The Shield of Faith

How do we use faith to help us when life keeps tossing things at us that seem determined to hold us back?

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

Reflection

I’ve been working through a fairly long series on this idea of spiritual warfare. That’s right. I’ve decided to pay closer attention to this area of life because it has certainly felt like things just keep coming at me. Perhaps you’ve felt that way too.

One of the things I’ve been trying to sort out is where exactly I place responsibility when things happen. When something good comes my way, I want to give credit where credit is due. I want to thank God for it. After all, every good thing I have ultimately came from Him.

But what about the other stuff?

What about the times when I sin? What about the times when I know better and yet still make the wrong choice?Can I blame my sin nature? Can I blame the enemy? Can I blame the fact that I live in a broken world? Or do I simply need to look in the mirror?

Many Christian writers point all the way back to Adam and Eve. They remind us that the very first people had everything they could possibly need and yet still managed to wander away from God. I’ve always found that interesting.

Think about it for a moment.

God creates this incredible place called Eden. Adam is there tending it. God gives him a companion. They have food. They have purpose. They have direct fellowship with God. By any standard they are living a life most of us would probably trade for in a heartbeat.

Yet even there temptation shows up.

I’ve often wondered how that happened. Maybe life had become a little ordinary. Maybe curiosity got the better of them. Maybe it was simply the right temptation at the right time.

Whatever the reason, the enemy didn’t show up with a sword. He didn’t force anyone to do anything. He simply planted an idea.

“Psst.”

“Have a look.”

“Have a taste.”

“Did God really say that?”

And honestly, that sounds a lot like the way temptation still works today.

Most of the time the enemy isn’t showing up with flashing lights and obvious warnings. Instead, it is a subtle thought. A compromise. A rationalization. A moment where we begin convincing ourselves that what God wants and what we want are somehow different things.

That is where faith becomes so important.

When Paul talks about the shield of faith, I don’t think he is talking about some abstract Christian idea. I think he is talking about something we use every day.

Faith reminds us who God is. Faith reminds us that His ways are better than ours. Faith reminds us that what looks good in the moment may not actually be good for us. Faith reminds us that there is more at stake than whatever temptation is standing in front of us.

The older I get, the more I realize that faith isn’t just believing God exists. Most people I know believe God exists. The challenge is trusting Him enough to follow Him when the other option looks easier, more fun, or more rewarding.

That’s when the arrows seem to come. Doubt. Temptation. Discouragement. Pride. Anger. Fear. The enemy seems perfectly content to use whatever arrow he thinks might work. Which is why the shield matters.

It protects us from believing things that simply are not true. It protects us from wandering too far down roads we should never have started walking. It reminds us that God has been faithful before and will be faithful again.

The shield of faith is no joke. It is a necessary tool for anyone serious about walking with God.

Let me end with this.

I’ve seen many people go through the motions when it comes to faith. Sometimes I’ve been one of them. We say we have faith, but faith in what?

Faith in a church? Faith in a pastor? Faith in a devotional writer? Faith in a denomination?

None of those things can save us.

Our faith belongs in God.

Our faith belongs in the One who has been pursuing His people from the very beginning. Our faith belongs in the One who loved us enough to send His Son into this world to die for us and rise again so that we might have life.

When the arrows come, and they will come, that is the shield I want to be carrying.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the faith You have given me. Help me strengthen it each day. When doubts come, remind me of Your truth. When temptation comes, remind me of Your goodness. When fear comes, remind me that You are still in control. Help me keep my eyes fixed on You and not on the distractions and attacks that seek to pull me away from You. Thank You for loving me enough to provide a shield against the enemy’s work. May I carry it well. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.