Who You Are as a Man: Protector

Via TJC

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ~Genesis 2:16-17

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”. ~Genesis 3:1-5

So far this week we’ve considered our God-defined roles as Creator/Cultivators, Stewards, and Providers. Today we look at God’s role for Kingdom men as Protectors.

When you hear “Protector” what first comes to mind? Providing security with physical weapons?

When I hear “Protector”, I recall in Chapter 1 of Genesis that God refers to himself as “Elohim”, which emphasizes his awesome power and majestic creation. When God creates humanity (Chapter 2), it is “Yahweh” who does this act. Yahweh (the LORD) is God's personal name and is used in the context of God having a relationship with His people. When combined, (Yahweh-Elohim, in English, Lord God), the personal God who rules over Israel is the same universal God who rules over all creation. When I read Lord God, I pay attention and want to get it right.

In the military, when an officer receives a command, the officer must accurately and clearly communicate the command, otherwise people get hurt and with unintended consequences. In the same manner, as leaders in our families we need to communicate accurately and clearly, so that the family unit is not hurt and the mission is achieved.

The Lord God commanded Adam about the trees in the garden (Genesis 2:16). Yet Adam changed the command when he told Eve. Satan used this opening to plant a lie with Eve, with the follow on consequences that we all live with today.

When you think about your role as “Protector” if you only think of security with physical weapons, then you are missing a key point. We have a spiritual enemy, and spiritual warfare is occurring all around us.

Everyone understands there is evil around us and we live in a fallen world. Every culture has an origin story. Men: Can you explain in simple terms why there is evil in the world?

I offer this simplified explanation, which I found useful even when talking with non-Christians in a society that has not heard much about Jesus:

• God (“Elohim”) created the world. Therefore he sets the rules, and has called man to join with Him (=Creator/Cultivator).

• Lord God gave the “keys” (authority) to Adam (=Steward & Provider).

• Adam gave his “keys” (authority) to Satan (Adam missed his role as Protector).

• Christ came to earth, took the “keys” from Satan. Christ gives the “keys” (authority) to mankind (Christ invites all mankind to rule as Priests with Him).

Daily Battle Order: Men: Consider today your role as “Protector”, what commands are you changing and passing onto your family? 

When asked, “Why is there evil in the world?”, consider how you can answer in simple terms. And accurately enough to avoid the enemy taking a foothold and planting lies; no time for gobbeldy gook here.

Discuss with your family at the dinner table tonight.

[Picture source: Catéchisme en Images no. 58 — Le Péché Originel. Chromolithograph. Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (Mucem), formerly from Musée national des arts et traditions populaires (MNATP) ]