Day 27 - Monday

Day 27

 

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)

In addition to all this, Paul writes.  The King James Version says: "above all else."  Pretty imperatively Paul wants us to know that our armor is not complete yet without faith.  Yes, we need all these others – righteousness, truth, peace – but without faith we will not be able to put out the attacks of the enemy. 

 

Paul compares faith to a shield.  Unfortunately in the church, and the world for that matter, faith is often used as a weapon, but notice that the apostle instead compares it to a shield.  We do not attack or force our faith on the situations and powers that battle us, but rather it is our trust and believe in God that will be our protection in the battle.

 

Wikipedia tells us that "the heavily armored Roman legionaries carried large shields that could provide much protection, but made swift movement a little more difficult...Famously, the Romans used their shields to create a tortoise-like formation called a testudo in which entire groups of soldiers would be enclosed in an armored box to provide protection against missiles."

 

This is what our faith can do for us as well.  Faith is defined as belief, confidence, trust.  When we have entered a relationship with God, we learn to believe what he says he will do.  He proves himself to us in his loving care for us.  Therefore, our "faith" in him provides us with confidence that whatever we face in life, we can stand strong, knowing he is with us.

 

Note that Paul tells us that we must "take up" the shield.  It is an act of our will that chooses to believe God and allow that belief to propel us forward in life and in battle.  It is the choices we make through the faith we have in him that will protect us and give us safety.

 

Prayer:  "God, I choose today to reaffirm my faith in you.  Thank you that you stand to my defense and protect me in the battles of life.  I believe you are with me and for me and will never leave me.  In Jesus I pray, Amen."