| The Christian Life | November 1943 |
Reinforcements Assured
Protection in Battle
“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”—Psalm 34:7
ONE of the illustrations used in the Scriptures to depict the Christian life is that of being a soldier. This is appropriate because those who follow in the footsteps of the Master are constantly beset by enemies, and to be a victorious Christian it is necessary to fight against these enemies. However, the Bible also makes it plain that a Christian soldier would be quite impotent in the face of his enemies except for the fact that he battles under the leadership of Christ, the Captain of his salvation, and is assured of all necessary reinforcements from the storehouse of divine grace. It does not make any difference how powerful our enemies may be, or how subtle, for through Christ we can conquer. While we realize that we are powerless to resist our adversaries in our own strength, yet we know that “greater is He who is for us than all that be against us,” for we battle under the protection of the Almighty.—I John 4:4; Romans 8:31
One of the means of strength provided by the Lord is knowledge, described in Ephesians 6:10-18 as the “armor of God.” Paul says that we need to put on this armor because our battle is against the wiles of the devil. Satan does not attack by means of physical force so much as through the mind, by deceitful theories and suggestions by which he attempts to lure us away from God and from the means of protection which He provides. The armor of truth and righteousness is absolutely essential if we are to be protected against the onslaughts of the devil.
If we have on the whole armor of God, and are constantly on the alert to do the divine will, other means of protection are provided by the Lord. One of these is mentioned in our text which declares that “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” These angels are referred to by the apostle as “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”—Hebrews 1:13,14
Jesus referred to these in connection with His own experiences, declaring that He could ask the Father and more than twelve legions of angels would be sent to protect Him. (Matthew 26:53) In this instance the protection referred to was physical, and Jesus, recognizing that it was the Father’s will for Him to die, did not ask for this protection.
But the angels are available for the assistance of the Christian in whatever manner may be God’s will. Of this we can be assured. And how blessed to realize that they are constantly on the alert for this purpose, that they “encamp” about those who fear the Lord, ready at any instant and under all circumstances, to give the aid necessary for the deliverance of those who reverence Him.