A Roman soldier would never think of leaving his shield behind when he went into battle. Why? Because the shield was a vital piece of armor that protected his whole body. It protected his head, his vital organs, and his body from the fiery darts that were often thrown at him. Sometimes the soldiers would get together and use their shields as a huge protective wall against the enemy. In the Apostle Paul’s description of the battle and the pieces of armor we are to use in this spiritual war, one piece in particular jumped out to me this morning. The shield of faith. By putting this piece of armor on every day, our vital organs will be protected. Satan always hits his target… our minds and our hearts. He has had thousands of years to perfect his aim. So, the shield of faith is essential to keep us safe.
Let’s talk about faith for a minute. None of us are brought into God’s family with unwavering faith. Faith needs to be nurtured. How do we do that? Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God.” Therefore, we nurture our faith by consistently listening to what God has to say through His Word. We may not see or feel God, but we believe what He says. We believe His Word no matter what lies are thrown at us.
For instance, Satan tries to trip us up by telling us we are not worthy, not loved, not important, and insignificant. He tells us that we are defined by our past, we are condemned by our mistakes, and we have fallen under the wrath of God. He tells us that God has abandoned us, that God has passed over us for someone more qualified, and that God is ashamed of us. None of these things are true. They are outright lies from the father of lies himself.
But we have been given an incredible gift that will stop him dead in his tracks every time. FAITH. Faith is believing what God says even if I might not feel it. I remember Corrie Ten Boom relaying a story. After she was released from the concentration camp on a technicality, she went around the world speaking. One day she was speaking about forgiveness and she looked to the back of the room and recognized someone she had known… one of the cruelest guards at Auschwitz. After she was done speaking, he came forward, held out his hand, and said, “You may not remember me but I was a guard and I have since come to know Jesus. Will you forgive me?” In that moment, she had to do something her body did not want to do… shake his hand and forgive him. Maybe she thought… Jesus forgave me so I need to forgive him. Did she want to? NO. But her faith was strong enough to do it.
Faith is believing what God says… what His Word says. Our faith gets stronger the more we hold onto the Bible… God says I’m valuable, I’ve been forgiven, I am made right in His eyes, I’m chosen, I’m important. God says that my identity is in Him not in the dysfunctional family I was born into or the mistakes I’ve made. God says I am called, I am an ambassador, I am chosen. The more we nurture our faith, the bigger and stronger that shield will be. And in this day and age, we must never venture out without taking up that shield. Hope this encourages you today.