The shield of faith is another weapon in our arsenal of spiritual weapons that are necessary for the cosmic battle that we are in. The Apostle Paul tells us that we need to take up the shield of faith, and in doing so, we will be able to quench all the fiery darts that our enemy satan shoots at us.
As Paul talks about this shield, he compares it to a Roman shield of the day, but this is only an illustration to help us understand the spiritual protection we need. The spiritual shield that Paul is referring to is faith, and it is a potent weapon. In Hebrews chapter 11:1, faith is defined as, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. [1]
Walking by Faith
When we walk by faith, we depend on the Lord and trust that He alone knows what is best in our situation and will bring it about. As believers, the challenge of faith is we can’t see what the Lord is calling us to step into. That takes trust. As difficult as trusting God is, the Holy Spirit calls us to take that step into the unknown, and when we do, we will discover the Lord’s hand has been on us the entire time.
Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [2] When our enemy attacks us, we can sometimes doubt God loves us. When we have faith, it prompts us to believe God’s word no matter the circumstances. If I give into temptation, I think the enemy has something superior to offer me compared to the Lord. Faith reminds us our enemy’s promises are lies and to lead us astray and destroy us.
Faith recognizes the enemy’s lies that we can quickly distinguish through the shield of faith. When our enemy accuses us, we can look to God’s word. Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.[3]
Putting Out the Flames
In ancient times, soldiers would soak their shields in water to extinguish fiery arrows. When our enemy shoots fiery arrows at us, such as temptation, anger, doubt, lust, discouragement, and vengeance, we can hold up our shield of faith to thwart them. John the Apostle says faith in Jesus and victory over our enemy go together. 1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. [4]
Faith is our protective shield between us and the tactics of our enemy. When we believe in the Lord and trust His word, we remain steadfast in His truth. As we continue in our faith, the enemy’s lies lose their strength, and we can be overcomers. Your faith in Jesus is truly your shield.
To learn more about the shield of faith, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/live-strong
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.