“Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.” 1 Peter 1: 5
The word “kept” is an easy word to pass over. It doesn't
really look like it means much. When we think of this word, we typically think
of holding onto something or just retaining something. However, the Greek word
for this is incredible.
Kept- to guard, protect by a military guard, either to
prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from
flight; garrisoned
A garrison is a body of troops in a fortified town.
This is what the Lord promises to do for believers. When God
begins a good work, He brings it to completion (Philippians 1:6). If we are in
Christ, no fiery dart of the enemy can touch us.
“If it can get through Jesus, it can get through you. Name
one thing that can get through Jesus.” Eric Ludy
Jesus doesn't just save us, and then leave us as prey for
the wolves, expecting us to fight them off in our own strength. No, if we will
call upon Him and let Him, He will garrison us in Himself. The enemy doesn't
have to have any control or access to our lives. We are not intended to live
under his thumb.
So often I hear Christians talk about their “struggles with
sin” or the “big” things they typically struggle with or have a weakness
toward. Though it may be glossed over with nice-sounding “Christianese,” these
things are really just enemy strongholds that we have not claimed victory over
and have not let Jesus eradicate from our lives. Nothing of the enemy can touch us if we are in Christ Jesus. These
“sinful strongholds” are not to be a part of our lives.
We are garrisoned, protected, fortified, and guarded by the
Almighty power of God.
The word for “power” in this verse is the word we get
dynamite from. Dynamite is one of the
world’s most powerful explosives. It comes from the chemical Nitroglycerin,
which is also used to treat heart conditions. Therefore, we have this dynamite
power of God surrounding us, guarding us, protecting us, and fortifying us. Our
hearts are garrisoned by Jesus Himself, so we should we ever give into fear,
worry, anxiety, or any other sin when we are offered this dynamite level
protection of God?
Nitroglycerin can be desensitized to the point of being
“safe” or no longer explosive. This is done by adding other mixtures to it or
cooling it significantly. The same applies spiritually. If we allow the enemy access
to our lives, other “mixtures” are brought in. If we compromise with worldly
things, we are desensitizing the power of God within our lives. If we let our
passion for His Word and prayer cool, then the power of God will not be as
pervasive in us (in fact, prayer is the secret to maintaining this power). We
then become “safe” Christians, the ones who go to church on Sunday and live
upright, moral lives but have no impact on the world around them.
About a year ago, a thought occurred to me. If we have the
dynamite power of God within our souls, should we not also have the effect that
dynamite would have in our environments?
The early church knew this power. They turned the world
upside down (Acts 17:6). Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever
(Hebrews 13:6). He does not change. So, if He is garrisoning us with this same Almighty
power, the world around us cannot remain the same. It’s time for Christians
actually to start living in this dynamite explosive power and thus turn the
world upside down once again.
