The Shield of Faith
One of my favorite images floating around on social media is a powerful one—a parent standing firm, holding up a shield, while flaming arrows rain down. Behind them, their children stand safely under its protection. It’s a striking visual, but what makes it even more powerful is that it’s rooted in Scripture. Ephesians 6:16 says, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” The message is clear: the shield of faith is what stands between us and the relentless attacks of the enemy. But what exactly is this shield, and how do we make sure we’re using it the right way?
I want us to dig a little deeper into this verse to really understand this shield and how we can best use it. Let’s first examine the verse in its context. In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul exhorts Christians to put on the armor of God because the fight they are in is not against flesh and blood but against a spiritual enemy. A part of that armor is the shield of faith.
Paul begins his discussion about this shield by telling us when we should be wielding it. He says we should use it “in all circumstances.” In more modern terminology, Paul is telling us we need the shield all day, every day. We need our shield at work, at home, at the gym, on the golf course, in the church building, while driving, and while picking up our children from school—you get the idea. Satan does not take breaks from hurling his attacks at us, so we don’t need to lay down our shield.
Next, Paul lets us know what the shield is for. The shield of faith is how we protect ourselves from the evil one’s flaming darts. You may be asking yourself, “How does it do that?” Good question—I’ve asked the same thing myself. The answer lies in understanding what faith means. Faith, by definition, is “a state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted” (BDAG 818). In simpler terms, faith means to trust. In this context, our trust in God is what makes up our shield of faith. The stronger our trust, the stronger our shield.
Imagine a flaming arrow coming toward you, and you start to doubt your shield. Is that full trust? Our doubts in God and His awesome power weaken our defense against the evil one. That’s why, when doubts arise, we must seek answers. We want to ensure our trust in God is at full capacity.
My encouragement for you today is to think about any doubts you have about your trust in God. Write them down. Then, start eliminating those doubts by seeking answers from God in His Word. If you need help, reach out to me.
— Matt Jones