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 6:14
Whilst we may not be familiar with using a traditional shield to ward off fiery arrows, we’ve become used to the concept of shielding ourselves. Covid-19 introduced the language and my wife was told to ‘shield’ herself due to underlying health conditions.
The Covid virus offers a useful metaphor. In spiritual warfare, whilst we know the source of attack, we may not easily discern the weapons used against us. There are symptoms of such an attack, but these can easily be ignored. Yet, to ignore is to risk serious damage.
Our shield of protection is manufactured from faith. An intangible, but indestructible, element that alone has power to thwart the enemy’s plans. Faith is born from the promises of God and built upon the foundation of trust. These promises are expressed throughout the Bible.
Our challenge is the degree to which we invest our confidence in them. Promises are easier to believe than to implement. One great trick of the enemy is to reduce our Christian confidence to a series of declarations. Each one is true in what it says, but of little value in itself when we find ourselves tested. Just as a shield is of no protection until and unless we learn to move it to repel the fiery arrows dispatched by the enemy for our total destruction.
Learning to live by faith remains our greatest test, but also our greatest gift. For in God we are equipped with everything we need to navigate life, no matter what’s thrown at us. Our task is to take God’s invitation to learn how we might live every day with Jesus. It challenges our preconceptions and society’s norms. It requires that we reflect on our experience so we might learn from our mistakes. It demands we journey alongside others travelling in the same direction. This is the Church.
Something to Consider: How effectively are your beliefs reflected in your actions?
A Prayer to Make: ‘Lord, help me to raise the shield of faith to quench Satan’s fiery arrows.’
Photo by Ricardo Resende on Unsplash
Used with Permission
