
YOURSELF FROM OPPOSITION
When opposition and adversity come against you how do you defend yourself? What do you use as a shield? Where do you go for shelter and refuge in time of trouble? Most of us usually resort to our own resources to defend ourselves, yet the Lord has abundantly declared His divine ability to shield and defend us. But do rely on Him or do you stubbornly put up your own resistance in the face of opposition or accusation?
Psalm 3:1-4 –A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
This writer was rebuked of the Lord for building my own defense in the face of opposition. While crying out to the Lord about my circumstances He showed me the consequences of creating my own shield of defense. At the time I was pasturing a church and expanding my efforts in ministry by employing a monthly mailing to every household in the city and surrounding area to convey God’s Word and Bible teaching to those who did not attend our church.
Needless to say there was opposition, nevertheless I continued. Over time, and lacking support of others, I became weary of the opposition and accusations and began to succumb to being assailed. I then resorted of my own defensive strategy to shield myself. One day while praying about the matter, seeking encouragement and sympathy from the Lord, He put a stark illustration in my mind of just what it was that “I” was doing.
He reminded me of science experiments we used to do in High School that were conducted with the use of a “bell jar”. The bell jar was used to create an isolated environment for the experiment. The isolation prevented the outside environment from getting in at the same time as preventing the inside environment from getting out. The Lord showed me that I was inside a bell jar type shield that I created. It was my shield from the opposing environment on the outside. However, what I did not recognize, until He revealed this to me was that the ministry that I had to offer others was now prevented from getting into the outside environment where it was needed. I hindered my own ministry by creating my own defense.
The reason this happens is that by my building a shield around myself I was actually more concerned about myself than for the others I was supposed to minister to. So having built a shield of defense, like a bell jar, around myself so I would not feel the opposition, I eliminated my effectiveness any ministry I was to do. I had to repent as He showed me from His Word that HE cares enough about me doing His work that He is my shield and fortress and I was not to create my own defense.
I know this same applies to many others in ministering God’s Word, therefore it is incumbent upon me to share the following to help others who are facing opposition to themselves and their ministry. Know and be assured that God IS your defense and shield. How can you be assured of this fact – it’s recorded for you in His Word.
Psalm 7:9-10 – Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
Psalm 18:1-3 – To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Psalm 28:6-7 – Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psalm 31:1-3 – To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 59:9, 16-17 – Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. ……But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Psalm 62:2-6 – He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
Psalm 71:1-8 – In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
Psalm 84:9-12 – Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
Psalm 91:1-4 – He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Proverbs 30:5 – Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Ephesians 6:16-18 – Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Being armed with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God as listed above, you then hold up the Shield of Faith (confidence in those words of God) and HE becomes your defense. Then you are able to resume your ministry of His Word as more than a conqueror. Remember, you can’t be more than a conqueror unless you have had something to conquer. You can’t be an over-comer unless you have had something to overcome. To be labeled as such means that you may have had a battle and got knocked down; but the over-comer gets up again and resumes the fight. Then he is not just a conqueror, but more than a conqueror because he keeps on fighting even after being knocked down and out.
Notice Ephesians 6:18 admonishes us to pray for one another, to encourage them on in presenting the Gospel.
The work of the ministry is WARFARE, this means there are battles and sometimes there are defeats, but mostly because we rely on our own resources and not HIS.
Romans 8:31 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
