The Shield Of Faith
by Bro. Duane Marshall
05/29/2023
Ephesians 6:16 - “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
A shield is an article of armor used as a means of defense. It is a device made of a rigid substance that is placed in front of one's body. The shield was oblong and large. Its size and shape provided much greater protection. The original Greek word for SHIELD employed in verse 16, is derived from a term that refers to a door or gate. This Roman shield was about four feet long and two and a half feet wide. When the soldier was on the front line, he could plant the shield in the ground and stand behind it, concealing his entire body.
Don't forget Christian, the darts of the wicked one will come every morning you wake up. The shield of faith can provide protection from our arch-enemy. It is effective because it is God who provides the protection, not the soldier. The Christian does not need to worry because his security does not stem from his own ability but rather is wholly dependent upon God, who never fails. God is the only one able to withstand Satan. Just as the Roman soldier’s shield was made of a substance strong enough to withstand the enemy’s offensive weapons, the Christian’s spiritual shield must also be made of a substance. It is strong enough to withstand the wicked one’s arsenal. This substance is none other than faith.
For the Christian soldier to take up the shield of faith, it is vital to understand what that faith is lest he places his trust in something insufficient and incapable of protecting him. Faith is belief in action. Faith is the assurance one can, and should have, concerning the spiritual realm that operates in the invisible rather than the visible. Faith is manifested in the invisible world in the same way a shield defends one in the physical world. Faith is not leaping into the dark and grabbing hold of some ambiguous dream. It is the understandable communication of God from His Word. God does not ask the Christian to walk through this life reaching out for who knows what. Rather by accepting him as the Sovereign, Omnipotent Ruler of the universe, we can have confidence in Him alone.
As a soldier in God’s army, are you anticipating opposition from the enemy today?
1 Pet. 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Have you picked up your shield of faith by recognizing God’s ultimate and capable power?
Jude 24-25, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
Are you trusting in your own arsenal to fight the battles you’ll encounter today?
Jer. 17:5, "Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord."
05/29/2023
Ephesians 6:16 - “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
A shield is an article of armor used as a means of defense. It is a device made of a rigid substance that is placed in front of one's body. The shield was oblong and large. Its size and shape provided much greater protection. The original Greek word for SHIELD employed in verse 16, is derived from a term that refers to a door or gate. This Roman shield was about four feet long and two and a half feet wide. When the soldier was on the front line, he could plant the shield in the ground and stand behind it, concealing his entire body.
Don't forget Christian, the darts of the wicked one will come every morning you wake up. The shield of faith can provide protection from our arch-enemy. It is effective because it is God who provides the protection, not the soldier. The Christian does not need to worry because his security does not stem from his own ability but rather is wholly dependent upon God, who never fails. God is the only one able to withstand Satan. Just as the Roman soldier’s shield was made of a substance strong enough to withstand the enemy’s offensive weapons, the Christian’s spiritual shield must also be made of a substance. It is strong enough to withstand the wicked one’s arsenal. This substance is none other than faith.
For the Christian soldier to take up the shield of faith, it is vital to understand what that faith is lest he places his trust in something insufficient and incapable of protecting him. Faith is belief in action. Faith is the assurance one can, and should have, concerning the spiritual realm that operates in the invisible rather than the visible. Faith is manifested in the invisible world in the same way a shield defends one in the physical world. Faith is not leaping into the dark and grabbing hold of some ambiguous dream. It is the understandable communication of God from His Word. God does not ask the Christian to walk through this life reaching out for who knows what. Rather by accepting him as the Sovereign, Omnipotent Ruler of the universe, we can have confidence in Him alone.
As a soldier in God’s army, are you anticipating opposition from the enemy today?
1 Pet. 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Have you picked up your shield of faith by recognizing God’s ultimate and capable power?
Jude 24-25, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
Are you trusting in your own arsenal to fight the battles you’ll encounter today?
Jer. 17:5, "Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord."
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