This week we continue our study on the armor of God in Ephesians 6:16:

There are many aspects to faith. We enter into salvation by faith, and it is accounted to us as righteousness. Faith releases the power of God in our lives to do miracles—we even prophesy according to our faith. In the Scripture above, we see that faith is also the shield that will extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. This is truly an important use of our faith, but it seems that very few understand it, and fewer still use it this way.

There was a period of several years that whenever I prayed for someone I would see his or her spiritual armor. I could see the condition that it was in, and how it was worn. Everyone I prayed for had a shield of faith, but each was a different size and condition. Many were so tiny that I did not think the shields would be useful at all. Others just kind of dragged their shield behind them instead of holding it up in front to protect them as they walked. These people were all wounded, and it was easy to see why.

If a soldier is marching toward you with his shield held rightly, it will almost certainly be the most prominent thing you see about him. If it is clean and shined up, it will be even more so. Could that be said of us? When others look at you, is your faith that prominent?

Our shield of faith is also what extinguishes any arrow the enemy flings at us. If we are constantly getting hurt and wounded, it is almost certainly because we are not carrying our faith right. Faith is basically seeing Jesus and knowing where He sits above all rule, authority, and power. If we know this, then it is impossible for the enemy to get a shot in while the Lord is not looking. Therefore, all of the trials that come our way are for a purpose—our maturity. We should therefore embrace the trials as opportunities. In this way, each trial the enemy flings at us will actually cause our faith to grow so that it becomes even more difficult for him to wound us.

A skillful warrior in biblical times used his shield effectively regardless of which direction the attack was coming. A warrior who rigidly walked with his shield in one place would become an easy target for someone who shot at him from an unexpected direction. We, too, must learn to be flexible with our faith. There is faith for salvation, and faith for healing. There is faith for authority over demons, and there is faith to bring in God’s provision. There is faith for our children, churches, and cities, and faith for our country to see God move in them.

So if our faith is going to be useful for these, we must see them with trust in God and anticipation of His victory, and not look at them in doubt, regardless of what problems arise. The key is to keep our shields up, regardless of what disappointments may come. There are times when things will happen with all of these that could be very disappointing. However, to become disappointed is to drop our shield of faith. When arrows start coming, it is not the time to drop our shields, but to raise them up with even more resolve. The arrows will come, which should never discourage us, but cause us to grip our faith even tighter, and hold it up with even greater vigilance.

Are you now dragging your faith when it comes to your church? To your children and to your own calling and purpose in the Lord? Pick up your shield! Shine it up. Determine that you are going to grow your shield until you are completely protected from the darts of the enemy, and even keep growing it until it is large enough to protect others as well.