Series: Protection

God’s Promise of Protection

Psalms 91:1-16 | AMPC (1) HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. (2) I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! (3) For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. (4) [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. (5) You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, (6) Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. (7) A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. (8) Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. (9) Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Psa 91:1, Psa 91:14] (10) There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. (11) For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (12) They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luk 4:10-11; Heb 1:14] (13) You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. [Luk 10:19] (14) Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Psalms 91:11-12 | AMPC (11) For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (12) They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luk 4:10-11; Heb 1:14]

Psalms 34:7 | NKJV (7) The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

Psalms 34:7 | ERV (7) The LORD’S angel builds a camp around his followers, and he protects them.

Angelic Assignments

Hebrews 1:14 | NKJV (14) Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Under the Old Covenant, angels were assigned by God only to do His bidding. Under the New Covenant, angels have been assigned to work with believers who use and obey the Word of God. The authority has been transferred to us.

Psalms 103:20-21 | NKJV (20) Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. (21) Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

Angels are assigned to heed the voice (sound) of God’s Word.

When you speak God’s Word, you are speaking for God in His place. When angels hear that Word come forth from your mouth, they respond to the voice of God’s Word.

When we pray God’s Word, angels hear that and seek to carry out the Word that was prayed about.

Daniel 10:10-12 | NKJV (10) Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. (11) And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. (12) Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

Praying in other tongues is powerful and necessary with the right application and the right time. But when you know the Word on a certain situation and you choose to pray in tongues instead of praying the Word of God, that is lazy. Pray the Word when the need arises!

When you have Scripture, the most powerful prayer that you can pray is when you let the power of God’s Word come out of your mouth!

The most powerful thing in the universe is now coming out of your mouth because you are in agreement with God!

The New Testament is full of angelic activity, more so than the Old Testament.

We do not seek angelic assistance. We seek God’s help by faith in His Word and God makes the angelic assignments!

What Do Angels Do?

1. Angels Bring Deliverance

Acts 5:17-25 | NKJV (17) Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, (18) and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. (19) But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, (20) “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” (21) And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. (22) But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, (23) saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” (24) Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. (25) So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”

2. Angels Can Provide Guidance

Acts 8:26-27 | NKJV (26) Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. (27) So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,

3. Angels Can Give Instructions

Acts 10:1-8 | NKJV (1) There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, (2) a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. (3) About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” (4) And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. (5) Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. (6) He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” (7) And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. (8) So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

4. Angels Can Help Facilitate Answers to Prayer

Acts 12:1-5 | NKJV (1) Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. (2) Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. (3) And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. (4) So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (5) Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Acts 12:6-9 | NKJV (6) And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. (7) Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. (8) Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” (9) So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

Acts 12:13-16 NKJV (13) And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. (14) When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. (15) But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” (16) Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

5. Angels Can Deliver Judgment

Acts 12:20-24 | NKJV (20) Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. (21) So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. (22) And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” (23) Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. (24) But the word of God grew and multiplied.

6. Angels Can Deliver a Word of Wisdom

Acts 27:21-25 | NKJV (21) But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. (22) And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. (23) For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, (24) saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ (25) Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

7. Angels Will Assist in the Rapture of the Church

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 | NKJV (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

God’s Promise of Protection

Psalms 91:1-16 | AMPC (1) HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. (2) I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! (3) For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. (4) [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. (5) You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, (6) Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. (7) A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. (8) Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. (9) Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Psa 91:1, Psa 91:14] (10) There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. (11) For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (12) They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luk 4:10-11; Heb 1:14] (13) You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. [Luk 10:19] (14) Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Psalms 91:11-12 | AMPC For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (12) They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luk 4:10-11; Heb 1:14]

Angelic Assistance

Angel (HEBREW) – “malak” – means messenger

Angel (GREEK) – “angelos” – means messenger

Both can mean either a heavenly being or a human being that has been sent with a message to tell. You must examine the context to see which is being spoken about.

In Revelation 2 and 3, the Lord Jesus told John to write to the “angel” of a specific church. This does not mean that there is a specific angel over that church. In context, it is referring to the “sent” messenger of that church, or the Pastor. We know this because Jesus said that He had somewhat against the angel of a church and Jesus does not have anything against any holy angels. Jesus also told the messenger that they had left their first love. None of the angels are in that kind of spiritual condition.

