The Shield Of Faith…

When I look over the entire armor of God, the shield has always been one of my favorite pieces of armor. The Shield of FAITH. 

In the book of Ephesian chapter 6 Paul writes, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (verse 16). The ESV puts it this way: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

The Roman shield of the time was called a scutum. This type of shield was as large as a door and would cover the warrior entirely. Such a shield was not just defensive but could also be used to push opponents. When fighting as a group, a phalanx of soldiers could position their shields so as to form an enclosure around themselves, called a testudo (“tortoise”). This was especially helpful to protect against arrows launched from the walls of cities they were attacking. Shields, often made of wood and then covered in hide, when wet, could extinguish flaming arrows.

It is the first barrier against the enemy’s attack. Where is your shield? We must never forget our armor daily, life is a battlefield and for some it may feel you are surrounded by darts, and flaming arrows. Trust in the Lord in this season. Put on the Full Armor, never leave home without it. Pray it over you before your feet touch the floor. We must be ready at all times, and not caught off guard. When you are caught off guard it’s because you became comfortable.