[WID0079] Guest Post by Suail: Tend to Your Shield of Faith

My husband and I are recent pastors of a pioneering church and it’s been an exciting journey! We fall under the umbrella of “Victory Outreach International”. Throughout the years many churches have been planted and many also have closed down for many reasons. It could be due to finances, but I believe mainly due to not being ready to take the spiritual battle. The calling of God, whether calling in your career or ministerial, is no easy journey. It takes faith to push through all types of distractions. To where we are heading… we need FAITH.

Today I wrote about the armor of God, mostly about the Shield of Faith. Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God that we may fight against… not flesh, not what we see, but against what we do not see.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭20‬ ‭[HCSB] — “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.”

The shield of faith is a unique weapon in the armor of God, because it is designed to protect, yet it also helps you stand your ground. While all the weapons are designed to help you stand, the shield of faith is the one weapon designated with a primary purpose: extinguishing the enemy’s flaming arrows.

The word “shield” is the Greek word thureos, which was used by the Greeks and Romans to describe a long rectangle door that was wide in width and long in length. The reason the Roman soldiers used this word to describe their battle shields was that the shields were door-shaped. They were wide in width and long in length, just like the door of a house.

Soldiers put in work to take care of their shields. To keep their shields in good shape, the soldier would rub a heavy ointment of oil into the leather portion of the shield to keep it soft and flexible. Before these soldiers went out to war, they took their shields, dipped them into a tub of water, and left them there soaking in that water until their shields were completely saturated with water. By saturating their shields with water, even if dangerous flaming arrows hit, they were extinguished upon impact by the wet surface of the Roman shield.

Just like the soldier’s shield needs to be taken care of, so our faith needs to be taken care of.

How are you taking care of your faith? Yes, there are ups and downs. But are you preparing for what the enemy brings to you? Spend time with God in prayer, saturate yourself with the Holy Spirit in worship to withstand anything that comes your way.

As I mentioned above, the Roman battle shield was shaped like a door. Close to 20 pounds. The massive shield of the Roman soldier rested on a small clip on his belt when it was not in use. Your faith is attached to the Word of God. Just as a belt is worn close to the body, we should hold God’s truth close to us and allow it to surround us. When we remain in His Word, we can distinguish what is true from what is untrue.

Other than taking care of the shield and carrying the shield, we have to use the shield in battle. We have to use our faith when battles come our way. Faith is confidence that God is who He said He is, and He will do what He said He would do.

The enemy might throw a dart at you telling you God has given up on you, you have sinned too much, and He will not forgive you anymore. There is only one way to extinguish this dart: by placing faith in who God is and what God has said.

What’s next for your faith?