1. The first layer, of course, is God Himself who willingly sent His own son to die on the cross for our sins. John 3:16
2. The second layer is the love and compassion of Jesus. As
II Corinthians 1:3 explains, Jesus is always with us to provide comfort and care during our struggles.
3. As a third layer of protection the Lord has sent us the Holy Spirit to live within our hearts. The spirit gives us strength from God according to Ephesians 3:16-20.
4. The fourth layer comes in the form of godly men that are given the responsibility of serving as elders. These men serve as shepherds of the flock to guard from outside influences or false teaching that may destroy our souls. Acts 20:28
5. Then there is the church itself, the body of Christ on the earth. In the church each member has a responsibility to care for other members and to help each other with our struggles. Galatians 6:1, 2
When you are struggling look carefully at how much God loves you and you'll find the strength to go forward in serving him.
Dean
