“Shield of Faith” – Spiritual Warfare Series
In this series, each installment is building on information provided in prior articles. To keep from being overly repetitive, please take a moment to read the earlier installments in the series. To view earlier articles in this series, please click on the article title below, listed from most recent to earliest:
“Breastplate of Righteousness”
This Week’s Installment…
“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
– Ephesians 6:14-16 –
Now as we look at this next piece of armour, we notice that the Apostle Paul’s wording changes. All of the armour prior to this; The Belt of Truth, The Breastplate of Righteousness, and The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, are items the soldier of God must have placed on them already when taking their stand for God. If you look very closely at the wording, the writer is saying these items must already be on to successfully take a stand. These are defensive weapons that will allow
you to stand.
But after we take a stand, we must realize that it’s time to move forward in God. How often we see those that line the pews of America’s churches that never move forward in their walk and relationship with God, and therefore never move forward in their spiritual walk against the enemy. They keep losing the same battles, falling over the same stumbling blocks, and going through the same horrors spiritually, because they never change their position. They just decide to stand in the same place in the Lord until they get called home.
But Paul wrote, after taking that stand and making sure the appropriate first pieces of armour are in place, it’s time then to pick up additional pieces of warfare, so that we might be able to actually take on the enemy and begin to make ground against the enemy of our soul. The first of these pieces of armour is The Shield of Faith (Ephesians 6:16).
Now, keep in mind, everyone of us is given a shield of faith from the very beginning of our New Birth experience. According to Romans 12:3, every man has been dealt the “measure of faith”, or literally a limited portion of faith. Literally, everyone in this army is given a shield to start fighting with. But, each soldier has the ability to obtain a larger shield, thereby being able to withstand larger darts of the wicked one that might be sent their way. Where do I get that? Look at Romans 
10: 17, where the writer says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” The more we abide in God’s Word, and the more His Word abides in us, is the more we are able to Trust and believe in God’s ability to help us to overcome.
A few years ago when I was studying the equipment that Roman Soldiers would use, I attempted to get the measurements of the shields of a soldier in the Roman Empire. I was quite surprised at the time to learn that there was no average size, as the size ranged among many different soldiers. Some had small shields that barely covered the chest area during a hand to hand fight; while others were entrusted with shields so large they could kneel down behind them and hide during launched firefights. And what determined the size of one’s shield? How many fights they had made it through, and their knowledge of how to fight. The more skill they obtained, the deeper in the fight they could be entrusted, and the larger of a shield they could obtain.
Another note that I thought was inspiring, was that sometimes with
generals and leaders within the army, the shield they obtained was large enough they could not only shield themselves, but if they found another soldier wounded in the battle, they could use it to protect them as well until help came.
Isn’t that how God expects us to be? I am challenged more today than ever that I am not just a soldier standing waiting for the battle to end. But that I will learn more of God’s Word and Will for my life, and grow in strength, so that I can launch out into the battle with an ever growing Shield of Faith, to where I might not only be able to quench the fiery darts launched at me, but others on the battle field as well. God help me to have such a faith in my God, that I might be able to shield those that are wounded around me, and have enough faith for them as well, when they don’t have the energy to pick their own up.
Lastly, the Roman Soldiers within varies groups many times would connect their shields together when making an offensive move into enemy territory. When their shields were connected together, it created a physical wall of defense that could move forward in the battle. The unity of the soldiers banded together in faith made them a force to be reckoned with by any enemy.
That’s the power of the church my friend. When we band together, and connect my faith with yours, we then can create a wall of Trust and Hope that will push back the enemy of our soul in any battle.
