“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16 NIV
The shield was a great defensive weapon. It was usually a large rectangular piece of wood with several layers of animal skins attached to it. The shields were usually large enough that the soldier could crouch down behind it to protect their body. The animal skins were kept wet so that the fiery arrows from the enemy would be extinguished when they hit the shield. A dried up shield would be dangerous to the soldier because it could crack and provide a weakness that the enemy’s arrows could penetrate.
A new soldier had to trust or hope that the shield he was carrying was going to protect him. His faith in the shield grew as he used it and took care of it and experienced it protecting him over and over again in battle. The soldier only knew that the shield could protect him, when cared for, because he experienced it happen in battle, but the first time he used it, he was going on faith that he would be able to block the fiery arrows with it.
Our faith, like the shield, can protect us as well. We need to take care of our faith for it to grow and be effective in deflecting the arrows that the enemy sends our way. The devil’s main goal is to shoot enough fiery arrows of doubt and suspicion at us that we become discouraged and neglect caring for our faith. We care for our faith by being in God’s word and trusting God that His plan is far better than anything we could ever dream of or ask for. When we neglect our faith, it can become dried up like the neglected shield. Once our faith is not cared for, the enemy finds the weak spots and begins sending his arrows to those spots. His arrows can be thoughts of doubt that you can be loved by God, that you can be forgiven by God. These are the devil’s primary weapons to weaken our faith.
If you are facing situations where you are doubting that God loves you or that God will forgive you, please don’t let your faith dry up. Pick up the bible and read God’s promises, begin spending time with God in prayer and find scripture that speaks to you so you can proclaim it over and over again. My cousin was telling me about Psalms 56:3 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” and how that scripture, the promise of knowing that God is trustworthy, was how she had walked through some very hard times in her life. Her faith was renewed as she repeated that scripture and believed and had faith that God was walking beside her through those times.
Unlike a shield, faith isn’t a tangible object that we can see and touch but it is just as real and just as effective in protecting us as a shield is in protecting a soldier in battle. I pray that as you go about your day that you use your faith the same way a soldier would use his shield, to deflect the arrows and schemes of the enemy. Take care of your faith, don’t let there be any cracks where the devil can to begin to pick away at the faith you have. Have a great day.
