Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Ephesians 6:16
Several times this week, God has prompted me concerning the shield of faith. He has compelled me to continually pray that the shield of faith is in place for all our partners. The shield of faith is vital in the days and times we are living in.
In biblical times, the Romans shield was called a scutum. It was the size of a door and covered the soldier entirely. It was not just defensive but could also be used to push back their opponents. Isn’t that interesting!?
When fighting as a group, the soldiers could position their shields to form an enclosure around themselves, called a testudo, or a tortoise. This was especially helpful to protect against arrows being launched at them. These shields were often made of wood and then covered in animal hide. They were then entirely wet, so they would extinguish flaming arrows. Clearly, this was an important part of their armor. It provided a blanket of protection.
When Paul was using this analogy, he said above all, the shield of faith should be in place.
To understand why the shield of faith is so important, we must first understand what faith is. The author of Hebrews describes it as the realization of something we can’t see. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. (Heb 11:1-2)
The word faith from the Greek is defined as firm belief. It is an unshakable belief in the Word of God. Faith also means trust, confidence, assurance, and belief. This is our shield. Our faith in God. Our confidence and assurance in God. Our belief that God heard us the first time we prayed. And not only that, but that our prayers were answered when we prayed, even if we cannot yet see the answer with our eyes.
I am reminded of Matthew 17:20 which says, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” …
Remember, the shield of a soldier was as big as a door, completely covering him. Jesus said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed… that is a small seed. Our faith, even when it appears small, is enough, according to Jesus, to move a mountain. It is enough that nothing is impossible for you. I would say that is a faith large enough to cover you entirely, wouldn’t you? Not only that, but our shield of faith can push back the enemy.
The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:9 to resist steadfast in the faith. James 4:7 says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. As we keep our shield of faith in place, resist the devil and remain steadfast, we are indeed pushing back the enemy. When we stand firm, he will flee, just as the Word of God says he will.
On a final note, remember the soldiers wet their shield so that it would quench the fiery darts of their enemies. How do we do that? With the washing of the water of the Word.
Meditate on the Word of God until it is in your heart and coming out of your mouth. The Word of God will stop the enemy in His tracks. Jesus defeated the devil after his days of fasting with one thing – the Word of God. Speak the Word to the enemy and it will quench every fiery dart he attempts to send your way. No weapon formed against you will prosper. You have God’s Word on it.
Today, make sure your shield of faith is in place and the Word of God is in your mouth. As you do, you will find victory after victory, for there is truly nothing more powerful than that!
