God Is My Defender

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
                                                              — Psalm 5:11–12

When we think of God as our Defender, we often hope for immediate justice or public vindication. But God's defense doesn't always come the way we expect — it comes in His timing, according to His ways, and with His perspective.

Scripture makes it clear that God is not passive when His people are falsely accused, mistreated, or misunderstood. He defends. He shields. He acts on behalf of the righteous:

“They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous… But the Lord is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge.” — Psalm 94:21–22

Think of Joseph, forgotten in a prison cell, with no one to speak for him. Yet God had not forgotten. God defended him by orchestrating a future far beyond Joseph's imagination.
Or Mordecai, who prayed quietly while Haman plotted destruction. God saw. God acted. God defended His people.

There are times when keeping your mouth shut in the face of accusation feels unbearable. I know this personally. There was a season when horrible things were being said about my husband and me — untrue, painful, deeply wounding words — in a community where we had served faithfully. Every instinct in me wanted to defend, to clarify, to do something. But the Lord whispered to my heart: “Let Me defend you.”

In the quiet of my insecurities, the enemy’s lies came in loud. It was as if he whispered, “Look at all the time you’ve poured into ministry. It must not have been strong, because one woman tugged a single thread — and now it’s all unraveling.”

Those thoughts hit hard. I had to continually take them captive. 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 became more than just a verse — it became a lifeline. Every day, I fought to bring those lies under the authority of Christ. Even though my spirit wrestled, even though it would’ve felt easier to defend myself or lash out, I stayed silent. I prayed. I waited. I trusted. Eventually, I asked God for some kind of confirmation that He was defending us. Just one week later, a woman who had heard the accusations approached me after an event. She told me that despite what she had been told, she believed differently. She had come to the event because the Lord told her to — and He told her to let me know that He was defending us, and He would continue to speak on our behalf.

Tears streamed down my face. God had heard my cry. He didn't need my help to clear things up — just my trust.

Friend, if you're in a season where you're tempted to defend yourself, I encourage you: Let God be your defender. His voice carries farther. His justice is deeper. His timing is perfect, and He surrounds you with favor — like a shield.

Wendi Fraley