As Covid-19 continues to infect and continues to be debated, I have seen a number of my dear brothers and sisters communicate something along the lines of, “God will protect me from the virus.”
I’ve had numerous conversations in-person, over the phone, and online with friends about this sentiment. On its face, this sounds very spiritual and faithful. But the sentiment fails to understand the bigger picture in the Bible. Bad things happen to believers all the time. God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, and wrongfully thrown into prison. God allowed David to be hunted by the mad King Saul for years. Years. Righteous Job lost all his children, and his health. Paul suffered from some sort of thorn in his flesh. Timothy had ongoing stomach issues.
Believers are not shielded from the natural evils of this life.
Most of us know this intuitively. It’s why many carry health insurance. Or use a seat belt. Or lock their doors.
I’ve had this conversation regularly since April 2020.
But it occurred to me today that this sentiment is actually satanic in origin.
(I’m sure most of my readers had this figured out already.)
“God will protect me from the virus” is one of the temptations the devil presented to Jesus in the wilderness.
Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.” Matthew 4:5-6
The temptation was basically this, “You are the Son of God. So why not announce your entrance in style? Jump from the top of the temple. Then God can make angels grab you by the arm, they will carry you down in front of everyone! No one will have any doubts who you are!
And the devil wasn’t incorrect. God can command his angels to rescue Jesus from the fall.
So, what’s wrong with this temptation?
Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” Matthew 4:7
Essentially, Jesus said, “Yes, God can send his angels to grab me, but he is not obligated to do so!”
Can God protect us from car wrecks and home invasion and Covid-19?
Absolutely!
Is he obligated to do so?
Absolutely not.
I understand that many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have made this statement in an attempt to communicate their trust in God. But that’s not the message that comes across. It is spreading the lie of the devil: God is obligated to keep me from all suffering in this life.
He is not, and he expects us to make wise decisions to minimize the effects of sin on our lives.
To my fellow believers who have said, “God will protect me from the virus,” I implore you to search the scriptures (the book of Job, Romans 8, James 1, etc.).
I’ve had numerous conversations in-person, over the phone, and online with friends about this sentiment. On its face, this sounds very spiritual and faithful. But the sentiment fails to understand the bigger picture in the Bible. Bad things happen to believers all the time. God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery, and wrongfully thrown into prison. God allowed David to be hunted by the mad King Saul for years. Years. Righteous Job lost all his children, and his health. Paul suffered from some sort of thorn in his flesh. Timothy had ongoing stomach issues.
Believers are not shielded from the natural evils of this life.
Most of us know this intuitively. It’s why many carry health insurance. Or use a seat belt. Or lock their doors.
I’ve had this conversation regularly since April 2020.
But it occurred to me today that this sentiment is actually satanic in origin.
(I’m sure most of my readers had this figured out already.)
“God will protect me from the virus” is one of the temptations the devil presented to Jesus in the wilderness.
Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will give his angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.” Matthew 4:5-6
The temptation was basically this, “You are the Son of God. So why not announce your entrance in style? Jump from the top of the temple. Then God can make angels grab you by the arm, they will carry you down in front of everyone! No one will have any doubts who you are!
And the devil wasn’t incorrect. God can command his angels to rescue Jesus from the fall.
So, what’s wrong with this temptation?
Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” Matthew 4:7
Essentially, Jesus said, “Yes, God can send his angels to grab me, but he is not obligated to do so!”
Can God protect us from car wrecks and home invasion and Covid-19?
Absolutely!
Is he obligated to do so?
Absolutely not.
I understand that many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have made this statement in an attempt to communicate their trust in God. But that’s not the message that comes across. It is spreading the lie of the devil: God is obligated to keep me from all suffering in this life.
He is not, and he expects us to make wise decisions to minimize the effects of sin on our lives.
To my fellow believers who have said, “God will protect me from the virus,” I implore you to search the scriptures (the book of Job, Romans 8, James 1, etc.).
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