The Shield of Faith

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so that you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Ephesians 13-16

We all know that soldiers use a shield as another weapon of defense. Without the shield, he would be more vulnerable to attack. Here’s something really interesting:

Soldiers in ancient times would often dip their arrows in lethal poison. If the arrow didn’t penetrate deep enough to kill, the poison would do the job. -OR- Arrows were often dipped in pitch, or tar, and set ablaze – so the likelihood of damage was greater.

Paul tells us to “take up” the Shield of Faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. These fiery arrows come disguised in the forms of doubt, denial, and deceit. Satan’s goal is to cause us to question what God has plainly said or promised. I’ll give you an example:

God gives us a promise in Romans 8:28, “All things work out for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”

Doubt and denial go like this – “How can God possibly work this out for good? Are you sure he will keep his promise?”

Finally, the devil shoots the arrow of deceit and says, “This will never work . Things are a mess. Looks like God has forgotten you. He doesn’t care about you, yet alone, love you. Are you crazy?”

This is when we need to “take up” the Shield of Faith. We have to kick the devil in the teeth, say to him, “Shut up! Jesus is the voice of truth, not you. He’s given me a promise, and I don’t care what the circumstances look like. You can keep shooting as far as I’m concerned. I believe and stand on the Word of God.”

Do you remember what James 4:7 says about standing? “_____ the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Resist! Resist! Resist! Resist some more! Never stop resisting. He will never stop attacking.

Next, we’ll look at The Helmet of Salvation…

*Some words are from The Spiritual Warfare Study Guide by David Jeremiah