How can I receive the protection of God?

Answer

Because of humanity’s sin and the subsequent curse that tainted God’s perfect creation, the world can be a perilous place. People endure daily hardships from natural disasters, crime, car accidents, poor health, and more. It is natural to seek refuge from the pain and suffering of life. Does the Bible assure us of God’s protection when we become part of His eternal family?

There are numerous verses in the Bible that appear to offer God’s physical protection. For instance, Psalm 121:3 states, “He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber.” In verse 7, the psalmist proclaims, “The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life.” As the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God assured them that He would never abandon or forsake them “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Initially, it may appear that God guarantees to shield His children from harm. However, if that were true, why do many Christians worldwide face persecution, sickness, loss, accidents, and injuries? We all know of Christians who have stumbled. Is God failing to keep His promise, or is there something we are overlooking?

First and foremost, we should interpret the Old Testament assurances of physical safety within the context of the Mosaic Covenant. As the Israelites adhered to the covenant, God pledged various material and physical blessings to them—on their crops, livestock, children, etc. (Deuteronomy 28). The Old Covenant placed significant emphasis on earthly blessings, with physical protection being one of them. This was the foundation for Hezekiah’s plea when he was struck with a fatal illness (2 Kings 20:1-6). Throughout the Old Testament, we see God protecting His people to fulfill His plans (e.g., Exodus 1:22—2:10; 1 Kings 17:1-6; Jonah 1).

It is important to understand that we are under the New Covenant, not the Old. God does not promise to shield believers in Christ from all physical harm. There are times when He mercifully protects us from situations where we could be harmed. Paul and Luke surviving the shipwreck in Acts 27 and Paul being unharmed by the snakebite in Acts 28 are examples. Today, God’s promises to believers mainly relate to spiritual protection.

When we believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, the Holy Spirit enters our lives immediately. We are sealed for eternity and placed under God’s spiritual protection from that moment on. This means that, despite our future sins or Satan’s schemes, we will never lose the salvation God has given us “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”, (2 Timothy 1:12). Nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). Moreover, we are freed from the dominion of sin—we are no longer slaves to sinful thoughts, desires, and actions, but are reborn into a life of holiness “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”, (Romans 6:22).

Throughout our lives, GGod will continue to “guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus” «And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. », (Philippians 4:7), providing the strength, peace, and perseverance we need to make it through any test or trial. His Spirit grows in us fruit that will strengthen our Christian walk (Galatians 5:22-23), and He equips us with powerful tools to fend off the enemy’s spiritual attacks (Ephesians 6:10-17).

There is nothing wrong with asking for physical protection from God, as long as we realize He does not always see fit to grant it. He knows we are strengthened by the trials that come our way, and in each physical trial, we are assured of His spiritual protection. So, instead of seeking complete physical protection from God, we can agree with James when he says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3).