THOU ART A SHIELD FOR ME

Transcription

1 1 THOU ART A SHIELD FOR ME Dr. Kenneth W. Jones, Pastor, Practical Living Ministry

2 Psalms 3: A Psalm of David LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

3 Lord, How are They Increased That Trouble Me? And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. (2 nd Sam 15:1) Absalom was the son of David Led a revolt against David Even Ahitophel, David's wise counsellor, declared his support for Absalom s rebellion. David is in flight from his own son Have you ever been troubled? By someone, a spirit.

4 4 Why Did Absalom Rebel Against David? Absalom avenged his sister, Tamar s rape by his half brother Amnon Although David knew about, he did nothing about it In fear, Absalom ran from David for 3 years, yet David did little to reconcile with his son which may have led to Absalom becoming bitter against his father Absalom began to turn the people against David From the world s point of view, those who submitted to Absalom s leadership considered themselves blessed. In reality though, Absalom s leadership was destructive to his followers because he put them at enmity with God s people and, ultimately, with God Himself. The bulk of Absalom s story is told in 2 nd Samuel chapters 13-19

5 Points of Emphasis 5 This episode demonstrates that even the most renowned of God s children face trials; yes, even heavy trials. Affliction is normal for the saints. This contradicts much teaching in the pulpits. Some would say that, when one becomes a Christian, there will be no more adversity, no more trouble, no more hardships The Hall of Fame of Faith include those who were persecuted and suffered (Hebrews 11:36-39) It is hard to be a Warrior without experiencing some Wounds

6 Afflictions are not Random 6 We are engaged in a spiritual battle with an enemy who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10; Ephesians 6:10-12) and seeks to Sift us in our faith through trials, persecutions, and attacks (Luke 22:31) And the Lord said, Simon, Simon; behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat (Luke 22:31). Afflictions and Troubles can arise from sin, poor decisions, unfaithfulness, and disobedience The affliction of David described in this Psalm was a punishment from God for his sin with Bathsheba.

7 Points of Emphasis 7 David brought sin into his household not only through Bathsheba but also through concubines Protect your home- Ensure Godly Order David s daughter, Tamar, was raped but David, nor Absalom did nothing until after two years Men and Women, parents, etc must make a stand in their home and community and destroy the works of darkness

8 2 nd Sam 12: God speaks to David regarding his sin and the consequences of it: And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

9 Cont d 9 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

10 David s Prayer 10 O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. 2 Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God." Selah. 3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

11 Symbols Increased The traumatic feeling when his nation turned against him Increase describes rebellion David s fear more than just people turning against him but the thought that God would not be his help Shield- Symbol for God s protection (Genesis 15:1) first revealed to Abraham Genesis 15:1 - After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." Psalms 28:7 - The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

12 Be Encouraged 12 The enemies of the LORD will never triumph over Him. Even if they come in like a flood, and seem unstoppable, the LORD will lift up a battle-standard against him, and he will be stopped.

13 God as a Shield 13 The word shield also means to protect, guard, defend, shelter, and screen. God protects us from harm s way, guards us from danger, defends us against accusations, shelters us when we are weak, and screens everything that comes our way. Nothing can touch us until it goes through God s screening process first. The Shield is more than in front of us, it is around us We don t have to take a shield, God is our shield. The problem comes when we step from behind the shield

14 Scriptures 14 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 (Psalm 84:11). He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4).

15 What is the Shield of Faith? 15 The Roman shield of the time was called a scutum. This type of shield was as large as a door and would cover the warrior entirely. Such a shield was not just defensive but could also be used to push opponents. The shield provided protection against arrows launched from the walls of cities they were attacking. Shields, often made of wood and then covered in hide, when wet, could extinguish flaming arrows. For the believer, the shield of faith provides a protective barrier between the believer and the attacks of the devil

16 The Shield of Faith Provides 16 Protection Against Satan s Fiery Darts: Ephesians 6:16: Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. The Greek word used to describe these particular darts is a very specific word of warfare that is also very historical. Thucydides, the ancient Greek writer, used the same identical Greek expression to depict especially terrible arrows that are equipped to carry fire.

17 Fiery Darts 17 Fiery darts, or arrows, represent the thoughts that the enemy attacks our mind in order to hinder us. If an army had fortified its positions so that the enemy could not break in, the enemy would revert to these fiery arrows! The fiery darts of the wicked one fly and find their marks on any whose armor is deficient.

18 Fiery Darts 18 Fiery darts, or arrows, represent the thoughts that the enemy attacks our mind in order to hinder us. There were three primary ways these arrows were used against the Roman army.

