God’s Promises Are More Than Words

by A. C. Williams

He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4 NLT

When I visited London many years ago, I was the most excited about the museums. I love history, and the U.K. has historical landmarks on every street corner. I’ll never forget walking into one of the upper flowers of the White Tower at the Tower of London and being surrounded by massive display cases loaded with Medieval armors of every shape and size.

It was pretty cool.

I remember standing in front of a suit of armor that had been designed for a woman—probably the queen at the time—thinking that even though it would have been terrible to wear, she wouldn’t have wanted to be on the battlefield without it.

The Bible talks about armor frequently, in many contexts ranging from physical armor that couldn’t protect a wicked king (1 Kings 22:34) to spiritual armor every believer can utilize (Ephesians 6:10-17). But recently I stumbled onto this verse in Psalm 91:4 that talks about armor in a different way.

God’s promises are our armor.

We are all familiar with God’s promises in Scripture. They’re abundant, on almost every page of the Bible. In the Psalms, they’re probably on every other line. God promises to strengthen us (Ephesians 3:14-16). He promises to give us rest (Matthew 11:28-30) and provide for our needs (Philippians 4:19). He promises to answer our prayers (Matthew 7:7) and always be with us (Joshua 1:9). And we know from Scripture that all of God’s promises prove true, that none of them have ever failed (Joshua 21:45).

Nice. Poetic. Articulate. Easy to recite when you need a Sunday school answer. But how can any of those promises protect us from the harsh realities of life? How can those promises change anything?

Life is hard. It’s dark and getting darker. Between inflation on one side and the anxiety concerning global events on the other, we have more reason than ever to live in constant dread. We have every excuse to hunker down and hide in an attempt to protect ourselves from what’s coming.

I guess if you believe that God’s promises are just words, that’s the best life you can hope for. But what if God’s promises are more than words? After all, God’s promises are God’s Words, and God’s Word will never fail (Luke 1:37). God’s Word lights our way in the darkness (Psalm 119:105) and provides everything we need to live a godly life (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

If God’s Word can do all of that, why can’t it be our armor? Why can’t it be our protection? Why can’t we rely on it every day to fend off the attacks of the enemy?

All of us face discouragement and anxiety many moments every day. Maybe it comes in the form of financial difficulty. Maybe it’s challenging family situations. Maybe it’s a troubled relationship dynamic or an addiction of some kind. Whatever trial you are facing today, God has made you a promise in His Word to bring you peace, comfort, and strength.

Read God’s Word. Know it. If you don’t know God’s Word, if you haven’t read His promises, you won’t have a means of defending yourself when the enemy attacks. Don’t think you can fend off a spiritual attack with a physical weapon either (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

God’s promises aren’t like the promises people make. We make promises we can try to keep; God makes promises that never fail because He never fails.

God’s promises can be your armor and protection, but if you don’t know them, you won’t have them available to use when you need them.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: A.C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. She’d rather be barefoot, and if she isn’t, her socks won’t match. An AWSA Golden Scrolls finalist and an editor at Uncommon Universes Press, she believes that God works miracles through stories. Learn more about her coaching services at www.amycwilliams.com and subscribe to her daily devotional emails at www.alwayspeachy.com. Amy is offering a special: the first seven days free, then $5/month. https://acwilliams.substack.com/arisedaily

Join the conversation: Which of God’s promises mean the most to you?