1. We know that angels have a dual role as messengers sent from Heaven and helpers and protectors sent to help God’s people.

Luke 1 – Zacharias sees an angel that tells him that his and Elizabeth’s prayers were answered, and they would have a son named John (the Baptist)

Luke 2 – Gabriel is sent to Mary to tell her about the birth of the Lord Jesus – An angel was sent to the shepherds to tell them about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2 – An angel appears to Joseph and tells him to take his family and flee to Egypt because Herod sought to destroy the Child

2. There are so many angels, they cannot be counted.

Hebrews 12:22 NKJV But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

Even though 1/3 of the angels fell with Lucifer and 2/3 did not, they still cannot be numbered. They are innumerable. There are more than enough to protect and take care of us.

Daniel 7:9-10 | NLT (7) I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, (10) and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.

Revelation 5:11 | NKJV (11) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

3. They are created beings created by the Lord Jesus.

Colossians 1:16 | NKJV (16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Jesus is called the Captain or Commander of the Lord’s host. (Joshua 5:13-15)

4. Angels can take on the appearance of flesh bodies, but they do not permanently live in a flesh body.

Hebrews 13:2 | NLT (2) Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

5. Angels are called “spirits” and “ministers”.

They minister primarily to believers but can also minister to the unsaved.

Hebrews 1:6-7 | NKJV (6) But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” (7) And of the angels He says: “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

6. Angels are not omnipresent, but they can travel quickly to their assignment.

Angels do not possess a physical, material, body. This means that they are not restricted by the movement of their bodies as we are. The concept of a pure spirit that is not bound by space (or time) is difficult for our minds to process.

7. Humans are in a different class of being than angels.

Psalms 8:3-6 | NKJV (3) When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, (4) What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? (5) For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. (6) You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

When Adam was created, his human body put him in a class a little lower than the angels, but he was crowned with glory and honor and that placed him above angels in the Divine order. After Adam’s fall, he was then below the angels.

Hebrews 2:9 | NKJV (9) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

When we are Born Again, that position is restored and therefore, angels are assigned to minister for us.

Ephesians 1:20-22 | NKJV (20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

Ephesians 2:4-6 | NKJV (4) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

8. Angels are assigned to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation.

Hebrews 1:13-14 | NKJV (13) But to which of the angels has He ever said: “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL”? (14) Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Under the Old Covenant, angels were assigned by God only to do His bidding.

9. Under the New Covenant, angels have been assigned to work with believers who stand on and obey the Word of God.

The authority has been transferred to us.

Psalms 103:20-21 | NKJV (20) Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. (21) Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

God’s Promise of Protection

Psalms 91:1-16 | AMPC HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. (2) I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! (3) For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. (4) [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. (5) You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, (6) Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. (7) A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. (8) Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. (9) Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Psa 91:1, Psa 91:14] (10) There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. (11) For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (12) They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luk 4:10-11; Heb 1:14] (13) You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. [Luk 10:19] (14) Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

In week one, we looked at the conditions of verse one that must be met for this wonderful promise to come to pass in our lives.

We must learn to dwell in the secret place and abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Dwell (HEB) – to sit down, to remain

Abide (HEB) – to stay permanently

That means we stay close to Him!

For every moment you invest in the Word of God, hearing and doing it, you will get back a harvest of faith, health, and deliverance.

Last week we looked at verse 2:

Psalms 91:2 | AMPC I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

We studied the importance of our words and how when spoken in faith, they release the power of God into our situation.

When you “say” until you have God’s kind of peace on the inside, you can be assured you will have supernatural protection on the outside.

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Psalms 91:3-4 | AMPC For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. (4) [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

• The “snare of the fowler” is referring to “hidden dangers” which are the traps laid by the devil to cause you harm.

What is a pestilence?

Luke 21:11 | AMPC There will be mighty and violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences (plagues: malignant and contagious or infectious epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating)…

Psalm 91 is always up-to-date. There is no new threat the devil can come up with that the 91^st Psalm does not cover and promise protection.

