His Only Banner Over Me Is Love

Sometimes I feel like I’m being pulled in every direction—responsibilities, distractions, expectations, and the occasional temptation to chase after things that never satisfy. In those moments, it’s not that I’ve forgotten who Jesus is… it’s that I’ve wandered from remembering who I am to Him.

There’s a lyric form an old Petra song (“First Love”) that always grabs my heart:

“Your only banner over me is love.”

It echoes a verse tucked into the love poetry of Song of Solomon 2:4:

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.”

In the ancient world, a banner wasn’t just decoration. It was identity. It marked whose army you were in, what nation you belonged to, or who you followed. It was a sign of belonging and allegiance.

But the banner God flies over His people isn’t a war flag or a scoreboard tallying our wins and losses.

It’s love.

Not Performance. Not Shame. Just Love.

We’re prone to imagine that God’s posture toward us changes based on how well we’re doing spiritually. If I’m reading my Bible, praying hard, making good choices—then God is pleased, right? But if I’ve been distracted, drifting, or struggling with sin—then maybe He’s disappointed, holding back, or just waiting for me to get it together.

That’s not the God of the Bible.

“but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

God doesn’t fly a banner that says, “Try harder” or “Almost good enough.”
He flies one banner over His children: “Loved.”
Not because we’ve earned it, but because Jesus did.

For the Wandering Heart

This matters deeply—especially for anyone who feels the tension between knowing the truth and struggling to live it out. The Christian life isn’t about trying to impress God. It’s about remembering who we are in Christ and returning—again and again—to the one who loved us first.

When your heart starts to drift, when the world seduces your affections, when you feel unworthy, look up.

See the banner He’s still flying over you.
It hasn’t changed.
It never will.

From the Song:
“Because You first loved me, Jesus, You will always be my First Love.”

Return to your First Love. The banner is still up.

 A PRAYER

Jesus, thank You that the banner over my life isn’t based on my performance but on Your perfect love. When I wander, remind me who I am in You. Woo me back with Your kindness. Help me rest under the covering of Your love—and let it be the banner I live under every day. Amen.