Taking Up the Shield of Faith

Glad to see you back as we continue to dig into what it means to put on the full armor of God! In this post, we will be discussing the shield of faith.

If you haven’t already, you might want to start by reading our introduction to the topic of the armor of God and why we need it. Part 1 covers the belt of truth. And here are links to part 2 (the breastplate of righteousness) and part 3 (the shoes of peace). But if you’ve read those and are ready to get into the shield of faith, then let’s go!

But really quickly, here’s the piece of scripture we’ve been studying:

“Therefore put on the full armor 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.”

Ephesians 6:14-17

Unpacking The Shield of Faith Scripture

The armor of God verse above says that we can use the shield of faith to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” In order to fully understand what Paul meant when he wrote this, we need to have a solid understanding of what faith is, what “fiery arrows of the evil one” are, and also talk a little about shields themselves.

What is the Definition of Faith?

The definition of faith, according to Merriam-Webster, is “allegiance to duty or a person,” “belief and trust in and loyalty to God,” and “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” Simply put, faith is a “strong belief or trust in someone or something.”

What Does the Bible Say About Faith?

If you look up the word “faith” in the Bible, you will find that there are a few common themes.

• Faith is belief in something or someone we cannot see (Heb. 11:1, Pet. 1:8-9).
• The evidence of faith is a changed heart and changed actions (James 2:14, James 2:26).
• Faith allows us to resist the evil one and persevere in trials (Eph. 6:16, James 1:3).
• Some benefits of faith are joy, humility, peace, righteousness, praise, glory, honor, power, justification, and salvation (Eph. 2:8, Pet. 1:8-9, Rom. 10:10, Rom. 5:1, 1 Pet. 1:7, Rom. 1:17, Heb. 11:6).

So as you can see, faith is an important part of our lives as followers of Christ! One of the reasons it is so important is that we can use the shiled of faith to “take our stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11b) if we know how to.

What are “Flaming Arrows of the Evil One”?

Flaming arrows were a big part of battle during the time this scripture was written. That’s why Paul used this analogy to describe the attacks of Satan. Satan’s flaming arrows can come in many forms. Sometimes they are arrows of fear. Sometimes they are arrows of doubt. Sometimes they are arrows of impure thoughts. They will always target our greatest weaknesses in the moment they are fired, with the goal of burning down our resolve, causing us to sin.

But, go back to that list of common themes about faith in the Bible. One of them is that faith results in changed hearts and actions. Another is that faith allows us to resist the evil one. So if we are holding the shield of faith, our resolve won’t be broken; our changed hearts will cause our actions to reflect Jesus, not Satan.

Roman Shields

The most common type of shield used by Roman soldiers during Bible times, the scutum, is seen below. This shield wasn’t the small shield depicted in many costumes and movies today. Instead, it was very large, approximately 4 feet by 2.5 feet, allowing the soldier carrying it to be completely protected, from his head to his toes. It was curved to protect the sides of the soldier as well. And it was covered in metal or leather for extra durability.

The thing about shields, though, is that they must be picked up and carried. Unlike the pieces of armor we have already discussed, you don’t strap them to you and then forget about them. On the contrary, you have to choose to take it up and use it. And I imagine that these shields were heavy! It must have taken a lot of strength and endurance to keep holding them up! The same is true for our metaphorical shields of faith.

Putting on the Armor of God – The Shield of Faith

What is the Shield of Faith?

Now that we’ve unpacked this particular verse about the armor of God, we can start putting it all back together. If faith is a belief in something not visible (ie, the truth of God’s Word, Jesus, God Himself), the shield of faith is the protection imparted to us by believing (even without seeing) that God’s Word is true and that He will keep His promises.

When we strongly believe these things, no flaming arrow of the devil, big or small, is going to get through into our hearts! We will be protected from spiritual attacks, just as the Roman soldiers were protected from literal flaming arrows.

