The shield of faith
Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16).
The Roman army used several shields, but they developed the large shield which protected the whole body. It was used to defend soldiers from attacks as they advanced. This shield was also designed to fit together with the shields of other soldiers. It provided protection for a unit of soldiers from attacks from all sides and the arrows which could rain down on them. Paul uses this shield to illustrate our trust in God. Satan’s objective is to destroy our faith. He continually searches for ways to undermine our confidence in God, knowing that once he can remove our trust in God, we are defeated. That’s why Paul writes, “above all, taking the shield of faith”. Never let go of your trust in the Saviour, knowing He will never let go of you. Our faith is able to make us victorious in all circumstances. It doesn’t take away difficulty; it defeats difficulty.
Jairus came to Jesus and said, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live” (Mark 5:23). Jairus had faith in the Lord, and the Lord walked with him to his home. On the way, he stopped to heal the woman with an incurable disease. Afterwards, the news came to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” It was a fiery dart. It was the enemy saying death defeats faith. But on hearing these words, Jesus says to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” The Lord did not need to take the journey with Jairus. He could have healed his daughter with a word and sent him home rejoicing. In the fourth and fifth chapters of Mark’s Gospel, the Lord demonstrates extraordinarily His power over disaster, the devil, disease and finally death. And amid this incredible power, he challenged the faith of His disciples, encouraged Legion to share his story in faith, rejoiced in the faith of the woman who touched his clothes and was healed, and finally strengthens Jairus’ faith. He was teaching us to take the shield of faith and face every circumstance trusting Him.
As the stones of hateful men rained down on Stephen in his violent death, he demonstrated – to all of us – the invisible shield of faith. Being full of the Holy Spirit, he had seen the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56). The Lord stood by Him as he suffered. He did not need to say to Stephen, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Because Stephen was not afraid, he simply believed in His Saviour, and his heart was full of forgiveness and peace. He held to the very end of his life the shield of faith.
Paul was an accomplice in the death of Stephen when he was martyred. But he was also the subject of Stephen’s prayer of faith, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when Paul came to the end of his own life, he was holding the same shield of faith when he wrote, with forgiveness and peace in His heart, “At my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me” (2 Timothy 4:16-17).
The shield of faith will protect us and give us victory in the most trying of circumstances. This victory is not lost, even when we appear to lose everything, because we never lose the love and grace of our Saviour and all that it will accomplish.
