For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. (Psalm 61:3)

God is our strength and stronghold (Ps 18:1-2). He is, further, our Tower of Strength. We can’t get enough of this truth that God is strong for us and will make us strong. Technically, we might observe that a tower is a structure taller than its diameter or width, and God is without dimension. But the term tower here suggests an imposing, impregnable building in a fortified enclosure. This is a defensive construction that provides security—both from its sheer height, which makes is virtually unscalable, and from its lofty vantage point from which to launch a counterattack on approaching enemies.

Today in our western world, enemies come in many forms. There are physical threats like a home invasion, road rage or even a physical confrontation of some sort. God is a tower of strength in those situations, to allow the believer to react calmly and with strength. While the Lord can certainly provide physical, super-human strength, as some Christian legends convey, most often He provides an inner strength to enable us to respond wisely to those threats against our person.

But bullying, which is at the fore of our societal consciousness today, can be a real threat. The old childhood jingle, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me,” doesn’t quite ring true anymore. Words can be like daggers that drive deep to our insecurities, inciting our fears. Could this be what David meant when he wrote, “My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword” (Ps 57:4, see also Ps 22:12-13)? Against this, we have a God who is our Tower of Strength.

The devil also is our enemy, along with his minions, constantly prowling around like a roaring lion looking to destroy God’s people (1 Peter 5:8). How does he do this? By tempting us to sin, by leading us to question God’s sovereignty or goodness. “Did God really say …?” (Gen 3:1 NIV). He tempts us with lies: Maybe God is not sovereign and we don’t really need to obey Him, or maybe He is not able to do what He says He will do. Maybe He is sovereign, but He is not so good after all. Maybe He is out to get me for no reason at all.

But to use the illustration in our passage, a lion cannot jump the height of our Tower of Strength. How high is that? Did not Jesus tell us to pray like this: “Our Father, who is in heaven…”? That’s a tall tower! Satan is like an ant in comparison.

Lord, I look to You for protection against all that I fear, especially today.