There are many promises and facts in scripture that assure us of wonderful things. Promises for a future in the heavenly Kingdom of God, and facts that we can stand on right now to secure us in the truth and free us from bondage and fear.
One particular fact that is very powerful yet a often ignored or misunderstood comes from Psalm 91:10 which says that no evil shall befall you.
For many people, these words are too fantastic to believe. Surely God did mean to suggest that no evil could touch us! You’re dreaming!
But what if He did mean it? How would that change your outlook, your emotions, or even your life? Let’s check it out.
God’s Total Protection on Display
Psalm 91 is an incredible chapter that describes in detail the range of protections available to us who believe and abide in Christ. The safeguards cover things known and unknown, seen and unseen, and offer real peace from fear and uncertainty.
But many people stop at the emotional aspect. The words of Psalm 91 are not there for emotional peace only— although emotional peace is definitely a part of the equation. Psalm 91 exists to show us the protection that God offers us for every part of our lives; spiritually, mentally, and physically as well.
Now, people tend to doubt the content of Psalm 91 for various reasons. Some relegate the entire chapter off into our future in Heaven; others apply it exclusively to Jesus himself. But as we examine the chapter, both of those positions fall apart.
In Psalm 91:2 the verse mentions the things that we say of God. Verse two says I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. These words are very striking, because they highlight a contrast between the scriptural view of God versus the view that modern Christianity typically has. Some will say that God causes them to stumble, causes sickness or is somehow the architect of their suffering, or allowing it to occur for some divine purpose.
When you have that view of God, He becomes less of a refuge and more of a chess master, with us as the pawns. But the scripture is highlighting something different, that abiding in Christ is not a place of uncertainty, but a place of trust and safety.
Furthermore, in verses 11 though 14 of the same chapter, it speaks of trampling the lion and cobra— spiritual enemies that do not exist in heaven.
So, the scriptures here describe the way in which God protects us, and specifically here and now. But why? Why can we be so confident of his protection here and now.
The Place of Safety in Christ
You see, the wonderful fact of no evil touching us (which we are about to read) only comes after the initial two verses of the chapter, about abiding in Christ and being sheltered by Him.
Simply put, Jesus Christ is why no evil can touch us today. We do not earn our protection; we are protected because we are in Christ and no evil can penetrate his security fence.
So with this understanding, we can begin to see how enjoying complete protection is possible. Now let’s take a look at verse ten:
“There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.”
Now, you may notice that this verse begins with the word “There”; it says there shall no evil befall you, speaking of a location. Where is this safe place that no evil befalls us? We find the answer, one verse prior in verse nine:
Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place; the Most High your refuge.
The place of safety where no evil can touch you is in the LORD; in God, in Christ. Jesus is your refuge, where you can safely dwell and abide.
The word plague in verse ten is a broad term, meaning any affliction. So again, we can see how Jesus’ protection is total and complete, lacking nothing.
Living in the Place of Safety
So what does this truth look like in daily life. A practical example of this comes from the account found in Matthew chapter eight. In verses 23 through 27, we see a powerful example of how understanding our safety and security should play out in our lives.
In this famous account, Jesus and the disciples were traveling in a boat, and a great storm arose and started tossing the boat around. We often read these accounts without stopping to truly appreciate them, but try to picture in your mind what was happening.
The disciples are traveling in a boat, and a great storm came about. The Greek word for storm in the verse is σεισμός (seismos) the same word used for earthquake. This wasn’t just a light rain or a little bit of wind gusts; this was a big boy!
The disciples (which included a few experienced fishermen familiar with sea vessels) are freaking out, assuming they are going to die!
The situation seemed terrible. And Jesus was asleep.
Now you might be thinking, he was asleep, so He didn’t realize the situation… but the boat wasn’t so big as to completely drown out the commotion going on. The storm itself would’ve probably alerted Jesus, if not the panicked disciples. And indeed they did wake Jesus up, and accuse him of not caring— much like we do today.
But when they told Jesus of the trouble, He didn’t join them in their fear… but rather He asked them why they were afraid… implying that they had no reason.
Do you see?
The circumstance only appeared dire… but the danger was an illusion. Jesus was King over the storm, so He had no reason to give it any attention— the storm wasn’t worth the anxiety. The only reason He even quieted it, was for the doubting disciples’ sake. He demonstrated His care for them by commanding the storm to be gone… otherwise it wasn’t even worth His time, because it couldn’t touch Him.
The incredible position that Jesus has, is the same place that you are in today, because you are dwelling in Christ. As Jesus is, so are you in this World (1st John 4:17) There is no fear in His love, but His perfect love removes all fear.
This truth, is why no evil can touch you.
Be blessed.