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Psalms 91:5-8 | AMPC You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, (6) Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. (7) A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. (8) Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.

There are a lot of things in our modern time that can bring great destruction. Weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, biological weapons, etc.

But despite the magnitude of the disaster, God has promised we can stand in the midst of it untouched!

The Psalmist is talking about a thousand falling at your side and ten thousand at your right hand. That is a lot of destruction happening all around you. That means that you might be right in the middle of it all.

When you are in that secret place, it doesn’t matter how terrible your situation might be, you can make it through in safety.

Psalms 91:15 | CEV When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answer and be there to protect and honor you.

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Psalms 91:9-10 | AMPC Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Psa 91:1, Psa 91:14] (10) There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.

As a reminder the Psalmist tells us how to position ourselves in the secret place and made Him our refuge, we can count on Him to do His part by rescuing you from danger.

When we do our part – saying and trusting, God does His part – delivering and preserving.

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Psalms 91:11-12 | AMPC For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. (12) They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luk 4:10-11; Heb 1:14]

When we obey the Word of God, God gives angels a special assignment to watch over you and keep you safe.

Hebrews 1:14 | AMPC Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?

Psalms 34:7 | ERV The LORD’S angel builds a camp around his followers, and he protects them.

Your angel sets up camp wherever you are. When you move, they move. When you are at work, they go to work. When you are at home, they are at home. When you are at the mall, they are at the mall.

2 Kings 6:8-17 | NKJV (6) Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” (9) And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” (10) Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice. (11) Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” (12) And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” (13) So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” (14) Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. (15) And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (16) So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (17) And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Notice, Elisha never prayed for the Lord’s protection. He knew it was there!

How did he know it was there? Could he see them with his natural eyes? No!

He knew the Word of God promised Divine Protection in the form of an angelic army.

Psalms 91:11-12 | TPT (11) God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm. (12) If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you and keep you from stumbling.

Elisha knew the promise of God and could see them with the eye of his faith.

Can you “see” your Divine Protection with your eye of faith?

God’s Promise of Protection

Psalms 91:1-16 | NKJV (1) He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (3) Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. (4) He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (5) You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, (6) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (7) A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. (8) Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. (9) Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, (10) No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; (11) For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. (12) In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. (13) You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. (14) “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

• The person who meets the conditions of God’s protection is someone who dwells and abides in Him.

There is something else important about the person who lives in the protective care and shadow of the Almighty:

• He speaks words of faith.

Psalms 91:2 | NKJV (2) I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

Psalms 91:2 | NLT (2) This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.

This man is doing more than just trusting God with his heart. He is saying it with his mouth.

• Faith brings God’s supernatural power into this natural realm.
• Faith is released into this natural realm with our words and our actions.
• Very often we underestimate the power of our words.

Proverbs 18:20-21 | NKJV (20) A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. (21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:20-21 | CEV (20) Make your words good– you will be glad you did. (21) Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.

James 3:7-8 | NKJV (7) For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. (8) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

• God has given us the ability to use His Word to bring our tongues under control.

Speaking God’s Word by Faith

Mark 11:19-24 NKJV (19) When evening had come, He went out of the city. (20) Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Did you notice that Jesus said in verse 23, if a person confesses something “and shall not doubt in his heart” – in other words, if he believes the words he is speaking with his mouth will come to pass – he will have exactly what he says.

Doubt (GREEK) is from the Greek word diakrinomai, which means to hesitate, to waver, to doubt, or to differ.

In context, Jesus is saying that when a person’s heart doesn’t differ from what his mouth is saying, the combination of his heart and mouth in agreement will always release the power in the Word of God!

• We call this concept “the heart-mouth connection.”
• For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your salvation, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally receive that salvation and make it an eternal fact.
• For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your healing, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally bring that healing into manifestation in your physical body.
• God’s creative power is released when the heart and mouth get into agreement!

That is why you must be careful about what you believe in your heart and say with your mouth, because when your heart and mouth get “in sync” with each other, it literally makes things come to pass!

