Shield of Faith: Don’t Leave Your Spiritual Protection Unused
The other day as I was out running some errands, I found myself caught in an unexpected rain shower. As refreshing as walking in the rain can be, I don’t particularly like being drenched, but I couldn’t avoid it. Head down and powering on, my frustration built as I grumbled at the weather and how wet I was getting. Later sitting in my car, I went to grab my phone from my handbag and instead grabbed my recently purchased mini umbrella. An umbrella that I had purchased for days such as that day when unexpected rain hit. An umbrella that had been in my bag the entire time and that could have shielded me from the rain. The umbrella that I completely forgot I had in my bag until it was too late.
Faith Like an Umbrella
Our faith can be like an unused umbrella. We have it. It’s there. In the back of our minds, we know it’s there. We see it so often it becomes part of our peripheral vision. We know what it can do and how it can protect us, and we know where it is, but we don’t always take it out. We don’t unfurl it and hold it up to shield us from what comes our way. We just leave it in the cupboard or in the car or, in my case, in the handbag. We battle through the rain and the storms on our own, when we have something within our reach that not only protects us, but strengthens us.
But our faith was never meant to be put away or put on display; it is meant to be an active part of our life.
How to Take Up the Shield of Faith
In Ephesians 6:16, the Apostle Pain instructs the followers of Jesus in Ephesus with these words,
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
This instruction came on the back of Paul telling the Ephesians to put on God’s armour to protect themselves against the attacks and schemes of the devil. He tells them to take up the shield of faith so that they can extinguish all the flaming arrows the evil one sends their way. Because that’s what a shield is for, to protect. To block and prevent being hit. And like an umbrella protects us from the rain and keeps us from getting wet, our shield of faith will protect us from the lies and accusations the devil tries to throw our way.
We won’t be shielded from everything. Much like an umbrella, sometimes the hits still get past. But why wouldn’t we use the spiritual shield that God has given us? Why would we not activate our faith on a daily basis, covering ourselves with prayer and God’s Word in preparation for when the unexpected attacks come? Because the reality is that at some point, everyone that follows Jesus will find themselves under spiritual attack. Paul warns us about and Jesus tried to prepare us for it. The enemy will try to drench us with trials and tribulations and accusations. But God already made a way for us to deal with it.
God is our Shield.
God doesn’t want us to put our faith on the shelf or in our handbag. When Jesus went to the cross, it wasn’t so that we would suffer through life’s challenges alone. When He died on the cross, the veil was torn, giving us direct access to God the Father. The Holy Spirit, the presence and personhood of God, we can shelter under God’s promises. We can find shelter in His Word. We can find comfort and rest from the storm in His presence. And we can rebuke the lies and attacks of the enemy by holding up our shield of faith.
Our faith won’t grow or be strengthened unless we actively use it. We need to actively hold up our shield of faith and declare the promises of God. We need to boldly speak out God’s Word. God has given us everything we need, and He doesn’t want us to do this alone. He has sent us His Holy Spirit to lead, guide, comfort, and protect us. So why would we not call on His name and His authority when we are in the storm?
Take up your Shield
The bible tells us that we are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:37) and that the same power that rose Jesus from the grave is within us (Romans 8:11). But that power that rose Jesus from the grave won’t mean anything if we don’t actively embrace it, believe it, and walk in it. If we don’t pick up our shield of faith and actively wield it, much like my umbrella in my bag on a rainy day, it will not protect or strengthen us in any way.
Reflection
What storm or spiritual battle have you tried to face in your own strength instead of actively holding up your shield of faith?