Take Up the Shield of Faith!

 “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 NIV84).

            If we have truly made that commitment to Christ, then we know who we have believed, and like Paul, we are “…convinced that he is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to him for that day” (II Timothy 1: 12b, NIV94). Our faith is what enables us to defeat any attack that Satan may launch against us.  It is the shield that defends us against the doubts, fears, insecurities, and temptations that we are besieged with every day.  Our God is bigger than anything Satan can throw against us.

            Notice that I didn’t say that there won’t be doubts, fears, insecurities, and temptations.  I just said that you will be able to withstand them.  As David showed us time and again in the Psalms, doubts are normal but trust in God can overcome those doubts.

            Several years ago, I took a mission trip to South Asia.  It was my first trip overseas and only my second airplane ride.  I was totally out of my comfort zone, and needless to say, I was very apprehensive about every aspect of the trip. To be completely honest, I was afraid!  One day, due to an unexpected change in our plans, we had to endure a seven-hour taxi ride that is almost impossible to describe.  The roads were narrow, but that didn’t stop our driver from honking his horn and going around anything that got in his way, even if it meant “playing chicken” with a bus headed straight for us.  This took place not long after we had endured a train wreck and a collision with a rickshaw, so our nerves were raw.  The driver didn’t speak English, so no matter how hard our leader tried to get him to slow down, his words fell on “deaf” ears. 

            After just a few hours of constant honking and near misses, I was convinced that we were going to die!  Yet, despite that conviction, I had a peace that I’m not sure I had ever felt before.  I knew we were going to die.  I knew that I couldn’t do anything to stop it, so, I did the next logical thing – I went to sleep.  That’s right, I said “sleep”.  It wasn’t until months later that I began to realize that the sleep that I experienced that night was the result of a combination of the “peace” that only God can provide and my faith that He is in control. My faith shielded me from the paralyzing fear that could have easily resulted from that experience.  I could have been hysterical, and I think most of the team expected me to be, but instead, I was asleep, resting comfortably in the calm assurance that only Christ can give.  My Shield of Faith was working great that night!

            There will be times when doubts will invade your thoughts.  There will be days when the discouragement or pain will seem overwhelming.  It is at those times that we must hold tightly to the shield of faith.  Don’t be afraid to join with the doubting father in Mark 9: 24, “…I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (NIV84).

            In this modern world of science and technology, there are constant efforts to belittle our faith and portray it as a crutch used by the weak.  We’ve probably all had doubts at one time or another.  That’s exactly what Satan wants.  He welcomes those doubts and seeks to expand on them.  Our only defense is to extinguish those doubts before they get a foothold.  As the writer of Hebrews tells us “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23 NIV84). Christ is faithful, even when we are not.  We must put our faith and trust in Him.  Only then, can we overcome the doubts of Satan’s attacks.

            Next time, we’ll complete our look at the armor of God.  Until then, confess your doubts to God, and allow Him to renew and strengthen your faith.

Mark 9: 24

Luke 17: 6