Suit Up! (Part 4): The Shield of Faith
The fourth piece of armor named by Paul is the shield. Paul called this piece of armor the shield of faith, which conveys a covering by faith.
We are reminded that faith is a necessary part of a believer’s life. We read in Hebrews 11:6 (NIV), “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Paul likens the shield of faith to that of the battle shield carried by the Roman soldiers of his day. The shield was made of many layers of animal hide. The hides were tightly woven together, and when finished, had the strength of metal. These shields were wide and long enough to cover the soldiers. Therefore, the soldiers were not exposed to the enemy. Then, when there was a call to active battle, the soldiers would dip their shields in water, and when the fiery darts would hit their shields, the wet hides worked like a fire extinguisher.
Without the shield, believers are at risk of being “burned” by the adversary. Ephesians 6:16 (NIV) says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” This passage shows us that we must decide to pick up the shield of faith. It is a deliberate action to meet adversity head-on. When the enemy throws doubt, you must decide to pick up faith and hold on to faith.
God has already given us faith; we must choose to do something with that faith. Romans 12:3 (NIV) mentions “… the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Then, in Hebrews 11:3, we are told that the word of God created the universe. Therefore, our faith can be strengthened in God because what we see was not made by that which we can see. God is the creator!
As we contemplate the “shield of faith” in our lives and develop the skills to “pick up” this valuable spiritual tool, may I suggest these three exercises:
1) Read a daily scripture of promise such as Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
2) Take time to listen to the Lord. John 16:13 (NIV) – “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
3) Pray God’s promises back to him. Some promises that we read about in the Bible were for a specific person or group of people. However, we build our faith as we are reminded that if God did it once, He can do it again. God has not forgotten; instead, this is an opportunity for us to strengthen our faith and learn God’s will.
St. James AME Church is located at 360 Dorothy St. in Charleston and worship service is held on the first and third Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. You may also join us on Zoom at pastorv.com.
