Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 - “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

We now come to the shield of faith. So far, you have fastened the belt of truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, and put on shoes of readiness given by the gospel of peace. Now we turn our attention to faith and the shield of protection our faith gives us.

Our faith in Jesus Christ, by God’s grace, is what reconciles us with the Father. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ and His saving power because of His life, death, and resurrection, we are made right before God. We are saved from the judgment that leads to eternal death. We no longer have reason to be fearful, but have reason to praise God for His mercy, compassion, grace, and love displayed by sending His Son into the world to save it.

Paul starts our verse today with the words “in all circumstances.” Our faith is not something to take on and off. We cannot simply leave it at home when we leave to go out into the world because it is more convenient to not have to carry it around. How would a Roman soldier have fared without his shield in battle? It may have been heavy and difficult to carry around, but it was the one thing that would defend him from both direct combat and distant attacks like arrows shot at him from an enemy.

We have many ways to defend against the attacks we can see. Through the illustration of a Roman soldier, we have armor from head to toe, a sword, and many years of conditioning and preparing for combat. When someone gets in our face, it may be cause for concern, but we have a variety of tools at our disposal to deal with the direct assault. Spiritually speaking, we have talked thus far about truth, righteousness, and readiness. These are all important components of defending against spiritual attacks, especially those we can anticipate. But what about the surprise attacks? When everything seems to be going well because we are resting in the imputed righteousness of Christ, but then we get blindsided. We get a surprise diagnosis, we hear of a loved one experiencing trouble, we get fired, we have a car accident, we have an argument with a friend, or we begin to be brought down by worries about our circumstances. This is where faith really matters.

Pastor Joby Martin of The Church of Eleven22 often says that the opposite of faith is not doubt, it is fear. He says that fear paralyzes us, but faith moves us into action. This is so true. When we walk by faith, we walk in the strength of the promises of God. We walk knowing that we have hope beyond this world because of the victory Jesus Christ has already secured for all who belong to Him by faith. When we walk simply by sight, we can’t see the enemy crouching behind the bushes, or off in the distant mountains ready to launch a series of flaming arrows at our soul. Satan only wants to steal, kill, and destroy, and unless we are walking in faith with the shield of faith, we are left to our own defenses, and anyone who has ever tried to fight the evil one by himself knows how poorly that goes.

Faith not only defends against the devil’s schemes of planting seeds of fear, doubt, temptation, and false accusations in our hearts, but it also allows us to play offense. Carrying your shield into battle allows you to march ahead confidently knowing that you have a defense against the attacks of the enemy. Your faith in Jesus is the answer to all his lies and tricks. Not only can we go ahead with confidence on our own, but more importantly, we can band together with other believers who faithfully carry their shields into battle. The Roman soldiers would often interlock their shields to act as a giant wall of defense from attacks. One soldier’s shield was protecting him and the man to his left and right. Our faith can be, and sometimes is, the only line of defense for a brother or sister in Christ. It pulls them out of harm’s way, strengthens their own faith as they prepare to do battle, and helps them refocus their eyes on the things above and not the things of this world.

Do you wonder if it is worth telling a friend about Jesus? Do you doubt that it will have an impact. Do you fear the consequences and potential fallout of that conversation? Trust the shoes of readiness that you already put on last week, and lean into your shield of faith. In Mark 2, Jesus healed a paralytic based on the faith of four of his friends.

Mark 2:3-5 - “And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

It wasn't the faith of the others that saved this man. My faith cannot save you. You have to have your own faith. But their faith led him toward his Savior. Is our faith actively leading others toward Jesus? Who in your life needs to be brought before Jesus? Are you willing to carry your shield of faith into battle in order to show this person power of our Lord? When we are walking by faith, we are protected, strong, and able to do battle against the schemes of the enemy.

Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Soldier, pick up your shield and join me in battle.