Spiritual Armor: The Shield of Faith

Paul was under house arrest in Rome while writing his letter to the church at Ephesus. In chapter six of his letter, he discusses the spiritual war on Earth. Most people are unaware of this war, but those with insight have had their spiritual eyes opened to this reality (Ephesians 1:18). Behind everything that happens, there is a battle being fought between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. I hope you, dear reader, are on the right side!

The apostle Paul is believed to have been chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote this letter. He used the soldier’s shield, armor, and sword as metaphors to teach the Ephesians and all who read his words about overcoming Satan's attacks. When we wear spiritual armor, we are strengthened—not in ourselves, but in the Lord and His mighty power, which surpasses any demonic spirit. The fourth piece of armor Paul mentions is the shield of faith.

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).

The Roman shield Paul saw in the room with him was the scutum, a large shield a Roman soldier could hide behind when arrows, darts, and spears flew toward him. The shield was about four feet high and two and a half feet wide, made of two layers of laminated wood covered with animal hide, linen, and iron. When a fiery dart or arrow pierced the shield, the covering extinguished it as it buried itself into the protection. Paul depicts the believer's faith as a spiritual shield. When the enemy fires a dart of accusation, temptation, or guilt, the Christian responds with words and actions of faith in God. What is faith? It is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

We may not see the heavenly resources available to us. Still, we are confident, through faith, that God is with us and has promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). When we believe in that promise, we can endure anything the enemy throws at us. Our faith shields us from lies, accusations, and discouragements that can harm us. It shifts our perspective and colors everything we see, filtering it all through the shield of faith and blocking the poisonous darts before they can settle in our hearts and cause harm.

Another thing that may have been on Paul's mind was how the Roman soldiers used their shields. They moved as one unit and interlocked their shields to cover all sides, protecting themselves from arrows as they moved forward. Likewise, we should look out for each other. We all benefit when we fight the fight of faith together. Watch over your brothers and sisters in Christ by speaking the truth in love and caring for one another. We are to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). As we support each other this way, we strengthen each other's effectiveness in the spiritual battle we face together. We are not just an "army of one"; we are an army of many members, led by our one Captain of salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This meditation is a shorter version of the more in-depth study: God’s POWERFUL Armor Protects You. The YouTube video with subtitles in 70 languages can be found at the following link: https://youtu.be/yG2qWrWTbsQ