Marks of Manhood (Pt. 1/3)
The Protector
In the lesson of the Good Shepherd in John 10, Christ uses a common illustration of sheep in a sheepfold to illustrate the level of care He has for those who belong to Him. In this illustration where Christ is the shepherd, He lays himself across the opening of the fold, quite literally functioning as the door and protection for the flock. You see, there was only one way in or out of a sheepfold. The only way to get the sheep is through the shepherd-door and He isn’t going to let that happen. As He so aptly puts it, “I lay down my life for the sheep.”
I have wanted to write this series of blogs for some time now. I never could get the ball rolling though. When I reflect on it, I simply feel inadequate to be presenting “the marks of a man” when I so imperfectly apply these in my own life. The beauty is, it’s not the messenger that’s important it’s the message. And the only reason you should give this post the time of day is because these principles are not mine but are from the Word of God.
This is the first of three posts about our “Three Pillars” here at Dominion, which are Lead, Provide, Protect. These are all three qualities that should belong to every man because they first belonged to Christ our Lord. Now these three qualities are not comprehensive of a man but we believe they are at the core of how a man is to function in his God-given role. My hope is to communicate the heart of this ministry and the kind of men we strive to be and hope, by the grace of God, to build others up into.
In the illustration of the Good Shepherd, he guards the sheep against real bodily harm in the form of thieves, robbers, and wolves. Both things that represent a serious threat to himself and his flock. Yet he is committed to his responsibility of the flock despite the danger. Men, your flock is your family. Your wife, children, mother, brothers, sisters, and maybe even your father as he ages. At some point in every man’s life, he will have someone who is dependent upon him. There’s your job!
“Well, I don’t really ever see anyone or anything really threatening my family’s safety” you may say. And you’d be right. As men we fantasize and prepare for “what if’s” all the time. “This jerk touches my wife I’m knocking his teeth out” or “If a shooter comes in that door, I’m getting them out this way or dropping him where he stands.” We spend a lot of time training our bodies to be able to protect and stand up for those we love. Yet, a huge majority of us never have the opportunity to implement any such plans or put any training to use. That’s because our greatest threat will almost never be to our loved one’s physical safety. Rather, it can be found in the spiritual and emotional attacks that Satan launches at your loved ones.
Watchmen
Now, I’m not saying that preparing to physically protect your loved ones is bad, I think it’s wise to be prepared. I’m saying most of us will never run into that situation yet that is where the bulk of our time goes in preparation.
2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. 7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
Ezekiel 33:2-7
One thing is obvious to me when considering men as the protector. The enemy likely isn’t going to attack while the protector is present. In the illustration of the good shepherd the wolf will likely flee when the shepherd confronts it. That is why we chose the above passage as our scriptural rationale for protection. Men may function well as a guard but poorly as a watchman. See, the watchman has a very important job. He is to identify threats and warn and prepare his wards for the danger. The scripture says if he fails to do this the consequences are his fault. If he performs this task correctly and his wards do not listen, then any consequences that follow are the fault of the individuals he warned.
The forms of attack that every single person under your protection will come under are spiritual and emotional in nature. These are the dangers that all of us are guaranteed to face in life, yet many of us fail to prepare to face these kinds of challenges or sufficiently warn those under our care of the coming onslaught. We must be vigilant of the enemy’s tactics. Take, for example, the very first sin. What was Satan’s tactic? Identity crisis. The serpent tells Eve, “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5, ESV). He promised that she would be “like God,” the problem here is that Eve was already created in the likeness of God. “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;” (Gen. 1:26, ESV). Satan caused Eve to question her identity as a child of God and ultimately, it led to the fall of man. Satan is going to do this with your loves ones as well. He is constantly trying to get us to deny the inherent value of our lives because we are created set apart, in the image of the Living God.
Satan will fill our heads with doubt, fear, and guilt. He is working to destroy your loved ones. He is a roaring lion, roaming around seeking someone to devour (1 Pt. 5:8) If you aren’t shepherding your flock well, they will be scattered and destroyed. If you prepare your flock well, you will essentially always be present as their shepherd. If you fail to prepare them, they will be devoured by the enemy as soon as they leave your care.
There is so much more to be said than what I can fit into this post. The key encouragement for you, men, is to dig into the word, familiarize yourself with the enemy's tactics, and fulfill your role as the protector of your family by preparing them for the coming attacks. Too often young people walk away from Christianity. I believe this is, in large part, due to the lack to preparation and intentional conversations about the coming challenges of life.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”
Matthew 16:26
What good is physical safety if the soul is neglected? I encourage you to consider your role as the watchman in your family's lives. Are you even aware that there’s a lion just outside the gate? Sound the alarm for those who depend on you. Prepare them well for the attacks about to come their way.
I encourage you to check out this article below from John Piper about “Satan’s 10 Strategies”
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/satans-ten-strategies-against-you
