Blessed Morning! Taking the Shield of faith! Up until now, Pauls description of the armor of God has been limited to items we wear. We put on the belt, the breastplate and the shoes, and they essentially hold themselves up. The shield is different. Paul tells us that the shield is something we must take up, something we are required to raise. Just strapping ( big and strong ) it to our arm wont do any good at all if we dont make the effort to hold it aloft ( overhead )and use it. How did the shield work in the Roman army? Armor of God: The Shield of Faith The shield was an impressive line of defense. Because of its sheer size (some were three and a half feet tall and almost three feet wide), soldiers were afforded a great deal of protection from enemies. Because of its slight curve, it was able to deflect attacks without transferring the full force of the assault (strike,) to the man holding the shield. Because of its boss, it was able to deflect even the more vicious ( rough ) blows and function in a limited offensive capacity as a means of knocking an opponent ( opposes another ) backwards. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. If faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, then this has far-reaching implications. Substance is tangible, and evidence is solid proof. It is the irrefutable truth. It is real. Romans 8:24-25 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Though it is based on solid evidence, that doesnt mean faith comes naturally or easily. Paul here makes the obvious but necessary point: You dont hope for what you already have. Faith involves a huge element of trust. We must examine the evidence and see that God has proved Himself to be unchanging and consistent, and then we must firmly believe that He will fulfill His promises to us. Where does living, saving faith come from? Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God... 1 Corinthians 12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit... While we must believe God to even begin our walk with Him, after repentance and baptism He gives us a deeper, living, growing faith through His Holy Spirit. Why is a shield associated with faith? A shield guards. While a physical shield protects us physically, faith can protect our spiritual lives even in the middle of physical trials. In their response, they essentially said, God is capable of delivering us from this fate. We dont know if He will or not, but that doesnt matter. He gave us His commands, and we are going to keep them regardless of the physical outcome. We know He can just as easily raise us from the dead. Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. A shield deflects. Satan is always hurling his fiery darts of fear, doubt and worry in our direction, but the only time they can hit us is when we let our shield of faith down,when we stop believing that God is in control. But God is working everything out for our good; that whatever happens is for the ultimate best of everyone involved, however little it seems to be that way. Matthew 14:28-31 And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. So He said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? A shield is the first line of defense. While the rest of our armor helps protect us from Satans onslaught, it is not what you ideally want to be using to absorb every hit. When our faith in Gods omnipotence and care is strong, it is impossible for Satan to break through our shield and land an attack. But when we allow doubt to creep in, as Peter did when distracted by the waves, we will start to sink. The rest of our armor will be battered, and so will we. Matthew 4:10-11 Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. A shield can incapacitate. When Christ was being tempted by Satan, His faith in the Word and commands of God repelled Satan for a time. Our faith in God, as demonstrated by Christ, can also give Satan a good shove ( a strong push.) backwards and give us a chance to fight back by doing Gods will and work. Because God tells us that faith cannot just be in our minds, it must produce actions—works of obedience and service. James 2:20 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? How else can the shield be used? When the Roman army joined its shields together, it became an almost unstoppable force. And if we in Gods Church join our shields, that is, strengthen each other with our faith, building up and serving within the Body as we are able, we will become an unstoppable force able to take on any challenge. We must remember as we fight that this is not simply our battle. This is the battle of all our brethren, both near and around the world. And if we are to win, it will only be once we put our faith in God and stand side by side, contending earnestly and as one for our common salvation...the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints . May God Bless us this day to live through the shield of faith in our daily life! Amen!
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 23:12:34 +0000
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