Verse: In addition to all, having taken up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16
All the other pieces of kit we have looked at have been worn by the soldier. Once on, the breastplate, belt, and shoes do not really have to be thought about, you just wear them. The rest of the kit described here is “taken up” by the soldier. The shield is something you must carry and use.
When in a gunfight the first thing you do is return fire and seek cover. Cover can be anything from a log to a wall, as long as it can stop the rounds. It's from that cover that you can have enough safety to figure out your next move in the attack or withdraw. But the cover is extremely important.
Our faith is our cover from the attacks (flaming arrows) of the evil one. The shield described here is most likely one that covered head to toe. It was used when moving into position and also used to protect an element in the phalanx formation. They often put leather over it dipped in water or oil to extinguish the flaming arrows that would be fired at them as they moved.
In the context of Ephesians 6, we are standing firm, not so much in the advancement. So that shield covers us head to toe. This is the same as our faith in the Lord. Our faith covers us so that we may resist the temptations shot at us. I do not take this faith as just the doctrines we espouse as followers of Christ, but rather our faith in God.
Putting our faith in God and his promises covers us. We see that God is our refuge and Shield in Proverbs 30 and Psalm 18. That refuge from the attacks. When we are standing firm, our faith is in a God who will sustain us in the time of temptation, always providing a way of escape. Faith that he will sustain us even if we are during persecution. Faith that we are still loved and redeemed by Him even if we fail in the test.
When you go into battle, pray, and put your faith in Christ. Be confident that he will protect you, that faith covers your whole body on top of the protection already given to you in the breastplate of righteous living. Trust in God and his promises to you.
Written by,
John Cooper Jr.
Godly Grunt 6
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