7 Important Promises of Protection in Psalm 91

Have you ever read Psalm 91? It’s a wonderful chapter filled with promises from God to HIs people that have made Him their dwelling place. It’s known as a psalm of protection, and many people have turned this scripture into a prayer known as the Psalm 91 prayer.

A few months ago I found out just how real these promises were…

My wife and I were sitting at a red light on our way home from visiting with family. We were tired and my mind was drifting as we sat waiting for the longest light in the world to turn green. Finally, the light obliged.

I was just about to hit the gas pedal but something stopped my foot. That’s when I noticed a truck approaching the intersection and he went right through the red light.

Had I hit the gas pedal like I usually do, we would have been in a major car accident. But Jesus was protecting us. We made it home safely and were extremely thankful God protected us from a catastrophic event.

Psalm 91:11 says, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” And I can personally attest to God doing just that for us on more than one occasion.

This is one of my favorite Psalms that contains seven promises of protection and deliverance for God’s people. To fully grasp Psalm 91, I’m diving into this chapter and will closely study each promise our Lord has given to us.

Who Wrote Psalm 91?

Before I dive into this Psalm, it’s beneficial to have some background. This particular Psalm doesn’t have an author attributed to it. There isn’t any real way to know the exact author of Psalm 91, but Jewish scholars have generally attributed the authorship to Moses. 

The 7 Promises of Protection in Psalm 91

God Will Cover You

Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Verse 1 gives us a condition for God’s protection, which carries through all the promises found in chapter 91. As long as we are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, we are under His protection.

What Does the Secret Place of the Most High Mean?

If Moses is the author, then the secret place of the Most High could be referring to the Holy of Holies. The most revered and sacred area of the tabernacle or temple where only the high priest was allowed to go.

It’s the very place where God’s presence resided. So, he that dwells in the presence of God will be under His protection.

What does dwelling in God’s presence look like?

To me, it’s placing all your trust in God, praying daily, being thankful, and willing to praise God no matter what. Several scriptures support this:

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

So, if you want God’s protective covering in your life, you need to build a relationship with Him that’s built on faith.

Just like the Psalmist, we need to declare “the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

God Is Your Refuge

Psalm 91:4-6 “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”

These verses are an extension of the first verse of this chapter. Not only is God our covering, but he is also our refuge.

Verses 4-6 have the same theme in them as Psalm 46:1-3. The psalmist of chapter 46 calls God our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. He is right there with us whenever we face hard times.

If you’re struggling financially, have a sickness, feel shackled by the enemy, or feel completely lost, God will step in and be your help.

He will lift up a standard against your adversary. God is strong and mighty, and is bigger than anything you’re currently facing.

And since God is our protector, we have nothing to fear. 

Verses 4-6 also reminds me of Paul’s words in Ephesians 6 when he talks about putting on the armor of God, especially the shield of faith.

Destruction Won’t Come Near You

Psalm 91:7-9 “A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,”

When you make Jesus your dwelling place, you have access to the same type of protection God gave to the Israelites while the plagues were being poured out on Egypt.

God poured out ten plagues on Pharaoh and the Egyptians, ranging from frogs to the death of the first borns. These plagues caused massive damage to Egypt’s population, food supply, and economy.

However, the Israelites weren’t touched by any of this in the area where they lived in Goshen. They had water to drink, didn’t have to deal with the frogs, didn’t have fiery hail pelting them, and didn't have to experience the darkness.

As long as they marked their doorposts with the blood of an unblemished lamb, the Israelites were protected from losing their first born.

This account found in the book of Exodus is an excellent example of how God protects His children. And as long as you have the blood of Jesus applied to your life through the infilling of the Holy Ghost, you have access to the same protection.

You’re Protected By God’s Angels

Psalm 91:10-12 “No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

The author of Psalm 91 reiterates that God’s people won’t have evil befall them nor any plague come near them. But this time the promise is expanded: “for He shall give His angels charge over you…"

You can think of it as an extra layer of protection from Jesus. Not that you need any further protection because God is all powerful, creator of everything, owns everything, and is second to none.

However, God does use his angels to protect his people. Take a look at this prime example from 2 Kings 6…

The Syrian king wanted to capture Elisha the prophet so he sent his army to surround the city of Dothan, where Elisha was located.

When Elisha’s servant saw the army surrounding them, he asked, “What shall we do?” Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Elisha prayed his servant’s eyes would be opened to see the angelic host. And once his servant’s eyes were opened, he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire.

God used this angelic host to protect Elisha and his servant from the Syrian army.

In Acts 12, it’s the angel of the Lord that takes the chains off of Peter and leads him out of the prison he was in.

In Acts 27, Paul was visited by an angel of the Lord to let him know he and the men with him would be alright after their ship was crippled by a storm.

You’ll Tread and Trample The Enemy

Psalm 91:13 “You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.”

In other words, God will give you victory and power over the devil. In the KJV, the serpent is translated as the dragon, which gives you a better description of what verse 13 is referring to.

The dragon and serpent are referring to the devil. This can be seen in Revelation 12:9…

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

As long as you are following after Jesus and in His will, you will have power over the devil through God’s spirit.

In James chapter 4, James instructs the church to “submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

In Luke 10:19, Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

If you’re fully submitted to Jesus, then he gives you the power to tread on the devil and his demons. However, if you try to take authority over evil spirits without being submitted to Jesus, then you’ll end up like the sons of Sceva in Acts 19…

“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

God Will Take Care Of You

Psalm 91:14-16 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

In this last portion of Psalm 91, God speaks to the reader through the psalmist. God tells us if we will set our love upon Him, He will position us, respond to our prayers, be with us in time of trouble, and deliver us.

A great example of this can be found in Genesis. Joseph is in prison, but God positioned Joseph to become second in command over Egypt because He loved and trusted God with everything he had.

All God’s Promises Are For You...

Psalm 91 is an amazing chapter packed with promises of protection for those that love God and obey His word.

You may be wondering if these promises are for you. They most certainly can be, all you have to do is love Jesus with everything you have and obey His word.

Jesus wants to fill you with His spirit, and all you have to do is follow what’s laid out in Acts 2:38. Ready to gain access to everything God has for you? Then Acts 2 is the place to start.