The beauty of it is, the more we use the shield, and, therefore, the more we see the faithfulness of God, the stronger our faith grows; also like the Roman soldiers, whose arms and endurance got stronger the more they used their literal shields.

How Do We Take Up and Use the Shield of Faith?

I don’t know about you, but there are lots of times when I have to choose to either throw the heavy shield of faith down and stomp on it (in other words, have a temper tantrum) or pick it up and use it. Right now, for example. We’re in one of those waiting seasons that seem to go on FOR-EH-VER. My faith is being tested all the time, and as a result, I’m having to dig deep to find the grit to hold onto my shield and trust God.

So how do we grow in faith so that we can hold onto our shields without growing weary?

Read the Bible and Go to Church

It’s amazing to read and hear the stories of the faith of ancient Christians and today’s strong Christians (ie, pastors and mentors) and the ways the world has been blessed as a result of their faith.

Not only that, steeping yourself in God’s truths and promises and seeing them play out in life fortifies our trust in Him and gives us more reasons to keep trusting Him no matter what.

Fellowship

It can be so encouraging to hear the testimonies of other believers! And in today’s busy world, it is beneficial to have a support system to encourage behaviors and habits that are pleasing to God.

The testimonies of other followers of Christ, both past and present, are powerful and worth the time it takes to uncover them. Click To Tweet

Be Obedient

Make sure you’re doing everything you can to do what you know you should do, according to God’s commands and wisdom. I know nobody is perfect, and luckily, God knows it, too. But by being obedient and seeing the blessing that comes from it, your faith will grow naturally.

Pray

If we aren’t spending time in prayer, we are much less likely to hear God’s wisdom and calling, making it almost impossible to be as obedient as possible. And hearing God’s voice is very exciting and highly likely to grow your faith in and of itself.

Ask God for a Faith Booster

While you’re praying, go ahead and ask God to strengthen your faith. God is happy to provide everything we need to be good children. That’s why He left us the Holy Spirit! All we have to do is ask. It’s plain as day in Matthew 7:7, where it says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Move From “What If” to “Even If” Thinking

Words are very powerful. Changing even one word can make a huge difference in perspective. Always thinking, “What if this?” or “What if that?” undermines our faith and the power of our God.

Instead, adopt an “even if” mentality. Instead of saying, “What if I don’t get the job?” say, “Even if I don’t get the job, God will provide.” Replace “What if my teenager doesn’t graduate from high school?” with “Even if my teenager doesn’t graduate, God has a good plan for him.”

Just by changing that one word, we give God the power in the situation and take the pressure off of ourselves and those around us. These declarations of faith can literally change the course of a life and be the catalyst for a major attitude adjustment!

Summary – Take Up the Shield of Faith

Even though Satan is an expert at aiming and firing his fiery arrows directly at our weak spots, we can take heart and be courageous in battle knowing that we are protected by our faith. When we have a strong belief that God’s truths and promises are way more real than Satan’s lies, it becomes much easier to withstand the temptations of the world.

Now that I’ve really thought this through, I have a clear picture of the shield of faith in action in my head. I see red-hot flaming arrows flying toward a soldier hunkered down behind his huge shield. Then I see the arrows hitting the shield and immediately going out and falling to the ground, worthless and powerless.

This word picture comes to mind whenever I sense an arrow heading my way, and I’m able to do what I need to do to firm up my faith, to raise my shield. Sometimes I pick up my Bible and remind myself of God’s promises, sometimes I pray, and sometimes I call a friend for encouragement. No matter what I do, I feel stronger and more able to keep holding up my shield. And so will you.

What helps you maintain the strength to hold up your shield? Comment below!

Catch ya’ later,

PS Sometimes forget how exactly to put on the armor of God? Me too! That’s why I created this printable cheat sheet you can download and keep as a handy reminder!

This post/series is inspired/informed by the amazing pastors at Woodland Hills Family Church. Thanks, guys! Click here to hear the original sermons.

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