Covenant and Covering – Session 7

The Covenant of the Heart: Guarded, Sealed, and Covered by God

Title: “The Covenant of the Heart: Guarded, Sealed, and Covered by God”

Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Primary Scripture Reading

Jeremiah 31:31–33 KJV 1900

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people.

Introduction

Covenant is more than a contract—it is a bond of blood and spirit. Covering is more than protection—it is alignment under divine order. By Session 7 we’ve seen how covenant binds people to God and to one another, and how covering ensures order, blessing, and protection within that covenant.

Tonight, we go deeper: God’s covenant is not written merely on stone tablets or external agreements. It is written on the heart. When His Word is engraved within us, our covering becomes not just external (leadership, authority, structure) but internal (Spirit, conscience, conviction). This is what seals and sustains our relationships, marriages, ministries, and walk with God.

1. The Covenant Written on the Heart

Jeremiah 31:33 – “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”

“Law” here is torah (Strong’s H8451) – instruction, direction, teaching.

God isn’t just giving commandments; He’s inscribing His very nature in us.

Contrast with Sinai covenant (Exodus 19–20) written on stone. That covenant required an external covering (priests, sacrifices, rituals).

In the New Covenant, the covering is internal—by the Spirit (Romans 8:14).

Application: When God’s covenant lives in your heart, obedience is no longer forced, it flows. Covering becomes desire, not duty.

2. The Seal of the Spirit

Ephesians 1:13 (KJV): “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”

“Sealed” = Greek sphragízō (Strong’s G4972) – to stamp, to mark ownership, to protect from tampering.

God’s Spirit is His seal—the proof that we are in covenant.

Sealing is both identity (you belong to God) and covering (you are preserved until redemption).

Romans 8:16 – “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

Application: When lies, fear, or rejection attack, the Spirit’s seal reminds us: we are already marked as God’s covenant people.

3. Guarding the Heart as Covenant Ground

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV): “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

“Keep” = Hebrew natsar (Strong’s H5341) – to guard, watch, preserve.

If the heart is where the covenant is written, then the heart is the battlefield of covering.

The enemy seeks to plant misconceptions, wounds, or offenses that distort covenant love.

Mark 4:15 – The enemy snatches the Word from the heart.

Hebrews 3:12–13 – Hardened hearts can break covenant fellowship.

Application: Protect the covenant by guarding your heart—don’t let bitterness, fear, or pride uproot the Word God wrote there.

4. The Enmity Between Spirit and Flesh

Romans 8:5–8 KJV 1900

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Enmity = Greek echthra (Strong’s G2189) – hostility, opposition, hatred.

The flesh is not neutral—it is actively hostile to the Spirit. It resists submission to God’s covenant constantly.

The Spirit leads toward righteousness, holiness, love. The flesh pulls toward indulgence, rebellion, selfishness.

This enmity is why covering is so critical. Without the Spirit’s seal and God’s Word written on the heart, the flesh will always default toward rebellion.

5. Oppression That Guides the Flesh

Oppression is not only external; it works internally through lies, wounds, and desires. Paul says in Ephesians 2:2–3 that before Christ we “walked according to the course of this world…fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.”

Acts – When under oppression, acts of the flesh manifest:

Galatians 5:19–21 lists adultery, fornication, hatred, wrath, strife, envyings, drunkenness. These are not random—they are guided by spiritual oppression that wars against covenant faithfulness.

Decisions – Oppression clouds judgment. People choose self-preservation, lust, or pride over obedience. They may justify sin because the flesh convinces them it will satisfy.

Conversations – Oppression influences speech: gossip, bitterness, manipulation, flattery, or destructive words. Luke 6:45: “Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” If oppression sits on the heart, the tongue will reveal it.

6. Breaking Covenant Through Oppression

When someone yields to oppression, the fruit is covenant-breaking.

With God: Israel “played the harlot” by chasing idols (Jeremiah 3:6–8). Oppression caused them to desire Egypt’s chains over God’s covenant freedom.

