Focus: The Shield of Faith (Pt.1)

Text: Eph.6:16

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

Paul tells us that faith is a winning weapon of defense provided by God for the believer in Christ. That tells us how essential faith is. Faith is more than belief; it is also a battle armor. We overcome the world with it, according to John. Also, with our faith we resist the devil steadfastly, according to Peter.

Our faith is so essential that Jude describes it as "most holy." Faith is most sacred to God. Paul says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith…" The phrase, "Above all," means 'overall,' or 'in front of all.' The Greek words are 'epi pasin,' which literally means, 'on top of all.' The shield is the foremost of the weapons. The believer holds it out in front of him as a weapon of defense. It is not a weapon held by the side or behind. Its place is right in front of the soldier. It protects his whole front from head to toe.

Interestingly, faith is our shield, and God is our shield, too. God says to Abraham, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy SHIELD…" (Gen.15:1). Moses says to the children of Israel, "Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the SHIELD of thy help…" (Dt.33:29). David sings, "The God of my rock; in him will I TRUST: he is my SHIELD… Thou hast also given me the SHIELD of thy salvation…" (2Sam.22:3,36). The psalmist says, "But thou, O LORD, art a SHIELD for me…" (Ps.3:3). We can see that God is a shield for those who TRUST in Him. 

God is our shield and the source of our faith. Our God protects us as well as our faith. As a matter of fact, our faith brings us under the protection of our God. God shields us because we believe in Him.

The psalmist declares, "For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield" (Ps.5:12). God is our shield. Faith is our shield; and also, grace is our shield. God surrounds us with the shield of grace. The psalmist tells us that God's "truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (Ps.91:4). He describes God as "my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me" (Ps.144:2). In Proverbs, we read, "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him" (Prov.30:5).

So we can see that God, faith, grace, and truth are shields to us. Truth protects us, and faith is rooted in the truths of God. The faith is the faith of God. The grace is the grace of God. The truth is the truth of God. Conversely, our God is the God of all grace, the God of truth, and the God of covenant faith.

Child of God, faith is your shield. You are weakened by fear, shattered by doubt, exposed to danger by unbelief. Faith in Christ is your shield against the world and the devil.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter