To continue on with my series on the Armour of God, this month we take a look at the Shield of Faith. I pray this poem and short meditation can be an encouragement for you today. Love Lucy x
Ephesians 6:10-18The Whole Armour of God
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
The Shield Of Faith.
Brethren, we are in a battle. We do not have time to waste.
Clocks are ticking loudly now, and we must armour up, post-haste.
First, we must be strong in Jesus and the power of His might.
Foolish is the one who thinks their strength could ever win this fight.
Not against the flesh, we wrestle, though the flesh can bring us woe.
Brethren, we engage in warfare with a fiercer, darker foe.
One who seeks to bring destruction, for he knows his end will come.
How do we defeat the darkness? Seek the light of Christ, the Son!
Do not let the devil bully nor beguile your heart and mind.
Whether it be force or fraud, he seeks to ruin all mankind.
God forbid his lies take root in those who wear the Kingdom crown.
Brethren, stand upon the truth and tear those wicked strongholds down!
Armour up, and stand behind your faith in Christ, the Risen Son.
Raise your shield and quench the fiery darts sent by the evil one!
Recognise his wicked schemes, protect yourself, and do not yield.
Trust your Saviour’s promises! Have courage, and take up your shield!
You will find no surer shelter guarding body, heart and mind.
This is not a feeble hope but solid door to hide behind!
Christian, raise it strong and steady, for its strength won’t come to end.
Safe behind God’s barrier—a sanctuary when darts descend.
Give no place to dark temptations; lend no ear to fear or doubt.
Lies will neither pierce nor burn as faith declares those flames put out!
Dwell on what the Scriptures say and douse those arrows launched from hell.
Christian, look to El Shaddai! The shield of faith will guard you well.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Points for Reflection and Insight
Last month, I looked at how the apostle Paul instructs us to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace. Peace is the stable foundation we have as Christians, stemming from our reconciliation with God, and therefore we are to be ready, mobile, flexible and actively seeking to take the truth to the lost.
Prior to that, Paul mentioned we must put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect our most vital organs and deflect the assaults of the enemy aimed at the Christians’ heart, while making sure that we first have the belt of truth protecting us at our very core. So the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the gospel of peace have made up the apostle’s list of necessary armour for the Christian warrior so far. These first three items are things we must have and put on as part of our fixed armour. Now, Paul describes the first part of the armour we are to take up, which is the shield of faith.
The kind of shield Paul is referring to here is no small, circular disc that’s giving “Captain America” vibes! The Greek word used for “shield” in this passage of Scripture is “thureos”, which is derived from the ancient Greek word “thúra”, meaning “door”. “Thureos” was a door-shaped shield, commonly used in Hellenistic armies from the 3rd century BC onwards. Paul’s use of this word, therefore, gives us the specific picture of a Roman soldier’s shield which offers shelter and defence for the whole body, creating the idea of complete protection.
These military battle shields were around 5-6 cm thick and were also curved to protect the flanks and deflect projectiles. They were large and rectangular in shape, often 2 by 4 feet in dimension, thus creating a barrier from shoulder to knee and were therefore big enough to offer a crouching warrior full cover and refuge.
This was vital for survival and success, as oftentimes, in ancient warfare, fiery darts were launched in droves from multiple angles at the beginning of an attack. This was in an effort to kill, confuse, injure and cause panic amongst the opposition. These flaming arrows were also launched in high volume in an attempt to pierce and burn the shield, thereby getting any surviving soldiers to discard and abandon this part of their armour.
Oh, what a woefully familiar tactic! How many times have we, as soldiers in the army of Christ, felt the relentless onslaught of the devil’s fiery darts? The piercing arrows of discouragement, persecution, fear, temptation, anxiety, depression and the like fly at us from every angle on a daily basis. These wicked assaults are launched at the children of God with the vile intention of wiping us out or making us doubt our Saviour and abandon our faith.
How strong a warrior of Christ is, however, when they refuse to be intimidated or taken down by the arrows sent from hell. Instead of abandoning our faith in difficult times, we can take shelter and find refuge in it. The persistent efforts of our demonic foes seek to weaken the child of God through fear and unbelief, but faith is an effective defensive mechanism that connects the believer to God and brings us behind the protection of the Almighty. This shelter comes not from a mere intellectual belief but from the practical application of truth in response to spiritual attacks.
When the late-night arrows of the enemy find us alone and try to implant the thought that we’re not worth anything, let’s apply the Scriptures, raise the shield of faith and declare, “God has said I am loved! While I was still a sinner, Christ died for me!” When false accusations are thrown in our direction because of our stance as a Christian, we can take up the shield and proclaim, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!” When grief pierces our heart and we hear the whispers of the devil suggesting that God has abandoned us, may our soul profess, “It is written! Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!” Let’s destroy the lies of the devil and bring them to nothing with the truth of God’s Word!
Questions for personal reflection
How do I respond to the attacks from the enemy? Am I seeking to apply the truth of Scripture to the difficult situations in my life? Do I trust that God will keep His promises, even when the challenges of life tempt me to doubt?
The apostle’s instruction for us to take up our shield also reveals his call to each Christian to see the responsibility we have of making sure we’re grounded in a personal faith. We must know Jesus firsthand and be proactive in using our faith to protect us when the attacks from the enemy come our way. While being a part of the Body of Christ is a wonderful thing and is certainly beneficial for extra coverage in battle, we can’t just rely on the faith of those around us to defend us when the devil launches his assault. We must also see our role as an individual soldier, personally apply our faith and use the Scriptures to dissolve the lies.
Nothing will make the devil flee faster than a child of God and warrior for Christ who is choosing to stand on the truth of God’s Word, trusting in His promises. So let’s recognise the battle we’re in today, take up the shield of faith, and remain as clear-minded and resolute as ever that Jesus Christ, our Protector and Shield, is Lord!
