“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Ephesians 6:16 ESV
A Roman soldier’s shield was very important for keeping them safe. It was big and made of wood covered with leather, and sometimes it had metal edges. The shield helped protect the soldier from arrows, swords, and other weapons.
There are two types of faith we experience as believers: saving faith, which is based on God’s grace through Christ’s sacrifice, and the faith we need to live every day.
Scripture tells us that we are saved by grace,
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
And through faith in Christ, we are made right before God.
“You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Galatians 2:15- 16 NLT
The faith and grace God gives us grant us access to pick up the shield of faith. God offers this shield to combat the fiery darts Satan throws at us daily.
When we take the shield of faith, we trust in God. We trust in His promises when we are attacked by Satan. It’s interesting to note that this verse does not leave us wondering if we will be attacked but how we can withstand it.
As children of God we will get attacked by the devil with all kinds of temptations. Because we are imperfect people, we have to lean on the promises of God to us in Scripture. However, we can’t withstand Satan alone.
Our faith is strengthened when we lean on God and His Word. As we walk through life, we see how God is always true to His promises and defends us in our greatest need.
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
Psalm 62:8 ESV
So, in what ways can we build our faith in God? Here are a few suggestions.
Reading and studying Scripture.
Memorize Scripture
Attend and fellowship at your local church
Build a community of faithful believers
Faith in God is built and strengthened moment by moment and day by day. God allows circumstances in our lives but gives us the armor to combat the attack.
Take up the shield of faith today!
Thank you for the reminder. I am learning that the shield of faith needs to be placed on daily.