Garrisoned by His Power

“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.