exhorter
Wisdom Principle – Sowing and Reaping │Piece of God’s Armor – Shield of Faith
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. “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
Take Up the Shield of Faith
There is so much scripture about the gift of faith that for a bit, my Exhorter stayed silent. Not wordless; but marching over acres of now truth-laden faith that has, and does, experience flaming arrows of the evil one. As long as the Adversary repeatedly lets fly with his fiery darts aimed to penetrate our armor of flesh, how much more must we take up God’s shield of faith in the Person of Christ Jesus, our personal Armor of God?
God’s Word does not leave us defenseless or uninformed. Exhorted to take up the shield of faith, we are not simply left holding a heavy shield in limp hands. No, we are told there is a purpose for taking up the shield of faith. It is so that we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil (Strong’s: hurtful, in effect or influence) one.
Paul prefaced the strength and power of the Lord in Ephesians 6:10 before he launched into the armor of God: “Last of all, I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you.”
The Roman Soldier’s Shield
We learn from Paul and historians, the acts of preparation the Roman soldiers engaged in as they dressed for warfare and cared for their weapons. Until the command was given, they were given to a state of readiness.
These earthly Legionaries modeled “putting on Christ” – the believer’s spiritual Armor of God. The use and preparation of their shields in the natural, causes our spiritual understanding to experience an aha! moment.
Care and Preparation
The Legionaries’ shields were often made of thin strips of wood and covered with leather. Regularly rubbing in oil kept the leather supple and pliably softened. Soaking their shield in water before going into battle served to extinguish the hurled spear’s pitch-enflamed tips or the fiery arrows of the enemy aimed at and released upon them. Such preparation and readiness proved its level of effectiveness when put to the test in times of conflict.
Use
The shield was large enough to cover their central being; if they knelt behind it, it provided ample coverage. Rectangular with curved sides, the shield had a ‘boss’, a bulge in the middle of iron or bronze, to protect the hand holding the shield. Whether right- or left-handed, the shield was held in the left hand when fighting to protect their body, leaving their right hand free to hold a sword or spear.
Moreover, when the siege was severe, a company of soldiers would form a shield-shell of protection (known as the turtle formation). Outside ranks would join shield to shield all around the perimeter, and inside ranks would hold their closely joined shields overhead. The resulting formation provided enclosed protection for all. Already, the shield of faith points us to the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and unceasing prayer.[1]
In Christ’s Army, the Natural Doesn’t Dominate the Spiritual
Whether Roman legions or our modern-day military, enlisted and commissioned members are cognizant that there are higher ranks than them. Much as they would like to influence the military to their way of individual thought, each one is a part of the larger military design, function, and presence. Regardless of their varied responsibilities – practice, preparation, and patience have a perfecting work when its purpose is understood.
A lot of conflict and difficulty comes whenever we attempt to lay a natural application over spiritual truth. To be more specific, Paul did not receive the revelation to “layer ourselves over Christ,” but to “put on Christ.”
In applying the things of the Spirit to what is playing out in the natural, there are some who consider themselves of high spiritual rank. It’s said that ‘knowledge is power’, but ill-used, tends to saturate the soul. Paul, with a religious pedigree [2] a mile long, knew the pitfalls of pride and the redeeming, unmerited salvation of God by faith alone in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. When he exhorted, Grace voiced its earned authority:
For through the grace given to me I say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 (Paul speaking)
Beloveds, as associates in Christ’s Army, He is the One in the Kingdom for whom we are to watch, wait, listen, prepare, and speak. If we mis-place our faith in anyone other than Christ Jesus, we need His re-aligning touch.
A Warrior’s Words
Proverbs 4:25-27 lays out the manner fitting for one who has determined to follow Christ as Head and Leader:
Let your eyes (eyelids) look directly ahead and fix your gaze straight in front of you. Clear a level path for your feet, so all your ways will be firm. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Divert your foot from evil. (Tree of Life version)
This scripture doesn’t mention our speech. Don’t be foolish, though, Exhorter. The Word tells us that where our treasure is, there our heart is (to be found);[3] and the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.[4] To love and obey Christ is the key to life that unlocks the treasures of our King’s heart, plan, and purpose for us.
The Worth of our King
Faith, the writer of Hebrews tells us, is the substance of things hoped for. It’s the evidence of things not seen. Asking the Lord to increase our faith means we should be able to detect sincere faith when we hear or see it. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is lifeless without acts of obedient allegiance unto our Lord.
We know the temptation to lay aside our shield of faith or doubt its integrity (the trustworthiness of Christ). It is with sound understanding, from personal experience and in working with others, that I want to remind us –
“There are appointed times for each of us when He determines we are to speak rightly of Him or persist in our unbelief. He is rich in mercy. A far cry from how my taken-aback plaintiff regarded His apparent lack of care or help. Nowhere in the Word does it say, “God helps those who help themselves.” He doesn’t expect us to help ourselves, but time and again instructs us to prepare ourselves for Him.” – excerpted from Vineyard Days – Mercy Land
F.B. Meyer, in his commentary on Psalm 18, said in part – “We must stint our words when we speak of men; but mortal lips, however eloquent, have never exhausted the worth of our King.”
Our faith; His mercy. As we fan the flame of faith, Mercy flows. What Paul told Timothy; Christ first told Paul.
Fan the Flame of Faith
“For this reason (Timothy’s unfeigned faith),[5] I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God gave us a Spirit…not of fear… but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:6-7
Wisdom has built her house. Exhorter, you are the fourth of Wisdom’s seven hewn-out pillars. May your authority in sowing and reaping be shielded well for righteousness’ sake – the strengthening of your faith.
~ Nancy
[1] Psalm 91 is balm and encouragement to our spirit, soul, and body at any time, and especially so as we study the Armor of God. The weapons of our warfare are not natural and are at our disposal by the Mind of Christ we have been given. He is our Warrior King against which nothing can stand. By faith, we are established and made to stand firm in His strength.
[2] Philippians 3:1-11 [3] Matthew 6:21 [4] Luke 6:45
[5] Paul acknowledged Timothy’s generational lineage of faith as he prefaced his exhortation to him with verse 5: “I am reminded of your sincere (unfeigned) faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason…” May our faith be strengthened and increased for our own generations, known and unknown.
Click here for a printable PDF of this article: Redemptive Gifts Pattern of Seven – The Armor of God ~ Shield of Faith
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