How Does God Protect Us if “No Weapon Formed against Me Will Prosper”?
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Life presents us with many challenges, but thankfully encouragement can be found literally at our fingertips. Reading God’s Word might not change circumstances in the moment, but our strength can be renewed and our attitude can be adjusted while we walk through a trial.
Isaiah 54:17 is one of my go-to verses, because it always calms my heart and sets me right.
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).
God made a powerful declaration and promise here. He was reminding His people of His might and sovereignty, as well as His abiding love for them. The idea actually echoes an assurance the Lord gave the young nation of Israel:“...I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you” (Exodus 23:22).
Though it evokes images from an older age, this verse has meaning for us today in our struggles, whether small and large.
What Does "No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper" Mean?
Simply put, God was stating that anyone who is seeking to do evil against believers will fail. Though for a time it may seem that we are defeated in a situation, God assures us the victory.
Isaiah says something similar in other parts of his book: “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish” (Isaiah 41:11)....“They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength. All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the Lord and will make their boast in him” (Isaiah 45:24-25).
When my spirit sags, these words bolster me up.
Will We Never Face Enemies or Trails?
God’s Word doesn’t promise His people a life free of problems. In fact, from the very beginning, the Israelite nation dealt with a harsh journey through the desert and enemy armies that wanted to destroy them. But God remained faithful to care for them.
Jesus stated plainly that, “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33) and “each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). But He also added reassurances that God was near and would be active in a believer’s life.
The truth is that everyone must handle all sorts of problems. Sometimes we find ourselves at odds with other people for one reason or another. The Apostle Paul later addressed another battle that Christians face in the Book of Ephesians - spiritual warfare:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
But no matter what comes against us, seen or unseen, we can be “able to stand” when we lean into God’s grace.
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What is Happening in This Verse?
The Prophet Isaiah directed this book to the nation of Judah. Written between 700 and 681 B.C., it was a plea to the people who had strayed from God. It contained a warning of disaster that God planned for His people if they remained unfaithful. The second section of the book is a hopeful prophecy about the restoration to come after the Jew’s exile.
Verses 15-17 are a description of the protection and eventual victory God will bless His people with. He used an image of a blacksmith forming metal tools and weapons to introduce the idea that He is the Creator, fully in control of all that happens to His people: “If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. See, it is I who created the blacksmith, who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc…”
In the NIV translation, this chapter has the heading, “The Future Glory of Zion.” It is a prophecy that God speaks through Isaiah to encourage the Israelites.
The Lord begins in verses 1-3 by using the image of a barren woman, and promises her enough children to “spread out to the right and to the left”, driving out nations before them. “...more are the children of the desolate woman than that of her who has a husband..Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back…”.
Next, the prophet shares in verses 4-6 God’s comparison of Israel to a widow facing reproach. He vows to take away their disgrace and lovingly bring them back into relationship with Him. “You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband - The Lord Almighty is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer…The Lord will call you back…”.
Verses 7-11 are a comforting vision of God’s faithfulness to His people. After a time of rebuke, He says that restoration will come. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back”. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed…”.
The Lord goes on to give a thrilling description of the rebuilding of the city. By His touch, Jerusalem would become better and stronger than it was before (verses 11-14) “...I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls precious stones...Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear”.
In the midst of this rebuilt city, God declares that He will be Israel’s protection, and that nothing intended to harm His nation will succeed.
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Why Will "No Weapon Formed Against Me Prosper"?
God, in His love, provides a way through and out of trials. After Isaiah finishes with his prophecies of destruction for Jerusalem, he speaks a reminder that the Lord is always watching over His people.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).
Our human nature can lead us to question this truth, especially when we have to sit with a problem longer than we want to. That’s when we need to acknowledge God’s authority. We must trust that He will work good for us, even if it’s in a different way or time frame than we expect. We need to see God’s deliverance, whatever form it takes, as a blessing.
Why Is This "the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord"?
God calls His people “chosen” - set apart from the rest of the world.
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
So, His care and covering has always been reserved for those who have known Him and obeyed His commands.
“’On the day when I act,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him’” (Malachi 3:17).
Our Heavenly Father is glorified when we trust Him to protect and keep us during trials.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
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How Will God Protect Us?
We often ask God to change our circumstances or to take away our problems. Those are natural human responses, but God has a higher standard for us. As He has said, “My ways are not your ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
God is able to change our situation and sometimes does. But more often, He is concerned with our character, and will use a trial to refine us. It can be a painful process, but He promises to protect us while we travel through.
He protects us from destruction:
“The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121:7-8).
He protects us from sinning:
“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
He protects us from discouragement:
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you” (Psalm 5:11).
What Should I Do When I Face Trials?
It’s easy to let trials upset or frighten us. But we have the opportunity to use challenges to draw us closer to God. He will meet us where we are, but we need to seek His presence.
Sometimes, the first step is to just stop for a moment. Taking even a few moments to breathe deeply will slow our pulse and sharpen our ability to focus.
Praying is a vital time way to connect with the Lord. We can start with asking for God’s comfort on our hearts and to strengthen our spirits. Then, we can boldly claim God’s victory for ourselves, even speaking it out loud.
As we wait to see victory, we need to stay confident that in His timing and in His Way, we will see God work on our behalf. In the meantime, we can get inspiration from the experiences of others.
If I’m honest, my thoughts can turn toward the negative when trials hit. But by reaching for God in His Word and in prayer, I’m quickly reminded that I have reason for confidence, and even joy, in the midst of difficulties. In His goodness, the Lord protects us from our enemies, and delivers us out of our troubles.
“Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalm 91:3-7).
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