• Notice that Jesus did not pray about the mountain – He did not ask God to remove the mountain for Him. There is nothing wrong with praying about your mountain, but that is not enough. Speak to your mountain.
• Notice that Jesus’ words went to work at the root of the situation and the effect was not immediately visible to the natural eye. The change started at the root (invisible) and then worked its way outward (visible).

Psalms 91:2 | NKJV (2) I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

Psalms 91:2-3 | MSG (2) Say this: “GOD, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” (3) That’s right–he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards.

Refuge – a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

Fortress – a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance; provides safety from an attacking enemy.

(Some of the content for these messages came from Your Promise of Protection – The Power of the 91^st Psalm by Gloria Copeland.)

See if these Scriptures describe our world accurately:

Genesis 6:11-12 | AMPC (11) The earth was depraved and putrid in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence (desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power). (12) And God looked upon the world and saw how degenerate, debased, and vicious it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true direction.

God’s instructions to Noah were very simple:

Genesis 6:14 | AMPC (14) Make yourself an ark…

The ark was to provide Noah and his family deliverance from the events that were to come to pass in the earth and would keep them safe while the world was perishing around them.

God is saying the same thing to us today: Build an ark; not made of wood, but an ark made from the Word of God.

If you build God’s promises of protection and deliverance into your heart and life, you can live in this crazy world with all its danger and still feel secure. You don’t have to be frightened by the things happening around us because even in the worst of times, God has proven He has the wonderful ability to deliver His people from danger.

• These wonderful promises of protection and deliverance are not automatic.

They must be received by faith just as anything that we receive from God. We must hear the Word, build that Word into our hearts, and then receive it by faith, just like salvation.

In this series of messages, we are going to learn what the Word of God says about our protection and learn how to walk in those promises in our own lives and households.

God’s Promise of Protection

Psalms 91:1-16 | NKJV (1) He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (3) Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. (4) He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (5) You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, (6) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (7) A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. (8) Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. (9) Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, (10) No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; (11) For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. (12) In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. (13) You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. (14) “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

These promises of divine protection are conditional.

Once you know from God’s Word that divine protection belongs to you, there are conditions you must keep to activate that protection in your life.

Psalms 91:1 | NKJV (1) He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Dwell (HEB) – to sit down, to remain

Abide (HEB) – to stay permanently

This word “abide” does not mean we come and go. It means this is where we make our home. It is not a temporary situation.

Psalms 91:1 | AMPC (1) HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

It is possible for a believer to have a relationship with Jesus but not be an “abider”.

John 15:7 | NKJV (7) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

For us to be an “abider”, requires us to have a more than a casual relationship with Jesus and His Word.

The truth that is alive in your heart is the truth you act on every day. This does not happen from simply reading a Scripture once and going on. It comes from being skilled in the Word and from knowing the Word so well that it comes to your thinking in a crisis situation.

Abiding under the shadow of the Almighty is the result of spending so much time in the Word of God and His presence that His truth governs your actions without even a conscious thought.

Being an abider means you are consistent. You can’t afford to get into the Word for a while and then get bored and quit.

It is the Word of God that you act on today that makes the difference; not the Word you heard last year. It isn’t even what you know. IT’S WHAT YOU DO!!

For every moment you invest in the Word of God, hearing and doing it, you will get back a harvest of faith, health, and deliverance.

We have a choice in the matter!

Deuteronomy 30:19 | NKJV (19) I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

God has given us the ability to make choices for our lives and the choices we make determine the kind of life we live.

If you choose to live like the world, your outcome is going to be like that of the world.

You might be going to heaven when you die but you are experiencing hell here on earth.

Proverbs 1:33 | TPT (33) But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.

Thank God, we’re living in the day of grace and mercy and it’s never too late to call up on the Lord!

If you haven’t been abiding in Him and His Word, and have been living every day by the world’s standards, then simply repent and allow God’s forgiveness and the Blood of Jesus make you right and position you to abide in Him.

Revelation 3:19-22 | TPT (19) All those I dearly love I unmask and train. So repent and be eager to pursue what is right. (20) Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me. (21) And to the one who conquers I will give the privilege of sitting with me on my throne, just as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (22) The one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying now to the churches.