“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:10-18a ESV

Today’s post is part four in a series about the Armor of God. Click here to read last week’s post.

Shield of Faith

We shield our eyes from the sun. Our vehicles have windshields. Shields are meant to protect us from something.

Roman shields were not meant to be stationary. Soldiers were able to move their shields in multiple directions to deflect arrows coming at them from any angle.

During a Saturday morning panic attack (click here to read the background of this blog series in Part One), I checked my index card to see what the next piece of armor was. . . and it was the shield of faith.

“In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. . . ”

Ephesians 6:16 ESV

Let’s dissect this verse:

“All circumstances”

“All circumstances” – not only in big things, but in every little thing (Psalm 16:8 ESV)

I had faith that God was powerful and in control of my future, but I had a hard time having faith for “right now” things.

“Take Up”

Yup, we need to check our faith every day, in every situation. Be active, not reactive. Be diligent and deliberate.

It’s a choice we make. . . daily (Luke 9:22-24 ESV)

“Shield of Faith”

1 Peter 1:3-9 also describes our Shield of Faith:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9

• Verse 5: We are shielded by GOD’S POWER through faith
• Verse 8: Our faith yields joy
• Verse 9: Our faith leads to salvation

“Extinguish”

Extinguish means to completely put out, or get rid of.

When you extinguish a flame, it can’t hurt you. It can’t even hurt you less, because it’s gone. Completely.

“Flaming Darts of the Evil One”

Yes, the devil is real (1 Peter 5:8 ESV).

Our Shield of Faith allows us to deflect the devil’s flaming darts of doubt and deceit (these are the the ones that try to hit me the most, because I’m a reflective person, and I constantly assess my behavior and others’ reactions to my behavior).

So, what’s the current condition of my faith?

Merriam-Webster defines faith as;

• “A belief in something for which there is no proof”: But we DO have proof – In reading through the Bible we have proof of God’s power and the fulfillment of His promises. We also have our own experiences as proof of God’s goodness and blessing and faithfulness.

• “Belief and trust in and loyalty to God”: How does my loyalty reflect my faith? Am I loyal to God as a being . . . or loyal to God as an idea . . . or loyal to God as a tradition? How am I showing my loyalty in the choices I make and in how I love people?

So, what’s the current condition of your faith?

“In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. . . ” Ephesians 6:16 ESV

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