19 Three Types of Arrows 19 There were Three Types of Arrow Used Against Roman Soldiers (James 1:8; Mark 11:23) Doubts - The first arrow was just a plain arrow. It was designed to penetrate the target it struck. This arrow represents doubts. Doubts can penetrate our faith, our confidence for provision, and even our belief in the promises of God. It can cause you to live in fear, frustration, never achieving or experiencing God s blessing

20 Types of Arrows 20 Distraction - The second arrow was laced with a flammable pitch that burst into a ball of flame when it hit its target. This arrow was designed to be a distraction by temporarily blinding the soldiers who looked at it. Satan uses the same tactic of distraction to break our focus and shift our attention away from our purpose. A distraction is an unhealthy attraction that breaks your focus and hinders you.

21 Types of Arrows 21 Lustful Desires/Addictions - The final arrow was wrapped with a leaking flammable material. It was designed to ignite the shield of the Roman soldier and consume it in flames. This arrow is representative of the lustful thoughts of desire that, if left unchecked, will consume your thought life and drive you to self defeating behavior. Most shields were made of wood, so you couldn t allow fire to stay on the shield no more than you should allow lustful thoughts to remain in your mind

22 Fiery Darts 22 As a follower of Jesus, you have fiery darts coming at you all the time. So what kind of fiery darts are coming your way? Satan implants the following thoughts into your mind: Doubt. You start asking yourself, Did God really say? Can I really trust God? Isn t that just your interpretation? Discouragement. Satan tells you, You re never going to get any better. Your life won t change. Don t even try. Delay. You ask yourself, Why is this taking so long? Something you want to happen hasn t happened by now. Difficulty. You ask yourself, Why is this so hard? Why is it so hard to make my marriage work? Why is it so hard to get a job? Depression. You tell yourself, It s not worth it. You don t even feel like making an effort.

23 Other Darts 23 Darts of accusations. One of Satan s devices is to accuse the brethren. Revelation 12:10 tells us that he accuses us before our God day and night. Satan can do this in several ways. Accuse us to God. Accuse us to ourselves. Accuse us to each other Darts of Bitterness and Unforgiveness (2 Cor 2:11; Heb 12:15) Satan wants us defiled through bitterness and through this, relationships are destroyed Hold up the Shield: Mark 11:25

24 Other Darts 24 Darts of Self-Pity David had so many opportunities to pity himself, but oftentimes found a way to encourage himself in the Lord by reminding himself of the promises of God 1 st Samuel 30:6: And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

25 Scriptures 25 2 Cor 2: 10,11: To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. Hebrews 12:15 - Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

26 How to Quench Fiery Darts 26 You may have had thoughts such as, I m not good enough, or God couldn t love me. That is the enemy accusing you before God. Trusting and Confess the Word of God which allows you to extinguish the thoughts in your mind Romans 10:17: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 2 Corinthians 10:4,5: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, This is where knowing the Word of God comes in as you put up the shield of faith and tell the enemy, How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake I am still with you. Ps You pull down the stronghold by remembering and speaking the Word of God concerning you. You have now stifled the dart. You have stopped it from piercing you. The shield of faith has worked.

27 Deflect Satan s Arrows 27 Shields Up! The USS Enterprise survives space and attacks by always keeping their shield up We must always be mindful in our spiritual walk to keep our shields up through biblical spiritual disciplines

28 The Lifter of My Head 28 The lifter up of mine head - Thou wilt restore (exalt, bring up) me to the state from which my enemies have cast me down The head, in time of trouble and sorrow is naturally bowed down, as if overpowered with the weight of affliction (Psalms 35:14). To lift up the head, therefore, or to raise one up, is to relieve his distresses, or to take away his troubles My glory and the One who lifts my head: God was more than David's protection. He also was the one who put David on higher ground, lifting his head and showing him glory. Psalms 18:33: He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places. To elevate, to exalt to increase any one s power

29 Lifter of My Head 29 For God to be the lifter of your head means that He will bring you out of that time of trouble, so that you are no longer bowing your head in misery and pain, because He has lifted your head! When David s son Absalom rebelled against him and turned the people of Israel against him. He had to flee Jerusalem with little more than the clothes on his back. II Samuel 15 says that as he left Jerusalem, David climbed up the Mount of Olives, and he covered his head, and wept. He bowed his head in weeping and crying and grief. I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2)

30 Practical Living Ministry 30 Practical Living Ministry exists to assist individuals, groups, and organizations to operate to their full God-given ability by sharing life changing principles for spiritual growth and development. If this message touched you, please let me hear from you. If you would like to encourage us financially to keep sharing these kind of messages, please go to our donation section on our website at If you would like to contact Dr. Jones for a speaking engagement at your church or event concerning biblical leadership, mentoring, and Christian culture. Please contact Pastor Kenneth Jones at kenjones@practicallivingministry.org