My kids like animals, and a while ago, we had some conversations about animals and their features, life in the wild, among other things. One of the things that struck me during our conversations is the special protective features and behaviours animals have, features that help keep them safe from predators.

I’ll mention a few. Porcupines have prickly spines, or quills, that protect them from predators. Hedgehogs and sea urchins have similar as well. Opossums are very good at playing dead. Interestingly, for opossums, it is actually an involuntary response, so they are not acting when they ‘play dead’. When it plays dead, it displays its teeth, foams at the mouth, and also secretes a smelly fluid that puts predators off.

Chameleons protect themselves by changing colours to blend in with their environment. Interestingly, they are quite slow, so do not really have the option to run away fast enough from their predators, hence the need to blend in, rather than run away.

Whitetail deer on the other hand, can run very fast, are quite agile, can jump very high, and are very good swimmers. As such, it’s easier for them to protect themselves from predators by sprinting away.

Other animals such as bees, spiders and lionfish inject venom to their predators. Turkey vultures vomit to scare predators away. Geckos can regrow their tails, so if they are captured, they can actually cut off their own tails to distract the predator and escape, and then wait for their tail to grow back again! Skunks are known for their stinky defence, but they actually try other means of scaring away predators before resorting to their pungent spray. They may start by hissing, stomping their feet, lifting their tails.

Isn’t it fascinating how God created all these animals with an amazing variety of protective features? As I thought about it, I began to reflect on some of the ways God has equipped us as humans to protect ourselves, not only physically, but mentally, emotionally and particularly spiritually.

As with all protective features, we have to use them for them to actually work for us. God has given us brains and an instinct that we can hone if we are attentive and intentional about doing so. He has said that He will generously give us wisdom if we ask Him (James 1:5). He gave King David strategies for war (1 Samuel 23, 30:8; 2 Samuel 5) and came to rescue tribes of Israel who called out to Him (1 Chronicles 5:18-22). God made our bodies self-healing in many ways. A piece of cloth that is accidentally cut stays torn, but when we have a cut in our skin, under normal circumstances, it can heal on its own. The body can fight viruses on its own, without any medication. Even fractures heal over time, although they take longer. The way the body fights against ‘intruders’ and the way it heals/repairs itself is truly incredible. Even the ability of our bodies to respond to any sort of medication and get better is impressive.

Beyond the physical however, is the spiritual aspect. My focus on the Spiritual aspect in particular stems from two chapters in the Bible: Ephesians 6 and Psalm 91.

Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armour of God? Why? “…So that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.” And then it goes on to make a key point: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (v. 11-12, ESV).

Psalm 91 talks about a terror by night, an arrow that flies by day, a pestilence that stalks in darkness, a destruction that wastes at noonday. If you’re wondering what all these are, or what they represent, you are not alone. However, I doubt that they were referring to physical arrows, but rather spiritual forces at work around us.

That said, not only do these two chapters emphasise the spiritual, the good thing is that they also tell us what we need to do to have this spiritual protection.

Ephesians 6 tells us to “put on every piece of God’s armour  so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm” (v. 13, NLT). Every piece is important because all the enemy needs is a little chink in the armour, a gap where there should have been a covering, and he will strike. We can read Ephesians 6 to get the full picture, but in summary, we need God’s salvation (v.17); God’s righteousness (which He credited to us through Christ Jesus (v.14, Philippians 3:9); God’s Word, which gives us truth, peace and a defence (v.14-17), a Word which is sweet to us (Psalm 119:103), but not to the evil one.

Of course we have the glorious, victorious, powerful name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is a sweet fragrance to us as believers, but what the enemy smells is akin to the stench the skunk releases, which keeps predators away! As Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV) states, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Mark 16:17-18 (ESV) gives us just a snippet of how powerful that name is: “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” What a powerful protection we have in Jesus name!

Ephesians 6:18 wraps it up with “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Not doing these can be akin to choosing not to utilise a very effective protective mechanism given to us to remain safe and to thrive in this world.

Psalm 91 talks about dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and abiding in His Shadow. The KJV translation says “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (v.1). Psalm 31:19-20 (NLT) says “how great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.”

But where is this shelter, this secret place so to speak, that we can dwell in? And what does it mean to dwell there? Because this is where we can get protection right? Where the secret traps, the deadly diseases, the dangers at night, the arrows flying by day, the diseases that strike in the night or the sudden disaster at noon can’t reach us. Protection that assures us that even if we see it happening right next to us, we will be completely safe from it all (Psalm 91: 3-10). Sounds like a place I want to dwell in for sure!

