Shield of Faith –

“Faith must be our shield…This is more necessary than any of them.  Faith is all in all to us in an hour of temptation.  The breast-plate secures the vitals, but with the shield we turn every way…”10

 166px-Shields.-david-fieldsjpgPhoto by David Friel

In our text, we are exhorted to take “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” We find the shield can be held at all angles to block the darts as we press on forward into the fray or stand our ground.

Scripture tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (He. 11:1).  We are to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).   As Christians, we are justified and saved by faith in Jesus Christ (Mk. 16:16; Ro. 5:1; Ep. 2:8) “the Author and Finisher of our faith” (He. 12:2).  A Christian’s Faith is believing, trusting, being fully persuaded and living in expectation of the sovereignty of God and salvation through Christ (2 Ti. 1:12; Jn. 5:24). It only takes a small portion of faith to get started (Lu. 17:6)—faith in a real Christian continues to grow (2 Th. 1:3).  When we approach the Lord in prayer, we are to “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:6).

The trying of our faith brings a forth “patience” (James 1:3) and a spiritual harvest (Gal. 5:22). “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Pe. 1: 7-9).

We are exhorted to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Ti. 6:12) and to “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). 

Let us be as the apostles and ask the Lord to “Increase our faith” (Lu. 17:5).