Series: The Friend Factor – Week Three
He’s My Defender
Isaiah 59:19 —When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”
Week One taught us that He’s that kind of friend.
Week Two showed us He’s our Keeper.
But now in Week Three, we step into another dimension:
He doesn’t just walk with us. He doesn’t just keep us.
But, He also defends us.
Because we don’t always see the battles.
We don’t always hear the accusations.
We don’t always know the plots.
But we must know and believe that we always have a Defender.
Here it is. When the enemy moves, God responds.
When the enemy rises, God raises a standard higher.
God is not a silent spectator, He’s an active Defender.
Isaiah 59 describes a moment in Israel’s history when:
Sin was increasing.
Justice was failing.
Truth had fallen in the streets.
And the enemy was surrounding them spiritually and politically.
Now Israel couldn’t defend themselves, not spiritually, not morally, and not militarily.
So in verse 16, Isaiah says something powerful:
He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation.
In other words: When no one else could stand for you, God stood for us.
Then verse 19 declares:
When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard.
The word standard in Hebrew is nûs, meaning to make the enemy flee, scatter, or retreat.
It’s not a defensive word, it’s an aggressive one.
It means God doesn’t just block the attack; He pushes the attacker back.
This is the image:
The enemy comes like a flood.
But God rises like a dam, like a wall, like an army, like a force so powerful that the enemy has no choice but to retreat.
That’s what a Defender does.
He Defends us when we Don’t Have the Words.
The enemy speaks accusations.
People speak opinions.
Our own minds speaks doubts.
But God speaks truth on your behalf.
Romans 8:34 says Christ is making intercession for you, that means He’s defending you in the courtrooms of Heaven.
When the enemy lies, Jesus speaks truth.
When they accuse me. The Lord, He covers me.
He Defends us in the Battles we never knew about.
Some attacks never reached us because God cut them off before they formed.
The plot didn’t work.
The trap didn’t spring.
The attack didn’t land.
The curse didn’t stick.
You didn’t survive because the enemy was weak, you survived because our Defender was strong.
Yes, the weapon was formed, but they didn’t prosper.
The enemy came in, but God stepped in.
He Defends What He Destined
God doesn’t defend what He didn’t design — but if He planned you, He will protect you.
Your destiny is guarded.
Your purpose is shielded.
Your calling is defended.
If God has ordained our future, no attack from hell can override His assignment.
I’ve got purpose, and God will defend it.
I’ve got a calling, and God will cover it.
That reminds me of a story about the Hidden Security System.
A woman lived alone in a home protected by a silent, state-of-the-art security system.
One night, while she was asleep, someone tried to break in through the back door.
She didn’t hear the footsteps.
She didn’t hear the lock being picked.
She didn’t hear the danger approaching.
But the security system did. The security system picked up on the intruder.
Without making a sound, it alerted the authorities.
The police showed up and arrested the intruder before he ever made it inside.
The woman woke up to find police cars outside the house with lights flashing and cars everywhere.
Confused, she asked them, what happened?
The officer replied, Ma’am, while you were sleeping, your system was defending you.
May I tell you you that, that’s what God does for us, we don’t always see the threat.
We don’t always hear the danger.
But while we are resting, while we are sleeping, ok while we are chilling, God is defending us.
And this week we ought to declare boldly:
He’s defending my mind.
He’s defending my peace.
He’s defending my destiny.
He’s defending my family.
He’s defending my future.
Somebody lift your voice and shout:
He’s that kind of friend.
He’s our Keeper.
He’s my defender
He’s that kind of friend. That sticks closer that a brother.
He is our Keeper. The one that keeps us in perfect peace.
And when the enemy comes in like a flood he is my defender.
So let me closed this thang.
The Spirit of God will raise a battle banner, step in, and push the enemy back.
It means God Himself becomes:
Your defender
Your warrior
Your protection
Your counterattack
Where the enemy comes in, God comes in greater.
Isaiah is teaching:
God sees injustice.
Evil may rise violently.
The enemy may attack fiercely.
But God will intervene, and His Spirit will reverse the attack
He will defend, restore, and redeem His people
This verse is a promise of divine intervention.
Deeper Hebrew Insight
The phrase shall lift up a standard in Hebrew:
Means:
To cause to flee
To drive back
To chase away
To put to flight
So literally it means:
The Spirit of the Lord will drive the enemy away with force.
Isaiah 59:19 teaches that:
When the enemy attacks like a flood.
God Himself raises a standard
The Holy Spirit steps into the battle.
God’s power pushes the enemy back.
All nations will witness God’s glory.
God will always defend His covenant people.