In Marriage: A hardened heart (Matthew 19:8) breaks covenant vows. Oppression whispers “you deserve better,” “you’ll never be happy here,” or “God understands.”

In the Church: Covenant is broken through rebellion, division, or offense (Jude 1:19). Oppression feeds pride, self-promotion, or bitterness against spiritual authority.

Pattern: Oppression shifts desire → Desire influences decision → Decision breaks covenant.

7. How Oppression Guides Desire

Desire is not innocent. Desire is shaped by what covers you.

James 1:14–15 (KJV): “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.”

The oppressed heart longs for satisfaction outside of covenant boundaries.

Oppression disguises rebellion as freedom, deception as wisdom, indulgence as pleasure.

When covered by God, desire is transformed:

Psalm 40:8: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

Obedience becomes not a burden but a joy, because the Spirit changes the heart’s cravings.

8. Characteristics of Flesh-Guided Oppression

Here’s what it looks like in everyday life when oppression rules instead of covenant covering:

In Acts: Habitual compromise, hidden sin, indulgence without repentance.

In Decisions: Choosing temporary relief over eternal truth; running from God’s presence when convicted.

In Conversations: Justifying sin, tearing others down, sowing seeds of doubt and suspicion.

In Influence: Friendships, media, and environments that normalize rebellion against God.

In Desire: A restless hunger for things God has forbidden, while the taste for prayer, worship, and holiness fades.

9. The Contrast: Covenant Desire

When you are in covenant, obedience is not a forced act of religion—it becomes the deepest desire of the soul.

Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

The Spirit doesn’t just help you obey; He rewrites what you want.

This is why David could say, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God” (Psalm 42:1). Covenant love transforms appetite.

The flesh and Spirit are at war. Oppression pushes the flesh to break covenant through corrupt acts, wrong decisions, destructive speech, and misaligned desires. But when covered in covenant with God, the Spirit shifts desire itself. You no longer want to rebel—you want to obey. That is the miracle of the New Covenant: God writes His law on your heart, and obedience becomes delight.

10. Covering in Relationships

Marriage: Covenant is not external (rings, ceremonies) only, but internal (hearts knit together). A hardened heart breaks covering (Matthew 19:8).

Church: Covenant is not attendance or membership forms, but hearts aligned under Christ’s headship and pastoral covering (Hebrews 13:17).

Friendship/Family: Covenant covering is seen in loyalty, faithfulness, and honesty—David and Jonathan’s covenant bound them in soul (1 Samuel 18:1–3).

Application: Any relationship not guarded by the covenant of the heart will eventually fail under pressure.

11. Christ, Our Eternal Covering

Hebrews 9:15 (KJV): “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament [covenant], that by means of death… they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

The blood of Jesus is the ultimate covering—once for all.

He is not just mediator but husband to the Church (Ephesians 5:25–27).

Takeaway: True covenant covering is not found in rules, traditions, or human systems—it is found in Christ Himself, written on the heart, sealed by His Spirit.

Practical Applications

Examine your heart: Is God’s Word written there, or just carried on the lips?

Guard the seal: Don’t let sin, shame, or lies break your awareness of being sealed in the Spirit.

Honor coverings: In marriage, family, church—keep hearts tender and aligned under God’s covenantal order.

Rest in Christ: He is both covenant and covering, the fulfillment of every shadow.

Questions

What misconceptions about covenant and covering have you had to unlearn in your walk with God?

How does understanding the Spirit as a “seal” change the way you view God’s protection?

In what practical ways can you guard your heart so the covenant is not compromised?

How does covenant covering strengthen marriages, friendships, and church relationships today?

Conclusion

The enemy wants to fracture hearts, twist coverings, and corrupt covenants. But when the covenant is written on your heart, sealed by the Spirit, and guarded with diligence, no attack can uproot you. Christ Himself is your covering, and in Him you are secure.

Hebrews 10:16–17 (KJV):

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

Quote

“The covenant of grace is not written on paper, but on the renewed heart by the Spirit of the living God.” – Charles H. Spurgeon