READ Ephesians 6:10-16
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Paul explains, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). Faith is powerful. It ultimately means “trusting God to be who He says He is.” When we choose to walk by faith, the uncertainty of life builds us up instead of tearing us down. It allows us to press forward even when the future seems uncertain.
Imagine the complex uniform of this soldier. He was likely covered in head-to-toe armor. His sword was positioned between his belt and tunic, and he only carried one thing in his hands, his shield. Don’t think of a small, dainty shield like the one used by Captain America. Roman shields were like hand-held bunker walls. This would have been a similar size and shape to your front door. They would essentially cover the entire solider during warfare.
I imagine war is really scary. The solider had no idea when a flaming arrow was going to fly at his face, but he knew he was safe behind his shield. This makes me think of 2 Corinthians 5:7 where it’s explained, “We live by faith not sight.” It’s so easy to live by fear, but God has a better strategy for you.
In life, we do not know what’s coming next or what attack we may face. Fear is inevitable. However, we are safe and secure behind the shield of faith; there is nothing the enemy can come up with that’s powerful enough to penetrate that shield. God is calling you to fight your fear with faith. You have assurance that God’s presence is with you despite uncertainty or calamity.
I do not know what you’re going through, but I know that you will get through it. God says, “Fear Not. You are Mine.” Do not reject in fear what God revealed to you in faith.