Strong’s concordance expands this word dwell as “To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry.” The Pulpit commentary says “He who has his thoughts always on God is said to “dwell in him” – to “make his abode with him” – to “sit down in his secret place.” He has the Almighty, as it were, for his constant companion.” We see something similar in John 15:4, when Jesus tells His disciples to remain in, to abide in , to stay joined to Him. This speaks of an intimate relationship with God, which I discussed in more depth in my last blog post, and which you can read here.

In a sense, it is like having God surround you, because you have chosen to continually stay in His presence. Not ignoring Him, but continually interacting with Him. This concept of God surrounding us and protecting us is demonstrated in the following verses. Psalm 125:2 (NLT) says, “Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.” Zechariah 2:5 (AMP) states “For I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies], and I will be the glory in her midst.” It is knowing this God that surrounds us, and desiring to know Him more and more. It is treasuring that intimacy and doing all we can to guard our relationship with God. It is keeping the marriage alive, fresh and sweet, no matter how long it has lasted. It is really meaning it when we tell God, ‘not my will but yours be done.’ It involves sacrifice and dying to self. And just like the opossum’s ‘death’ repels predators, when we are dead to the world, the world can’t destroy us. For how can the stings of the world affect one who is dead to that world? We are not chameleons who change our colours to adapt to our environment for protection, no. We stay steadfast in who we are in Christ, not denying Him, but staying close to Him no matter what.

Having said that, does it mean that if we are intimate with God, no bad thing will ever happen to us? Given that Jesus assured us that we will have tribulation in this world (John 16:33), I wouldn’t say so. Jesus was intimate with God, and He was not exempt from the tribulation of the world. Neither were the disciples and early apostles.

What we do know from God’s Word though is that He has overcome the world, as stated in John 16:33. He has also promised us in His Word that if we love Him, truly know Him and trust Him, when we are in trouble, we should call out to Him and He will rescue us (Psalm 91:14-16). Psalm 34:19 (AMP) says “Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, But the LORD rescues him from them all.” As such it means that should trouble come to us for any reason, we have a firm rescue plan in place.

Sometimes though, it may feel like that rescue is taking quite a while, and the wait can feel challenging at times. Recently I was thinking about how long Jesus hung on the cross before He actually died. Mark 15 records that he was crucified around 9am and died around 3pm. So at least six hours, although there is an interesting theory here that suggests it may actually be seven hours. Bear in mind that the torture started even before he physically hung on the cross. He was in such agony beforehand that “His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:41-44).

And then when the crucifixion actually happened… I can imagine that with each passing hour, the pain in every part of His body must have gotten even more excruciating. The crown of thorns on His head, the whip stings on His back, the nails on His hands and feet, then the thirst, the weakness, not to mention hanging outside naked, with no shade. Irrespective of the weather, that probably would have been far from pleasant. Each of those hours must have felt like days. Imagine being in so much pain and yet you can’t take any pain relief or even sleep to at least ease the pain temporarily. He must have longed to be rescued immediately. In fact He did ask God to take the ‘cup’ away if possible (Luke 22:42). And all He had to do was say the word, and legions of angels would have come to rescue Him (Matthew 26:53). But, He hung there until His assignment was complete, and He finally said “IT IS FINISHED.” (John 19:30). What a relief it must have been when He finally said those words, Hallelujah!

If you are waiting to be rescued from a difficult situation and your wait has gone on for a long while, and it feels like you have done all you can do – you have prayed, fasted, you are intimate with God, trusting and obeying Him, and yet this long awaited rescue has not happened, my heart goes out to you. I hope you can find some comfort in the truth that Jesus knows what it is like to want a swift rescue and yet have to wait, and He is there with you, never leaving you, never forsaking you (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). As I once read, it was not the nails that kept Jesus on the cross, but love. Love for you and I. That same love will not let Him leave you helpless and without a rescue.

In such a situation, Ephesians 6:13 says, “having done everything, stand firm”. The AMP Bible says “and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious].” God has promised us protection, and He will give it. In the meantime, we can protect our minds from being the devil’s playground by meditating on God’s Word. Over and over. Giving the devil no room at all (Ephesians 4:27), and making sure we are fully armoured up. As we do so, may we remember that He who has promised to protect and rescue us is faithful, and does not go back on His Word (Hebrews 10:23).

I pray that as we dwell in God’s secret place, under His powerful feathers and wings, we will enjoy the protection that comes with such a dwelling place, the most secure place to be. Even when trouble comes, may we remain confident of the promise that He is with us always. He is Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, the one with more angels and horses and chariots than we can even number, the one whose army is more powerful, more equipped, more strategic than any army we can imagine. He has a perfect rescue plan for us for any trouble we may find ourselves in. Afterall He has already executed the best and most needed rescue plan by sending Jesus to die for our sins and to be raised for our justification. And at the right time, we will see His plan to rescue us from all our troubles play out, and oh what a joyous day that will be!

Image source here.