The Shield of Faith
The Armor of God: The Shield of Faith
Do you know what it’s like to get hit by the flaming arrows of the devil? He and his forces of evil are masters at hitting us when we are the most vulnerable…when we set our shields down.
In Ephesians 6:10-18, while teaching on the full armor of God, Paul addresses the fourth piece of armor—the shield of faith. He says in verse 16, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” A shield is for protection. Paul says our faith is our shield, and we are not to neglect it by setting it down, otherwise leaving ourselves exposed to the enemy.
The shield of the Roman soldier was in the shape of a door in that it was wide in width and long in length, and often completely covered the soldier. If he doesn’t hold his shield out in front of him in battle, where it belongs, he leaves himself exposed to the enemy. The soldier also soaked his shield in water to keep it from becoming dry and brittle and stiff, and susceptible to cracking in battle. Not only are we to soak our shield of faith in the water of the word of God, keeping it strong and powerful, we are also to hold it out in front of us, where it belongs, so that we can defend and protect ourselves from those flaming arrows of doubt and unbelief and anxiety and anger and worry, that are constantly being fired at us!
Beloved, like a wide and long shield, the faith that God has given you is adequate to cover every need that could ever arise in your life. Nurture and strengthen your faith by making the word of God the central and foremost priority in your life. Paul said in Romans 10:17, “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Read it! Study it! Apply it! Learn to love it! Then you can hold your shield of faith out in front of you where it belongs, and IT will protect YOU, from “all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
This is Laine Wilder for Carry the Light Ministries, bringing you Insights From an Elder.
by Laine Wilder
author of “Insights From an Elder” for
Carry the Light Ministries
