Are Christians Automatically Protected From Evil?

Earlier this week someone from the Bible study that I lead each Wednesday sent me a question. I felt like it was "blogworthy" so I've decided to post the question and my response.

Hey there.. I have a Bible question for you. I've heard it said (not sure if it's Biblical or not), that nothing comes to us except by God... meaning that even the devil can't really touch us unless God allows... Hmm, just had a different question come to mind..
If the devil can't touch us unless as a child of God, God allows it, like Job, can the devil instead, affect others that are not of God's children to then have an effect on us? Thereby, "skirting" the issue? Is this "Spiritual warfare"? Thanks for your thoughts

This is quite the complex question. At the root of what I believe about God and His character, which is love, I think it boils down to free will. God has always created and given free will to his created beings. This includes angels, of whom Satan was one at one time. This leaves us open to what I see as oppression or attack from an evil source. I believe that possession happens to those willing to dabble with and openly communicate with evil spirits, i.e. demons. Thus their heart is open to being overwhelmed by evil.

The bigger question might be "Why doesn't God step in, when one of his believing creations are being attacked spiritually or physically?" That is a question which is extremely tough to figure out an answer for.

I was reading through a book that referenced scripture from Luke 4:38,39 addressing this very idea.  

"Jesus ministered to Simon's mother-in-law, who was afflicted with a high fever. The text says Jesus rebuked the fever. Interestingly, Luke used the exact same word in verse 35 to describe Christ's response to a man afflicted with an evil spirit. Luke, the observant physician, is not saying that every fever is caused by an evil spirit, but this one was. In our fallen world, the stuff of hell sometimes gets splattered on us. Simon's mother-in-law obviously was a godly woman, because as soon as she was released from the fever she got up at once and began to serve her house guests. But in spite of her godliness, she was being affected by a demonic spirit, and Jesus dealt with the situation."

I've dealt with real spiritual warfare and I can tell you that it's a scary thing to see and experience. I think it can be easy to get distracted by (and that's the devil's goal) evil in this world so much that we begin to doubt God because we're hurt or in the midst of suffering. It's only once He's pulled us through that circumstance(when we allow Him to do this), that we see He was there all along and fully in control of the situation.

Update.... A Long Time Coming

Hello.

It's been quite a LONG time since I've taken time to add to this blog. I honestly had kind of forgotten about it actually being here until I was recently asked to do an interview for another online blogger. Her name is Angela Strong. She's a local author and a fellow divorcee'. Her blog is called "Moving on after he's moved out". For the most part it's written from a female's point of view describing her healing process from a divorce that was not of her choosing. 

I met Angela and her (now husband) Jim at a singles BBQ a while back. The BBQ was filled with many who were in their 30's and a majority of us were single due to divorce. At that time I had only been divorced for about a year, so the wounds were still pretty fresh. Fast forward to now. 

In May it will have been 4 years since my wife left me. (A brief synopsis of what occurred can be found in the interview that Angela did with me for her blog, http://angelaruthstrong.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-john-shaul.html ) It has been at times a pretty bumpy ride with LOTS of lessons learned. I by no means have come out unscathed, but throughout each step of the journey, God has guided me and "realigned" along the way. 

I am still "Clinging To The Rock", in ways that I'd never expect to be. I have found new strength and resolve in this stage of my life, knowing that God does and will point me towards that woman who will be "the right one". I no longer believe in the Hollywood farce that says that we each have a "soul mate", but I do believe that God has built us each with unique characteristics, talents, strengths, and weaknesses, and when the right combination of those things comes together, you can and will have a successful marriage and a committed lifelong relationship. 

I no longer dwell in what "didn't become" of my past wrecked dreams, but now I strive on towards the whisper of God's voice, guiding me towards His will and His design for my life, knowing that in trusting Him, rather than feeding my own desires, I will find a life that is fulfilling and full of promise.