To Serve & Protectنموونە

4. To Protect Your Castle

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” – Ephesians 6:10 (NLT)

It takes strength to serve and power to protect.

Your home is your castle to protect. Serving does not mean you are supposed to be a push-over. It also means that you are summoning up the strength to guide and to guard.

Jesus served people with strength and protected them by the power of His name. In our own homes we are to do the same. Guiding and guarding our castle in the Lord’s strength and His mighty power. Through discipline, discernment and divine direction.

Jesus was never unavailable to serve others along the road, but always unshakable to swerve off the narrow road. Pharisees, Romans and even Satan tried to sway Him off track. But Jesus never backed down in the face of darkness, distraction, or destruction. Instead, He chose to take a stand for our protection every time he faced adversity.

Protecting your castle is not just physical either, but especially spiritual. Yes, we are the ones to check the locks at night, go to the door when there’s a fight and stay alert and vigilant to protect our families. But protecting our families as servants of Christ’s Kingdom goes much deeper than physical safety. It is also about covering our households spiritually.

Therefore, today’s reading is focused again on God’s armor and how we as men can apply this to our household daily. Men often focus on the physical or financial protection of their families, but then easily neglect the unseen spiritual protection. Likewise, we get caught up in providing as best we can in life but then forget to also lead and guide our families to readily face the worst of life.

If we are to protect and prepare our families like Jesus would, we need to walk, talk and pray God’s armor. It is not only something we pray for ourselves and others but maybe even more so something we ourselves need to walk in as well. It is about equipping ourselves and empowering others with God’s protection, but also His purpose.

When we speak of the helmet of salvation, we remember that our minds have been renewed by Christ’s cleansing blood, and we pray over the thoughts of our wives and children to be covered by the blood of Jesus as well.

When we direct our families about the truth and righteousness of Christ that is protecting our vitals and holding everything together, we ourselves need to hold onto the truth and walk in righteousness. If we proclaim peace over our homes, we should also live in peace as far as we can. And if we want our wives and children to live in faith and stand on God’s word, then we ourselves need to show what it is to not only put our hope in Christ’s promises, but actively and courageously pursue His purpose for our lives and theirs.

In summary, it is a calling to every man of God to be all in to serve and protect his household.

Not only putting on one piece of armor per occasion, but every piece of armor for all occasions. Not only praying through it but living it as well. Not only guarding your family but guiding them as well. Not only physically, but especially spiritually.

Read Ephesians 6:10-17 and Reflect on the following…

• What observations do you make from today’s reading on the armor of God?
• How can you daily apply God’s armor over your life and family?
• Which gaps are there in your castle’s armory that needs better protection?
• What do you need to pray about today?