(Part 6)
“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.
The
shield of a Roman soldier was an impressive piece of weaponry in size and
construction. The shield was designed to be large enough to protect a soldier’s
entire body when crouching behind it. To ensure the shields were lightweight
and able to be carried long distances; they were constructed of wood and
covered in animal hides. Before entering a battle; these hides would be
moistened so to quench the fiery arrows that would rain down from the walls of
the fortress or high ground they were attempting to occupy.
Unlike
the belt, breastplate, and shoes that are put on; the shield was a piece of the
armor that was to be wielded or taken up. It was positioned out in front of a
soldier to protect him from projectiles aimed at mortally wounding him. Paul
likened this shield to a believer’s faith.
What
is faith? Hebrews 11:1 states:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.”
In
very simple terms; faith is taking God at His word! Faith when raised up will
cover us spiritually from the flaming darts of doubt, unbelief, and temptation.
The shield of faith does not keep the arrows from coming, but stops them in
their tracks and neutralizes the damage they are meant to inflict. This makes faith a key component in obtaining
victory.
“For everyone born of God overcomes the
world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”-1 John
5:4.
This
overcoming faith was not designed to be a parade prop or wall art. Faith is a
spiritual weapon given for us to employ on the battlefield. Just as the Roman soldier’s shield was meant
to take the blows meant for the man; so faith is designed to take the blows
meant for us. When raised up to defend their position the shield would deflect
the assault away from the soldier; however the soldier would still feel the
weight of the force upon him, but he would not be destroyed.
Paul
makes reference to this imagery in 1 Corinthians 10:13:
“No temptation has seized
you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way our so that you can stand up under it.”
The
arrows of temptation are bound to come, but we can stand up under the force of
them when we are brandishing the shield of faith. When we do not keep our faith
out in front of us, we must bear the brunt of the attack. This makes the shield
of utmost importance.
Soldiers
took care to ensure that their shields did not become worn and brittle by daily
applying a fresh coat of oil to the hides. In like manner, we too must maintain
our faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith cometh by hear; hearing by the
Word of God.” If our faith is strengthened and made strong by hearing the Word
of God; then we must daily be applying the Word to our lives in order that our
faith will be resilient enough to quench the fiery darts.
Even
when the enemy fires accusations, manipulates truth, and attempts to distract
and dissuade us from the sufficiency of our faith; when we are well rooted in
the word we will not be moved off our mark.
Pastor
Scott Burr
Lead
Pastor
Dayspring
Community Church
No comments:
Post a Comment