Take Up the Shield of Faith

by Brandon A. Cox
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Satan doesn’t get tired of stalking you with temptation and untruth. So take up your shield and stand strong in your faith!
Believing that victory is possible is the first step in achieving it. And for those who believe in Jesus, victory is not only possible, it’s certain. And the confidence that victory is certain is our greatest defense against the enemy who would seek to destroy us. Or as Paul put it…

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)

Satan doesn’t wear out. He doesn’t get tired of hounding God’s people, pestering us constantly with temptation and untruth. It is the shield of certainty that God has already won the war that will help us to knock down the arrows he hurls our way.

In Paul’s day, Roman soldiers on the front lines would carry an enormous wooden shield, covered in leather that had been soaked in water. When the enemy army shot its flaming arrows at the Roman line, those on the front would crouch down together and combine their shields to make a solid, thick wet wall that was not only impenetrable by the arrows, but also served to extinguish the flame.

This is faith. When we believe God’s truth about Himself, we carry a HUGE shield. And with that faith, we put out the flames of Satan’s arrows. When he whispers, “you’ll never measure up,” we can by faith proclaim but Jesus measured up for me. When he whispers, “God doesn’t really love you,” we can reply in faith God proved His love for me in that while I was yet a sinner, Jesus died for me. And so forth. Arrow after arrow will be deflected to the ground if we walk in the certainty of the victory that is ours.

So take up your shield and stand strong in your faith in the God who has already triumphed for you!